The Covenants And The Covenanters Part 10

Seeing then this covenant, being taken, carries in it so great an obligation, it calls for great preparation before we take it. A slightness of spirit in taking this covenant, must needs cause a slightness of spirit in keeping it. All solemn duties, ought to have solemn preparations; and this I think, as solemn as any. A Christian ought to set his heart (as far as he can through the strength of Christ) into a praying frame, before he kneels down to prayer. And we ought to set our hearts in a promising frame, before we stand up to make such mighty promises. "Take heed how ye hear," is our Saviour's admonition in the gospel; surely then we had need take heed how we swear. "Let a man examine himself (saith the apostle Paul) and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup;" let him come examined to the sacrament: so I may say, "Let a man examine himself, before he lift up his hand, or write down his name;" let him come examined to the covenant.

I shall briefly propose three heads of preparatory examination, respecting our entrance into this covenant.

_First_, Examine your hearts, and your lives, whether or no you are not pre-engaged in any covenant contrary to the tenor and conditions of this covenant? If any such upon inquiry be found, be sure you avoid it, before you engage yourselves in this. A super-inst.i.tution in this kind, is very dangerous. Every man must look to it, that he takes this covenant _(corde vacante)_ with a heart emptied of all covenants which are inconsistent with this. For a man to covenant with Christ and His people for reformation, while he hath either taken a covenant with others, or made a covenant in his own breast against it, is desperate wickedness. Or if upon a self-search, you find yourselves clear of any such engagements, yet search further. Every man by nature is a covenanter with h.e.l.l, and with every sin he is at agreement: be sure you revoke and cancel that covenant, before you subscribe this. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear my prayer;" that is, He will not regard my prayers, (saith David). And if we regard iniquity in our hearts, the Lord will not hear us covenanting; that is, He will not regard our covenant. Woe be unto those who make this league with G.o.d and His people, while they resolve to continue their league with sin: which is (upon the matter) a league with Satan. G.o.d and Satan will never meet in one covenant. "For what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ and Belial?"

_Second_, Before you enter into this covenant with G.o.d, consider of, and repent for this special sin, your former breaches and failings in G.o.d's covenant. "We who were sometimes afar off, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenant of promise, are made nigh by the blood of Jesus," even so nigh, as to be in covenant with G.o.d. Some who pretend to this privilege, will be found "Such as have counted the blood of the covenant to be an unholy thing." And where is the man that walketh so holily in this covenant as becomes him, and as it requires?

Labour therefore to have those breaches healed by a fresh sprinkling of the blood of Christ upon your consciences, before you enter this covenant: If you put this new piece to an old garment, the rent will be made worse: If you put this new wine into old bottles, the bottles will break, and all your expected comforts will run out and be lost. If you should not feel and search your own hearts, without doubt the Lord will.

"And if you be found as deceivers, you will bring a curse upon yourselves, and not a blessing." This is a covenant of amity with G.o.d: reconciliation must go before friends.h.i.+p, you can never make friends.h.i.+p till you have made peace, nor settle love, where hostility is unremoved.

_Third_, Inquire diligently at your own hearts, whether they come up to the terms of this covenant? You must bid high for the honour of a covenanter, for a part in this privilege. "Which of you," saith our Lord Christ to His hearers, "intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

Lest haply after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it, begin to mock him, saying, this man began to build, and was not able to finish." We are met this day to lay the foundation of one tower, and to pull up the foundation of another; we are pulling up the foundation of Babel's tower, and we are laying a foundation for Zion's tower. We have seen some who have heretofore done as much, but they have done no more; when they had laid a foundation for those n.o.ble works in taking a solemn oath and covenant, they have never moved a hand after either to build or to pull down, unless it were quite cross to their own engagements, for the pulling down of Zion's tower, and the building of Babylon.

And what was the reason of this stand, or contrary motion? this surely was one, they did not gage their own hearts before hand, neither did they sit down to count the cost of such an undertaking. And therefore when they perceived the charge to arise so high, they neither could finish, nor would they endeavour it, but left the work before it looked above the ground; and are justly become a mock and a scorn and a reproach in Israel, these are the men that began in a solemn covenant to build, but could not finish; they had not stock enough either of true honour or honesty (tho' their stock of parts and opportunities was sufficient) to finish this work.

Let us therefore sit down seriously and count the cost; yea and consider whether we be willing to be at the cost. To lead you on in this, my humble advice is, that you would catechise your hearts upon the articles of this covenant. Put the question to your hearts, and let every one say this unto himself:

Am I indeed resolved sincerely, really and constantly, through the grace of G.o.d, in my place and calling, to endeavour the preservation of the reformed religion in the church of Scotland? The reformation of religion in the kingdoms of England and Ireland?

Am I indeed resolved in like manner, without respect of persons, to endeavour the extirpation of popery, prelacy?

Am I indeed resolved never to be withdrawn or divided by whatsoever terror or persuasion from this blessed union and conjunction, whether to make defection to the contrary part, or to give myself to a detestable indifferency or neutrality in this cause of G.o.d?

Am I indeed resolved to humble myself for my own sins, and the sins of the kingdom? to amend myself, and all in my power, and to go before others in the example of a real reformation?

According to these hints, propose the question upon every clause of this covenant. And then consider what the cost of performing all these may amount to, and whether you are willing to go to that cost.

But it may be, some will say, what is this cost? I answer, the express letter of the covenant tells you of one cost which you must be constantly at, and that is sincere, real, and constant endeavour. Pains is a price, I am sure real pains is. The heathens said, "That their G.o.ds sold them all good things for labour." The good things of this covenant are sold at that rate; yea, this is the price which the true G.o.d puts upon those things which He freely gives. To consent to this covenant, to wish well to this covenant, to speak well of this covenant, come not up to the price; you must do these, and you must do more, you must be doing, so the promise of every man for himself runs, I will through the grace of G.o.d endeavour. Yet every endeavour is not current money, payable as the price of this covenant: there must be a threefold stamp upon it. Unless it bear the image and superscription of sincerity, reality, and constancy, it will not be accepted. For so the promise runs, "I will sincerely, really, and constantly endeavour."

Neither yet is this all. Such endeavours are virtually money; but as this covenant calls also for money formally, as the price of it, he that really endeavours after such ends, as here are proposed, must not only be at the cost of his pains, but also at the cost of his purse for the attainment of them. He must open his hand to give and to lend as well as to work and labour. Unless a man be free of his purse as well as of his pains, he bides not up to the demands of this covenant, nor pays up to his own promise when he entered into it. Can that man be said really to endeavour the maintenance of a cause while he lets it starve? or, to strengthen it while he keeps the sinews of it close shut up? Would he have the chariot move swiftly, who only draws but will not oil the wheels? Know then and consider it that the cost you must be at is both in your labours and in your estates. The engagement runs to both these: and to more than both these.

The covenant engages us not only to do but to suffer, not only to endeavour but to endure. Such is the tenor of the sixth article where every man promises for himself that he will not suffer himself to be withdrawn from this blessed Union by any terrors. If not by any terror, then not by any losses, imprisonments, torments, no, nor by death, that king of terrors. You see, then, that the price of this covenant may be the price of blood, of liberty, and of life. Sit down and consider. Are you willing to be at this cost to build the tower? Through the goodness of G.o.d in ordering these great affairs, you may never come actually to pay down so much, haply, not half so much, but except you resolve (if called and put to it by the real exigencies of this cause) to pay down the utmost farthing, your spirits are too narrow and your hearts too low for the honour and tenor of this covenant. If any shall say these demands are very high and the charge very great, but is a part in this covenant worth it? Will it quit cost to be at so great a charge? Wise men love to see and have somewhat for their money; and when they see they will not stick at any cost so the considerations be valuable.

For the answering and clearing of this, I shall pa.s.s to the Second point which holds forth the grounds of a covenant from those words of the text, "And because of all this." If any one shall be troubled at the "All this" in the price, I doubt not but the "All this" in the grounds will satisfy him. Because of all this, we make a sure covenant. Here observe:

1. A covenant must be grounded on reason: we must shew the cause why.

G.o.d often descends, but man is bound, to give a reason of what he doeth.

Some of G.o.d's actions are above reason, but none without reason. All our actions ought to be level with reason and with common reason, for it is a common act. That which men of all capacities are called to do, should lie in the reach of every man's capacity. Observe:

2. A covenant must be grounded on weighty reason; there must be much light in the reason (as was shewed before) but no lightness. "Because of all this" saith the text. There were many things in it, and much weight in every one of them.

And the reasons, in their proportion, must at least be as weighty as the conditions. Weighty conditions will never be balanced with light reasons. If a man ask a thousand pounds for a jewel, he is bound to demonstrate that his jewel is intrinsically worth so much, else no wise man will come up to his demands. So when great things are demanded to be paid down by all who take part in this covenant, we are obliged to demonstrate and hold forth an equivalent of worth in the grounds and nature of it. Hence observe

3. That the reasons of a covenant must be express, "Because of all this." _This_ is demonstrative. Here's the matter laid before you, consider of it, examine it thoroughly. This is fair dealing, when a man sees why he undertakes, and what he may expect, before he is engaged.

And so may say, "Because of this, and this, because of all this," I have entered into the covenant.

But what were the particulars that made up the gross sum of all this? I answer, those particulars lie scattered throughout the chapter, the attentive reader will easily find them out; I shall in brief reduce them unto two heads. 1. The defection and corruptions that were crept in, or openly brought in among them. 2. The afflictions, troubles, and judgments that either were already fallen, or were feared would further fall upon them.

The former of these causes is laid down in the 34 and 35 verses of this chapter. "Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers kept Thy law, nor hearkened to Thy commandments, and Thy testimonies, wherewith Thou didst testify against them. For they have not served Thee in Thy kingdom, and in Thy great goodness."

The latter of these reasons is contained in the 36 and 37 verses.

"Behold, we are servants this day; and for the land which Thou gavest unto our fathers, to eat the fruit thereof, and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it." The close of all is, we are in great distress. From this narrative of the grounds, the making of a covenant is inferred as a conclusion, in the immediate subsequent words of the text, "because of all this." As if he had said, "because we are a people who have so departed from the laws and statutes of our G.o.d, and are so corrupted both in wors.h.i.+p, and in practice; because we are a people so oppressed in our estates, and liberties, and so distressed by judgments and afflictions: therefore, because of all this, we make a sure covenant."

And if we peruse the records of the holy Scripture, we shall find, that either both these grounds conjoined, or one of them, are expressed as the reasons at any time inducing the people of G.o.d, to enter into the bond of a covenant. This is evident in Asa's covenant, 2 Chron. xv. 12, 13. In Hezekiah's, 2 Chron. xxix. 10. In Josiah's, 2 Chron. x.x.xiv. 30, 31. In Ezra's, chap. x. 3. To all which, I refer the reader for satisfaction. And, from all consenting with this in the text, I observe:

That when a people are corrupted or declined in doctrine, wors.h.i.+p, and manners; when they are distressed in their liberties, livelihoods, or lives; then, and at such a time they have warrantable and sufficient grounds to make and engage themselves (as their last and highest resort for redress) in the bonds of a sacred solemn covenant.

What engagement can be upon us, which these reasons do not reach and answer? The liberty of our persons, and of our estates, is worth much; but the liberty of the gospel and purity of doctrine and ordinances, are worth much more. Peace is a precious jewel, but who can value truth? The wise merchant will sell all that he hath with joy to buy this, and blesses G.o.d for the bargain.

And because of all this, we are called to make a covenant this day.

Truth of doctrine and purity of wors.h.i.+p were going, and much of them both were gone. The liberty of our persons, and property of our estates, were going, and much of them both were gone; we were at once growing popish and slavish, superst.i.tious and servile; we were in these great distresses, "And because of all this we make a covenant this day." That these are the grounds of our covenant, is clear in the tenor of the covenant. The preamble whereof speaks thus:

"We calling to mind the treacherous and b.l.o.o.d.y plots, conspiracies, attempts, and practices of the enemies of G.o.d, against the true religion and professors thereof, in all places, especially in these three kingdoms, ever since the reformation of religion; and how much their rage, power and presumption are of late, and at this time increased and exercised, whereof the deplorable estate of the church and kingdom of Ireland, the distressed estate of the church and kingdom of England, and the dangerous estate of the church and kingdom of Scotland, are present and public testimonies: we have now at the last, for the preservation of ourselves, and our religion, from utter ruin and destruction, after mature deliberation resolved and determined to enter into a mutual and solemn league and covenant."

So then, if we be asked a reason of our covenant, here are reasons, clear reasons, easy to the weakest understanding, yea, open to every man's sense. Who amongst us hath not felt these reasons? and how many have smarted their proof unto us? And as these reasons are so plain, that the most illiterate and vulgar understandings may conceive them; so they are so weighty and cogent, that the most subtile and sublime understandings cannot but be subdued to them; unless, because they are such masters of reason, they have resolved to obey none. And yet where conscience is indeed unsatisfied, we should rather pity than impose, and labour to persuade, rather than violently to obtrude. Now seeing we have all this for the ground of a covenant, let us cheerfully and reverently make a sure covenant, which is the third point in the text, the property of this covenant: we make a sure covenant.

In the Hebrew, the word covenant is not expressed. The text runs only thus, we make a sure one, or a sure thing. Covenants are in their own nature and const.i.tution, things of so much certainty and a.s.surance, that by way of excellency, a covenant is called, a sure one, or an a.s.surance.

When a sure one is but named, a covenant must be understood. As, the "Holy One" is G.o.d, and the "Holy One and the Just," is Christ. You may know whom the Holy Ghost means, when He saith "The Holy One and the Just." So the sure one, is a covenant. You may know what they made, when the Holy Ghost saith, they made a sure one. Hence observe, that

A well grounded covenant is a sure, a firm, and an irrevocable act. When you have such an _all this_, (and such you have) as is here concentrated in the text, to lay into, or for the foundation of a covenant, the superstruction is _aeternitati sacrum_, and must stand for ever.

A weak ground is but a weak obligation; and a sinful ground is no obligation. There is much sin in making a covenant upon sinful grounds, and there is more sin in keeping of it. But when the preservation of true religion, and the vindication of just liberties meet in the groundwork, ye may swear and not repent; yea, if ye swear, ye must not repent. For because of all such things as these, we ought (if we make any, and that we ought) to make a sure covenant.

The covenant G.o.d makes with man is a sure covenant. Hence called a "Covenant of salt," because salt preserves from peris.h.i.+ng and putrefaction. The covenant of G.o.d with man about temporal things, is called a "Covenant of Salt, and a covenant forever." For tho' His covenant about temporal things (as all temporals must) hath an end of termination, yet it hath no end of corruption: time will conclude it, but time cannot violate it. But as for His covenant about eternal things, that, like eternity, knows not only no end of corruption, but none of termination. "Altho' my house (saith gasping David) be not so with G.o.d; yet He hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, altho' He make it not to grow." And what is it that makes the covenant of G.o.d with man thus sure? sure not only in itself, but (as the apostle speaks) to all the seed. Is it not this, because it hath a strong foundation, a double, impregnable foundation? _First_, His own free grace. _Second_, The blood of Christ; which is therefore also called, the blood of the covenant. Because of all this, this all, which hath an infinity in it, the Lord G.o.d hath made with us a sure covenant.

Now, as the stability and everlastingness of G.o.d's covenant with His elect, lies in the strength of the foundation, "His own love, and the blood of His Son:" so the stability and firmness of our covenant with G.o.d, lies in the strength of this foundation, the securing of the gospel, and the a.s.serting of gospel-purity in wors.h.i.+p, and privileges in government; the securing of our lives, and the a.s.serting of our common liberties. When at any time ye can question, and, from the oracles of truth, be resolved, that these are sufficient grounds of making a covenant, or that these are not ours, ye may go, and una.s.sure the covenant which ye make this day.

_Application._ Let me therefore invite you in the words of the prophet Jeremiah, "Come let us join ourselves to the Lord, in a perpetual covenant that shall never be forgotten." And do not these look like the days wherein the prophet calls to the doing of this? "In those days, and at that time, saith the Lord." What time, and what days were those? the beginning of the chapter answers. "The word that the Lord spake against Babylon, declare ye among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard, publish and conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bell is confounded, Merodach is broken in pieces; her idols are confounded, her images are broken in pieces: for out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate." Then follows, "In those days and at that time saith the Lord, the children of Israel shall come. And 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."

Are not these the days, and this the time (I speak not of time to a day, but of time and days) wherein the Lord speaks against Babylon, and against the land of the Chaldeans: wherein He saith, "Declare among the nations, and publish, and set up the standard." Are not these the days, and this the time, when out of the north there cometh up a nation against her? As face answers face in the water, so do the events of these days answer, if not the letter, yet much of the mystery of this prophecy. There seems wanting only the work which this day is bringing forth, and a few days more (I hope) will bring unto perfection, the joining of ourselves in a perpetual covenant, never to be forgotten. It is very observable, how the prophet, as it were, with one breath saith, "Babylon is taken." And, "Come let us join ourselves in covenant." As if there were no more in it but this, take the covenant, and ye take Babylon. Or, as if the taking of a covenant were the ready way, the readiest way to take Babylon. Surely at the report of the taking of this sure covenant, we in our prayer-visions (as the prophet Habakkuk), "May see the tents of Cushan in affliction, and the curtains of the land of Midian tremble." Or, as Moses in his triumphant song, "The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold of the inhabitants of Palestina. The dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; the inhabitants of Canaan (who are now the inhabitants of Babylon) shall melt away. The towers of Babylon shall quake, and her seven hills will move. The great mountain before our Zerubbabel, will become a plain, and we shall bring forth the head-stone (of our reformation) with shouting, crying, grace, grace unto it." Why may we not promise to ourselves such glorious effects (and not build these castles in the air) when we have laid so promising a foundation, this sure covenant, and have made a perpetual covenant, never to be forgotten?

The three things I shall propose, which this covenant will bring in, as facilitating contributions to so great a work:

1. This covenant will distinguish men, and separate the precious from the vile. In the twentieth chapter of Ezekiel, the Lord promiseth His people, after this manner, "I will cause you to pa.s.s under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant." The phrase of causing to pa.s.s under the rod, is an allusion to shepherds, or the keepers of cattle, who when they would take special notice of their sheep or cattle, either in their number to t.i.the them, or in their goodness to try them, they brought them into a fold, or some other inclosed place, when letting them pa.s.s out at a narrow door, one by one, they held a rod over them, to count or consider more distinctly of them. This action was called a "pa.s.sing of them under the rod," as Moses teaches us, "And concerning the t.i.the of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever pa.s.seth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord." The learned Junius expounds that text in Ezekiel by this in Leviticus, giving the sense thus, "As if the Lord had said, I will prove and try the whole people of Israel, as a shepherd doeth his flock, that I may take the good and sound into the fold of My covenant, and cast out the wicked and unsound." Which interpretation is not only favoured, but fully approved, in the words immediately following, "I will bring you into the bond of the covenant, and I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against Me."

A covenant is to a nation, as a fan to the floor, which purges away the chaff and purifies the wheat. It is like the furnace to the metal, which takes away the dross and shews you a refined lump. It is a s.h.i.+bboleth, to distinguish Ephraimites from Gileadites. And who knows not how great an advantage it is for the successful carrying on of any honourable design, to know friends from enemies, and the faithful from false brethren? Some have thought it unpolitical to set-a-foot this covenant, lest it should discover more enemies than friends, and so holding out to the view more than otherwise can be seen, the weakness of a party may render them, not only more obnoxious, but more inconsiderable.

To this I answer, in a word, invisible enemies will ever do us more hurt than visible; and if we cannot deliver ourselves from them, when they are seen and known, doubtless unseen and unknown, they will more easily, tho' more insensibly devour us. And I verily believe, we have already received more damage and deeper wounds from pretended friends, than from professed and open enemies. The sad stories of Abner and Amasa inform us, that there is no fence against his stroke, who comes too near us, who stabs while he takes us aside to speak kindly to us, who draws his sword, while he hath a kiss at his lips, and art thou in health, my brother, at his tongue. Let us never think ourselves stronger, because we do not know our weakness; or safer, because we are ignorant of our danger. Or that our real enemies and false friends will do us less hurt, because they are less discovered. I do not think, that a flock ever fared the better, because the wolves that were amongst them, went in sheep's clothing. Rather will our knowledge be our security, and the discovery which this covenant makes, help on both our deliverance and our business. For as, possibly, this covenant may discover those who are faithful to be fewer, than was supposed before this strict distinction from others; so it will certainly make them stronger than they were before, by a stricter union among themselves. And this is

2. The second benefit of this covenant, which I shall next insist upon.

As it doth separate those who are heterogeneal, so likewise it will congregate and embody those who are h.o.m.ogeneal. And therefore it cannot but add strength unto a people; for whatsoever unites, strengthens. A few united, are stronger than a scattered mult.i.tude. Tho' they who subscribe this covenant should be, comparatively, so few, as the prophet speaks, "That a child may write them;" yet this few thus united are stronger than so many scattered ones, as exceed all arithmetic, whom (as John speaks,) "No man can number." Cloven tongues were sent, to publish the gospel, but not divided tongues, much less divided hearts: the former hindered the building of Babel, and the latter, tho' tongues should agree, will hinder the building of Jerusalem. Then a work goes on amain, when the undertakers, whether they be few or many, all speak and think the same thing. A people are more considerable in any work, because they are one, than because they are many. But when many and one meet, nothing can stand before them. So the Lord G.o.d observed, when "He came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded." And the Lord said, "Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language: and this they begin to do; and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do." Men may do as much as they can think, while they all think and do as one; and not only can such do great things, if let alone; but none can let them in doing what they intend; so saith the Lord, "They have begun to do, and nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined." Nothing could restrain, or let them from their work, but His power, who "will work, and none can let it." Thus it is apparent that union is our strength.

And it is as apparent that this covenant, through the blessing of G.o.d upon it, will be our union. To unite, is the very nature of a covenant.

Hence it is called "the bond of the covenant, I will bring you into the bond of the covenant," saith the Lord. Junius and some others render it, I will bring you _(ad exhibitionem foederis)_ to the giving or tendering of the covenant: deriving the word from _Masar_, signifying, to exhibit or deliver. Whence (to note that in pa.s.sage) the traditionary doctrine among the Jews is called _Masora_, or _Masoreth_. Others (whom our translators fellow, and put the former sense, delivering, in the margin) others, I say, deriving the word from _Asar_ to bind, render it the bond of the covenant.

And this covenant is the bond of a twofold union. _First_, It unites us of this kingdom among ourselves, and this kingdom with the other two.

_Second_, It makes a special union of all those who shall take it holily and sincerely throughout the three kingdoms with the one-most G.o.d. Weak things bound together, are strong, much more then, when strong are bound up with strong: most of all, when strong are bound up with Almighty. If in this covenant, we should only join weak to weak, we might be strong.

But, blessed be G.o.d, we join strong, as creatures may be accounted strong, with strong. The strong kingdoms of England and Ireland, with the strong kingdom of Scotland. A threefold cord twisted of three such strong cords, will not easily, if at all, be broken. They which single, blessed be G.o.d, have yet such strength, how strong may they be when conjoined? as the apostle writes, "I speak after the manner of men, because of the infirmity of your flesh:" so I speak now after the manner of men, concerning the strength of our flesh, outward means, in these kingdoms. For as the apostle Peter speaks in like phrase, tho' to another occasion, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness:" so I may say, no man, no kingdoms, are strong to any purpose, as the Lord counts strength.

And therefore, I reckon this the least part of our strength, that these three strong kingdoms will be united by this covenant. Nay, if this were all the strength, which this union were like to make, I should reckon this no strength at all. Wherefore, know that this covenant undoubtedly is, and will be a bond of union between strong and Almighty: between three strong nations, and an Almighty G.o.d. This covenant engages more than man, G.o.d also is engaged; engaged, through His free grace, in His power, wisdom, faithfulness, to do us good, and much good, tho' in and of ourselves unworthy of the least, unworthy of any good.