The Great Danger of Covenant Refusing and Covenant Breaking, Title page – Dedication
THE GREAT DANGER OF Covenant-refuſing, AND Covenant-breaking. Preſented In a Sermon preached before the Right Honorable THOMAS ADAMS Lord Mayor, and the Right Worſhipfull the Sheriffes, and the Aldermen his Brethren, and the reſt of the Common-councell of the famous City of London, Jan. 14. 1645.
Upon which day the ſolemne League and Covenant was renued by them and their Officers with prayer and faſting at MICHAEL Baſinſhaw, LONDON.
BY EDMUND CALAMY, B. D. and Paſtor of Aldermanbury LONDON.
PSAL. 76. 11.
Vow, and pay unto the Lord your God.
ECCL. 5. 4, 5.
When thou voweſt a Vow unto God, deferre not to pay it, for he hath no pleaſure in fooles; pay that which thou haſt vowed.
Better it is that thou ſhouldeſt not vow, then that thou ſhouldeſt vow and not pay.
LONDON, Printed by M. F. for Chriſtopher Meredith at the ſigne of the Crane in Pauls-Church-yard. 1646.
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE Thomas Adams Lord Mayor, and to the Right Worſhipfull the Sheriffes and the Aldermen his brethren, and the reſt of the Common-Councell.
I Read in the Book of Nehemiah, that when the wall of Jeruſalem was in building, the builders met with ſo much oppoſition, that they were forced to build with their weapons in one hand, and with their working tools in the other. They had enemies from without, and they had ſecret enemies amongſt themſelves. They met with many diſcouragements; but God carried them through all, and at laſt they finiſhed the wall to the confuſion of their enemies, and the rejoycing of their friends. Nehemiah's condition is our condition. The Diſcipline and Government of the Church, is to the Church as a wall is to a City. A City without wals is expoſed to every enemy: ſo is the Church without a Government. This wall is now in building: the Parliament (bleſſed be God) hath contributed very much to this building; but yet we meet with mountains of oppoſition, and with many diſcouragements. Our enemies ſay, What doe theſe feeble Presbyterians meane? will they fortifie themſelves? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the ſtones out of the heaps of the rubbiſh which are burnt? Even that which they build, if a Fox goe up, he ſhall even break down their ſtone-wall. Our enemies alſo raiſe falſe reports to weaken the hands of the builders, and to make us afraid, as they did, Neh. 6. 6. 10. They ſay, that the Presbyterian Government (which is the Government that comes neereſt the Word, and the Government of the beſt Reformed Churches) will prove Tyrannicall, and Epiſcopall. And that it is better to be under one Biſhop then under a hundred. But we anſwer, as Nehemiah did, Neh. 4. 4. Hear ô our God, for we are deſpiſed; and turn their reproach upon their own head. And as Neh. 6. 9. Now therefore, ô our God, ſtrengthen our hands. But that which is worſer then this, is; that our ſeeming friends ſeek to undermine us, and to terrifie us, and ſay, as Neh. 4. 11. They ſhall not know, neither ſee, till we come in the midſt among them, and ſlay them, and cauſe the work to ceaſe. And others are ready to diſcourage us, and ſay as it is, Neh. 4. 10. And Judah ſaid, The ſtrength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbiſh, ſo that wee are not able to build the wall. It is impoſſible (ſay ſome) to purge our Churches according to the rule, they are ſo full of rubbiſh, and therefore it is better and ſafer to ſtudy Separation from, rather then Reformation of our Churches. But yet notwithſtanding all theſe oppoſitions, and diſcouragements, I doubt not but God Almighty will in his due time finiſh this wall of his, and ſo perfect his own work, that all the enemies thereof ſhall caſt down their eies, and perceive that this work was wrought of our God, Neh. 6. 16.
For the effecting of this bleſſed work, God hath raiſed us up a happy Parliament. And alſo God hath raiſed you up (Right Honourable, Right Worſhipfull, and the reſt of the Common Councell) and hath raiſed up your ſpirits to ſtrengthen our hands to this work, and to build the wall together with us, (each of us in our places) that ſo the Church may no longer lye waſte, and open to all Errors and Hereſies, and that we may be no longer a reproach to all other reformed Churches. This work by your help will quickly bee finiſhed, as it is written, Neh. 4. 6. So we built the wall, and all the wall was joyned together unto the half thereof, for the people had a minde to the work.
The times wherein you live are indeed very troubleſome: but be not diſcouraged; for it is foretold, Dan. 9. 25. That the wall of Jeruſalem ſhall be re-built, even in troublous times. And let me ſay to you as Mordecai to Eſther, Eſther 4. 14. Who knoweth whether God hath not raiſed you up to be Mayor, to be Sheriffs, Aldermen, and Common Councell men for ſuch a time as this is? Go on courageouſly, and God will trouble thoſe that trouble you, and bring good to you, and to the Church out of theſe troubles. We reade of the Pool of Betheſda, that when the water was troubled, then it became a healing water. The untroubled water, was an unhealing water. So will God doe with you; he will make the troubled waters of the Sanctuary to become healing waters: Inſomuch as we all ſhall ſay, Periiſsemus niſi periiſſemus; We ſhould have been undone had we not been undone. OnelyOnly be ſtrong and of a good courage: I ſay it again, be ſtrong and of a good courage. I ſay it the third time (for ſo did God to Joſhua in 4 verſes, Joſhuah 1. 6, 7, 8, 9. Be ſtrong of a good courage. The Lord hath made you inſtruments to doe much good for Church and State; the ſame God make you every day more and more inſtrumentall.
And be not terrified and diſmayed becauſe of the many Hereſies and Errors that are in the City. For as when the wall of Jeruſalem was once built, all their enemies did immediately vaniſh into nothing, Neh. 6. 16. So when the wall of the Church ſhall be once erected, I doubt not but theſe prodigious errours will all vaniſh.
And as when the Sun ariſeth, all wilde beaſts goe to their dens; ſo when the bright Sun of Chriſts kingly government ſhall appear in our Horizon, I truſt all theſe beaſtly errours will betake themſelves to their dens of obſcurity and oblivion. It was ſaid of Auguſtus, that when he was firſt Emperour he found Rome in a poor condition, but he left it in a glorious condition; Invenit lateritiam, ſed reliquit marmoream. My prayer ſhall be (and oh that God would hear me!) that you may be able to ſay, When I was firſt Mayor, or firſt Sheriffe, or firſt Common-councell man, I found the City a City full of diviſion, full of profaneneſſe, full of errors and hereſies; but now I ſhall leave it full of truth, full of holineſſe, and a City at unity within it ſelfe. Inveni lateritiam, reliqui marmoream.
For the better bringing of this to paſſe, you did lately renue your ſolemne League and Covenant; at which time this enſuing Sermon was preached. Since which time, not only the Sermon, but the Preacher of it, hath undergone many harſh and bitter cenſures. It is the wickedneſſe of theſe dayes to build their own deſignes upon the ruine of other mens good name. But ſurely God will never proſper ſuch bloody practiſes. It is ſaid of Antiochus, a vilde perſon, Dan. 11. 28. That his heart ſhall be againſt the holy Covenant. We have many amongſt us, that in this are like unto Antiochus, whoſe hearts, tongues, and hands, are not only againſt our ſolemne League and Covenant; but againſt all that preach for it, or write in the defence of it. There is indeed a Covenant that ſome do much contend for, and make the very form of a particular Church, without which a Church cannot be a true Church, which is called a Church-covenant. For my part, I conceive that whoſoever ſhall ſay, that a Church-covenant (I meane an oath expreſſed by formal words) is an Ordinance of Chriſt, and neceſſary to the very being of a viſible Church; doth not only un-church moſt of the Churches of Jeſus Chriſt, but doth alſo ſet up his own invention for an Ordinance of Chriſt. In the New Teſtament we reade of no ſuch Church-oath at the admiſſion of Members. And there is no place in the Old Teſtament (for ought I could ever reade) that ſpeaks of a Church-oath to be taken at our admiſſion into Church-fellowſhip. Indeed we have mention made of a Nationall Covenant, and of the Covenant of grace, and of ſubſcribing with our hands unto the Lord. But what are theſe to a Church-oath; without which, no man is to be accounted a Church-member, or to have right to the ſeales of the covenant of grace? To urge this as an Ordinance of Chriſt, is to ſet our poſts by Gods poſts, and our threſhold by Gods threſhold, Ezek. 43. 8. But if I ſhould expatiate any further in this point, I ſhould exceed the limits of an Epiſtle, and therefore I forbear.
My hearty deſire is, That this Covenant which you have now taken the ſecond time, may be carried about you in continuall remembrance. And that it may ſerve in ſtead of a thouſand Arguments to make you zealouſly ſerviceable, to God, to Church, and State. It is reported of Theſeus, that he was ſo taken with the wonderfull works of Hercules, that he could not ſleep for thinking of the wonders of Hercules; and when he ſlept, he dreamt of Hercules wonders; and was never ſatisfied till he had imitated him in working wonderfull things alſo. And it is alſo related of Themiſtocles, that he had alwayes in his thoughts by night and by day, the victories of Miltiades, and this made him inſatiable till he had imitated him. Oh that you would thus deale with the Covenant! That you would think of it in your bed, in your cloſets, in your walks; and think of what particulars you have ſworn unto, and never leave thinking untill you have fully performed your Oath and Covenant. And if you keep Covenant with God, the great God will keep Covenant with you, and all the bleſsings of the Covenant which are mentioned in the book of God, which is the book of the Covenant, ſhall be your portion for ever and ever. Which is the prayer of
Your much obliged Spirituall Servant EDM. CALAMY.