"all Judah rejoiced at the oath."*To some it may appear a real paradox, to speak of this work being performed, both with godly sorrow and with spiritual joy; to an exercised Christian, however, there is nothing at all paradoxical in the matter. In natural things, sorrow and joy may seem quite imcompatible; but in spiritual things, there is the most perfect harmony betwixt them. Persons may be under the most deep and pungent grief on account of sin, and yet at the same time joying in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom they have received the atonement. The apostle Paul declares concerning himself and his fellow-labourers, that they were "sorrowful, and yet always rejoicing."

When the nature of covenanting is duly considered, nothing can be more unseemly than for persons to engage in it with bowed-down backs, and hearts like to sink with discouragement. Conduct of this kind has a native tendency to bring discredit upon the work, and to reflect dishonor upon that God to whom they devote themselves, as if he were a hard master, and as if the very thought of engaging in his service were enough to fill every heart with melancholy. But who will venture deliberately to say, that either he or his service deserves such a character? In place of this, "Wisdom's ways "are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." There is surely enough in a saving relation to God, to make the heart of every one rejoice in saying, "I am "the Lord's." The Psalmist therefore declares, Psal.

lxiii. 11. that " every one that sweareth by him shall

glory." How can it be otherwise? He by whom

they swear, and to whom they, in swearing, devote them* 2 Chron. xv. 14. 15. +2 Cor. vi. 10.

selves, is incomparably the best of masters, his service is one of the greatest dignities, his own presence is to be expected in it, his own strength is to be made forthcoming to them for the performance of it, and in addition to all this, a glorious and everlasting reward is to be conferred upon them at the end of it. Well, then, may the children of Zion be joyful in their King. His servants shall serve him, and shall see his face.

9. It should be performed with determinate resolution. All right engagement in this work is accompanied with a full " purpose of heart to cleave to the Lord."* With such a purpose of heart David uttered these words, "I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will

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keep thy righteous judgements." There is ground to fear, that many covenanters have never got this length. If we can judge of their purpose by their subsequent conduct, all the length that some of them have got, is only to have formed some faint resolutions, that they will cleave to Christ and his cause, so long as they find their doing so consistent with their outward safety and honor, and nowise prejudicial to their worldly interest; but with a full reservation of liberty to desert his service, if ever they shall find a steadfast adherence to it expose them to any danger, affect their reputation among mankind, injure them in their worldly circumstances, or even cross their particular humours. It is scarcely supposable that any man should have come the daring length of having such a reservation completely formed, and fully in view, at the very time of his actually engaging in that work; but every individual is chargeable with it in the sight of God, who *Acts, xi. 23. + Psal. cxix. 106.

is not come, in the strength of grace, to a determinate resolution against it. To this resolution are all righthearted covenanters really brought. They have counted the cost, both what a faithful adherence to Christ and his cause may, and what it certainly must cost them; and they are come to a point, that, eost what it will, by divine grace, nothing shall ever separate betwixt Christ and them. What Peter too rashly resolved upon in his own strength, that they have firmly determined, in the strength of grace, "Though all men should forsake thee, "yet will not I." It is the fixed purpose of their hearts to abide with Christ, and to cleave to the whole of his truths, laws, and institutions, so far as they know them, let the consequence be what it will. Their language to that effect you have in Neh. x. 39. “We will not for"sake the house of our God." It is to intimate this firm purpose, that they are represented in Isa. xliv. 4. 5. as subscribing with the hand what they say with the mouth, in this work. They are heartily willing that their own subscription should stand as a perpetual testimony against them, if ever they should go back from what they have both said and sworn.

So much for the internal manner of going about this work. And now, from all that has been said on this branch of the subject, you may see, that there is great need for the operation of the Holy Spirit, to enable persons to go about it in an acceptable manner. No "man," says the apostle, "can call Jesus Christ Lord, "but by the Holy Ghost."* Without his special influence, they may indeed utter words with the mouth, but without it they can never speak them in a right manner

* 1 Cor. xii. 3.

with the heart. Without it they can never speak them in such a manner as to embrace him by faith as their own Lord, yield themselves to him as his willing people, and give him all that homage, love, and obedience which are justly his due. Without his agency, we can have none of that fear and reverence, none of that faith, none of that self-denial, none of that godly sorrow, and none of that spiritual joy, which have all now been mentioned as essential to the right manner of going about this work; for all these are plainly represented to us in scripture as fruits of the spirit. Let this, then excite all intended covenanters to plead early for the accomplishment of that promise, "Behold, I will pour out my "Spirit unto you."

SERMON VII.

JER. 1. 4. 5.—In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together; saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten.

THE four first heads of the method we laid down, for illustrating the doctrine of religious covenanting, the first time we read these words in your hearing, are already discussed, and need not be resumed. We therefore now proceed to our next head of method, which

was,

V. To point out some of the important ends to be served by the performance of this duty.

If, as has been already shown, covenanting be an ordinance of divine appointment, it must be calculated to serve some great and important ends; for that God whose institution it is doth nothing in vain. There is reason to think, that the importance of it is but too little attended to, even by numbers of those who are in some