| Having been led, as we believe,
by the Spirit of God, to receive
the Lord Jesus Christ as our
Savior, and on the profession of
our faith, having been baptized
in the name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost, we do now in the presence
of God, and this assembly, most solemnly and
joyfully enter into covenant
with one another, as one body in
Christ. We engage, therefore, by
the aid of the Holy Spirit, to
walk together in Christian love;
to strive for the advancement of
this Church, in knowledge,
holiness and comfort; to promote
its prosperity and spirituality;
to sustain its worship,
ordinances, discipline, and
doctrines; to contribute
cheerfully and regularly to the
support of the ministry, the
expenses of the Church, the
relief of the poor, and the
spread of the Gospel through all
nations.
We also engage to maintain
family and secret devotion; to
religiously educate our
children; to seek the salvation
of our kindred and
acquaintances; to walk
circumspectly in the world; to
be just in our dealings,
faithful in our engagements and
exemplary in our deportment; to
avoid all tattling, backbiting,
and excessive anger; to abstain
from the sale and use of
intoxicating drink as a
beverage, and to be zealous in
our efforts to advance the
kingdom of our Savior.
We further engage to watch
over one another in brotherly
love; to remember each other in
prayer; to aid each other in
sickness and distress; to
cultivate Christian sympathy in
feeling and courtesy in speech;
to be slow to take offense, but
always ready for reconciliation
and mindful of the rules of our
Savior, to secure it without
delay.
We moreover engage that, when we
remove from this place, we will
as soon as possible unite with
some other church where we can
carry out the spirit of this
covenant and the principles of
God's word.
|