Let us, therefore, reprefent to ourselves the probable confequences, before we imbark in fo important and folemn a tranfaction. Confider the self-reproach, the cenfures of others, and, above all, the displeasure of God, which you must incur, if you retract from fuch a deep engagement. God doth not wish to enfnare you into his fervice. He does not allure you by flattering profpects of eafe. He does not conceal from you the hardships which you must endure. It is plainly, therefore, his will, that ye fhould confider these things, and that before ye devote yourselves to him, ye should count the coft, and fee whether ye are able to fulfil the engagement.

3dly, In yielding ourselves unto God, our hearts must be humbled with ferious and deep repentance, for having fo long gone aftray from him and his fervice. We ought to imitate the example of those penitents mentioned in the 50th chap. of Jeremiah, ver. 4.. "In "thofe days, and in that time, faith the Lord, "the children of Ifrael fhall come, they and "the children of Judah together, going and

weeping, they fhall go and feek the Lord their God. They fhall afk the way to Zion "with their faces thitherward, faying, Come

"and

" and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a ' perpetual covenant that shall never be for"gotten." God will not accept of us, unless we be truly weary of our burden, and sensible of our abfolute need of a Saviour. To fuch the calls of the gospel are peculiarly addressed; "Come unto me all ye that labour and are

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heavy laden, and I will give you rest.— "For thus faith the High and Lofty One that "inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy, I "dwell in the high and holy place; with him "also that is of a contrite and humble spirit,

to revive the spirit of the humble, and to "revive the heart of the contrite ones."

4thly, We muft yield ourselves unto God without any fecret reserve or limitation, imploring that he may take the full poffeffion of our hearts, and caft out of them whatever opposeth or exalteth itself against him. We ought to fay to him, "O Lord, our Lord, "other lords have had dominion over us; but "henceforth we will make mention of thy

righteousness, even of thine only." He who hath only confiftent pursuits, may follow them with a profpect of fuccefs; but a mind divided between contrary principles of action, can expect nothing but to be for ever drawn

backward

backward and forward, as they happen alternately to prevail. In this view it is impoffible to yield ourselves to God, if at the same time we yield ourfelves to fin in any degree: Perhaps, indeed, we propofe to dedicate ourfelves to God in general, and only to fpare ourselves the mortification of renouncing a few trifling indulgencies. But these indulgencies have unforefeen connections with others that are not trifling, and these again with more. Or fuppofing that they had not, yet the truth certainly is, that when we deliberately become unfaithful to our confciences in any one inftance, we lofe every firm ground. on which we can withstand temptation in any other inftance. We lofe gradually both the power and the inclination to refift evil. God withdraws the good aids of his fpirit, we decline from evil to worse, and our laft ftate becomes worfe than our firft. Such only, therefore, as yield themfelves wholly to God, and acknowledge after all that they are but unprofitable fervants, entitled to acceptance only through the merits of a gracious Redeemer, have caufe to hope well. All others build on the fand, but they on a rock. Their fuperftructure may be raised to the greatest

height, and stands both firm and graceful. God will pardon their unavoidable infirmities, and affist their endeavours. They will of course make continual progress, and, for every step of that progrefs, enjoy an increase of peace and joy here, and of unfading glory hereafter.

5thly, All this must be done with an explicit regard to the Lord Jefus Chrift, through whom alone we have access to the Father: "For there is none other name given under "heaven whereby we can be faved but the

name of Jefus." Without this Mediator, God could have no friendly intercourse with man. The weapons of our rebellion must be furrendered into his hands; for it is in him alone that God reconciles the world unto himself. It is by the blood of Jefus that we have boldness to enter into the holieft. We are accepted only in the beloved. The Father receives no offering but at the hand of this great High Priest.

Having thus explained the duty of yielding ourselves unto God, and fhewn in what way it ought to be performed, what remains VOL. IV.

C

but

but that I enforce the exhortation by fome motives and arguments.

Need I to represent to you the neceffity of this duty? Can you withdraw yourselves from being the property of God as his creatures? Can you evade the difpenfations of his providence, or fnatch from him those iffues of life and death which are incontroulably in his hands? If fo, then you may confult whether you fhould yield yourselves to him or not? But if your present and your eternal happiness depends on his favour; if you cannot fecure an interest in his favour otherwise than by complying with this exhortation; if you must otherwise be left to struggle as you best can, with all the evils of life, and at laft be banished his prefence for ever, to spend a miferable eternity with reprobate fpirits, What choice is left? Can you hefitate a moment to comply with what you cannot alter, and to furrender yourselves to him who will either glorify himself in you as vessels of mercy, or as veffels prepared for deftruction?

Confider, in the 2d place, the reasonableness of this duty. This is the argument of the Apoftle to the Romans; "I befeech you

"there