Returning Unto God, Covenant
The Covenant which was unanimously consented unto, is as followeth.
VVE, who through the exceeding Riches of the Grace and Patience of God, doe yet continue Members of this Church; being now assembled in the holy Presence of God, and in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ; after humble Confession of our manifold breaches of Covenant before the Lord our God, and earnest supplication for pardoning mercy through the blood of Christ; and deep acknowledgment of our great unworthiness to be owned as the Lords Covenant People: Also acknowledging our inability to keep Covenant with God, or to perform any spiritual duty, unless the Lord Jesus doe enable us thereunto by his Spirit dwelling in us: And being awfully sensible, that it is a dreadfull thing, for sinfull dust and ashes, personally to transact with the infinitely glorious Majesty of Heaven and Earth; We do, in humble confidence of his gracious assistance, and acceptance through Christ, each one of us, for our selves, and joyntly as a Church of the living God, explicitly renew our Covenant with God, and one with another, in manner and form following. That is to say,
We do give up our selves unto that God, whose Name alone is Jehovah, Father, Son, and holy Spirit, as the only true and living God, And unto our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, as our only Saviour, Prophet, Priest, and King over our Souls, and only Mediator of the Covenant of grace; promising (by the help of his Spirit and grace) to cleave unto God as our chief good, and unto the Lord Jesus Christ by Faith, in a way of Gospel Obedience, as becometh his Covenant People for ever. We doe also give up our Offspring unto God in Jesus Christ; avouching the Lord to be our God, and the God of our children: And our selves with our children to be his people; humbly adoring this grace of God, that we and our Offspring with us, may be looked upon as the Lords.
We doe also give up our selves one unto another, in the Lord; according to the will of God; freely covenanting and binding our selves to walk together, as a right ordered Congregation and Church of Christ; in all the wayes of his Worship, according to the holy Rules of the word of God: promising in brotherly Love, faithfully to watch over one anothers Souls, and to submit our selves unto the Discipline and government of Christ in his Church, and duely to attend the Seals, censures, or whate…er Ordinances▪ Christ hath commanded to be observed by his People, according to the order of the Gospel, so far as the Lord hath, or shall reveal unto us by his Word and Spirit.
And whereas, the Messengers of these Churches, who have met together in the Name of Christ, to enquire into the Reason of the Lords Controversy with this his People, have taken notice of many provoking evils, as the procuring causes of the Judgements of God upon New-England, so far as we, or any of us have been guilty of sin in respect of any of them, we desire from our hearts to bewail it before the Lord, and humbly to entreat for pardoning mercy, for the sake of the blood of the Everlasting Covenant.
And as an expedient unto Reformation of those, or whatever evils have provoked the eyes of Gods glory amongst us; We doe subjoyn unto our Church Covenant a further Engagement, whereby we doe, as in the presence of God, promise,
1, That we will (by the help of Christ) labour every one of us, to Reform his own heart and life, by seeking to mortify all our Sins, and endeavouring to walk more closely with God, then ever we have done, and to uphold the power of godliness; and that we will continue to worship God in publick, private, secret, and this (as God shall help us) without Formality and Hypocrifie; and more fully and faithfully then heretofore, to discharge all Covenant dutyes one towards another in a way of Church Communion.
2. We promise (by the help of Christ) that we will endeavour to walk before God in our houses, with a perfect heart▪ and that we will uphold the worship of God therein continually, according as he in his word doth require, both in respect of Prayer, and reading the Scriptures, that so the word of Christ may dwell richly in us; And that we will do what in us lyeth, to bring up our Children for Christ, that they may become such, as they that have the Lords Name put upon them by a solemn dedication to God in Christ, ought to be; and that therefore we will (so far as there shall be need of it) Catechize them, and exhort and charge them to fear and serve the Lord, and endeavour to set an holy Example before them, and be much in Prayer for their Conversion and Salvation.
3. We do further engage (the Lord helping of us) to do what in us is, that we may be pure from the sins of the Times, even th…se provoking Evils that have brought the Judgements of God upon New-England; And in our places to endeavour the suppression thereof; and that we will make Conscience to walk so, as that we may not give occasion to others to sin, or to speak evil of our holy Profession.
Now that we may observ… and keep this sacred Covenant, and all the branches of it inviolable for ever, we desire to deny our selves, to depend wholly upon the power of the eternal Spirit of Grace, and upon the free mercy of God, and upon the merit of Jesus Christ, and where we shall fail, there to wait upon the Lord Jesus for pardon, and for acceptance, and for healing, for his Names sake.
FINIS.
End of the text · Increase Mather, Returning Unto God (1680)