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the covenant, to receive alfo the feals of it; for thus we publicly acknowledge ourselves to be the Lord's. It is ftrange how those who plead their accepting of the covenant fhould live in the neglect of improving its feals. Among men, they who are in earneft for a bargain or contract, certainly will not refuse to ratify it. How is it, then, that perfons are for the covenant of grace, and yet will not ratify it, by receiving the feals of that covenant?-Learn,

3. That fuch as have given themselves honestly away to the Lord, fhould look on themselves as his. Imprefs it on your fpirits, ye are not your own, but the Lord's. Have you given your confent to Chrift in the covenant? Then henceforth reckon yourselves to be his.-Look on yourselves,

(1.) As his habitation: Eph. ii. 22. "In whom ye alfo are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit." Chrift has called to you to open to him, promifing to dwell in you. You have given confent to him, now look on yourselves as his habitation, and exert yourselves to drive out the old inhabitants. Confider yourfelves as no more at liberty to harbour his enemies. Our Lord has made a purchase of two houses, and has made two journies, to take infeftment and poffeffion of them: (1.) Having purchased heaven for his people, he went thither in his afcenfion, to take poffeffion of it for them: Heb. vi. 20. "Whither the forerunner hath for us entered, even Jefus, made an High-Priest for ever after the order of Melchifedec." (2.) Having purchased the finner for himself by his blood, he comes to the finner's heart, to take poffeffion of it for himself: Rev. iii. 20. "Behold," fays he, "I ftand at the door and knock, if any man hear my voice, and open the Ffa door,

door, I will come in to him, and will fup with him, and he with me." To the former house he has ready accefs, having to do with a holy and just God: But not fo to the latter; often his enemies are admitted in, and he is made to ftand at the door, as if the house were not his own, because here he has to do with fickle creatures: Song, v. 2. "I fleep, but my heart waketh; it is the voice of my Beloved that knocketh, faying, Open to me, my fifter, my love, my dove, my undefiled; for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night."-Look on yourselves,

(2.) As his temple, 1 Cor. vi. 19. (quoted above); a temple confecrated and fet apart for the Lord, which, therefore, it is most dangerous to defile. Before the foul comes into the covenant, the man is Satan's work-house: Eph. ii. 2." He is the fpirit that now worketh in the children of difobedience." His heart is a forge of evil imaginations, a den of thieves. But, entering into the covenant, he is confecrated for a holy temple unto the Lord. Be careful, then, that your hearts and lives be a continual facrifice of praife, Christ the altar, and thou the priest. Feaft on the facrifice flain for you, feed daily on Jefus Chrift, and guard against pollutions of heart and life.Look on yourselves,

(3.) As his confederates, or covenant-people : Heb. viii. 10. "I will be to them a God, and they fhall be to me a people." Remember, the cove. nant ye have entered into is an offenfive and defenfive league. You are to have common friends and common enemies with the Lord. Whofo are the friends of God, they must be your friends alfo, as Ruth faid to Naomi, "Thy people fhall be my people." Pfal. cxix. 63. "I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy

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precepts." If you defire heaven, you must affociate with those who are going thither, for a companion of fools fhall be deftroyed."-His enemies must also be yours: Pfal. cxxxix. 21. 22. "Do. not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred, I count them mine enemies." So alfo Pfal. Ixix. 9. "For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up, and the reproaches of them that reproached thee have fallen. upon me."--Look on yourselves,

(4.) As his followers: Eph. v. 1. « Be ye, therefore, followers of God as dear children." Our Lord is given for a Leader, Ifa. lv. 4. to lead his people through the world to heaven. Now, you are going through the wilderness, where it is hard, in many cases, to discern the right way, and where there are many to lead us wrong. The multitude goes the way to deftruction, but do you keep your eye on your guide: Prov. iii. 6. "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Obferve his precepts, his example; mark his footfteps, and follow them: 1 John, ii. 6. "He that faith he abideth in him, ought himself alfo to walk even as he walked." Follow alfo the footsteps of his flock, and conform not to the world, to follow them: Rom. xii. 2. "And be not conformed to this world; but be transformed, by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect will of God."--Look on yourselves,

(5.) As his fubjects, for he is your King and Lord, yea, your God and King, to whom you owe abfolute refignation and obedience: Pfal. xlv. 11. "He is thy Lord, and worship thou him." Chrift has a kingdom in the world, and whofo have entered into his covenant are the subjects of that kingdom,

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kingdom. Obferve, therefore, to live according to his laws, confederate not with his enemies, but be true to your King and Lord.-Look on yourfelves,

(6.) As children of his family: 1 Pet. i. 14. "As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to your former lufts in your ignorance; because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy." Have you come out from among thofe of Satan's family, and entered into the family of God? then walk as the children of God. Do not again mix with Satan's family: Pfal. xii. 7. "Thou fhalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever." Avoid them, their company, and their ways, as you would fhun a fociety infected with the plague: Acts, ii. 40. "And with many other words did he teftify, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation." Strive to be like your heavenly Father; ftudy to be obedient and dutiful children to him.-Look on yourfelves,

Laftly, As his fervants. So fays the text. Our Lord has been amongst us, fecking fervants to himself. Remember he is your Mafter, and you muft apply yourselves to his work.

THE

THE SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED.

SERMON XXXIX.

ACTS, xxviii. 23. For there ftood by me this night the angel of the Lord, whose I am, and whom I ferve.

HAVING confidered and improved the first doc

on to

trine taken from thefe words, I now go

DOCT. II. That those who are the Lord's ought to make, and will make, God's fervice their bufinefs. For illustrating this doctrine, I shall fhew,

I. What is that fervice of God, which is the. bufinefs of those who are the Lord's.

II. I am to fhew, what it is to make God's fervice our business, or when one may be faid to do fo.

III. I will confirm the doctrine. And then, IV. We shall add the practical improvement of the fubject.-We are then,

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