Spiritual PerfeCiiOJz. e1n feed on the .Bread of Life : But the unfeigned Believer finds his inward Man renewed by /~ill add to what has been fa id, That in this Ordinance th~ Covenant of the Gofpei is (ea led by the contraCting Parries ; God ratifies his Promife of Grace1 and we feal our Duty of Obed ience. 'Tis true, we are bound by an an~ecedent righr , an~ higher obligat ion than our own conft:m ; rh_e Command of God bwds us w take this CoveRant., and to keep ic : J¥e are hought rvuh a pri&t, and are not Ol#f O!Vn. Now if the Blood of the Son of God be our Ranfom from the bondage of Sin and Death; and we in the Sacrament partake of his Blood, and by that folcmn Right dedicate our felves ,to him, ~;~:{n';:~~t::,:~; ;~v~a~~ ~'~v~i~fg:~~ f;'a:~a0~pji~~~; rh~ ?a~ :·e~ec~: 1~f ''2h~~~7I~fi1: t ut ion ? How JUft IS 1t that fince he dyed for our Salvauon, we fhould l1 ve to h1s Glory; and when we ~en~w our ,Right i.n the .Bleffings of the Covenant, we fhould fincerely renew our Obhgauons t? the Dunes of tt ? If after our holy Hog~gemeot_, we · renounce our Allegiance to our Pnnce and Saviour, by entertaining his Enem tes , the Lulls • of rhe Flcib, we incur a double Guilt, npt only by rranfgrclling the Law of God, but by violating our Oath of Fidelity ; and double Guilt will bring double Damnation. Tha t t he renewing our Covenant at the Lord's Supper may be more effeB:ual, let us confider, · ( t.) That holy Relolutions and Engagements are the immediate Principle of Obedience. Till the CoavtCltons of ou r Duty are wrough t toto Refoluuoos, they are of no efficacy . ( 2 .) They mull proceed from the deliberate J udgment, and determin'd WilL The Apofl le decl ares, The lov~ o{Chrijl conPratns HJ , IV~ tbus j"~~e ~ if one ~ytdfor all, then rvae aD dead; and the coof<::quence is {lrong, t bat we {bo"ld kve to htm, who d7ed for us. Empty valleities are no vol itions; faint and w a ve~iog Purpofes have no force. Believers are exhort ed, tvith full purpo,fe of Heart 10 cleAv e to the Lord. AUs u . (J.) The renewi ng our holy Engagements are very nece!Tary for perfeverance in our Duty. Our Hearts are falfc and foolifh, and ap t to fly from God; they are as changeable as the Weather, and .as Tempta tions are prefenced, apt to be fir'd with Carnal Defir es, or froze n wi th C ar nal Fears, and to dcfert our Duty : Therefore 'ti9 nece[ary to fix t hem ~y repea ted. Vo~s of Obedience.. \Ve are dire8 -:d warm or1r {elves with the fame Mtnds; chat 1s, wl[h fi rm Refoluttons to ceafe from Sin. The girdle of Tmtb , is a principal part of our fpiritual Armour , that faflens it upon Stcdfafl Engagements to obey God, are pnwerful ro excite every Grace in its f~<~. " to rife up in defiance againft our fpiricual Enemies. David fays, I have jivor . · wiU puform it. that I will kup th; Precepts. By the folemn and frequent rtn- " ·'"& our Vows of Obedience, the Tempter is difcourag'd, and fl yes from us. Let us every Morn!nr!, next our Hearts, refolve to walk with God all the day. (+) God is well plea fed with our fincere Refolutions to keep dole to him. W ho ii thu that enga.~es Ius Heart to clofe 1vtth A_1en? He is the Infpe~l:or and Judge of our Hearts, and notwith ftanding our Infirmiues, accepts our fin ce ruy. (,.) There are peculia r Circum~ances thH enforce the inviolabk obfcrvation of our Sacramcnral Vows. Our original and p::::rmanem Obl igacion that we contraCl:ed in our Bapdfm, in che prefence of the Church, when we were lifted under our Redeemer's Colours to oppoft: his Bnemics and ours, Satan in combination with the Fleib and the \VorlO, lbould have a 11rong and conftant influence into our Lives. Our unde rflanding and voluntary renewiogs of this at the Lord 's Supper, makes it more oinding. 'Tis mentioned before, chat God is pl eaft:d, by an adm irable Condefccncion, eo be a party in the Cov~::nant , and binds himfelf to bdlO\v his moft fr ee Favours, and takes pleafurc in performing what is prornifed. 'Tis becoming his Wifdom to glen Fie his Moral Perfetl:ions in his T ranfa£bons with Man; not only his Me rcy, but his Truth, in faving ~s. Tbe Lord thJ .God he is G~d, the {Aith{lli God which Ju~pcth Covnunt .and 0 Mtrcy wtth t}Jtm tiJAt lov~ htm, and kttp hu Commandments. The Attribute of Faichfulm:fs eut 1 tf. isfet next the Deity, as very dear and pleaGng to him. He engages himfelf partly for our Comfort, to d1fpel the Clouds of Fear, that are apt to rife in our Bofoms from the fcnfe of our many and mighty Sins ; therefore his Mercy is fccur1d to us by a Covenant, and that Covenant ellablifb1d by an Oath, the fure evidence 'tis irrevocable, and fi:al,d by the elood of the Mediator ; and par tly, to inflruB: us by his Example, to ma intain our Integrity , which we engage in fealing our part of the Covenant. 'Tis laid of God, that he cannot LJ( , from the Veracity of his Nature, and the urtchanseablenefs of his Will; and he reckans of his People thty ,.;o not LJ<, from that Divine Di!pofi tion that is proper to them. Now that God is pleakd in 1bat' Ordirt>r.Cd Qqqq w
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