IN these Verses you have the Commons of Israel, joyning with their Nobles in a firme covenant to the Lord Jeho­vah: wherein you may take notice

• First of the persons who are described.
  • First generally
    • The rest of the people
  • Secondly more particularly.
    • 1 The Priest that offered Sacrifice.
    • 2 The Levits that instructed the people
    • 3 The porters that kept the doores of the Sanctuary.
    • 4 The Singers.
    • 5 The Nethinims, that drew water for the house of the Lord.
    • 6 All that had separated themselves from the people of the land, unto the Law of God, their wives, their sonnes and their daughters, every one having knowledge and under­standing.
• Secondly of their actions.
  • They clave to their brethren the Nobles.
  • They entered into a curse and into an Oath, to walke in Gods Law, &c.

Mutuall society causeth a pleasing and melodious harmony;Observation. Israels mutual communion. they doe not harpe upon the jarring strings of distempered affections, [Page 2] their tongues utter their minds; their expressions and intentions are not dissonant, but consonant one with another; they doe not onely like the Iron and the clay in the toes of Nebuchadnezzars Image, cleave together, but they are fast cemented, yea incorporated one into another: now as in a bed of spices there is a fragrancy in all their graces, their vertues like sweet perfumes, upon burning coales are become communicative, all that are neare them, may receive comfort and refreshing from them; they are not every man for him­selfe, they are all in common; they halt not betwixt two opinions; they have not a heart and a heart like Ephraine; they uphold Chri­stian communion, they will not forsake the assembly of the Saints; they have all set their heart with their brethren the Nobles to seeke the Lord God of Israell.

Application.Doth not Unity make happy, and perpetuate a people? this is that precious oyntment, that ran downe from Aarons beard to the skirts of his garment, this is like the dew of Hermon descending upon the mountaines of Sion: for where this is; the Lord comman­deth his blessing. Why doe not we then of this Nation, labour to become like Jerusalem, as a City at unity within our selves? It is civill discord that demolishes and destroyes the very being of a Common-wealth, for as he that bleeds inwardly is in the greatest danger, so a Kingdome divided against it selfe, cannot stand. The spirit of Aegypt never failed in the middest of her, untill the Egyp­tians fought against the Egyptians;Isi. 10 2, 3. neither did the Philistims melt like snow against the Sunne, untill such time as they sheathed their swords in one anothers bowells: O let it not be told in Gath, nor published in Askelon. that England by civill distention is the cause of her owne ruine: But oh my belly, my belly, I am pained at the very heart: I heare the sound of the Trumpet, and the A­larme for the warre: what, shall I not now with mourning and la­menting Ieremy, weepe day and night for the slaine of the daugh­ter of Sion? O that our rents and divisions were closed, that the bloud of Christians, religious and well-affected persons, might no longer (as water that is spilt upon the ground) bee shed amongst us. O let us yet, though it be late, (for better late thrive then never) set upon some course, whereby the sluces of wrath may bee let downe, the currents of justice may be stopt, and the fire of Gods [Page 3] jealousie may be extinguisht amongst us; why should wee carry more fewell to the fire, and more oyle unto the flame of the Lords dreadfull vengeance through want of concord amongst our selves? Let us pray, yea contend with God in prayer for the peace of Hie­rusalem: we may know that none shall prosper but they that love her, and can we love her and not pray for her? For our brethren and companions sake, let us say, peace be within her walls, and be­cause of the house of the Lord our God, let us seeke to doe her good: Now that we may doe thus we all can tell how that united forces are the strongest, and that a three-fold cord is not easily broken;Vis unita for­tior. therefore let us endeavour to keepe the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. If the prayers of one Moses could suppresse the Amale­kites; O how soone then would a Land of praying Christians pe­netrate the Heavens, and cause our enemies to fall before us?Cant. 6.9. why doe we stand still divided? let us like Christs Dove become but one, that the daughters that see us may powre out their blessing upon us. Give me leave to make use of Pauls request to the Church of Corinth, and beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that we may once all speake the same thing, and that there may be no schismes amongst us, but that we may be perfectly joy­ned together, in the same mind, and in the same judgement. Con­cordiâ paruae res crescunt, concord will cause a growth, not onely of strength, but of many other good things amongst us. Unanimous­ly now let us concurre together, let us every man for himselfe, and all of us one with another, ingage our spirits by promise, and ob­lige our soules by a solemne vow to the Lord of Heaven; thus do­ing we shall establish a blessed communion, and this wee cannot doe, unlesse in covenant with these repenting Israelites wee adhere unto our brethren our Nobles.The Priests and Levites. Observat.

These Priests and Levites were chiefe officers in the Temple, they stand not upon their tip-toes, pleading immunity from civill authority; they apprehend not themselves discharged of,The Clergy not exempted from civill au­thority. and ex­empted from their due allegiance. God hath not said by them Prin­ces rule, but by him they reigne and decree justice. It was but fit­ting they should expresse submission, for as every soule must bee subject to the higher powers, so I am sure it is not safe for a King­dome, but dangerous to a state, where the Crosiers receive not po­wer [Page 4] from the Regall sword. These worthies of Israel having set forth their Ordinance for a covenant with God, this Leviticall Cler­gy, like the Romish faction, cry not up freedome, and forthwith declaime against them; they expresse their yeilding by their pre­sent obeying, they contradict not; these you see aswell as others cleave unto their brethren the Nobles.

Observat. A good Cler­gy a King­domes felicity.Ministers should be Ring-leaders not to rebellion, but submission, not to prophanenesse, but to conscientious and sincere observance, these Priests and Levites are in their due posture, they are not In­cendiaries to the Land of Iudah, they are not fomenters of jealou­sies in their peoples eares, they condescend in their owne persons to prevent suspitious betwixt the Nobles and the Commons: for what is jealousie? it is as unsatiable as the grave; it is the greatest e­vill to a Common-wealth, and the deadliest enemy, as to affection, so to submissive obedience. The Priests in the time of the Law pre­sented oblations 1 Sam. 2.28. and burnt incense before the Lord; these (considering that obedience is better than sacrifice, and that God layes more clayme to the living than to the dead,) joyne with their worthies, observe the Ordinance, take the Covenant, and in these as a living burnt offering give up themselves to God. The Levites expounded the Law, displayed the sacred Oracles, in things spiritual, instructed the congregations, secular affairs were not the subject matter of their imployments; they studied Theologie, not policy, the Art of teaching rather than the Art of ruling, I am sure that thus it was with these of the Tribe of Levi: for they brake not the Covenant, Malach. 2.8. They teach holinesse, and they practise piety: they are not like wolves in sheepes skins, palliating cruelty under the habit of meekenesse, their doctrine is a light, and their lives are a lampe, that like wise builders they set up godlinesse, and like savoury salt, season the hearts of their hearers. O Israel it was thy happinesse to have such Levites, it hath bin, and I feare me in some measure yet is our misery, to want such Leaders; dark­nesse discovers no dangers, and if the blind lead the blind, they both fall into the ditch.

Application.The time was when old Ely heard of evill dealing in the Priest­hood, how Hophni and Phinehas his sacrificing sonnes made the Lords people to transgresse, 1 Sam. 2.23.24. Thus did the [Page 5] watch-men of Iudah, in stead of knocking of the fingers,Quantum per­nitiosa est ad sequentium lap­sumuina prae­positi, in tan­tum contrà uti le est, et salu­tare, cum se Episiopus per firmamentum fi [...]e fratribut inultandum, prae­bet. Cyprian Lib 3. Epist. 21 Omnium felrum promittunt licentiam et quasi vexillum gerunt ad pro­bandam omnem speciim nequi­ti [...], Calvin. Cur pec [...]ata populi comme­dere à cuatur nisiquia pecca a delinquenitium sove [...]t, Grego. Homel. 17 Omnino prodi­torem se esse noverit, quicun (que) est ille, qui vitae quae libet in ia hanc domum conatur indu­cere, Bernard. strengthen the hands of the wicked, when by their owne example (crying, wee will powre forth wine, and fill our selves with strong drinke) Esay 56.12. They gave them incouragement in their nefarious courses. And was it not because of this, that they prophesied in Baal, cau­sed Israel to erre, committed adultery, walkt in lies, confirmed men in their hellish practises, and not suffering them to returne, made them as Sodome, and as the Inhabitants of Gomorrah before the Lord. That made Ieremy in a dolefull lamentation give out this expression, that his very heart was broken, Ier. 23.9.13.14. But these mentioned by Nehemiah are of another temper, they doe not eate of the sins of the people by being foster fathers to their filthy vices; these doe not build with their doctrine, and pull downe by their practise, the light of their conversations is now become so fulgent, that others may behold them for their imitation; they doe not seeke to innovate Religion, erect novelties, and advance su­perstitious vanities, as sometimes Vrijah the Priest did, who built an Altar according to all that Ahaz had sent from Damascus. 2 Kings 16.11. nay these resolve too, to bid adue to Idolatry, to demolish superstition, and not to stand any longer guilty of spiri­tuall treason, by upholding wickednesse in Gilgall, I might have said Bethel, the house of the Lord. For as they goe before the peo­ple in the covenant, affording them their examples for their incou­ragement; so by covenant they bind themselves for ever from all idle or idolizing worship, to observe & do all the Commandements of God; thus they animate the children of Zion, going before them in the meanes of sanctification, and thus they seeke not to establish, but to depresse iniquity by a law.

Hearken to me yee that have deviated from the sonnes of Levi, you stile your selves Priests, and lay claime to the office, as if God had onely intayled the Priest-hood upon you; what will you yet be as a snare on Mizpah, and as a net spread upon Tabor? Hos. 5.1. will you yet as troopes of Robbers wait for a man, murder in the way, and that by consent? Hos. 6.9. why doe you still desire to sell the righteous for silver, to turne aside the way of the meeke, and to drinke the wine of the condemned, or of good men fined in the house of your God? Amos 2.6.7.8. See, see, these Priests, the [Page 6] subject of our discourse read another lecture to your soules: These breath not out threatnings against the Church, they rather cry out, what shall we doe for the Church? these are not cruell thirsting af­ter bloud, the precious bloud of Gods indeered ones; their armes and their hearts are both open, not onely with tender imbrace­ments to receive them, but to support them; it doeth not vexe them that they are zealous for the Lord, neither doe they seeke to finde them or punish them for the strict service of their God; their for­wardnesse to forsake wickednesse is the joy of their spirits, their precisenesse in the way of holinesse is as marrow to their bones, and their covenant for new obedience is that they further by their owne president. These are not dismayed with the thoughts of more paines unto themselves, if thus they covenant to keepe strictly all the statutes of the Lord, they prize Gods mercy to the people before their toyle, and their hearers wellfare before their labour, for though never so much sedulity may be expected from them,Non in verbo­rum splendore, sed in operum virtute, praedi candi fiductam ponant, non vo­cibus delectem, tur populi ac clamantis, sed sterihu [...] nec plausum ex­pedeat, sed gem [...]o [...]n. pros. per, Lib. 1. Cap. 23. vitacontemplat. A Pastore exigetur, quicquid perinertiam non custoditur Cypiran, de sing. Cleric. they will not flinch off but in the present covenant adhere unto them; Before like Herod they solaced themselves in their peoples accla­mations; now their teares and their prayers are prime pleasures to their soules; time was, when breaking the bonds of doctrine, and knapping asunder the cords of discipline was their delight, now their fulgency in vertue demonstrated by their resolutenesse for ex­act obedience is the musick in their eares, the hony in their mouthes, and the very rejoycing of their hearts; They know they must give account, for their peoples soules, and that if they perish, God will re­quire them at their hands; they give them up therefore now by vow unto the Lord, and in this their surrender they seeme to say, Lord here we are, and all our people the children that thou hast gi­ven unto us. They are not ignorant that much trouble from them who are without may arise by reason of this covenant: they feare no colours, they put on their auditors, they are resolved to eat of the same dish, to taste of the same sauce, and if they suffer, to suffer with them, this must needs hearten them for couragious Souldiers, goe not weeping nor sighing after their Commanders. It may bee they apprehend some malevolent and malignant creatures to be a­mong the people, ready like scab'd sheepe to infect the flock, like Peters false Prophets by damnable heresies laying aspersions upon [Page 7] the truth, and like cunning and crafty seducers using all diligence to make them the divells Proselytes like themselves: These have not their favourable aspect, these have not their hearts, their hands, their estates; these are cashiered; the yeilding, the mourning, yet the resolving Israelites have their affections, amongst these onely they are personally present, with these they side, and to these they joyne in covenant with the Lord: They are not as time serving Syco­phants, onely respective to great men, their deportment is indiffe­rent, they take care for the poore aswell as the rich, it is not their owne preferment, but every mans wellfare that they looke for. Therefore as by their forwardnesse they excite all, so by their actu­all performance withall; they shew their tender of the happinesse and prosperity of all. Learne then from these Priests and Levites, I beseech you my Brethren, I stile you so, because I would have you so: First,Directions to Ministers. not to thinke it strange that others with you run not in­to the same excesse of riot, that they keepe not out of Covenant aswell as your selves, they see their misery, and this to be their re­medie, and they know that your non-seeing, or else perverse sligh­ting of your owne estates, can be no healing plaisters to their soules. It behoves every man to looke to his owne standing, and to bee carefull to prevent his owne damnation.

Secondly, Doe not pine the Lords people through destructive ignorance, doe not conceale the benefit of a sacred Covenant from the eye of their spirits, left God complaine that his people perish, for lacke of knowledge, and lay the guilt of their bloud upon your soules.

Thirdly, doe not pernitiously poyson by corrupt principles those that are your hearers, teach not exorbitant errors for sacred truthes, doe not through airy ambages and false glosses steale away their affections, and make them heartlesse to holy vowes: thus doing you shall still keepe them out of the way, cause them to stumble at the Law, and in the end be charged your selves for corrupting the covenant of Levi, Malach. 2.8.

Fourthly, doe not over-lade your faint and your feeble brethren, with the onerous burthens of unnecessary things, these burthens may lye heavy upon their shoulders, they will case themselves by covenant,Luk. 11.40. but as you shall have the practise of the Primitive times [Page 8] to passe a sentence condemnatory upon you, Act. 15.10.28. so one day they like Scorpions will sting your consciences, when Christs woe like a Hue and Cry shall arrest your soules. These Pastors stand not upon circumstance, they looke to the substance, the pious vow that they and their people must make to God.

Fiftly, be examples to your flocks in word, in conversation and in charity. 1 Tim. 4.12. Let your words utter the Will of Jeho­vah, your conversations testifie the uprightnesse of your hearts and your charity witnesse that in all meanes and wayes you seeke the salvation of their poore soules; speake you to them, that they may speake from you to themselves, saying, what have we done? be as lights set upon a Hill, that those who are without may be convin­ced by your lives: Love with pitty, perswade them, wooe them, win them, yea and because that corrosives are sometimes both more needfull and helpefull then mild and pleasing cordialls; reprove them, rebuke them, drive them by the sight of sin, with your owne president, to see a necessity, as a chiefe preservative, of an especiall covenant, that so they being ingaged to God, and in that ingage­ment apprehensive of their owne mercy, they may rejoyce, that though they were brands, they are now pluckt out of the fire, that though they were aliens to God, yet now by a religious co­venant they have entered into a sweet communion with the Lord.

Sixtly, you are, or at least should be, the Chariots and the horse­men of Israel, carry them up speedily, with a swift motion, by your prayers to Heaven; looke upon our crying sins with a bleeding heart, for the Vine of England is as the Vine of Sodome, and the grapes of our Nation doe wholly resemble the clusters of Gomorrah) view our lamentable distractions with mournefull affections; see, see, wrath is gone forth, and the plague is begun; Justice is incen­sed, and we turne our backes upon our adversaries; jealousie is kindled, and the sword is almost drunke with the bloud of the slaine; your neighbours houses are on fire, for shame sit not still, bring prayers as waters, and poure them on as fast as you can, that you may slake the burnings; doe not stand gazing about you, it is time for you to be up, and be doing, unlesse you meane that all our soules shall faint because of the murderers; the banners of Gods displeasure are displayed, and now like a man of warre hee hath [Page 9] begun to strike the stroake, yea the sword already reacheth to the very heart: O doeth not our land cry out as sometime Hierusalem did, woe is come upon me because that I have sinned, doth shee not bemoane her selfe unto you daily, asking you if you have no pitty, if your hearts bee wholly shut up in obduracy? me thinkes these expressions should set you to your prayers; oh then if you will be accounted the Ministers of the Lord, weepe between the Porch and the Altar, and say, Spare thy people O Lord; questionlesse these Priests joyned with their Nobles as well in prayers as in covenant for the Church.

Lastly, be not averse to take this binding and obliging vow up­pon your selves, these Priests and Levites have observed its equity, taken notice of its necessity, and found it the sole remedy for the curing of their sores, they doe not scruple it; our case is as bad if not worse then theirs, why are you shie, bind your selves with a curse, and an oath with the people to stand out against Popery, and in spirit and truth to serve the Lord. This will be a good incen­tive to your hearers, if you goe before, they will the willinglier fol­low after; your forwardnesse will make many to come in, who o­therwaies, it may be, will still stand out to lift up their hands against Heaven; you see this in effect in these Priests, and in this people, who in this very particular Cleave unto their brethren the Nobles.

A Potter is a Doore-keeper which hath authority to admit,Observat. 1. Every Christi­an a porter to his own heart. and let in and out of the house where his charge is, such were Obed Edom the sonne of Ieduthun, and Hosah in the daies of Da­vid, to the house of the Lord, 1 Chr. 16.38. These were to let in the Iewes not they that contemned their worship, these were to keep out the uncleane, not they that were cleansed according to the Sanctuary; the true Israelites were to be admitted, but the idola­trous heathens were by them to be excluded. Every Christian must be a Porter to his owne heart; whatsoever he is that covenants with God, must looke narrowiy to himselfe, have a watchfull eye over his spirit, and with all diligence keepe his soule, that wicked lusts, vile affections, and vaine thoughts get not in at the doore of his heart; these will make hubbubs in this spirituall Temple, these will disturb and strike with violence at the sanctifying motions of the blessed Spirit; these like the strong man armed, will so keepe possession, that godlinesse shall get no entrance, without strugling and much di­sturbance: [Page 10] these are ill guests, where they come in they pretend friendship, but intend mischiefe, they pay no reckoning, they are cheaters, they doe but deceive the creature with the counterfeit sil­ver of sinfull pleasures; these are like drunken and deboyst stran­gers, who by vomit easing their stomacks, leave nothing but stinch, loathsome filth, and noysome savours in the roome behind them. A Sparrow pursued by a Hawk fled into the bosome of Xenocrates, he refused to put it out, saying it is a dishonest thing to betray a guest:D ogen. in vit. Doe not thou thus kindly deale with thy sins, it is not inhu­manity to refuse them; it is a piece of the best policy forth-with to expell them. Let lusts accuse thee of discourtesie, better they com­plaine than thou bleed, for sin is the soules murderer; therefore, O Hierusalem, wash thine heart from wickednesse, that thou maist be saved; how long shall thy soule like an Inne, and thy heart like a Harlot harbour corruption.

Observat. 2.POrters are continuall attendants, they wait daily at the Gates, & depart not from their service, 2 Chro. 35.15. we must not be fickle, like Lots wife; we must not looke back to Sodome, there must be constancy in all our vowes, it is dishonesty with man, but im­piety to breake with the Lord; thou must not vow and not pay, but as without delaies, so constantly thou must pay thy vowes. Call to mind thy first vow, remember all thy promises, and selfe engage­ments unto God in the late daies of thy humiliation, be not unfaith­full, doe not like a broken bow start from them, thou canst never lose by keeping touch with the Lord of Heaven. These Porters leave not their Places because of a covenant, like idle drones, pro­phane seers, and atheisticall wretches they steale not away, leave their charge, take up armes, and desert their Nobles, because of a strict tye unto Gods service: They were Porters before, and they are Porters still; now they are content to doe more than formerly they did, they will keep the doore of the Temple; and withall looke carefully to the gate of their owne heart, lest at any time it should run out, and depart from the living God. They are not friends to them that hate peace, favourites to them that delight in warre, they take no pleasure in the tents of Kedar, they desire yet to be doore-keepers in the house of the Lord, for now as Porters they take the covenant with their Nobles.

POrters for the most part are men of a sterne countenance,Observat. 3. men of strength, and men of couragious spirits, for that sometimes they may meet with resistance. Austerity and magnanimity doe well be­come the professors of Christianity; we cannot looke too sternely up­pon our lusts, we cannot be too strong, too couragious, and too severe in keeping downe, and in the constant suppression of our wicked de­sires. The Divell, the world, and our owne base hearts would keepe us from pious and religious vowes, we have need of more then an ordi­nary strength to repell these fiery darts, lest by hindering our cove­nant, they give a mortiferous and a deadly blow unto our soules. Bre­thren, be perswaded then to watch, to stand fast in the faith,1 Cor. 16.13 to quit you like men, to be strong, and not to forsake or refuse the liberty where­with Christ would make you free, take heed that you doe not againe intangle your selves with the yoke of bondage: Therefore, that you may walk worthy of the Lord, unto all pleasing, being fruitfull in e­very good worke, I pray that you may be strengthned with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience, and long suffering, with joyfulnesse. It is likely, these men were austere in their place re­solute in their office, and stout towards all that opposed them in the execution of their charge; yet you see in this action, here is no gaine-saying no resisting, no withstanding, they are very tractable, very flexi­ble to a holy vow. When God displayes the excellency, necessity, and efficacy of a sacred Covenant to the eye of mens soules, Lions shall be­come Lambs, wolves shall become sheep, and Leopards shall be as Kids before the Lord.

SIngers were such as played upon musicall Instruments,Observat. 4. who with Trumpets and Cymbals set forth the praise of God; hence it is, that some interpreters give out the word Musitians, not Singers in the text. Singing is no Embleme of sadnesse, it denotes cheerfulnesse, it betokens alacrity, therefore well said St. Iames, If any be merry, let him sing Psalmes. Sacred covenanes doe not unbeseeme the most cheerefull spirits; expressions of joy, arising from gladnesse of heart, may be concomitants in a Christians vowes.Observat. Sacred Cove­nants doe not unbeseeme the most cheerefull spirits. This Oath ordained and confirmed by their Worthies, doth not marre their musick, they can still be Singers, and yet covenanters with their Nobles; they see it is the way for pacification, the onely Antidote to prevent destruction, and the sole remedy to cure their misery; the thoughts of it, lightens their [Page 12] hearts, vivifies their spirits, and causeth them so to perke up the head, that now with thankesgiving they can take their vow before the Lord, well (beloved) Gods vowes are upon us, wee are now to co­venant with our God, let us by a cheerefull acceptance set forth his praise. Psal. 56.12. Iehovah requires a cheerefull giver; Shall we not therefore sing praise to his name for ever, that we may daily per­forme our vowes Psal. 61.8. But who are we that should be able willingly after this sort to offer before the Lord? 1 Chro. 29.14.

THe Nethinims were such as carried water for the use of the Tem­ple, this they drew for the Congregation and for the Altar of the Lord. Iosh. 9.27. The labour and drudgery of their outward callings doth not so drinke up their time, but the expresse carefullnesse to lay hold of opportunity,Observat. Worldly af­fāres should not shoulder out christian duties. for working out of their owne salvations. Worldly busines must not shoulder out Godlinesse; Throng in car­nall affaires will not excuse us from sprituall imployments, wee must set seasons apart for God, domestique occasions must not steale a­way our hearts. I and my Houshold saith Ioshuah will serve the Lord. It is an ill trouble in earthly matters, or about many things that keepes thee thy children, or thy servants from sitting at the feet of Christ.Observat.

The water that the Nethinims brought unto the Sanctuary was for cleansing, they are instruments in purging of the Temple, and they are now by closing in this covenant coe-workers with God for the purifi­cation of their owne soules; Let us wash our hands in innocency be­fore wee compasse the Altar, let us rub off the soyle of sin, and then fall upon our spiritual imployments; wee must wash us and make us cleane from the evill of our doings, before God and our soules by way of Covenant can converse together. Draw water out of the well of thy heart, I weane the teares of contrition, drench thy soule in them, and powre them out abundantly before the Lord, neither stay here, but that thy conscience may be cleansed from dead workes, carry thy soule with her sorrow to that fountaine that is set open for the house of David and inhabitants of Ierusalem; O rince it, rince it tho­roughly in those clear streames of Christs precious bloud, that so thou mayst stand spotlesse, pure and blamelesse at the bar of justice. In the time of the Law uncleannesse was cured by washing, for uncleane touchings, the parties washed their cloathes Levit. 11.40. for un­cleane issues, they washt thesmelves and their cloathes, Levit. 15. [Page 13] 13. But for the uncleannes of leprosy, they washt themselvs, their cloths, shaved off all their haire, and stayed 7 dayes without the Campe, Levit. 14.8.9. Dear brethren our pollution is of the worst kind, it is no other then the leprosie of sin that wee are infected with, as it hath spread it selfe all over us, so it hath made our whole man subject to the dread­full curse of Allmighty God. Rom. 5.18. Doth any thing proceed from us, but what is foule and damnable? Are not our splendid per­formances glittering sins, and our most glorious actions as menstruous ragges? doe wee touch any thing that wee taint not? where come we that wee leave not an ill sent behind us? Let us all then generally apply water to our foule parts, scoure off the scurfe of prophanenesse, and free our selves of all filthynesse of flesh and spirit whatsoever; Take the Apostles advice, cleanse your hands you sinners,Jam. 4.8.9. and purifie your hearts you double minded, bee afflicted, mourne and weepe, let your laughter bee turned into mourning, and your joy to heavi­nesse, bee yee humbled, and make a holy Covenant with your God.

Those Nethinims were but water bearers, they had one of the mea­nest Offices appertaining to the Temple,Observat. 3 Meannesse of place and cal­ling debarres not any by vowing from binding them­selves to Reli­gion. yet these you see come into covenant with their Nobles. Meannesse of place and calling debarres not any by vowing, from binding themselves to Religion. A poore Sacrifice in the time of the Law received acceptance, where a rich one could not be brought; the widowes mite had its welcome aswell as the treasure of the wealthy; A Nethinim in his place may bee as deare to God as a Priest; with God there is no respect of persons, he that worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him; Therefore you that are meane, you that are despicable in the eye of the world, be not afraid, let not your meanenesse and poverty dismay you, come in if you be for God, your Nobles are brethren, therefore joyne with them in covenant before the Lord.

They doe not separate from them because they are more zealous in profession, more heavenly in affection, and more strict in their conversation then themselves, they love the brotherhood, they make much of them that feare the Lord, they desert onely the Heathen, you see they approve of, and stand well affected to christian communion. They doe not say of their fellow worshippers as Ahab said of Mi­caiah, wee hate them, we heare of no good to us from them; or as it was said of Cajus Sejus, they are good honest men, but onely they are Christians, or as some vile Caytiffes of our times, wee like the men [Page 14] well, but we will not come amongst them for they are precisians, they are not men for our company, they are austere in their carriage, wee and they cannot hit it, for they are zelots in Religion.

Observat. 1. Others God­lines should be our Attractive.Godlinesse in others should be the attractive to our desires, and the Loadstone to draw, not to estrange our affections, Davids delight was in them that excelled in vertue, but in our times it is a Capitall crime to be truly religious, the very name of an honest man who makes consci­ence of his wayes is now growne odious. I wish there were lesse An­tipathy, and more Sympathy, that Sympathy might once breed a­mitie amongst us.

They doe not separate from them of their owne Nation, and of their owne Religion, but from the people of the Lands, such with whom God had denied them communion, viz. Idolatrous Heathens, questionlesse there were many formall persons, many prophane creatures and rebel­lious wretches amongst themselves; yet because these are dayly in the Temple, they renounce not the assemblies, they turne not their backs upon the Ordinance, like peeuish or pettish children they throw not away the covenant, because these or at least many of these are likely to take it with them; wheras it is said all they that had separated them­selves &c. it gives us to understand that there were some that had not separated themselves; Here were divisions, yet for ought I can find, they that were separated,Observat. 2. Other mens sins must not make us turne our backs up­on the pure Ordinances of God. and they that were not separated met together in the publique place of worship; Neither is it improbable but as they had many who stood firmely for this coelestiall bond unto their No­bles, so they had some who gainesayd it, withstood it, and opposed it; yet you see that notwithstanding all this they separate from none but grosse Idolaters; we must not for the sins of our fellow worship­pers, nor for difference of opinion amongst our selvs make a separation from the true church. Was not the Church in Christs time a perverse Church? Math. 5.21.22. Math. 15.6.7.8. 1 Cor. 2.8.9. And did he not forbid to separate from this Church, Mat. 10.6.7. Mat. 23.2.3. Did he not himself preach in their Temple. Joh. 8.2. And reason with them in his owne person about Religion? Ioh. 10.24.25.26. Surely Christs precept back with his owne president may be our warrant not to desert our Congregations.

When did the visible Church in any age since Adam not consist of a mixt multitude? she hath bin, and doe what we can, she will bee a Lilly amongst the thornes. If I goe further I shall exceed a Paraphra­stique exposition, I therefore refer you to Rutheford, Bernard, and [Page 15] Ball. But it may bee you now dislike us because of the Di­visions and distractions amongst us. I cannot deny our many dis­sentings, one being amongst us for Paul, another for Apollos, one for Cephas, another for Christ; nor yet our grievous and lamentable distractions, being sprung from the civill jarrs of one faith. I confesse them with griefe, I wish I could remove them with prayers, or wipe them away with my teares. But because the sonnes of my mother jan­gle amongst themselves, and proceed from wrangling to fighting. I will not therefore deny her, run away from her, or desert her. I know that her Childrens dissention is her griefe, and shall I adde affliction to her sorrow?

Quest.WHat are they that are here meant by the people of the lands?

Answ.The Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Iebusites the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Aegyptians and the Amorites, Ezr. 9.1.

Quest.How were they joyned to these Idolaters?

Answ.Contrary to Gods Command they were joyned unto them in Mar­riage, neither was it the sin of the vulger sort alone, but the very hands of the Princes and Rulers were chiefe in this trespasse, Ezra. 9.2.

Those who are not separated enter not into the oath, and the curse for the observation of Gods Statutes with their brethren the Nobles; their strange Wives have with-drawne them, their Idolatrous consorts have set them in opposition against this Covenant, which is likely to prove a strong promover of Religion, in its purity, power, & perfection.

Observat. Matrimoniall League with Idolaters, a strong barr to keep out the power of God­linesse.Marriage with strangers, or matrimoniall leagues with Idolaters, are not onely an inlet unto false worship, but a strong bar to keepe out the power of godlinesse. This made Ezra when hee heard of it, rent his garment, plucke off his haire, and sit downe astonied: Shall our eyes be dry? shall we not even for this bedew our cheekes with our teares? It is our sin of England as well as it was the sin of Israel, a­mongst others we especially feele the smart of this now; wee must be deeply humbled, or else God will not be reconciled.

Observat. Covenanting Christians should bee couragious Christians.THese men now take heart of grasse unto themselves, they are resol­ved to continue no longer slaves to sin, and bondslaves unto Sa­tan; they see their wickednesse is a let to their happinesse, they now with violence breake through the thorne-hedge of corrupt desires; they matter not for toyle, they prize their liberty, they value not their bloud, come what can come, they will sound out the Trumpet, strike up the [Page 16] Drumme, and fight against their lusts which continually war against their soules; As good souldiers of Christ, so that Idolatry may be sup­pressed, other evills subdued, and that God may bee appeased, they care not what hardnesse they undergoe; they are martiall men, and they have got mighty minds, as they have got courage for the con­flict, so they hope to obtain the conquest. They doe not now like milk-sops, white-livered fellowes, or saint-hearted creatures for feare of blowes, desert devotion, relinquish religion corrupt conscience, pervert piety, depresse strictnesse, and suppresse sincerity; they dare now de­fend, and as much as in them lyeth dignifie the honourable, and noble peerelese Cause of Gods precious people, they matter not what dan­ger they put themselves upon, so they can ruinate and represse the in­solent, wicked, and insupportable abhominations of Belials base and hellish brood. They are not apsaled and affrighted, like some for­midable and pufillanimous spirits, or as Salomons sluggard with the Lyons in the way, they are determined to hazzard their lives to maintaine Christs cause, and to uphold the practicall profession of Christianity. O beloved, had they bin timorous, they had bin unfit for this military course, but it seemes they have spirit, for what doe they know but that this Covenant may set all the Heathens in bat­tell array against them? their familiar acquaintance may be as Iudas, and their late Idolatrous wives may be as Dalilah to betray them; yet for all this they will not be dismayed, they pluck up a good heart, passe through the Pikes, adventure upon difficulties, and rather then they will not covenant with God, put themselves upon the perill of their lives. O that we like these had magnanimous and undaunted spirits, as we should be content, to resist to bloud, so we should answer our cruell and bloudy opposers as that renowned Cassibelane the Brit­taine answered Caesar, I have not yet learned to live in servitude, but with weapons in hand to defend the liberty of my Country; wee are not yet contented to live in Romish or infernall slavery, we have learned to maintaine the rights and liberties of our Celestiall Coun­try, we feare not brandished swords, menacing speeches, no not the utmost that adverse powers can doe unto us, we feare not perills, ra­ther then Gods Cause shall lye bleeding upon the ground, we will adueuture the pouring out the warmest bloud that runs in our veines. These expostulate not the case with carnall reason, as many doe in our daies, they doe not say, This Covenant tends to the utter sub­version of all will-worship whatsoever, no Idolatry, no not the least [Page 17] must be countenanced if this take place, wee are sure to lose many friends, and to undergoe the threates of great mens frownes, a great part of our Estates are likely to bee exhausted, and our very lives may come to be endangered. Will not those who are averse unto the Covenant, who have sworne to uphold Babell, to side with the scarlet Whore, (and to defend the Anti-christian cause) grow very furious, and become much more enraged against us, will they not by open force, and by all secret Stratagems seeke the spoyle and un­doing of us, they lasht us before with whips, but it is to bee feared they will be turned to Scorpions; we thought in times past that their hand was heavy, but now they will lay more loade, yea, cause their little fingers to be farre more ponderous than their fathers loynes; for ought we know, this may cause our dis-affected wives privately in revenge to murder us, our servants (who by this are sure to be abridged of their former liberty) to rise up against us; but if these should be quiet, yet Artaxerxes the King of Persia, and other Prin­ces about us, whose religion we goe about to suppresse, may pro­bably take up armes, and breake in violently upon us. It is good to prevent these dangers, it is safe sleeping in a whole skin, the best course to remove these feares, and to take away these doubts is not to accept, but to reject this covenant. O beloved, such thoughts as these doe not trouble their heads, these are not scar-crowes to keepe them from this holy league; indeed they had cause at this time (as much as any people under the cope of Heaven could have) to cogitate thus with themselves, but such is their zeale with their undaunted courage, that they looke beyond perils, come life, come death, with one con­sent they will take the covenant,

WOmen are the weaker vessells,Observat. Women not priviledged from spirituall vowes. but though weaker no more then men priviledged from spirituall vowes; as they are sub­ject to sin, so their soules are exposed to danger as well as others; therefore it is requisite that with others they should make use of all meanes for sinnes prevention: Covenants are corrosives to eate out dead flesh, and the prime Antidote to prevent future distempers; These men love their wives, they are loath they should dye of their vitious Ulcers; like wise men, men of knowledge, they seeke out for remedy, they have taken advice, they are told, ingagements to God will daunt the courage of corruption, that selfe tyes for exact [Page 18] observance, will make sinnes heart like Nabals, and cause it to give up the ghost; that selfe-searching, selfe-mourning, selfe-condemning, and selfe-covenanting, will eate out the core of iniquity, heale the conscience, and preserve the poore soule in safety; they are glad of their directions, they make haste to their houses, they cannot be quiet in their spirits, this counsell is as fire in their bones, they must needs forth-with relate it to their wives. But how is it taken with their consorts, is it not too sharpe, too biting, too full of vexation? No, they are so taken up with thoughts of their healing, that the tartnesse of the medicine doeth not discourage them. From its application, they ac­cept it cheerefully, they lay it on willingly, and they keepe it on care­fully; for as since their disease is the same with their Husbands, they with them apply the same plaister, entring into a curse and an oath to serve the Lord.

Observat. 2. Christians should be p li. titians.He that lookes not to all Ports is not likely to keepe out an enemy, to fore-see evills, and to prevent dangers is a point of policy. Christi­ans should be Polititians, we must not onely abstaine from all appea­rance of evill, but cut off all occasions whereby corruptions may be ushered into our soules. These grave Seniors of Israell leave not their wives at liberty while they stand bound, Nightingales sing sweetly, they are affraid of seduction, they doe not trust them that lye in their bosome,Sicut mulier adjutrix, ita saepe insilia­trix, et sicut portus est con­jugium, ita et saepe naufragi­um parit. Chrysost. they bring them to the Covenant, that so they may be as deepely engaged as themselves. Who but Evah perswaded Adam to rebell against God? He was deceived, not by Sathan, but by his second selfe; not by the Serpent, but by his Spouse; not by the Divell, but by a woman; not by a stranger, but by his wife. Did not Iobs wife tempt him to evill? Iob, 2.9. Salomons wives turne his heart from God. 1 King. 11.4. and Ahabs wife enticed him to worke wic­kednesse before the Lord? 1 King. 21.25. Women are not alwaies hel­pers, they are sometimes seducers; they are not alwaies as a safe har­bour to their Husbands, there is sometimes shipwrack of faith in their embraces.Mulieres peri­cula semper in auribus habent. Chrysost.. Beloved, doe not false feares like false fires often burne in many womens breasts? they are very timorous, suspitions make deepe impressions. And what doe they doe when they are jealous of an approaching evill? surely buzze their feares into their husbands heads; using all allurements to draw them to the fulfilling and ac­complishment of their desires; they sing Syrens songs, they are very observant of their humours: but latet anguis in herba, there is some [Page 19] mischiefe at hand. It is very likely a supposed evill of affliction must now be kept off by some reall evill of transgression. I thinke for this I may appeale to the consciences of many, who by the enticing words of their flattering wives have bin put upon those waies, which have afterwards caused horrour to their soules. From these men we may learne wisedome, we may feare back-sliding; Hee that standeth must take heed lest he fall. Let us therefore hedgein our selves with a holy vow, but out of that fence let us not leave our wives,, lest they being forth, get us out by wiles to sin against God.

THese words include all inferiours in the Domestique Govern­ment:Observat. None exemp­ted from a sacred Vow. It is for Iosuahs houshold as well as himselfe to serve the Lord, Iosh. 24.15. It is common with youth to lay the reines loose upon the neck of their lusts, to follow their owne devices, and to pursue the imaginations of their evill hearts, the head-strong crea­ture must have a curbe; surely an oath and a curse are a strong reine to hold in the head of sin.

It is not a perfect body that is defective in its members, I much mistake me, if both Church and Common-wealth will not challenge sonnes and daughters as part of their members; why then by way of exemption from covenant should they be separated from the body? Nehemiah doth not shut servants out of doores; here is no Porter to keepe the gate fast bolted against them; for hee saith, all that had knowledge tooke the vow, and as the Iewes had servants, so I suppose their servants were capable of knowledge. Servants be stones in buil­ding of the Church, and props to uphold the Common-wealth, and is it not fit they should be well cemented, and fast tyed by a Pro­testation?

THey clave, viz. they approved, they did not dislike, they were cheerefull, they did not murmure, they were willing, they did not hang backe, they were sincere, they did not dissemble, they were re­solute, they did not halt, they were submissive, they did not rebell, they were constant they did not fly off. Particular facts commended in Scripture, are generall examples & bind to imitation, when either the same thing is else-where commanded, or where the ground, drift, and equity of the thing is not covered with a cloud. These men judge not [Page 20] with a fleshly, but with a spirituall eye; the carnall man perceives not the things that are of God. A Covenant, especially such a Cove­nant would seeme harsh to a naturall judgement. Their way is not the way of the world, the Prince of the aire workes not upon them for disobedience; they see the beauties of holinesse, even the riches of Heaven, which is Christ, the hope of glory to their soules. Sin like false wares deludes not their soules with its curious glosse, the spirit of whoredomes is not in them, they know the Lord, and frame their doings to turne unto their God: Had contumacy sate as regent in their hearts, in following vanity, they would have become vaine, they had gone after the Heathen, whom the Lord had charged them they should not doe like unto them; they would have hardened their neckes, and steeled their countenance against this covenant; had they lookt through Natures prospective glasse, this would have seem'd a nicity, not necessary, they see not men like Trees, their eye-sight is cleared, they now judge this course necessary for their soules.

Surely Israel is in a happy condition; she hath a multitude of Coun­sellors, and therefore safe; she hearkeneth to counsell, and therefore wise; she soares not aloft with foolish conceites, she is not swolne with the tympany of Pride, she is not lifted up in her selfe (Nabal-like) above the good counsell of other men, presuming that she is a­ble enough to take directions from her owne principles; neither is she obdurate or melted like waxe, either too hard to receive, or too soft to retaine any impression, like them who through anguish of spirit hearkened not to Moses the Messenger of their deliverance; neither is she uncapable of advice, through simplicity which is the daughter of ignorance, or through jealousie which is an effect of feare; she sus­pects not a circumvention by her Nobles, as being close minded, and therefore ayming at their owne ends; neither is she wilfull or heady, because she would not be thought unable to direct her selfe, to judge what is needfull, or to manage her spirituall affaires; she hath an eare open, and an heart attentive to the directions of her Worthies.

Observat. Examples of Superiors strong cords to draw others to godlinesse.Examples of superiours are strong cords to draw on others to good­nesse. Pious Nobles are good guides, their religious actions are good inducements unto holinesse; sometimes to multitudes of persons they are leading, swasible and prevailing presidents: Though it be true as Salomon saith, If the Rruler hearken to lyes, all his servants are wic­ked, and though Ieroboams Idolatry became Israels sinne, yet when [Page 21] Ioshuah resolved in the audience of his people, that hee and his hou­shold would serve the Lord, the people replied, that Gods service was with him the subject matter of their choyce. Iosh. 24.15.21.22. So when Iosiah made a covenant to walke after the Lord, to keep his Commandements, his testimonies, and his Statutes with all his heart, they that were present in Hierusalem and Benjamin, cavilld not against the fact, tooke not pett and withdrew themselves in discontent, they are of flexible tempers, a willing people in the day of assemblies, they maintaine, and stand to what their Ruler hath done. 2 Chro. 34 31.32. O how good were it for inferiours, that Superiours devoted them­selves to holinesse, they might then guide their feet in the way of peace, have lighted torches continually burning before them; O how much better would it be for persons in place of Authority to practise godlinesse in then owne persons? by this meanes they should never increase the guilt and entent of their personall sins, by making them exemplary to others.

Application. Vse 1 See the excellency of pious Nobles, and what a mercy it is to have religious Worthies: I will not say that these were all, Natu Nobilus, noble by descent; yet this I may say, that they were Nobiles quia virtute fulgentes, they were fulgent in vertue, eminent for piety, and very radiant, Gods Image shining clearely upon their soules; The more men resemble the Deity, surely I conceive they are the more in­vested with the robes of Nobility, they are not men that are subservi­ent to their vices, but men that excell in vertues, that are of Heroicke spirits; Hee is an onely Peere of Heaven, who disdaines to be over­come by his base corruptions. These Nobles are like morning starres, they by their godly endeavours bring light to a world of Persons, they are excellent for brightnesse, and they communicate their graces, as desirous of the good of others: They are nursing Fathers; Labour af­ter reformation and preservation, are Symptomes of paternall affecti­on, they are ministers of good, and therefore it is not sin, but sanctity, not evill, but good, that by their practise they preach unto the people; They are Leaders, and therefore they goe before them, by a holy vow guiding them in the way to heaven: They are ordainers, therefore they prefix order to the multitude, and to keep them in order, they frame an Ordinance, and that Ordinance is a Covenant; they are ob­servators, they take notice of, and give directions for what is to bee done, they are Governours, or rather skilfull Mariners, they sit at the [Page 22] helme in the height of the storme, and to keep the ship of their soules from splitting against the rocks of Gods dreadfull justice, as a strong Anchor they cast out a vow, that if by any meanes the people may be kept alive and not dye in their sins. O happy Israel, thy Nobles are the pledges of thy rule, they confirme and commend the truth and goodnesse contained in thy precepts; they direct thee in particulars concurring with thy injunctions, though not expressed in them; they toll thee on in obedience, though not passive, yet active; thou mayst well keep going, when such as these goe before to direct thee; Lazy travellers will hold out with good company which beat the path be­fore them: Thy great personages are not so taken up with the person for a time put upon them, that either in speech, looke, or carriage, they shew that they forget their naturall condition, as men, or their super­naturall estate, as Christian men; thy are counsellable by themselves, they are not oblivious of those duties that concerne their severed con­dition in respect of another world. What are they have bin, thou canst not now say that they are Idolatrous, they set not up Idols, they de­presse Idolatry, they are not rebellious, and companions of theeves, they imbrace communion with Saints; they are not ignorant, they are wise as Rulers, and learned as Iudges of thy Nation; they doe not with Diotrephes who loved the preheminence, refuse to countenance Gods Messengers, they doe not prate against Gods servants with ma­litious words, they forbid not them that would entertaine them, neither doe they excommunicate them, or shut them out of the Church. Thou maist rejoice O Israel in these thy Worthies, their deportment shews, that they are thy best Counsellors, there is squarenesse, not partiality or perversnesse in their actions, they are wise to preserve thee, not crafty to insnare thee, they are active, not for their owne advancement, but for thy advantage, they are couragious for thee, not fearefull or faint­hearted to defend thee, they are religious, but not factious, secret, but not fraudulent, they are well read in thy present estate, and apprehen­sive of what may promote thy future felicity, and therefore as they have provided a solemne Covenant, so they as fellow-brethren joyne with thee in a sacred Oath for ingagement unto God. See then in these thy happinesse, they are not as crosse winds to keep thee from shore, they are as prosperous gales to bring thee in safety to the har­bour. Bee glad thou daughter of Zion, and with shouting expresse thy rejoycing for these thy Nobles.

Vse 2 O yee Senators of the Land, let these Worthies bee your examples, parallel these in pious actions, then glory and renowne will bee as a Crowne and Diadem set upon your heads: It is reported of Agesi­laus, that in travelling hee alwaies tooke up his lodging in the Tem­ples, to the intent that men and Gods might see into his actions; All things are naked to the eye of Heaven therefore in all your consulta­tions and untertakings, reflect upon Iehovahs presence, consult with God, and act for God. Paul complaines of many, who sought them­selves, but not Christ, staine not your proceedings with by-ends, let Gods glory be your highest aymes, there is no safety in selfe seeking, as this argues filthynesse of mind in noblenesse of birth, so it is mans debasement before the Lord; To ingratiate and inrich your selves, let not the skie of Soveraignty be the onely object of your sight, nor the sundry revolutions of Princes affections, bee the sole heaven of your contemplation, Non nobis nati sumus, next unto God seeke the pub­lique good, weigh your intendments in the fruit, as well as the flower, consider what they will be to others, aswell as your selves, be not un­thrifts in your places, looke that your designes have a publique stamp, that in the successe they prove not a disgrace, but an honour to your names; you must be men of more than private spirits, the Kingdomes safety must be your care, the Gospells advancement must bee your in­deavour, and the peoples prosperity is the thing you must strive for; Let not your workes at any time be workes of iniquity; suffer not an act of violence to be in your hands, permit not your feet to run to e­vill, or to make hast to shed innocent bloud; why should your thoughts be thoughts of perversenesse? why should wasting and destruction bee in any of your pathes? A friend is borne for the day of adversity; wee doe not looke at you as having virgins faces, and vultures ta­lons, we take you not to be fained, but faithfull friends, wee are yet in distractions, cease not to help us by your counsells, you have hither­to stood for our liberty, still stand as pillars of marble,Quanto illu­striores sunt ho­mines in saecu­lo, scientia it genere, tante pluribus suit perditionis ex­emplura Ber­nard. Epist. 109 spare not your paines, spare not your bloud for the preservation of our felicity; bee not as the children of Ethiopians before the Lord; O Let the light of your lives, aswell as the light of your Counsells make it apparent that Iehovah judgeth amongst the Gods; to advise well, and live ill, is to build with one hand, and pluck downe with an other; Scarlet Robes are ornaments to your bodyes, but scarlet sins will prove the debasement of your soules; it is the transparent christall glasse of your [Page 24] holy life, that will shew us the spots upon our garments, and your stick­ing close unto the Covenant for God, that is likely to conglutinate our affections more unto your selves, and as a leading president give us encouragement for a religious walking before the Lord. Thus qua­lified, our subject shewes you, you should be; and thus farre you see, the example of zealous Peeres prevaild in the daies of old.

Vse 3 Let us beloved of this Nation take Israels practise into imitation; they may well be resembled unto starres: Starres are lights, they shine as lights in the world, endeavouring to be blamelesse and harm­lesse, the sonnes of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, Philip. 2.15. So soone as the Sunne appeares, and breakes out with its radiant beames, they vaile their owne glory. God can no sooner declare himselfe in the beauties of holinesse, but these cast the vaile of humble submission over their owne faces, and by obedience give him the honour due unto his Name. There is a pleasing and a concordiall harmony amongst the starres, and these are not different in their desires, nor dissonant in their actions; starres are coelestiall bodies, these are not now terrene in their affections, they are heavenly minded, they expresse their resurrection to newnesse of life by seeking the things that are above, spirituall righteousnesse a­bove all, is that which they seeke for; Little stars doe not envy great ones, these are so farre from emulation, that they rejoyce in the zeale, and triumph in the forwardnesse of their Nobles; Heathens oppose the truth of Gods Worship, seeking to cloud it with their owne fan­cies, and superstitious vanities; these as sparkling and glorious starres, breake out in a blacke and a darke night: As starres are constant in their courses, and keepe their appointed places; so these without a­spiring, without negligence, adhere in covenant to these their religious Worthies. Lastly, as starres communicate their light to us, betwixt whom there is a great distance, so these Israelites to the remotest pla­ces, yea, to the ends of the world hold out a President, for taking and keeping of a holy covenant. Selfe-love and over-weening con­ceites doe not now as with wings carry them aloft, they are privy to their failings, apprehensive of their misery, and depressed in their thoughts, for making their Peeres their copy to write by, and their sole example for imitation, they both acknowledge the want of, and declare their desire after their perfection. Be you followers of me, saith Paul to the Church of Corinth, as I am of Christ, 1 Cor. 11. [Page 25] many thinke they are in a good condition if there be any worse then themselves, but these strive not with the worst, but with the best, making apace, as fast as they can after them, though they come far behind them, both in their zeale and in their wisedome; these men are not now asleep as they were before, their consciences are wakened, the eye of their understanding is opened, and they see in this their day the things that belong unto their peace: lately they were insensible of sins deceit, and the spirituall death of their soules; now with the Apostle they feele the destructive power of corrupti­on, and cry out, O wretched men that wee are, who shall deliver us from this body of death! now they conceive a kind of necessity of Damnation, because that custome in sin hath bred a necessity of sin­ning in them; now they consider whither sin, Satan, and their Ido­latrous wives would carry them, now they lay to heart the justice of God standing before them as an Angel with a drawne sword ready to fall upon them, if they post on still in the way of transgres­sion, therefore to preserve them from utter ruine they begin to set themselves in battaile array, they put on the shield of faith, the breast-plate of righteousnesse, and the helmet of salvation, that so they may forth-with wage war against their lusts; they doe not stand hove­ring in the aire, as men not fully resolved, saying, shall we, shall we? they are growne resolute, though they passe through fields of iron, and streames of bloud, they will set upon a strict course, to curbe their heady corruptions, and that course you see is a covenant to ob­serve the statutes of the Lord: these are not like many, to pretend much and performe little, they doe not breake off now it comes to the pinch, constancy crownes their purposes, and is as a wreath of Lawrell girding the temples of their sacred resolutions, for they fly not off, but cleave unto their brethren the Nobles. O that we for splendency could make them our patterne, O that in humility, we could follow them, and that in constancy we came not farre behind them; examples are sometimes efficacious doctrines. Sozomen re­ports, that the devout life of a poore Captive Christian woman, made a King and all his family imbrace the faith of Iesus Christ; and Eusebius from Clement tells us, that when a wicked accuser had brought Saint Iames to condemnation, seeing his Christan for­titude, he was touched in conscience, confessed himselfe to be a Christian, and so was taken to execution with him, where after con­fession [Page 26] and forgivenesse, they kissed, and prayed for each other, and so were both beheaded together. Israel is no ill guide, at this time shee is a very good patterne, her light like a cleare and a bright Di­amond, may well shine in the darknesse of our soules, her splendor may be the glorious object of our sight, her present covenanting a­ction calls aloud to us for speedy imitation, therefore let us up and be doing, let us take her vow upon ourselves, and vowing adhere, and stick close unto our noble Worthies.Motives.

1 That we may not be slack to the worke, but setting these Israelites as a pillar of fire before us, walke after them in our adherence to our Nobles, let us consider what they are in their severall relations, and what they are declared to bee by their particular actions.

They are Patriots, not Traytors to their Country; like homebred vi­pers they seek not to corrodate & eat out their mothers bowels, they desire not through the sea of bloud to swim to the cape of their hope, they have vowed with theii lives to defend our Kingdomes liberties; they doe not say as Antonius Bassianus Caracalla, sometimes Em­perour of Rome, said (quod libet licet) the Law is the rule of their will, their will sets not Confines to the Law, they doe not what may please themselves, but what they may and must doe for the preservation of this our Nation; they like Aelius Adrianus seek so to governe us, that it may be apparent that it is our wealth, not their owne that they seeke for.

2 They are zealous for God, not desperate Rebels against God: They have formerly solemnely protested to maintaine and uphold the Protestant Religion against all Popery, and popish innovati­ons whatsoever, and they have now sworne to defend Gods wor­ship against Atheists, and armed Papists, who endeavour with their soule feet to bemuddy the waters of the Lords Sanctuary; to stand for Religion, I hope, is not to stand against God, to labour to uphold the Church in her purity, is not to oppose and persecute Christ, because these love the Lord, they seeke to set up his disci­pline, and because the loves of Christ are better than wine unto their spirits, they desire that in England with a more Majestique and commanding power he may be set upon his Throne; They will not with Iulian apostatize from Christ, they will not with Di­oclesian persecute his Saints. Now God hath called them out to a perfect reformation, they will not have it sayd of them as it was of [Page 27] some, that the Nobles put not their necks to the worke of the Lord. Nehe. 3.5. They are not like some in our times, who care not to damne themselves, that they may hurt the Church, they ra­ther resemble Iustinian, they have no lesse care of the Church of God, than they have of their owne soules.

3 They are Loyall, not perfidious to our King; Have they not vowed to defend his Majesties Royall person, Crowne, dignities, and estate? wherein have they dealt falsely, in what particular can you lay treachery to their charge? They love his soule, they will not corrupt it by ill counsels, they had rather fence it, (that sin may not breake in upon it) by christian advice: they know that sin is the soules poyson; It appeares by their prayers for him, they would not have soule-guilt laid to their charge, they would have our King hereafter as a bright morning star to shine in the Kingdome of hea­ven; They love his Majesties person, it is his presence that they long for, not his absence that they are content with; Stangers both in Nation and religion doe daily inviron him, they feare it may make for his ruine, and his good peoples destruction, they beseech his Majesty to withdraw himselfe from them, they are confidently perswaded of his sweet and pliable disposition, they strive therefore to remove evill Counsellors from him, they so thirst ofter the enjoy­ment of him, that they are willing to hazard their lives to get him. His Majesties peaceable returne unto them will bee the rejoycing of their hearts; they stand for his State, wealth, Honour, and Re­putation, they are willing to settle, if not to increase his Reve­nue. and they have ingaged themselves to make him as glorious as any of his Predecessors that have gone before him. Surely our King himselfe believes, that such of the Pilots Royall of this Land, as have made use of, and relyed upon the auncient Lawes, and long setled Customes of this Nation for their guard and compasse, for the guiding of the Barke of this Common-wealth, have most ho­nourably and prosperously sayled through all the most dangerous and difficult passages, and roughest billowes, in the most boyste­rous stormes, and at length have arrived at their desired Haven, with infinite glory to themselves and to the Nation, or else he would never have said unto them; We doe engage unto you solemnely the word of a King, that the security of all and every one of you from violence, is, and ever shall be as much our care, as the preservation [Page 28] of Vs and our Children. Thus you see his Majesty judgeth them faithful, why should we then thinke then disloyall? He assures them of his adhering to them, and care of them, saying, Hee will be as carefull of his Parliament, and of the Priviledges thereof, as of his Life, and Crowne; And shall not wee encourage them, by promising to assist them, (so long as they stand for us, and for our Lawes) with out estates and lives? Seeing then they are thus, ze­lots for God, Fathers to the Country, and not rebellious, but loyall to his Majesty; we need not feare to owne them, not scruple to be advised by them, not refuse to enter into a holy Covenant with them.

4 They are not degenerate, they are truly generous, dangers doe not dismay them, difficulties doe not dishearten them, they have met with many stormes but yet they doe not hide their heads, they have had many discouragements, but yet they hold up their spi­rits, they have bin much tost with waves, by reason of crosse winds, but yet they are not hopelesse of getting to the harbour; The Di­vell and the scarlet whore, with all the Romish faction have com­bined together against them, but yet they are not daunted, they still contend for the Conquest, they yet play the men for the people and for the Cities of their God. Menaces from others, doe but breath a new life into their spirits; They know, that vertues com­panion is not facility, the way that shee treads, must be rough and Thorny; They remember, that good things are hard to come by, the Gospell and the Subjects liberty, are the Treasures they search for; they looke at these as worth their paines, as worth their labour, it is still for these, that they adventure the losse of their precious lives. They are content for the present to beare that which displeaseth them, that in the end (they may freely without interruption) en­joy these rich jewels, which if they get them, will prove advantagi­ous unto them and theirs; They are not ignorant, that quiet calmes are often subsequents to stormy tempests, and that sowre accidents are sometimes seasoned with sweet events, these, and such like being the subject of their thoughts, they breake not off their intended purposes, they desert not their president resolutions, they alter not their propounded courses, with a fixed countenance they out-stare the threatning eye of danger, they leave their vow as a witnesse of their valour, they are determin'd to resist to bloud, rather than [Page 29] forsake their God; life is not deare, it is the Lords statutes that they covenant to keepe close unto.2 Chro. 19 2. They that love God should be the ob­ject of our love, it was Iehosaphats sin, that he helped the ungodly, and loved them that hated the Lord.

5 They are a publike not a private or a cabinet counsell, they are the great and generall Counsell of the Kingdome; feare not that they will ensnare you, themselves and their owne estates are inte­rest, in all their decrees; they bid you doe nothing but what they have done themselves, their covenant will not endanger you, un­lesse it prove perillous to withstand Gods enemies, and to stand close unto Gods Commands. A community is seldome prejudiciall unto it selfe or hurtfull unto others.

6 They are our brethren. So they stiled the Scots in the act of paci­fication, and surely they will not deny us to be their brethren, who are of their owne Kingdome, and of their owne Religion; like brethren, in all their actions they desire our welfare; they have bin studious to contrive, and they are resolute to performe, and this present covenant they have set forth for the publike good: like el­der brethren they command with love. Let us not hang backe, but joy in our obedience; our Nobles like the Primitive Christians are well read in Saint Iohns Doctrine, they have begun to soare to the highest pitch of affection, they are willing to lay downe their lives for the brethren; some already in the common Cause are gone to Heaven in a bloudy Chariot; others now are in continuall perills, not knowing how soone death may cut in sunder the thred of their lives; they may well take up the symbole of Alphonsus Neopolita­nus, viz, the Pelican drawing the bloud out of her breasts for the feeding of her young, and considering for what it is that they ad­venture themselves, they may annex unto it this inscription, Pro lege, pro grege. Shall they thus freely (for our Kingdomes Lawes, and for our safety) give up their selves, as it were in sacrifice, and shall we forsake them? O no; let their God be our God, their Gos­pell be our Gospell; let not their bondage be our freedome, their death be our life; let us like brethren dye with them, & dye for them in the maintenance of this covenant, for keeping off all the judge­ments of Jehovah:

7 They are not onely brethren, but they are Noble brethren, they [Page 30] are in high place, they are in great authority; his Majesty hath made them his Counsellors by his owne Writt you have made them Patriots of your Country by your own: choyse: Remember what Paul saith, Let every soule be subject to the higher powers, hee speaks not in the singular, but in the plurall number; denoting that there is more powers then one. I suppose you cannot deny them this priviledge; they have a prelation above you, though they be your brethren, yet they are to you as these were to Israel, your bre­thren the Nobles. Listen to their edict, they require, that you sor­row for your sins, and amend your lives, they are willing with you to take out the same lesson, therefore with them make a firme cove­nant to turne from the evill of your waies.

8 Lastly, doe but compare the times past with the time present: for­merly you put on mourning as a garment & were ever and anon rea­dy to hide your selves, whilest men of corrupt minds, corrupt concer­ning the faith, were the sole counsellors of estate, Prov. 28.28. The wind is turned, the case is altered; your righteous, your religious Nobles are now in authority, and that they may the better appeare to be so to the eye of your soules, consider a little the particulars.

First, what counsell they give to our Soveraigne, is it not like that of the Seniors of Israell, doe they not advise him, if he will be the ser­vant of this people to speake good words unto them, that they may be his servants for ever? 1 King. 12.7.

Secondly, what is the charge they give unto the Iudges of the land? Is it not that they must take heed what they doe, because they judge not for man but for the Lord; that they let the feare of God be upon them, with whom there is no iniquity, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts? 2 Cro. 19.6.7.

Thirdly, what injunctions doe they lay upon the Ministery? Doe they not bid the Levites sanctifie themselves, Sanctifie the house of the Lord, and carry forth the filthinesse out of the holy place, 2 Chro. 29, 5, 6.

Fourthly, have they not formerly put you upon fasting, and still continue your dayes of humiliation, that you may afflict your selves before your God, to seeke of him a right way; for you, your little ones, and all your substance, Ezra. 8.21. And have they not now framed a Covenant for them and for us, to seeke the Lord God of our fathers, with all our heart, and with all our soul. O then, having [Page 31] uch mercies by them, let us adjoyne our selves unto them: They tender us a covenant, it is for holy observance, their counsell is wholsome, their demand is equall, and their tender is lawfull, them­selves have led the way, let us with Iudah rejoyce at the Oath, 2 Chr. 15.12, 13, 14, 15. & every one with them subscribe for him­elfe, that he will keepe close unto the Law of the Lord.

Quest. Wherein must we cleave unto our Nobles?

Answ,First in obeying them; this the Doctour of the Gentiles imposeth as a duty upon us, when he bids us be subject to principalities and powers, to obey Magistrates, and to be ready to every good worke, Tit. 3.1. and for this those Iewes are a faire president be­fore our eyes.

Secondly, in hauing a reverent esteeme of them, as they are the Lords Vicegerents, so they are stiled Gods, Exod. 22.28. and it is our duty to render honour to whom honour is due. Rom. 13.7.

Thirdly, in being faithfull to them, we have ingaged our selves by solemne protestation to maintaine and defend them. We can­not maintaine the priviledges of Parliament, and destroy the mem­bers of Parliament. Let us be loyall not perfidious, let us have no hand in any thing that may hurt them, if we know of any plot or projects against them, let us quickly and timely discover them.

Fourthly, in praying for them. Pray for Kings, and all that bee in authority saith the Apostle, 1 Tim. 2.2. Preces & lachrymae ar­ma ecclesiae, your prayers may keepe off their enemies, strong cries, and earnest entreaties may be prevalent for your Nobles safeties. Consider:

First, that your Worthies as they are now assembled are the foundation, and Basis of government, and consequently of the peace and happinesse of the Kingdome: for as they create Law, by which we are governed in peace and quietnesse, so they uphold the power and authority of the Law; so that if through the neglect of prayer you suffer the foundation to decay, the maine building can­not long stand. For where no counsell is, the people fall, but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety, Pro. 11.14.

Secondly, that they are to you as Gideon and the Judges were to Israell, A hedge to keepe you within your bounds, and a strong tower to keepe off the maine body of your sinnes, Judg. 2.19.—8. [Page 32] 33. Breake downe your hedge, you may ramble whither you please, demolish your Fortresse, and you lye open to the batteryes of all corruptions whatsoever; their dying may prove Idolatries Vivi­fication, their death is likely to be the life of mens lusts, they may then goe a whoring after their owne inventions, therefore as you desire the death of your sins, pray for the life of your Nobles.

Thirdly, how comes it to passe that hitherto notwithstanding the malice of your bloudy adversaries, your Gospell hath had free pas­sage, and your Lawes have bin in force, Remember, that all the dayes of Samuel, the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines, 1 Sam. 7.13. you had need pray for them if they be once remo­ved, your enemies will breake in, and if they prevaile, where is your life, nay, the life of your life, your law and religion?

Fourthly, the Heathens abhor'd ingratitude, wee professe our selves to be Christians, our prayers are our thankes, they expect that; and well may they looke for it in respect of their unwearied paines. Indeed when we call to minde what they have done for us, and suffered in our behalves, our lives should not be deare un­to us for their sakes, but I scarce beleeve that they will afford them their lives, who seldome or never vouchsafe them their prayers. O in­gratefull wretches, let not such unthankefulnesse be found a­mongst our English spirits.

THey were brethren, quoad carnens, as having reference to the flesh, they all descended from the loynes of Abraham, Ioh. 8.39. They were brethren, quoad fidem, they all laid claime to the Promise, and they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. Galat. 3.7. They are brethren in respect of affecti­on; Brotherly love continues amongst them, for now like brethren they seeke to doe them good. Lastly, they are brethren, in respect of their mutuall conjunction in this entire covenant; and thus like Simeon and Levi they are not brethren in evill, cruelty is not in their habitations, the accomplishment of wicked designes is not the subject matter of their desires, to encourage themselves in the way of iniquity, and to strengthen their hands in the support of Idolatry is out of their thoughts, the amending of their waies runnes in their minds, mutuall corroboration in the practice of ho­linesse, [Page 33] is the cause of their league, and strictnesse with sincerity in the Lords service, is the end of their present resolves.

Generally from this appellation, whereby they are called,Observat. 1 Pride becomes not noble spirits. and with which, for ought that we know, they were well contented, you may observe, that pride becomes not noble spirits, Rulers must not be of insulting natures; it is not an haughty carriage that addes to their praise, their chiefest ornament is an humble deportment: they are but wormes, why should they swell? Did not Majesty empty it selfe, when Christ was contented to become a servant? They are but Ministers; and in their chiefest eminence, but Mi­nisters for good; why doe they not then condescend to men of low degree? Rom. 12.16. Thoughts of dignity must be laid downe, they must be refused where God may bee honoured. My heart is towards the Governours that offered themselves willingly among the people: blesse yee the Lord, Iudg. 5.9.

2 In that thus freely, thus lovingly they close with their motion,Observat. 2. Infer our per­sons must ac­cept of moti­ons from their Nobles, as motions from affectionate Brothers. eyeing them in this affable and familiar relation, collect thus much for your instruction: That Subjects must accept of motions from their Nobles, as motions from affectionate brothers.

What is the reason our late Ordinances are not observed: that their injunctions are not obeyed, and that their Covenant is accoun­ted strange, being but a bit to hold in the head of their lusts? I feare me it is because our Nobles themselves are strangers not brothers in our repute. But leaving them wee will cast our eye upon the Vow or Covenant it selfe.

And they entred into a curse, and into an Oath, &c.

To curse, is to wish, and pray for evill things, and execrable to befall others, or our selves; When David was charged with affe­cting the Kingdome, and seeking Saul his deposition, if not his de­struction, for his owne clearing, he makes use of dreadfull a impre­cation, saying; If I have done this, let the Enemy persecute my soul, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Psal. 7.3.4.5. His soule by a Synechdoche sets out his person, his life the existence of his person amongst the living, and his honour, his dignity & glory in this world, and in the world to come. It is grievous personally to be oppressed, more grievous to have the light of life extinguished, but most grievous with the depriva­tion [Page 34] of life, instead of glory, to have perpetuall ignominy laid upon him, yet all this in case he be guilty, he is content with, and there­fore to cleare his innocency, he calls for no lesse than this upon himselfe. And this did Iob, Iob 31.5.6.7 8. &c. Neither was Paul the Doctor of the Gentiles shie of an Execration, when he called God for a Record upon his soule, that he came not to spare them at Corinth. 2 Cor. 1.23. In like manner these Iewes (in case they willingly or willfully breake the Law) give up them­selves unto the curse. As if they should have said, Lord let evill befall us, miserie overtake us, and sorrow be the Lot of our In­heritance; Let calamitie be our portion, distresse our reward, and death and damnation it selfe the recompence of our soules, if wee againe returne to the Heathens, if for the future we be not observant of thy sacred Statutes.

[...] precation [...]d execrations be not usuall, yet sometim s they are very lawful Cautions.Though imprecations and execrations be not usuall, yet some­times they are uery lawfull; they are not inhibited, by the pra­ctise of the Saints, you see they are highly commended. This our Worthies were not ignorant of, as appeares by the closure of their late Covenant, wherein they call God to witnesse the sincerity of their intentions, for which they are content to answer at the Great day, when the secrets of all hearts shall bee disclosed. Indeede I confesse these are not commonly in our ordinary affaires, nor rash­ly, but considerately to be used by any, and therefore use them but when other wayes the truth cannot be credited; but when by other meanes thy integrity cannot bee cleared, but that thy inten­tions for Piety may be freed from the aspersion of levity, and but as these Israelites did to bind thy soule hand and foot, that it stir not, that it start not, from an holy walking before the Lord.

THere bee three waies to confirme the truth; Affirmation, Assertion, and an Oath. In the first we onely say, yea, or nay; and whatsoever is above this, viz. (in our ordinary communicati­on) is not good, but evill, Matth. 5.37. In the second, when our word is lookt at as reprobate silver, and not taken for currant coyne, (the matter being weighty) we pawne our truth as one of our best jewells in an asseveration, and in this way sometimes by a double Amen, did Christ ratifie his sayings. In the third, when men will [Page 35] not accept of our owne pledge, we procure God for our surety, un­to whose justice in our Oath we enter into Counter-bond for pu­nishment by him, if we goe about to deceive. And thus the Jewes to testifie the uprightnesse of their hearts in the present Covenant, enter into an Oath with their Peeres.

To sweare, or to take an oath,What an Oath is. is a very solemne and religious calling of God to witnesse, acknowledging that as he is the onely wise God, knowing the secrets of our soules, and the most gra­cious Patron, and faithfull defender of all Truth, so on the contra­ry, that he is a most severe Judge, and revenger of all such as shall abuse his Name, to witnesse a false matter: or more briefly you may thus define it. An Oath is an holy invocation of God (as the best witnesse of all truth) and the punisher of all such as prophane his Name in calling him to testifie an untruth. Thus in swearing God is made both Index and Vindex, for therein we desire him, as the searcher of hearts, and Patronizer onely of truth, to evidence with us that we deceive not, and withall to take vengeance on us if we doe deceive. Oathes are two-fold, Assertory and Promissory,Oaths are two fold. Israell is sure she dislikes her sins, she is not a stranger to her hearts rising against her corruptions, she knowes that her soule is grieved for her former transgressions, this she affirmes by her present swea­ring before the Lord of Heaven: She sees how she hath deviated, she purposeth a speedy returne; she is privy to her precedent rebel­lion, now she vowes though a sudden, yet a true not a fained refor­mation: she is conscious that she hath provoked the eyes of his glory, she now promiseth not againe to offend, but in every duty to please his Majesty, and in all her endeavours to promote his ho­nour. And because she would not be fickle, but keepe fast bound to her word, she enters into a serious and a solemn oath.

She sweares in truth, for now seeing her selfe in the glasse of the Law, she beholds her sinnes as so many spots; neither is her purpose meerely formall, but reall for cleansing, nor her intention hypocri­ticall but sincere, for the removall of the evill of her doings from be­fore the Lord: so that her oath is not devoyd of truth. Secondly, she considers what she binds her selfe from, viz. her former Idola­tries, and what she engageth her selfe unto, viz. to walke in spirit and truth in the presence of Jehovah, so that she sweares in judge­ment. [Page 36] Thirdly, her oath is in righteousnesse, for as she sweares to please God, so that she may please him she sweares onely obedi­ence to his commands.

Observat. Wee may vow against Sin, we may swear obedience un­to God.Wee may vow against sinne, we may sweare obedience unto God. I thinke Saul did not ill in swearing that David should not be slaine, when Ionathan asked him, VVherefore he would sinne a­gainst innocent bloud, to kill him without a cause, 1 Sam. 19.56. neither did Iob offend protesting his innocency, and attesting his sincerity by a solemne oath. As God liveth who hath taken away my judgement, and the Almighty who hath vexed my soule; all the while my breath is in me, and the Spirit of God is in my nostrills, my lips shall not speake wickednesse, nor my tongue utter deceit, Iob, 27.2, 3, 4. Thus did Asa with his people, 2 Chro. 15.14, And this is the present act of these Israelites with their Nobles.

Isaiah Prophesying of the conversion of the Gentiles saith, That they shall sweare by the God of truth, Isai. 65.16. What are we but Gentiles? nay, doe we not professe our selves to be converted Gentiles? Why doe we then still sit in sinne by consent, lye in it by working it, and by continuall custome sleepe in it, as upon a bed of Downe? Let us now awake, and stand up from the dead; let it be seene, that our eyes are in our head to fore-see sinnes mi­sery, and to hide our selves; that our heart is at our right hand, to withstand temptation: and with violent blowes to keepe off insi­nuating and ensnaring corruption; and that we are not rash in ma­king of vowes. Let it appeare, that deliberatenesse hath curb'd rashnesse, by a solemne oath against the evill of our wayes; And to this end consider:

ReasonsFirst, that naturally since the fall of Adam, the Port-all of thy heart is very weake; Sathan ever and anon makes it his inrode to infect thy spirit: it stands in need of a strong bar. A strict oath for ought I know, is one of the best barrs wherewith thou maist bolt him out.

2. An oath wil penetrate and make a deeper impression than a pro­mise upon thy soul: It wil be as a spur continually in thy sides, to put thee on to act that whereunto thou hast engaged thy selfe. After the children of Israel had sworne to come up to the Lord in Mizpeh, and that whatsoever he was that did not vouchsafe his presence, should [Page 37] be put to death. When they were assembled, the thoughts of their oath put them upon diligent inquest after the persons that had ab­sented themselves, they must needs for their oath sake looke strictly to them, and therefore they cry out, Who is there among all the Tribes of Israell, that came not up with the congregation unto the Lord? &c. Judg. 21.5. And when the Benjamites; after they had vowed against them, lay still as a bait before them: for being a­mongst them, they were a daily object of their eye, yet their oath kept them to their precedent promise made unto the Lord; though they dwelt with them, yet they would not marry their daughters unto them. And therefore as to accuse themselves, so to shew that oathes make an impresse upon the conscience, with one voyce they give out this expression, Though there must be an inheritance for them, that be escaped of Benjamin, that a Tribe bee not destroyed out of Israell, yet we may not give them wives of our daughters, for we have sworne the contrary, Iudg. 21.17.18. Promises for the most part with some are but as morning dewes; when as a solemne oath is as a great raine that sinkes downe, and is long seene upon the earth; they are many times not so soone spoken, but so soone forgotten: when oathes ring in the eares, and will be observed, presse upon the soule and will not be kept out. What is the reason that after so many vowes to God, not onely in the dayes of distresse, but upon the receipt of mercies, you have againe corrupted your selves with your owne devices? surely had you sworne as well as promised, you would not like broken bowes have started from the Lord. Sauls subjects being sworne not to eate untill the evening, though the Hony dropt, they durst not put their hands to their mouthes for feare of the oath, 1 Sam. 14.26. As there is glory, so there is dread in the rayes of Majesty, a remisse, and a carelesse creature will remember himselfe what he should doe in the pre­sence of his Prince. God hath stampt a Majesty and power upon a solemne oath.

Quest.But what shall I doe, that swearing I may sweare aright, both for God, and against my sins?

Answ.First, be sure that sin and thy affections be at a distance, that the league that was formerly betwixt them, is quite broken, that the loues of Christ are better than wine to the taste of thy soul, and [Page 38] that because that thy heart is united to the God of Heaven, that therefore thou art afraid to offend him. For he that sweares a­gainst sin, and yet doth not detest, but love sin, and sweares obe­dience unto God, and hath not a spirituall panting and braying after God, doth not deale fairely, hee hath two faces under one hood, he doth but dissemble with the Lord, he sweares not truly, that feares not God unfainedly: Deut. 6.13. Paul is certaine that he serves God in the spirit, before he call him to witnesse his actions. Rom. 1.9.

Secondly, doe this deliberately, considering sins sinfullnesse, and strictly viewing the beauties of holinesse; inconsiderate vowes are soone broken, therefore be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God. Eccles. 5.2.

Thirdly, looke at thy call to thy oath, a good call is a good warrant, we must not be Knights of the Post: By frequency and forwardnesse, we must not give out suspition that wee are prodi­gall of our owne credit, and of our owne salvation. Prophane wretches often rap out oathes against their sins, and yet doe, con­sidering what they have done, and what they should doe, forth­with double both their sins and their Oathes. If Israels Nobles first ordaine it, take it, and subscribe it, she hath then good ground to accept it; we have a faire call, our Worthies are gone before us, let their President be our encouragement, they pro­pound it to us, and require the taking of it at our hands; we shall resist authority in their publique call, if we take not the Oath against our sins.

Gratum est, deo q [...]um videt non sponte donuo confirmare vo­tis nostris que ante &c. 2 Chro. 15.15Fourthly, doe it cheerefully, not unwillingly, doe it freely, in taking it, expresse alacrity; Forced service is not pleasing service; constrained obedience neither with God nor man receives ac­ceptance: It is said of Iudah, that they all rejoyced at this oath; could we doe thus, and sweare with all our hearts against our lusts, seeking the Lord with our whole desires; we should have more hope than wee yet have, that God would bee found of us, and that in stead of our feares and present distractions, in respect of our bloudy warres, he would give us rest round about us.

Fiftly, if thou doe it, doe it without any reservation, take it a­gainst every sin, and by it bind thy selfe to all the duties of Pietie [Page 39] whatsoever; one dead flie spoiles the whole oyntment; one sin reserved, one duty left out, and secretly excepted by thee, will make thee guilty of perjury before the Lord. For tell me, I appeal to thy conscience, canst thou swearing to keep all Gods Statutes willingly commit the least sin, or with selfe allowance omitt any duties, and not falsifie thy oath?

Lastly, be not onely resolved of the Lawfulnesse of it, in respect of the authority that imposeth it, and the subject matter of the same, neither be thou onely perswaded of its necessity, as it is a heavy weight to depresse thy corruptions, and as it is a strong bar to keep in thy soule from stragling Dinah-like in the way of transgression, but in taking it avoyd wavering, for as whatsoever is not of faith is sin; So a wavering minded man is unstable in all his wayes, I op­pose wavering to constancie, be thou resolute ever to keep it, re­solve peremptorily with thy selfe, never to be found guilty of the breach thereof; Thus doe these Nobles, thus doe these Israelites, and thus observing these rules in thy oath for God, and against thy sins; thou shalt sweare in verity, not falsely; in judgment, not rash­ly, in righteousnes, and not wickedly.

THeir own fancies shal not now be the rule of their actions,Observat. Gods Statutes the Christians way. the he­thenish practises of wicked Idolaters shall not now be the helm with which they will steere the course of their lives, their do­ings shall be such as will endure the touchstone, it is to the Law, and to the Testimony that they goe for direction. And no mar­vaile, for a conscionable walking according to Gods will and exact observance of his sacred Statutes, is the christians way, the Saints path, and the onely high road that leades to eternall life; I have gone astray saith David like a lost sheep, seeke thy servant, for I do not forget thy Commandements, Psal. 110.176. Peccare, est de­viare, whilst men sin, they straggle, whilst they yield unto their vile affections, they deviate from the Lords Statutes.

That which was given, is still continued; for as there is a free­nesse, so there is a constancy in all Gods mercies; God is not as man that he should repent; the gifts and calling of God are with­out repentance. It was mercy, not merit that brought her the Law. the cause moving was in the bestower, not the receiver, she was as [Page 40] well as others in the bloud of her sins; she before God cast an eye of pitty upon her,Observat. The Law an effect of Gods love. unwashed, unbathed, unswadled as well as the Hea­then. The Law, and the continuance of the Law is an effect of Gods love. Because he affected her, he chose her from amongst the Nati­ons: and further to testifie his love to her, hee pluckt up the floud­gates, and let forth the streames of the Law unto her, that so shee might cleanse her selfe from all uncleanenes whatsoever. He shew­eth his World unto Iacob, his statutes and his judgements unto Israel; he hath not dealt so with any nation, and as for his judgements they have not knowne them, Psal. 147.19, 20.

This title is as a glittering Diamond upon Moses breast, it is not so base a thing as the world accounts it, to bee the Lords servant; Gods service is the Christians honour, not his disgrace. The Jewes doe not thus stile him in any disparagement, their thus calling him tends wholly to his praise. Socrates reports of Constantinus, Valen­tinianus, and Theodosius, three renowned Emperours in their times, that they called themselves, Vassallos Christi, the vassals of Jesus Christ. Looke at it therefore as one of the fairest flowers in thy garden, that God hath entertained thee into his worke; glory not in thy wealth, thy friends, thy preferments; that man onely hath the Crowne, and the cause of daily rejoycing, that can say unto God, Lord, I am thy servant. Deo servire, regnare est.

GOds revealed Will is here set forth by foure severall termes, Law, Commandements, Judgements, Statutes; it is a Law, for it hath a legislative power to bind over the soule to exact obedience: none may plead Ignoramus, all are bound to looke that they have the knowledge of the same. It is a command, we are intrusted with it, faithfully to observe it; it is a statute, for as it is prescribed and appointed, so it containes the whole duties of our lives; It is a judgement, for as there is involved in it the judgement, and judiciall sentence of Almighty God, concerning its equity for our observance, so it will judge us at the last day, in case of contempt and negli­gence. As it is a Law it is worthy to be read, as it is a Command, it is not to be slighted; as it is a statute it must be the rule of our life. And as it is a judgement we may see what it thinkes of our waies, [Page 41] and what shall be our censure for the breach thereof. There is none of all this but Israel seemes to take notice of, and to witnesse the Uni­versality of her respect she vowes and promiseth obedience unto all.

Christians must not be their owne Carvers, they must not picke and chuse, they must not take what they please,Observat. Gur obedience must bee uni­versall. and leave what they list in the worke of the Lord; they must yeeld obedience, and shew a like tender respect unto the all Commandements of Jehovah. Was not this the lecture which Moses read unto his people, when he told them, If they looke to love and prolong their dayes in Canaan, they must walke in all the waies that God had commanded them. Deut. 5.33. As this was the phrase of Zachery, and Elizabeth, Luk. 1.6. So it was Davids practise, who said, he would have re­spect not to one but all. Psal. 119.6.115.128. the Prophet knew that there was the same equity in one that there was in anther, and in all that there was in some. I presse not legall but Evangelicall o­bedience, thou canst not be free from sin in every kind and degree thereof, onely without hypocrisie in the uprightnesse of thy heart en­deavour to frame thy self to the whole Will of thy God. Thus doing, thy imperfect doing shal be accounted perfection. And if thou wilt be like Israel in doing all, then doe all speedily, Psal. 119.60. make fas;t, procrastinate not the time, as delayes for cure so delayes for duty are dangerous. 2. Doe all cheerefully, Psal. 27.8. Isa, 2.23.55.5. A cheerefull servant best pleaseth his Master. 3. Do all, but dissemble not, seeke Gods glory in all. A faire glasse may be set up­pon false wares, God cannot abide a faire face and a false heart. Lastly, doe all, but doe all constantly, be not found guilty of Apo­stacy. If thou hold not out to the end assure thy selfe thou visit lose the crowne, Apoc. 2.10.11,

WEE have viewed the words in their particulars, let us now cast our eye upon the general, and therein upon the act that is performed by them; It is a Covenant, or a holy vow unto the Lord; which is no other than a binding themselves to God, to doe some lawfull thing which is in his power, that he may the better attaine to his suits; This was a solemne custome among the children of Is­rael, wherein the care of those that were faithfull, was first to vow nothing but what was requisite and requited. Num. 21.2. Iohn. [Page 42] 24.25. Secondly, to see that the vowes that were made, were ex­actly performed. Psal. 22.25. Thus to doe is apprehended as a pension of their duty, as a badge, nay as a Seale of a thankeful heart, and therefore walking to heaven in their desires & living with their head in their most ardent affections, they give up themselves, they vow their service, & promise adherence to Almighty God; they find that by their former sins God is provoked, they are willing to take any course whereby hee may bee appeased; they per­ceive they are much prone to wickednesse; they would set a Tutoror over their wills to keep them within the bounds of promised obser­vance; they may know experimentally, what are the fruits of hate­full impiety; thraldome hath bin the fruit of their sin, they would gladly have their bands broken, be wholy let loose from captivity, and enjoy their freedome; they now conceive that God may be reconciled, they know no other but that he may be gracious, so that being grieved for sin, groaning under pressures, and hoping for deliverance, they now breake off their lusts, renounce their Ido­latries, and give up their soules and bodies in spirituall sacrifice. From whence observe.

Observat. Sence of misery under sin and sorrow. &c. Proued.That sence of misecy under sin and sorrow with hope of mercy, puts the soule upon covenants, yea sure covenants for sincere and exact obedience to the God of Heaven. Sins wounds are full of anguish, their smart, their paine is very dolourous; Nothing but Gileads balme can take out the fire, allay the heat, and mitigate the violence; Israels experience of this anguish sent her unto God for cure; when renouncing her sins, shee cried out, wee returne unto thee for thou art the Lord our God. Ierem. 3.22. When shee saw that iniquity had brought a distraction, and that such was her distraction, that there was not peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations upon all the inhabitants of the Countryes, that Nation was destroyed of Nation, City of City, and that God did vex them with all adversity, then to gett rid of her troubles, finding no other way left to procure her liberty, she entred into a covenant to seek the Lord God of her Fathers with all her heart, and with all her soule. 2 Chro. 15.5.6.12. Sore lashing makes a stubborne boy promise amendment, chaines and fetters brought Manasses to his knees, and these were Davids [Page 43] Pedagogue to teach him to know Gods Statutes. 3 When they were in bondage at Babilon, did not hope of Redemption, make them willing to take a tart medicine, they doe not sing the dole­full ditty of accursed Cain, hope as a Cordiall supported their fain­ting spirits, and as an anchor kept up their soules from splitting a­gainst the rockes; though they goe weeping with their faces towards Zion, yet because they hope their thraldome shall come to an end, and that their desired liberty shall be accomplished, they will goe and try what they can doe by a solemne vow to asswage the wrath of their incensed God. Iere. 50, 4.5. Hope well, and have well; but for hope the heart would breake.

1 These Iewes in the Text see their sins, they doe not conceale them, they are set downe in great Characters by them, that he that runneth may read them, they acknowledge their obstinacy, having hardned their necks,Peccati mario­ne conscientium illorum vulne­ravit. et exper­ve secit Deur. Regertuntur ad cor, et pecto­rum memoria pulsaat animus. and appointed a Captain to return to their bon­dage, Nehe. 9.17. Their Idolatry, having made them Idols, saying unto them, these are thy Gods. Nehem. 9.18. Their cruelty; having slaine the Prophets which testified against them to God. Ne­hem. 9.26. Their ingratitude, hauing done evill after the receipt of favours. Nehem. 9.28. And their pollution in all degrees, their Kings, their Princes, their Priests, having with them forsaken the Law, and not hearkened to Gods Commands. Nehem. 9, 33.34.35. These sins in their sinfulnes, are now presented to the eye of their soules, they are patient to God, impatient to themselves, they smite upon their thighes, they are full of wrath, and resolve against their lusts. Iob 34.31.32.

2 They are not insensible of misery, they have not yet quite for­got the smart of the eye, the weales are not yet open, the stripes have not quite left bleeding upon their backes,Non ceciduotur ex somno pecca­ti exitantur. they are scarce got out of thraldome from barbarous and cruell enemies, Neh. 9.36.37. they are loath to come againe into the same condition, they de­termine therefore to leave their sins for its prevention.

3 They are in hope of case, they doe not say God hath forsaken, and that the Lord had utterly forgotten them. Its true, they see that he is offended, they study now which way he may be pleased, they are stoning of their Achans, that have made them turne their backs upon their enemies: they apprehend God placable, and that they [Page 44] may recover, they are purposed in all things to follow the advice of their Phisitions, men by vertue of an order from their Nobles to bind themselves by promise to do according to the law of God.

O that England would make use of Israels covenant it may he is would prove a divine balsome for the curing of her bleeding wounds: we have as much need to apply this plaister, and to take this course as ever this people had. First, doe not our sins hold paral­lel'd with theirs, if we goe not before them we follow them at the heels? But who dare say this Nation hath bin obstinate, obdurate against the meanes, that she hath bin Idolatrors, yeelding to super­stitious vanities; that she hath bin cruell mis-using and dispitefully striking the Lords Messengers, that she hath bin ingratefull, not rendring thankes according to her mercies, but growne worse by her glorious favours; or that from the highest to the lowest, from the tallest Cedars to the meanest shrubs she is shamefully corrupted▪ I I cannot excuse her, I must lay my hand upon my mouth if I may not bring in an accusation against her▪ my conscience tells me shee is guilty. But if of sins which are of a scarlet dye, continually crying like the bloud of Abel for the execution of vengeance in the eares of heaven will not move us, yet we thinke the wrath that is gone forth, and the plague is begun amongst us, by the hurtfull, the oppressing and destroying sword should forth-with awake us. O consider, it is not onely drawn out of the scabberd, but it is new sharpened, and furbushed, and given into the hand of the stayer: Hath it not alrea­dy cut off many thousands in the bowels of this our Kingdome? Is not the point thereof set against all our gates? I wish our ruines be not multiplyed, and that it be not yet for a sorer slaughter. Are not our houses daily plundered, our estates violently extorted, our men murdered, our women ravished, and our virgins defloured? Listen and you may heare the mournfull expressions, and the dolefull la­mentations of wounded persons, nay their groanings gasping upon the ground for life, wives daily become widowes, and children are bereaved of their fathers, ringing of hands, sadnesse of spirit, and brinish teares almost in all quarters may become the objects of your fight; O England, England, ihis is the fruit of thy sin▪ wherefore doth a living man complaine, a man for the punishment of his sins. Lam. 3.39. O now search and try thy waies, and turne againe [Page 45] unto the Lord use not complements, perfunctory performances are but as figtree leaves, It is time for thee to bestir thy selfe, lift up thy heart with thy hands to God in the Heavens, thou hast trans­gressed, thou hast rebelled, and God hath not pardoned, hee hath sounded out the Trumpet, stricken up the Alarme for war, and cau­sed his jealousie to breake forth like fire against thee; O see now (with thy brethren thy Nobles) what thou canst doe, covenant a­gainst thy sins, it may be thou shalt obtaine a covenant of peace with the Lord thy God; I doe not conceive thy estate desperate, be not dismayed; though God be angry, it may be he will repent him of our evill, he will not retaine his anger for ever; There is yet hope in Israel concerning our deliverance, if we would but make a free, a firme, and a fast covenant with God against our lusts. Ez­ra 10.2.3. Tell me, did God ever call forth a people to bind their soules in covenant to himselfe, and not intend their pro­sperity, covenanting times, are but discovering times, and therefore he promiseth his people, that when he brings them into the bond of covenant, he will purg out the Rebels from amongst them; and them that transgresse against him; bellow hearted persons, loose livers, and prophane creatures, will not willingly meddle with sa­cred oaths, and holy vowes; And why will hee purge them out? Surely it is for the peace and quiet of his Saints. Peruse the place, Ezek. 20.37.38. Againe, shew me when or where any more sincerely covenanted with God, and received not mercy from God. Mercy is so intayled upon faithfull covenanters▪ that it cannot be reversed, Isa. 56.6.7. They of all others shall be brought to his holy mountaine, and made joyfull in his house of prayer.

Quest.But why will God have us thus to enter into a curse and an oath to serve him?

Answ.First, because he knowes, that being once ingaged by a sacred vow to the acts of holinesse, our credit, reputation and fidelity lies at the stake for our obedience, and that therefore we will be more carefull of our selves, and not willingly violate our faith. God can­not abide we should have revolting and rebellious hearts to depart from him. Jerem. 5.23.

Secondly, because these free promises ishuing from an upright heart, are an open mark, and a professed badge of a thankfull soule, [Page 46] as these evidence our thankes, so they ingage us to gratefull expres­sions upon the receipt of mercies; God would not have us without a spur to put us on to duties.

Thirdly, that we may the more see the boldnesse and shamefulnes of sin, like the divell, the more it is opposed, the more violently it sets upon the soule. Rom. 7.7.8.9.10.11. Lands, Statutes, co­venants will not keep it off, were we not put upon vowes, wee should scarse believe this.

Fourthly, that having covenanted, and apprehending our owne weaknesse in sins resistance, we may be stir'd up with more earnest­nesse to seeke his ayd. his grace and strength to withstand it. Psal. 119.8.26.

Fiftly, that if we be not carefull to obey, that our owne vowes may rise up in judgment against us, and that upon the breach of them, his justice with the more equity may seize upon our soules. Rom. 3.19.20.

Lastly, that by these morall covenants our spirits may be raised up higher, & stird up to seek after investment in the new covenant, even that which is ratified by the bloud of Christ, Galat. 3.21.22,

But what must I covenant against?

Principally against thy sins, temptations, and occasions that lead unto them, with those God is much offended, and his Name is much dishonoured. Sinne for a time may be as sugar under thy tongue, take heed, spit it forth, it will prove Rats-bane when it comes into thy bowels. Doe not trust it, it deceives thee, it will op­presse thy conscience, and damne thy soule. Vow against it.

Sin made the Divell, who was a most glorious Angel an infernall fiend; if thou doe not breake off its communion, it will bring thee in very little better condition; As well as men are conceited of it, it is worse then Hell, for that is good being prepared by God for sin­ners. Therefore say as St. Anselme said, if sin and hell were set be­fore me, the one on the one side, the other on the other; and that I must needs goe through one of them, I would rather enter upon hell than sin, God will assuredly keep them from hell, whose hearts are thus set to keepe themselves from sinne.

But what must I vow and covenant to doe?

Vow to beleeve in God, to hope for eternity of felicity from him, [Page 47] and to live according to his direction God careth not for oyle, for fasts or sacrifice if they come single without thy selfe; that, that hee hath redeemed, that devote and dedicate unto him; vow that thy soule shall be his Temple, and that whilst thou livest thou wilt set forth his praise, by a religious, a godly, and a holy life. Thus vow the Jewes.

But when I have thus covenanted, I am not able to walke accor­ding to the whole Law, or perfectly to keep Gods Commands?

I grant it: But that it may be no discouragement to thee, consider how a Christian is said to keep the Law of the Lord. First, he keeps it imputatively in Christ, the Commandement is reputed done, when that is forgiven which is left undone. Secondly, in respect of his Will, he having a desire which is accepted. Thirdly, in regard of endeavour arising to frame his life according to the statutes of the Lord. Fourthly, Comparatively in respect of others. And lastly, in regard of the uprightnesse and integrity of his heart to one Com­mandement as to another, and to all and every one at all times.

But may I take this last Covenant?

What thinkest thou? if it, be against sinne, unlesse thou keepe it, thou wilt vow against it.

If it be for holinesse, if thou affect it, thou wilt vow to follow after it.

If it be for thy Religion, if thou prize it, thou wilt vow to main­taine it.

If it be to uphold thy liberty, unlesse thou love bondage, thou wilt vow against slavery.

If it be for Law, thou art bound to defend it, for Law is the life of the Common-wealth.

If it be for the defence of the Kingdome, it is for the King; For what is a King without a Kingdome?

Thou wouldst not be a Traytor to thy King and Country.

If it be for the defence of the Parliament, it is but what before thou wert ingaged unto, and as thou vowed then, thou thus apprehen­ding it, wilt surely be content to renew thy vow, never to be per­fidious to them whom thou hast trusted, never to desert them that have bin faithfull to thy selfe, and never to destroy those, whom thou hast chosen as Saviours of thy owne life.

It is against armed papists, he that is privy to their tenets, and acquainted with their treacheries; will vow if he can shift it, never to come into their bloudy hands.

It is to remove the evill from before the King; A Loyall Subject would have the Throne established in righteousnesse.

But what manner of covenant must this be that I must make?

The last clause of the observation tells thee it must be a sure co­venant, this covenant was left upon Record, it was subscribed, and reserved unto future times, Nehem. 9, 38. Let ours be like theirs, that if we observe it not, it may lie as an evidence against us, John. 24.22. And if we keep it that it may testifie our faith unto others, and be an incouragement to all succeeding ages; Covenanting with God is no horse-coursing, thou canst not put it off when thou plea­sest, thou must ever keep it, thou must all the dayes of thy life ad­here unto it, thy intention, thy deliberate purpose conjoyned with thy promise must be, never to desert it. Deferre not then O Eng­land to covenant with thy God; Enter with thy Nobles into a curse and an oath to walke speedily, to walke strictly, and to walke constantly according to the Law of thy God; Expresse thy hope yet with them, (and with these Israelites) that God hath yet a blessed and glorious deliverance for thee.

• 1‘Fleeng to Gods grace, not resting upon thine owne. demerits.’ 1 Pet. 1.13.
• 2‘Vsing the meanes that God hath appointed.’ Heb. 10.23, 24, 25.
• 3‘Resting upon God, not the meanes, whether he workes with it, or without it,’ Ester 4.14.
• 4‘Protesting against sin, and in all things to please his majesty.’ 1 Iohn 3.3.