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Chrift, proclaims thus, Ifa.55.1. Ho every one hat thirfteth, come ye to the waters, &c. 2. His fee and general invitation when he was in the world, John 7.37. In the last day, that great lay of the Feast, fefus ftood and cried, faying, if ny one thirst, let him come to me and drink, And Mat.11.28. Come unto me all ye that labour, and re heavy laden, and I will give you reft. 3. His reat kindneffe to poor finners expreffed after is afcention, and leaving the world, Rev.22.17. Let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will, et him take the waters of life freely: That these were the words of Chrift, appeares, v. 20. where 'tis faid, He that teftifieth these things, Taith, furely I come quickly.

3. Confider, that to believe, and reft on Chrift crucified, and to take him for our Lord and Saviour, is to perform that act, to which uftification and remiffion of fins is promifed, John 3.16. God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, fhould not perish, but have everlasting life. Chrift and all his benefits are promised to a believing foul, Wilt thou not therefore give up thy felf to him.

4. Confider, 'tis the duty of all truly humbled finners, to go to Chrift, and believe in him. 'Tis the duty of a fick man, to apply himself to askilful Phyfitian; and as fuch an one must not deftroy his own life, by a wilful refufing the Phyfick

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Phyfick that would cure him; fo neither mot the bumbled finner deftroy his own foul, by refu fing to clofe with Chrift; He must not add to all the rest of his fins unbelief, and a wilfull nglect of Christ, and the falvation by him purcha fed, and fo freely offered.

5. Confider that the humbled finner by be lieving in Chrift, does not only bring comfort, and falvation to his own foul, but a fo in an eminent manner brings Glory to God: When thou (though difcouraged in thy felf, by reafon of thy fins) dareft venture thy foul in the hands of Chrift: When thou makeft thy way through all doubts, fcruples, and misgivings of hears, and takest Gods bare Word, because he hath faid it, (thereby letting thy feal to his truth and faithfulneffe) and doft refolve to throw thy felf on his free Mercy, and Chrift's Merits, for pardon and life, to lay thy foul at Chrift's feer, and to clafp about him, though he kill thee: This is an excellent, and an heroical act of Faith, which brings Glory to God; as Abrahams Faith did: Of whom it is faid, Rom. 4.20. Thas he stagge red not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was ftrong in Faith, giving Glory to God.

6. Confider, 'tis the greatest folly and madneffe in the world, for an humbled finner not to close with Chrift, and commit his foul unto him. What an irrational, and unprofitable fin is unbelief? If we go not to Christ, Where,

can

can falvation poffibly be had? As thofe lepers reasoned, 2 King. 7. 3. If we fit ftill we perish. That perfon is fure to be damned, that keeps off from Chrift. There is no way therefore for a poor finner, but to venture himself into the hands of Chrift, to give up his foul fincerely to him, and to refolve with himself, if I perish, I will perish at his feet.

7. Laftly, If you think you have cause to fear that Chrift is not yet yours, and as yet you have no interest in him, my advice is, that you now go unto him, now ftrike up the Covenant between him and you: Defer no longer, Let this be the marriage-day. Now give up thy felf unfeignedly to be pardoned, fanctified commanded, difpofed of, and everlastingly faved by him, and reft affured he will on no terms caft thee out.

John 3.14. And as Mofes lifted up the ferpent in the wilderneffe; even fo must the Son of man be

lifted up, V.15. That whosoever believeth in him, fhould not perish, but have eternal life.

V.16. For God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him, fhould not perish, but have everlasting life.

V.36. He that believeth on the Son, hath everlafting life: and he that believeth not the Son,

fhall

fhall not fee life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.

John 5.40. And ye will not come to me that ye might have life.

John 6.37. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me, I will inno wife caft out.

Phil.3.8. Yea doubt leffe, and I count all things but Loffe, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Fefus my Lord: for whom I have (uffered the lofe of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.

V.9. And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the Law, but that which is through the Faith of Christ, the righteoufneffe which is of God by Faith,

See more Scriptures concerning Faith, p. 105.

Covenanting with God.

Deut.26.17. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, &to walk in his waies and to keep bis Statutes, and his Commandements, and his Fudgments, and to hearken unto his

voice.

Joh.24.21. And the people (aid unto Foshua, nay, but we will ferve the Lord.

V.22. And Fofhuah faid unto the people, ye are witneffes against your felves, that ye have chofen you the Lord to ferve him, and they said, we are witnesses.

CHAP.

S

CHAP. IV.

of the new Nature, and reformed Life.

4. Having thus folemnly given up thy felf to Chrift, labour to walk worthy of the Lord, to all pleafing, being fruitful in every good work. Let it be thy daily care (begging the affiftance of the Spirit to enable thee to mortifie the old man, to crucifie the flesh, with its affections,and lufts; to weaken, impair,and deftroy the dominion of the whole body of fin, and to put on the new man, that thou maist be ftrengthened & furnished with all faving Graces,to the practise of true holineffe, without which no man shall see the Lord: As Chrift (by his divine power) raised and quickned his own body, when it lay in the grave, fo he conveighs a fpiritual life into all his members, raifing them from the death of fin, and enabling them to walk in newneffe of life. I live (faith Paul, Gal.2.20.) yet not I, but Chrift liveth in me. And the life of Fefus is made manifest in our mortal bodies, 2 Cor.4.11. He that abideth in me, and I in him, (faith our Saviour, Fohn 15.5.) bringeth_forth much fruit. Beg therefore earnestly of the Lord, that thou maieft be fanctified throughout, in Spirit, Soul, and Body. That thy Understand.

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