self, and may not dispose of my Master's goods without, much less against his own will and commands.' Our services, which are matters of necessity *, matters of expediency, and matters of praise: all which may be made the materials of a covenant. 1. Matter of duty and necessity. As David, by an oath, binds himself to keep God's righteous judgements. And the people, in Nehemiah's time, enter into a curse and an oath, to walk in God's law, and to observe and to do all his commandments 2. 2. Matter of circumstantial expediency, which, in Christian wisdom, may be conducent unto the main end of a man's life, or may fit him for any special condition which God calleth him unto. So the Rechabites promised their father Jonadab, and held that promise obligatory in the sight of God, "Not to drink wine, nor to build houses";" because, by that voluntary hardship of life, they should be the better fitted to bear that captivity, which was to come upon them; or because thereby they should the better express the condition of strangers amongst God's people, upon whose outward comforts they would not seem too much to encroach, that it might appear, that they did not incorporate with them for mere secular, but for spiritual benefits. It was lawful for Paul to have received wages and rewards for his work in the gospel, as well of the churches of Achaia, as of Macedonia, and others, as he proveth, 1 Cor. ix. 4, 14; yet he seemeth upon the case of expediency, that he "might cut off occasion from them that desired occasion," and might the better promote the gospel,-to bind himself by an oath (for so much those words, "The truth of Christ is in me," do import, as the learned have observed b) never to be burdensome in that kind unto those churches. Lawful things, when inexpedient and gravaminous, may be forborne by the bonds of a covenant. * Sunt quædam, quæ etiam non volentes debemus; quædam, etiam quæ nisi noverimus, non debemus; sed postquam ea Deo promittimus, necessario ea reddere constringimur. Aug. y Psalm cxix. 106. 2 Nehem. x. 29. a Jer. xxxv. 6, 7. ↳ Ambr.—Aquin.—Erasm.—Calv.-Beza,-Piscator,-Musc. Estius,-Corn. A. Lap.-Tirinus.-De hujusmodi votis, Vid. Greg. Tholos, de Rep. 1. 3. c. 5. et Syntag Juris, 1. 24. c. 10.-Serarium in 1. Judic. c. 11. qu. 19. Pined. in Job xxii. 27.-Seld. of Tithes, c. 3.-Brisson. de formul. 1. 1. xi. 7, 12. © 2 Cor. 3. Matter of thanksgiving and praises unto God, in which case it was usual to make and pay vows. "What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me?" saith David: "I will take the cup of salvation" (as the use of the Jews was in their feasts and sacrifices of thanksgiving d;) "I will pay my vows unto the Lord." Whereby it appears, that godly men, when they prayed for mercies, did likewise, by vows and covenants, bind themselves to return tribute of praise in some particular kind or other, upon the hearing of their prayers. So Jacob did; and so Jephtha; and so Hannah ; and so Hezekiah; and so Jonah; so Zaccheus, to testify his thankfulness unto Christ for his conversion, and to testify his thorough mortification of covetousness, which had been his master-sin, did not only out of duty make restitution where he had done wrong, but out of bounty, did engage himself to give the half of his goods to the poor 1. The formal cause of a covenant is the plighting of our fidelity, and engaging of our truth unto God in that particular, which is the matter of our covenant; which is done two ways: either by a simple promise and stipulation, as that of Zaccheus ; or in a more solemn way, by the intervention of an oath, or curse, or subscription, as that of Nehemiah, and the people there. SECT. 11. The efficient cause is the person entering into the covenant: in whom these things are to concur : 1. A clear knowledge, and deliberate weighing of the matter promised; because error", deception, or ignorance, are contrary to the formal notion of that consent, which in every covenant is intrinsecal, and necessary thereunto: "Non videtur consentire qui errat." "In omni pacto 2. A free and willing concurrence ". intercedit actio spontanea ;" and so in every promise. Not but that authority may impose oaths, and those as well pro d Luke xxii. 17. e Psalm cxvi. 12, 13, 14. Psalm cxxiii. 2, 3. xxviii. 22. s Judg. xi. 30, 31. h1 Sam. i. 11, 27, 28. k Isai. i. 9. f Gen. i Isai. 1 Luke xxix. 8. in L. 57. ff. de oblig. Xxxviii. 20. et Action. Nulla voluntas errantis est. 1. 20. ff. de aqua. et aqu. 1. 116. de Reg. n Votum voluntas est spontanea. Tholos. Syntag. Juris. 1. 24. c. 10. Sect. 1. 219. de verborum significat.-Hostiæ ab animo libenti expostulantur. Tert. ad Scap. c. 2. juris. missory as assertory; as Josiah made a covenant, and caused the people to stand unto it P. But that the matter of it, though imposed, should be such in the nature of the thing, as that it may be taken in judgement and righteousness, that so the person may not be hampered in any such hesitancy of conscience, as will not consist with a pious, spontaneous, and voluntary concurrence thereunto. 3. A power to make the promise, and bind oneself by it. For a man may have power to make a promise, which is not finally obligatory, but upon supposition. As a woman might for her own part vow, and by that vow was bound up as to herself: but this bond was but conditional, as to efficacy and influence upon the effect, to wit, if her husband hear it, and held his peace. 4. A power, having made the promise, to perform it: and this depends upon the nature of the thing, which must be first possible; for "Impossibilium nulla est obligatio 1:" no man can bind himself to things impossible. And next, lawful", in regard either of the necessity, or expediency, or some other allowableness in the thing. For, "Turpe est jure impossibile;" we can do nothing but that which we can do rightfully. Sinful things are, in construction of law, impossible, and so can induce no obligation. A servant can make no promise to the dishonour or disservice of his master, nor a child or pupil contrary to the will of his parent or guardian; nor a Christian, to the dishonour, or against the will of Christ, whom he serves. In every such sinful q 2 Chron. xxxiv. 31, 32. P Gen. xxiv. 3. 1 Kings ii. 42. Ezra x. 3, 5. r L. 5. de Cod. Legibus vide Tholos. Syntag. Juris 1. 21. c. 5.-Vide Peckium de Reg. Juris Reg. 69. Sect. 4. s Numb. xxx. 3, 14. t L. 18. ff. de Reg. Juris, et 1. 183. et de conditionibus institutionum, leg. 6. et 20. de conditionibus et demonstrat. 1. 3. et 20. et de Obligat. et Action. 1. 1. sect. 9. u Quæ facta lædunt pietatem, existimationem, verecundiam nostram, et (ut generaliter dixerim) contra bonos mores fiunt, nec facere nos posse credendum est. Papin. 1. 14, 15. ff. de Condition. Institut.-Pacta quæ contra bonos mores fiunt, nullam vim habere, indubitati juris est. 1. 6. et 30. Cod. de pactis.--Generaliter novimus, turpes stipulationes nullius esse momenti. 1. 26. ff. de verbor. obligat. et de legatis et fidei commiss. leg. 112. sect. 3, 4.-Impia promissio est quæ scelere adimpletur. Juramentum non est vinculum iniquitatis. Vid. Caus. 22. qu. 4.— Præstare fateor posse me fidem si scelere careat; interdum scelus est fides; Sen. Hæ demum impositæ operæ intelliguntur, quæ sine turpitudine præstari possunt: ff. de operis libertorum, 1. 38. * Filius familias, vel servus, sine patris do minive auctoritate, voto non obligatur; 1. 2. sect. 1. ff. de pollicitationibus. engagement, there is intrinsecally "dolus, error, deceptio ;" the heart is blinded by the deceitfulness of lust. And these things are destructive to the nature of such an action, as must be deliberate and spontaneous. Promises of this kind bind to nothing but repentance. From these considerations we may learn, what to judge of the promises which many men make of doing service unto God. SECT. 12. 1. Some join in covenants, as the greatest part of that tumultuous concourse of people, who made an uproar against the apostle, were joined together, "they knew not wherefore ;" and do not understand the things they promise:-as if a man should set his hand and seal to an obligation, and not know the contents or condition of it. Such are all ignorant Christians, who have often renewed their covenant of new obedience and faith in Christ, and yet know not what the faith of Christ is, or what is the purity aud spiritualness of that law which they have sworn unto. As the apostle saith of the Jews, "If they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;" we may say of many of these,"If they knew the purity and holiness of those things which they have vowed to keep, they either would not have entered into covenant with God at all, or would be more conscientious and vigilant in their observation of it.'-It is a sign of a man desperately careless, to run daily into debt, and never so much as remember or consider what he owes. If there were no other obligation to tie men unto the knowledge of God's will, this alone were sufficient, that they have undertaken to serve him; and therefore, by their own covenants, are bound to know him. For surely many men, who have promised repentance from their dead. works, if they did indeed consider what that repentance is, and unto what a strict and narrow way of walking it doth confine them, would go nigh, if they durst, to plead an error in the contract,-and to profess that they had not thought their obligation had engaged them unto so severe and rigid a service, and so would repent of their repentance. But in this case, ignorance of what a man ought to know, cannot avoid the covenant which he is bound to make, and, having y Ephes. iv. 18, 22. Heb. iii. 13. 2 Pet. i. 9. 2 Cor. xi. 3. 2 Acts xix. 32. made, to keep; but his covenant doth exceedingly aggravate his ignorance". -- SECT. 13. 2. Some make many fair promises of obedience, but it is on the rack, and in the furnace, or as children under the rod :—“O if I might but recover this sickness, or be eased of this affliction, I would then be a new man, and redeem my misspent time."-And yet many of these, like Pharaoh, when they have any respite, find out ways to shift and delude their own promises, and, like melted metal taken out. of the furnace, return again unto their former hardness. So a good divine observes of the people of this land, in the time of the great sweat in king Edward's days, (I wish we could find even so much in these days of calamity which we are fallen into,) as long as the heat of the plague lasted, there was crying out "Peccavi," Mercy, good Lord, mercy, mercy. Then, lords, and ladies, and people of the best sort, cried out to the ministers, "For God's sake tell us, what we shall do to avoid the wrath of God:-take these bags; pay so much to such an one whom I deceived; so much restore unto another, whom, in bargaining, I overreached; give so much to the poor, so much to pious uses, &c." But after the sickness was over, they were just the same men as they were before. Thus, in time of trouble, men are apt to make many prayers, and covenants, to cry unto God, "Arise, and save us, Deliver us this time ":" they enquire early after God, and flatter him with their lips, and own him as their God, and rock of salvation, and presently "start aside, like a deceitful bow." As Austin notes, that, in times of calamity, the very heathen would flock unto the Christian churches, to be safe amongst them. And when the Lord sent lions among the Samaritans, then they sent to enquire after the manner of his worship. Thus many men's covenants are founded d a Qui per delictorum pœnitentiam instituerat Domino satisfacere, diabolo per aliam pœnitentiæ pœnitentiam satisfaciet; eritque tanto magis perosus Deo, quanto æmulo ejus acceptus. Tertul. de pœnitent. c. 5. b Dike, of the de ceitfulness of the heart, c. 20. c Jer. ii. 27. d Judges x. 15. e Quos vides petulanter et procaciter insultare servis Christi, sunt in his plurimi, qui illum interitum clademque non evasissent, nisi servos Christi se esse finxissent : De Civit. Dei, 1. 1. c. 1.-Ejecta in naufragio dominorum adhuc sunt, quia non co animo ejiciuntur quod, ea habere nolunt, sed ut periculum effugiant; ff. 1. 41. 1. 9. sect. 8. et 1. 44.-Semisaucium hac atque hac jactare voluntatem: Aug. Confes. 1. 8. c. 8. f 2 Kings xvii. 25, 26. |