"fus Chrift, as fecond Adam; wherein, upon con"dition of his fulfilling all righteoufnefs, which is

now performed in his having been born perfectly "holy, lived altogether righteously, and made per"fect fatisfaction to juftice by his death and fuffer. "ings, thou haft promised, that thou wilt be their "God, and they shall be thy people, to the making "of them holy and happy for ever: and that this "covenant is, in Chrift the head thereof, offered "and exhibited to me in thy gospel: and thou "calleft me into the fellowship of it in him: There. "fore, upon the warrant of, and in obedience to "thy command and call, I, a poor perishing finner, "do take hold of that covenant, for life and fal"vation to me; believing on the name of Christ "crucified, the head thereof, offered and exhibited

to me, as the great High Priest, who, by the facrifice of himfelf, hath made atonement, paid "the ranfom, and brought in everlasting righteouf"nefs for poor finners. I credit his word of grace "to me, and accordingly trust on him, that he "with his righteoufnefs will be mine, and that, in " and through him, God will be my God, and I shall "be one of his people, to the making of me holy "and happy for ever.

"O my God, I do by thy grace acquiefce in that covenant, as all my falvation, and all my defire. "With my whole heart and foul, the Son incarnate "is my only Prieft, my Surety, my Interceffor, "and my Redeemer; and, in him, the Father my "Father, the holy Ghoft my Sanctifier; God in "Chrift my God. I refign myself foul and body, << to him, to be faved by his blood alone; renoun"cing all confidence in mine own righteoufnefs, do"ings, and fufferings. With my whole heart and "foul, he is my Head and Husband. And I am "his only, wholly and for ever; to live by him, "and for him. I take him for my alone Prophet,

"Oracle

<< Oracle and Guide; give up myfelf wholly to

him, to be taught, guided and directed, in all "things, by his word and Spirit; and renounce "mine own wisdom, and the wifdom of this world. "He is, with my heart's confent, my alone King "and Lord. And I refign myfelf wholly, foul and "body, unto him, to be refcued by the strength of "his mighty hand, from fin, death, the devil, and "this prefent evil world, for to ferve him for ever "and to be ruled by the will of his command, as to 66 my duty, and the will of his providence, as to my "lot. I am with my whole heart content (Lord, "thou knoweft) to part with, and do renounce e

' very known fin, luft, or idol, and particularly, 46 mythe fin which moft eafily befets me; "together with my own foolish will, and all other "lords befide him; without refervation, and with"out exception against his crófs: Protefting in "thy fight, O Lord, that I am, through grace, "willing to have difcovered unto me, and upon "difcovery to part with every fin in me that I "know not: and that the doubtings and averfeness "of heart mixed with this my accepting of thy co"venant, are what I allow not; and that, notwith"ftanding thereof, I look to be accepted of thee "herein, in the Beloved, thine only Son and my "Saviour, purging away thefe, with all my other "fins, by his precious blood.

"Let it be recorded in heaven, O Lord, and let " and whatever is here prefent, bear witness, "that I, tho' most unworthy, have this day here taken hold of, and come into thy covenant of grace, offered and exhibited to me in thy gospel; "and that thou art my God in the tenor of that co"venant, and I am one of thy people, from hence"forth and for ever."

DIRECT. IX.

After covenanting with God, fet yourfelf to ply the throne of grace by prayer and fupplication, with reference to what is the particular caufe or caufes of your faft. This is furely the proper order for then is one in beft cafe to make fpecial requefts unto the Lord, when, by application of the blood of Chrift, in taking hold of the covenant, his confcience is purged; whereas, if one falls to that work before this, he cannot have the confidence towards God neceflary in this cafe, 1 John iii. 20. 21.

And for the right managing hereof, the following advices are offered.

1. As it is fit you fhould, the night before, condefcend in your own mind, on the caufes of your faft; fo now again you fhould review them, partly, that the things which you are to lay before the Lord in prayer and fupplication, may be ready before you; and partly, that you may be duly affected therewith.

2. Then go to prayer, and prefent your petitions anent them, to your covenanted God. And pray again and again on thefe heads, as you fhall find your cafe to require: for the time is fet apart for that very end, that you may have opportunity to wrestle with God, in prayers and fupplications thereanent.

3. In thefe prayers, let there be a holy mixture of humility fuitable to our unworthinefs, of fervency fuitable to our preffing needs, and of confidence in God fuitable to the accefs unto him allowed us by the covenant: the which are the fpecial ingredients in prevailing prayer.

ift, In all your addreffes to the throne of grace, continue a humble fupplicant, not forgetting, but maintaining a due fenfe of your finfulness, vilenefs, and unworthiness of the mercies you make fuit for. Lord, I am not worthy that thou fhouldft come under my roof, faith the Centurion, Matth. viii. 8. I am

not

1

t

not worthy of the leaft of all the mercies, faith Jacob, Gen. xxxii. 10. Due humility will oblige you to look on yourself as abfolutely unworthy of fpiritual mercies, though, in the mean time, you fee an abfolute need of them: it will keep you from being peremptory in the matter of temporal mercies, and difpofe you to a holy fubmiffion unto the will of God therein and it will engage you in matters of light, to lay yourself fairly open to the divine determina

tion.

If, in this laft cafe, your own inclination do fway you to any one fide; yet be fure to have no regard to it before the Lord, but come unto him, as it were, in an equipoife, to be caft to what fide he will. Such are the meek he will guide in judgment, the meek he will teach his way, Pfalm xxv. 9. Unfair dealing with God in this cafe is exceeding finful and dangerous. They who venture on it, are therein diffemblers; and will readily throw off their mask, if the anfwer of God fall not in with the fide that their inclination is on: they will repel it; they will not fee it; but will take their own way, notwithstanding, to the provoking of the eyes of his glory. Whereof we have a remarkable inftance, in the Jews confulting God as to what they fhould do, while in the mean time they were aforehand refolved what to do, being bent to go to Egypt, Jer. xli. 17. Chap. xlii. 1,-6, 19, 20. Chap. xliii. 2, 7. Such dealing with God in the matter of light, fometimes provokes him to give men their will, with a vengeance. Thus Balaam got an anfwer from God, plainly notifying to him, that he should not go with Balak's meffenger's, Numb. xxii. 12. But that anfwer not fuiting his inclinations, which were towards the wages of unrighteousness, 2 Pet. ii. 15. he went back for another answer more agreeable thereto, and in wrath he got it, verfes 19, 20, 21, 22.

2dly, Be fervent in your addreffes, labouring ferB b 4

vently

On fuch occafions,

vently in prayers, Col. iv. 12. the body is afflicted, that the fpirit may become the more earnest in fupplication: the ordinary weight of worldly incumbrances is laid afide, that the foul may the more readily take wing, and mount heavenward. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man a vaileth much, James v. 16.

3dly, Pray with confidence in God, through Jefus Chrift, believingly, not doubtingly and diftruftfully: Matth. xxi. 22. And all things whatfoever ye fhall ask in prayer, believing ye shall receive. Whether your petitions be for temporal or fpiritual mercies, prefent them to the Father in the name of Chrift, according to the promises of the covenant relative thereto : believing, and being confident on the ground of the merit and interceffion of the Mediator, that God will do the beft in your cafe, that your labour fhall not be in vain in the Lord, and that what is for his glory and your good fhall not be with-held from you, Pfalm lxxxv. 12. 1 Cor. xv, 58. Pfalm Ixxxiv. 11.

4. In the intervals of prayer, give yourfelf to fome godly exercife; fuch as finging of pfalms, reading of the word, or meditation, And particularly, if you be feeking light into a matter, you may enter on thinking about it, in order to your clearing therein; weighing circumftances with dependance on the Lord, according to the promise, Pfalm xxxii. 8. I will inftruct thee, and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. And fpecially, if you are feeking light into the ftate of your foul; here is a favourable nick of time for it, the marks and evidences of a gracious ftate being, upon the back of covenanting with God, in a fair way to be difcovered, to the fatisfaction of the fincere foul.

5. Lastly, Lay no weight on the quantity of your prayers; that is to fay, how long, or how many

they