Library · The Covenants and the Covenanters
Part 11
The Covenants and the Covenanters · James Kerr (ed.)
BY
I. Some of the Nobility, Knighthood and Gentry. II. Divers Colonels, Officers and Soldiers. III. Those of the Scotish Nation about the City. IV. Many Reverend Divines here residing.
September 29th, Anno 1643.
By the Reverend Mr. Thomas Coleman, one of the Members of the Westminster Assembly of Divines.
Preached and published according to the several Orders of the Honourable House of Commons.
Nehem. x. 28, 29. The people ... entred into a curse, and into an oath to walk in God's law, &c.
GLASGOW, Printed for George Paton, Book-seller in Linlithgow. MDCCXLI.
THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND
COVENANT.
SERMON AT WESTMINSTER.
BY THOMAS COLEMAN.
"For who is this, that engaged his heart to approach unto Me, saith the Lord?"--Jerem. xxx. 21.
Two things in this clause cause some obscurity: First, The uncertainty of the subject. Second, The ambiguity of one phrase.
1. The uncertainty of the subject, or person of whom the prophet speaks here: whether of Christ, by way of prophecy, or of some particular person, by way of story, or indefinitely of every one, by way of duty.
2. The ambiguity of that phrase, engaged; which, according to the variety of its signification, is or may be variously rendered. He adorned His heart; He applied His heart; He directed His heart; He engaged His heart.
Hereupon the sense becomes various.
1. Who is he, viz. Christ, hath appointed his heart? Can there be found a parallel to Christ in the world, that hath so given himself up to God? made Him and His ways his meat and drink, yea more than his ordinary food?
2. Who hath fitted and adorned his heart? Is there any that can adorn and prepare himself to approach unto God, without God?
3. To omit others of like nature: it may be true, that it is chiefly spoken of Christ: the titles in the beginning of the verse look this way; his noble One, his Ruler; but seeing Christ is the head of the body, and one with His body, it may secondarily, and by way of communication, be also affirmed of His members; and to them we extend it.
The clause therefore seems dependent, and as it is applied to man, hath reference to that which is an act of God, and seems to be a reason thereof. "I will cause him," saith God, "to draw nigh, and he then shall approach; for who is this that hath engaged his heart?" The force of which inference may look two ways.
1. Shewing the impossibility in man to begin the action: "I will cause him to draw nigh; for who is this, that hath engaged his heart?" Where is the man that can direct his heart, approach to Me of himself, by his own power? Not any, not one: "Without Me you can do nothing."
2. Approving the endeavour to continue; I will cause him to draw near, that he may approach, and stay with Me: he doeth his best, according to his strength; "he engageth his heart," I will help on with the work; "for who is this?" Oh this is an excellent one; there are not many so; that any, that this is so, is beyond expectation, worthy of commendation. What an one is this? "Who is it that hath engaged," tied, bound his heart from starting aside like a broken bow, to approach to, and to continue with Me, saith the Lord?
In the words (to proceed methodically and clearly) I offer the sum of my thoughts, to be considered under four general heads, or parts.
I. The opening of the phrases. II. The propounding of the point. III. The viewing of the duty. IV. The encouragement to the practice.
In and through these we shall walk, as travellers, who speed their pace in those fields which yield no novelties, no fruit, no delight, but where they meet with varieties to delight the senses, fruitful places, green pastures to refresh themselves and beasts, they rest themselves and bait: so in some of these we shall only take and offer a taste, on others insist, as God shall direct; wherein an engagement of the attentions in the handling to me, may, through God's mercy, beget an engagement of the heart to God in the applying of them in order.
I.--The opening of the phrases.
For the fuller understanding of the prophet's drift, three words or phrases in this short sentence are a little to be cleared; for it containeth three parts: 1. An action of piety. 2. The object of this action. 3. The inquiry into both: and these are expressed in so many several particles.
1. The action of piety, engaging the heart. The heart may prove loose and wandering without an engagement: the engagement may be hypocritical and sinister, if it be not of the heart; but the one implying stability, the other sincerity, both together complete it as an action of piety.
2. The object of this action, "to approach unto Me." Sin may be the object pursued, and God may be beheld at a distance: in this, we do not approach; in that, we approach not to God; but either is needful. God abhors those that approach to sin: He minds not those that look to Him at their distance: except then thou approach, and approach unto God, thy endeavour is either cold or cursed.
3. The inquiry into both, who is this? into the act of engagement, because it is not usual, into the part engaged, because it is subtile; and what we seldom see, or groundedly suspect, we have cause to inquire after.