necessity of these do make thee to harden thyself against them ; this might indeed in some heathen, that is not resolved whether there be another world cr no, help a little to blunt the edge of that terror, which otherwise would cut deeper into his amazed heart. But if thou believest another world, and that judgment which stands at death's back, ready to allot thee thj' unchangeable state in bliss or miser}' ; surely thou canst not relieve thy awakened conscience with such a poor cordial. Oh, therefore, think what answer thou meanest to give luito the great God, at thy appearing before him, when he shall ask thee what thou canst say, why the sentence of eternal damnatifm should not then be pronounced against thee. Truly, we deal unfaithfully with our own souls, if we bring not our thoughts to this issue. If now you should ask, how you should provide against the evil day, so that 3'ou may stand before that dreadful bar, and live so in the mean time that you might not be under a slavish bondage through the fearful expectation of it; take it in a few directions.
First, If ever you would have a blessed issue of this evil day, so as to stand in judgment before the great God, rest not till thou hast got into a covenant- relation with Christ. Dying David's living comfort was drawn from the covenant God had made with him; this was all his desire, and all his salvation. How canst thou put thy head into the other world without horror, if thou hast not solid ground that Christ will own thee for his ? Heaven hath its proper heirs, and so hath hell. The heirs of heaven are such as are in covenant with God : the foundation of it was laid in a covenant, and all the mansions there are prepared for a people in covenant with him ; ' Gather my saints together that have made a covenant with me.' But how mayest thou get into this covenant-relation? First, Break thy covenant with sin: thou art by nature a covenant-servant to sin and Satan ; may be thou hast not expressly in words and formally, as witches, sealed this covenant; yet virtually, as thou hast done the work of Satan, and been at the command of thy lusts, accepting the reward of unrighteousness, (the pleasure and carnal advantages they have paid thee in for the same,) therein thou hast declared thyself to be so. Now, if ever thou wilt be taken into covenant with God, break this : a covenant with hell and heaven cannot stand together.
Secondly, Betroth thyself to Christ. The covenant of grace is the jointure which God settles only upon Christ's spouse. Rebecca had not the jewels and costly raiment, till she was promised to become Isaac's wife. Gen. xxiv. 53. ' All the promises are yea and amen in Christ.' If once thou receivest Christ, with him thou receivest them. He that owns the tree hath right to all the fruit that is on it. Now that thou mayest not huddle up a marriage between Christ and thee, so as to be disowned of Christ, and it prove a nullity at last, it behoves thee to look to it that there be found in thee what Christ expects in every soul that he espouscth. First, therefore, consider whether thou canst heartily love the person of Christ. Look wishfully on him again and again, as he is set forth in all his spiritual excellences ; are they such as thy heart can close with ? Doth his holy nature, and all those heavenly graces with which he is beautified, render him desirable to thee? or couldst thou like him better if he were not so precise and exactly holy? Yea, is thy heart so inflamed with a desire of him, that thou canst love him with a conjugal love? A woman may love one as a friend, whom she cannot love so as to make him her husband. A friendly love may stand with a love of some other equal to it, yea, superior ; but a conjugal love is such as will bear neither. Canst thou find in thy heart to forsake all other, and cleave to Christ? Does thy heart sj)eak thee ready, and present thee willing, to go with thy sweet Jesus, though he carry thee from father and father's house? Is thy confidence such of his power to protect thee from all thy enemies, sin, wrath, and hell, that thou canst resolvedly put the lii'e of thy soid into his hands, to be saved by the sole virtue of his blood, and the strength of his omnipotent arm ; and of his care to provide for thee for this life and tlie otlii'r, that thou canst accpiiesce in what lie promiseth to do for thee ? In a word, if thou hast ("hrist, thou must not only love him, but for his sake all thy new kindred, which by thy marriage to him thou shalt be allied unto. How canst thou fancy to call the saints thy brethren ? Canst thou love them heartily, and forget all the old grudges thou hast had against then)? Some
Ig2 THAT YE MAY BE ABLE TO STAND