Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

"thou fhouldft enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, and into his oath, which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day." And so it will not of itfelf, if it be separate from the former, fecure our gathering to him at the last day. Mean while it is a duty required of us now for God's honour, and requifite for our comfort, Deut. xxvi. 17. It is done three ways. i. By words fpoken, Pfal. xvi. 2. either in prayer to God, wherein a perfon folemnly and in exprefs words declares unto God in fecret his acceptance of and entering into the covenant; or before men, where the thing being propofed by one, others fignify their acquiefcing by fome fit gefture, as bowing of the head, Exod. iv. 30, 31.

2. By writing under their hand, declaring their accepting of the covenant, Ifa. xliv. 5. "One fhall fay, I am the Lord's ; and another fhall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another fhall fubfcribe with his hand unto the Lord, and firname himself by the name of Ifrael." This has been an useful practice of many in their life, and comfortable to their relations when they were gone, when they found their written acceptance of God's covenant of grace.

3. By inftituted fignificant actions. Such is the partaking of the Lord's table. The very taking of the bread and wine at the Lord's table, and eating and drinking the fame, being a folemn declaration before the world, angels, and men, that we enter into Chrift's covenant. So in cafe it be feparate from believing, tho' it cannot favingly enter us, we will be treated as covenant-breakers.

USE. To conclude, I beseech you by your gathering together to Chrift at the last day, that you now gather to him in his covenant. For this caufe I recommend to your confideration,

1. That this is a fpecial gathering time, wherein the great trumpet of the gofpel is founding, and double founding, a gathering; a time wherein the Lord is fending out the angels of the churches, minifters, to gather you. Let not the trumpet of the gospel found

[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small]

THEIR EXPECTATION OF THE DAY'S BREAKING IN THE OTHER WORLD, AND THE SHADOWS FLEEING AWAY; AND THEIR GREAT CONCERN FOR CHRIST'S PRESENCE TILL THAT HAPPY SEASON COME.

The substance of several Sermons preached at Etterick in the year 1730.

SONG ii. 17.

Until the day break, and the shadows flee away; turn my Beloved, and be thou like a roe, or a young. bart upon the mountains of Bether.

IN these words you have the breathing of a gracious

foul, with respect to the time that may pafs in this world, before one comes to enter into the other world; it is to have his countenance and the communications of his grace by the way, until they come there, where there will be nothing to intercept it. And it would be a good fign of meeting with a kindly reception from Chrift into that world at laft, that we were now faying from the heart, "Until the day break, and the shadows flee away; turn my Beloved, and be thou like a roe, or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether." Where obferve,

1. The connection of these words with the preceding verfe, whereby they appear to be the breathing of a foul really married to Chrift, having a fenfe of the marriage bond, and not ashamed of it, but refolutely owning it. "My Beloved is mine, and I am his.-Until the day break, and the fhadows flee away; turn my Beloved,"

c. The fpoufe of Chrift looks on herself as one that is married to a husband whom she dearly loves, but is not yet ready to take her home; fhe defires therefore, that until the time come of his taking her home, he will not be a ftranger to her, but give her the comfort of

Dd 2

his

in vain for you, nor the angels of the churches attempt in vain to gather you. They bring Chrift's voice and the offer of the covenant to you.

2. As fure as the trumpet of the gospel is founding now in your ears, and the angels of the churches are at work to gather you to Christ now, whose attempts you may render vain; fo fure will the last trumpet found in the fame ears, and the angels of heaven gather them joyfully to Chrift who now come unto him, to meet him in the air, while they will leave the rest on the earth.

3. What will you think to fee at that day, others taken as within the bond of the covenant, and yourfelves left as without it? With what pale faces, and trembling hearts, will ye look up to the Judge coming in the clouds of heaven, and to your neighbours, Christ's covenant people, carried by angels, and flying above you, away to meet the Lord in the air, with a fhining glory on them?

Laftly, How will ye brook your last fight of them, when they having in the first place received their welcome to their kingdom from the Judge on the throne, ye fhall get your fentence to depart from him into everlafting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels; and fo must turn your backs, and make away to your place, they being then the spectators of your begun mifery, and your beloved world being set on fire?

Think on these things in time, and whatever ye are, or have been, know that you are allowed free access into the covenant; and therefore enter into it fincerely. Go alone by yourselves, think on your loft ftate by nature, examine yourfelves as to your liking of the covenant, and if you find your heart pleased with it, go to your knees, and folemnly declare before God, your accepting and entering into it, taking Chrift in all his offices, and God in Chrift for your God and portion forever. And fo be perfuaded, that on this your gathering to Christ in the bond of his covenant now, depends your being gathered to him in glory at the last day."

THE

THEIR EXPECTATION OF THE DAY'S BREAKING IN THE OTHER WORLD, AND THE SHADOWS FLEEING AWAY; AND THEIR GREAT CONCERN FOR CHRIST'S PRESENCE TILL THAT HAPPY SEASON COME.

The fubftance of feveral Sermons preached at Etterick in the year 1730.

SONG ii. 17.

Until the day break, and the shadows flee away; turn my Beloved, and be thou like a roe, or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.

IN

N thefe words you have the breathing of a gracious foul, with respect to the time that may pass in this world, before one comes to enter into the other world; it is to have his countenance and the communications of his grace by the way, until they come there, where there will be nothing to intercept it. And it would be a good fign of meeting with a kindly reception from Chrift into that world at laft, that we were now faying from the heart, "Until the day break, and the shadows flee away; turn my Beloved, and be thou like a roe, or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether." Where observe,

[ocr errors]

1. The connection of these words with the preceding verfe, whereby they appear to be the breathing of a foul really married to Christ, having a fenfe of the marriage bond, and not ashamed of it, but refolutely owning it. My Beloved is mine, and I am his.-Until the day break, and the fhadows flee away; turn my Beloved," c. The fpoufe of Christ looks on herself as one that is married to a husband whom she dearly loves, but is not yet ready to take her home; fhe defires therefore, that until the time come of his taking her home, he will not be a ftranger to her, but give her the comfort of Dd 2

his

« ForrigeFortsæt »