ath broken
my covenant." And if it was culpable and dangerous to refuse a sign of
the Covenant, is it not peculiarly so to refuse to accede to it in
actually taking hold upon it? Hence, neglect of the duty has been
denounced. "The Lord said unto me, A conspiracy is found among the men
of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They are turned back
to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words;
and they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and
the house of Judah have broken my covenant, which I made with their
fathers. Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon
them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry
unto me, I will not hearken unto them."[212] Among the observances
engaged to by Israel at Sinai, were those of vowing and swearing. But
for disobeying the words of that Covenant, and consequently, for not
observing the exercise of Covenanting, many were threatened with a
curse. "Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Cursed be the man that
obeyeth not the words of this covenant, which I commanded your fathers
in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the
iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which
I command you: so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God."[213]
To show that the sin of refusing to engage in this exercise is
corresponding to that of breaking the Covenant of God, and consistent
with it, those who have broken their vows, and those who have not in
vowing sought the Lord, are classed and threatened together. "I will
also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of
Jerusalem; and I will cut off ... them that are turned back from the
Lord; and those that have not sought the Lord, nor enquired for
him."[214] The sin of refusing to Covenant, when found in the visible
Church, is the breach of an anterior Covenant obligation to engage in
the service, and is punishable as a breach of Covenant. And finally,
what a powerful motive to perform the duty is afforded in the Saviour's
denunciation,--"He that denieth me before men shall be denied before
the angels of God!" And, it is also commanded in those denunciations
that are uttered against such as do not perform it aright. Were it not
lawful declarations concerning the manner of doing it would not be made.
In the Scriptures there is no such thing as the condemnation of
insincerity in making an e