fion. The firft ftep is, perhaps, almost imperceptible but no one can tell how foon the ftrength of indwelling fin, fet in motion by external enemies, may lead you afray. It often happens, that but a little period elapfes between perfons being hurried into fin, and becoming inclined to neglect the duties which the holy religion of Jefus prescribes.

B. ALWAYS let it be deeply IMPRESSED on your minds, that ye have to do with a holy God, who cannot take pleasure in iniquity; and that, therefore, the smallest fin, if it be not mourned over, must produce an estrangement between you and your God. Suffer then no fin to remain in you, unrepented of; but fly daily to the blood of Jefus, and plead for an interest in his interceffion.

C. NEVER, without an abfolute neceffity, be found at thofe places where ye may be in danger of being led aftray. Had Peter not been present in the hall of the high priest, he would not so easily have fallen into the fin of denying his Mafter. Are ye at any time brought into fuch circumftances? then, under a deep impreffion of your moral impotency, be much in prayer to God for preserving grace.

D. BE conftantly in the practice of holding communion with God in fecret. Let fome portion of every day be fpared from worldly bufinefs, for this exercife. There is no better mean to preferve you from fin.

E. FORSAKE not the affembling of yourfelves together, but endeavour to excite one another to love, and to good works. And do ye meet with any who are beginning to backflide? pity them, and attend to the exhortation of Paul,-Brethren, if a man be "overtaken in a fault, ye which are fpiritual reflore

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'fuch an one, in the fpirit of meeknefs, confidering thy"felf, left thou be alfo tempted." Gal. vi. 1.

F. Converfe much with your own hearts; attend ftrictly to what proceeds from them; this will make you circumfpect, and immediately enable you to difcover when ye begin to ftray from God. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the iffues of life." Whilft you are thus exercifed, the Lord, who is faithful, will manifeft his faithfulness to you, and not only preferve you from declenfion, but cause you to go on your way rejoicing, till you arrive at those blissful regions, where all fin, and every temptation to it, shall for ever cease.

AMEN.

THE

PIOUS COMMUNICANT.

Lecture VIII.

ON COVENANTING WITH GOD, PREPARATORY
TO AN APPROACH TO THE TABLE
OF THE LORD.

As the figns and feals of the covenant can be used, with profit, only by those who are interested in the covenant itself, we conceived that it would be advantageous, after having treated so minutely as we have done, in the preceding lectures on the doctrine of faith, to invite your attention, now, TO THE EXERCISES OF A SOUL in the act of cOVENANTING WITH THE LORD; and to the MANNER in which the BELIEVER yields his consent to all the terms of the covenant; not only when FIRST he enters within its bonds, but AFTERWARDS, on every renewal of it.

To meditate on a subject so glorious, divine, and interefting, is at all times profitable; both to direct and animate the redeemed of the Lord: and, with the divine bleffing, to unfold the nature of the covenant, to the view of those who are yet ftrangers to it, and sweetly to compel them to enter within its bonds. -But, on an occafion like the prefent, when public

ly invited to attend on the folemnities of the Holy Sacrament of the Supper, where we look for the prefence of Jefus, the mafter of the feaft, and great head of the covenant, to have this subject set before us, in all its parts, is highly ufeful and neceffary: for by it the God of the covenant is glorified; and our fouls may enjoy the exquifite delight which fellowship with God, as our covenant God, affords. To do juftice to this copious fubject, we must fhow,

I. That all the elect of God, as long as they are not interested in the covenant of grace, must be viewed as creatures in a state of INABILITY and UNWIL LINGNESS to comply with its terms, and not only perfectly INDIFFERENT with refpect to God and his covenant, but OPPOSED to both.

II. What God the Holy Spirit does on his part, to INFLUENCE the impotent and unwilling finner, to yield his confent to the covenant.

III. In what this CONSENT the covenant confifts after which we fhall,

IV. Offer fome directions to those who defire to enter into covenant with God, with refpect to the beft MANNER of doing it, fo as to evidence faithfulnefs towards the Lord, and to experience divine confolations in their fouls: and then,

V. INQUIRE, "when a foul may be faid to ENTER into covenant with God; and having once entered within its bonds, on what occafions the believer ought to RENEW the fame.

VI. POINT out the means which those, who have clear evidences that they are within the bonds of the covenant, ought to use, in order to preserve their confidence, and to restore it whenever it may in any wife be fhaken.

VII. ENDEAVOUR to remove the difficulties which may arife in the minds of God's covenant people; to the end that they be encouraged and comforted.

VIII. SHOW how neceffary and useful this subject is, to prepare the heart for a profitable approach to the Holy Supper of our Lord.

IX. Clofe, with an applicatory address, both to SINNERS, and to the PEOPLE of God.

As the feveral matters proposed for difcuffion, are fo copious and important, it cannot be expected that we can do juftice to each, if all are difcuffed in a fingle lecture. We shall at present, therefore, only invite your attention to the THREE FIRST, and to the TWO LAST, which have been specified in the above divifion.-Those which remain, will be treated of in the fucceeding lecture.

We proceed then, FIRST, to fhow that all SINNERS, even the ELECT, are by nature UNABLE and UNWILLING to enter into covenant with God; yea, perfectly INDIFFERENT about the matter, and what is ftill more, OPPOSED to it.

1. They are UNABLE; for as by nature they are wholly incapacitated to do any good thing, fo they cannot fubmit to the requifitions of God's covenant; fin and Satan hold them so fast in their chains and fetters, that they may be faid to be captives at their will. Were the covenant proposed to them, and its contents presented in ever fo clear a light, they are not in a condition to fee its preciousness; for they have not the eyes of their understanding enlightened, and confequently, the things of the Spirit of God are foolishness to them.

2. They are not only unable, but UNWILLING also, to enter into covenant with God: for,