The Descending Obligation and Renovation of Covenants.
James Dodson
[from the Reformed Presbyterian, Vol. VIII.,. No. IX, November, 1844 (p. 193-198) and No. X, December, 1844 (p. 217-230).]
[A sermon preached by the Rev. Robert Hutcheson, before the Presbytery of the Lakes, by their appointment, and published by their request.]
Deut. xxix. 1.—These are the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which he made with them in Horeb.
By a Covenant, in human transactions, we understand an agreement between parties, in which the terms are set forth and mutually assented to; and this is the usual acceptation when applied to the divine dispensations: yet it is not the only acceptation, for we read of his covenant with the day and with the night, Jer. xxxiii. 25;—meaning an establishment, arrangement or appointment; as it follows in the same verse, “appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth.” From the beginning, the Lord has dealt with man by way of covenant. Before Adam gave names to the creatures, before he obtained a companion, at the very time that he got permission to eat of the productions of the earth, he was prohibited from eating the fruit of the tree in the midst of the garden. A restraint was hereby laid on his natural desires. Even at that early period, when everything in creation was new, we find God still exhibiting a new arrangement: this arrangement is denominated a covenant. The first covenant was soon broken, and as soon repaired by the exhibition of the covenant of grace, an establishment which can never fail.
On the footing of this covenant, the Lord makes a covenant with his people; and on the same basis they covenant with him when they assent to his terms. Numerous transactions of this kind are recorded in scripture. One of these is described at length in the chapter before us, which contains “the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel.”
To discuss the whole subject of vows and covenants, the great principles involved in them, and the difference between Ecclesiastical and National covenants, is not the design of the present discourse. Two points only are to be considered, both of which are plainly contained in the text, namely the descending obligation, and the renovation of covenants. The latter is implied in the account that is given of the place, “in the land of Moab.” There was a covenant made with Israel previous to this, namely, at Mount Sinai, or in Horeb, as it is in our text. Nor is the preceding covenant set aside by this new transaction. This does not come in the place of the former, but in addition to it; for it is expressly declared to be “beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb.” After discussing each of these in order, a few objections will be answered.
1. The descending obligation of religious covenants on posterity. This obligation is denied by many from whom better things might be expected. It is at least partially denied by some who once professed better things. In the following argument a number of important principles are taken for granted, such as these: That a covenant must respect things lawful, before it can bind either the original parties or their descendants. That all covenants do not contemplate posterity, and of course when they are not included there can be no descending obligation. That posterity are bound by the covenant no farther than the original covenanters, and so when their circumstances change, a change sometimes comes of necessity in their obligations. We prove the descending obligation of covenants by the following arguments:
1. The covenants made by God himself, embraced posterity. The covenant made with Noah, Gen. ix. is an example: v. 8. “And God spake unto Noah and to his sons with him, saying, and I, behold I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you,” &c. Here God makes a covenant with his people and their seed. Some may ask where is the obligation in the covenant, what are the duties? is it not all made up of promises? To this kind of covenant we do not object. To this it is answered, that besides the general understanding pervading all the transactions between the Creator and the creature, namely, universal obedience, there are three distinct specifications. 1. That they should not eat flesh with the blood, v. 4. 2. That all should be accountable for the life of man, v. 5. 3. That they would put the murderer to death. In such questions as the above, the true ground of opposition to covenant obligation in any form, presents itself. Men are willing to have God bound to them, yes, and to their seed, but they demur at the idea of being themselves equally bound. If we are under obligation to deal on principles of equity with our fellow men, how much more with our God. Men may try to free themselves of obligation by shutting their eyes, but let them be honest enough to shut them on one part of the covenant as well as another. The God of truth will not shut his eyes on the stipulations of his covenant. The bow in the cloud in the day of rain testifies that the covenant is of the same obligation to us that it was to Noah, Shem, Ham and Japhet. Modern doctors may talk sophistry, till they persuade us that there never was a bow in the clouds since the coming of Messiah, but neither their sophistry nor our credulity, nor our disregard of the Lord’s bonds, will prevent the appearance of the bow in the day of rain. To obviate the argument from this transaction, men must snatch the bow of the Creator from the heavens; when this is done something will be done to purpose, and we may make our own days and nights, summers and winters, seed times and harvests, and swear into the fellowship of nations which despise God’s covenant, set the shedder of blood free, and send the duelist to the halls of legislation. Blessed be the Lord of all the earth, who hath set his bow in the cloud, as a faithful witness in Heaven against ungodly nations, and their unfaithful members; he has put some things beyond the presumption of man.
The covenant with Abraham exemplifies the same principle.—Gen. xv. 18. “In that same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, unto thy seed have I given this land.”' Compare Gen. xvii. 1-21.
The covenant made with Israel at Sinai embraces posterity in the same manner, Ex-xxiv. Of this Moses puts the Israelites in remembrance. Deut. v. 2, “The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us who are all of us here alive this day.” In Num. xxvi. 64-6,5, we find there were hut three men alive who were of the original covenanters in Horeb, viz: Moses, Caleb and Joshua. Yet Moses preaches to the people that the covenant was made with them who were all alive that day. The text teaches the same doctrine, for it mentions the covenant “made with THEM in Horeb.”
The transaction which occupies the whole of this 29th chapter, fully embraces this doctrine; it not only looks back to the covenants made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the one at Horeb; but it looks forward to posterity, v. 14. “Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath; but with him that standeth with us this day before the Lord our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day.” v. 29, “those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever.” Why is posterity so fully recognized if they be under no obligation from these transactions, distinct from all the other obligations which may lie on them?—But; if posterity were not so expressly mentioned, the descending obligation on them is no less valid; for we argue,
2. From the identity of communities. The posterity of individuals are the same community with their ancestors. The text holds this forth very prominently. “Beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb.” With whom? “The children of Israel”—a community well known for centuries before and since. All the original members were dead save three, and yet the covenant was made with those who were alive at this time. The persons now covenanting are the same community who had covenanted forty year? before, for this transaction is a covenant “ beside” the one made with them in Horeb. The identity of this community is recognized again and again in scripture. Ps. lxvi. 6. “He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him.” After a period of about four hundred years, the children of Israel say we rejoiced, and rejoiced “there”—yes, they consider themselves the same community that marched through the flood on foot. Hosea xii. 4. “He found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us.” After the lapse of nearly one thousand years, the children of Israel identify themselves with Jacob at Bethel.—“There he spake with us.” Hag. ii. 5. “The word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of the land of Egypt.” From the coming out of Egypt to the time of this prophet was 971 years, say the chronologists: yet the children of Israel are the same community. The Lord by his prophet says to them, Ye came out of the land of Egypt, and 1 covenanted with you. The chapter from which our text is taken, presents the community as a body, entering into covenant, v. 10. “Ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your God,” &c. v. 12. That thou shouldest enter into covenant with the Lord thy God.” In the same manner we have communities covenanting under the New Testament dispensation. 2 Cor. viii. 1-5. The churches of Macedonia. Not the saints, nor brethren, nor believers, nor any appellation which applies to individuals merely, but the collective bodies—“the churches.”
3. The Lord punishes posterity for the breach of covenant. Moses predicts, v. 20, &c. the consequences of forsaking the covenant of God, and that this should be known to men in after ages, when the Lord had dealt with them in anger, v. 25. “Men shall say, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt.” So jealous is the Lord about this matter of covenant obligation, that when it is made between man and man he will punish the breach of it on posterity. This is illustrated in the well known case of the Gibeonites, 2 Sam. xxi. with Josh. ix. chap. In this transaction we find God punishing the violation of plighted faith, after the original contractors had been hundreds of years in the dust, yes, and Saul, the violator of the covenant, was dead also: Yet seven of his sons must expiate the offence. If a man’s covenant, when it is confirmed with an oath, may not be annulled with impunity, how much sorer punishment may they expect who violate the Lord’s covenant? In 2 Kings we find him exacting the penalty, chap. xvii. 15-18. And in Jer. xi. his wrath is represented as being so fierce that the prophet may not even pray for the people. v. 10. “The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken the covenant which I made with their fathers. Therefore, thus saith the Lord, behold I will bring evil upon them which they shall not be able to escape,” &c. v. 14. “Therefore pray not thou for this people,” &c. How feelingly does Malachi expostulate with the people of his day, and set before them the evils which the Lord will bring on them, for profaning the covenant of their fathers. See Mal. ii. chap.
4. The whole structure of society recognizes the descending obligation of covenants. The purchase and sale of a farm—national debts—the federal constitution—companies of various kinds, all recognize and exemplify this principle. Why deny the obligation of federal transactions with God, and admit it among men? Infant baptism, and the engagements either expressed or implied in the reception of that ordinance, plainly prove that the same principle pervades all covenants, whether made in civil or sacred things.
5. The enjoyment of covenant privileges, argues covenant obligation. The privileges enjoyed by posterity are set forth in such scriptures as the following: Lev. xxvi. 40-45. “But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors—that I might be their God.” See the whole of this passage. Deut. iv. 9. “teach them thy sons and thy sons, sons; specially the day that thou stoodest before the Lord in Horeb.” v. 31. “For the Lord thy God is a merciful God, he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers.” See the passage from the 4th to the 40th verse, and chap. xxix. 29. Micah vii. 20. “Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham which thou hast sworn to our fathers from the days of old.” That these privileges infer obligation is plain from Mal. iv. 4. “Remember ye the law of Moses my servant which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet,” &c.
These promises have been fulfilled in part, and the privileges enjoyed by many. In the frequent deliverances wrought for Israel—in the coming of Christ, Luke i. 72. “To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant, the oath which he sware unto our father Abraham.” In the pouring out of the Spirit. Acts iii. 25. “Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers—Unto you first, God having raised up his son Jesus, sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.” These privileges are to be still farther extended, according to the apostle. Rom. xi. 26. “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, there shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: for this is my covenant unto them when I shall take away their sins—as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sake.” 2 Cor. iii. 16. “the vail shall be taken away.” Will not Israel according to the flesh, be bound to all moral duties by virtue of the engagements of their fathers, when their privileges are enlarged by embracing the Redeemer? But believers now, even from among the Gentiles, occupy the same place. Gal. iii. 29. “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
In Gal. iii. 17, the apostle anticipates an objection, namely that an after arrangement will abrogate the former. And he assures us that the Sinai covenant, which was four hundred and thirty years later than the covenant made with Abraham, cannot disannul it so as to deprive us of the privileges of the former covenant. Privilege and duty always go hand in hand. Whether the duty go before the privilege, or the privilege before the duty, they are inseparable.
Presbyterians of every grade are enjoying the benefits of these ancient covenants of Israel, and high privileges inherited from their reforming ancestors, and handed down in the way of covenant, especially in the National Covenant and Solemn League. Yet how few regard the obligation of these engagements. Almost in the very strain of the scoffer, men can ask, who gave Scotland and her feudal lords the right of binding us? How fearful the responsibility of such, while they remain, and ever must remain accountable to the God of Israel. Jer. xi. 3. “Cursed be that man that obeys not the words of this covenant which I commanded your fathers,” &c. Enough has been said to satisfy all who desire to understand the truth of this matter.
II. The Renovation of covenants.
Under this head four things are to be considered:—The Duty—the Design—the Time—the Manner, of covenant renovation.
I. The Duty. This is established by examples of the highest authority. Ps. cv. 9. “Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac, and confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant.” Here we have the example of God renewing covenant; and that too before the former bond was fulfilled, for it is stated, v. 8. that “he remembered his covenant forever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.” It is easy to object here, that this covenant is renewed to each distinct generation, and that this militates against the perpetual obligation descending from ancestors. An examination of the history of these transactions refutes this objection, although some think it is a two edged weapon, considering renovation and perpetual obligation to be inconsistent with each other. Let us see from the narrative whether both are not fully recognised. Gen. xv. 18. “In that same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram.” chap. xvii. 1-16 exhibits a renovation of the covenant with Abram himself, containing some peculiarities; his name is changed to Abraham—a son is promised by Sarah—and circumcision is instituted. verse 7 recognises the former covenant. The same covenant is renewed, chap.xxii. 16. What amazing condescension in the God of truth thus to bind himself again and again to his creatures, and to add to his word the solemnity of an oath, “I have sworn by myself.”
In the same manner the oath to Isaac is renewed to him: see Gen. xxvi. 3. “I will perform the oath which I sware to Abraham thy father.” This transaction took place at Gerar (v. 6.) where Isaac dwelt a long time, (v. 8.) “And he went up from thence to Beer-sheba. And the Lord appeared to him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father; fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed, for my servant Abraham’s sake.” v. 23,24. All this is confirmed to Jacob, chap. xxviii. and renewed to him, chap, xxxv; in both of which transactions a new element of covenanting is exhibited, namely, the people of God taking an active part in the making of the covenant. In the preceding covenants God makes, and his servants assent to his terms; here Jacob proposes terms and signs, and God blesses him, thus giving assent to these terms as well as to those of bis own proposal. Jacob avouches the Lord for his God, erects a pillar, and devotes a tenth of his property. At the renewal of the covenant, chap, xxxv, he erects a new pillar, pours a drink offering and oil upon it, and calls the name of the place Bethel—the house of God, a second time. This is renewed to his descendants hundreds of years after when they come out of Egypt. Ex. xxiv. And again in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho. Deut. xxix. l. “These are the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel—besides the covenant which he made with them in Horeb.” And the first covenant still remains valid. Micah vii. 20. After they came into the promised land, they renew their covenant again under Joshua. Josh. xxiv. 24. But why should we multiply evidence. Were not all the covenants of the chosen people renovations of the covenant made with Abraham? The point might be argued also from human transactions by way of analogy, and from the very design of a covenant. But we pass to the next subject of discussion.
II. The Design of covenant renovation. First, it serves to preserve the remembrance of the obligation and impress it more vividly on the mind. Indeed, this seems to be the design of a great many of the ordinances of divine institution. Take two examples. The paschal lamb, with its accompaniments of unleavened bread and bitter herbs, together with the day on which it was eaten, was intended for this purpose. Ex. xii. 26. “When your children shall say unto you, what mean ye by this service 1 ye shall say, it is the sacrifice of the Lord’s passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses.” The fringe on the border of the garment was for the same purpose. Num. xv. 39. “And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them.” The greater part of the book of Deuteronomy—the second law,—is for bringing to remembrance what they bad heard before; and the transaction in this chapter is declared to be for this same purpose, v. 13. “That he may establish thee to-day for a people unto himself, and that he may be unto thee a God, as he hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.” It might seem that the transaction at Sinai was conducted in such a manner that they could never forget it, yet we find Moses constantly urging them to remember, and the people Constantly forgetting, even that covenant. Deut. iv. 9. “Keep thy soul diligently lest thou forget,” &c. Joshua labors to impress on the minds of his generation their obligations. For this purpose he calls them together, chap. 24, recounts to them the favors they have received,—commands them to fear the Lord—sets before them his own example—leaves them to choose whom they will serve—expostulates with them on the difficulty of serving a holy God—sets them as witnesses against themselves—and makes a covenant. God remembers his covenant to a thousand generations, even forever; but we soon forget, hence the need of so many means to recall and impress on our minds, our obligations. Renewing the covenant serves not only to keep up the remembrance, in the minds of the covenanters, but in the minds of others also. Deut. xxix. 25. “Then men shall say, Because they have forsaken the covenant.” These men, whoever they be, must know there is a covenant, and renovation is a good means of shewing them what is its nature. Let men ask the churches of these days what sort of a covenant was made in Scotland, in 1581, and how few of them could tell anything about it! True there are individuals in the Presbyterian, in the Associate Reformed, and in all the churches, who can tell something about that document, but the churches, as such, know nothing about it. In churches which renew their covenants this cannot be the case.
A second design of renewing covenants is, to guard against change of mind, partly by preventing it, and partly by bringing back those who have changed. This is set forth in the chapter before us, v. 8. “Lest there should be among you man or woman, or family or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day, from the Lord our God.” There are some who will change their minds, after all that can be done, even after the most solemn engagements. See Jer. xxxiv. 11, where the Israelites turned, after they had covenanted to liberate their servants. For such persons nothing but judgment remains; their covenant renders them inexcusable, as we find was the case with those already mentioned.—Yet a strong evidence and happy illustration of the position before us, is the fact, that the churches who hold to covenant renovation, even in part, have set at liberty their slaves in this land; while all the others permit their members to hold them in bondage, though in some cases they are ashamed to acknowledge it.
A third design of covenant renovation is to meet new circumstances. Truth does not change with circumstances, but the particular mode of maintaining it may, and the men who maintain it change too often. The man who could keep his engagements for life, in one set of circumstances, would fail almost instantly were he placed where his weak side would be exposed to the enemy. Witness Hazael. Witness the stony ground hearers. Witness modern teachers of moral philosophy. We never hear of the Israelites worshipping the gods of Egypt, though they were there hundreds of years, but so soon as they came in contact with the Canaanites, they fell in with them and their gods. As soon as God brings his people into the wilderness, he prepares them for their new circumstances, by the covenant at Horeb; when they are ready to leave the wilderness and engage in conflict with the inhabitants of Canaan, he prepares them for the change, by the covenant which he commanded Moses to make with them in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which he made with them in Horeb; when they have vanquished the nations of Canaan and are about to settle down in peace, in the land of promise, Joshua makes a covenant with them and sets them an ordinance in Shechem. There is a girding of the loins required for every new duty; covenant renovation is eminently calculated for this purpose. It is adapted to the individual and to the community. The confession of faith serves to exhibit universal truth; the stated testimony applies the truth to local circumstances; while the covenant meets the changes in the same locality. “A three-fold cord is not quickly broken.” There is a beauty and compactness in this kind of structure, which can be attained in no other way. While the church is not perfect, but going on to perfection, and especially while the witnesses are completing their testimony, changes are to be expected—are needed in her most important documents. Additions are to be made to the house round about, and these must be made without breaking down any of the original building. While the testimony is undergoing review for this purpose, the Confession and Covenant preserve the truth entire. While the covenant is undergoing a change, the Confession and Testimony secure the squares of the building: and if the Confession ever needs amendments, the Testimony and Covenant preserve the line of march,—the footsteps of the flock. In this way the church is never thrown loose; neither is she bound in fetters, so as to hinder her advance. The civil engineer pulls up one stake and sets it forward, then another and so on, but he never draws all till he has marked the line. If any desire an illustration of the opposite course, they will find it in the action of the Presbyterian church on Slavery; and the Associate Reformed church on civil rule; both of which churches are perfectly loose on these subjects. Other illustrations could be given.
A fourth design of covenant renovation, is to clear all doubt respecting new members, whether they consider themselves bound, and whether they understand their engagements. It is a lamentable fact known to all church rulers, that after they have done all that they can, in teaching and examining candidates for membership, some will soon discover unfaithfulness. Either they have acted with duplicity in entering, or they learned a set of words, sound enough to be sure, to those who understand them, but of little avail to those who have not entered into the spirit of the church’s testimony.—Renewing the covenant tries such persons in two ways; it brings them very solemnly into the presence of God to profess his truth.—It might be thought that in entering the church, and receiving either or both the sacraments, there was as much solemnity as could well be conceived; but it is well known that the frequency of these things lessens the solemnity in the minds of those alluded to. Covenanting coming more seldom brings more solemnity to such, though it had in itself even less solemnity. Even a change of words serves to try whether we have correct ideas. Many in these days have no scruples in giving up important principles, while they adhere to old words, as if for life, and manufacture those old words to suit their own tastes. The discussion of a covenant tries men by affording on opportunity to put forth their peculiar ideas, if they have any.—David tries a new soldier, before he will trust him in his company. 2 Sam. xv. 19. “Then said the king (David) to Ittai the Gittite, wherefore goest thou also with us? return to thy place, and abide with the king; (Absalom;) for thou art a stranger and also an exile. Whereas thou earnest but yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us? Seeing I go whither I may, return thou and take back thy brethren; mercy and truth be with thee.—And Ittai answered the king, and said, As the Lord liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or in life, even there also will thy servant be. “And David said to Ittai, go and pass over.” Observe how his fidelity is tried by David styling Absalom, king, and charging Ittai with being a stranger and an exile. None but a Covenanter can wander, with David, in the wilderness while there is a king in Jerusalem.
A fifth design of covenant renovation, is to promote mutual confidence among brethren. This design is closely connected with what goes before. There is no preparation for new trials, unless we can act with confidence and unanimity. Simeon helps his brother Judah to fight the Canaanites; and Judah goes with Simeon into his lot; and thus they accomplish together what both could not do apart. Judges i. 3, 17. When the house of Baal is to be broken down and his priests slain—a work which requires all the people of the land—they secure one another’s confidence by covenanting. 2 Kings xi. 17. For this purpose the first federal transaction was entered into at the Reformation, by some of the princes and stales of Germany, commonly called the League of Smalcald, the object of which was the defence of the Protestant religion. Mutual confidence seems to have been a main principle prompting those who entered into this confederacy. Persecution commenced soon after, and they renew the confederacy in little more than two months after it was formed. The same principle is obvious in the first covenant of Scotland in the year 1557, and indeed in all her covenants.
A sixth design of covenant renovation, is to strengthen our faith in God. When believers lay hold on God’s covenant anew, and give their own selves to the Lord, they go on their way rejoicing. James iv. 8. “Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you.”
Lastly, as the result of all these, covenant renovation is designed for general reformation. Evils creep gradually into the church; we do not know at first that they are evils; when we find that they exist, they are either so small in themselves, or so limited in their operation, that they attract little attention. A season of covenanting would, in the first place, arrest attention; in the second place, afford an opportunity for striking the deadly blow; and in the third place be a means of procuring the Divine assistance in purifying the sanctuary: for he meeteth him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness. Is. lxiv. 5. To illustrate this point would be to write the history of covenanting.
III. The Times of covenant renovation. There are no periods specified in the word, in which covenanting is to be attended to, as occurring at regular intervals. Neither does the example of the churches, contained in divine Revelation, or exhibited since the canon of scripture was completed, afford any intimation that it should occur at such regular periods; it is admitted on all hands to be in some sense an extraordinary duty. Perhaps no duty is so irregular as it regards time. We find a private covenant renewed in a few hours; and a public one in a few months. The League of Smalcald exemplifies the latter, and the covenant between Jonathan and David exemplifies the former. 1 Sam. xx. 16. “Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying let the Lord even require it at the hand of David’s enemies. 17. And Jonathan caused David to swear again because he loved him.” The League already referred to was formed and entered into in Germany on the 22d of December, 1530, and renewed February 29th, 1531. A period of two months and seven days. Again renewed, September, 1536. The first covenant of Scotland was entered into in 1557; her second covenant in May 1559; her third was the National Covenant of 1581; renewed 1590, and 1639; then followed the Solemn League of 1643; renewed 1648; renewed again by a small remnant in 1712; and again 1745. The scripture periods from one renovation to another vary from a few years to several centuries. The times of covenant renovation are to be learned by another kind of calculation than that of numbers. The following are presented as comprehending the principle features of covenanting times; and the reader is referred to “Distinctive Principles,” by Rev. David Scott, and to a “Sermon on Social Covenanting,” by Rev. T[homas] Sproull, for farther information:
1. After great apostacy and covenant breaking. 2 Kings xxiii. Ezra x. 3.
2. Seasons of affliction. 2 Chron. xxix. 10. Neh. ix. 38.
3. In view of severe trials or great labors. Ex. xxiv. Deut. xxix.
4. After special outpourings of the Spirit. Is. xliv. 3.
5. After other remarkable favors. Josh. xxiv. Jonah i. 16.
It is worthy of serious consideration whether a time of prevailing “lukewarmness” be a suitable season for covenanting.
IV. The Manner of renewing covenants. First, it should be done with deliberation and intelligence. Prov. xx. 5. “Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.” v. 25. “It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make inquiry.” Eccles. v. 2. “Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God.” v. 4. “he hath no pleasure in fools.” Jer. iv. 2. “Thou shalt swear the Lord liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness.” Before the Sinai covenant and that in the land of Moab, the people underwent a very solemn course of preparation. Ex. xix. to xxiv. Deut. i. to xxviii. The opposite course is illustrated in the personal vow of Jephtha and too many like cases. How wofully was the matter neglected, in England’s Covenanting; and how wofully does she pay the penally this day, in suffering spiritual desertion!
Secondly, it should be done with sincerity. Deut. xxiii. 21. “When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it; for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee, and it would be sin in thee.” Eccles. v. 4. “When thou vowest a vow unto God defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed,” &c. In this respect Israel sinned grievously. Deut. v. 28. “they have well said all that they have spoken. O’ that there were such an heart in them.” Ps. lxxviii. 36. “They did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues, for their heart was not right with him.” It is this same defect that makes so much questioning in later times about the obligations that lie on us, whether taken on by ourselves or inherited from our ancestors. The sentiment, rather the feeling, exhibited in Job xxii. 27 would be reckoned a strange feeling in these days. It is there set forth among the believer’s highest privileges, that he shall pay his vows ; while we look upon it as among our heavy burdens: if we were sincere in making we would be more joyful in paying.
Thirdly, former obligations should be recognised. This was done in the days of Nehemiah. Chap, ix, 7, 8, 13. The covenant with Abraham, and that at Sinai are particularly mentioned. And in our text there is a full recognition of the preceding covenant, for this one is made with the children of Israel, beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb.
Fourthly, confessing the breaches of former covenants. Lev. xxvi. 40-42. “If they shall confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they have trespassed against me; if their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity; then will I remember my covenant with Jacob,” &c. Here we have the iniquity of ancestors made matter of confession, and the punishment of iniquity to be acknowledged in order to lead us to genuine repentance. And this is made a special accompaniment of covenanting. Jer. 1. 4. “going and weeping: they shall go and seek the Lord their God. They shall ask the way to Zion, with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten.” We have this practised in 2 Chron. xxxiv. in 2 Kings xi. and xxiii. in Ezra x. 2. and Neh. ix. throughout.
Fifthly. Embodying all attainments. The attainments of the Church is a subject, of which some people can form no idea; they seem to think, that as soon as the canon of scripture was completed the church knew all that she knows yet, and could do all that is yet done. This supposition arises from gross ignorance of Church history. One great attainment of the church since the writing of divine revelation, was the ascertaining what are the inspired books and separating them from spurious writings claiming authority in the church : this question had to undergo long and severe examination. We have an evidence that this was a great attainment, in the fact that the churches of Rome and England have not arrived at it to this day. This is but an example of what is meant by the attainments of the church. At the Reformation the fundamental doctrines of Christianity had to be settled all over the world, and every age since has brought out some new application of these doctrines. Every such doctrine and .every such application of doctrine, when fairly settled is an attainment of the Church. That these should be embraced in the covenant may be fairly inferred from a few passages of scripture. Is. viii. 16. “Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.” This may be done on sacramental occasions, and in publishing the church’s stated testimony; but in no service can we seal that which is bound up, better than in covenant renovation. The law of sacrifices, Lev. xxii. confirms this point, v. 23. “Either a bullock or a lamb, that hath anything superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer for a free-will offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.” v. 18 shews that this applies to all vows. It may seem that this refers rather to the paying than the making of vows, but Malachi assures us that it includes both. Chap. i. 14. “But cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a male, and voweth and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing.” v. 8 shews that there is reference to the law in Leviticus, and they are asked if their governor would accept such offerings as they make to their God. The whole law is to be embraced in a general provision and then such particular specifications as constitute the present truth.[1]
Sixthly. The covenant should be adapted to the circumstances.—Neglected duties should occupy a prominent place in the engagement, and prevailing evils in the confession of sin. Thus Abraham renounces idolatry and cleaves to the Lord. The children of Israel engage to avoid the practices of the heathen, and to observe the written law. In Zedekiah’s time they make a Covenant abolishing slavery. Jer. xxxiv. 8. In Ezra’s time they make a covenant to put away the strange wives and those that were born of them. Ez. x. 3. And in Nehemiah’s time they engage to make no more such marriages—to observe the Sabbath day and the Sabbatical year—to leave off the exaction of debt,—and to sustain the public worship with their substance. In Paul’s time the churches of Macedonia give themselves to the Lord Jesus Christ and to his servants in the New Testament organization. After the same example, the church of Scotland, and the faithful remnant of that church, adapted their particular bonds to the time in which they were made. This is like dressing the lines in an army, after some have fallen, some fled and all occupy some new position, whether pursuing the foe in a victory or rallying after a defeat; whether they be few or many, they behoove to present an unbroken front to their adversaries. It is not necessary to form a new bond at every renovation: neither does the framing of a new bond, make the covenant any less a renovation of former covenants. The former bond will serve as long as the circumstances are not materially changed. But when serious changes take place, the example of the people of God warrants a new bond. Neh. ix. 38—“We make a sure covenant and write,” &c. The writing and the terms of the covenant, show plainly that this was a new bond; though it embraced what was in former covenants. This defines the position of the witnesses, and should be free from everything like equivocation.
Seventhly. Covenant renovation is a separating business. Before the Lord made the covenant with Abraham, he separated him from his former connexions. Gen. xii. 1. Although all the earth is the Lord’s, the covenant keeping people are a peculiar treasure to him; hence he will have them separated from all others. Ex. xix. 5. He commands this peculiar people to remain separate. Ex. xxiii. 32, “Thou shalt make no covenant with them nor with their gods.” The same is commanded, chap, xxxiv, 12, and a reason assigned to enforce it. “Take heed to thyself lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee.” Their being a peculiar people, is often insisted upon. Deut. xiv. 2. “Chosen thee to be a peculiar people to himself.” xxvi. 18. “The Lord hath avouched thee this day, to be his peculiar people.” v. 19—“that thou mayest be a holy people.” Nor is this peculiar to the Old Testament; believers are still the same peculiar people. 1 Peter, ii. 9. “Ye are a chosen generation—a peculiar people.” This is altogether a different matter from that reproved in Isaiah, lxv. 5, merely saying, “I am holier than thou,” “stand by thyself,” while the persons so saying are engaged in every abomination. Doing and saying are very different matters in God’s estimation. Mat. xxiii. 3—“they say and do not.” The peculiar people are a doing people. “What do ye more than others.” In the days of Ezra, covenanting was a separating business. Chap. x. 3. “Let us make a covenant,” v. 11 “separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.” In Nehemiah’s covenant this occupied a conspicuous place; and was not only promised but fulfilled. Chap. xiii. 3. “Now it came to pass when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.” The same principle pervades the Gospel Dispensation. 2 Cor. vi. 14,18—“come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you.” “Lo! the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.” Num. xxiii. 9. The Scottish covenants carry down this line of separation to comparatively modern times. And those who would claim the blessing of Joseph must be separated even from their brethren. Gen. xlix. 26. Deut. xxxiii. 16.
Eighthly. All our graces should be stirred up, and in exercise in renewing our covenants. Neither this nor any other ordinance in the church will work like a piece of machinery by external force; a living principle pervades them all. The person who destitute of this living principle may be dragged along like a withered hand or foot, but can never attain the great ends of covenanting. The person who possesses the living principle and has not his graces in exercise, may be carried along like a sleeping child, or a man sick of the palsy, and may be benefited by the faith of others, but can have no immediate advantage. A strange notion prevails in relation to old testament ordinances—that they were a kind of moral machinery, in which there was no spirituality. Covenanting, among the rest, is looked upon as a mere expedient, having nothing spiritual, and scarcely even a religious character. Far other is the scripture account of this matter. It would serve no purpose for removing this error to lead those who entertain it to the scenes of covenanting recorded in holy writ: they are incapable of feeling the holy sentiments of the child of God. What they mean by spirituality is mere mental excitement, and because they feel not this in reading the narrative, they conclude there was no spiritual feeling there. It is otherwise with those whose minds are imbued with the same spirit of faith which pervaded the minds of holy men of old. Let but a weak believer follow the leading of the Spirit, with Abraham out of Egypt, through the South, past Bethel, to a place between Bethel and Hur, where there stands an ancient altar, somewhat dilapidated through the lapse of fifteen or twenty years; its stones, though scattered, bear the marks of sacrificial fire—marks which recall to the memory that the God of Glory once appeared in that place. Let him kneel with Abraham at that sacred relic and ask the question—Is there any spirituality in patriarchal worship, No, he dares not, he needs not, he cannot ask such a question; he feels it in the inmost recesses of his soul. Let him retire, the place is too holy. Suppose him gone his way, his mind reverts to the place, and he feels a strong desire to return. His faith has gathered a little strength, he resolves to return and kneel again beside the venerated pile. As he approaches he sees a new altar occupying the place, and bearing a heifer, a she goat and a ram, divided and laid piece against piece. He sits down in a thicket at a distance to observe, and the father of the faithful finishes his offering by laying on a turtle dove and a young pigeon, but he puts no fire under. The sun goes down—it is dark—and the worshipper is hid from him for a time. But behold! A smoking furnace and a burning lamp pass between the pieces. By the light of the now blazing sacrifice he beholds the patriarch in holy adoration; his face beaming with joy, he sees a day that makes him glad, while he hears the voice of Jehovah preaching the gospel at the cutting of the covenant. Such a spectator needs not to follow Isaac to Beer Sheba, nor Jacob to Bethel, nor Moses to the Mount of God, or the plains of Moab, by Jordan near Jericho, to ask whether the Lord the Spirit be in the place of covenanting. True, the chosen people often “rebelled and vexed his Holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought with them.” Is. lxiii. 10. Had he not been among them they could not have vexed him, and even then, v. 11, “he remembered the days of old, Moses and his people, saying where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? Where is he that put his holy Spirit within him? The spirituality of covenanting is farther witnessed by Haggai, chap. ii. 4—“for I am with you saith the Lord of Hosts. According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of the land of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you; fear ye not.” Nehemiah reckons this among the special favors conferred on the covenanted people. Chap. ix. 20. “Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them.” Even the men that were with Jonah in the ship “feared the Lord” when they made vows. And as David swear to Jonathan because he loved him, so should the people of the Lord swear to him, in the exercise of all the graces, especially love, the greatest of them all.
Ninthly. The covenant should be renewed with great solemnity. Levity and spirituality may dwell together, but they are not friendly to each other. There should be very solemn preparation for this ordinance, by preaching, reading, prayer, self-examination and fasting. The Book of Deuteronomy exemplifies this; the first 28 chapters are taken up in preparing for the covenant made in the land of Moab. There was great solemnity in preparing for the covenant in Horeb; in short, for all the covenants that are particularly described to us in the word. We may note especially the confessions of sin in the 9th chapters of Ezra and Nehemiah, previous to the covenant; the confession of sins and engagement to duties are there made distinct documents. Great solemnity is requisite in the action itself. This was common in mere human covenants. Gen. xxi. 22, 32. Jer. xxxiv. 18; much more in transactions with the everlasting God. Especially when we find himself using the solemnity of an oath; “that by two immutable things, we might have strong consolation.” Heb. vi. 13, 18. It is an oath into which we enter, a solemn appeal to God in the usual mode of swearing. Numbers, xxx. 2. “If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond.” Deut. xxix. 12. “That thou shouldest enter into covenant with the Lord thy God and into his oath.” Ezra x. 5. “Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel to swear that, they should do according to this word. And they swear.” Neh. xiii. 25. “And I made them swear by God.” Is. xix. 18. “In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt swear to the Lord of hosts.” Sealing or subscribing is another part of the solemnity, Neh. ix. 38—“we make a sure covenant and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it. x. 1. Now those that sealed were—” Is. xliv. 5—“another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord.” Other solemnities have been attended to Jacob erected a pillar; Moses builded twelve pillars and sprinkled the blood of a victim. Joshua wrote the narrative of the transaction, and set up a great stone by the sanctuary of the Lord. Sacrificing uniformly accompanied this ordinance under the former dispensation. This latter is done away; and as the main object of the other things was to preserve the remembrance of the event, the end of them all can be obtained by publishing, for which we have facilities which the ancients had not. Even sealing can be dispensed with where most, or all, can write. Still there are solemn accompanying services, which should attend covenant renovation. While all the members of a congregation are subscribing, one after another, there is no need for a vacuity of empty silence: Silence has a solemnity in it for a short time; but such a time would be too long, the solemnity of silence would vanish. How is the defect to be supplied? Let us return to the covenant made with Israel in the land of Moab, by Jordan near Jericho. Twenty-eight chapters are occupied in preparing; the twenty-ninth contains “the words of the covenant;” the thirtieth and thirty-first contain exhortations and warnings; the thirty-second, a song of praise and a brief exhortation; and the thirty-third contains a solemn patriarchal benediction. What is there in this that needs alteration? Nothing even in the peculiar isolated state of the witnesses. “Israel then shall dwell in safety alone.” And Joseph is “separated from his brethren.”
To all this it is objected that it is an old testament ordinance—we do not find it in the new. Answer 1st. The Bible is one, every part of it is of equal authority to us; what is once a duty is still a duty until it is abrogated. Where is covenanting prohibited in the New Testament? Ans. 2d. The great principles of covenanting, and the uses of it, continue in the new as they were in the former dispensation. Devotion to God is the same, private vows and covenants are the same; it is only the social vow that is objected to; and why object to that when the church is the same in all ages? Let us compare a few of the items of covenanting with New Testament precepts. Deut. xxix. 18. “Lest there should be among you man or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God,—lest there be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood.” Heb. xii. 15. “Looking diligently, lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up, trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; lest there be any fornicator, or profane person as Esau.” Did they enter into covenant when they returned from Babylon. Ezra x. The New Testament church has to come out of mystical Babylon. Rev. xviii. 4. “Come out of her my people.” Did they separate from strangers. Neh. x. 30, and xiii. 30. The same is still to be done. 2 Cor. vi. 14, 18. It is deserving of note, that those who oppose covenanting in these days, are not dwelling alone, but are reckoned among the nations; be those nations ever so wicked, they will handle the unclean thing. Query. Is there any New Testament precept or example to warrant us in swearing to support the Godless constitution of this nation, or enroll ourselves among its voters?
Answer 3d. Prophecy exhibits covenanting as belonging to the New Testament Dispensation. Is. xix. 18, 21, and liv. 4, and lxii. 4, 5. Jer. 1.5.
Answer 4th. We have covenanting in the New Testament, public, explicit, social covenanting. 2 Cor. viii. 5. “And this they did not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord and to us, by the will of God.” Wherein does covenanting consist! is a question on which there might be some difference of opinion. Let us take the answer from our opponents, passing by such men as Brown of Haddington, who have written in favor of the ordinance. According to some of those who oppose the ordinance as maintained by us, “the true idea of covenanting with God, is that of accepting all the provisions of the covenant of grace, with a voluntary surrender of ourselves to him.” Is not this the very thing which the churches of Macedonia did? Not by merely making a profession, for this they must have done before they could be churches at all; nor could this apply to their receiving the sacrament of the supper, for it was something unexpected, some extraordinary service; in short, exactly the true idea of public and explicit covenanting with God. Answer 5th. Covenanting is a New Testament ordinance; for some who oppose the covenanter mode of covenanting, are wondrously anxious to persuade us that they attend to it still, in their attending on other ordinances. Hence they present another objection, viz:
Obj. II. We covenant in the sealing ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and there is no need for anything more explicit. Ans. 1. So did the children of Israel. They had the covenant of circumcision in their flesh, and they kept the passover once a year, after making a solemn profession of their faith in presenting the first fruits of the promised land, and yet they thought—and yet God thought that there was need for something more explicit. The argument would have been as good in the mouth of an Associate Reformed Jew as in the mouth of an Associate Reformed Christian.—But what would it prove? Ans. 2. If this reasoning be correct, then either Baptism or the Lord’s Supper or both are superfluous; for in each of them there is a public and explicit avouchment of God to be our God, and devotion of ourselves to him; nay we are required to profess our faith in Christ and obedience to him before we receive either of these ordinances. Ans. 3. There is still a place for covenanting after we have attended to all other ordinances.—The individual gives himself, or is given by the parents, to the Lord in Baptism; the congregation gives itself to the Lord in the sacrament of the Supper; but the churches, as such, give themselves to the Lord in covenanting, and righteous nations, as such, give themselves to the Lord in the same manner. To stand on the battlements and fight with the open infidel is to be expected by the christian soldier; for this he lays his account; but it is peculiarly irksome to be compelled to stand in the midst of brethren to hold the Old and New Testaments together.
Obj. III. When God proposes to us a covenant as he did in Horeb and in the land of Moab, we may enter into it; but this does not warrant us in making a covenant. Ans. We have the example of the people of God making a covenant more than once. 2 Kings xi. 17. “Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and the people.” Hezekiah did not think it out of place to do the same. 2 Chron. xxix. 18. “Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel.” Ezra x. 3. “Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God.” Neh. ix. 38. “we make a sure covenant and write it.”
In conclusion. 1. Let us rejoice in the high privilege of being in covenant with God. It was an honor to those who were confederate with Abraham, that they had such a companion. How much greater is it to be confederate with the God of Abraham. Here is safety—here is everything that can be desired.
2. Learn hence the source of all the evils in the churches, and in the nations. They either despise the duty of covenanting with God, or violate the obligation, or do both.
3. It is time to engage in this duty. An hundred years have nearly elapsed since the last act of covenanting known to us; an hundred and thirty two have passed since any special advances have been made, in this way: whether we number the years or calculate the signs of the times, the period has arrived long since when our covenant ought to have been renewed.
4. Let us up and be doing. Great preparation of heart is needed—great diligence in framing a bond is needed; let every member of the church lay the business to heart, the poorest may contribute two mites—one mite, if nothing more, in suggesting a sin to be confessed, an evil to be testified against or a duty to be resolved on. All can seek the grace, the Spirit of the covenant, each can ask it for all, that we may not dishonor the ordinance, the God of that ordinance, nor our fathers who have bled and died under the flag of the covenant, to transmit to us the sacred inheritance.
While I write and you read, we can hope to see the day for renovation, when the Shepherd of the flock will put his holy Spirit within us; but when we look abroad on the church, when we reflect on the carnality of the generation, and above all when we look within,—Alas, alas! Lord “wilt thou not revive us again.”
FOOTNOTE:
[1] A misapprehension prevails even among good Covenanters in relation to the extent of covenant obligation. They think it is not warrantable to embrace the whole law, since “no mere man since the fall is able to keep it,” or expects grace to keep it in this life. To such we would say, the example of Israel should suffice. Ex. xxiv. 7. “All that the Lord hath said will we do and be obedient.” It will not do to say that the people were rash in this promise, for God commends them. Deut. v. 28 “they have well said all that they have spoken.” To such objectors we might ask, How much of the law would you be willing to engage to? how many of the commandments? While such a question is a fair one, it will only perplex the mind and shew that there is a misapprehension somewhere. The whole difficulty arises from inattention to the nature of the promise, or perhaps neglect of reading the precious covenants of our fathers. Let such as have doubts on this subject read carefully the Solemn League. The very form of the engagement clears all doubt,—“we shall sincerely, really, and constantly, through the grace of God, endeavor,” &c.—and so in almost every section, “we will endeavor.” Is there any difficulty in this? Is there any believer who does not desire and “endeavor” to keep the whole law.