A Caution to Covenanters

This caution applies to me too. It can be easy to let our Christianity be mere intellectual entertainment, rather than a genuine saving interest in Christ and a self-denying life of obedience to Him. We are called to know and to profess the truth, no doubt. But we are also called to live it out. "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2nd Peter 3:18). Covenanters may vigorously defended the public Covenants (as they well should), and yet neglect something very basic and essential about Covenantal Christianity. The following words by Archibald Mason are by way of warning to all of us claiming to be Covenanters:

If we pretend to be friends to our public covenants, and profess ourselves to be under their obligation; and are, at the same time, destitute of an interest in God, as our God in Christ, our public profession, though never so right, will aggravate our condemnation at the last. Let us therefore be careful about the reality of our personal religion; for, if we want this, no profession can compensate the defect. In order unto our being personally in covenant with God, a knowledge and conviction of the misery and guilt of our natural state, by the covenant of works; of the way of our recovery thro' Jesus Christ, by the covenant of grace; and a taking hold of him, and of that covenant of which he is the Mediator, in the exercise of a saving faith, are of absolute and indispensable necessity. O, then, let these things be our chief concern. Personal covenanting with God should also be diligently studied. It consists in the Christian's taking hold of God's covenant, as all his salvation and desire, and in devoting himself unto the Lord, to serve and glorify him, in the strength of his grace, all the days of his life. These solemn transactions betwixt God and the soul tend greatly to promote the exercise of true religion in the heart, and contribute much to the Christian's enjoying the comfort of it. It must be exceedingly absurd, for persons to profess a zeal for public covenants with God, who have never, in a religious and spiritual manner, entered into a personal covenant with him. Of all such the Lord will say, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. Let Christians then be careful, while they manifest a becoming zeal for our public vows unto God, that they be personally interested in God, as their covenant-God in Christ.

Let us be Covenanters, and let us be true Covenanters.