said, If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; if they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments, then will I visit their transgression with the rod of their iniquity with stripes. (Ps. lxxxix. 30, 31, 32.) What affecting instances of this have we in Eli, David, and Hezekiah? For this cause God may lay his hand heavily upon them, and remove from them their dearest earthly enjoyments. Ho may send darkness and horror into their souls. Like Heman, while they suffer his terrors, they may be distracted. He may visit them with distressing pains and sickness, and like the Corinthians, many among them may be weak and sickly, and many may sleep. (1 Cor. xi. 30.)

Besides, it is in a circumspect walk with God, that Christians enjoy communion with him, have peace and assurance in life, joy and triumph in death, and a distinguishing reward and glory in the kingdom of heaven. How important is it, therefore, that their hearts should be found in his statutes, and steadfast in his covenant!

PART II.

A VARIETY of interesting remarks naturally offer themselves from a review of the preceding subject on covenanting, and keeping covenant with God.

I. The great and inexcusable wickedness of all persons, who, under the light of the gospel, neglect truly to return to God, to take his covenant upon them, and honour him in all his institutions. They sin against the authority, express commands, and known will of God. They rob him of that worship which is his unalienable right, and their reasonable service. They sin against the wonderful condescension and goodness of God in reconciling the world unto himself by Jesus Christ, and in entering into a covenant of peace with rebellious men. They sin against all the light and grace of the gospel, against all the commands of God, which require them to repent, to believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to observe all things whatsoever he hath commanded them. Against his express commands to remember: and honour him at his table, This do in remembrance of me. They sin against the

most endearing example of Christ, of the primitive Christians, and of the whole Christian church from its first institution to the

present time. They sin against that precious, that alluring promise of their Saviour, That whosoever shall confess him before men, he will confess also before his Father who is in heaven, and before his angels. It is sinning against his displeasure, against their own mercies, and the lives of their own souls, since he has assured them, That whosoever shall be ashamed of him and of his words, of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels. What incalculable criminality is there in this? It is inexcusable wickedness. To plead impenitence, unbelief, and unpreparedness, is only to plead their wickedness. Faith, repentance, and a preparation to every good word and work, are the immediate duties of all men to whom the gospel is sent. The gospel feast is prepared, all things are ready. The ends of the earth may look and be saved. Nothing prevents but their own wickedness, their own unwillingness, their entire opposi tion to God and holiness. This is their con

demnation, that light is come into the world, "and they love darkness rather than light.

II. That all attempts of unregenerate men to covenant with God, and pretences that they can do it consistently, are absurd and delusive. How can they, with the solemnity of an oath, avouch the Lord Jehovah to be their sovereign Lord and supreme good, while their carnal minds are enmity against him? When they will not have him to reign over them, and do not like to retain him even in their knowledge! How can they give up themselves to God through Jesus Christ on the terms of the covenant of grace, when in their hearts they reject him? When they will not come unto him that they might have life? How can they covenant to walk in all the statutes and ordinances of God blameless, when there is no faithfulness in their mouth, and their inward part is very wickedness? (Psalm v. 9.) When there is no judgment in their goings. (Isa. lix. 8.) How can they covenant or promise any thing in the name of Christ, while they have no faith in him, no union to him, nor any spiritual life, or covenant communications from him? Does not every thing essential in covenanting with God, imply a new heart, love to him, and

union with the Saviour? Does not the Almighty, therefore, that he may have a covenant people, who shall indeed be his, and that he may be their God, put his law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts? (Jer. xxxi. 33. Heb. viii. 10.) Does he not, when he makes an everlasting covenant with his people, that he will not turn away from them to do them good, give them one heart and one way, that they may fear him for ever, and that they may not depart from him? (Jer. xxxii. 39, 40.) How do all natural men deceive themselves, while they imagine that they covenant with God in sincerity and truth, and that he is their covenant God and Father in Christ? Or that they do, or ever shall keep covenant with him, while they continue in unregeneracy? They cannot be accepted in covenanting with him, nor in their persons, nor in any of their performances for men are accepted in Christ the beloved only. (Ephes. i. 6.) God can have no pleasure in them: for without faith it is impossible to please him. (Heb. xi. 6.) They can have no communion with him, in time, nor in eternity. For without holiness, no man shall see the Lord. (Heb. xii. 14.)

III. That when, in covenanting with God,