perfonal Co?Jenanting. 365 gathered from Jer. I. 4- and Neh. ix . 28. both cited before. And it is clear from the nature of the thing, For to what pm·pofe fhall men lay opcn ' their wounds before the Phyfician of fouls, ' if they 111ind not ,to put 1 themfelves in his hand for cure, in the way of the co· venant? Or, how can they pretend to lllOUrn for fin, if they are not to 'enter on the way of refrJrmation? A time ofperfonal fafiing,is a time for the runaway to return to his duty, & to fet matters rigHt ~gain, that were put wrong by turning afide from God and hb way. And ~ne unwilling to enter into covenant, with God, c:mnot be fincere in his confdlion of fin, and mour– ning over it-, wh~'tever he may pretend. For the right tnanaging of tlliS d~ty of perfo'!!a/ Covenanting, thefe three folJowingadvices are offered. Firjl, See ~hat ye underfiand, and rightly take up tbe covenant, the covenant of grace; together with the way and manner of a finner,s perfona1 entring ir..– to it, and being enfiated in it untq falvation : rhe \vhich are to be learn'd from the holy Scripture alone ' as being revealed in it only. Mifiakes and mif.'lp– prehe.qfions of thefe things may be of very b:ii.d con– feguence in the praCtice of this duty ; for which caufe men ought earnefily to pray, that God would, by his own Word and Spirit, fhew them his covenant, a'c– cording, to the promife, Pfalm xxv. 14. , According to the Scripture, the Cavenan(, namely. The Covenant ofGrace for life and fJlvatiqn, is not left unto -you to make, in whole or in parr, by pro– pofing and condefcending on terms thet~eof, as a par– ty contraft:er : it is made already, compleatly made and concluded in all the artides thereof, whether con.. ditionary or promiffory: and that, between God the Party-contraCting -on heaven's fide, and Chrifl as 1\tle– diator' and fecopd Adam .the Party·contracrer on loft ·,man's fide. And it 'is regifired in the facre~ records,. the holy Scrip1ure. And you are invit~d unto the fellow.Chip of it 1 Pfalm lxxxix .. 3· ' l have made ~ cove:· I
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