href="@public@vhost@g@gutenberg@html@files@25353@[email protected]#Page_64" class="pginternal" tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">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.

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.

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,