Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1897-10-28
t--.-Ja-s---Hss--7T'7-
HIS COVENANT WITH GOD.
Queer Document Signed by a New Eng
lander Over 100 Years Ago,

Queer Document Signed, by a New Eng
lander Over 100 Years Ago.
Enos w. Boise. town clerk of
Blandford, has in his possession an
interesting document, now yellow
with age, but with ink clear, and in
remarkably legible hand, which
purports to be covenant with God
drawn by David Boise, one of Mr..
Bosses ancestors. The covenant is
dated April 1s, 1888, and was clearly a
work of great moment to its author.
He was evidently in mood of great
doubt as to his salvation and the re-
suit of his errors, and in period of
religious fervor sat himself down
and wrote out his state of mind. It
cannot be learned that such cove
nants were the usual custom with
the men of those days, and this doc
ument of Mr.. Boise's is a curiosity.
Its spelling is not exactly that OF to-
day, and there are other peculiari-
ties in the capitalization and the
like. The covenant reads az follows:
Eternal Jehovah desier to com unto thee q
poor Wretched sinner q miserabl Cretur who
am full Of sin and iniquity Defled in all the
powrs and Inequalities of both soul and body
by reason Of original sin and actual transgres-
sion and am Justly Liable unto thy wrath and
Dtspleasur not only in this World but also In
that which Is to Come and that Can by no
powr of min own nor no Created being Either
angels or men Can help me out Of this miser-
abb Condition in which I am and seeing thou
hast made known to me in thy Blessed name
that there Is way provided for the relief and
recovery of poor Sinners in and throug Jesus
Christ and hath been pleased to Condecend so
Low as to make known to me the way how to
obtain the pardon Of my sins and be again re-
stored unto Gods favour and the way Is If ever
I Expect Salvation in and through the blessed
redeemer Jesus Christ must be Denied to my
self and all min own righteousness and to Ac-
cept Of him as he is freely offred in the Gospel
and to be for thee and never for another and
to follow thee trough good report and Bad re-
port and to Continue faithful unto my Ifs
end.
and now o Lord the eternal God the Wonder.
full Condecending and mercifull God the heart
searching and reintrieng God who hath been
pleased of thy boundles and inf1nit mercy to
provid Such way of relif in and through
Jesus Christ the only Saviour and redeemer Of
POOR Lost and undon Sinners and hast made
proclamation in the Gospel that whatsoever
Cometh to theein and through him thou will
In noways Cast out and hast invited the weary
and heavey laddn Sinner to Com unto thee and
they Shall find rest unto their Soule and see-
ing o Lord God thou hast been pleased to invit
Such poor Wretched Sinner as am to Com
and enter into Cvenant with thee who Deserv-
eth rather to be cast into hell for my sins then
to have such a kind offer made unto me; yet
o Lord God seeing thou art pleased of thy in
dntt mercy to Condecend SO Low as to inyit
me poor SINFUL misarabl me to Com and Enter
into Cvenant with thee: which would have in
deed Been objectionable presumption in me to
have attempted to do were it not that thou had
invited mo to Com. I Do hartily imbrace the
offer Lord God Let it be Bargin Lord l Belive
help my unbelif Lord give my self to thee to
be for thee and to serve thee for ever Lord let
thy grace be sufficient for me and now Lord
my request and my petition is to thee for
Grace to help me to perform this Covenant
Alright and Lord God let not my failings max
void this Covenant: now o Lord God what !
have now don on Earth let 1t be ratified in
heaven amen and amen. DAVID BoIEs.
Dated the 18th of April: 1738