Public vows: Jacob's vow, Gen. xxviii. 21, did
oblige all his posterity, virtually comprehended in him, Hos. xii. 4.
The Rechabites found themselves obliged to observe the vow of their
forefather Jonadab, Jer. xxxv. 6, 14, for which they were rewarded and
commended. Public oaths do oblige posterity: Joseph took an oath of the
children of Israel, to carry up his bones to Canaan, Gen. i. 25, which
did oblige posterity some hundred years after. Exod. xiii 19. Josh.
xxiv. 32. National covenants with men before God, do oblige posterity,
as Israel's covenant with the Gibeonites, Josh. ix. 15, 19. The breach
whereof was punished in the days of David, 2 Sam. xxi. 1. Especially
National Covenants with God, before men, about things moral and
objectively obliging, are perpetual; and yet more especially (as Grotius
observes) when they are of an hereditary nature, i.e. when the subject
is permanent, the matter moral, the end good, and in the _form_ there is
a clause expressing their perpetuity.

All which ingredients of perpetual obligations are clear in Scotland's
Covenants, which are _national promises_, adjuring all ranks of persons,
under a curse, to preserve and promote reformation according to the word
of God, and extirpate the opposite thereof. _National vows_, devoting
the then engaging, and succeeding generations to be the Lord's people,
and walk in his ways. _National oaths_, solemnly sworn by all ranks,
never to admit of innovations, or submit to usurpations, contradictory
to the word of God. _National covenants_, wherein the king, parliament
and people did covenant with each other, to perform their respective
duties, in their several places and stations, inviolably to preserve
religion and liberty: Yea, more, _national laws_, solemnly ratified by
the king and parliament, and made the foundation of the people's compact
with the king, at his inauguration: And, finally, they are _national
covenants with God_, as party contracting, to keep all the words of his
covenant. The subject or parties contracting are permanent, to wit, the
unchangeable God and the kingdom of Scotland, (the same may be said of
England and Ireland,) which, whilst it remains a kingdom, is still under
the obligation of these covenants. The _matter_ is _moral_, antecedently
and eternally binding, albeit there had been no formal covenant: the
_ends_ of them perpetually good, to wit, _the defence of the true
reformed religion, and the maintenance of the King