He.ad H. of the natural Stock. 219 ment pieced up of f..:~ndry forts of righteoufnefs, is not agar– ment meet for the court of hea ven. Thus the man, who was 'i n a dream, and thought he was eating, is awakened by the 11 roke, and behold his foul is faint; . his heart finks in him like a Hone ; while he finds he can neither bear his burden himfelf ~i one, nor can he get h~lp under it. N intMy. What can one 4o, who mull needs pay, and yet neither h'as as much of his own as will bring him out of debt, nor can he get ai much t9. borrow; aud to beg he i.t q.jhamed P '\iV.hat can fuch a: one do, I fay, butft/1himfiifas tbe man under tbe law, that was waxenpoor ? Lev. xxv. 47. Therefore the !inner beat off fr om fo many holds, goes about ' to nu~e a bargain with Chri!l: , ·and to fell himftlj to the Soa of God, (if I may fo fpeak) folemnly promi liog and vowing, that he will be a fervant to Chrift, as long as he lives, if he will fave his foul. rind here oh-times the finner makes a per– fon~l covenant \vith Chrill, ,refigniqg himfelf to him on thefe t erms; yea,· and takes the facrament to make the bargain fu re. He re upon the man's great care is, how to obey Chrifi, keep his commands, and fo fulfil pis bargain. And, in this the foul fi nds a falfe, unfound peace, for a whiJe ; till the Spirit of the Lord fetch another {hoke, to cut off the man. from this refuge of lies hkewife. And that happen~ in this _1nanner : · When he fails of the duties he engaged to, and falls again into the fin he covenanted againft; it .is powe:r– full y carried home on his coofcience, that his covenant is broken: lo all his comfort goes, and terrors afrefh feize on . · . his foul, as one tb:h' has broken covenant with Chrifi. And commonly the man, to' help himfelf, renews his covenant, ~ but breaks again as before. -\ nd how is it poffible i~ th.ould . be other wife, feeing he is fiill upon the old fiock? Thus , the work of many, a!l their days, as to their fouls, is no'– \hiog but a making and breaking (ucb covenants, over and over again. Objefl. Some perhaps will fay, T¥ho liveth and Jirmeth • not? Who is there t hat.faileth not of the d'utie1ht: is engaged to? .[/y ou reject thiJ way aJ unfound, who then ca11 be fav– t•d? Anfw. True believers will be faved; namely, all. who do .by fait h take hold of God'J covenant But th ;<> kind of covenant is mem own cvvenant, clevifed of th e 1· own } eart; ~ot God's CfiZ/enant 1evealed in the gofpel of h1s gotct:: and T 2 the -
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