engagements of that day. But do you not find that the good impressions have been greatly weakened, and that, whilst the ardour of your will and affections has cooled, little remains except the convictions of your judgment ? Ah ! beware of " leaving your first love," or of resting satisfied with past ex- periences. Know that it is not on any one day that these transactions must be realized, but every day of your lives. You should be again and again renewing your vows unto the Lord, and be daily occupied in fulfilling them. Look to it then, that neither the cares of the world, nor the deceitfulness of riches, nor the lusts of the flesh, nor the fear of man, nor any other thing, " choke the good seed within you, or prevent your bringing forth fruit unto perfection."]
To those who wish for such a day,
[(For we trust that such there are amongst us, who yet cannot speak of such a day as past,) we would earnestly suggest some necessary cautions.
Delay not thus to give yourselves up to God : but be par- ticularly on your guard not to do it in a legal, self-righteous, self-dependent spirit. There are two mistakes which are very generally made, which yet are of most fatal consequence : the first is, that our covenant-engagements relate only to the per- formance of our duties ; whereas they relate primarily to our acceptance of God as our reconciled God in Christ Jesus : and the second is, that we are to found all our hopes of covenant advantages on our own obedience ; whereas we should regard them, not as purchased by us, but as bestowed on us in the covenant, and as secured to us in Christ Jesus. Happy would it be, if this matter were more clearly understood : it lies at the very root of all our comfort, and of all our stability : till we see all our holiness secured to us as well as required of us, we shall never rely as we ought on the promises of God, or give to him the glory due unto his name. See how the cove- nant is expressed by an inspired prophet : not only does it say, " They shall be my people, and I will be their God," but, to secure their part of the covenant as well as God's, God promises " not to turn away from them, or to suffer them to turn away from himf." Thus is " the covenant ordered in all things, and therefore sure : " but it is sure to those only who lay hold on it with a just apprehension of its nature, and a simple depen- dence on its provisions.]
Those, who have no idea of any such day,
[May probably be found amongst us. There are some who seem to take credit to themselves for never having made any profession of religion at all. But can they suppose that this is
f Jer. xxxii. 38 — 41.