Library · The Covenants and the Covenanters
Part 14
The Covenants and the Covenanters · James Kerr (ed.)
First, The seasonableness: there is a time for all purposes, and every word and action is beautiful in his own time. A public engagement is then seasonable, 1. When a land hath been full of troubles: God by such troubles prepares a people for Him in this duty. "I will cause you to pass under the rod, and so I will bring you into the bond of the covenant." And we know, we feel God hath chastised us sore of late; but in them He hath not given us over to death, that by them He might prepare us for Himself. When a land hath been full of corruptions, and a shrewd decay hath been in spirituals: by a covenant hath such a people recovered themselves, and regained their God. After the great apostasy by Athaliah, Jehoiada renewed their interest by a covenant. When Manasses and his son had suffered destruction from God, and advanced idolatry with or above God; Josiah purged all by a covenant. Our decays are evident, our corruptions destructive; our covenant therefore seasonable. Come, let us engage our hearts to approach to God. 3. When the enemy begins to fall, and God begins to shine upon His own. Asa returning from a victory, called his land to a covenant. When Athaliah was slain, the league was sworn, by Joash and his kingdom. Since this motion of a covenant is come among us, God hath, as it were, begun to draw near, in the siege of Gloucester raised, in the success at Newbery, gained. God is worming out His and our adversaries, which He will do by little and little, till they be consumed. The covenant is seasonable.
Second, The success. Come and see the works of the Lord, what wonders He hath wrought, when a people hath thus bound themselves to be His. 1. A king injuriously put from his right by an usurping hand, after such a covenant was re-established, "He sat him down on the throne of the kings." 2. A land miserably put from its peace, after such a covenant, was re-settled, peace was re-obtained; and that as a fruit of prayer, and so acknowledged, "Israel had sworn, and sought God; God was found of them: and the Lord gave them rest round about." 3. Religion craftily, and wickedly put from its purity after such a covenant, was reformed; after such a reformation continued. The engagement being made, "all Josiah's days they returned not back from the Lord God of their fathers." 4. Rebels and rebellion, basely and bloodily backed and managed against the Lord and His ways, against His people and their practices; after such a covenant, have been overthrown and subdued, "I will bring you into the bond of the covenant." Then I will sever from among you the rebels; I will chase them from their own land, and hinder that they shall not enter into the land of Israel. The Lord give this success concerning Ireland, sever out the rebels there from true subjects; chase them from their own land; and yet keep them from ever entering into our land, the land of the inheritance of the Lord.
Now these successful effects of covenanting well minded,
First, May hint to us a satisfactory reason, in case peace comes not presently. God hath some more adversaries to overthrow, to worm out; His sword hath not eaten flesh enough; neither are His arrows drunk with blood yet; with the blood of such earthly men, whom He hath appointed to destruction. The hearts of the Philistines were so hardened, that they never sought after peace, "For it came of the Lord, to the intent that they might be utterly destroyed." Who knows, whether our peace hath been denied; our propositions cast out; our treaties fruitless, for such an end as this? It was of the Lord, who hath a purpose to destroy more. God lays afflictions on His people, and they continue upon them; but in the mean space to quiet their spirits, He teacheth them out of His law, that these troubles must stay only "till a pit be digged for the wicked."
Second, May encourage us to go on. You have now armour of proof, such armour as is not ordinary, armed with a covenant: Go, saith the angel to Gideon, in this thy might. Go (say I, to every one) in this thy might, the strength of this thy covenant, and the effect will be such, as is not ordinary. When the Philistines perceived that the Israelites had brought the ark of the covenant into the battle, they cried out, "Woe unto us; for it hath not been so heretofore: woe unto us; who shall deliver us out of the hands of these mighty gods?" When your enemies shall perceive, that you come armed with the armour of a covenant with God, I hope they, struck with amazement, shall cry, "Woe unto us; we were never so opposed before: woe unto us; who shall deliver us out of the power of this mighty prevailer?" If it will thus daunt, take it with you, be strong. Again, I say, Go in the might thereof, and God shall prosper thee for ever.
III. Satisfactory. According to the condition of the person, such is the nature of the objection. One out of the malignity of his spirit, cavils against the work; another out of tenderness of conscience, scruples the taking. I shall briefly touch upon one or two, and wind up all in a few words. The queries I have met with, are such as these: two objections when I was designed to this service, were sent me in writing, which, when thoroughly viewed, I perceived nothing at all to concern our case, or covenant.
Obj. 1. Whether by any law, divine or human, may reformation of religion be brought in by arms? Ans. 1. What is this at all to the covenant, where there is no mention of arms at all? 2. What is this to our present condition, where reforming by arms is not at all the question? For if reformation of religion be the case of our affairs; then either the parliament are they that do it, or the cavaliers: not the cavaliers, for they are on the defensive: witness all their declarations. Not the parliament, for then the cavaliers will be found fighters against religion, and resisters of God. 3. I answer negatively, it is not. The sword is not the means which God hath ordained to propagate the gospel: "Go and teach all nations;" not, go and subdue all nations, is our Master's precept.
Obj. 2. Whether to swear to a government that shall be, or to swear not to dissent from such a future government, be not to swear upon an implicit faith? Ans. 1. This is nothing to the covenant, neither can I see upon what ground any should raise such an impertinent scruple. 2. It is, he that so swears, swears upon an implicit faith: for one reason against the articles of the prelates was, that they forced us to swear to the homilies that shall be set out. But these things are extravagant.
Other objections by word of mouth have been propounded, some whereof I will here touch upon.
Obj. 1. One would make a stand at the phrase, [in our callings,] as if some politic mystery were therein involved, and would have it changed, [according to our callings, or so far forth as they extend.] There is an identity in the phrase, an action enjoined to be done in such a place, every corner, as far as that place extends, is that place, and no other. All is one.
Obj. How if the parliament should hereafter see a convenience in prelacy for this kingdom, were not this oath then prejudicial, either to the parliament's liberty, or kingdom's felicity? Ans. This objection supposes,
First, That the most wicked antichristian government may be a lawful government in point of conscience.
Second, That it is possible, that this prelatical government may be convenient for a state or kingdom. When as 1. They have been burdensome in all ages; what opposites in England have they been to our kings, till their interests were changed? 2. All reformed religions in the world have expelled them, as incompatible with reformation. 3. They have set three kingdoms together by the ears, for the least, and worst of causes, which now lie weltering in their own blood, ready to expire. 4. Experience now shows, there is no inconvenience in their want; either in Scotland, or in England.
Obj. But what, if the exorbitances be purged away, may not I, notwithstanding my oath, admit of a regulated prelacy? Ans. 1. We swear not against a government that is not. 2. We swear against the evils of every government; and doubtless many materials of prelacy must of necessity be retained, as absolutely necessary. 3. Taking away the exorbitances, the remaining will be a new government, and no prelacy.
Obj. For the discovery of all malignants, all that have been; whether, if I have a friend, that hath been a malignant, and is now converted, am I bound to discover him? Ans. This his malignity, was either before the covenant, or since; if before, no. For then this league had no being, and a non-ens can have no contrariety. If since, the discovery must be at the first appearance of malignity, whilst he is so.
Obj. What if one make a party to uphold prelacy, whilst it stands by law, must I oppose him, or discover him by virtue of this oath? Doth the oath bind me to oppose legal acts? Ans. i. Quer. Whether there be any particular law for prelacy? 2. Quer. Whether the making a party be legal? 3. Quer. Whether any thing, the extirpation of which is sworn by an ordinance of parliament, can be said to stand by law?
These are some queries I have met with. I heartily wish that the same tenderness of conscience in all things may be seen, which if not, it will hardly be called a scruple of tenderness, but a cavil of malignity. What now remains but only prayers, that the great God of our judgments and consciences, would so clear and satisfy our souls in these leagues and bonds, that without reluctancy we may all swear to God, and, having sworn, we may have a care to keep the oath inviolable; that as once Israel, so all England may rejoice because of the oath: and God may be established, and His kingdom settled; that His presence may dwell among men, and His protection among the sons of men; that He may be near in our covenanting, found in our prayers, and give us rest; and that we being engaged, may live to Him, and not to others, henceforth and for ever.
THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT:
SERMON AT WESTMINSTER.
BY JOSEPH CARYL.[12]
"And because of all this, we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it."
--Nehemiah ix. 38.
The general subject of this verse, is the special business of this day. A solemn engagement to the Lord, and among ourselves, in a sure covenant. Wherein we may consider these five things.
First, The nature of a covenant, from the whole.
Secondly, The grounds of a covenant, from those words, "because of all this."
Thirdly, The property of a covenant, in that epithet, Sure--"we make a sure covenant."
Fourthly, The parties entering into, and engaging themselves in a covenant, expressed by their several degrees and functions, Princes, Levites, priests. And were these all? All whom this verse specifies, and enow to bring in all the rest? Where the governors and the teachers go before in an holy example, what honest heart will not follow? And the next chapter shews us, all who were honest hearted, following this holy example, verse 28: "And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands, unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding: They clave unto their brethren, their nobles, and entered into," &c.
Fifthly, The outward acts by which they testified their inward sincere consent, and engaged themselves to continue faithful in that covenant: First, writing it. Second, sealing to it. Third, (in the tenth chapter, ver. 29.) "They entered into a curse." Fourth, "Into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe to do all the commandments of the Lord their God, with the statutes and judgments. And that they would not give their daughters to the people of the land," &c: with divers many articles of that covenant, tending both to their ecclesiastical and civil reformation.
I begin with the first point, the nature of a covenant. Concerning which, we may receive some light from the notation of the original words; 1. For a covenant. 2. For the making of a covenant. The Hebrew Berith (a covenant) comes from Barah, which signifieth two things: First, To choose exactly, and judiciously. Second, To eat moderately, or sparingly. And both these significations of the root Barah, have an influence upon this derivative Berith, a covenant: the former of these intimating, if not enforcing, that a covenant is a work of sad and serious deliberation, for such are elective acts. Election is, or ought to be made, upon the rational turn of judgment, not upon a catch of fancy, or the hurry of our passions.
Now, in a covenant, there is a double work of election: First, An election of the persons, between whom. Second, An election of the conditions, or terms upon which the covenant is entered. As God's covenant people are His chosen people, so must ours. Some persons will not enter into covenant, though invited; and others, though they offer themselves, are not to be admitted. They who are not fit to build with us, are not fit to swear with us. Some offered their help to the Jews in the repair of the temple, "Let us build with you, for we seek your God." But this tender of their service was refused. "Ye have nothing to do with us, to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build." What should we do with their hands in the work, whose hearts, we know, are not in the work? The intendment of such enjoining, must be either to build their hay and stubble with our gold and silver, or else to pull down by night what they build by day, and secretly to undermine that noble fabric, which seemingly they endeavoured to set up. We find in this book of Nehemiah, that the persons combining in that covenant, were choice persons. The text of the tenth chapter, sets two marks of distinction upon them. First, "All they that separated themselves from the people of the lands, unto the law of God." Second, All "having knowledge, and having understanding." Here are two qualifications, whereof one is spiritual, and the other is natural. The plain English of both may be this, "that fools and malignants, such as (in some measure) know not the cause, and such as have no love at all to the cause, should be outcasts from this covenant." Such sapless and rotten stuff will but weaken, if not corrupt this sacred band.