THE APPLICATION OF THE WHOLE

HAVING thus, by the help of God, vindicated the good ways of the LORD from the cavils and reproaches of unreasonable men; and proved that the precisest Christians are the wisest men, and that the Godliness, which is cried down for folly and fancy, is indispensably necessary to salvation; I shall now take you by the hand, and lead you on (as many of you as are willing to follow me) to the practice of it. And in this undertaking, I shall apply myself, First, To the Ungodly; Secondly, To the Godly.

FIRST, I shall speak a few words to the Ungodly. Speak now, O ye foolish sinners; Is Godliness of GOD Is Christianity of CHRIST, or is it not Is holiness the way of life, or can you hope to see life without it If you say it is not of God, and will stand to it, produce your cause, bring forth your strong reasonings: only I must tell you, if you say any thing, you had need look to it, that it be something of weight that you allege in a matter of such importance.

Let your consciences speak, for to them I appeal. Whose voice is this;-” See that you walk circumspectly: Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leads to life: God hath set apart him that is godly for himself: Follow holiness, without which no man shall see God: “-Speak, sinners, whose words are these And what do we speak more, or other than this Dare you say concerning the way of life, as it hath been described to you, If this be Godliness let me never see GOD But if your consciences tell you, that this is of God, that this strait way is the only way of life; then, O consider, what is it that you have done, and whom is it that you have reproached Mean you still to hold your course, be it right or wrong, come life, come death

Is there any among you, whose heart smites him on the mouth, and whispers him thus in the ear: “ Blasphemest thou God, revilest thou his servants, and wilt thou still go on to pervert the good ways of the LORD” Is there any among you that does inquire,” What must I do to get into this way of life” Let such of you hearken unto me, whilst I give these following directions.

Consider, that I am now dealing with you about your entrance upon a godly life: my present business is to help you over the threshold; for you must first be Christians, ere you can follow CHRIST; you must first enter in at the strait gate, ere you can walk in the narrow way. Now if ever you would attain to the beginning of Godliness, take this course.

I. Get these three principles deeply fixed in your hearts: 1. That the things which are eternal are unspeakably more considerable than the things which are but temporal. 2. That things not seen are as infallibly certain as the things which are seen. 3. That according to your present choice must be your eternal lot.

1. That the things which are eternal are unspeakably more considerable than the things which are but temporal. It is not so considerable, what men enjoy or suffer in this world, as what they shall enjoy or suffer in the world to come. There are good things temporal, and good things eternal; and there are evil things temporal, and evil things eternal. The good things temporal are meat, and drink, and money, and clothes, and ease, and pleasures, and credit: and the good things eternal are glory, and joy, and rest, and everlasting blessedness. The evil things temporal are the sufferings, losses, wants, sorrow; shame, scorn; and torments, which men fall under, or lie under, in this life: the evil things to come are, in one word, the vengeance of eternal fire.

The good things and the evil things of this life are more perceptible, having the advantage of their presence, and obviousness to our senses. The good things and the evil things to come are less understood, having the disadvantage of their distance, and those clouds that yet keep them out of sight; and hereupon those are slighted, and these are looked upon as the only considerable things. And till men be set right in these apprehensions, it will be a fruitless attempt to persuade them to come to CHRIST.

The difficulty of persuading sinners to come to CHRIST lies mainly here; there is so much to be lost and left for CHRIST, so much to be suffered and undergone, so much labor, so much hardship and trouble, that they cannot see how Christianity can ever make them amends for what they are like to suffer; they will not be made sensible, that things eternal will balance the things that are before them; they will not be persuaded, but that they shall be great losers by hearkening to CHRIST. Now, whence is it that men are thus foolish If they did but clearly understand the vast difference there is betwixt the vain glory of the world, and the weight of that glory that is to come, betwixt the light afflictions of this life, and the astonishing torments of the other world, they would be of another mind; and the great objections against godliness would then be all answered and removed.

Thou sayest, sinner, that it is hard to part with thine ease, and thy pleasure, and thy liberty, and thy delights, which, if thou wilt follow CHRIST, thou seest must all go. But how wilt thou bear it, to be shut out of the everlasting kingdom, to be shut out from the presence of GOD Art thou indeed of the mind of that Atheist, who said,” He would not leave his part in Paris, for his part in Paradise” Thou canst not endure the trouble and persecution of this world; but how wilt thou endure the torments and plagues of the other world O, if thou Overt but sensible what that exceeding great and eternal weight of glory is, or what thou wilt find everlasting death to be, then what insignificant things would all things that are now before thee appear to be! SATAN would then want arguments to dissuade sinners from CHRIST: his tempting trade would quickly grow to be a poor trade, if the concern of eternity were clearly understood, and duly regarded.

When the LORD hath once showed you the wonderful things of eternity, the true riches, the enduring substance, together with the worm that never dieth, and the fire that never shall be quenched; when the LORD has showed you, what a heaven lie hath prepared for the saints, what an oven lie hath prepared for sinners; then neglect CHRIST if you can; then neglect holiness if you dare; then look down and see, what poor contemptible things the pleasures and the sufferings here appear to be. O study things eternal more, launch forth into these deeps, and dwell upon the meditations of them, till your hearts, and all that is within you, confess that things present are nothing in comparison with things to come.

2. That the things which are not seen, are as infallibly certain as the things that are seen.-There is much Atheism and infidelity in the hearts of men; and more than they are aware of. If they do not peremptorily conclude that there are no such things, yet are there not many whose hearts question, at least, whether there be any such things or no” We have read and heard of another world, but no mortal ever saw it: Who ever has ascended up to heaven, and has brought us word what he had seen there Who ever hath descended into the deep, and brought us up tidings thence It may be that there may be no such matter. If we could speak with one that has been there, that would be something to assure us.” But what if it appears, that you may have as great certainty of these things, as if one should rise from the dead, and come and tell you Do not the Scriptures tell you of such things The Scriptures are a sure word; and there is as unquestionable evidence of the truth of what they speak, and you have as great reason to believe them, as if you had the testimony of one raised from the dead.

Beloved, if you should see before your eyes persons rising from the dead;-If one should come down from heaven, and come in here into this congregation, in all his glorious robes, with his palm in his hand, his crown on his head, the joy and glory of the LORD shining forth in his face, and should declare unto you wonderful things which his eyes had seen, and with which his heart had been ravished in the presence of God;-if you should see another coming up out of the deep, with his chains and darkness upon him, with the smell of that infernal fire and brimstone about him, with the print of the Dragon's claws appearing in his flesh, and the blackness of that smoking furnace sticking on his face, and, hideously roaring out the anguish which lie feels burning in his bowels, he should tell you,” This is the estate of them that know not GOD;”-if you should see two such sights appearing this hour here in the midst of you, would you not think you had reason to believe that there are a heaven and a hell This word, which is before you, is a far greater, and a-more certain evidence, than if tidings were thus brought to you by persons rising from the dead: and if you will not give credit to this testimony of GOD, neither would you give credit to any such testimony. Sinners! believe God, believe Him who was once on earth, and now daily speaks to you from heaven believe that word which is before you, in which appear such beams of divine light, such an impress of divine purity, and which hath been so attested by a divine power, in mighty signs and wonders, that you may as well question whether the sun hath light, as whether his word hath truth; believe this word to be certain, and then question, if you can, whether the things not seen are certain or no.

Let these two things sink into your hearts, sinners; be once settled and established in the importance, and the truth, and the certainty of these eternal things; and then you are gotten fairly onwards in your way towards CHRIST and a godly life.

O brethren, if you were once brought to this pass, if your unbelief were removed, your darkness taken away, your souls awakened, your eyes opened to see these marvelous things as unquestionable truths; would you then mock at godliness Would you then slight reproofs, or need any further conviction of your folly You would have an admonisher within you, a remembrancer within you, a reprover within you; your own consciences would plead with you, and would continually cry in your ears, “What meanest thou, O fool Dost thou not see a kingdom before thee, which may be thine, and art thou willing to lose it Dost thou not see that gulf of misery gaping to devour thee Arise, sluggard, look to thyself, lest thou be undone before thou art aware.”

That according to your choice in this world, your lot must be for ever in the world to come.-Your choosing or refusing CHRIST and his holy ways, is that which does determine your, eternal state; choose CHRIST, and you make heaven sure to you; refuse CHRIST here, and you will be rejected of him for ever.

GOD does of er you this choice; either the strait and the narrow way, with that life of blessedness which is at the farther end of this way; or the broad way, with that death and destruction to which it leads;-CHRIST with his yoke, his cross, and his eternal crown; or the Devil with his golden mines, his paradise, and eternal prison: and all the parts of each of these offers are linked together. Choose the Devil's golden mines, and fleshly paradise, and you must have his prison too; take CHRIST'S yoke and his cross, and you shall have his crown: You cannot take the Devil's paradise and CHRIST'S crown; you cannot obtain life, without choosing the narrow way that leads to it.

Here is the choice, sinners, which GOD puts you to it is the business of this world to choose for eternity; and that which is the business of this life is the business of this hour. This very little piece of your time, and the choice you make now f may be that which will give a final determination as to what your eternal state shall be: if you make an evil choice now, you may never have a minute's time to choose again for ever. If your hearts were sensible of this, that there is so much depending upon every hour of your lives, as life or death, heaven, hell, or eternity, surely you could not but reason thus with yourselves: “ Is it a time for me to stand all the day idle, to be laughing or sporting, or to be drudging and scraping for the dirt of this earth Is this a time for me to stand trifling with CHRIST and the Gospel, to make so many delays, to make so many excuses, -the terms are too high, the way is too strait, the yoke is too heavy; this I cannot part with; that I cannot bring my heart to subscribe to Is this the business that is now under debate,-what my everlasting state must be, in which of the two regions of eternity my lot shall fall, whether I shall be a saint or a Devil, a vessel of honor or a vessel of wrath, whether my dwelling shall be in everlasting blessedness, or in everlasting burnings Which way soever the scales turn, either for CHRIST or the world, do they turn for-everlasting Surely, if matters stand thus, I ought to be serious, and consider what I do.”

This is the first direction, Get these three principles fixed in your hearts: that things eternal are much more considerable than things temporal; that things not seen are as certain as the things that are seen; and that upon your present choice depends your eternal lot. Choose CHRIST and his ways, and you are blessed for ever; refuse, and you are undone for ever. And then,

II. Make your choice. Turn either to the right hand or to the left. Lay both parts before you, with every link of each; CHRIST with his yoke, his cross, and his crown; or the Devil- with his wealth, his pleasure, and his curse; and then put yourselves to it thus: “ Soul, thou seest what is before thee, what wilt thou do Which wilt thou have, either the crown or the curse If thou choose the crown, remember that the day thou takest this, thou must be content to submit to the cross and yoke, the service and the sufferings of CHRIST, which are linked to it. What sayest thou Hadst thou rather take the gains and pleasures of sin, and venture on the curse Or wilt thou yield thyself a servant to CHRIST, and so make sure of the crown” If your hearts fly off, and would fain wave the business, leave them not so. If you be unresolved, you are resolved: if you remain undetermined for CHRIST, you are determined for the Devil. Therefore give not off, but follow your hearts from day to day; let them not rest, till the matter be brought to an issue; and see that you make a good choice.

This is your choosing the good part, GOD and the blessedness of the world to come, for your portion and happiness; and in this is included, your renouncing the world, and worldly happiness.

III. Embark with CHRIST. Adventure yourselves with him; cast yourselves upon his righteousness, as that which shall bring you to GOD. As a poor captive exile, who is cast upon a strange land, a land of robbers and murderers, where he is ready to perish; and having no hope, either of abiding there, or escaping home with life; and meeting at length with a pilot, that offers to transport him safely home, he embarks with him, and ventures himself and all he hash in his vessel; do you likewise. You are exiles from the presence of GOD, and fallen into a land of robbers and murderers: your sins are robbers, your pleasures are robbers, your companions in sin are robbers and thieves if you stay where you are, you perish, and escape home of yourselves you cannot: CHRIST offers, if you will venture with him, he will bring you home, and he will bring you to GOD. Will you say now to him,” LORD JESUS, wilt thou undertake for me Wilt thou bring me to GOD Wilt thou bring me into the land of promise With thee will I venture myself; I cast myself upon thee, upon thy blood, upon thy righteousness; I lay up all my hopes, and venture my whole interest, soul, and body, with thee.”

This is closing with CHRIST as your Priest. And in this is included your renouncing your own righteousness; for you can never, you will never, cast yourselves on him alone, till all your hopes in yourselves have given up the ghost.

There are two things which must necessarily be supposed, in order to a sinner's coming to CHRIST: 1. A deep sense of his sin and misery. 2. An utter despair of himself, and of all things else besides CHRIST.

1. A deep sense of his sin and misery. No man will regard a Savior that does not see himself a sinner the whole regard not the physician. Therefore it is said, that the SPIRIT of GOD, when he should come to Christianize the world, should, in the first place,” convince the world of sin.” (John 16: 8.) He shall convince the world of sin; he shall demonstrate them sinners, bring up their sins before their eyes, bring home their sins upon their consciences, and make them see themselves, and feel themselves, the most vile and abominable of creatures. Sin hides itself from the sinner's eyes, and all its vileness and deformity: but the SPIRIT of GOD plucks off the mantle, and makes sin appear to be sin; makes all the sinner's gods appear to be so many devils; brings forth the blackness and filthiness of sin into sight; and makes the sinner see himself an unclean and abominable thing. And withal, he brings forth the guilt of sin, and sets all these devils on tormenting the sinner; filling him with fear, and terror, and amazement. In this respect he is called the SPIRIT of Bondage, that works fear and trouble in the heart. The SPIRIT's awakening a sleepy sinner, is a kind of awakening in hell. “LORD, what am I! What mean these legions round about me; these chains and fetters that are upon me What means this black roll, before mine eyes, of curses, and wrath, and woes LORD, where am I! Have I been playing, and sporting, and making merry, and my soul in such a case as this But is there no hope of escaping out of this wretched state I see there is no abiding thus: I am but a dead man if I continue as I am. What may I do to be saved” When he is brought to this, there is some way made for his entertainment of CHRIST: yet this is not all that is needful, but he must further be brought to,

2. An utter despair of himself, and all things else beside CHRIST. Being made sensible of his sin and his danger, a sinner will look for help and deliverance; but he will look every where else, before he look unto CHRIST. Nothing will bring a sinner to CHRIST, but absolute necessity: he will try to forsake his sins; will think of leaving his drunkenness, and becoming sober, or of leaving his adulteries, and becoming chaste; and so see if by this means lie may not escape. He will go to prayers, and sermons, and sacraments, and search out if there be no salvation in them. But all these, though they be useful in their places, yet looking no further, the sinner sees there is no help in them: his righteousness cannot help him, this is but rags; his duties cannot help him, these may [on account of his frequent defects and short-comings in them] be reckoned among his sins; ordinances cannot help, these are but empty cisterns; and all tell him, ”You knock at a wrong door, salvation is not in us.” “Well, the LORD be merciful to me,” says the sinner, ”what shall I do Abide as I am, I dare not, and how to help myself I know not; my praying will not help me; my hearing will not help me; if I give all my goods to the poor, or if I should give my body to be burned, all this would not save my soul: Woe is me, what shall I do, and whither shall I go.”

And now, being brought to this distress, to this utter loss, his despair drives him to the only door of hope that is left open. Then CHRIST will be acceptable, when he sees that none but CHRIST can help him. The Apostle tells us,” We were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.” (Gal.. 3: 23.) All other doors were shut up against us; there was no hope of escaping, but by that one door that was left open,” The faith that was afterwards to be revealed.” Thus the besieged in a city, who have every gate blocked up, and but one difficult passage left open by which there is any possibility of escaping, thither throng for the saving of their lives; and so they are shut up unto that door, to which (if there had been any other way open) they would never have come.

And as CHRIST will never be accepted, so can the sinner never be received of him, till he lets go all other props, and trusts on him alone. CHRIST will have no sharer with him in the work of saving souls.” If ye seek me, let these go their way;”-as he said in another case.” Let not only your sins go, but let your righteousness go, all the refuges of lies wherein you have trusted; let all go, if you will have me to be a refuge to you. I came not to call the righteous; if I should, they would not come; or if they come, let them go as they came; let them go to their righteousness in which they trust; and let naked, destitute, distressed sinners come to me, who am come to this end, to seek and to save them that are lost.”

Sinners, will you come now Will you venture here For this your adventuring on CHRIST, you have this threefold warrant:-1. GOD's Ordination. This is he whom GOD the FATHER has appointed, and sent into the world, to bring back his exiles to himself, and to, save sinners. This is he whom GOD the FATHER has “sealed;” has marked him out for that chosen person, in whom is salvation; has sealed him his commission, for redeeming and reconciling the world to himself. As GOD said unto the three friends of Jon, when he was angry with them,” Go to my servant JOB, and he shall offer sacrifice for you; he shall pray for you, for him will I accept: “ (Job xlii. 8:) so to sinners, “Go,” says the LORD, “to my servant JESUS He shall offer sacrifice for you, he shall make reconciliation for you: ““ Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine elect in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my SPIRIT upon him; lie shall bring forth judgment to the gentiles.” (Isa. xlii. 1.)-2. GOD's Command.” This is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his SON JESUS CHRIST.” (1 John 3: 23.) 3. The Promise of GOD.” Behold I lay in Sion a chief corner-stone, elect, precious; he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.” (1 Pet. 2: 6.)

Now having this three-fold warrant, the warrant of GOD'S Ordination, Command, and Promise, you may be bold to adventure on CHRIST, and to apply yourselves to him thus: “LORD JESUS, here I am, -a poor captive exile, a lost creature, an enemy to GOD, under his wrath and curse: wilt thou, LORD, undertake for me, reconcile me to GOD, and save my soul Do not, LORD, refuse me; for if thou refuse me, to whom then shall I go Art not thou he, and he alone, whom GOD the FATHER hath sealed the Savior of sinners The LORD GOD hath sent me to thee, and hath bid me come; he hath commanded me to believe, and cast myself upon thee. LORD JESUS, wilt thou refuse to help a distressed creature, whom the FATHER hath sent to thee for thy help If I had come on my own head, or in my own name, thou mightest well have put me back; but since I come at the command of the FATHER, reject me not. LORD, help me; LORD, save me. Art thou not he, concerning whom the FATHER hath promised, “He that believeth on Him shall not be confounded” I come, LORD; I believe, LORD; I throw myself upon thy grace and, mercy; I cast myself upon thy blood and bowels; [upon thy mercy, and atoning blood;] do not refuse me. I have not whither else to go; here I will stay; I will not stir from thy door; on thee I will trust, and rest, and venture myself; GOD hath laid my help on thee, and on thee I lay my hope, for pardon, for life, for salvation: If I perish, I perish on thy shoulders; if I sink, I sink in thy vessel; if I die, I die at thy door; bid me not go away, for I will not go.

IV. Resign, and deliver up yourselves to GOD in CHRIST. “Yield yourselves to the LORD,” that is, as his servants: give up the dominion and government of yourselves to CHRIST.” Neither yield your members, as instruments of unrighteousness onto sin, but yield yourselves to GOD, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto GOD.”“ To whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are, to whom you obey.” Yield yourselves so to the LORD, that you may henceforth be the LORD's. “ I am thine,” says the Psalmist. Those that yield themselves to sin and the world, say in their hearts,” Sin, I am thine; world, I am thine; riches I am yours; pleasures, I am yours.” I am thine,” says the Psalmist; devoted to thy fear, dedicated to thy service; 111 am thine, save me.” Give yourselves to CHRIST, sinners; be devoted to his fear.

And this giving yourselves to him must be such, as supposes that you be heartily contented, 1. That he appoint you your Work: 2. That he appoint you your Station.

1. That he appoint you your Work; that he put you to whatsoever he pleases. Servants, as they must do their master's work, so they must do that work which their master appoints them; they must be for any work their master hath for them to do; they must not pick and choose, saying, “This I will do, and that I will not do: “ they must not say,” This is too hard, or this is too mean, or this may be well enough let alone: “ good servants, when they have chosen their master, will let their master choose their work, and will not dispute his will, but do it.

CHRIST hath many services to be done. Some are more easy and honorable, others more difficult and disgraceful; some are suitable to our inclinations and interests, others are contrary to both. In some we may please CHRIST and please ourselves, as when he requires us to feed and clothe ourselves, and to provide things honest for our own maintenance: yea, and there are some spiritual duties that are more pleasing than others; as to rejoice in the LORD, to be blessing and praising GOD, to be feeding ourselves with the delights and comforts of religion; these are the sweet works of a Christian. But then there are other works, wherein we cannot please CHRIST but by denying ourselves, as giving and lending, bearing and forbearing, reproving men for their sins, withdrawing from their company, witnessing against their wickedness, confessing CHRIST and his name, when it will cost us shame and reproach, sailing against the wind, swimming against the tide, steering contrary to the time, and parting with our ease, our liberties, and accommodations, for the name of our LORD JESUS.

It is necessary, Beloved, to sit down and consider what it. will cost you to be the servants of CHRIST;; to take a thorough style and business of Christianity; and not engage, *, to you know not what. See what it is that CHRIST does expect, and then yield yourselves to his whole will: do not think of compounding, or making your own terms with CHRIST; that will never be allowed you. Go to CHRIST, and tell him, ”LORD JESUS, if thou wilt receive me into thine house, if thou wilt but own me as thy servant, I will not stand upon terms; impose on me what condition thou pleasest, write down thine own articles, command me what thou wilt, put me to any thing thou seest good; only let me come under thy roof, let me be thy servant, and then spare not to command me; I will be no longer mine own, but give up myself to thy will in all things.”

2. That he shall appoint you your Station and Condition; whether it be higher or lower, a prosperous or afflicted state. Be content that CHRIST should both choose your work, and choose your condition; that he should have the command of you, and the disposal of you.”Make me what thou wilt, LORD, and set me where thou wilt; let me be a vessel of silver or gold, or a vessel of wood or stone, so I be a vessel of honor; of whatsoever form or metal, whether higher or lower, finer or coarser, I am content. If I be not the head, or the eye, or the ear,-one of the nobler and more honorable instruments which thou wilt employ,-let me be the hand, or the foot, one of the most laborious, and lowest, and most contemptible, of all the servants of my LORD. Let my dwelling be on the dunghill, my portion in the wilderness, my name and my lot among the hewers of wood, or drawers of water, or among the door-keepers of thy house;-anywhere, where I maybe serviceable. I put myself wholly into thy hands: put me to what thou wilt; rank me with whom thou wilt; put me to doing, or put me to suffering; let me be employed for thee, or laid aside for thee; exalted for thee, or trodden under foot for thee; let me be full, or let me be empty; let me have all things, or let me have nothing: I freely and heartily resign all to thy pleasure and disposal.”

This is closing with CHRIST, as your King and Sovereign Lord; and in this is included, your renouncing the Devil and his works, the flesh and its lusts; together with your consenting to all the laws and ordinances of CHRIST, and his providential government.

Beloved, such a closing with CHRIST as you have here been exhorted to, is that wherein the essence of Christianity lies. When you have chosen the incorruptible crown, that is, when you have chosen GOD to be your portion and happiness; when you have adventured and laid up your whole interest, and all your hopes with CHRIST, casting yourself wholly upon the merits of his righteousness; when you have understandingly and heartily resigned and given up yourselves to him, resolving for ever to be at his command and at his disposal;-then you are Christians indeed, and never till then. CHRIST will be the Savior of none but of his servants; he is the author of eternal salvation to those that obey him: CHRIST will have no servants but by consent; his people are a willing people; and CHRIST will accept of no consent but in full, to all that he requires; He will be all in all, or he will be nothing.

V. Confirm and complete all this by solemn Covenant. Give yourselves to the LORD as his servants, and bind yourselves to him as his covenant-servants. Upon your entering into covenant with GOD, the covenant of GOD stands firm to you. GOD gives you leave, every man, to put in his own name into the covenant-grant. If it be not found there at last, it will be your own fault: if it be not there, there will be nothing found in the whole covenant belonging unto you: if it be there, all is yours: if you have come into the bond of the covenant, you shall have your share in the blessings of the covenant.” Thou hast avouched the LORD this day to be thy GOD, to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, to hearken to his voice. And the LORD hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he has promised thee.” (Deut. 26: 17, 18.) Observe: the same day that they avouched the LORD to be their GOD, the same day the LORD avoucheth them to be his peculiar people: the same day that they engage to keep the commandments of GOD, the same day the LORD engageth to keep his promise with them.

There is a twofold covenanting with GOD; in Profession, and in Reality: an entering our names, or an engaging our hearts. The former is done in Baptism, by all that are baptized, who, by receiving that seal of the covenant, are visibly, or in profession, entered into it. The latter is also twofold.-l. Virtual. Which is done by all those who have sincerely made that closure with GOD in CUR IsT,which has been described. Those who have chosen the LORD, embarked with CHRIST, resigned up, and given themselves to the LORD, are all engaged persons, and have virtually covenanted with him. 2. Formal. Which is our binding ourselves to the LORD, by solemn vow or promise, to stand to our choice. And this may be, either only inward in the soul; or outward, and expressed either by words, lifting up of the hand, subscribing the hand, or the like. And by how much the more express and solemn our covenanting with God is, by so much the more sensibly and strongly is it like to hold our hearts to him.

Now that which I would persuade you to, is this solemn and express covenanting with God. Divine Providence has lately brought to my hand the advice of a dear friend and faithful laborer in the work of the LORD about this matter, together with an excellent Form of Words composed for the help of weaker Christians, and aptly accommodated to all the substantials of our baptismal covenant; which having found great accptance with many, I do with much zeal, for the establishing of souls in holiness and comfort, commend it to the use not only of young converts, but of the more grown Christians, that have not experimented this or the like course. And in order to the

The Rev. John ALLEIN is probably the person here meant. The same Form of Covenant, or one which exhibits no material difference, will be found in his” Alarm to Unconverted Sinners.” See Christian Library, Vol. 14: p. 141-144. (Svo. Edit. IS22.)

putting this matter into practice, I shall first give you these few directions.

1. Set apart some time, more than once, to be spent in secret before the LORD,

(1.) In seeking earnestly his special assistance and gracious acceptance of you.

(2.) In considering distinctly all the conditions of the Covenant, as they have been laid before you.

(3.) In searching your hearts, whether you either have already made, or can now freely make, such a closure with GOD in CHRIST, as you have been exhorted to. In special, consider what your sins are, and examine whether you can resolve to forego them all. Consider what the laws of CHRIST are, how holy, strict, and spiritual, and whether you can upon deliberation make choice of them all, (even those that most cross your interests and corrupt inclinations,) as the rule of your whole life. Be sure you be clear in these matters, see that you do not lie unto GOD.

2. Compose your spirits into the most serious frame possible, suitable to a transaction of so high importance.

3. Lay hold on the Covenant of GOD, and rely upon his promise of giving grace and strength, whereby you may be enabled to perform your promise. Trust not to your own strength, to the strength of your own resolutions, but take hold on his strength.

4. Resolve to be faithful. Having engaged your hearts, opened your mouths, and subscribed with your hands to the LORD, resolve in his strength never to go back.

Lastly, Being thus prepared, on some convenient time set apart for the purpose, set upon the work; and in the most solemn manner possible, as if the LORD were visibly present before your eyes, fall down on your knees; and, spreading forth your hands towards heaven, open your hearts to the LORD in these or the like words.

O most dreadful GOD! For the passion of thy Son, I beseech thee, accept of thy poor prodigal, now prostrating himself at thy door. I have fallen from thee by mine iniquity; and am by nature a son of death, and a thousand fold more the child of hell, by my wicked practice. But, of thine infinite grace, thou hast promised mercy to me in CHRIST, if I will but turn to thee with all my heart: therefore, upon the call of thy Gospel, F am now come in, and, throwing down my weapons, submit myself to thy mercy.

“ And because thou requirest, as the condition of my peace with thee, that I should put away mine idols, and be at defiance with all thine enemies; which I acknowledge I have wickedly sided with, against thee; I here from the bottom of my heart renounce them all: firmly covenanting with thee, not to allow myself in any known sin, but conscientiously to use all the means which I know thou hast prescribed for the death and utter destruction of all my corruptions. And whereas I have, formerly, inordinately and idolatrously let out my affections upon the world, I do here resign my heart to thee that madest it; humbly protesting before thy glorious Majesty, that it is the firm resolution of my heart,-and that I do unfeignedly desire grace from thee that, when thou shalt call me hereunto, I may practise this my resolution,-to forsake all that is dear unto me in this world, rather than to turn from thee to the ways of sin; and that I will watch against all its temptations, whether of prosperity or adversity, lest they should withdraw my heart from thee; beseeching thee also to help me against the temptations of SATAN, to whose wicked suggestions I resolve, by thy grace, never to yield. And because my own righteousness is but filthy rags, I renounce all confidence therein; and acknowledge that f am, of myself, a hopeless, helpless, undone creature, without righteousness or strength,

“ And forasmuch as thou hast, of thy bottomless mercy, offered most graciously to me, wretched sinner, to be again my GOD, through CHRIST, if I would accept of thee; I call heaven and earth to record this day, that I do here solemnly avouch thee for the LORD my GOD: and with all possible veneration bowing the neck of my soul under the feet of thy most sacred Majesty, I do here take Thee, the LORD JEHOVAH, FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST, for my portion; and do give up myself, body and soul, for

thy servant, promising and vowing to serve thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of my life.

“And since thou hast appointed the LORD JESUS CHRIST to be the only means of coining unto thee, I do here, upon the bended knees of my soul, accept of Him, as the only new and living way, by which sinners may have access to thee; and do here solemnly join myself in marriage-covenant to him.

“O blessed JESUS, I come to thee hungry, wretched, miserable, blind, and naked; a most loathsome, polluted wretch; a guilty, condemned malefactor; unworthy to wash the feet of the servants of my LORD, and much more to be solemnly married to the King of Glory: but since such is thine unparalleled love, I do here with all my power accept thee, and take thee for my head and husband; for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; for all times and conditions; to love, honor, and obey thee, before all others; and this to the death. I embrace thee in all thine offices: I renounce mine own worthiness, and do here avow thee for the LORD my righteousness: I renounce mine own wisdom, and do here take thee for my only guide: I renounce mine own will, and take thy will for my law.

" And since thou hast told me, that I must suffer if I will reign, I do here covenant with thee to take my lot, as it falls, with thee, and, by thy grace assisting, to run all hazards with thee; verily purposing that neither life nor death shall part between thee and me," And because thou hast been pleased to give me thy holy laws as the rule of my life, and the way in which I should walk to thy kingdom, I do here willingly put my neck under thy yoke, and set my shoulder to thy burden; and subscribing to all thy laws, as holy, just, and good, I solemnly take them as the rule of my words, thoughts, and actions; promising that though my flesh contradict and rebel, I will endeavor to order and govern my whole life according to thy direction, and will not allow myself in the neglect of any thing that I know to be my duty.

“Now, Almighty G o D, Searcher of Hearts, thou knows that I make this Covenant with thee this day, without any known guile or reservation; beseeching thee, that if thou espiest any flaw or falsehood therein, thou would discover it to me, and help me to do it aright.

“And now, glory be to thee, O GOD the FATHER, Whom I shall be bold, from this day forward, to look upon as my God and FATHER, that ever thou shouldest find out such a way for the recovery of undone sinners. Glory be to thee, O GOD the SON, who hast loved me and washed me from my sins in thine own blood, and art now become my Savior and Redeemer. Glory be to thee, O God the HOLY GHOST, who, by the finger of thine almighty power, hast turned about my heart from sin to God.

“O dreadful JEHOVAH, the LORD GOD Omnipotent! FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST! Thou art now become my Covenant-Friend; and I, through thine infinite grace, am become thy Covenant-Servant. Amen, So be it! And the Covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven!”

This Covenant I advise that you should make, not only in heart, but in word; not only in word, but in writing; and that you should, with all possible reverence, spread the writing before the LORD, as if you would present it to him as your act and deed: and when you have done this, set your hand to it; and keep it as a memorial of the solemn transactions that have passed between GOD and you, that you may have recourse to it in doubts and temptations.

Beloved, having showed you the way to the FATHER, give me leave to be instant with you, in pressing you to hearken to me herein, to come and join yourselves thus to the LORD. And if you will not be persuaded to this solemn and express way of covenanting with him, (which I believe you will find a. great advantage) yet take heed that you refuse not to engage your hearts to the LORD; and make a full closure with CHRIST, upon all the terms which have been laid before you. Until that be done, I must be bold to tell you again, as I have told you already, that you are short of Christianity,” strangers from the covenant of promise, and aliens from the commonwealth of Israel.”

Brethren, as Abraham sent his servant, “to take a wife for his son,” (Gen. 24:) so the LORD GOD, has sent me amongst you to” espouse you to CHRIST.” I am not without fear, as that servant was not, that some of you will not follow me. But if the LORD see it good to send his angel before me, to make my way prosperous, if the LORD give me success in this great thing, that I may thus bring you into covenant with him, I shall therein have performed the main part of my ministerial work among you; I shall have espoused you to CHRIST, and married you to that one Husband; I shall have brought you within the strait gate, and set your foot into that narrow way which leads to life, and shall have laid the foundation ofyour following the LORD in holiness and comfort here, and of your living with him in blessedness for ever. For, when once you are in covenant, from thenceforth you have a GOD whom you may call your own, to whom you may have free access, and with whom you may be sure to find grace to help in all times of need. How blessed is his condition, who is able to say,” I have no friend in the world, but I have a GOD in heaven; I have many enemies, but I have a GOD; I have no house, nor money, nor lands, but I have a GOD; I have troubles, I have sins, but I have a GOD; a GOD to feed me, a GOD to succor me, a GOD to shelter me, a GOD to pardon me, a God to sanctify me, and a GOD to save me.”

You that are yet in your sins, in your old covenant with death, and agreement with hell; will you yet be persuaded, by what has been said, to say to one another,” Come, let us break these bonds asunder, let us cast these cords from us Come, let us go over to CHRIST, let us join ourselves to the Lo RD in a perpetual covenant that never shall be forgotten”

You that have sincerely come within the bonds of this covenant of the LORD, the LORD is henceforth become your GOD; CHRIST is henceforth become your SAVIOR; you have shot the gulf; that good work is begun, which the LORD will perform to the day of CHRIST; you have gotten within the gate, you have entered into the path of life.

SECONDLY. In the next place, therefore, I shall give some advice to those who are already in CHRIST, whom I shall direct, 1. To a right performance of holy duties, and of these four duties especially,-Prayer, Meditation, Self-examination, and Renewing their Covenant. 2. To a right improvement of holy duties. 3. To the carrying on a holy course. In all which, though I shall apply myself especially to those who are in CHRIST, yet I shall also give some farther help to those who are yet out of CHRIST.,

Before I enter upon the Directions for the right performance of holy Duties, it will not, I hope, be lost labor if I prefix a word of encouragement to duty, by laying before you the influences which holy duties will have upon a holy life, which I shall dispatch in these four particulars.

1. Duties are the exercise of grace. Idleness breeds ill humors and diseases in the body, and no less in the soul: stirring keeps us warm and healthful; now duties are the stirrings and exercises of the soul. Reading of the Word is not the exercise of the eye only, but of the understanding. Prayer is not an exercise of the tongue only, but of the heart; it sets all the faculties of the soul on work, it sets the several graces on work, it sets faith on work, it sets hope and holy desires on work; and grace, if kept in action, will be by so much the more active and powerful in the whole course.

2. In duties we have converse with GOD. Therefore they are sometimes called, our” drawing nigh to God.” When we come to duty as we ought, we put ourselves under GOD's eye; we set the LORD before our face: it is necessary to the right performance of duties, that we have right and clear apprehensions of GOD, and deep impressions upon our hearts of his majesty, omnipotence, omnipresence, holiness; goodness, and faithfulness. Now what an influence will this have upon the upholding and carrying on the life of GOD in us, to have daily such a sight of GOD before our eyes, and such a sense of GOD upon our hearts

3. In duties we obtain new supplies, and fresh influences from GOD. The flourishing state of a Christian is set forth by” a well-watered garden;” (Isa. Iviii. 11;) and in Jer. xxxi. 12, it is promised” They shall come and flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for corn, and for wine, and for oil; and their soul shall be as a well-watered garden.” Where observe these three things

1. That the watering of the soul is from the goodness of the LORD; all the dews and showers of grace are from above; our springs do not rise in our own gardens;” All my springs, are in thee.”

2. All the influences of the grace and goodness off the LORD are gotten down by our applying ourselves to him in duty: this is the meaning of that expression, “They shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD; they shall assemble and come, together to seek the LORD.”

3. The people of God, in their addresses to him in duty, though it be but for a supply of things temporal, do get something for their souls” They shall come for wheat, and for wine, and for oil; and their soul shall be as a well watered-garden.” We never come to pray for any temporal mercy, and pray as we should, but our souls are gainers thereby. A Christian cannot come near the throne of grace for any thing, but his heart has a share in the blessing. And there are three reasons for it. (1.) A Christian never prays for temporal mercies, but he has some word or other to speak for his soul. (2.) Prayer, whatever it be for, is the soul's drawing nigh to GOD, and exercising itself on GOD; and the soul never goes to GOD, but it brings back something of GOD upon it, even then when it may be denied the temporal mercy it seeks: as when a saint is praying for a sinner, and GOD will not hear him for that sinner, yet lie loses not that prayer, but hath it returned into his own bosom; so when the soul is praying for the concern of the outward man, though it be denied in its particular request, yet its prayer shall not be lost to itself. (3.) Temporal mercies, obtained as a return of prayer, are blessings to the soul. But now when the matter of our request is particularly for our souls; when grace is that for which we Come; when love, and life, and zeal, and spiritual strength, are the blessings for which we come; when the watering of a dry and barren, and the refreshing of a weary heart, are the mercies which we seek; shall our souls then be sent barren, and weary, and empty away Our hearts are as cisterns, which however sometimes they may be full of water, yet if there be not a supply from the well, the waters of the cistern will waste, and at length dry away. Duties are our laboring at the pump, which will keep the cisterns full. a Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” (Isa. 12: 3.)

Christian, thou complainest that thy heart is barren, and dead, and dry, and fit for nothing: why, is there not a well by thee, where there is water enough to refresh and fill thee Why dost thou no oftener letdown thy pitcher Why art thou no oftener with thy GOD Thy heart wants watering; get thee oftener to the well. More praying, more fasting, more conversing with CHRIST, more studying the Gospel, more searching the promises, would quickly get thee into a better plight. He that is much with GOD is rich in grace. Thou art not so much straitened, thou canst not be brought so poor and lean, but thou knowest where there is enough to fetch thee up again thou knowest where there is a well, that hath not only water enough, healing water, but wine, and milk, and honey: but thou must go oftener for it, if thou wilt have the benefit of it.

4. Duties are our conflicting with corruption, or striving against sin. Whenever we are striving with GOD, we are thereby striving against sin. Duty and sin contend for the victory: whilst duty holds up, sin goes down; when duty flags, sin gets up. Holy prayer will make us weary of iniquity, or our iniquity will make such praying a weariness unto us. It is not for the interest of the flesh to suffer the heart to be much in prayer, or other duties; and therefore we find, for the whole generation of carnal men, a little of it must serve their turn. There is no such way for Christians to be revenged on sin, as to bring it before the LORD; they never fight against it with greater zeal, or with more success, than upon their knees. When the sinner kneels in earnest before his GOD, his lusts must quickly kneel to him. Our confession of sin, and laying it open before the LORD, our complaining to the LORD of it, our crying to the LORD against it, and pressing him upon his promise, upon his covenant, to help us against it; these are the mightiest batteries our souls can make, to the beating down of its strong holds. When the LORD hears the groanings of his Israel under their oppressing Egyptians, he will arise and relieve them. Christians tell one another how sad it is with them, and what work they have with a proud, or covetous, or hard, or hypocritical heart; and you may tell one another long enough, and find little help: go, tell thy GOD of thy sins; carry them before the throne of grace; make thy complaints against them there, and there thou wilt find compassion and deliverance.

Now gather up these four particulars together, consider them well, and then you will see, you that intend holiness in earnest, what great reason you have to apply closely to duties, and to accept of those Directions which shall now be tendered to you.

The First sort of Directions are such as concern the right performance of the duty of Prayer: the advice I shall give you touching this, take in these four particulars. 1. Bring yourselves, and hold yourselves, to a frequent and constant performance of this duty. There must be performance, or there cannot be a right performance: those that pray not, or but seldom, give a shrewd sign that ”the root of the matter is not in them;” they that can live without prayer are dead whilst they are alive. Prayer is the first-fruit of Christianity. The living child comes crying into the world; and as it is a token of life, so it is a means by which this new life is nourished. To him that can pray, GOD hath given a key to all his treasuries. Prayer will not only unlock the clouds, as Elijah's prayer did, and bring down rain to refresh the dry and parched earth, but it will unlock heaven too: it will unlock the ark, and the mercy-seat, and bring down spiritual blessings on the soul. Praying is a Christian's knocking at the gate of heaven, that knocking to which the promise is made; ”Knock, and it shall be opened.” (Mat. 8: 7.) The word which the LORD speaks to us, is GOD's knocking at our doors; ” Behold, I stand at the door, and knock.” (Rev. 3: 2O.) And praying is our knocking at the LORD's door, at the gate of heaven, that this may be opened. By the way learn, that if you will not hear GOD's knock, it is just that he hear not yours: if GOD's voice may not be heard on earth, your voice will not be heard in heaven. Fear not, you shall be heard if you will hear: hear Him that speaks to you from heaven, and your cry shall enter into heaven. Our souls will never flourish, unless the showers of heavenly grace descend and fall upon them; and we cannot expect these showers should come down unless we look up.

Beloved, I have often pressed these duties on you; both personal secret prayer, that there be not one person found among you that prays not; and family joint prayer, that there be not one family found among you, among whom GOD is not thus worshipped: I have often pressed this upon you, and given you particular helps and directions about it, and have not been negligent to put you in remembrance of it; so that if there be prayerless persons or families found among you, the guilt of it must lie at your own doors.

But will you yet hearken to me in this thin.-.' Will you give yourselves to prayer No word, that is spoken to you for the good of your souls, will ever prosper with you if this word prosper not: it is vain for me to persuade you to live a godly life, if you will not be persuaded to live a praying life. Would you ever come to any thing See then that this exhortation do not come to nothing; be ye therefore serious;” Be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.” (1 Pet. 4: 7.) Be ye instant, be constant in prayer; set your resolutions, and set your time; set your times, and keep your times; do not put off this duty, by pretending that you pray always, every day, and every hour: as the pretence of an every-day Sabbath comes just to no Sabbath, so it is usually in the case of prayer. Some wretches' praying always, is not praying at all. ”Get thee into thy closet,” says CHRIST; get thee a place, set thee a time, wherein thou mayest call on GOD, and make it thy business to seek the LORD.

Brethren, I say again, if you will not suffer me to prevail with you in this thing, I may even spare my labor of speaking any other things to you. Some among you, in some private conferences I have had with you, have given me some good hopes of the work of grace begun upon your hearts; but when, upon a farther inquiry, I have found that there hath been still a neglect of daily prayer, this hath struck such a damp upon my spirit, as hath brought down those hopes almost as low as nothing. And by experience I have found, that such persons as, upon advice and warning, would not afterwards be brought to the constant exercise of this duty, if they have retained any savor of religion at all, have yet from year to year been at a stand, and not the least sign of any improvement hath been to be seen. If ever therefore you will hearken to me in any thing that I tender for your soul's good, deny me not in this; set upon the daily exercise of secret prayer; and if you be resolved on the performance, I shall then be encouraged in the next place to help you on in the right performance. Therefore,

2. Come to pray with great expectation of obtaining help and grace from GOD. Do not barely impose this duty upon yourselves as your task, but encourage yourselves to it, by looking for a return; think what it is that you would have, and look to receive it. The reason why we obtain no more in prayer, is, because we expect no more: GOD usually answers us according to our own hearts: narrow hearts, and low expectations, have usually as little as they look for. Large expectations are ordinarily answered with large returns: expectation will put life into action: you will then pray with most enlarged hearts, when you are most full of hopes. The reward that is looked for in the evening will much quicken the labor of the day. Fear not to expect too much from heaven: be not straitened in your own bowels, and you shall not be straitened in the GOD of bowels: open thy mouth wide, and he will fill it; GOD will never upbraid his beggars for looking for too great an alms: he hath enough to supply them, and he hath a heart to bestow it. GOD will never say to you, You are too bold, you ask too much, too much grace, too much holiness. GOD hath given you commission to ask what you will, not to the half, but the whole of his kingdom; and the kingdom you shall have, if no less will serve your turn.

Be thankful for every little you receive, but look for much: every little received from GOD is much; a drop from the fountain is worth the world; yet content not yourselves with some drops, when the fountain may be yours. The King of Glory loves to give like a King, and will never say,” This is too much, either for a King to give, or a beggar to receive: “ since he hath given you leave, spare not to speak at large your desires. GOD hath promised you, and therefore you may promise yourselves, that whatever you ask (that is good for you) you shall not ask in vain. O, if we had so much in our eye when we come before the throne of grace, we should be oftener there, and yet still return with our load.

Well, remember this, whenever you come to beg, look to receive; come not to prayer as to a dry breast that is like to yield no milk, or to an empty cistern that will yield no water.

3. Learn the skill to plead with GOD in prayer. Though the breasts be full, yet they must be drawn hard ere the milk will come: though the LORD be willing to give those that ask, yet he will have them first to prove that they are in earnest. Many arguments he hath furnished to us, to press him with, but he will have us to use them We must strive with GOD if we will prevail, and the best striving is with his own weapons. The counsel I give you in this is, plead hard with GOD, but plead with him upon his own arguments. There are among many others these four grounds on which to bottom your plea:(1) On GOD himself. (2.) Oil CHRIST. (3.) On the Promises. (4.) On Experiences.

(l.) On GOD himself. And there are two special things from which you may plead here.

The first is, His Gracious Nature. Fetch your arguments by which you plead with GOD for mercy thence, whence he originally fetched his arguments to persuade himself to show mercy; from his own bowels, from his natural goodness and gracious inclination to mercy: “GOD so loved the world, that he gave his only Son. Having predestinated us to the adoption of children by JESUS CHRIST unto himself, (according to the good pleasure of his will,) to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he has made us accepted in the Beloved; in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, wherein he hath abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself.” Here we have heaped up in a few words the riches of mercy which GOD hath bestowed on his people;CHRIST his beloved, redemption through CHRIST, the forgiveness of our sins, the adoption of children, acceptance in his sight, and the revelation of the mystery of his will, or the discovering and making known of these glorious mercies to us. But whence is all this Who was it, or what was it, that persuaded the LORD to this abundant kindness Why, all this arose from himself: He purposed it in himself. lie consulted no other argument but what lie found in his own heart; it was from his love,” the good pleasure of his will,” his grace,” the riches of his grace, wherein lie hath abounded towards us.” Love, and pity, and mercy, and goodness, are essential to GOD; He can as soon cease to be God as to be gracious; and this is the fountain of all our mercy; hence CHRIST sprung, hence the Gospel came, and all the unsearchable riches of mercy, prepared for poor lost and undone creatures. When you come to pray, fetch your arguments hence: plead with the LORD upon his own nature, his love, grace, and goodness. Thus we find the Apostle PETER praying for the Christians to whom he wrote;” The GOD of all grace make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” (1 Pet. 5: 1O.) Plead with the LORD in your prayers, as the Psalmist pleads with himself in his affliction;” Will the LORD cast off for ever, and will he be favorable no more Is his mercy clean gone for ever Has God forgotten to be gracious Has he in anger shut up his tender mercies Is his mercy clean gone Has GOD forgotten to be gracious” (Ps. lxxvii. 7, &c.) 11 That men should be merciless, that men should forget themselves, and their friends, and their low estate, is no such wonder: but hath God, who is all grace, all mercy, all pity, hath GOD forgotten Does mercy cease to be merciful Does grace cease to be gracious Do compassions cease to be pitiful Has GOD not only forgotten his servant, but forgotten himself Remember thyself, LORD, thine own heart, thine own soul, and according to it, remember me.”

The second plea, in reference to GOD, is His Glorious Name. The LORD's nature is to be gracious; and according to his nature, such is his name;” The LORD, the LORD GOD, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.” (Exod. xxxiv. 6.) This is an argument which the LORD puts into the mouths of his people, telling them,” I had pity for my holy name. I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake.” (Ezek. xxxvi. 21, 22.) And upon this we find- them frequently pleading with him; ”For thy name's sake, lead me and guide me.” (Ps. xxxi. 3.)” Do not abhor us for thy name's sake.” (Jer. 14: 21.)

(2.) On CHRIST. And there are four things from which you may plead with GOD upon this account. 1. The LORD's giving CHRIST to you as your Lord and your Savior; upon which gift you may call him your own. 2. The purchase of CHRIST, who hath bought from the hands of the FATTIER all that you stand in need of: he hath bought your lives: “ye are bought with a price: “ and he hath bought you a livelihood, hath purchased an inheritance for you. 3. The interest that CHRIST hath in the FATHER, being the SON of GOD, the SON of his love, the servant of God, in whom his soul delights; whose name is so precious and powerful with the FATHER, that it will carry any suit, and obtain any request. 4. The interest that you have in CHRIST. As he is precious to his FATHER, so you are precious to him; as the FATHER can deny him nothing, so he can deny his people nothing;” Whatsoever you shall ask the FATHER in my name, he will do it.” (John 11: 23.) He gives you commission to put his name upon all your requests; and whatsoever prayer comes up with this name upon it, he will procure it an answer.

Now, when you are praying for any mercy, make use of all these arguments: “ LORD, hast thou given CHRIST unto me, and wilt thou not with Him give me all things of which I stand in need Hast thou given me the fountain, and wilt thou deny me the stream When I beg pardon of sin, when I beg power against sin, when I beg holiness, is not all this granted me in thy gift of CHRIST to me Is CHRIST mine, and is not his blood mine, to procure my pardon, and his SPIRIT mine, to subdue mine iniquities Are these mine, and wilt thou withhold them from me

Look upon CHRIST, LORD: Thou hast said to me,' Look Unto JESUS,'-give thy servant leave to say the same to thee;’ Look thou upon JESUS,' and give out to me what thou hast given me, in giving him to me. Look upon the purchase of CHRIST: do I want or desire any thing but what my LORD hath bought and paid for Look upon the name of CHRIST, which thou mayest behold written upon every prayer that I make: Thou mayest say,’ For thy own sake thou shalt have nothing, not a drop, not a crumb;’ yet wilt thou say,’ Nor for his name's sake neither' Is not that name still a mighty name, a precious name before the LORD”

By these hints you may learn how to plead with GOD, from any other arguments drawn from his Promises or your Experiences. These arguments Believers may use in prayer, but is there no plea for poor men to use, that are yet in their sins What may they say for themselves, when they come before the LORD Have you never a word to put in their mouths They have more need of arguments than any; what shall they say

ANSWER. I shall premise, that it is the duty of mere natural men to pray: for, 1. Prayer is a part of GOD's natural worship. If there were no positive law requiring it, yet the law of nature enjoins it, and no man is exempted from the obligation of the law of nature. 2. Otherwise it were none of their sin to neglect and restrain prayer; for” where no law is, there is no transgression.” Now we find in Scripture, that neglect of prayer is reckoned up amongst wicked men's sins: “They are altogether become filthy: they call not upon GOD,” (Ps. 14: 3, 4.)

That which is usually objected against this is,-” GOD hears not sinners; the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD.” Now, no man is bound to offer up to GOD an abominable thing; better offer up nothing than an abomination. In answer to this, consider, that there are two sorts of sinners, resolved sinners, and repenting sinners; and accordingly there are two sorts of prayers made by sinners.

I. Dissembling Prayers; mocking and lying prayers. Such prayers are made use of, either as a veil to cover their wickedness, and to make them appear to men to be righteous, or else as an engine or device, to quiet and pacify their consciences in a course of sin. They make confession of sin to serve instead of forsaking sin, and praying to serve instead of repenting their prayers help them to sin the more freely; they think they may go on with any thing, if, when they have done iniquity, they do but pray for forgiveness. Such prayers are an abomination to GOD, and a desolation to sinners. ”Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination to me.” Sinners, not only your wickedness, but your very prayers will undo you. If you make them a shelter for sin, your very prayers will be turned into sin.

2. Mourning Prayers. When a sinner, being struck with a sense of his sin, of the necessity of changing his way, and of his utter inability to turn of himself, under the fears and troubles of his heart, goes to GOD, and cries out,” LORD, What shall I do I see I am in an evil case; my soul is running on in sin, and thy curse and wrath are upon me: LORD, save me; LORD, help me; LORD, pardon me; LORD, convert me; break me off from my sins, break me off from my sinful companions: I cannot get loose, my heart is too hard, my lusts are too strong, my temptations are too many for me to overcome of myself; LORD, help me; turn me, and I shall be turned; pluck my foot out of the snare, that I be not utterly destroyed forgive mine iniquity, make me a clean heart, make me thy child, make me thy servant, that I may never again yield up myself a servant to sin: “-such a prayer as this, if it be in earnest, though it cannot properly be said, that the LORD does accept it,* neither can any man say, that he will reject it as an abominable thing. That is, Not in precisely the same sense in which he accepts the prayers of those whose persons lie has previously accepted, and who are already justified by faith.

This being premised, I answer to the question, that sinners, if they have but a heart to it, have also a price in their hands. GOD has put arguments into their mouths also, to plead with him for mercy: as,

(1.) The Grace of GOD, or his gracious nature, his readiness to show mercy. This even strangers may lay hold upon. BENHADAD'S encouragement to beg his life of the King of Israel, may be the sinner's plea in begging his We have heard that the Kings of Israel are merciful Kings.” Go, sinner, to the LORD, and speak thus in his ears,” LORD, I have heard that the King of Glory is a merciful King; thy name is the LORD, merciful and gracious; and thy nature is according to thy name: it is thy nature to pity, and in thy heart there is plenteous compassion: I am a miserable creature, a poor, undone, helpless wretch; do for me according to thy nature; do for me according to thy name: will the GOD of mercy send away such a wretch that comes for mercy Will the GOD of grace send me away without grace The GOD of mercy hear me, the GOD of grace grant me to find grace in his eyes!”

(2.) GOD's Call, or gracious invitation.” Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that has no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” (Isa. 4: 1.)” Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.”“ Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Rise, sinner he calls thee: go to the LORD, and when thou goest tell him,” LORD, thou hast bid me come, behold here I am; I come, LORD, at thy word. I come for a little water; I come for thy wine and thy milk; I have brought no price in my hand, but thou hast bid me’ come and buy without money and without price.' Though I have no grace, yet behold at thy word I come for grace; though I have no CHRIST, yet I come for CHRIST; though I cannot call thee Father, yet being called, I come to thee as fatherless;’ with thee the fatherless shall find mercy.' And is it only those that want the Fathers of their flesh Is it not also those that want the Father of Spirits Shall earthly orphans find pity, and only spiritual orphans be left orphans If I am not thy child, may I not be made thy child Hast thou not a child' blessing left yet to bestow upon me Thou hast bid me come,-come for a blessing; bless me, even me also, O LORD. Wherefore hast thou sent for me-Shall I be sent away as I came, I come at thy word; do not say again, Be gone, be gone out of my sight; LORD, I cannot go, 1: will not go; for whither shall I go from thee Thou hast the words of eternal life.' Since thou wilt have me to speak, LORD, answer though I dare not say,’ Be just to me a saint;' yet I do say, I will say, I must say,’ LORD, be merciful to me a sinner.”

3. CHRIST. And there are two things in CHRIST, upon which sinners may plead with GOD, His Sufficiency. There is enough in CHRIST, in his obedience and death, to save the worst of sinners, to save the whole world of sinners. There is a fullness in CHRIST; It pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell.” (Col. 1: 19.) There is a fullness of merit to obtain pardon, and to make reconciliation for whoever comes; a fullness of the SPIRIT to sanctify and cleanse them from their sins.” He is able to save unto the uttermost all those that come unto GOD by him.”

From this sinners may reason thus with the LORD: “ O LORD, I do not come to beg that of thee which cannot be had; thou hast enough by thee; look upon JESUS Who sits at thy right hand; is there not righteousness enough in him to answer for all my unrighteousness Are there not riches enough in him to supply my poverty Shall I die for want of a pardon, when there is such blood continually before thee pleading for pardon Shall I lie down in my own vomit, and wallow in the mire of my filthy lusts, when there is such a fountain by thee, still open for sin and for uncleanness O sprinkle me with his blood; O wash me in this fountain! Hear, LORD; send me not away without an alms, when thou hast it by thee.”

(2.) His Office: which is, to bring sinners to GOD, to make reconciliation for sinners, to make intercession for transgressors. Ile hath received gifts for men, yea, even for the rebellious also. What a strange and mighty plea is here for poor sinners!” It is true, LORD, I am a transgressor, and have been so from the womb; I have played the traitor, and been a rebel against thee all my days: but is there none in heaven that will intercede for a transgressor Has the LORD JESUS received no gift for this poor rebel who falls down before thee Though I am a rebel, LORD, yet let me receive a rebel's gift, not a rebel's reward, (LORD, that would be dreadful!) but some of those gifts which CHRIST received for the rebellious.

(3.) Their own Necessity. Sinners are necessitous creatures; they have nothing of value left. As a sinner of a hundred years is but a child, so a sinner of thousands by the year is but a beggar; poor, miserable, blind, and naked: lie can want nothing, and yet does want every thing that is good: sin has stripped him to the skin, and stabbed him to the heart; the iron hath entered into his soul; it has left him nothing but” wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores.” Is this thy case, sinner, and hast thou nothing to say Spread thy wants and necessities before the LORD, and let these speak for thee: learn of beggars that come to thy door, who, if they have ever a sore or malady about them, will be sure to open it, to move pity, and to procure an alms. Their pinching hunger, their parching thirst, their naked backs, their cold lodging, thy door shall be sure to ring of: their necessity will both make them to speak, and help them to speed.

Sinner, spread thy necessities before the LORD; spread thy wants; open thy wounds and thy sores; tell him how desperately sad thy case is; tell him of the guilt that is upon thy head, the curse that is on thy back, the plague that is in thy heart: “ GOD of bowels, look hither; behold what a poor, blind, dead, hardened, unclean, guilty creature; what a naked, empty, helpless creature I am: Look upon my sin and my misery, and let thine eye affect thine heart. One deep calls to another; a depth of misery cries out to a depth of mercy. My very sins, which cry so loud against me, speak also for me. My misery speaks my curses, the woe and the wrath that lie upon me; my bones speak, my perishing soul speaks, and all cry in thine ears, Help, LORD; GOD of pity, help; help and heal me, help and save me: Come unto me,’ for I am a sinful man, O LORD:' I dare not say, as once it was said,’ Depart from me, for I am a sinful man:' Come, LORD, for I am a sinful man. Thou couldest never come where there is more need Who have need of the physician but the sick Come, LORD! I have too often said,’ Depart from me;' but if thou wilt not say,’ Depart,' to me, I hope I shall never again say,’ Depart,' to thee. My misery says, Come; my wants say, Come; my guilt and my sins say, Come; and my soul says, Come; come and pardon, come and convert, come and teach, come and sanctify, come and save me even so, come LORD JESUS!”

Thus you have the sinner's plea. Poor sinner, art thou willing to return from thy sins Fear not to go to GOD take thee some such words as these, and go and tell the Lo RD, that one of his ambassadors told thee from him, that lie expects thee before the throne of grace, and is ready, if it be not thine own fault, to grant thee mercy. Go, and the LORD help thee; may he give thee thy heart's desire, and Fulfill all thy mind; and for thy encouragement take along with thee this Scripture,” Seek ye the LORD while he may be found; call ye upon him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our GOD, for he will abundantly pardon.” (Isa. 4: 6, 7.)

4. Pray in faith. “But let him ask in faith.” (James 1: 6.) You will here inquire, What faith is it that is necessary to our prevailing in prayer I answer, Not only that faith mentioned by the Apostle,” He that comes to GOD, must believe that GOD is: “ (Heb. 11: 6.) not only a persuasion that he is able to perform our petitions, or that he is ready to answer those that seek him: not only a persuasion concerning prayer, that this is Gon's ordinance, appointed by him as a means whereby we may obtain mercy from him:-though all this be included in it, yet this is not all. The same faith is necessary to the acceptance of our prayers, which is required to the acceptance of our persons. That faith which gives a person interest in CHRIST, will best procure the acceptance of his prayers. Now this faith puts forth in prayer a threefold act.

(1.) It presents and offers up the prayer in the name of CHRIST; ”By faith Abel offered his sacrifice.” (IIeb. 11: 4.) Faith carries our prayers to our Mediator, for his hand to be put to them, without which they will not be regarded; yea, it puts them into his hand, and says unto CHRIST, “LORD JESUS, take thou this prayer; what infirmities there are in it, do thou cover; what sins thou findest in it, do thou hide; mingle thy blood with my sacrifice, let thine incense ascend with my offering, and thus let it be carried before the throne of grace, where, that it may speak for me, let thy blood speak for it.”

(2.) It depends upon GOD, through CHRIST, for acceptance and performance. It eyes and leans upon the promise of GOD, which in CHRIST is Yea and Amen; and setting to its seal, that GOD is true, upon this it stays itself.

(3.) It works the heart to a confident persuasion, that GOD for CHRIST'S sake will hear and answer: “ This is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will he hears us.” (1 John 5: 14.) But here consider, that this confident persuasion, that GOD does hear and accept us, however it argues a higher degree of faith, and brings in much peace and comfort to the heart; and if it be well grounded, is a good argument that the LORD intends to Fulfill our desires; yet it is not so necessary to the acceptance of our prayers, but that they may be heard where this is wanting. If the former acts have been put forth; if there hath been a presenting them in the hands of our Mediator, staying our hearts upon the promise; though there be a fear that GOD does not regard then, yet for all this they may not be rejected.

Having thus in brief showed you what it is to pray in faith, what remains, but that you practice accordingly. Study the attributes of GOD, his power, goodness, mercy, and truth: study CHRIST, his office, interest, sufficiency, and faithfulness: study the promises: and let your faith set its seal to all this, that GOD is good, merciful, mighty, and true; that CHRIST will be faithful in his office; that his name is mighty with the FATHER; that the promises of GOD are in him Yea and Amen. Strengthen yourselves here, and so go before the LORD. Let GOD be in your heart, CHRIST in your hand, and the promise in your eye, whenever there is prayer in your mouth. Let your prayer be so presented, your dependance be so settled, and your confidence, as much as possible, be so raised, as you have been directed; or whether you can attain to this confidence or not, yet do not fail of such dependance; and then see, what a rich return your prayers will, sooner or later, bring down upon you.

The Second special Duty in which I shall direct you is holy Meditation. Touching the practice of this duty, take these two Directions:

1. Every day, morning and evening, set apart some time for secret prayer; and when you go to pray, do not rush inconsiderately upon it, but first sit down, and meditate; and when you find your hearts affected and warmed by these meditations, then fall to prayer.

2. Let each morning's meditation be ordinarily matter for your thoughts to work on, and for discourse that day, unless Providence calls you to some other profitable subject. Thus continuing from day to, day, from week to week, you will be both more thoroughly acquainted, and more deeply affected, with the things of GOD; and will find, through his blessing, more loveliness and enlargement in prayer, and more comfortable success. Only take heed of formality, of resting in the work done, of going on in a sound of duty, without a due regard to the end of duty.

Let this be your aim in all, to get your hearts more fixed upon, and affected with, the things of the world to come, more enlarged and quickened, and more effectually carried on in that course of holy and heavenly walking, the end whereof is everlasting life. The Third special Duty in which I shall direct you, is Self-examination. For it is of great use to the carrying us on in a holy course, to know our state.

1. By the knowledge of our state, we shall the better know our work; when we know what we are, we shall the better know what we have to do. If the question be, What must I do to be saved-the answer of that will depend upon another question, How far am I come already Am I converted, or unconverted; in a state of sin, or in a state of grace Let that question be first answered, and the answer of the other will be easy.

2. By the knowledge of this, that we are in a good state, we shall have much encouragement to hasten on. Assurance will quicken and encourage us in the way of holiness. Those who affirm that the doctrine of assurance is a licentious doctrine, and serves for nothing but to maintain men in a loose, lazy, and idle life, understand not what they say, nor whereof they affirm. It is all one as if they affirmed, that the more assurance any person hath of the love of GOD, the less lie will love GOD; or that the more he loves GOD, the less care he will take to serve or please him. Those that know no other motive to duty but fear, may preach such doctrine; but those that have found the quickening and constraining power of love, must lay down both their reason and sense too, before they can believe it. The way to know ourselves is to examine ourselves. Now to help you in this duty of self-examination, I shall give you these two directions:

1. When you set to examine yourselves by any marks or signs, in the first place, examine your marks that you would try yourselves by. If you would prove yourselves, whether you have true grace or no, by any mark, examine that mark, by the Scriptures, whether it be a certain and infallible sign of -,race, so that you may be bold to conclude, that if you can find this mark in you, you are undoubtedly in the state of grace.

2. For the matter of your inquiry, let it be, First, whether you are in the way of life or not-or, Whether you are translated out of a state of sin and death, into a state of grace and salvation And if so, then, Secondly, Whether you be in a thriving or flourishing state, or in a languishing or decayed state

To help you in the former trial, I need only send you back to those directions formerly given concerning your closure with CHRIST, whence it will not be difficult to gather certain marks to try yourselves by.

Secondly, whether you be in a thriving and flourishing estate or no To help you in this, I shall only give you these two or three short directions:

(1.) Compare yourselves with yourselves; your present state with your former state. Look, look, and consider what you were, or have been at any time since you first believed; and then see what ground you have gotten or lost.

(2.) Compare your state with the time which you have had, and with the means and opportunities, and several talents, which you have received. See if your stature in grace be answerable to your standing. If you are of seven, or ten, or twenty years' standing in the vineyard of the LORD, consider if you also be of so many years' growth. See if the reckonings which you have to bring in be answerable to your receipts. If you have been of long standing, and are but little of stature; if your knowledge be as little, your faith as weak, your love as cold, your peace and your comforts as uncertain, your corruptions as many and mighty, as they have been many years since; and muchh more if the waters of grace and peace run lower now than they did heretofore;-you may conclude yourselves to be but in a poor case.

(3.) Compare yourselves with the best of other Christians, to whom you have been equal in time, and other circumstances; and see if you have kept pace with the best of your time. If you see yourselves behind your company, and much more if you see divers, that have set out after you, to have out-run you, and gotten much before you; if you see Christians of less time, or less parts, that have had fewer helps, and greater hindrances, to have gotten the start of you; if those who have been but a few hours in the field are returning home laden with the sheaves which they have gotten, and you, that have been there all the day, have gotten only a few poor handfuls, you will have no reason to think it over well with you.

You whose case this is, are in a barren and unthriving case. O labor to see it, to lament it, and to acknowledge it;-” I confess it is even thus with me; I confess this is any case.” If it be, bewail it; mourn over your neglects, and bemoan your poverty. If you had a great trade in the world, and a good stock, and good markets, and should trade and trade, from time to time, and never prosper, but be poor and low, when you see others of the same trade to flourish and grow rich, how near would it go to your hearts Christianity is a good trade; grace is a good stock; the ordinances of GOD, under which you have lived, have been good markets; many that have set up long since you did, are grown rich, rich in grace, rich in comfort, rich in good fruits; and yet that you should still be so poor, and behind-hand, this is lamentable! O lament over it, and consider, that it is time for you now at length to look better to yourselves. That you may get into a better case, examine a little farther, what it is that hath kept you back Some of the following hindrances have, it is very likely, kept you thus back.

Either

1. A slight performance of holy Duties. Duties have a great influence upon the state of our hearts and lives. Look what Christians are in their secret duties, you shall find them much after the same rate in their ordinary course. If you see a professor that is dead and barren, and careless in his life, follow him into his closet, and you will find him as slight, and dead, and heedless in his prayers; and those who shift over their duties will but shuffle in their conversations. Try if this be not your case. Or,

2. Unprofitable converse with Christian friends. The communion of saints should be improved to the edification of saints. Christians should find other matters to talk of, than of their corn and cattle, the weather or the news. What, have you not a GOD, not a CHRIST, nor a soul, of which to be reminding each other Never a word of your country, whither you are traveling We should come together to get light from each other's candle, to get warmth from each other's fire. If you squander away such opportunities, no wonder if you remain dark and cold. Examine if you be not faulty here. Or,

3. Unnecessary converse with carnal friends. Unsavory company leaves a chill, and a damp, and a vanity upon our spirits. It is not for nothing that CHRIST requires his disciples to forsake all the world, father and mother, son and daughter, and much more such carnal friends as are at a great distance. If we cannot forget these, they will quickly help us to forget our GOD, and ourselves.

Yet religion does not teach us to be unnatural or uncivil, it requires that we give to all their dues; friendship, to whom friendship; courtesy, to whom courtesy; and duty, to whom duty belongs: but this it teaches, that we do not unnecessarily converse with those carnal persons whose society we may avoid, nor unwarily with those whom we may not avoid. With whomsoever your dwelling be, let your delight be in the saints. If GOD cast you among others, let them be your fear, rather than your familiar friends; and keep such at a due distance, as that they may neither hinder you in your duties to them, nor prejudice you in your duty to GOD. Examine how it has been with you upon this account. Or,

4. Over busying yourselves about the affairs of this life. It may be, you find so much work to do abroad, that you let all lie at random within. It may be, the reason why your heart is so cold, is, because you have so many irons in the fire: you have so many fields to look to, that your garden is all over-run with weeds: Or,

5. The remaining guilt of some unrepented sin. Israel cannot prosper, while there is an accursed thing in the camp.

6. Some unmortified lust, under the power of which you live, and of which, perhaps, you take no notice. You have, it may be, a proud heart, or an angry, fretful heart, or an envious, revengeful heart; and this may cause you to pine away. An unmortified lust in the heart is like a moth in the garment, which eats out its strength, and mars its beauty. Pride in the heart is as proud flesh in a wound; whatever medicines be used, the wound remains uncured till the proud flesh be taken off. An angry, f etful heart, is like a wolf in the breast; whatever be applied, it will prey upon and devour it, and the body will pine away, till the fretting humor be cured. And so any other prevailing lust will have the same effect; as a man in a consumption, who is wasted to skin and bone, whatever cordials or restoratives he takes, his flesh will never be gotten up, his strength will never return, till the corroding rheum be stayed. If there be any prevailing lust in thy soul, especially if thou indulgest it, in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured, till that, lust be subdued. Thou mayest pray, and fast, and complain all thy life long of thy deadness, and barrenness, and languishing state, and yet still be pining away, whilst there is any iniquity to which thy heart gives- indulgence. Search diligently, and see if this be not thy case.

7. Slothfullness. The field of the sluggard is a barren field. lie that will not plough, nor sow, nor weed, nor watch, nor work in his field, is likely to have but a poor crop.

8. Contentedness with thy poor, and low, and barren state. Some who are born poor, live poor all their days, and take up with their state, and never look after riches. For ought thou knowest, thy heart might have been in Much better case, if thou hadst intended riches: it is the covetous Christian, who is the rich Christian. Thus it is with worldly men, the covetous of the earth; these are the rich men of the earth; these are the monied men, the landed men, that have laid house to house, and field to field: and it may be, if thou hadst been spiritually covetous, thou mightest have laid grace to grace, comfort to comfort, and have been a man of great possessions before this day; but thou hast been a narrow-hearted, poor-spirited creature, that never hadst any ambition, nor any design to grow great and rich towards GOD; and hereupon it is that thou art as thou art.-Christian, though there be none of the former causes, that may have a hand in bringing poverty upon thee, or holding thee under it; yet it may be that this last, a contentedness with little grace, is that to which thou owest most of thy pining disease. This is too common a case. We have not large hearts towards GOD; we are not covetous after holiness; we are too well contented to be babes in CHRIST, to be children in the grace and knowledge of GOD. Where shall we find a Christian who is resolved to be rich, to seek great things for himself,-the great things of eternity, I mean, and to bring forth much fruit It is no wonder that there are so many barren fig-trees in CHRIST'S vineyard, so many starveling souls among the professors of religion, when there are so few who seriously design fruitfulness. We might have gotten double to what we have done, if we had had a mind in earnest to it.

Brethren, consider how it is with you; and if you find this to be your case, that your souls are in an unthriving state, search narrowly if some of the fore-mentioned particulars be not those that have kept you back; and when you have found out the cause of your disease, rest not till it be removed; for be ye well assured, that that which hath hindered will hinder, till it be taken out of the way.

The Fourth and last special Duty in which I shall direct you is, the Renewing of your Covenant: wherein, before I give you the directions, I shall premise, 1. That every sincere Christian has (as hath been before showed) entered into covenant with GOD. 2. That Christians are guilty of much treachery and false dealing with GOD. The LORD may take up that complaint against many of us, which he took up against Israel: “ Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues: for their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant. (Ps. lxxviii. 36, 37.)

There is a double falsehood in the covenant, of which we may be guilty

(1.) There is a falsehood in our entering into covenant, when we do it not heartily; when our promises to GOD are nothing but words.:, when we mean not, nor intent not, any such things as our mouth speaks; this is lying unto GOD. Oh, how many such liars are there to be found amongst those who are called Christians! We have all covenanted to renounce the flesh and the lusts of it, the Devil and his works: we have all covenanted to take the LORD to be our GOD, to cleave to him, and obey and serve him only, all our days. All this we have done in our baptism, and in our profession, which we have since made, to stand to our baptismal covenant. But have we not, many of us, lied unto the LORD Has there ever been any such thing in our hearts 2 Those who are false in this foundation of their Christianity are but false Christians; those who have lied unto GOD in their covenants are but lying converts.

(2.) There is a falsehood in our keeping covenant; when whatever reality there has been in our intention, yet we fail in execution; when we do not stand to our word, nor are steadfast in our covenant, and every part thereof. And thus every Christian is more or less guilty. Every sin we commit is, in a degree, a breaking of our covenant, a departing and going back from the LORD, and a dealing treacherously with the Most High. Oh, how much falsehood of this kind is there to be found in every one of us!

When some of our hearts are so set upon the world, and take so much liberty in pursuing, and so much pleasure in enjoying, these earthly things, that the LORD is less regarded and looked after, is this according to our covenant When there is such sensuality to be found amongst others; when we live such idle, easy, careless, lives; when our appetites, our passions, our tongues, are left so much at their liberty; when there is so much provision made for the flesh, and so little for the soul; is this according to our covenant Is this all we meant, in promising to be Christians' Is this our living to GOD, our living to CHRIST Oh, what falsehood have we been guilty of * weaken the bond and obligation of the covenant. The obligation of the covenant may be said to be weakened in a double sense. First, Really, when the. tie of it is relaxed and loosened, and we cease to be so strongly bound as before; and thus no sin can weaken our covenant obligation: it does not become ever the less our duty to cleave unto GOD, because we have so often departed from him; or ever the less our sin to follow the world, because we have followed it so long. Secondly, Sensibly, when the bond of the covenant having been so often broken, is not now accounted so solemn or so sacred as before; by how much the more it has been broken, by so much the less sensible hold has it upon us. It seemeth but a very light thing to persons who have so often broken their faith with GOD, to break it over and over again; it does not much affect or trouble such hearts, which have been accustomed to transgress, to revolt more and more.

4. The renewing of our covenant will revive the obligation of it: Though there be not a stricter, yet there is another tie; there is a new link added to the old cord. Men are more afraid and ashamed to break their word as soon as it is gone forth out of their mouths. The seriousness wherewith such a sacred duty should be performed, will leave some impressions upon the heart. The very consideration of our past breaches of the covenant, which is necessary to our renewing of it, will awaken our hearts to more care and watchfulness.

These things being premised, I shall give you this double Direction for the performance of this duty: First, For the time when: Secondly, For the manner how.

Touching the former, there are some special times when this duty is especially seasonable: as,

(1.) Upon your falls into greater sin. Great sins make great breaches, and it is not safe to let them lie unmade up. Breaking of covenant makes a breach upon conscience; and this will prove as the breaking down the banks of the sea;-if they be not presently made up, there may be no stopping them.

(2.) In great straits and afflictions. We have then our hearts at the advantage, to bring them back, or to bind them the faster to the LORD, when we stand in any special need of comfort or help from GOD. Times of straits and difficulties are a special season for this duty; though it is too common, that those vows which we make in the days of our distress, are forgotten in the days of our prosperity.

(3.) In case of any declinings to a careless, remiss, and senseless frame of heart or life.

(4.) At our approaches to the table of the LORD. These are some of the special times for the performance of this duty.

Secondly, For the manner how.

(1.) Remember your covenant. Read over and consider distinctly the terms of it, and weigh diligently the strictness and great solemnity of your engagement to GOD therein, that your hearts may be the more deeply affected herewith.

(2.) Remember your faults. Read over and consider distinctly the sins into which you have fallen since your engaging yourself to the LORD, together with the several aggravations of them; and repent and be humbled under them.

(3.) Resolve upon more care, watchfulness, and faithfulness for the future. Verbal promises, though there appear some affection at the time, if they be not joined with a resolution to take more care, are like to come to nothing.

(4.) Have a special eye, in your engagement with the Lord, to your special sins, failings, and neglects, to which you have found yourselves most inclined, and by which you have been more ordinarily overtaken. Say,” I will, through the help of GOD, watch against every sin, but especially against passion, &c. This is my sin, herein I am apt to be faulty, here my hardest work lies. I will watch to every duty, but especially to temperance, or patience, or self denial; herein I have been most wanting.”

(5.) Lay hold on the promise of GOD, for the renewing of his grace towards you, and for the renewing of your strength, whereby you may be enabled to perform your promises, and pay your vows. It may be that your former experiences of your unfaithful hearts have quite discouraged you. You say,” I have found this heart so fickle, and so false, and so feeble, that I dare not trust it, so as to engage any farther for it. I have found my work so hard, my temptations so many, my strength so small, my attempts to follow GOD so successless, that I am afraid I shall never come to any thing. I doubt I shall but mock GOD, and bring more guilt upon myself, by adventuring to promise any thing farther for this sinful and unfaithful heart.” Why, though thou darest not trust thy heart, yet trust thy GOD, who has said, that lie will renew thy strength, and that his grace is sufficient for thee. Depend on GOD for the renewing of thy strength, and then fear not to renew thy vows.

(6.) In this strength of the LORD go into his presence; and with sorrow in thy heart, and shame in thy face, falling down before him, humbly confess thy faults and failings; and then, in the like solemn manner, as thou hast been before directed, engage thyself again to the LORD in the same covenant.

Secondly, I shall now direct you to make a right Improvement of Duties. Godliness does not stand barely in praying, meditating, or examining: there is something farther to which those duties have a respect, and to which they must be made useful: it is a holy life, that is the end to which our holy duties are to help us on. That they may do so, take these two following directions:-1. Whenever you set upon duties, resolve to put hard for it, to enjoy such sensible communion with God in them, that you may come of in a more spiritual frame of heart, than you came on. 2. Having gotten your hearts to any better frame in duty, be careful to keep it up after duty.

1. Whenever you set upon duties, resolve to put hard for it, to enjoy such sensible communion with GOD, that you may return from them with some advantage upon your spirits. Resolve, ”Whenever I come before the LORD, I will never go away without him.” The reason why we thrive no more by duties, is because we do not meet our God in them: God never meets with his saints, but he sends them away with some marks of his goodness upon them. The reason why we so seldom meet with GOD in our duties is, because we do not so wishfully look for his appearance. GOD waits for thy coining; and if it be not thy fault, thou mayest see his face before thou departest; and if thou see God in a duty, thou wilt not then return without sonic impressions of GOD upon thy heart.

When MOSES came down from the Mount, where lie had seen the LORD, ”his face did shine;” there was something of the glory of GOD upon his countenance: Israel might plainly see that Moss had met with GOD; they might see the beams of divine glory in his face. Oh, how sad is it, that Christians should return from duty with no more of God in their faces, or upon their spirits, than for the most part they do. We come many times with no other spirit from our Bibles, or our closets, than we come out of our shops, or out of our barns; there is so little savor of GOD upon our hearts, that nobody would ever think that. we had been praying to, or conversing with GOD. Brethren, whenever you let down your pitchers into the wells of salvation, be not content to bring them up empty; be so conversant with God in your duties, that you may tome off laden, as the bee from the flower, with the honey and sweetness of your duties.

And this I advise you to endeavor after, not only in your solemn public duties, on Sabbaths, Humiliation-days, or Thanksgivings; but in your daily family-duties, your reading, singing, praying, yea, even in those shorter prayers and praises which you use before and after meals. Whenever you draw nigh to GOD, look to see GOD, to taste of God, and to get down something of God upon your hearts. And then,

2. Whatever you have gotten from GOD in duty, what life, what warmth,, what refreshing, what enlargement of heart, be careful to maintain and keep it alive afterwards. See that your spirits do not presently sink and. cool again, after they have been thus raised and warmed. Do not satisfy yourselves with this, that you have some comfortable entertainment with GOD, and feel some warm and lively workings of your heart towards him, and some refreshings from him in duty; but look to it, that you keep that holy fire, which is there kindled, from being presently quenched again. You do not eat and drink, that you may have the comfort of your food only while your meal lasts, but that the spirits and the strength which you get by one meal may hold you out to the next. Duties are the set meals of the soul, wherein it so feeds upon God, that, in the strength of what it receives, it may afterwards walk with God more comfortably and cheerfully.

The LORD promises to his people, ”The threshing shall reach to the vintage, and the vintage to the seed-time (Lev. 26: 5:) And,” The ploughman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed.” (Amos 9: 13.) The meaning is, your old store shall last till new come again: you shall not only reap enough for the time of harvest; you shall not only gather enough to serve you during the time of the vintage; but your corn shall last from harvest to harvest, your wine shall serve you from vintage to vintage, your old store shall not be spent till new come to supply you. Duties are the harvests and vintages of our souls. O what blessed lives should we live, did we so husband what we get in one duty, that it might last its to another; that the vintage might reach to the vintage, the harvest to the harvest; that the life and

warmth, and refreshing, which we get in one duty, might hold till the next; and that so we might be carried on in a holy, lively, heavenly frame, from duty to duty, as Israel walked on from strength to strength, till they came and appeared before GOD in Sion.

That which holds us so low and barren in religion is, that whatever we have obtained from the LORD in duties and ordinances, we presently lose it. When we have been weeping sometimes before the LORD, and wrestling with him, and pleading hard for some quickenings or comforting influences of his SPIRIT upon our hearts, and the LORD hath heard us, and given us our desires; yet as, soon as duty is over, we go away, and bury all that we have obtained, in a confused heap of worldly thoughts and businesses; we unbend, and let down our spirits, till we come to duty again; we content ourselves to live in such an estrangement from, GOD all the rest of our time, that sin and the world have a whole day's time to pull down what an hour's duty hath been building, a whole week's time to destroy and steal away what a Sabbath hath gotten in; and so at the returns of duty, we find our hearts at the same loss, in the same deadness and hardness, that they were before. In the Old Testament, though the sacrifices were offered but morning and evening, yet the fire that kindled them was not to go out night nor day: there must be fire kept alive from the morning-sacrifice, to kindle the evening-sacrifice; and fire left from the evening, to kindle the morning sacrifice. O Beloved, how often is it, that though at our morning-sacrifice a fire is kindled, yet we take so little care to keep blowing it, that it goes quite out before the evening; and when we come to offer our evening-sacrifice, we have no fire to kindle it

Brethren, hath the LORD visited you, and quickened, and comforted you in duty O think with yourselves, What a sweet life should I live, might it be thus with me always How much to be lamented is it, that such light should ever go out, that such grace should be short-lived! Why if I do not look to myself better, this sun-shine will last but a little while; and how will the LORD take it, if I suffer the sparks which lie hath kindled, so soon to be quenched How is my soul ever like to prosper, if such precious food pass away from it as soon as it is received “ s this a fast that I have chosen, for a man to afflict his soul for a day;” Is this a prayer which GOD regards, for a man to affect his heart for an hour; to be in the mount with GOD, and raised up to heaven for the time, and within a few minutes after to be sunk into the dirt of the earth How can you bear such a loss as this When will your souls come to any thing, if you have only some few such lucid intervals, and all the rest of your time is covered with clouds and darkness

But how may we do to keep this holy and lively frame

(1.) Be watchful: “ Nevertheless we prayed, and set a watch against them night and day.” (Neh. 4: 9.) Beloved, it is with you, as it was with those Jews: whatever you have gained, you have adversaries lying in wait to steal it away; whatever you have built, you have adversaries lying in wait to pull it down again. I have heard of some enchanted places, where what men built in the day, the Devil pulled down at night; and this danger you are continually in; what is built at one prayer, the Devil labors to pull down before the next. Let your eye be much upon your hearts; observe diligently, how they hold up, or sink, that if there be the least damp, or decay, growing upon you, you may espy it before it be gone too far. It is no wonder we lose all, when, ordinarily, as soon as ever our duties are gone, away we go, and think no more what we have been about; as if we were well content to take our leave of our duties and our GOD together. When you depart out of your closets, leave your hearts behind you.

Worldlings seldom bring their hearts thither; when they come to pray, they leave their hearts behind them: let Christians never carry them thence. When you have done praying, and must go abroad to your earthly affairs, let your hearts stay behind with your God: let your thoughts be much upon the entertainment which you have had; and see to it, that the temptations which you meet with do not so easily divert you from what you have been begging or wrestling for.

(2.) Make present use of what you have obtained. Gou gives grace, and strength, and life, for use; and use will preserve them. Has the LORD warmed thy heart Go warmthy brother's heart, and that will keep thine from cooling. Has GOD spoken comfortably to thy soul Go and speak of what he has done for thee to others. Has GOD inclined, and thereby fitted thee for action Take the season; thou mayest do more for GOD, and for thy soul, in such an=.hour, than, in many days beside; be doing with what thou hast received, and thou needest not fear losing it. When we are idle, then we fall asleep, and grow cold; instruments do not rust whilst they are in use. We never more spend our strength, than when we spare our labor.

(3.) Lift up your hearts to the LORD often, every hour, in some short ejaculations. No business, no company, can hinder this duty; and this will be of special advantage to you; therefore neglect it not': every sigh, or breathing of your souls, heaven-wards, will fetch down fresh influences from heaven upon you.

(4.) Charge this whole course upon yourselves every morning; and examine every evening-how you have kept to it.