THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT.
SERMON AT LONDON.
BY THOMAS CASE.
I come now to the third query, how? And this inquiry divides itself into two branches—How to (I.) Acceptation and (II.) Perpetuity? For the satisfying of both which, I will fetch as much as may be out of the text, that so you may yet further behold what proportion there is between the duty there, and that which lies before us this day.
In the first place, we must inquire how this duty may be so managed, that God may accept of us in the doing of it? How to acceptation?
Now, in the general, we must know that this service, being an ordinance of God, must be undertaken and managed with an ordinance frame of heart, i.e. according to the laws and rules of divine worship; and by how much the more sacred and solemn this ordinance is, by so much the more ought we to call up and provoke the choicest, and heavenliest of those affections and dispositions of spirit, wherewith we make our addressments to the holy things of God.
In particular, First, We are to come to this service, with the most ponderous advisedness, and most serious deliberation of judgment, that may be. It is one of those grand qualifications which God Himself calls for to an oath. "Thou shalt swear in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness." In truth for the matter, and that we have already examined in the former sermon in righteousness, in reference to the keeping of the oath (of which hereafter) and in judgment, in respect of the taking or making of the oath, the thing which we are now about, that we should well consider what we do. And indeed, if at any time, and in any undertaking, that advice be useful, "Ponder the path of thy feet," "And keep thy foot when thou enterest into the house of God;" then certainly it is most seasonable, when a people or person draw near to make or renew their covenant with the most high God. And it seems, in the latter of those two Scriptures now quoted, the Holy Ghost doth principally refer to this duty of making vows and covenants with God; the second verse doth intimate such a business, "Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God." To utter what? The fourth verse is express, "when thou makest a vow unto God." So that it is clear, the purpose of the Holy Ghost in that place is, as in all our holy services, so especially in this of vows, to caution all the people of God, when they draw near to utter their vows unto the Lord, to manage it with the greatest deliberation, and solidness of judgment that is possible; to sit down and consider with ourselves before hand, with whom we have to deal? What we have to do? Upon what warrant? By what rule? To what end? "The lame and the blind," God's soul hates for a sacrifice, The lame affections, and the blind ignorant judgment. And well He may; for certainly, they that do not swear in judgment, will not, cannot swear in righteousness; they that do not make their vows in judgment, will not, cannot pay, or perform them in righteousness. He that swears he knows not what, will observe he cares not how. Incogitant making, will end in unconscionable breaking of covenant; and, if need be, in a cursed abjuration of it; for rash swearing is a precipice to forswearing. And therefore, if any of you have not well weighed this service, or be any ways unsatisfied, in whole, or in parts, I advise you to forbear, till your judgments be better informed. "Whatsoever is not of faith, is sin." Provided, that this be not done merely in a pretence to evade and elude this service, to which God and the two nations call you, as here in the text. "Come, let us join." Take heed of casting a mist of willing prejudice and affected ignorance, before your own eyes; such the apostle speaks of, to no other purpose, but that your own malignity may steal away in that mist undiscovered; for be sure, your sin will find you out. An ingenious ignorance and truly conscientious tenderness, is accompanied with an ingenuous and conscientious use of all means, for information and satisfaction; and to such, I make no question, the ministers of Christ will be ready to communicate what light they have, for resolving doubts, removing scruples, and satisfying conscience, whensoever you shall make your addresses for that purpose. In the mean time, if there be any that, under pretence of unsatisfiedness, do shun the duty and information too; they will be found, but to mock God and authority; to whose justice and wisdom therefore I must leave them. God tells His people, when He joins Himself to them, "I will marry thee to Myself, in righteousness, and judgment." How in judgment? Because God considers what He does, when He takes a people or person to Himself; not that God chuseth for any wealth or worth in the creature, faith foreseen, or works foreseen; but that finding it (on the contrary) poor and beggarly, and undone, and foreseeing what it is like to prove, crooked and froward, unteachable and untractable; He sits down to speak after the manner of men, and considers, what course to take, and what it is like to cost Him, to make them such a people, as He may delight in, and then consulting with His treasures, and finding He hath wherewithal to bear their charges, and to bring about His own ends; He resolves to take them, and marry them to Himself, whatsoever it cost Him. The result of such a consultation you may read, dropped from God's own pen, "And I said, how shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations?" Here is God's wise deliberation on the matter: "how shall I put thee?" That is, how shall I do this? But I must do it to Mine own dishonour; for I see before-hand what thou wilt prove; thou wilt be the same that ever thou wast; as idolatrous, as adulterous, as unstable, as backsliding as ever. It is not a pleasant land, a goodly heritage, that will make thee better. Well, after some pause, God was resolved what to do: and I said, hear His resolution, "Thou shalt call Me, my Father, and shalt not turn away from Me:" that is, as if He had said, I will take this course with thee, I will first give thee the heart of a child, "thou shalt call Me, Father:" and then I will give thee the inheritance of a child, "a goodly heritage." And when I have done; I will not leave thee to thyself, but I will knit thee to Myself, by an indissoluble union. "I will put My Spirit into thee." "And thou shalt not turn away from Me." There is God's wise resolution; He resolves to do all Himself, and then He is sure it will not fail His expectation; He undertakes it. "Thou shalt call Me, my Father, and shalt not turn away from Me." Thus God, when He marrieth His people to Himself, doeth it in judgment. Now therefore, "be ye followers of God, as dear children." And since you come now about the counterpart of the same work; namely, to join or marry yourselves to God, do it in judgment. Consider well what you do; and, among other things, since you are so poor, and nothing in yourselves, as you have seen in the opening of this precious Scripture; bethink yourselves where you will have strength and sufficiency, to make good this great and solemn engagement with your God. But of this more hereafter.
Secondly, See that you come to this service with a reverential frame of spirit, with that holy fear and awe, upon your hearts, as becomes the greatness and holiness of that God, and that ordinance, with whom you have to do; remembering that you are this day to swear before God, by God, to God: either of which, singly considered, might justly make us fear and tremble; how much more may this threefold cord bow and bind our hearts down in an humble, and holy prosternation? It is said of Jacob, "He sware by the fear of his father Isaac." Jacob in his oath chooseth this title of fear, to give unto God, to shew with what fear he came; but to swear by this God, what should we do; when, as I say, we come to swear by Him, and to Him? Surely, when He is so especially the object of our oath, He should then especially be the object of our fear. The consideration of that infinite distance between God and us, may wonderfully advantage us towards the getting of our hearts into this holy posture. Great is that distance that is between a king and a beggar; and yet, there is but creature and creature; greater is that distance between heaven and earth; and yet these, but creature and creature; and yet, greater is the distance between an angel and a worm; and yet still, there is but creature and creature. But now, the distance that is between God and us, is infinitely wider; for behold, there is the "Mighty, Almighty Creator, before whom all the nations are but as a drop of a bucket, and the small dust of the balance." And the poor nothing creature, "vanity, and altogether lighter than vanity." And yet, this is not all; yea, this is the shortest measure of that distance, whereof we speak; the distance of Creator and the creature; lo, it is found between God and the angels in heaven, and the "spirits of just men made perfect;" in respect whereof, the Psalmist saith of God, "He humbleth Himself to behold the things that are in heaven." It is a condescension for that infinitely glorious being, who dwells in Himself, and is abundantly satisfied in the beholding of His own incomprehensible excellencies, to vouchsafe to look out of Himself, and behold the things that are in heaven; the best of those glorious inhabitants that stand round about His throne; who therefore, conscious of that infinite distance wherein they stand, make their addresses with the greatest self-abasements, "covering their faces, and casting themselves down" upon those heavenly pavements. But, behold! upon us, poor wretches, that dwell here below, in these houses of clay, there is found that which widens this distance beyond all expression or apprehension; sin sets us farther beneath a worm, than a worm is beneath an angel. I had almost said (bear with the expression, I use it, because no other expression can reach it) sin sets us as much beneath our creatureship, as our creatureship sets us beneath the Creator. Surely there is more of God to be seen in the worst of a creature, than there is of a creature to be seen in the best of sin; there is nothing vile and base enough under heaven, to make a simile of sin.
And now, therefore, if it be such a condescension for the great God to behold the things that are in heaven, how infinite condescension is it, to behold the sinful things that are on earth! and if sinless saints, and spotless angels do tender their services, which yet are as spotless as their persons, with such reverential deportment; what abhorrency and self-annihilation can be sufficient to accompany our approaches to this God of holiness, in such high and holy engagements, in whom, when God looks out of Himself, He can behold nothing besides our creatureship, of our own, but that which His soul hates! "Let us therefore have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably," in this so excellent an ordinance, "with reverence and godly fear; for our God is a consuming fire." The acceptable serving of God, is with reverence and godly fear. The Lord teach us to bring fear, that so we may find acceptation.