1700. MR THOMAS BOSTON'. 123 that exercife ; 2. Victory 'over fin ; 3. Preparation for the then enf'uing public fait, and particularly that I might get clear up- takings of what 1 was to preach ; 4. Succefs in my miniftry ; lattly, that I might attain to habitual chearfulnefs in the Lord. So I fpent force time this day in prayer for thefe thin 's: The Lord in the morning began to blow upon my foul, and continued fo to do through the reft of the day I was at that work : and with all willingnefs of foul I renewed and fubfcribed a perfonal cove- nant with God. And as of myfèlf, fo ofMy friend, I made a folemn refignation to the Lord. And towards the dole of that exercife, I earneflly prayed, that if it were his will, I might have a token Of his reception of both. My heart was calmed and flrengthened in the Lord, and my mind made heavenly. I clofed the whole with tinging Pftl. cxvi. 7. and,downwards, and then went down and took a refrelhment. The tenor of the perfonal covenantI then renewed and fubfcribed is as follows. I Mr THOMAS BOSTON, minder of God's word at Simprin ` Forafmuch as I am in force meafure fenfible of my grievous, ` horrid, and frequent backtlidings from the Lord, lince the latt ` time I covenanted with God ; and in particular, having been ` for force time habitually in a dead and fleepy frame, for which caufe (among others mentioned elfewhere,) i fet this. day apart for fatting and prayer; and finding myfèlf called to renew_MY covenant with God, the rather to obtain the ends of this day's exercife, and to get my foul more confirmed in the Lord, for wading through the difficulties 'twixt me and heaven, in prayer I did, and now (giving it under my band) I do, adhere to all my former.covenants with, and engagements to be the Lord Jefus Chrift's, particularly that written and fubfcribed covenant of the date Aug. 14. 1699* ; and do now, with all my heart and foul, folemnly refign and give up myfelf, and all my bodily and fpiritual concerns, unto Chrift; taking him with heartand foul ` upon thofe very terms, and no ether, upon which he is offered in the gofpel ; refolving, and hereby engaging, in his flrength, ` to cleave to hirn and his truths, fo long as I live, whatever be ` the hazard. Likeas I have, and hereby do, folemnly give up and refign K. B. to the fame Lord Chrift, that I have, given myfèlf to be hisfor ever. And this before the Lord, the fearcher of hearts, I do with all willingnefs fubfcribe, the '25th day of March 1700 years. T. B. March- 26. I think I had never more perfuafion of God's ac- cepting my renewing of covenant than that yefterday. I rejoice I have done it, when I think on it ; and I am perfuaded God has accepted it ; for I have had covenanted ftrength lince, as well as the token aforefaid. That word was fweetto me in my ordinary lath night, If. liv. 6. " The Lord bath called thee as a woman forfakert " and - grieved in fpirit, and a wife ofyouth, when thou waft re- " fufed, faith thy God." * This form is annexed to tint author's Body of Divinity, vol. S.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=