improved unto all the purposes for which it was defigned, Acceptance of it lays perfons under inviolable ties of gratitude to improve the promises and privileges of the covenant, in the performance of all thofe duties which are connected with, and confequent upon an inftating in it.

As a SECOND PRELIMINARY, We fhall attend unto the connection between the Covenant of Mercy and the Church's Covenant of Duty.

1. AND they are connected together, as the Eternal Covenant is the foundation of access to God in this Duty. No one of Adam's guilty family durft ever have adventured upon fuch a folemn duty, had not God exhibited the furéty-righteousness which is the condition of the New Covenant, as a fure foundation on which finners may ftand before him. Nor could any have drawn near to God, in this duty, unless he had revealed the promises of the covenant, for their welcome and encouragement. Let the covenant, for example, be, THE LORD IS OUR GOD: Who, of all the guilty race, durft have avouched

the

Sin

the Lord, as his God, had not God first promised, "I will fay it is my people, and they shall say the Lord is my God." made fuch a distance between God and man, and guilt left fuch a dread of God on the confcience, that Adam fled from the PRESENCE OF THE LORD, inftead of cleaving unto him by covenant-engagements. But the accomplishment of the condition of the New Covenant not only removes our fears, it alfo infpires with confidence; while the promises raise an affured hope of acceptance in approaching God, in the moft folemn forms of dedication unto him, as well as ftrength to pay what has been vowed.

2. THE Eternal Covenant and the Church's Covenant of Duties are allied to each other; as that is the meafure, and, indeed, the matter of the Church's engagements to be the Lord's. As we know not what to pray for, but as the promises furnifh us with petitions, fo we know not what we should promife unto God, but as the fame promifes furnish us with vows. Acceptable prayers are just divine promises turned into fupplications and requests; acceptable

D 2

acceptable vows are nothing else than the forefaid promises turned into holy refolutions. The promifes of God's Covenant and the precepts of his Law are of equal extent; and as the matter of religious vows are authorised by the divine law, fo they are alfo warranted by the divine promiles; and the matter of thefe covenants is no other than the matter of the promise improved according to the design of its great author. The Church's engagements fhould extend no farther than the promises of the gofpel; or, if they do, they are certainly fuperftitious. The vows of the Romish Church are justly reprobated on this account: Proteftants know not how they can be performed; for as they are confeffedly more than any thing for which God hath promifed his grace, they must all be performed in their own strength. But there is no place to object, That the religious Covenants of the Church of God, in all ages, and of Proteftants, in particu-. lar, are of the fuperftitious kind; for it can never be fuperftitious to vow the performance of that which God will work in ts, and unto which he will enable us. Thefe engagements ought not to stop shors

of

of. any thing God has promifed to his Church, or engaged to beflow upon her children. If our engagements include lefs than the Covenant of Grace, we muft, in that cafe, defpife all that grace that is omitted. As there is nothing in all the New Covenant which God thought too finall for him to promife and beftow, fo there is nothing in it too fmall for the covenanted feed to acknowledge, to the praise of his grace;-nothing of which they dare to be alhamed to own, that they are interested in it. Be not bullied out of covenantengagements, becaufe fome affect to reprefent them as matters of indifference, unimportant punctilios; for, that God who beftowed them, conferred fufficient dignity upon them. Every thing which is of God is truly great.

3. THE Covenant of Grace and our Covenant of Duty are clofely allied, as the formal nature of evangelical covenanting confists in taking hold of that Covenant, as exhibited in the gofpel. Perfonal covenanting confifts in a perfonal acceptance of God's gracious Covenant, according to that exhibition of it which the perfon en

joys;

joys, with an engagement to walk worthy of the privileges of it, unto all well-pleafing. This is evident from the Baptist's teftimony: " He that receiveth his teftimony, hath fet to his feal that God is true *.' Faith's acceptance is an inward

** John iii. 33. M. CHEMNETIUS's expofition of this text is worthy, of our notice, and fuited to our purpose: "Et non fine gravi caufa Baptifta verbum OBSIGNARE, "quod in articulo Juftificationis, femper Deo tribuitur, "de credentibus hoc loco ufurpat. Fit enim in Juftifi"cátione PACTUM bonæ confcientiæ coram Deo; hoc eft, "ut confcientia ftatuat Deum nobis propitium effe. Illud "PACTUM Deus ex una parte obfignat Sacramentis et "Spiritu Sancto: Fides vero, ex altera parte in confci"entia PACTUM illud obfignat, quod fciz. velit in illə "vera fiducia acquiefcere:" Harmon. Evangel. p. 298.

This doctrine of Covenanting, in a perfonal manner, is notably exemplified both by Jacob and David: The former fills a Differtation in the following pages, and the latter records his own practice in the following terms: "What thall I render unto the Lord? All his benefits to me. I will take the cup of falvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now, in the prefence of all his people :" So the 12th verfe should be rendered. This is the only fenfe which can confift with facred punctuation; and it is as if David had faid, "What shall I prefent unto the allfufficient Jehovah? I have nothing of mine own, indeed; but I devote all those graces he hath bestowed on me to his glory and fervice! Even all the bleffings contained in the Cup of Salvation:" As it follows, "Oh Lord! truly I am thy fervant, I am thy fervant and the fon of thine hand-maid: thou haft loofed my bands." What can a poor finner devote to God, but what has been graciously bestowed on him? What haft thou, O man, that thou haft not received?

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