faid to them, I am your falvation. And hereby many have been strengthened, when ready to faint under doubts and difcouragements. Therefore, O young communicants, as ye regard the well-being, of your precious and immortal fouls for ever, look well to yourselves at this time; if matters be right with you now, they will never be altogether wrong afterwards. Labour to get fome diftinct uptakings of the covenant of grace, and of the nature, ends and uses of this folemn ordinance, which is the compend and feal of it, before your firft partaking. Pray fervently for knowledge and fpiritual illumination; apply to Jefus Chrift, your great Prophet, for this, and ee to improve the means and helps which he is pleated to afford you for it. Retire for meditation and reading of the Bible; read and meditate much of the Sufferings of Chrift; read our confeffion of faith, Vincent's catechifm, Guthry's trial of a faving intereft in Chrift, Deolitle, and other good books on the facrament, that ye may attain to fome right impreffions of the covenant, and the Lord's fupper; and particularly of the obligations you already ly under by the first feal of baptifm: And then under a humble fenfe of guilt, and with a hopeful view of the go. fpel-offer, go with all ferioufnefs and folemnity, and renew thefe engagements; enter into covenant with God, and next come to his table, to get the tranfaction fealed and ratified, by getting the other feai of heaven appended to it. And now, young people, I put it to your choice, as Joshua did to the Ifraelites, Jof. xxiv. 15. Chufe you this day whom you will ferve.- -Make choice at this time whom ye will be faved by, and whom ye will obey. Whom will you have for your master, whether Chrift or the devil? Both are courting your hearts Which of them will you yield to? Lay your hands to your hearts, and fee whether you will grant Chrift or the devil's defire ? Whether fhall the Devil have you foul and body to all eternity, or M 2 fhall fhall Chrift have you? Oh, will any be fo foolish as halt betwixt two opinions in this cafe, any fo mad as ftand in doubt whether to be faved or damned, whether to live with Chrift or the devil for ever? Now Michael and his angels, and the dragon and his angels are fighting about your hearts; the devil is holding, and a dying Saviour is drawing. O will you. not be on Chrift's fide, and with Michael may prevail, that the red Dragon's head may be broken, that the devil may get a total defeat, and that Chrift may get your hearts for ever? Remember Chrift will have none but willing fervants, Pfal. cx, 3. none but thefe who freely offer themfelves unto the Lord. Amazi· ah the fon of Zichri is recorded with great honour, 2 Chron. xvii. 15. becaufe he willingly offered himself unto the Lord. O for many Amaziah's, many fuch free-will offerings among young communicants! It would be a most pleafant fight to God and ministers, to faints and angels, whofe eyes are upon you. The firft fruits under the law were to be offered to the Lord. The kindness of youth is much remembred by him, Jer. ii. Young folks praying, repenting and cove. nauting are most melodious mufick in his ears. give Chrift the first and beft of your days, for he well deferves this. Make earneft of covenanting-work in fecret, that the communion-day may be a day of your efpoufals to the Lord Jefus, and the marriageknot may be caft fo fure at his table, that death nor hell may never be able to loofe it. Need I ufe any motives to prefs you to make this 'bargain, which is fo advantageous for your fouls ? God invites you to treat with him, nay, he fummons you to do it, 2 Chron. xxx. 8. Field yourselves to the Lord, ftrike hands with God, fubmit to his mercy, accept of the terms of grace. O if God himself would found an alarm in your ears, and fhew you the milery of an uncovenanted ftate ! 1. While you arc in this ftate, you have no interest in Chrift, no hare in his blood or purchase; you have neither art or part in the God of Ifrael, Eph. ii. 12. 2. You are under a covenant of works, and the power, terror, threatning and curfes of a broken law. The fentence of death is pronounced against you, and you may look for the execution of it every moment. 3. While you are cut of the covenant, you, have no right to any mercy, and all the mercies you receiveare curfed to you, and you know not how foon God may ftrip you of all you have. 4. Confider what a fad stroke death gives to an uncovenanted foul: it deprives him of all mercies, temporal, fpiritual and eternal, at one blow; and fets him a going for ever. And, whither can you flee in the day of vifitation, when nothing but grim horror and despair do ftare you in the face? When the body is on the brink of the grave, and the foul is on the brink of hell, how will you have • confidence to cry to an uncovenanted God to whom you have been strangers all your days? Muft it not be terrible for an uncovenanted foul to think, I am going to appear before that God I do not know, have no interelt in, nor acquaintance with. ? Can I look for friendthip from him now, fince I never fought after before?' But on the contrary, how pleafant then will it be for a covenanted foul to look death in the face, who can fay, I know whom I have believed, and I know whither I am going; the place I know, the way I know, and the God of • that land I know? Why fhould I be backward to go to my covenanted friend, with whom I have oft: converfed, been long acquainted, and in whose fence I have placed my happinels ?" 5. Confider how lamentable your cafe will be for evermore, if you flight the prefent opportunity: the treaty will not always laft with you, nay, the day is not far off when it fhall end, and God will treat with you no longer; the door will be eter C a com nally fhut, and God will become inaceffible, inexo : Hard must your hearts be, if they be not moved by thefe threatnings; but yet harder must they be, if they be not melted by God's condelcending intreaties. Hear him, Ifa. v. 1, 2, 3. Ho every one. that thirfieth, come, &c. Incline your ear, and come un to me; hear, and your foul shall live, and I will make. an everlasting covenant with you. Is God fo willing to make a covenant with his creature, a flaye, a worm ; and, are you not willing to caft down the weapons of rebellion, and enter into a league with him? It is not a bargain molt fuitable for you, and all your circumftances and neceffities? Is it not most glorious and honourable for you to be betrothed to fo great a Prince Hof. ii. 19. It is not rich and advantagious or you to be infeft in fo great an inheritance, and to to have a fealed a right to fuch bleffed privileges as a free pardon, gracious accefs, fatherly love, covenant-prefence, covenant fupport, covenant-provifion, covenant-protection, and covenant-comforts? Obj. Alas! I have made a perfonal covenant before, but have broke it.. Anf. You have caufe to be humbled for it before God; and, if you be not, it is a bad fign indeed. 2. All fenfible and mourning backfliders are invited to return to him, and renew their covenant, Jer. iii, Endeavour to make the bargain furer than you did before. Obj. I am afraid of breaking over again; and, is it not better not to engage ? Anf. 1. It is good to be jealous of yourselves, and fear'd for breaking; for, the more you diftrust your own strength, the ftronger you are. 2. If you covenant honeftly, you will get covenint grace and ftrength which fhall be lufficient for you; you will get the dominion of fin broke, and power to wrestle against it: and, above all, you will get Chrift engaged for you as your furety; and to be fure, tho' you be weak, he is able enough. DIRECTION XII. Labour for a thorough Cleanfing of both Heart and Life from Sin, and turn unto the Lord in the Ways of New Obedience, before you come to the Lord's table. A LL that would attend a holy God, and expect communion with him in this holy ordinance, mult fee to have pure hearts and clean hands, Pfal. xxiv. 3. 4. Jam. iv. 8. What was David's pious refolution, Pfal. xxvi. 6. Ought to be yours at this occafion, I will wash my hands in innocency, and fo will I compafs thine altar, O Lord. He alludes to the |
