Baxter - BJ1441 B3 1673

:A form of Exbor!ation to the Sick. ingyou thH Covenant: Sbew yoHr mifcif!,ntd Confent now by accepting it, and giving Jtp your [elf u1t· rr{trved!y tohim, andyuu have Chrijts Blood and Spirit and Sacrament ta feat it to you. 1he flrjh and 1 1 1 e world h~<~ve deceived y :JU; but Trufl in Chrifl upon his Covenant terms, and he wiU never deceive you. . And now, alas,wb.zt pityMit, th11t afoul tb!lt Hin fo mifor.Jble a ca[t, a11d Wloji- [or ever if it have not !Jrlp, onrl [predy hrlp, jhould br drprivrd of all thi< Grace and Glory, a11d only for want of Repenting and Confcnting ? f.Ybat pity Hit that o foul, that if ready to go into anotlur world, where tmrcy jhaU never more be offered it, fhould rather f-O jfnpidly on !O IJtp, tban Rerum to Go~ and Accept h'if mercy ? Do b:~~t truly Rc:peht, and Confent to tbH Covmant, and all tbe merciu oJ it are certainly yourt. God will be yoHr God, and Cbrijl and tiJe Spil'it andpardon and Htaven and all arc ) '6111'1· 1'ht Lord open and perfwade yot~r heart, that you m.Jy not fe rmdme and IJjt for ever, f·JI' wattt of accepti>rg tbe mercy that H offeredyott ! . . 66t Afld nqw 1k._mrtv it nwtld be cJmjjrtable to you, if you could be fully affu,·rd that you are forgivm llnd jh:zlf be fa ved : In a matter of [Hch unfpeak,_able moment, how j yful would a weD-grounded cer~ tainty be, toany man that bJth_the right. u[t of IJH underftandiJtg. I ttl1 ) :JJI. th:rcfvre from God, thJt there iJ no caufe of your doubtmg on hts parr, but only on your own. Th£re .-1 ntJ doubt to he nude whether God be merciful, nor wbeth£r Chrifi be a fufficicnt Saviour, and facrificc for yo'!.r finJ, nnr wbetber the Covenant be furc, andpromife ofpardon and falvation to all true penitent believers be true? AU the doubt M, whether your faith and Repentance be fincere or not. And f or th.lt, I ca~t btd tellym bow yo:t may ·k._now it, ~tnd I jh,;U open tlu Truth to you th1U I may neitbtr D~ceive you, nor caujlrfly Difcomfort you. , Jf this Repentance and Change: which yott norf' profr[l, tJnd this Covenant whicb you h-.1vt made M;t·tfl. t l·•9; 'Yf'ithGod, r. Docomeonlyfrom a prcfent tear, anr.l1wt {rot1111 changedrentr:vcd heart, 2. And if y1ur ~,,,~z.·a2l· Refo/utiJ1:tS be fucb •H would nBt b:.l/dy1u to a holy llfe if youJho:tld recover ; but would: die and fade H~~." 1 /~~~· away and leave yo.- M were brfort, 'wheu the fear i1 paft, then i1 it but a forced hypocritical Rc:pcn- Joh.3. 3, s,6. tance, and.wiU '"t fzve you if you fo die. Tbough a.Mi~ti]lrr uf Chrijl jhordd Abfolve you of <~Ji your M"'h. >8. 3· frnJ, and feal it bygiving y~:t tbe Sacr.unent of the Body and Blood of Chrijl, for aU tbiJ you are loft 2 ~or. S· 1 7· for ever, if youhave no more : For Abfolurion and the S1crament are given J'OU but on [Hppofition that ;~~:.·t;·.,!, Y '"r faith andRepentance be fincere: And if thit Condition fail in you, the ADion Bf the holieft Mi- Luk.l-t.z.6)1 7• nijfer in tbe world, wiU "fvrr [ave _yoU. • Brtt, r. If your Repentance and Covenant come nOt only from a prefent fear, but from a Renewed Hearc, whicbnowLoveth God and ChriH and Heaven and Holinefs) better th31t aU the Honours, anti Riches and Plc:afures of the fleth and world, and had rather haVe theffi, even on God1 terms ; 2• And if tbiJ change: be fuch as if you foould rttover, would hold you to a Holy Life, and not die, or dwindle into hypocritic,;l formality, whm the frigbt is over, then I can affure you from the word of God» that if yrm dir in thit Rtpmt~ncr you jh.-11 certainly be favul. .And though Late Repentance have [o many diffi– culties th.tt it too fcldom proveth true and found, and it is an unJPeaJtable madneji to cajt our [alvation on {o great ahazard; and to defer that tiU jUch adJty as this, which fhould be the principal wor~ of 4U our lives, and f or which the g,rtateft care and diligence, i1 not too much ; Yet for iiU that, when Converfion it indeed fincere, it is alr.ayes acceptable how late foever: •And a returning prodigaljhaU find Luk.ts. , 9 ; bwer entertainment with God, than be could poffibly txpei7 : And never wiU Chrijf caft out one foul, tbJt ao, 21, z.s. cometh to him in fincerity of beart. 1'be LQrd give you fucb a Heart, and aU i1 yours. Amen. Je~. Job. 6. 37· 31·34· Eph.I·7· Ai!t•5·3I· Eph.5.26. Rev.J•5· 2Cor.6.16. M•l•3• 17· Joh.Ioi2· &3.'.6. . Eph. 2• 14. Rom. 8. 1, 17· "Luk. 4· 18. Rom. 5· 1, 5· Luk. I· 74• ]oh. 10. z8. Luk. 23. 43• 1Cor.I5•S• T!l·3·3,4• Act•4·4>5>6' ITlrn•I•>3,I4,15,16. A Form

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