“A SOLEMN COVENANT: The Dedication of Myself to God.”

By Albert Benjamin Simpson Saturday, January 19, 1861

“O Thou everlasting and almighty God, Ruler of the universe, Thou who madest this world and me, Thy creature upon it, Thou who art in every place beholding the evil and the good, Thou seest Me at this time and knowest all my thoughts. I know and feel that my inmost thoughts are all familiar to Thee, and Thou knowest what motives have induced me to come me to Thee at this time. I appeal to Thee, O Thou Searcher of hearts, so far as I know my own heart, it is not a worldly motive that has brought me before Thee now. But my ‘heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked,’ and I would not pretend to trust to it; but Thou knowest that I have a desire to dedicate myself to Thee for time and eternity. I would come before Thee as a sinner, lost and ruined by the fall, and by my actual transgressions, yea, as the vilest of all Thy creatures. When I look back on my past life, I am filled with shame and confusion. I am rude and ignorant, and in Thy sight a beast. Thou, O Lord, didst make Adam holy and happy, and gavest him ability to maintain his state. The penalty of his disobedience was death, but he disobeyed Thy holy law and incurred that penalty, and I, as a descendant from him, have inherited this depravity and this penalty. I acknowledge the justness of Thy sentence, O Lord, and would bow in submission before Thee.

“How canst Thou, O Lord, condescend to look on me, a vile creature? For it is infinite condescension to notice me. But truly, Thy loving kindness is infinite and from everlasting. Thou, O Lord, didst send Thy Son in our image, with a body such as mine and a reasonable soul. In Him were united all the perfections of the Godhead with the humility of our sinful nature. He is the Mediator of the New Covenant, and through Him we all have access unto Thee by the same Spirit. Through Jesus, the only Mediator, I would come to Thee, O Lord, and trusting in His merits and mediation, I would boldly approach Thy throne of grace. I feel my own insignificance, O Lord, but do Thou strengthen me by Thy Spirit. I would now approach Thee in order to covenant with Thee for life everlasting. Thou in Thy Word hast told us that it is Thy Will that all who believe in Thy Son might have everlasting life and Thou wilt raise him up at the last day. Thou hast given us a New Covenant and hast sealed that covenant in Thy blood, O Jesus, on the cross.

“I now declare before Thee and before my conscience and bear witness, O ye heavens, and all the inhabitants thereof, and thou earth, which my God has made, that I accept the conditions of this covenant and close with its terms. These are that I believe on Jesus and accept of salvation through Him, my Prophet, Priest, and King, as made unto me of God wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemptionand complete salvation. Thou, O Lord, hastmade me willing to come to Thee. Thou hast subdued my rebellious heart by Thy love. So now take it and use it for Thy glory. Whatever rebellious thoughts may arise therein, do Thou overcome them and bring into subjection everything that opposeth itself to Thy authority. I yield myself unto Thee as one alive from the dead, for time and eternity. Take me and use me entirely for Thy glory.

“Ratify now in Heaven, O my Father, this Covenant. Remember it, O Lord, when Thou bringest me to the Jordan. Remember it, O Lord, in that day when Thou comest with all the angels and saints to judge the world, and may I be at Thy right hand then and in heaven with Thee forever. Write down in heaven that I have become Thine, Thine only, and Thine forever. Remember me, O Lord, in the hour of temptation, and let me never depart from this covenant. I feel, O Lord, my own weakness and do not make this in my own strength, else I must fail. But in Thy strength, O captain of my salvation, I shall be strong and more than conqueror through Him who loved me.

“I have now, O Lord, as Thou hast said in Thy Word, covenanted with Thee, not for worldly honors or fame but for everlasting life, and I know that Thou art true and shalt never break Thy holy Word. Give to me now all the blessings of the New Covenant and especially the Holy Spirit in great abundance, which is the earnest of my inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession. May a double portion of Thy Spirit rest upon me, and then I shall go and proclaim to transgressors Thy ways and Thy laws to the people. Sanctify me wholly and make me fit for heaven. Give me all spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

“I am now a soldier of the cross and a follower of the Lamb, and my motto from henceforth is ‘I have one King, even Jesus.’ Support and strengthen me, O my Captain, and be mine forever.

“Place me in what circumstances Thou mayest desire; but if it be Thy holy will, I desire that Thou ‘give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient, lest I be poor and steal, or lest I be rich and say, Who is the Lord?’ But Thy will be done. Now give me Thy Spirit and Thy protection in my heart at all times, and then I shall drink of the rivers of salvation, lie down by still waters, and be infinitely happy in the favor of my God.

A. B. Simpson (1843-1919) was the founder of the Christian & Missionary Alliance. He wrote this covenant not long after his conversion, committing himself to the service of God.