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Europe unto the most diftant colonics of America did this practice prevail in the laft century For example, Mr Higginfon and Mr Skelton, and other good people, that arrived at Salem in the year 1629, fet apart the fixth day of August, after their arrival, for fafting and prayer, for the fettling a church-ftate among them, and for their making a Confeffion of their Faith, and entering into an holy Covenant, whereby that church-ftate was formed. Now, the Covenant whereunto thefe Chriftians engaged themselves, and which was, about feven- years after, folemnly renewed among them, I fhall lay before my readers, as it was then expreffed and enforced.

"WE covenant with our Lord, and one with another; and we do bind ourfelves, in the prefence of God, to walk together in all his ways, according as he is pleafed to reveal himfelf unto us in his bleffed word of truth; and do explicitly, in the name and fear of God, profefs and proteft, to walk as followeth, through the power and grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift: "We avouch the Lord to be our God, and ourfelves to be his people, in the truth and fimplicity of our fpirits. We give ourfelves to the Lord Jefus Chrift, and the word of his grace, for the teaching, ruling, and fanctifying of us in matters of worship and converfation, refolving to cleave unto him alone for life and glory; and to reject all contrary

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ways, canons, and teftimonies of men in his worthip. We promife to walk with our brethren, with all watchfulness and tenderne fs, avoiding jealoufics and fufpicions, backbitings, cenfurings, provokings, fecret rifings of fpirit against them; but, in all offences, to follow the rule of our Lord Jefus, and bear and forbear, give and forgive, as he hath taught us. In public or private (hall willingly do nothing to the offence of the Church; but will be willing to take advice for ourfelves and ours, as occafion fhall be prefented. We will not, in the congregation, be forward to fhew our own gifts, either by speaking or fcrupling, or there difcover the weaknefs and failings of our brethren; but attend an orderly call thereunto, knowing how much the Lord may be difhonoured, and his gofpel, and the profeffion of it flighted by our diftempers, and weakneffes in public. We bind ourselves to study the advancement of the Gofpel in all truth and peace; both in regard of thofe that are within or without; no way flighting our fifter churches, but ufing their counfel as need thall be; not laying a fumbling-block before any, no, not the Indians, whofe good we defire to promote; and fo to converfe as we may avoid the very appearance of evil. We do promise to carry

ourfelves in all lawful obedience to thofe that are over us in church or commonwealth, knowing how well-pleafing it will be to the Lord,

that

that they should have encouragement in their places, by our not grieving their fpirits through our irregularities. We refolve to approve ourfelves to the Lord in our particular callings; fhunning idleness, as the bane of any state; nor will we deal hardly or oppreflingly with any, wherein we are the Lord's ftewards. Promi

ag alfo, unto our beft ability, to teach our children and fervants the knowledge of God, and of his will, that they may serve him alfo; and all this not by any frength of our own, but by the Lord Chrift; whofe blood we defire may fprinkle this our covenant, made in his name *."

FORTY-SEVEN years after this, a Synod met at Boston for the purpose of Covenant-renovation. The tenor whereof follows:

"WE, who through the exceeding riches of the grace and patience of God, do continue to be a church of Chrift, being now affembled in the holy prefence of God, in the name of our Lord Jefus Chrift, after humble confeflion of our manifold breaches of covenant before the Lord our God, and earnest fupplication of pardoning mercy through the blood of Chrift, -after deep acknowledgment of our great unworthinefs to be owned to be the Lord's cove

* MATHER'S History of New England, Book I. p. 18.

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nant people; alfo, acknowledging our own inability to keep covenant with God, or to perform any spiritual duty, unlefs the Lord Jefus enable thereto by his Spirit dwelling in us: And being awfully fenfible, that it is a dreadful thing for finful duft and afhes perfonally to tranfact with the infinitely glorious majesty of heaven and earth, we do, in humble confidence of his gracious afsistance and acceptance thro' Chrift, each one of us for ourfelves, and jointly as a Church of the living God, and one with another, in manner following:

WE do give up ourfelves to that God whofe name alone is Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, the One only true and living God, and to our bleffed Lord Jefus Chrift, as our only bleffed Saviour, Prophet, Prieft, and King over our fouls, and only mediator of the Covenant of Grace, promifing (by the help of his Spirit and grace) to cleave unto God as our chief good, and to the Lord Jefus Christ, by faith and gofpel obedience, as becometh his covenant people for ever. We do alfo give our offspring unto God in Jefus Chrift, avouching the Lord to be our God, and the God of our children, and ourfelves, with our children, to be his people; humbly adoring the grace of God, that we, and our offspring with us, may be looked upon to be the Lord's.

WE do alfo give up ourselves one to another in the Lord, and according to the will of God; freely

freely covenanting and binding ourfelves to walk together as a right ordered congregation and church of Chrift, in all the ways of his worship, according to the holy rules of the word of God; promifing, in brotherly love, to watch over one another's fouls faithfully, and to fubmit ourselves unto the difcipline and government of Christ in his Church, and duly to attend to all thofe ordinances which Chrift hath inftituted in his Church, and commanded to be attended by his people, according to the order of the Gospel and the degrees of communion unto which we have attained; not refting in meafures attained, but preffing after all: And whereas the meffengers of thofe Churches, who have met together in the name of Chrift, to enquire into the reafon of God's controverfy with his people, have taken notice of many provoking evils, as the procuring caufes of the judgments of God upon New England: So far as we, or any of us, have been guilty of provoking God by any fin therein difcovered to us, we defire, from our hearts, to wail it before the Lord, and humbly to entreat for pardoning mercy, for the fake of the blood of the Everlasting Covenant: And as an expedient to the reformation of thofe evils, or whatever elfe has provoked the eyes of God's glory amongst us, We do freely engage and promife, as in the prefence of God,

FIRST, That we will (Chrift helping) endeavour, every one of us, to reform our heart

and

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