kingdoms in truth and peace.-In 1648 they covenant ed, for advancing the knowledge of God, and holiness and righteoufnefs in the land.

9. There is nothing in thefe covenants, or in the feafons of taking them, which doth not perfectly harmonize with a taking hold of God's covenant of grace. Men's belief, profeffion and practice of the true Proteftant religion, and labouring to promote the welfare of their king and country, agree well to it, Tit. ii. 11, 12, 14. & iii. 1, 8, 14. Prov. xxiii. 23. 1 Pet. ii. 13, 17. Rom. xiii. 1,—8, 11,-14.— Their voluntary joining themfelves to the church of God as lively members in Christ,--and agreeing with their whole heart to his true religion and ordinances, agree exactly to it, Pfal."xxii. 27,-31. & cx. 3. 2 Cor. viii. 5. Having before their eyes the glory of God, and advancement of the kingdom of Chrift, and their earnest and conftant endeavours, in their ftations, that they and their pofterity might live in faith and love, delightfully agree with it, Mat. vi. 9, 10. I Cor. x. 31. Eph. iii. 14,--19. 2 Theff. iii. 1. Pfal. Ixxviii. 4,--9. Ifa! xxxvii. 19. An unfeigned defire to be humbled for their fin in not duly receiving Christ, and walking worthy of him, and for their unworthy use of the facraments;-a real and fincere repentance, felf-denial, and refolution to lean upon the Lord alone, accord excellently with it, Ezek. xvi. 62, 63. & xxxvi. 25,--32. Phil. iii. 3, 8. 14. The covenanting feafons being remarkable for trouble or danger,-tbe out-pouring of the Holy Ghost,--and deep convictions of fin, are precifely those marked out for that work in fcripture, Joel ii. 12, 13. Pfal. 1. 14, 15. & lxvi. 13, 14. Ezek. xx. 36, 37. Hof. ii. 7, 14. & v. 15: & iii. 4. 5. Ifa. xliv. 3, 5. Acts ii. 2 Cor. viii 5. Jer. 1. 4, 5.

These covenants indeed connect fulfilment with gracious rewards, and violation with fearful judg

ments.

But this annexed fanction no more renders them covenants of works, than fo help me God, in the conclufion of oaths, renders every oath a covenant of works. Notwithstanding this fanction annexed to the Ifraelites' covenants of duty with God, they might well stand stedfast in the covenant of grace, Lev. xxvi. Deut. xxvii.-xxx. 1 Kings ix. In this world, the Law, as a rule of life, hath an annexed fanction of gracious rewards and fearful chastisements, as well as it hath as a covenant, one of legal rewards and punishments, Pfal. i. Ifa iii. 10, 11. Exod. xx. 6, 12. Rom. ii. 7,—10. & viii. 13. Heb. xi. 6. Gal. vi. 7,-10. 1 Cor. xv. 58. Without Neonomianifm, the Holy Ghoft calls that which is annexed to believers' obedience, a reward, and that which is connected with their difobedience, a punishment, Pfal. xix. 11. & lviii. 11. Prov. xi. 18. & xxiii. 18. Mat. v. 12. & x. 41. Gen. xv. 1. Ezra ix. 13. Amos iii. 2. 2 Cor. ii. 6. Lam. iii. 39. Pfalm xcix. 8. "The threatenings of God's law fhew believers what even their fins deserve, and what afflictions in this world they may expect for them, although freed from the curfe thereof, threatened by the law. The promises of it fhew them God's approbation of obedience, and what bleffings they may expect upon the performance thereof, although not as due to them by the law as a covenant of works; fo as a man's doing good, and refraining from evil, because the law encourageth the one and deterreth from the other, is no evidence of his being under the law, and not under grace. §"

10. The remarkable effufion of the Spirit of God, which attended the swearing of these covenants, for the conviction, converfion, and confirmation of multitudes, fixing in their hearts fuch a deep fenfe

See Covenant-Bonds of 1581, 1638, 1643, 1648.

Confeff. XIX. 6, 7. Marrow, Part 2d P. 14, 144-----147.

of religion, as all the profaneness and perfecution of twenty-eight years could not eradicate,-is no contemptible evidence that He looked upon them as religious, not merely State-covenants. It is at our infinite hazard, if we call that common and unclean, which God hath fo fingularly honoured.

OBJECT. I. “Our Covenanters' characterizing themselves Noblemen, Barons, Burgeffes and Commons, proves their covenants to be mere civil covenants."

ANSW. 1. Will then others characterizing themfelves minifters render them, at the fame time, ·Church-covenants? Hath Solomon's denominating -him-felf King of Ifrael, in his Proverbs and Ecclefiaftes, rendered these two books merely civil, not religious? If, in a Bond or Bill, I denominate myself minifter of the gospel, Will that render the Bond or Bill religious and ecclefiaftical?

2. As they never used fuch characters in their bonds, but when they covenanted contrary to their King's will, they probably intended no more by them, than merely to mark the great harmony of all ranks, for the encouragement of their freinds, and the terror of their malicious enemies.

3. There was no irreligion, in fubjecting themfelves and all their honours to the fervice of Jefus Christ, as made of God Head over all things to his Church, Rev. xxi. 24.

OBJECT. II." In 1638, and 1643, they framed their covenants to admit Epifcopalians and Independents, whom they would not have admitted to the facraments."

ANSW. 1. As in taking thefe covenants,, men bound themselves to the regular reformation of every thing found finful, when tried by the word of God, our ancestors agreeable to Rom. xiv. 1. Ifaiah xxxv. 3, 4 were willing to help forward the weak, and admit to their covenant and church-fellowship, every

perfon, who appeared willing to receive more light, even though they were not in every refpect, equally enlightened and reformed as themfelves. But, I defy you to prove, that they excluded one upright covenanter from their religious communion.

2. The covenants of 1638 and 1643, were not framed to admit any who refolved obftinately to adhere to Epifcopacy or Independency. In the bond 1638, men bound themselves to forbear the practice of Epifcopalian government, and of the articles of Perth, till they should be TRIED and ALLOWED in a free General Affembly. The covenanters declare, that their intention in that bond, was against all innovations and corruptions ‡. In the covenant of 1643, that paragraph, which peculiarly respected the Proteftants in England and Ireland was prudently fuited to the weakness of many of them. But there is nothing in it, which favours either Epifcopacy or Independency. The prefervation of the reformation attained in Scotland fworn to, excluded them both. If then Erastians or Independents, and others diffembled with God, and their brethren, in taking it, they, not the covenant, are blameable. Men's hypocritical reception of the facraments will not render them civil ordinances.

3. You can never prove, that the covenant of 1538, was tendered to the Doctors of Aberdeen, af'ter they had fhown their obftinate attachment to Prelacy. Or that Philip Nye, or any others, after manifefting their obftinate attachment to Independency, had the covenant of 1643, tendered to them by any truly zealous covenanter. Baillie affirms, that the Scots were peremptory against keeping open a door to Independency in England §.

Stevenfon's Hift P. 351.

Commitee of Westminister Aff. anfwers to Independents, P. 06---112. Wilfon's Defence, p. 394. Bail. Let. Vol. I. p. 301.

OBJECT. III. "The impofition of these covenants under civil penalties, proves them to have been merely State-covenants."

ANSW. 1. No more than the requirement of men under civil penalties, to partake, at leaft once a year, of the Lord's Supper, rendered it a merely civil ordinance. An ordinance may remain religious, though a civil sanction should be finfully annexed to it.

2. If, which I do not, you believe, that Afa and Jofiah, by penal laws, compelled men to take their covenants, you can scarce condemn our covenanters annexing civil penalties to the refufal of their bonds, especially as they knew, it would scarce come from any, but fuch as were malignant enemies to the civil as well as religious liberties of the nation.

3. In 1596, 1638, 1648, and 1649, thefe covenants had no penalty either civil or ecclefiaftical annexed to the not fwearing of them, without any hint from the covenanters, that this altered the nature of the engagement.

OBJECг. IV. "Our ancestors gave up with their covenanting work, whenever they got the State of the nation fettled by means of it; and having got their civil liberties otherwife fecured at the Revolution, they never covenanted at all.”

ANSW. 1. Did ten years of murderous invafion and outrageous contention, and twenty-eight years of horrible profanenefs and perfecution make our nation fo happy, that covenanting with God our deliverer was no more neceffary? Or, Have the fearful profanation of the name of God by unneceffary and wicked oaths, or the shocking bribery and perjury, too common in the election of our Reprefentatives in Parliament, and our other outrageous abominations, rendered Britain fo holy, that these covenants need no more be regarded