DIRECTIONS

TO PENITENTS AND BELIEVERS

FOR

Making and Renewing their Covenant with God.

EARLY Beloved, we are gathered together that we

may enter into, or that we may renew, a solemn and express Covenant with God. Now, that we may do this aright, it is necessary to consider well what this Covenant supposes and contains, and not to engage thoughtlessly to we know not what.

First of all, therefore, get these three principles fixed in your heart: That things eternal are much more considerable than things temporal; that the things not seen are as certain as the things that are seen; 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. Put yourselves to it thus: Soul, thou seest what is before thee what wilt thou do? Which wilt thou have, the crown or the curse? If thou choosest 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?'

And then, dear brethren,

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.

If your hearts fly off, and would fain waive 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, let not your hearts 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 in this is included your renouncing the world, and worldly happiness.

III. Embark with Christ.

Adventure yourselves with him. Christ offers; if you will venture with him, he will bring you home, he will bring you to God. Will you now say to him, 'Lord Jesus, wilt thou undertake for me? Wilt thou bring me to God? With thee will I venture myself. I cast my self 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 Saviour.

There are two things which are necessary 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 else besides Christ.

1. A deep sense of his sin and misery.

No man will regard a Saviour, who doth not see himself a sinner: the whole' regard not the physician. Therefore it is said that the Spirit of God should, in the first place, convince the world of sin.' (John xvi. 8.) Sin hides itself from the sinner's eyes, with all its vileness and deformity. But the Spirit of God plucks off the mantle, and makes sin appear to be sin. He brings

forth the guilt of sin, awakens the sinner's conscience, and fills him with fear and amazement.

Yet this is not all that is needful, but he must further be brought to

2. An utter despair of himself, and of all else besides Christ.

Being made sensible of his sin, and of his danger, a sinner will look for help and deliverance; but he will look everywhere else, before he will look unto Christ. Nothing will bring a sinner to Christ, but absolute necessity. He will try to forsake his sins, and see if by this means he may escape. He will have recourse to prayers, and sermons, and sacraments, and see if he can find salvation in them. But all this, though useful and indeed necessary, cannot bring salvation to the sinner. His righteousness cannot save him; his duties cannot save him; ordinances cannot save him; all tell him, 'Salvation is not in us.' 'God be merciful to me!' saith 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 save me; my hearing will not; if I give all my goods to the poor, 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 open. Then Christ will be acceptable to him, when he sees that none but Christ can save him.

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 in him alone. Christ will have no sharer with him in the work of saving souls. He saith, 'I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.' 'The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.' Therefore, let destitute, distressed sinners come unto him.

Will you come now? Will you venture on Christ?

For this your adventuring on Christ, you have this threefold warrant :

1. God's ordination: This is he whom God the Father hath appointed, and sent into the world, to bring back his exiles to himself, to save sinners. 'Him hath God the Father sealed; '* hath marked him out as that chosen Person in whom is salvation.

2. God's command: This is his commandment, That we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ.'t 3. God's promise: Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner-stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.'t

Now, having this threefold 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 Saviour of sinners? The Lord God hath sent me to thee, 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 help? If I had come 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; do not refuse me! I have not whither else to go. Here I will stay, I will not stir from thy door; on thee will I 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 shoulder; 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.'

* John vi. 27.

† 1 John iii. 23.

1 Peter ii. 6.

IV. Resign and deliver up yourselves to God in Christ.

'Yield yourselves unto God,' that is, as his servants; give up the dominion and government of yourselves to Christ. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.'* Yield yourselves so to the Lord, that you may henceforth be the Lord's. 'I am thine,' saith the Psalmist. Those that yield themselves to sin and the world, say in their heart: Sin, I am thine; World, I am thine; Riches, I am yours; Pleasures, I am yours.' 'I am thine,' saith the Psalmist; 'devoted to thy fear,' dedicated to thy service: 'I am thine, save me.'

This giving up of 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 pleaseth. 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: '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, others more difficult; some bring honour, others bring reproach; some are suitable to our natural inclinations and temporal interests, others are contrary to both. In some we may please Christ, and please ourselves;

*Romans vi. 13.