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Copy of a Covenant, enter'd into and Sub-
scribed, by the People of GOD at Northampton, and own'd
before God in his House as their Vow to the LORD, and
made a solemn Act of publick Worship, by the Congregation
in general that were above fourteen Years of Age, on a Day
of Fafting and Prayer for the Continuance & Increafe of
the gracious Prefence of GOD in that Place.

March 16, 1741, 2.

ACKNOWLEDGING God's great Goodneſs to us, a finful unworthy People, in the bleſſed Manifestations, and Fruits of his gracious Prefence in this Town, both formerly and lately, and particularly in the very late SPIRITUAL Revival; and adoring the glorious Majefty, Power, and Grace of God, manifefted in the preſent wonderful Out-pouring of his Spirit, in many Parts of this Land, and in this Place; and lamenting our paſt Backſlidings and unneſtful Departings from God; and humbly begging of God that he would not mark our Iniquities, but for Chriſt's fake, come over the Mountains of our Sins, and viſit us with his Salvation, and continue the Tokens of his Prefence with us, and yet more gloriously pour out his bleſſed Spirit upon us, and make us all Partakers of the divine Blesſings, he is, at this Day, beſtowing here, and in many Parts of this Land; we do this Day preſent our Selves before the Lord, to renounce our evil Ways, and put away our Abominations from before God's Eyes, and with one Accord, to renew our Engagements to feek and ſerve God: And particularly do now solemnly Promife and Vow to the Lord as follows—

In all our Converſation, Concerns, and Dealings with our Neighbour, we will have a firſt Regard to Rules of Honesty, Juitſice, and Uprightneſs, that we don't overreach or defraud our Neighbour, in any Matter, and either wilfully, or through want of Care, injure him in any of his honet Poſſeffions, or Rights; and in all our Communication, will have a tender Reſpect, not only to our own Intereft, but alſo to the Intereft of our Neighbour; and will carefully endeavour, in every Thing, to do to others, as we ſhould expeſt, or think reaſonable, that they ſhould do to us, if we were in their Cafe, and they in ours.

And particularly we will endeavour to render to every one his Due, and will take Heed to our Selves, that we don't wrong our Neighbour, and give him juſt Caufe of Offence, by wilfully, or negligently forbearing to pay our honet Debts.

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And wherein any of us, upon strict Examination of our past Behaviour, may be conscious to our Selves, that we have by any Means, wrong'd any of our Neighbours in their outward Estate, we will not reft, till we have made that Restitution, or given that Satisfaction, which the Rules of moral Equity require; or if we are, on a strict and impartial Search, conscious to our Selves, that we have in any other Respect, considerably injured our Neighbour, we will truly endeavour to do that, which we, in our Consciences, SUPPOSE Christian Rules require, in order to a Reparation of the Injury, and removing the Offence given thereby.

And furthermore we promife, that we will not allow our Selves in Backbiting; and that we will take great Heed to our Selves to avoid all Violations of those Christian Rules, Tit. 3. 2. *Speak Evil of no Man.* Jam. 4. 11. *Speak not Evil one of another, Brethren.* And 2 Cor. 12. 20. *Left there be Strifes, Backbitings, Whisperings.* And that we will not only, not flander our Neighbour, but also will not, to feed a Spirit of Bitternefs, Ill-Will, or secret Grudge against our Neighbour, inflit on his real Faults, needlefly, and when not called to it, or from such a Spirit, speak of his Failings and Blemishes with Ridicule, or an Air of Contempt.

And we promife that we will be very careful to avoid doing any Thing to our Neighbour from a Spirit of Revenge. And that we will take great Care that we do not, for private Intereft, or our own Honour, or to maintain our Selves against those of a contrary Party, or to get our Wills, or to promote any Deſign in Opposition to others, do those Things which we, or the most impartial Consideration we are capable of, can think in our Conſciences, will tend to wound Religion, and the Intereft of Chriſt's Kingdom.

And particularly, that so far as any of us, by divine Providence, have any ſpecial Influence upon others, to lead them, in the Management of publick Affairs, we will not make our own worldly Gain, or Honour, or Intereft in the Aſfections of others, or getting the better of any of a contrary Party, that are in any Respect our Competitors, or the bringing, or keeping them down, our governing Aim, to the Prejudice of the Intereft of Religion, and the Honour of Chriſt.

And in the Management of any publick Affair, wherein there is a Difference of Opinions, concerning any outward Poffeffions, Privileges, Rights or Properties; we will not wittingly violate Juitice, for private Intereft: and with the greatest strictneſs and watchfulneſs, will avoid all unchriftian Bitterneſs, Vehemence, and Heat of Spirit; yea tho' we ſhould think our Selves injured by a contrary Party: and in the Time of the Management of ſuch Affairs, will especially watch over our Selves, our Spirits, and our Tongues, to avoid all unchriftian Inveighings, Reproachings, bitter Reflectings, judging and ridiculing others, either in publick Meetings, or in private Converſation, either to Mens Faces, or behind their Backs; but will greatly endeavour, so far as we are concerned, that all should be managed with Christian Humility, Geſtaltneſs, Quietneſs and Love.

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And furthermore we promise that we will not tollerate the Exercife of Enmity, and Ill-Will, or Revenge in our Hearts, againft any of our Neighbours ; and we will often be strictly fearching & examining ourHearts with Respect to that Matter.

And if any of us find that we have an old secret Grudge againft any of our Neighbours, we will not gratify it, but crofs it, and endeavour, to our utmoft, to root it out, crying to God for his Help ; and that we will make it our true and faithful Endeavour, in our Places, that a Party Spirit may not be kept up amongst us, but that it may utterly ceafe ; that for the future we may all be one, united in undisturbed Peace, and unfeigned Love.

And those of us that are in Youth, do promise never to allow our felves in any youthful Diverfions and Paftimes, in Meetings, or Companies of young People, that we in our Conſciences, upon ſober Conſideration, judge not well to conſift with, or would finfully tend to hinder the devouteſt, and moſt engaged Spirit in Religion, or indifpofe the Mind for that devout, and profitable Attendance on the Duties of the Cloſet, which is moſt agreeable to God's Will, or that we, in our moſt impartial Judgment, can think tends to rob God of that Honour which he expects, by our orderly, ſerious Attendance on Family-Worship.

And furthermore we promise that we will strictly avoid all Freedoms and Familiarities in Company, ſo tending, either to ſtir up, or gratify a Luft of Laciviousneſ that we cannot in our Conſciences think will be approved by the infinitely pure and holy Eye of God, or that we can think on serious and impartial Consideration, if they should be afraid to practice, if we expected in a few Hours to appear before that holy God, to give an Account of our felves to him, as fearing they would be condemned by him as unlawful and impure.

We also promise, with great Watchfulneſs, to perform relative Duties, required by Chriſtian Rules, in the Families we belong to, as we stand related respectively, towards Parents and Children, Husbands and Wives, Brothers and Sifters, Maſters, or Miftreffes and Servants.

And we now appear before GOD, depending on divine Grace and Affiſtance, solemnly to devote our whole Lives, to be laboriouſly ſpent in the Buſineſs of Religion; ever making it our greateſt Buſineſs, without backſliding from ſuch a Way of living, not hearkening to the Solicitations of our Sloth, and other corrupt Inclinations, or the Temptations of the World, that tend to draw us off from it; and particularly, that we will not abufe an Hope, or Opinion that any of us may have of our being intereſted in Chriſt, to indulge our ſelves in Sloth, or the more easily to yield to the Solicitations of any finful Inclinations; but will run with Perſeverance, the Race that is ſet before us, and work out our own Salvation with Fear and Trembling.

And