in Improving the strength of Jesus Christ to prevent your turning again to folly do not undertake nor engage in your own strength but believingly lay all the weight and stresse on your Suretie Put his name in the band which ye give to God for the debt of duty Abide in me and I in you So ye shal bring forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing saith our Lord to his Disciples John 15. But how many fail and come short here While they go about duties and either quite misken or make but very litle use of Christ many know very litle or nothing at all what it is to make use of Christ in order to the making of their peace with God but O! how very few know what it is to make use of his strength to enable them for duty to go through the wilderness leaning on their beloved Seventhly Defer not to make your Resolutions and engagements practicable There are many alace who think Shame it should be said that a Sermon had so much weight with them as to make them alter and change their course at once It may be they will consent to be religious but they must be allowed to come to it by degrees to creep toward it piece-meal but beware of that lest it prove in the Issue to be a shift of thy deceitfull heart Ponder these words well Eccles 5. Defer not to pay what thou hast vowed for the Lord hath no Pleasure in fools And in the Holy Ghosts account he is a fool that deferreth and putteth off one moment O! delayes are in a speciall manner dangerous here and Sathan will not faill to knit one delay to another Eightly Reject all Temptations to sin and turning again to folly with abhorrency say with Ephraim What have I any more to do with Idols Never think on them but with indignation and Holy disdain for ye are undone if ye but once listen to them Ninthly Be often examining if ye be like and answerable to your Communicating and to your Promises and engagements many know not how it is with them because they Examine not Tenthly Walk humbly in the sense of your weakness trust not to your own heart for he that doth so is reputed to be a fool by the Holy Ghost Eleventhly Be helping one another forward in your way to Heaven Take heed saith the Apostle Heb. 3.12.13 That there be not in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God but exhort one another dayly while it is called to day lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of Sin To be edifieing to others would through Gods blessing be edifieing to your selves and help you to be in good case to be praying with them would stir up your selves to more Seriousness in the exercise of that duty to be reproving sin in them would waken up more hatred of it in your selves and to be much Conversant in the duties of Mutual edification with them that are warm in their love to Christ to his interests and friends and diligent in the study of Holiness would readily through Grace stir you up to seek after more love and more Holiness as he insinuats in that exhortation to the Christian Hebrews Chap. 10.24 Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works Twelfthly And in a word endeavour to walk suitably to your light your own consciences will readily tell you that it 's best to walk so as ye may abstain from that which ye know to be sin and to be doing and delighting in that which ye know to be duty Theâ—e are very few if any duties of Religion but they are one time or another and many of them frequently laid before you and not a few shall I hope have cause of blessing God eternally that ever this Gospel-light was made to shine so clearly on them but for such of you As detain the truth of God in unrighteousness as the Apostle says some do Rom. 1 or make a prisoner of it by setting a guard of corrupt affections about it Whom God gave up to vile affections and to all sorts of most abominable filthiness because though they knew that such things ought not to have been done yet they not only did but took pleasure in them that did them I leave it with all the seriousness I can win to on you and take Instruments of witness in your consciences that ye have bad great offers and have made fair mints and come under at least seeming engagements if ye have not done so declare so much but since ye all professe that ye have engaged and some have really engaged not to turn again to folly walk suitably to your engagements as ye would not have your consciences condemning you and God who is greater then your Consciences to condemn you Many I fear have sleeping consciences and that will not now speak to them but the Conscience of every one will speak at length and not keep silence We shall now say no more but Pray that this word may be Blessed of God to you These five following Sermons were all Preached about the time of the Communion the first four within a very few dayes before it as it gradually approached the Fifth after it On Jeremiah 50. vers 4 5. In those dayes and in that time saith the Lord the Children of Israel shall come they and the Children of Judah together going and weeping they shall go and see the Lord their God Vers 5. They shal ask the way to Zion with their faces thither-ward Saying come and let us Joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant that shall not bâ— forgotten SERMON I. THe repairing and making up of a breach betwixt God and a People is a matter of greatest moment and Concern and when men are serious in it O how uptaking is it to them Which is holden out to the life in these words that lay forth before us very clearly the frame and carriage of a people which formerly have dealt loosly and deceitfully in the matter of their Covenant with God when they come through his Grace to be serious and in good earnest in the upmaking of it again As for the people spoken of here they are Israel and Judah the Loâ—ds own Covenanted People who had dealt falsly and foully in the Covenant and had thereby Procured sad strokes to themselves and had divided and separated themselves from God and one of them from another Which division and separation continued lamentably long They are both here represented as coming home together Seriously endeavouring to amend and make up the breach betwixt God and them and among themselves As for the time that this relates to In those dayes and in that time saith the Lord It looks literally and according to the Cohesion to Babylons Destruction and 〈◊〉 Lords bringing down that Babylonish Monarchy by the Persian King Cyrus In which time the People of God had some
are represenâ—ed to be in here they aâ—e going we are sitting still they are weeping our eyes are dry and our hearts hard the humble mournfull way of Religion Alace is much gone from amongst us again they are renewing the Covenant but Ah! what can we say as to the securing of things betwixt God and us Are not the most part as well satisfied with their state and Condition as if there were nothing wrong nor amisse in it Alace shall we slubber and scurf over Religion and vaâ—lour selves from our selves and from oâ—hers when in the mean time our hearts and Consciences might if awake tell us that we are not in Covenant with God I know many of you will be ready to say ye are friends with God but let me ask such did ye ever know and believe the enmity did ye ever apprehend your selves to be straâ—gers to God and without the Covenant Did ye ever experimentally know any good that his word did to you as to the bringing of you under the bond of the Covenant Hath any gracious Change followed upon it The truth is many of you think that ye may go to Heaven without the word and the saving effects of it on your hearts ye found them as ye fancy always inclined to love God ye suppose that ye were alwayes in friendship with him which though there were nothing else to prove it is a manifest evidence that ye were never really in friendship with him But let me ask yet further did ye ever know what it was to make use of Christs mediation in the making up of a Covenant betwixt God and you It 's like ye will say ye prayed but ye might have done that though Christ had never come into the World and though there had been no ground for your acceptance on his account but I say again what use made ye of his mediation and sufferings I fear ye know little or nothing at all of this but ye come to him because ye imagine that he bears a good-will to all sinners and is very easie to be dealt with and that God the Father is more inexorrable and a harder partie to deal with then he as if Jesus Christ the Son were not as Just as the Father Or as if God the Father were not as ready through a mediator to accept of sinners as the Son is I would ask you yet further do ye think or can ye with any Just reason think that your Covenant is sure when ye know neither what it is nor how ye have entered into it In the Covenant as there is an offer on Gods side so there must be a receiving on yours though I grant that oftentimeâ— this to serious Souls will be unclear and it will bâ— their burden that they have not strong enough desires tâ— have it thorough and clear such Poo Souls would puâ— their darkness unbelief and undexterousness in Christ hand to be helped But it 's a sad matter that when wâ— should be praying you to close with Christ in the Covenant I must be our work and the hardest peece of it to shake many of you out of your presumption It 's unpleasure to us God knoweth to preach you out of thâ— Covenant but your Presumption Layeth a necessitâ— on us to lance you to the quick and to search down tâ— the bottom of your sores because these must be diâ—covered and laid open before there can be any Juâ— ground for the application of consolation if once 〈◊〉 could get you brought under a thorough conviction thâ— ye have been deluding your selves we might yet haâ— sweet lively comfortable and refreshfull sayes if 〈◊〉 were in this Posture Going and weeping for pervertiâ— your wayes with your faces towards Zion towards Gâ— through the Mediator ye might expect Gods blessiâ— on these Solemne Ordinances and that there should 〈◊〉 a Covenant made up with him never to be forgotten 〈◊〉 be Serious in the business and let not this opportuniâ— go by you unimproved to the best utmost advantagâ— and himself graciously help you hereunto Jeremiah 50. Vers 4.5 In those dayes and In that time saith the Lord the Children of Israel shall come they and the Children of Judah together going weeping they shall go and seek the Lord their God Vers 5. They shal ask the way to Zion with their faces thither-ward Saying come and let us Joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant that shall not be forgotten SERMON II. COvenanting with God if it be real well grounded and sure is a business of incomparably greatest concern and advantage to sinners but when it is otherwise and only Imagined without any Solid ground it 's attended with the greatest disapointment and Prejudice imaginable a man in that case fancieth himself to be in a state of Friendship and favour with God while in the mean time he is an enemy to God and God an enemy to him and is there any disappointment or disadvantage in the world comparable to that It is one great end and designe of all Ordinances that strangers to God by nature may be engaged to him and made to become his Covenanted People It was for this end that Christ came into the world and laid down His life and shed his precious Blood even to bring Sinners into a Covenant of Reconciliation and friendship with God and therefore the Ordinance that is now approaching is called the new Covenant or New Testamâ—nt in his Blood The words have in them a short and sweet sum compend of the gracious frame of a People turning home to God to get a broken Covenant made up Israel and Judah having deeply declined from the blessed state and condition wherein God had once graciously put them Their return and Repentance is here both Prophesied of and promised and this is the great thing which they designe in their Returning Even to get the knot to say so of the Covenant betwixt God and them made fast and sure so as they may never any more be separated from him We shall at this time shortly name some generall Observations from the words The First whereof is this that There is nothinâ— that People who havâ— any Convictions of â—heir sin and of their distance from God should more singly aim at and Seriously seek after then to be firmly joined to the Lord in Covenant or to be in good terms with him according to his Covenant For these come to the same amount to be in good terms with God to be Reconciled to God and to be in Covenant with God by the one we come to the other this we say should be aimed at sought after by all that are naturally born enemies to God Aliens and Strangers to the Covenant of Promise without Hope and without God in the World Ephes 2.12 Compared with vers 1.2 3. where to be dead in sins and tâ—espâ—sses is expounded to be Without the Covenaâ—t But more especially those who are touched with the sense of their
sin should have this for their aim designe and endeavour as we see in these spoken of here who when they come to any sense of their sin this is clearly their great designe and work verie seriously and closely pursued by them To clear and Confirm it take these Three words Consider First What state and Condition man naturally is in Secondly What God is to man in reference to that estate And Thirdly What Covenanting with God is and we will find that there is nothing which he should more seriously designe and seek after First Man is naturally an enemy to God and in respect of his malicious desperat inclination given to thwart with God whereby God stands as an enemy to him he is liable to the curse of God and God is as an armed man against him as Job speaks and he like an unarmed Child runing on the bosses of his Buckler Secondly Consider that God is not only an enemy but stands stated as such with his Curse against sinners according to that word Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the Law to do them and this Curse is like the flaming Sword in the hand of the Cherubims which with terrour separats betwixt God and the sinner So that there is no access for him to God and if he have any thoughts of God he is troubled with them and all the Creatures are armed against him So that he can expect nothing but enmity from every stone of the field Thirdâ— Consider that Covenanting with God is that wheâ— by a man who is naturally at enmity with God coâ—eth to be in friendship with him and hath the faâ— of every thing altered the meditation of God sweet to him the creatures are in league with hiâ— The Angels become Ministring Spirits to him a Gods dispensations become lovely and do work tâ—gether for his good even those that are in themselves most terrible Death and the Grave becomâ— servants to him and being in Covenant with Goâ— he can triumph over them and all troubles and peâ—secutions and say that he is More then Conqueror 〈◊〉 them all as it is Rom. 8. and saith the Apostle tâ— such 1 Cor. 3. All things are yours whether Pauâ— or Apollo or Cephas or Life or Death things presenâ— or things to come all are yours and ye are Christs Is it any wonder then that at Poor Soul toucheâ— with the sense of sin be desirous and Solicitous to bâ— in Covenant with God And therefore whetheâ— we look upon it as a dutie or as an evidence of 〈◊〉 person truly humbled for sin it is very desirable anâ— should be seriously sought after The Use Serves to show That the great Scope which ye should now have before you is to have a broken Covenant made up with God It should be your main designe to put this grand business to a point that there may be no war but a standing League betwixt God and you And therefore whâ— ever they be that satisfie themselves with going about the Ordinances misken this they certainly mistake the mark The great matter is not to come to the Communion neither is it to win at somewhat of heart softness or to a little sense which are good but it 's really to be in Covenant with God to be able to say on good ground The Lord is my God My beloved 〈◊〉 mine and I am his And when he saith Return backsliding Children to be in case to answer with the heart â—ehold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God â—his is indeed a desirable thing and he is an unhappie man that doth not that will not heartily desire and seek after it Secondly From their very great Seriousness in going and weeping in going to seek the Lord asking the way to Zion and from their encouraging one another to Join in Covenant with the Lord Observe that where there is any Sincerity or begun work of Grace it shews 〈◊〉 self in nothing sooner then in an impulse to be at Covenanting with God and to have some clearness therein For only to be in Covenant and not to have the knowledge of it cannot give that peace and comfort which a present sad exercise calleth for therefore say they while they are going and weeping Come and let us join our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant that shal not be forgotten So then we say that a sincere and gracious work of God appears in nothing sooner then in this impulse to have the Covenant of God fixed and put out of doubt to have this at a Point is their great designe here and they are very serious in it So Isaiah 44. where vers 3. There is a Promise of the work of the Spirit in Sanctifieng and how is this work of the Spirit proved or wherein doth it appear Even thus vers 5. One shal say I am the Lords and another shall call himself by the Name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord and sur-name himself by the name of Israel the work of Gods Spirit whâ— he comes to Sanctifie and save is such as makes a maâ— run and devote himself to God with hand heart aâ— mouth ye never saw people more quickly and wiâ— better will come to the Church at the most Solemâ— occasion then when this work is begun or there any kindly exercise about it serious Souls will 〈◊〉 ready to run with their heart to Subscribe to Gods Câ—venant when the Terms of it are laid out before theâ— Only advert to these Two things in this Observatioâ— First When I speak of entering in Covenant with Goâ— I mean of the hearts closing with him by Fai h according as he offers himself in this Gospel when he saitâ— quit and renounce your own righteousness and taâ— mine quit and abandon your lusts and Idols and giâ—â— your selves to me and I will be your God and be fortâ— coming to you in all things that concern your happineâ— here and hereafter the heart yeelds and says conteâ— Lord the offer is good and I accept of it and 〈◊〉 wives were wont as it is yet the custom to surnaâ— themselves by their husbands so doth the Soul upâ— the matter in this Covenant Subscribe I am Godâ— This is called a yeelding to God or the giving of tâ— hand to him 2 Chron. 30.8 and Rom. 10.3 It 〈◊〉 called A submitting to the righteousness of God Seconâ—ly When we speak of this impulse towards or desiâ— of Covenanting with God It 's noâ— to be understood 〈◊〉 every raw wish such as Balaam bad to be in Heaven but it is a seriously urging impulse an earnest hungâ— and thirst and an ardent longing to have this at a point It 's such a thirsting desire as all the world beside wâ— not be able to quench It makes the Soul eager in tâ— pursuit of the thing even to meet and close with Goâ— in the Covenant It 's in effect that which Matth. 5.6 is called
let us Join our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant never to be forgotten That which we would now speak a litle to is Two Generals very much becoming a people who designe â—â—end to Covenant firmly with God and seeing it is â—t this time in a more especial manner our professed designe to close the bargain with him and in evidence â—hereof are if the Lord will to partake of the Signe and Seal of the Covenant as supposing it to be indeed a closed bargain or at least that it is seriously desired â—â—y us that it may be so they will not be unsuitable for â—ou to hear and make use of them The First Generall then is this that Covenanting witâ— God when People are in earnest in it will be a very up taking exercising and weighty business This is cleaâ— here if ye consider how these People go about thâ— work they aâ—e in very good earnest and there aâ—â— several evidences of it they are weeping and going theâ— are seeking the Lord asking the way to Zion with theâ— faces thitherward and every one of them Sâ—irring uâ— another to renew the Covenant and to cast the knot 〈◊〉 firmly that it may be A perpetual Covenant never 〈◊〉 be forgotten and such as may never loose or be brokeâ— again whence the generall is clear viz. that wheâ— People mind in earnest the making up of a breach betwixt God and them which is done by Covenantinâ— with him it will be an exercising and uptaking buâ—ness to them Ye may consider some Scriptures foâ— confirmation of this which will also hold out what it is and namely Matth. 11.12 The Kingdom of Heavâ—â— suffereth violence and the violent take it by force Thâ— Lord is speaking there of mens making Peace with Gâ— thorow himself the Mediator by which they are brougâ—â— to Heaven and he tells that it is a most serious buâ—â—ness that will abide them brangling to speak so aâ— using of violence Luke 13 25. strive to enter in at 〈◊〉 strait gate for many will seek and shall not be able is a narrow gate and there must be thronging and thrâ—ing to win in at it men will be put to a sort of Agoâ—â— as the word signifies consider also Pauls word 1 Câ—â— 9.24 So run as ye may obtain insinuating that the is a sort of running wherein men are not in earnest 〈◊〉 indifferent whether they get the Prize or not aâ— therefore he would have them making earnest of it as he Proposeth his own practise as an example and a Câ—pie to them I therefore run not as uncertainly so fighâ— not as one that beateth the Air but I keep under my Body and bring it into subjection lest that by any me nâ— when I have Preaâ—hed to others I my self sâ—oâ—ld be a cast away these are the expressions of a man who is in good earnest in this business and his seriousness therein is Proposed to you for a Pattern what way ye should run and fight the like word we have Philip. 3.13 This one thing I do it 's an up-taking work to me Forgetting those things that are behind and reaching forth to those things which are befo e I press towards the mark for the Prâ—ze of the high ca ling of God in Christ Jesus and vers 11. If by any means saith he I might attain unto the Resurrection of the dead every word hath it's own weight to make it out that it is so his one thing that he cares not what it cost him so be he may obtain it That which we would say further on this point shall be a word of Application in these Two or Three Uses The First whereof serves for Instruction would ye know what is required of you as a direction to dutie at this time And would ye know if things be right in your preparation for the Communion This maybe a Mark to discern and a direction on the matter even to be serious and to make it an uptaking business your One thing to be about it as such an occasion and work calls you to be And if ye shall ask wherein consists this Seriousness and uptaking exercise in Covenanting with God I shall Sum it up to you in these Four which comprehend it First The man is taken up in respect of exercise in his Conscience convictions become fresh Challenges are put home he is pricked less or more at the very heart there is something within him that gives him a Conscience-alarm that puts in his hand a Libell and assures him of an appearance before Gods Tribunal and indeed unless some thing of this be men will not be in earnest and it is clearly implied in the Text For there are here sharp Challenges that make this People weep and that extort tears from their eyes Secondly There is a seriousness in respect of the work that it hath on Peoples hearts and affections there will be a kindling of desires to have Covenanting with God at a point with a holy fear lest they miscarry in the doing of it and these put together do much take up the man and make him seek after thorow acquaintance with his own Spirit which he finds to be so fickle inconstant and back-sliding and thus apprehending the work to be great and difficult he is put in Holy fear and Jealousie over himself lest he marr the matter and make it worse with himself as it is said of Godly sorrow 2 Cor. 7.11 What carefulness what fear what indignation what vehement desire what zeal what revenge it wrought in them Now when these are tumbling to speak so thorow other in the man and he hath an inward wrestling to have the work secured and is afraid lest it miscarry Is it Possible but he will be serious and much taken up and this is also implied in the words Come say they And let us join to the Lord in a Perpetuall Covenant There is a desire to have the Covenant at a point and they fear it slip while they are casting the knot therefore they say let it be a Perpetuall Covenant never to be forgotten It 's good to fear in the very time Thirdly This seriousness is in respect of Peoples dutie It makes them pray that never prayed before to Purpose It makes them examine themselves Meditat Read and conferr that never knew before what it was to be taken up with those duties Therefore we find this People going and seeking the Lord and exciting one another they are put to their feet and to reaching forward so that they leave nothing undone whereby they may attain the end Fourthly This Seriousness appears in the manner of their going about duties there is another edge then was wont to be on their prayers Self-Judging and wrestling with God they are much like to Jacob they will not let the Lord go till he bless them they will still wrestle though it should be all the night they cannot find in their heart to part with him on any terms and
therefore we put you to it peremptorily as to these Three 1 As to the thing that when he invites ye come when he offers ye receive and give thâ— Lord your answer not a nay say but a yea as ye wiâ— be answerable and upon your saying Yea to this Covâ—nant on his Terms we declare in his Name that 〈◊〉 says Yea in taking in the sinner that fleeth unto him 2. As to the whole of the thing for ye must not half Gods Covenant but as ye accept of God to be yours so ye must give up your selves to him to be his and as ye take Christ for paying of your debt So also ye must take him to help you to do your duâ—ie take all therefore and submit your selves intirely to him in this Covenant 3. As to the time ye must do all this presently for the Lord doth not allow us to give you an hour or to promise to treat with you one hour after this It 's now come and let us join our selves to the Lord It 's no difficult thing that ye are called to It 's to believe with the heart and to confess with the mouth our Lord Jesus Christ as it is Rom. 10.9 The Object is Christ the Condition is Faith whereby he is griped and taken hold of and which goeth out towards him in the word And so ye have no more ado but when the offer and Promise comes out to accept and subscribe and to say I am the Lords I will be his to be saved by his Righteousness and made Holy by his Grace both which are contained in the Covenant I am content to be beholden to him both for Holiness and happiness and it shall be a bargain The Lord himself perswade you to do so and that presently without delaying dallying or shifting and off putting Now it may be that some think this to be a good bargain but they know not how to make it sure and siker so as it may hold for ever And therefore this is the last thing that in the 4th Place we would speak a litle to viz. How shall a person Covenant with God and know that he hath done so in very deed for the Directions how to Covenant are so many evidences of Covenanting when performed For Directions then in this matter we would in generall in the First Place have ground to suppose and take it for granted that ye know what ye are even sinners and that Sin hath laid the Foundation of a quarrell betwixt God and you and that ye know what he is a designing and doing by this Preached Gospel even to bring sinners into this Covenant and to have an union made up betwixt him and them but ye will belike say I know not how to make it sure there is no answer to this but be doing till ye get it made suâ—e for your unsureness must flow either from something on Gods side or from something on your side ye dare not I suppose say that it flowes from any thing on Gods side or if ye should this is the way to make him sure to speak so and if it flow from something on your side he bids you return back sliding Children and he will heal your back slidings and make it sure But in the Next Place and more particularly consider 1. Your end and designe what yeâ— would be at ye may have some generall aim at something that is good in it self but that is not enough iâ— must be something more Particular and peculiar Is 〈◊〉 to get God to be your God Doth that fill your eyeâ— Is it to get your back slidings healed as well as pardoned That is right if your aim be to have God and Spâ—rituall good I mention this the rather because somâ— may love God and the Covenant for some temporaâ— good whereas others love him and his Covenaâ—â— mainly for a Spirituall good and think themselves weâ— come to and made up thereby Wherein lyes the dâ—ference will ye say I answer in a word to love Gâ—â— and the Covenant only or mainly for temporall meâ—cies is ill aod selfish but to love God and his Covâ—nant to be made thereby really happy in the enjoymeâ—â— of him and to be made conform to him in Holinesâ— is good and desirable and neither selfish nor servile aâ—â— mercenary as it is no unkindlie-like token in a wife to love her Husband to be delighted in him and to like well to enjoy his company so it is a kindly like Mark for a soul to love God on the account of the happiness and Holiness that are to be had in him and from him Love to God shoulders not out all regard and love to our selves simply but it shoulders out love to lusts and all inordinat love to self and to every Idol nay it 's inconsistent with true love to God not to care whether we be happy in the enjoyment of him or not 2. Consider how and by what means and on what terms ye seek to come at that end are ye secure and sensless of your sin misery without God It 's very like that ye make but a blind bargain whereof ye will have no reall advantage but have ye any kindly touch of your sin and misery and of your need of a Saviour and have ye recourse to him as one Able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God thorow him and who lives for ever to make intercession for them Ye may know somewhat of your sincerity in Covenanting with God by the way that ye come to him 3. What use make ye of the Mediator when ye are come to him Is your peace with God and your hope of holding by the bargain grounded on him Do ye lay the weight of all the good ye expect on his mediation on his Satisfaction and intercession on his purchase Do ye hold all thorow him That 's a good token 4. Are ye content to give to God as well as to take from him To devote your selves to him for Service as well as to enjoy him and Happiness in him This also is a good token as well as a direction 5. Are ye in much Holy fear and Jealousie of back-sliding and is it in your eye and aim purposely to Article this with the Lord to put his fear in your heart that ye may not depart from him many persons will sometimes in a warm fit or in a good mood as we use to speak come far on as Agrippa did but quickly fall off and return to their wonted byass câ—ldness and indifferency therefore in your Covenanting with God there would be much Holy fear lest it be not sound lest it bold not let your Soul say now I am absolutely and unreservedly given away to God not by Morgage or Wodset only to speak so but without reversion even for ever 6. Ye wouâ—d come to close actually with God himself in Covenant many come to the word and Sacramenâ— to get as they think some good but come
not to the Covenant to be really anâ— perpetually Joyned to the Lord himself 7. Ye woulâ— seek after some heart-warming by Gods Spirit withiâ— you and some lively exercise of your faith in him aâ— ye see to be in this Peoples case 8. Persons that arâ— in earnest will be much affected with bygone slips failings and unfaithfull dealings with God and are afraid oâ— falling back and of dealing loosly with the Lord anâ— this puts them on to be more Solicitous and carefull to take on the mo bands and to cast the knot the fasteâ— because the heart is deceitful Come say they here and let us Join our selves to the Lord in a Perpetual Câ—venant never to be forgott n They are not content wiâ— a Covenant except it be siker the heart protests against it self if it shall draw back and resignes and râ—nounces its liberty to do so any more if it may be caâ—â—ed liberty 9. A person would aim to have him seâ—â— sure and satisfied as to this that he hath really given hâ— consent that he may have quietness in the assurance 〈◊〉 its being so yet not laying the weight of his Peace oâ— his clearness and assurance but because his comfoâ—â— much depends thereon therefore he will endeavour 〈◊〉 have any blank filled up and the business put to a poiâ—â— he comes to this Covenanting with Holy fear self-suspition and jealousy and goeth from it with fear and as he is attended with this fear in Covenanting so in receiving the Sacrament the Seal of the Covenant Come say they and let us Join our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant that shall never be forgotten O! So sure as they would have it ye who shall thorow Grace come thus shall find the Lord Jesus waiting and reaâ—y to welcome you But it 's like ye will Ask how is the Sacrament made useful and helpful in this joyning to the Lord in Covenant I Answer in generall as to the Believer that all the Promises are his and it Seals all the Blessings of the Covenant to him Because the condition of the Covenant is found in him Even as a pardon given to a Rebell on condition he lay down his Arms when he doth lay them down and accepts of the Pardon the Seal is appended to it which makes it firm and sure But what if the persons doubt of their having entered into the Covenant Answer 1. They are either such as are meer strangers to God and have no desire after nor respect to the Covenant those are under Gods curse and shall get no good of the Sacrament because they resolve not to take Christ to fulfill the condition of the Covenant in them and are not in earnest to be in under the bond of the Covenant yet if even such would seriously resolve to fulfill the condition or rather to take Christ to help them to fulfill it they should be welcome or they are such as are doubting though they have some honest desire such would remember the bargain is Mutuall and they must engage to God if they would have God engaged to them and if ye have not done it before do it even now and the Sacrament shall be usefull and helpfull to you in these respects more Particularly 1. For sealing this general trutâ— If I believe in Christ I shall have eternal life In whicâ— respect it 's like a pardon offered to a Rebell on condâ—tion he lay down his Arms he would first see it iâ— writ and then he would have it Sealed well saiâ—â— the King ye shall get it Sealed 2. It 's usefull aâ— hath influence in a Moral waâ— to make you accept Pardon and to enter in the Covenant In which râ—spect it 's an argument as to allure the Rebell to acceâ—â— of the Pardon So to perswade and assure him that oâ— his acceptance he shall have it actually and certainlâ— when it 's holden forth Sealed for saith the Lord 〈◊〉 the Sacrament ye have my Covenant and here I aâ— ready to seal it 3. It furthers our joining in Covenanâ— In respect of its clear holding forth and manifesting thâ— blessings of the Covenant the word saith that ye aâ—â— Sinners and that ye will get nothing that is truely gooâ— but in and through Christ and that God is content 〈◊〉 Covenant with you and to Pardon your sins througâ— him and the Sacrament brings Christ and the blessinâ— of the Covenant to be some way visible and sensible 〈◊〉 you and the Goâ—pel tells how it is done 4. In thâ— Sacrament the Lord condescends in the most formaâ— way to Covenant for in it he saith take you my Souâ— blood to wash you who are guilty and filthy and youâ— taking is as it were a striking of hands with him anâ— a saying content Lord let this blood wash me and thiâ— looking to the word of institution which gives foot in to Faith and exercising Faith thereon as your warranâ— your Faith is helped to take hold of Christ by and 〈◊〉 the Sacrament 5. It helps to close with the Covenanâ— by letting you see the grounds of the Covenant wherâ—on it is bottomed and built If thou shouldst say Thougâ— God would Covenant with me I will not keep Thâ— Sacrament holds out Christ as Cautioner that hath put himself in our Room and engaged in our Name to make us forth-coming and if thou shouldst yet say will God indeed accept of the like of me It saâ—th here is a broken and bleeding Saviour and Mediator to lead thee to God a Saviour who hath made himself a propitiation for sin and hereupon the sinner may be strengthened to take hold of the Covenant because in the Sacrament he sees Christ himself laid as a bridge on which he may come over to God and his rent flesh as the Vaill through which he may as by a new and living way enter into the Holiest Jeremiah 50. Vers 5. Come and let us Joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant that shall noâ— be forgotten SERMON IV. THere are Two main and Mighty uptaking Businesses to the People of God The one whereof is how to win to be in Covenant with God to be friends and in good terms with him The other is how to stand to and keep Covenant with him and to live as being made friends with him according to the obligation that lyeth on them This is the great designe of all preaching to bring them within the Covenant who are without and to make those who are within the Covenant to walk suitably to it and as these are never separated on the Lords side So should they never be Separated on our side therefore these People are brought in here Saying Let us Join our selves to the Loâ—d in a Covenant and not only So but there are Two words added by them to shew their earnest desire to keep and stand to the Covenant The one is A perpetuall Covenant the other a Covenant that shall not be forgotten the impression whereof may never wear
souls in a manner flighter within you and make you to rouze up your selves to welcome them with gladness of heart And therefore First we would exhort you all to believe this report there are alace but few who doe indeed believe that the Eternal God hath this design of a marriage betwixt him and sinners Therefore let not your hearts be straitned only believe that this is the good word of God that these are the faithful true sayings of him that cannot lie and that he is waiting on to ratifie them to all who give them Credit It 's somewhat hard to deliver or receive a word of threatning in faith but in some respect more hard to believe a word of Promise and of consolation It is Proportionably hard to look upon this as Gods own offering of a marriage with his Son as if he himself were by vive voice speaking it out of Heaven and to believe that this offer is really his and therefore as I desire as his Servant to speak to you so I would again and again Obtest you to be rouzed up and to rouze up your selves to believe it Secondly Rouze stretch and enlarge your understandings and your hearts and affections for beholding conceiving and embracing this rich bargain of Grace O! consider seriously from whom it is For what end it is how it is brought about and doth come to you the height and Depth the Length and breadth whereof is inconceivable be Holily amazed and wonder that the offer of this marriage comes to you and that he is content to marry you Thirdly In a word would you know what we have to do with you or what is our commission to you this day This is even it to tell you that the King hath made a marriage for his Son and hath prepared and made all things ready for reuniting you to himself yea this same King that hath made this wedding ready and hath carved out this way of throughing his designe by speaking to you in his Word by his servants speaks to you by us and we speak to you in his name and tell you thaâ— our blessed Lord Jesus is wooing you we declare publish and proclaim it O! take notice of it our Lord Jesus is not far to seek he is here waiting on to close â—he bargain wâ—th you This is our errand to proclaim these glad tâ—dings to you and what glader tydings could yoâ— wish then to have it told you thaâ—â—e may be happy and easily happy and that if ye be content â—o be so theâ—e is noâ—hing that might marâ—â—his happiness but it is â—emove and taken ouâ— of the way Is not the Faâ—â—eâ— ready He hath given his consent is noâ— the Bridegroom ready when he hath done so much and is waiting on your consent the Feast is ready and the Garments are ready and there is nâ— more to do but t take and put them on aâ—d faâ—â—h exeâ—cised on him wâ—â—l 〈◊〉 both the Conâ—ract is ready and there is nothing â—o 〈◊〉 changed oâ— altered in it and He is ready to accepâ— oâ— you if ye will accept oâ— him our blessed Lord Jesus says he is câ—nâ—eâ—â—â—o marry you and there is no more to do but to subscâ—ibe your name to the contract iâ— you want clothes he will give them to you â—f ye want a house if ye want meat or drink he will provide for you what ever it be that you really stand in need of for Soul or body in time oâ— eternity ye shall have 〈◊〉 from him The promises aâ—e filled with all things thaâ— pâ—â—â—ain to life and godliness to hâ—s life and to thaâ— which is to come there is in effect n thing wanting but your consent and let not tha be wantng I beseech you Iâ— prosecuting this purpose I shall speak a litle 1. Tâ— those to whom the offer is made or to those whâ—â— a e called 2. To whaâ— they aâ—e called â—o 3. To the terms on which they are called 4. To the manner how ye should come 5. To the Peremptoriness of the call and to the necessitie of coming And 6. If it be Possible to win at it a word to some motives whereby ye may be Pressed to come and not to neglect the opportunity of such a Precious Season of Grace For the First it is not one or two or some few that are called not the great only nor the Smal only not the holy only nor the Profane only but ye are all bidden the call comes to all and every one of you in Particular Poor and rich high and low holy and prophane Ho Proclaimeth the Lord as it were with an Oyas Isa 55.1 Every one that thirsts come and he that hath no money Let him come whosoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely Rev. 22.17 Our blessed Lord Jesus is not straitned in his call and we may humbly say in some measure that we are not straitened in our bowels in his name we invite all of you and make offer of Jesus Christ to be your Husband that ye may have a room among them that stand by and be with him for ever I say we make this offer to all of you to you that are Atheists to you that are Graceless to you that are Ignorant to you that are Hypocrits to you that are Lazie and Luk-warm to the Civil and to the Prophane We pray We beseech We obtest you all to come to the wedding Call sayeth the Lord the blind the maimed the halt c. Bid them all come Yea compel them to come in Grace can do moe greater wonders then to call such it cannot only make the offer of the Marriage to them but it can make up the Match effectually betwixt Christ and them We will not we dare not say that all of you will get Christ for a Husband but we do most really offer him to you all and it shall be your own fault if ye want him and go without him And therefore before we proceed any further we do Solemnly Protest and before God his Son Jesus Christ take instruments this day that this offer is made to you and that it is told to you in his name that the Lord Jesus is willing to match with you even the profanest and most graceless of you if ye be willing to match with him and he earnestly invites you to come to the wedding if you can touch at any thing on his side that is not ready or at any thing on your side but it may through grace be made ready if ye will come you may but its impossible for the Covenant is well oâ—dered and sure and that in all things and these words are not the words of men but the Words of the true and faithful witness which ye must count and reckon for when we are dead and gone He hath killed his Oxen and Fatlings and prepared his dinner and bid his guests all things are ready in the due order
World that we should be for him Now we know somewhat of the terms which may all come in under these three there are many conditions on his side and but few on ours Fourthly ye would consider the Peremptoriness of this call to accept of and to Marrie our Lord Jesus Christ on these terms it 's not an ordinary complement but purposed by the King the Father and by the Kings Son the Bridgroom He sends out his Servants who are come to call you Peremptorily and there are three Peremptories that this offer and call hath with it all which three we carry in our commission and crave of you to Subscribe to them The 1. Whereof is that ye take no other husband but this Bridegroom there is no latitude left to you in this ye must by no means engage with any other It 's only for Jesus Christ that we woo and we seek of you that ye would give him your souls your hearts and affections that ye may be devoted to him and to no other and therefore we intimat to you that are Married and Joyned to Idols that ye must be divorced from those and betake you to him alone The Second Is the Peremptoriness of the terms we speak of we cannot and ye must not alter one jote or title Ye must deny your selves ye must be content to be divorced from your lusts and Idols ye must renounce your own righteousness and give up with the law your first husband considered as a Covenant of works and run out from the curses thereof to him which ye will never do till ye see your own righteousness to be as filthy rags and reject it as Part of your enditement that ever ye trusted to it Ye must forget your fathers house 2. As you must deny your selves so you must close with Christ and embrace him for your husband and Lord do not think that ye will or can dwel beside him that ye can sit and hear him if ye Marrie him not 3. Ye must be devoted to him in your conversation he must needs be your King as well as your Priest Ye must forsake Father and Mother and all your kindred and betake you to him and ye must take up and keep house with him you must dwel with him and study to be answerable to the Marriage tye and obligation put upon you we dare dispense with none of the Three The Third Peremptory is this as ye must engage with no other and as ye must not alter the terms so ye must not delay to come and close the bargain ye must not put off till to morrow nay not an hour All things are ready Just now Now is the accepted time Here stands the blested Bridgroom here are the conditions and terms on which he will marry you and we as the Bridegrooms friends stand ready to espouse you to him We dare not be answerable to our Master nor can we be answerable to our trust and commission if we shuffle by or thrust out any of you if ye do not thrust out your selves nor may we admite of an excuse from any of you and therefore let me again say to you that here is not only a marriage and of all marriages the most excellent but let me beseech and obtest you to come to the wedding either come or give a reason why ye will not or cannot as you can assigne no relevant reason for your not coming we dare not accept of any Irrelevant reason nor admit of any answer but this that ye will take him we dare admit of no excuse ye must not shift nor delay ye would think that those who were bidden Luke 14. might have come when they had seen their Farme and proved their Oxen but that would not be with them So I say it will not be with you to shift this offer He is here waiting on to see who will consent and say even so I take him Say it O say it seriously and abide by it Q Are there any here now looking up to him Are there any here that would fain have it a closed bargain Are there any here that believe these things as the truths of God Then we pray you let them sink down into your hearts and come And to press this a little further let me ask what can hinder the making of this bargain is it the want of notice or timeous intimation of it That cannot he ye are clearly convinced of the contrary Is it because ye will or can be happy without him Wo to that happiness is it any difficulty standing in the way That shall be removed yea as to him it is removed already and shall be as to you on your closing with him Pose and put your own hearts to it then Is there any of you that dare or can find in your heaâ—ts to refuse the Lord is waiting on his faithfulness is engaged to make out what he offereth He stretcheth out his hand and sayeth Even so I take you if ye will take me are ye content to stretch forth your hand and to say Even so I take thee blessed Lord Jesus or if this be not win at to Satisfaction are there any rouzing and stretching themselves to essay how it will go with them what are ye doing Is it a bargain or not ye must say yea or nay and that even now We suppose ye will not say down right nay though more then probably many will delay but this must not be the Table may be drawn other guests may be called in and ye removed we cannot allow you an hours time to advise especially from indifferency yea if ye begin to take advisement for shifting a present closure Christs call and invitation and your consenting will readily cool upon your hand Paul sayes that he consulted not with flesh and blood So must not ye consult with flesh and blood in this matter ye must cast away the beggars cloak be content to deny your self quite your lusts and close with him presently or ye may never have the like opportunity There is a necessity imposed on you from the command to come from the curse and prejudice that abides you and will certainly overtake you if you come not ye will be eternalie miserable without him there is no happiness but in him The King is on his Throne the Table is set and covered the day is fixed his Servants invite in his name come therefore come without further lingering dallying shifting or delay alace there are too many dayes put by already ye must put by no moe Now let me speak a word further to this purpose what can marr the matter what can obstruct its being a bargain certainly it must be one of three Either first because ye are not content with the Bridegroom Or Secondly because ye are not content with the terms Or Thirdly because ye are not content with your selves or with some thing in your selves As for the First I suppose ye can say nothing against the
liberty to return to their own land Yet considering the great scope of the Words and that this liberty of the Jews is in a great part fulfilled in Christ and that the union spoken of here is such as hath in it the gathering together of all the Tribes and withall that the Covenant which they enter into with the Lord Christ is such as shall never be forgotten We must extend the words to their Ingraffing again into their own Olive when all Israel shall be saved and they shall be graffed into their own root and Stock from off which they were broken As for the Scope it 's partly off encourage the Jews This being not only a Promise of their return but also and mainly of their Repentance and of their Friendship Reconciliation with God and with one another In those dayes they that had been far from him and busie vexing one another shall come and come together Their work and business in coming is to seek the Lord and the manner of it is going and weeping Praying and repenting and although the way be somewhat dark and not so discernible to them yet they go on asking the way to Zion with their faces thitherward They ask how they may come to Him worship God again aright and perform the duties of a people inchurched to and in Covenant with him And as it were from one Post or Town to another they ask the way and get Direction from one day to another and from one duty to another And their designe in all is Come say they on the matter we were once in Covenant with God and with one another but we have been unfaithfull in both now let us amend and make up the breach in both Let us Joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant never to be forgotten Let us renew our Covenant with God and let it be done firmly and surely so as it may not be broken again this looks and hath respect to Jeremiah 31.31 c. and 32.49 40. Where the Lord Promiseth To make a new Covenant with the House of Israel and with the house of Judah Cited by the Apostle Heb. 8. And it 's called Chap. 32. An everlasting Covenant Which is not so much to be understood of meer externall Covenanting as of saving sharing in and partaking of Christs Righteousness for the Pardon of sin and of their engaging to God in his own strength to be forth-coming in the fruits of saving Grace and Holiness in their practice This is in Sum the way and course which they take and is a short directory for what should be a peoples carriage when they would make up the breach of a broken Covenant with God As for the Particular Scope of this place as it relateth to Israel and Judah their returning together we shall not insist in it yet from these words we may see First That There is good ground for us to expect the Lords bringing back his scattered People the Jews and their ingraffing again into their own Olive The same God that perswaded Japhet to dwel in the Tents of Shem can perswade Shem to dwell in the tents of Japhet As they minded us Gentiles as a litle Sister and were Holily Solicitous what they might do for us we ought in gratitude to mind them as the elder Sister that they may turn again to the Lord who hath given us his faithful Word for it which cannot fail but must be fulfilled Secondly We see that Heart-melting towards God and seriousness to make up the breach of a broken Covenant betwixt a People and him conduce natively to make the hearts of those that have been divided and set at variance from one another in much warmness of love to unite and sweetly to join together It 's from this that Israel and Judah become one Stick in the Lords hand Ezek. 37. This makes them as melted mettall to run close together as it were into one Lump though it was a long continued Schisme and had much bitterness attending it yet when their hearts are touched with a Sense of sin and of a broken Covenant their former differences and animosities evanish softness of heart in the sense of by gone sin would silence many things among us that all disputings writings and Printings will not be able to do Pray for this to the Land as the most effectuall mean and way of curing out divisions and of uniting us in the Lord It Joins Judah and Israel together whose breach was much greater and of far longer continuance then ours Thirdly We see here that A peoples joining and running together in serious seeking of the Lord is very Commendable and lovely and a good token and evidence to them of their turning to God and of Gods accepting of them even as bitterness and division is exceeding displeasing to God and prejudiciall to themselves and to the Work of Grace in them This is an happy-like hopeful and promising day of Repentance and turning to God that bodeth much unspeakably much good to a land and People But we come to consider the words as they do direct unto and chalk out the way for a people returning to make up a broken Covenant with God which is the Scope And we may take it up in these Three First As it respects the frame of their hearts And O what a tender humble warm and mournfull frame are they represented to be in They shall come and go together exciting one another going and weeping with their faces towards Zion Secondly As it respects and holds forth the great designe they have and that is to renew and make sure the Covenant betwixt God them Though it was now broken and they want not challenges for it Yet they do not say we will never enter in it again Because we brake it the last time we made it But come say they let us make it the more firm and stable Thirdly As it respects and hold out their posture and the way which they take in pursuing this designe There is a going and weeping a praying to and seeking of the Lord in a word they seek and endeavour to renew their Covenant with God seriously diligently and humbly and thus they pursue their designe First then If we look to their frame we will find implyed in it 1. A guilty condition 2. A challenging and convinced condition 3. A repenting condition they are kindly affected with the wrongs done to God and desire and use means to have them righted We shall name Two or Three generall Doctrines from this First Consideration of the word though in effect it will fall in with the Last The First whereof is this That Gods Covenanted People may deal foully and falsly in his Covenant For their coming to renew the Covenant supposeth that they had broken it and it 's also implyed in their mourning and weeping and saying Come and let us join our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant never to be forgotten This needs no further
Covenant Secondly they might have thought that it was a very long Journey and that they would never be able to go thorow to the end of it besides that they were under the dominion of strange Kings who were Heathens So it may be said on the matter and is often said to serious Souls that would fain believe can ye believe It will not be with you are ye not under the feet of many Tyrannous lusts And how will ye win free from them yet they resolve and must yea dare not but resolve to go forward and the reason is because they resolve to take with their guilt and to make use of the Covenant for answering and silencing of challenges and they resolve also if the Journey be long to make use of the Covenant for strength to make them hold on and hold out in it The weak Believer when such doubts are started should make use of the Promises of the Covenant such as these Faithfull is he who hath called you who also will do it 1 Thess 5.24 Return back sliding Children and I will heal your back-slidings saith the Lord and then follows Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Jer. 3.22 They yeeld themselves to the Lord. A Third Difficultie is their ignorance they might have said we know not the way and how can we think to come where we desire and designe to be as some will be ready to say we can tell some words of the Catechisme but Alace We know not what it is to believe yet they sit not still for all this but as one Remedy of their ignorance they ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward And if ye Ask here how can their faces be thitherward when they are a king the way And at whom do they ask the way The Gentiles amongst whom they live know it not and they have no other to ask at I answer they are hanging on God and taking their Marks and meaths of the way as he gives them from his word and there is a most sweet word for such Isaiah 35.8 where the Lord speaking of this way and calling it the way of Holiness he saith The way faring man though a fool shall not erre therein It 's the heartsomest way that can be O! but it be safe for the way-faring sinner for the seriously seeking Soul to have the face toward God for making up of Peace with him upon the one hand the Lord hedges up such persons their way with thorns that they shal not find their lovers and upon the other he constrains them to go right forward He leads the blind in a way they know not and makes darkness light before them are there not severals of you brought far thorow this day and ye know not well how He brought you to Faith very insensibly and trained you on peece and peece and yet ye cannot tell well how but ye know certainly that it was He that did it and in this Case O! but it be good singly to be given up to Gods leading and guiding who leads his flock like a shepherd who gathers his Lambs with his arm and carries them in his bosom and gentlie leads them that are with young as it is Isaiah 40.11 The Lambs would run wild and ruine themselves if left on the Hills but they are under the good Shepherds oversight and tutorie to speak so who brings home the lost sheep on his Shoulders as it was even now said gathers the Lambs with his Arm and gently leads them that are with Young which not only saith that he drives not hard lest they cast the young but that as the Nurse leads the litle Child otherwise then Ladies use to be led by a gentle touch of their hand or arm by the arm holes or by the tugs when the Child knows not how to go and cannot stand on its own feet even so leadeth he such I taught saith the Lord Hosea 11. Ephraim also to go taking them by their arms when a poor Body hath Christ a forming in the heart he will gently lead such an one and deal wonderfully tenderly with the person ye who come honestly to him may confidently yeeld and give up your selves to be his and guided by him though ye be both weak and know not the way well if ye can but cast a look to him to speak so or be sweetly silent before him allowing him to be doing and to take his oâ— way with you if you lay your selves humbly in 〈◊〉 dust and wait what he will do to you he will accoâ— that Believing The Lord is good to them that wait him to the soul that seeks him saith Jeremiah Lamâ— 25. To wait on Gods leasure is a saying much abuâ— but it is very good and commendable here It is gâ— that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the Sâ—â—vation of the Lord. Be not afraid sincere and exercâ— Souls I say be not afraid when he is as it weâ— pouring you from vessel to vessel and putting youâ— his own holy and wise ends in some confusion so ye know not well what to do or to what hand to you he is wondrous tender of you in that Case will have a speciall care that ye Mis-carry not Thâ— a very sweet Subject if we could speak suitably 〈◊〉 Himself bless it to you Jeremiah 50. Vers 4.5 Going and weeping they shall go seek the Lord their God Vers 5. They shall ask the way to Zion with faces thither-ward saying Come and let us our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covâ—nant shall not be forgotten SERMON III. IT is like that at the first reading of these Words will approve both the designe that this People haâ—â— engaging themselves to God in Covenant and 〈◊〉 endeavour to have their engagement so solid and sure as it may not be broken any more but may hold for ever we take it for granted also that ye will Judge that the disposition and frame of Soul wherein they are while about this great Business is very becoming and â—uitable for such as have dealt unfaithfully and foully in â—he Covenant of God and are from the Conviction â—ereof stirred and put upon Resolutions to engage with â—â—m of new and to enter again into a Covenant with â—â—m we Heartily wish that it were a peece of our Exercise this night before our approaching the Table of the Lord the next day to compare the frame and Sett of our hearts with what these words hold forth this Peoples frame and disposition to be We need not now speak to the Scope of the words it being so clear and having been touched at before There is here a People Prophesied of who are to be brought to Repentance and Covenanting with God in the Latter dayes whose Spiritually good and desirable frame is described They shall go weeping and seeking the Lord each of them stirring up another having this for their designe and the Language of their hearts Come and
ye that this was in your offer and on very free and easie terms and ye would not accept of it but would needs destroy your selves 2. If there be sin and a quarrell is there not a necessity to have it taken away Have ye laid your account and resolved not to be solicitous and carefull whether ye be friends with God or not And if ye will not say that why do ye not enter this Covenant 3. Is there any other way to get sin pardoned and the quarrell taken away but by making sure your Covenant with God David or any others that were saved were they saved any other way This Covenant was all his Salvation and all his desire 4. What will ye say in the day of the Lord when the Trumpet shall sound and he shall call you to an account for refusing his free and Gracious offer when there will be no more treating with you when he shall say and make your own Conscience say to you It was plainly told you that there was a quarrell standing betwixt me and you It was told you that I was willing to enter into a Covenant with you and to remove that quartell I sent my Messengers unto you for this end but ye made light of the matter Say to it O say to it ye must say something Yea or Nay ye are not left to be indifferent and to keep up your selves in this matter I tell you if ye say not Yea ye say Nay and as the Apostle speaks Acts 13 46. Ye pass sentence on your selves and judge your selves unworthy of Eternall life It 's interpretatively a saying that ye will not have Heaven and life thorow Christ and therefore as ye would not destroy your own Souls I beseech you nay I obtest you in the Name of the Lord and for his sake accept of this Covenant We tell you and as the Apostle hath it we say Be it known unto you that through Jesus Christ remission of sins is Preached to you He hath purchased life and Salvation to sinners And to you is the word of this Salvation sent Give O give your consent to the bargain and that is all we seek of you Now to Prosecute this a little and to put you yet further to it because it will ly before God whether we have put you to it or not and whether ye have accepted of this Covenant or not whether we were in earnest in Proposing it and whether ye were in earnest in closing with it Consider 1. The Persons whom we put to this and the things that we put you to 2. The terms on which 3. The grounds from which and. 4. The qualifications and directions whereby First As for the persons whom we put and press to this Covenanting with God It 's not those only who have gotten their tokens warranting them to come to the Table nor those only that are debarred and so have got no tokens but it 's all of you Those who are afar off and near hand but differently To the tender Soul we say come forward to the secure we say Humble your selves and then come and join in this Covenant The thing we call you to is to take the Lord to be your God and to give up your selves to be Gods we call you to take God to be your Master and your Father your Saviour your Head your Husband your Friend even your all and that is no ill nor small offer and we call you to give up your selves to God to forsake your Fathers house and all your kindred and to cleave to him to join your selves to the Lord as the Text hath it and as it is said The Prodigall Joyned himself to a certain Citizen So ye would joyn your selves to the Lord and be beholden to him for your life Secondly As for the Terms they are in short that Seeing God saith accept of my Sons Righteousness and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters ye would freely accept of it and take and put Christs Righteousness in the place and Room of self-righteousness which was in the Covenant of works found your plea before God on nothing that ye can do but on Christs doing and suffering for you which now by Faith ye resolve to adhere to and resigne your selves to him without any reservation to be guided and saved by him in his own way As for the Third How or from and by what grounds we put you to this or rather how doth the Lord put us all to it First Ye are put to it by his offer in the Gospel which in discretion cals you to give him an answer he cries Come unto me and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David And doth he not require an answer And is it not incumbent to us who speak to you in his Name to crave your answer We declare to you all that ye may if ye will come to be joined with God in Covenant and may be sure to be accepted of as his if ye come aright Now what say ye to it either ye must look on this as a cheat or cunningly devised fable or if ye dare not look on it so ye must accept of it and make it welcome Secondly Ye are put to it in this respect that the Lord brings you now and then under some conviction of the necessity of your peace with God something within you saith that peace with God is worth the having and needfull that this is a good bargain and that ye have need of it and there are now and then some raw resolutions to put it to a point and it may be there is something presently that puts you to it and if not so much the more ye would put your selves to it lest the Kingdom of God be taken from you Thirdly Ye are put to it by this same Sacrament is it possible that ye can take the Communion for a Seal and confirmation except ye Covenant with God before If ye will not Covenant ye prove your selves to be Treacherous dissemblers in going to the Communion and to be liars to God when he presents and offers his Covenant ye profess to take his offer and to close the Covenant with him but ye refuse as it were to take the Pen in your hand or do throw it away when he presents to you the Cup of the New Testament ye drink the Wine and spill the Blood and so become guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord when ye despise it and will not make use of it nor Covenant with God that ye may get the use of it And therefore Fourthly Know that ye are put to it presently and peremptorily that the Lord will take it for a refusall and for a scorning and despising on your part if ye do it not and do ye think it a litle matteâ— to have such a guilt lying on your score what knoâ— ye if ever God shall offer to Seal a Covenant with yoâ— again and
Proclaim liberty to the Captives to give to them that mourn beauty for Ashes the Oyl of joy for Mourning and the Garment of Praise for the Spirit of Heaviness and this is called the Proclaiming of the acceptable year of the Lord Wherein all the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity concurr as is clear vers 1. Consider Secondly All his Offices and ye will find that they Preach and Proclaim the same thing his Name is Jesus because He saves his People from their sins He is King Priest and Prophet for this end and what saith his Preaching and Corrospondent Prayer John 17. Father I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me but that he would fain have them there And what shall I say Is there any proof of it that can be given beyond His Death I lay down my life saith he for my sheep The Salvation of lost Elect sinners went very near his heart Therefore when none in Heaven nor on earth can help then saith he Lo I come to do thy will O my God Thirdly Consider with what Pleasure and delight he went about the work of Redemption As is very clear in that 40th Psalm where he heartsomly saith Lo I come I delight to do thy will I even hasten to undertake it And when he is come he saith John 4.34 It is my meat to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work and what work was that Even to lay down his Life to gather the lost sheep of the house of Israel to take away the seud that was betwixt God and them and to Reconcile them to him and when it cometh to the very push of actuall laying down his life He will not open his month to divert it though he might have commanded more then twelve Legions of Angels yet he would not do it for this cause saith he Came I into this World Fourthely Consider the end of all the Ordinances wherefore are they instituted what saith the word but that Thorow this man is preached unto you forgiveness of sins What say Ministers but that We are Ambassadours in Christ stead beseching you to be Reconciled unto God Which evidenceth Plainly that Christ would fain to speak so have peace made betwixt God and sinners and them saved and what saith the Sacrament but even the words of the Text This is the new Covenant in my Blood shed for the Remission of the sins of many And can we think on the end of these Ordinances but we must also think on Christs willingness that sinners should make Application of him and of his Purchase Fifthly Consider further How he esteems of a sinners coming to him There is saith he Joy in Heaven at the Conversion of a sinner We may say that it is the gladness of his heart when any sinner cometh home to him Therefore it is said that the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand and he shall see of the travel of his soul and be Satisfied Isaiah 53.10 11. It is Satisfaction to him for all the Travel of his Soul to see sinners coming in and getting good of him and in the Song He is said to feed in the Gardens and to be gathering lilies Yea that the day of Souls being espoused to him is the day of the gladness of his heart Sixthly Consider how weighted to speak so with reverence to him our Lord is when sinners will not make use of him it 's accounted by him as it were an affronting of him Even a troading of the Blood of the Covenant under foot and an accounting of it to be an unholy thing a sort and degree of doing despight to the Spirit of Grace He who could look sometimes on the wrath of God and not shed a tear yet when he came to Jerusalem weeped over it And upon the other hand O! what complacency hath he in a sinners coming home to him which makes him sweetly smile and rejoice Seventhly Consider his exceeding great forbearance toward sinners while they are straying and his exceeding heartie welcoming of them when they return Let an inquest to say so be led on his Procedure with all the hearers of the Gospel that are here on earth and with all that are in Heaven and hell and all of them will be constrained to subscribe to the truth of this that he is full of long-suffering Doth he not spare even the vessels of wrath fitted to distruction And doth He not only spare his own but Pity them as a Father pitieth his Children And that wonderfull wescom of the Father to his Prodigal Son is nothing to Christs welcoming of a repenting sinner being but a dark Resemblance of it He casts not up to him his bygone faults Neither sayes what is this you have done miserable wretch No such word but This is my Son that was dead and is alive that was lost and now is found Believe it O Believe it which is the very scope of the Parable Our Lord Jesus is as glad in a Holy way at a sinners coming home Eightly Consider how easie our Lord is to be pleased with any honest mint or essay that is made of returning to him He is so very willing that a sinner make Application of his Righteousness that where there is reality he will as it were take half a Faith for Faith were it even but like a Smoking flax or bruised Reed or a grain of mustard seed He will take a sincere resolution to confess for the confession of sin which is clear Psalm 32. I said saith David I will confess my Transgression and thou forgavâ—st the Iniquity of my sin If he had proposed the offer of life on such terms as would have wearied us all our dayes we ought to have Judged him willing that we should partake of it for it cost him very dear But when it is not Abrahams Faith only but any Faith how weak so ever if sound that he graciously accepts How doth it set forth his great willingness Him that cometh to me saith he I will in no wise cast out The word is doubled in the Original I will not Not to shew the holy passionatness of our Lords desire and his exceeding great willingness to have sinners closing with him So Isaiah 45. Salvation is promised even to a Look look unto me all the ends of the Earth and be Saved and if sinners cannot well look think but honestly and let their heart yeeld and it shall be a bargain He that is athirst let him come Revel 22. And if there be scarce the pain of Hunger or Thirst The Spirit and the Bride say come and whosoever will let him come and take of the Water of Life freely And this willingness is nothing else but the thought and desire of an heart consenting to accept of his offer Or if this be not litle enough there is less yet Psalm 37.7 Rest in the Lord the word as it is on the Margent and Psal 62.1 is be
silent to the Lord If the heart cannot so well and distinctly say Amen to the bargain Let it as it were hold its tongue or hold its peace let it be silent say nothing against it or give a silent quiet answer or by way 〈◊〉 Approbation and Acceptation keep silence and 〈◊〉 shall be accepâ—ed O wonderfull stooping Doth nâ— this declare and manifestly Preach the exceeding greâ—â— willingness that our sweet Lord Jesus hath to Communicat and apply his purchase to sinners Ninthlâ— Consider the Persons on whom he confers the offer aâ—â— the manner how he Prosecuts it and it may yet furthâ—â— hold forth how seriously willing he is that sinne should welcome it and be made up by it who 〈◊〉 pray are called Luke 14 21 It 's the Poor the Blinâ— the Maimed the Halt the Lame c. And are the any that can say they are worse If thou say I can 〈◊〉 nothing I am Maimed and cannot come The Gospâ—â— bids call the Cripple and provides Him a Chariot of 〈◊〉 wood of Lebanon Paved with love and having 〈◊〉 speak so all the Seats and cushions of it of love Caâ—â— 3.10 And giveth stilts or crutches of Grace to undeâ— prop and Eagles wings to carry them If thou be 〈◊〉 confused body and worst not what to do it bids caâ— the Blind If thou be Poor Blind Miserable Wretâ—ed and Naked and yet having conceited and faâ—ciâ—â— that thou wast Rich Thou art not excluded for all that 〈◊〉 for Revel 3.18 Laodicea consists of a Hypocritie Pack and company of Luke-warm Professours wâ—â— are so loathsome to Christ that He threatens to speâ—â— them out of his mouth And yet to such even to sucâ—â— he saith I counsell thee to buy of me c. And if the be invited who can exempt or exclude themselvâ— from the offer or bargain Do not these things moâ—â— Convincingly and Irrefragably demonstrat his willinâ—ness When there is not a sinner that is either Pooâ— proud vain Hypocritical c. But he is included 〈◊〉 the call of the Gospel Tenthly Consider his urgenâ— and pressingnâ—ss in making and bearing home the offer O how long-suffering is He And with what Patience doth he wait on It 's not an Ambassage that 's broken up if it be not presently closed with as a hastie-man doth but All the day have I stretcheâ— out my hands to again-saying people Isaiah 65. Jerusalem Jerusalem how often would I have gathered thee c. Matth. 23. How doth wisdom stand and press her invitation Prov. 1 20. and 8.1 2. c. Ezek. 18.31.32 Turn you at my Rebuke why wâ—ll ye die Luke 14.23 Go to the high wayes and compell them to come in 1 John 3.23 This is his Comâ—andment that ye believe on the Name of the Son of God It 's not left as an indifferent thing at sinners option to do or not do but the same Authority that enjoines keeping the Sabbath and that forbids Cursing and Swearing doth lay on this Command of Believing Come to the Wedding Beleve man and woman and be saved and what is all this to the bowels of Mercy Grace and Love that are in him His Belly is like Ivory overlaid with Saphirs His face is white and Ruddy a part whereof this is and yet it 's nothing to speak so to the principall copie which is his heart that 's a great depth even the very Center and Element as it were of love God is love saith John as if he were nothing else but love and what a love must it be where he is to speak so turned into love in the person of Christ Angels cannot to the full consider of it nor conceive it Your hearts cannot reach it sure there is much wonderfully much ground here to lay it for an undoubted truth that our Lord Jesus is exceedingly desirous of the Salvation of sinners and of many sinners and is in a great readiness to make his Righteousness forth-coming to them and heartily to welcom all that come to him The Second use is of Exhortation and ye may at first blush see whither it runs Even to stir us up to accept of and embrace these good news with glad hearts is there here a good bargain and a sure way through Faith to make use of it And is Christ so willing to Communicat it What shall I say to you Is it not a pity to miss it Nay would ye do Christ a pleasure then lay weight on his Righteousness and give him sinfull Souls to be saved by him if we sought great or hard things from you to please him would you not judge your selves oblidged to grant them But when he saith on the matter give me your Souls to be saved and I shal account that Satisfaction to me for all the travell of my Soul O How unspeakably great is your Obligation readily and cheerfully to grant so loving and reasonable a request l If such a gracious offer had never been made It would have been Men and Brethren what shall we do And there would have been a mighty great scaring and trembling to draw neer but when it is not to the Mount that cannot be touched not to Moses that we are called to come but to a Saviour whom ye cannot please better then Nay not at all but by receiving of him and whom in some respect ye cannot displease at all if ye receive him let me beseech and obtest you as ye would not be found guilty of treading this blood of thâ— Covenant under foot and as ye would not for evâ—r debar your selves from Remission of sins with him make use O make use of this Propitiation for sin and for procuring your Pardon and peace would to God this were the fruit of such a days work for indeed it 's our great work and the very scope of all our Preaching And behold I Proclaim to you that Remission of sins is to be had thorow his Blood and that there shall not be any upbraiding of you nor casting up of bygones if ye will indeed receive him and close with him on his own sweet easy and very reasonable terms O then sit not this urgent Call and the day of your merciful Visitation And to press this Exhortation a litle Consider that Grace hath a Throne and shall triumph in this Gospel either in your gâ—ining or in being avenged upon you for your despising of its richest and freest offers Let us I Pray reason the matter with you a litle And First Are there not sinners here There is not a designe in this Gospel to save any others but sinners and if so to you is this Salvation set who by Nature are sinners enemies and at feud with God The Doctrine of this Gospel carries in its bosom Remission of sins would to God ye were suitably affected with sin and Judging your selves that so ye might be in some Capacity to receive it Sâ—condly Tell me what is it that ye would be at Is it Remission of sins It 's here