on the ir9. Pfalme, 563 not thelikeaffe&ions. True it is, that tobe fparing in thereoathes,is a good token of a Chrifit. in,fo hee bebut a nouice in Chrifis fchoole ( for euery man snuff not vfe this oath, becaufe hee knovvethnothis owne fircngth) butwee muff not alwayesbe at A.B.C. anddwell trill in the principles of Religion. Neither muff we thinke thatthe Prophet heremade any new or firangecouenane,butrather htiterated thaccouenanc,whkh before he madein circumcifion,and althoughwe m akeno fuch eouenants now, yet we mutt know,thatwehammade them before. For this wasa renewingof hisoath, which he made, when he wascircumcifed, and entred intoGods fanlike. And becaufeI amnot here to enter into the difcourfeof many particular vowes; wee (hall ?"".',..v in fpeakeof our general) vow, which we make in Baptifme, which thoughwe do not renue,yer we ,1 e" are much tobealhamed of it. We finde, that vowesareeythergesetall or particular. Andhere membred bydie waywemutt note, that that whichwe call a compa6f betweenman andman , the fame of vs. is a vowbetweene Godand man. Foras inciuillaffaires, a compa& is a [freighter thing and bindethvs morebeforemen,then abarepromife;and promifes Gmpliemade,feeme tohaue gréa- .. What a terlibertie then a contpaél : foalfo prorstifesmade to the Lord muff; keepe vs in obedience,but " vvui 15. efpecially vowes,asa double bond,are fairemoreneerely and carefully tobe petfourmed. ss Concerning general vowes, we know that inthe ordainingofKings,vowes weremade from them to the Lord , as alto fame paffed from theirMinces to the people , as 2.Chron.a3. where febeiadarookethe Captaines of hundreths in couenant with hint : Andailthe Congregation madeacouenantwith theking loath in the houfe of God. and as 2.Chron.3 4.3 t. lofiabwhenhe had defiroyed the Idols, andreformed the Temple , after the finding of thebooke of the Law, livedby thepillar, and mades, couenantbefore.the Lorde towalksafter the Lorde, and to ieeepehis commandements,andhistertimonies , and hisffatutes, &c. AlfoNthem.to.we(hal findeage neralt couenant confirmed byanoath. Concerning particular couenants, theyareeyther fimplyaccording to Gods word , orelfeta particularee- ktovpfor Comeefpeciall end, either as meases to come tofame good, oreile asbridles toauoid vaunt s. Rime6411, as 2.Chron.t 5.12. When thepeople madeaconenant toféeke the Lord, &e. r4. They did!wareonto theLordwitha !erodevoyce. AlfoNehem.to.the people take a newt oath and fealeit. Ezra.9. where wee may fee, that when Ezrahadwept and failedfor thebees of the people,in thatthey had taken (}range wises of the peopleof the lands. 3. Made them to make couenantwith theLord, and toput away theirfirange wiuet:as alfoNehem. S.On this fort lere- mie perfwadeth his people, chap.34.tomakea couenant concerning the libertie of their fer- r antsand denounceth thefierce wrathof Godvpon them,for breaking theirpromife. Ofthere twokinds of coursant,,the Cellefame rules are to be prefcribed. If weefeele in out feluesany fpeciall dulncffe, we rnu(i bewayleit, and when wefee, that wehaue the more fireights ofmind; wemult (litrevpour feints andnot negle&,themanes. We fpeakenot here of free vowes, but offuch asthe wordof God commandeth,and thatforfeare ofrelapfe and falling from the Lord, sitemay vfe thefe menues, more furely totie vsvntohim. Now 'where Tome take this tobe a placefromwhence theymight either draw an argo- Free will. ment of fre will, orproseby it that we are able to keepe the lawof God: they deceme themfelues;for firft,note the wordherevfed,he faithnot thathe baththorn tokeep the law ofCod,but thejudgements of God, whichhe often beforeandafter in the.lecond verle from this vlethforthe righteous performance ofGods promifes, or executingofhis full vengeance; ntitherdothhe meant betea frmplekeeping ofthem,butrather an inward and careful receiving ofthem inhisheart,and notan outward performance.Thus theword keeping isoften taken in the holy Sergi ptnres,euen for laying vpof the ttueth in ourminde, fromwhence we maydraw out the vfeof it, as occaion (hall fettle,as where :cis laid, Bleffedare theythat heartthe wordofGod, andkeepeit, that is,faithfully lay it vp in theirhearts, withafull intent to pra&ife,whenGodThal gist lull occalonthereof. So that the tanningof this word is nothing els, but afolemnelay- ingvpof thejudgements of God in hisminde,mentioned altobefore, Porr.3.6. Remove from err¡háeneandcontempt, for l baue;keept thy tefiimonies. So that he (heweth, how beedid marke diligentlyhowGodfulfilledhis promifes tohischildren, andexecutedvengeancevpon the wic- ked. And becaufethefulfilling ofGods promifes, is togiuefirength to his tokeepe the word, he (heweth, howhe wouldtakea view, howGod perfontrtdthisgrace in himferuants,both in forgiuing
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