SacT.VIII. The Godly are Wafliedaid Sanelied. ;93 diligent ufe of theta fantlifie a Man ? No, thefe are not barely to be relied How upon. tans and For i. Theft ditties do not fanllifie , except then be fillfanÉlified inwardly, G á °Qri Prayer doth not make thee holy , but an holy prayer proceeds from holintff . no, d o. Thefe duties do then onely encreafe , and adde to our Grace , when they fan@;fie: are the exercifesand effeetsof a fandified life within us. A wicked man who is L fpiritually deadin hisfins,can nomore pray after a fpirirual gracious manner, then a dead man cant-peak orbreach. Po not then millake in this bufineff.: there re- ligious Duties are called holy, not becaufe they fanetfie every one that appeareth near co God in them; bin becaufe God,who is theobjc8 ofehem,andon whom they are terminated,is anholy God,and becaufe they encreafe holindle in thofe who are endued with a fupernatural life. 2. Cod in the Old Te(Eament dohfevercly rebukeall thole that draw nigh to Hirt ir. M thole duties he commanded, and yet r fiefe tobe Walked from theirfine. This is the main feopeof all the Prophets in all their Sermons, upbraiding, and complaining that they would approach to him, as if they were his people,ina very folemn man- ner t They would hear, yet do nothing, Ezek. 33.3 2. And thereupon God difdainech their D.i :ies ; Godaccounts of them no more then as heathens , and the vilcft of men : And do we not need fuch Prophets again, to awaken our people ? May not we fay ? Theburthenof theLord? the burthenof the Lord. To what purpofe are thole multitude of Duties ? Wafh ye, and make ye clean, and fo will God ac- cept you. 'Nhat a ridiculous thing is it to comfort thyfell with an holy prayer, as thou thinkeft, when thou haft tomany unholy words,and unholyadiors? -,vi aGod take noticeof thyduties, when thyfins cry fo loud in his ears ? but we have fpoken heretofore of this. ;.Theher.; We come to the Third thing intended , And that re the holenele ofthe Covenant exte:>.nary in underWhich t/pate that otetwaroly prolefe CJodto6e their Cod ,aridaccept ofefise Covcnantrvftb Chrefl to be their Lord. This is thehighefl holsneffe next to that ;,f Sand.fication , God, now it and true Godlineffe : Now becaufe this is a controverted point , and many who Sarftifics, and confe fie anoutward Covenant-holineffe that was Typical among theJews.yet de- ¡ö hit ^a (ah^ ny any inch federal holinefíe in the New Teftamenr, and therefore fay all the ¡soli- dLSe a,nan. neffein the Golpel, is a Moral real holinefle; we mull be the more tenderwhat we deliverherein. And a. Confider, That God who is the fupreme LordandGoverssaur of ,i,7, thai 1, might dealwith manonely inan abfolulteWay. ae a Lawgiver, man being bis Crea. tore; yet fuck ea hisgraciouegoodneffe, that beenters intoafamiliar Covenant-way With M. God might have commanded us todo fueh and loch things, bat never haveentered into a Covenant topromi fe and engage himfelfto be thas and thus , and to do thus and thusfor us. Thi, Covenant of Grace is that which the Scri- pture Bothfo often fpeakofand admire; the fubflance of it being to become out God, and to make us his people. Nowwhat tongue can expreffe the priviledge , and great gloryof thiscondition,to own God for our God ; fo that thereby his wifdome, his power, his goodneff., all is for our advantage ; and we come in all duties unto God, not upon abfolute terms, but Covenant terms, and that of Grace : Whereby God doth as it were lay afide the glory of his Majcfly ÿ and his terrible revere jaftice and becomes likeon e of us, condcfcending to us? 2. This Covenant ie delen in an external, and vifable adsniniff,ation, by ÁP; thewardand Sacraments. f he preaching ofthe Golpel is the foie mn promulga- tfonof this Covenant, and invitation to enter therein : The Sacraments are feats to ratifie and confirm this holy and fatted agreement. Now becaufe all know not the work of Grace , to whom this Covenant is externally adminiftred, hence arifeth that neceffary diflin&ion of an external Covenant, and an internalld Theexternal Covenant is that whereby in an outward vifible manner God doch own a people, and they externally profeffe their owning ofhim ; but yet in E c c them
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