The Ordinance of Covenanting

CHAPTER I.. Nature of Covenanting.

NATURE OF COVENANTING.

Term Covenant defined, 5 Sinners Redeemed, are in Covenant with God, 6 This relation not a mere law, 7 has parties, 7 has conditions, 7 is the Covenant of Grace, 8 Term Covenanting defined, 8 By Covenanting men make a Covenant with God, 8 This Covenant not distinct from that of Redemption, or that of Grace, 9 The formal exercise of Covenanting not indispensable to an interest in the Covenant of Grace, 11 God's Covenant may, for the first time, be entered into in the exercise of Covenanting, 12 In Covenanting, if God's Covenant has been laid hold on before, it is then renewed, 14

THE VOW.

Definition, 15 Vow made to God alone, 15 a solemn promise to God, 16 to be made voluntarily, 17 must be consistent with duty, 17 never made but in Covenanting, 17

THE OATH.

Definition, 18 To swear, to use an oath, 19 It is by the Lord that all ought to swear, 19 Oath sworn with the lifting up of the right hand, 20 Swearing a devotional exercise, 21 In the oath is implied a condensed adoration, 21 The oath a solemn appeal to God, 23 In swearing a lawful oath, a Covenant with God is made, 23 whether given to confirm an assertion, 23 or given to confirm an explicit promise, 26 The civil or moral use of the oath depends on its spiritual character, 29 The oath distinct from the vow, 30

CONFESSION.

To confess, to perform services which include Covenanting, 31 --in the Old Testament, 32 --in the New, 33 To confess Christ, to Covenant, 36 To profess, sometimes, to confess, 37 Then, profession equivalent to confession, 38

PERSONAL COVENANTING.

This an act, of adherence to God's Covenant, 38 approving of the way of salvation through Christ, 39 of accepting Christ and all his benefits, 39 of renouncing satan and sin, 42 of self-dedication to God, 43 in which duty is promised to God, 44

SOCIAL COVENANTING.

This also an act of acquiescence in God's Covenant, 44 Performed by the Church in an ecclesiastical capacity, 45 Performed by Covenanting in a national capacity, 46 That may be performed by various communities in one confederation, 47 Implying all that is included in Personal Covenanting, 48 An act of acceptance of the benefits of God's Covenant, 49 Of vowing general and specified obedience, 50 Of federal engagement among the members of the Covenanting community, 51 Of public acceptance of the truth of God and of renouncing error, 52 Performed in the name of those who engage in it, and in the name of posterity, 53

COVENANT RATIFICATION.

By oath, 54 Oath and Covenant associated, 54 Oath for confirmation, 55 Oath essential to a Covenant with God, 55

CHAPTER II.. Manner of Covenanting.

MANNER OF COVENANTING.

Preliminaries, 57 Intelligently, 61 Cordially, 62 Deliberately, 63 Sincerely, 63 In the first ages by sacrifice, 64 Phrase considered, 64 What intended by the bisection of the victim, 67 Swearing symbolized by sacrifice, 67 Explicit proof, 69 Covenants ratified by blood of sacrifice, 70 In all ages by faith, 71 Devotionally, 73 In solemn assemblies, 73 A holy exercise, 74 Should be performed with godly fear and reverence, 74 With confession of sin, 75 Vow made in prayer, 76 Sometimes with the living voice, 77 Sometimes by subscription, 77 Covenanting a distinct exercise, 78 Though entering into other duties, yet by itself not unnecessary, 79

CHAPTER III.. Covenanting a Duty.

COVENANTING A DUTY.

According to the will of God as King and Lord, 83 Obedience to Christ as possessed of all power in heaven and in earth, 83 Believers engage in it as under law to Christ, 84 Covenanting in an ecclesiastical capacity, obedience, 86 Covenanting in an ecclesiastical and in a national capacity, obedience, 88 Commanded in the Moral Law, 92 In the first three precepts of the decalogue, 92 In statutes that illustrate these, 94 commands to glorify God, 94 to worship God, 95 enjoining faith, 96 forbidding federal transactions with what is evil, 96 Enjoining the vowing of the vow, 98 Explanation of Deut. xxiii. 22, 100 of Eccles. v. 5, 102 inculcating the swearing of the oath, 103 The duty of swearing the oath not abrogated, 104 enjoining the exercise in all its parts, 106 The exercise inculcated in threatenings of Divine judgment against such as disregard it, 106 Personal Covenanting commanded, 108 Social-- 109 in an ecclesiastical capacity, 110 in a national capacity, 112 Nations whose constitutions are immoral and unscriptural, called to the duty, 118 Nations that have not heard the gospel, not guiltless for not Covenanting, 119 in various capacities, 120 Assemblies for the investigation of Divine truth, 122 Bible societies, 122 Missionary Societies, 125 None may be excused for not engaging in Covenanting, 128

CHAPTER IV.. Covenant Duties.

COVENANT DUTIES.

Covenanting ought to embrace present and permanent duty, 131 Duties to each one's self, 132 The cultivation of personal religion, 133 Sobriety and temperance, 134 The cultivation of the various powers of the soul, 135 The proper application of every capacity, 136 All such different from restraints imposed by human authority, 137 Duties to society in general, 138 To families, 139 To civil communities, 141 Owing by masters and servants, 142 Lawful civil governors and the people under them, 143 Duty of the civil magistrate, 144 Duties of the people in regard to the choice of their civil rulers, 145 --and to their obedience to them, 148 Duty of people living under civil governments not sanctioned by God's authority, 151 The doctrine evil, that so long as any law exists it ought to be obeyed, 155 To promote the real welfare of civil society, the duty of nil, 156 To classes of men, of whatever kind, 157 To the Church of Christ, 158 To abide by all the ordinances of divine grace, 159 To support the ordinances of religion, where enjoyed, 159 To maintain the rights and privileges of the Church, 160 To unite the various Churches of Christ, 161 To enlarge the Church, 163 --through Bible Societies, 163 Missions, at home, 164 --to the heathen, 165 --to the Jews, 167 To the Mediator, as Lord of all, 168 To declare the glory of God, 169 To maintain the truth, by profession and practice, 169 --of God's character, 170 --of God's government, 171 --of the relations of the persons of the ever-blessed Trinity in the Everlasting Covenant, 171 --of the mediatorial character and glory of Christ, 171 --of the influences of his word and Spirit, 172 --of the atonement and intercession of Christ, 172 --of the Headship of Christ, 172 over the Church, 172 over the nations, 173 --of man's depravity and inability to restore himself, 175 Covenanting should engage all to every former good attainment, 176 --to cleave to new correct views of truth and duty, 177 --to abandon the evil in the vow unobserved at the making of it, 178 Covenanting does not shackle inquiry, 179

CHAPTER V.. Covenanting Confers Obligation.

COVENANTING CONFERS OBLIGATION.

Covenanting confers obligation by the authority of God, 181 Personal and social--on the Covenanting parties, 182 Such are represented as bound--are said to be joined to the Lord--to take hold of his covenant--to cleave to him, 183 God enjoins obedience as the fulfilment of Covenant duties, 184 --that the vow be paid, 186 Difficulty considered, 187 He threatens those who keep not his covenant, 187 Social Covenanting entails obligation on the society till the end of the covenant be attained, 189 Because by it, Covenants are made in the name of posterity, 189 Because the Church is one in all ages, 190 Because of the Church's social character, 192 Every adult member of the Church engaged to its privileges and duties, 193 Children of church members are members of the Church, and therefore under obligation, 193 The privileges enjoyed by children show them to be under obligation, 194 Social Covenanting entails obligation on the society till the end of the covenant be attained-- Because Social Covenanting, approved in Scripture, conferred obligation, 196 Because the ends of such covenants may not be attained during the lives of those who entered into them, 197 Because the people of God view themselves bound by anterior engagements of his Church, 198 Because the Lord himself views his Church as bound by these, 199 Covenanting entails obligation even on the unbeliever who vows and swears, 201 Even those in the Church who do not formally Covenant are under obligation, 203 A minority in a church or nation are bound by Covenant engagements, though the others cast them off, 204 Covenanting does not implicate conscience, 205 That men are bound by previous engagements is no reason why they should not Covenant, 207

CHAPTER VI.. Covenanting Provided for in the Everlasting Covenant.

COVENANTING PROVIDED FOR IN THE EVERLASTING COVENANT.

SECTION I.

In regard to sinners, the exercise provided for in the Covenant of Redemption, 210 That covenant considered, 210 In that, Christ represented the elect, 211 In that, the promises accepted in Covenanting made to the Surety, 212 The people of God Covenant on the ground of the righteousness of Christ--the condition of that Covenant, 214 Believers given to Christ in that Covenant, 215 The elect chosen in Christ, that in union to him they might perform the duty, 216

Continue reading The Ordinance of Covenanting free in the Wunder reader →