Holy Dedication Both Personal and Domestic, Part 1 · Chapter 4

Holy Dedication Both Personal and Domestic · Part 1 · Chapter 4

p. 75CHAP. 4. Perſonal Dedication preſſed; firſt more generally, and then more particularly, in the ſeveral branches of it.

THirdly, I come to fall upon that, Ʋſe 3 where I muſt make a longer ſtay, than I have done in what goes before: I would moſt earneſtly (and O that I might do it effectually) exhort, perſwade, urge men, entirely, heartily, ſincerely to devote and dedicate themſelves to God: this I would preſs upon all, be they high or low, rich or poor noble or ignoble, learned or unlearned, young or old; for God requires it of all, and none are exempted from this ſelf-dedication. Shall I not prevail with ſome amongſt theſe many, to come in to God, and to give up themſelves to him? Shall the net be caſt in the midſt of ſo many, and ſhall none be caught? …s the duty (which I am to preſs) in it ſelf, ſo reaſonable, p. 96ſo unqueſtionable, ſo attractive, and yet ſhall I not ſucceed in the preſſing of it? May I gain but one ſoul to God, in the diſcharge of this duty, that one ſoul would be a ſufficient recompence for my pains in this diſcourſe; but ſurely I ſhall gain more; I would promiſe to my ſelf, that many will be wrought upon, did I not remember, that the old Adam was too hard for young Melancthon. The old Adam, and the old Serpent are great oppoſers of ſelf-dedication; Rev. 12 9.Rev 12:9Satan ſets himſelf with all his might to hinder it, if he might have his will, not a ſoul ſhould come up to it;2 Cor. 4.4.2 Cor 4:4 he is the God of this world, and therefore would have all dedications made unto himſelf; he knows, the ſinners dedication to God, is his dethroning; and therefore no wonder, he is ſo much againſt it.

And beſides this oppoſition ab extra, there is alſo abundance of oppoſition, ab intra: the old Adam, the corrupt nature within, cannot brook or ſubmit to this, that a man ſhould reſign, devote himſelf to God: Self-dedication meets with ſelf-oppoſition: Men are not willing to alienate their eſtates to p. 77others; naturally they are more averſe to alienate, and make over themſelves to God; they ſay in their hearts to him, what Nabal ſaid to David, Who is David, &c.1 Sam. 25.10, 11.1 Sam 25:101 Sam 25:11 Shall I take my bread and my water, and my fleſh that I have killed for my Shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not, whence they be? Thus depraved reaſon argues againſt God; who is the Lord? What? (ſaith the poor unconverted ſinner) ſhall I take my ſelf, my whole ſelf, my heart, my eſtate, my parts, my love, my life, and give it all to God, whom I do not know? Or ſo far as I do know him, I do not like him? This is the entertainment that Gods gracious meſſages, for ſelf-reſignation and ſelf-dedication do find in the world. And indeed, was it not for that Almighty grace, which it pleaſes the Lord ſometimes to exert, thereby to conquer all this oppoſition from Satan and ſelf, there would be no ſuch thing as perſonal dedication; not a man would thus do. We might Preach, Print, urge the duty with the moſt rational, convincing, preſſing conſiderations, and yet all be in vain. And p. 78therefore I muſt lay the ſtreſs of my hopes, for ſucceſs in the purſuing of this exhortation, wholly upon God, and the efficacy of his grace. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God, 2 Cor. 10.4, 5.2 Cor 10:42 Cor 10:5to the pulling down of ſtrong holds; caſting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth it ſelf againſt the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Chriſt. It being ſo, before I ſpeak to man, let me with all humility and holy fervor, thus ſpeak to the divine Majeſty; O bleſſed God, accompany, bleſs, make effectual that word of advice, that a poor worm is now to give; let thine own ſpirit, and the power of thy grace, ſet it home upon the Conſcience; and let the ſtubborn, hardened ſinner yield to it, and to thee by it; It is deſigned for thee, let it be bleſſed by thee: O let the day of thy **Pſal. 110.3.Ps 110:3power dawn upon men, that they may be willing to ſurrender up themſelves to thee: Give ſpecial grace to them, that they may give whole ſelf to thee: Work what thou requireſt, and require what thou wilt: Deſtroy all helliſh, idolatrous, curſed Dedications, to ſin, the fleſh, the world, p. 79and bring the ſoul to the Heavenly, Holy dedication of it ſelf to thee: O ſo work upon the wills of them, that ſhall read theſe lines, that they may immediately, peremptorily reſolve for thee: and ſay, others have had propriety in us, and dominion over us, but now, Iſa. 26.13.Isa 26:13from this day forward, for ever, we will be the Lords. O let not me preſs this upon others, and yet be a ſtranger to it my own ſelf. Theſe are ſome of the inward breathings of my ſoul, that God knows, to whom I here ſpeak.

I come to the exhortation, Dedicate your ſelves to God. 'Tis requiſite, that I ſhould open this, and then enforce it upon you.

Self-dedication, is either common and outward, or ſpecial and inward. The firſt is done in Baptiſm; this is Baptiſmal dedication; all that are baptized, viſibly profeſs, that they have dedicated themſelves to God: I am not to preſs this upon you, becauſe 'tis done already: The ſecond, is either habitual or actual; Habitual is that which is implanted in the ſoul in the work of converſion, in the participation of the divine Nature, 2 Pet. 1.4.2 Pet 1:4in the p. 80New creature; 2 Cor. 5.17.2 Cor 5:17whereever grace is, and as ſoon as ever grace is wrought, the man doth habitually, or virtually dedicate himſelf to God. Much of the Nature of grace lies in this; for what is grace, but perſonal dedication? Actual, is that which reſults from the habit, as the branch from the root, or the ſtream from the fountain▪ when that which was latent in the habit, is drawn forth into Act, this is Actual ſelf-dedication. And this further, is either more implicit, or more explicit; implicit, which lies in the more inward and imminent acts of the ſoul; as a man in the ſecret acts of his heart, devotes himſelf to God; explicit, when a man in a more open and diſcernible manner, doth thus do; either by writing, or word of mouth, (or ſome ſuch open way,) he dedicates himſelf to the Lord. Now 'tis this Actual dedication, that I mainly drive at; in order to which there muſt be habitual dedication: (for we cannot ſuppoſe the act, without a previous habit, the act flowing from the habit.)

And I might too by ſeveral weighty Arguments, put you upon Actual explicit p. 81ſelf-dedication; but becauſe I would not ſet things too high at firſt, I ſhall go no higher than Actual, implicit, heart-dedication: (I call it implicit, only in contra-diſtinction to what is done by writing or word of mouth, for otherwiſe 'tis explicit too.) This neceſſarily muſt be; the truth of grace requires it: the grown Chriſtian may be perſwaded to the former, but whoever will be a true Chriſtian, he muſt come up to the latter. Though there be no formal, overt-acts, yet in the inward actings of the heart, there muſt be this devoting of ſelf to God: this therefore is the loweſt that I can go, and ſo this however muſt be urged upon you.

This being premiſed, I will now fall upon the exhortation, which I ſhall ſpeak to, firſt more generally; and then, in the ſeveral particulars or branches, which make up ſelf-dedication.

In the general notion of it, I will enforce it upon you, by the enſuing motives, which I judge to have much ſtrength in them.

1. The truth of Chriſtianity lies in p. 82this Perſonal Dedication. You are Chriſtians, but are you true Chriſtians? You have the external Name and Title and badge, but are you ſo indeed? Baptiſm makes you Chriſtians, but 'tis ſelf-dedication that makes you true Chriſtians; without this, you may be accounted Chriſtians by men, but you are no better than Heathens, than Infidels, in the account of God. This is Chriſtianity, for a man to devote himſelf to God, to love and ſerve him, and to live to him, all the days of his life; here is the very ſoul, and pith, and kernel, and ſpirit of Chriſtianity; this is the ſumme, quinteſſence, marrow of Religion. When I put you upon ſelf-dedication, I do but put you upon being true Chriſtians; This and Chriſtianity are Termini convertibiles; the true Chriſtian dedicates his ſelf to God, and he that doth thus, is the true Chriſtian; this is the Characteriſtical note, of one that is truly what he profeſſeth himſelf to be. Doth it not concern you therefore to ſee that this be done? O take heed of the name without the thing: Many a man ſtands much upon his Chriſtianity, he cannot bear, that p. 83any ſhould ſo much as queſtion his being a Chriſtian: But let him be who he will, if he hath not dedicated himſelf to God, in an holy courſe, he may be a nominal Chriſtian, but he is no more: and at the great day, it will be better for him, that he had not been ſo much, if he be no more. He that wears Chriſts livery, profeſſes Chriſt to be his maſter, and knows what his maſters will is, and yet doth it not, he ſhall be beaten with many ſtripes: Luke 12.47.Luke 12:47Profeſſion without hearty and anſwerable practice will aggravate condemnation. The Heathens ſhall mitius ardere, have a cooler fire, than ſuch as are called Chriſtians, and yet do not ſincerely dedicate themſelves to God.

2. Beſides the obligation of your general profeſſion, your Baptiſm in ſpecial binds you to this ſelf-dedication. You own your Baptiſmal covenant, do you not? I preſume you will not deny it; then I beſeech you conſider, what is the purport, intent, matter, end of this Covenant, is it not this? To renounce the world, the fleſh, the Devil, and all his works, and to dedicate your ſelves p. 84to the ſervice, work, will and glory of God? Was not this the firſt and principal intent of that Covenant, namely, ſelf-renunciation and ſelf-dedication? Then if you do not do this, you are falſe to your Baptiſmal Covenant, and to the obligation that then you entred into. And is this a matter to be trifled with? Are the**Pſal. 56.12.Ps 56:12 vows of God upon you, and will you not make them good? Prov. 20.25.Prov 20:25Is it dangerous to enquire after the making of a vow, what is it then to falſifie a vow? Will you not perform, what you have ſolemnly engaged your ſelves to? Can you break Covenant with God and proſper? Ezek. 17 15.Ezek 17:15Deceive not your ſelves, God is not mocked, he will not be mocked; Gal. 6.7.Gal 6:7he hath your bonds by him, and he will ſue them out, in his own time▪ and if you perform not the conditions of them, God will have reparation ſome other way; and that can only be in your eternal ruin: O how many will periſh for ever, for the violation of their Baptiſmal obligation! And is it not ſad, that that which puts a glory upon us here, (upon our nonperformance of conditions,) ſhould deprive us of glory hereafter, and expoſe p. 85us to the wrath of God to all eternity? And yet thus it is, and thus too many will find it to be. Be ſerious I beſeech you, in the conſideration of this, and certainly it will prevail with you, to dedicate your ſelves to God. Is it I that put you upon this duty? Is this ſomething, that is but the fancy of ſome preciſe, or over-righteous perſon? Is it ſome new thing, which a Miniſter would lay upon you? Is it not that very thing, which you your ſelves have ſworn to, in your Baptiſm? Is not your obligation to it, very ancient, and yet in full force at this very day? Can any time wear out this obligation? Though Baptiſm doth not leave characterem indelebilem, yet it doth leave obligationem indiſpenſabilem; though there be no**Of this controverſie, vid. Chamier. t. 4. de Sacram. l. 2. c. 12. Gerhard. t. 4. de Sacram. p. 335, &c. and many others. indelible character (in the Popiſh ſenſe) yet there is an indiſpenſable obligation: And further, have you not often owned and renewed this, at the Sacrament of the Lords Supper? Nay, have you not heightned and ſuperadded a further obligation upon your ſelves, to be the Lords at that ordinance? Do you not ſay in effect at every Sacrament you p. 86receive? Lord, I here dedicate my ſelf to thee, I here ſeal to be thine, I vouch thee for my God, and I will be thy ſervant: And after all this, will you be falſe to God? I tremble at the thoughts of this perfidiouſneſs. Herod would rather be guilty of murder than of perjury; Matth. 14.9.Matt 14:9for his oaths ſake, John Baptiſts Head muſt go off. Many a time thou haſt ſworn to God, and what doth God require upon this, but the life of thy luſts, the**Rom. 6.6.Rom 6:6 deſtroying of the body of ſin, the blood of thy boſome-corruptions; ſhall not this be done for thy Oaths ſake? O ſaith David, I have ſworn and I will perform it, Pſal. 119.106▪Ps 119:106that I will keep thy righteous judgments: Do you ſo ſpeak and ſo do, as you love your ſouls. 'Twas a great trial to Jepthah, to offer up his daughter, Judg. 11.31, 35.Judg 11:31Judg 11:35his only child; but he had made ſuch a vow, and he could not recede; whatſoever cometh forth of the doors of my houſe to meet me, &c. ſhall ſurely be the Lords, &c. Though it happened that his daughter met him, yet ſhe muſt be offered up, for (ſays he) I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back. This is your caſe as to your ſelves, and p. 87as to your ſins: In Baptiſm, at the Lords Table, you have ſaid, that you would be the Lords, that you would offer up your beloved ſins: having thus bound your ſelves to the Lord, you cannot go back. Sacramental obligations call for ſelf-dedication.

3. God is ſuch a God, as that he deſerves this at your hands. Look upon him, as he is in himſelf; Infinite, incomprehenſible, the ſupream and abſolute being, holy, wiſe, gracious, merciful, unchangeable, juſt, righteous, &c. Will you not dedicate your ſelves to ſuch a God? What a baſe thing is ſin, what a vain thing is the world, in compariſon of this God? What a ſhame is it, that men ſhould chuſe rather to give up themſelves to theſe, than to the ever bleſſed God! Something we muſt dedicate our ſelves to; doth any object ſo deſerve our love, delight, ſervice, zeal, as God doth? And then look upon him, in what he is to you; your Creator, the fountain of your beings, your preſerver, your benefactor, your Lord and Soveraign, your Judge, he in whoſe hands your**Dan. 5.23.Dan 5:23 life, breath, and all your concerns p. 88are; he that protects you from all dangers, ſupplies you in all wants, ſupports you under all burdens, directs you in all ſtraights, rewards you in all ſervices; will you not dedicate your ſelves to this God? He that alone can make you happy or miſerable, he that alone can ſave or damn, he that alone can give you ſatisfaction, inward peace and joy; will you not be his? He that is your good God, your friend, that deſires your well-fare, will you not ſurrender up your ſelves to him? I am not pleading with you for dedition, but for dedication; the**Damus amicis, dedimus Hoſtibus. Stephan. Ʋrbem, agrum, aras, focos, ſeque, uti dederent. Plaut. in Amphitr. Such as yielded upon the prevailing ſtrength of their Enemy, vvere called, Dedititii. Quum ex dedititiis Delgis complures Caeſarem ſecuti. Caeſ. Comm. former is proper for an enemy, the latter for a friend. O 'tis mens ignorance of God, that keeps them from dedicating themſelves to him▪ ſurely did they but know him, he ſhould have their All.

4. Self-dedication to God, is the Creatures advancement; it puts an honour and excellency upon a perſon; ſelf is advanced and dignified, when 'tis thus dedicated; as there paſs'd a glory upon the firſt fruits, by their being p. 89dedicated to God. And therefore the excellency of the Saints is ſet forth by this alluſion to the firſt fruits. Of his own will begat he us, Jam. 1.18.Jas 1:18with the word of truth, that we ſhould be a kind of firſt fruits of his Creatures. Jer. 2.3.Jer 2:3Iſrael was holineſs unto the Lord, the firſt fruits of his increaſe. Rev. 14.4.Rev 14:4Theſe were redeemed from among men, being the firſt fruits unto God. I ſay, one thing intended in theſe expreſſions, is to hold forth the excellency of the people of God, as they are dedicated to him: Self-dedication will make you as firſt fruits, it will put a glory and excellency upon you;Pſal. 16.3.Ps 16:3 dedicated perſons are the excellent in the earth. Take the whole crop, there was not much in it, but the firſt fruits, being ſet apart for God, there was an excellency in them: take mankind in the lump and maſs, there is no ſuch great worth in it, but take thoſe few that are ſingled out of this maſs, and ſet apart for God, O they are excellent perſons. The pride of man puts him upon the affectation of excellency, and advancement; would you from an holy pride be ambitious of true excellency and advancement, be a people ſeparated p. 90for God, devoted to him; no honour like to that.

5. I will add but one Conſideration more, 'tis this, as grace, ſo glory, as Chriſtianity here, ſo felicity hereafter, depend upon ſelf-dedication. Would you not be ſaved? Do you not deſire Heaven and bleſſedneſs? Would you not be happy in the world to come? Surely you would; then pray, take the right way and courſe, in order to this; what's that? Dedicate your ſelves to God; no dedication, no ſalvation; ſelf muſt be dedicated, or ſelf cannot be ſaved: Non-dedication muſt needs end in deſtruction. How can he expect, that God will give himſelf in the beatifick viſion to him, who is not willing to give his ſelf to God here, in holy dedication. Did ever any arrive at the ſight of God, who had not firſt devoted themſelves to holineſs; without holineſs no man ſhall ſee the Lord. Heb. 12.14.Heb 12:14O what a comfortable plea is this for a dying man, for Heaven: Lord I am thine ſave me; Pſal. 119.94.Ps 119:94I have been a doer of thy will upon earth, let me now enter into the Kingdom; Matth. 7.21.Matt 7:21I have withheld nothing from thee, do not thou now p. 91withhold glory from me.Pſal. 84.11.Ps 84:11 Thus much I have ſaid, to urge the Exhortation in general.

That I may yet further drive the nail to the very Head, that this advice may be yet more piercing and effectual, I ſhall go over the particular branches of ſelf-dedication, and enforce each of them upon you, by thoſe conſiderations, which are reſpectively proper to them.

1. Firſt therefore, Give your ſelves to God. Self is a gift, that is only fit for a God; 'tis indeed too little for him, but 'tis too much for any thing beſides him; 'tis not good enough for God, 'tis too good for any thing elſe: O whileſt others give themſelves to low, vain, undeſerving, evil objects, let us give our ſelves to the Lord. I ſhall deſire the Reader, throughly to weigh a few motives, to induce him unto this.

1. Nothing more equitable, than that the Creature ſhould give himſelf to God. The Apoſtle urges this very duty by this; he calls it a reaſonable ſervice: Rom. 12.1.Rom 12:1the**foreign word imports giving or dedicating to God: ſee Luke 2.22. Now this p. 92ſelf-preſenting, (or ſelf-giving to God) 'tis a thing that is moſt reaſonable; 'tis that which is grounded upon the higheſt reaſon: Reaſon it ſelf will tell a man, he ought to give himſelf to God; this**Prov. 20.27.Prov 20:27 candle of the Lord gives a light clear enough, to direct a creature to this. I know depraved reaſon oppoſes it, but rectifi'd reaſon furthers it. Your reaſon will tell you, that you are bound to give to every one, what is his right and due; this is one of the undoubted maximes and principles of reaſon: In the caſe I am upon, reaſon lays down the propoſition, Scripture-revelation ſets in with it, to make the aſſumption, and then grace makes the concluſion, and ſo the ſyllogiſm is framed betwixt them. I muſt give to every one, what is his due; (there's reaſon,) my perſon, my all is Gods due; (there's partly reaſon, and partly revelation,) therefore I will give my ſelf to God, (there's grace:) Let me ſpeak a little to that foundation, upon which the reaſonableneſs of the duty in hand is built, and that is, whatever I am or have, 'tis all Gods due; God hath a fuller, better right to a man, p. 93than he hath to himſelf; he is Gods more than he is or can be his own; in the fall of Adam we loſt our right and title to God, but he did not loſe his right and title to us; this is eternal, alteration, or any ſuch thing. If you ask whence this reſults, (viz. Gods right to us,) I anſwer,

1. From Creation; he made us, therefore he hath a right to us: As he that builds an houſe, certainly hath a right to it. It is he that hath made us, Pſal. 100.3.Ps 100:3and not we our ſelves; we are his people, and the ſheep of his paſture. When we lay in the womb of nothing, he gave a being to us; we are made up of ſoul and body, both are of God; the ſheath and the blade, the Jewel and the Cabinet, both (I ſay) are of God. The ſoul, (the nobler part) 'tis immediately created by him, he**Eccleſ. 12.7.Eccl 12:7 gives this ſpirit, and infuſes it into the body, when 'tis organiz'd and prepared for it. And upon this creation, the ſoul is Gods: All ſouls are mine, (ſo he himſelf tells us,) Ezek. 18.4. The body, that's the workmanſhip of God; Pſal. 139.14, &c.Ps 139:14by him we are fearfully and wonderfully made; by him p. 94we were curiouſly wrought in the lower parts of the earth; in his book all our members were written, &c. (as the Pſalmiſt ſets in forth.) This being ſo, ſurely God hath an unqueſtionable right and title to us.

2. From the ſubſequent acts of Providence. Facít, nam ſer…nt, nec minor nunc ſumptus Omnipotentiae, quàm in Exor dio n…ſtro. Eadem eſt opera, eadem cura. Si omnipotens illa dextra excuteret nos in noſt…um praecipites rueremus Nihilum. Nieremb. Theopolit. p. 48.'Tis the Lord, who doth preſerve us, ſuſtain us, ſupport us, provide for us; who doth (as it were) make us anew every day; what is preſervation, but a continued creation? God doth not only build the houſe at firſt, but he keeps it up, by a continual ſucceſſion of providential mercies; and was it not for this, it would fall every moment. Acts 17.28.Acts 17:28In him we live, and move, and have our being. How ſoon would the poor candle of life, be either waſted or blown out, if the**1 Pet. 4. ult.1 Pet 4 faithful Creator did not ſupply it as to inward defects, and ſecure it as to external violence. The beam lives by that Sun, from which it comes; and the ſtream is maintained by that ſpring, from which it flows: The ſame dependence is there in us, p. 95upon that God, from whom we derive our being. This heightens Gods title.

3. From redemption, in which Chriſt hath paid down a price, Matth. 20.28. 1 Tim. 2.6.Matt 20:281 Tim 2:6a ranſom for us; we are the Lords by purchaſe, he hath bought us and paid a dear rate for us: What a man purchaſes, 'tis his own; from that purchaſe there reſults a propriety. In alluſion to this, the Apoſtle tells us, we are not our own, for we are bought with a price; 1 Cor. 6.19, 20.1 Cor 6:191 Cor 6:20Know ye not, that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghoſt, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price, therefore glorifie God in you body, and in your ſpirit, which are Gods; (not only upon the firſt and original right of Creation, but alſo upon the ſuperadded and accumulated right of purchaſe:) Here is the higheſt foundation of Gods claim and title to us.

You ſee then by this, whence Gods title to the creature doth ariſe; we are his by Creation, Providence, Redemption. He having then ſuch an indubitable right to us, is it not moſt reaſonable, that we ſhould give our ſelves to p. 96him? When we ſo do, we do but give God that which is his own? Is this a gift? Indeed 'tis rather the paying of a debt, than the giving of a gift, (as I ſaid at the firſt,) but the gracious God is pleaſed to own it ſo. He might make a ſeizure upon us, and ſue out his claim upon his own right; but he would rather have us, by a free gift to give our ſelves to him. His we are by purchaſe, Vindic Piet. p. 3. p. 307.but he expects that we be his alſo by donation: his we are by conqueſt, but he expects we ſhould be his by conſent alſo; though he may challenge us as his right, yet the moſt acceptable claim is, when he hath us by gift, (as one expreſſes it.) 'Tis a great condeſcenſion in God, to take this for a gift: Under the Law God would not have that which was his due before, to be given unto him, becauſe that was his already. Only the firſtlings of the beaſts, Levit. 27.26.Lev 27:26which ſhould be the Lords firſtling, no man ſhall ſanctifie it, whether it be Ox or Sheep, it is the Lords: The reaſon of this is plainly ſet down; ſuch things were not by vow to be dedicated to God, becauſe he had expreſly deſigned them for ſacrifice, and ſo p. 97they were his already. O what an act of grace is this in the great God towards us; we are his already, and yet he owns it for a gift, when we dedicate our ſelves to him. … am too long upon this, pray conſider Gods right, and and let him have it: Give unto Caeſar that which is Caeſars, Matth. 22.21.Matt 22:21and unto God that which is Gods. You have too long detained from him that which is his right; you do that to God, which the principles of common honeſty would not let you do to man: O be convinced of your unworthy dealings with him; and now give your ſelves to him; what can be more juſt, equitable, reaſonable than this?

2. The giving of ſelf, is but a due retribution; and ſo it becomes a duty, not only upon Gods right, but alſo upon the creatures ingenuity. Grace brings an holy ingenuity into the heart; no man ſo ingenuous as the gracious man: and (methinks) every man, that profeſſes any hope of intereſt in God, ſhould be ſo ingenuous, as to give himſelf to God. Par pari rependere, to return like for like, this is ingenuity amongſt men: O that we could perſwade p. 98men to come up to this, in their returns to God! Self is but a fit retribution for ſelf; doth God give himſelf to us, (as he doth to all in Covenant,) ſhall not we give our ſelves to him? Did Chriſt give himſelf for us, Gal. 2.20.Gal 2:20and ſhall not we give our ſelves to him? And who can reckon up Gods mercies to us, ſhall there be no return made for them? Who (that hath the leaſt ſpark of holy ingenuity in him) will not be often asking that queſtion of David? Pſal. 116.12.Ps 116:12What ſhall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me? Doſt thou ask this queſtion? Then I ſay to thee, render thy ſelf to the Lord, that's the beſt retribution that 'tis poſſible for a creature to make. Do not put off God, with ſomething that is yours, but give him your ſelf: as he doth not put off you with giving ſua, but he gives ſe, ſo do you deal with him. When you have done this, here may be ſome retribution, but here is no proportion or compenſation. Alas! what is our ſelf to Gods ſelf? What is that which we return, in compariſon of what we receive? 'Tis but a drop for an Ocean, 'tis but finite for p. 99infinite, 'tis but emptineſs for fulneſs, 'tis but Nothing for All. Go however as far as you can; when you have gone the fartheſt, you come infinitely ſhort of what God deſerves.

3. 'Tis a good evidence of the ſincerity of love. Then we love God in ſincerity, when we give our ſelves to him:Eph. 6.24.Eph 6:24 love 'tis a giving grace, and 'tis for the giving of ſelf; nothing below this, will ſatisfie love. The wife loves her Husband, and ſhe gives her ſelf to him: take a friend (whoſe heart is a treaſure of love,) his ſelf, his all, is made over to his friend. O where is our love to God? 'Tis ſad, that love betwixt creature and creature ſhould exceed our love to God? Do you love God? Do you love him indeed? Evidence the reality of your love, by giving your ſelves to him: let not any fancy they love God, if this be not done. How doth divine love plead with the ſoul, to give all to God! O it thinks nothing enough, nothing too much for God; ſelf being the beſt, ſaith holy love, God and Chriſt ſhall have it.

4. This is the higheſt gratitude, the p. 100beſt thankfulneſs. The firſt fruits were dedicated to God, partly to ſhew Gods right to the whole crop, partly as an expreſſion of the peoples thankfulneſs for all the reſt; ſelf-dedication and ſelf-giving is the beſt expreſſion of our thankfulneſs. Could you give burnt-offerings, Calves of a year old, Mic. 6.7.Mic 6:7thouſands of Rams, ten thouſand rivers of Oyl, the moſt coſtly ſacrifices, bags of gold and ſilver; or could you bring the moſt melting acknowledgments, the higheſt verbal reſentments of Gods goodneſs to you, all this would be nothing, in compariſon of dedicating and giving your ſelves to him: then we praiſe God aright, when we devote our perſons, our lives, our all to his praiſe. Do you receive ſo many mercies, and ſhall God have no praiſe? What's all your praiſe, if ſelf be not given to him? Higher than this you cannot, lower than this you ſhould not go: O the poor creature that falls down at the feet of God in the ſenſe of mercies, and ſays, Lord, thus and thus thou art pleaſed to do for me; food, raiment, peace, liberty, the Goſpel, Chriſt thou giveſt to me; for all this how ſhall p. 101I expreſs and teſtifie my gratitude? Bleſſed God, I'll do it thus; here I give my ſelf to thee: Quod unum reliquum eſt, dono tibi, dono meipſum. Silver and Gold I have none, I cannot build Hoſpitals or do any ſuch thing; I have but little in the world, but I give thee my ſelf, to be thine for ever; here's the right thanking of God for mercies received.

5. This is very pleaſing and acceptable to God. Rom. 12.1. Pſal. 51.17.Rom 12:1Ps 51:17Self is the ſacrifice acceptable to God; the ſacrifice which God will not deſpiſe: God ſtands upon the giver more than upon the gift. As the King of Sodom ſaid to Abram, Gen. 14.21.Gen 14:21Give me the perſons and take the goods to thy ſelf; ſo God ſpeaks to us; do not give your gifts to me, but give me your ſelves. 2 Corint. 8.5.How did the Macedonians pleaſe him, when they gave themſelves to him. Luther obſerves of Cain, Cainiſtae ſunt offerentes non perſonam ſed opus perſonae. Lutherus in Gen.that he gave his offering to God, but he did not give his perſon to God: and he calls thoſe Cainiſts, who offer the ſacrifice but not the perſon; upon this God took no delight, either in him or in his offering. Abel offered both, and ſo he pleaſed God. You cannot do a thing p. 102more acceptable to God, than to give your ſelves to him. O (ſays God) here's a poor creature, that thinks not his ſelf too good for me; that's his beſt, his all, and yet that he gives to me; I'll requite him, I have his ſelf and he ſhall have mine: he thinks nothing too good for me, and I will think nothing too good for him. This (I ſay) and nothing below this, pleaſes God; he deals with men, juſt as the Saints deal with him; how's that? They muſt have his ſelf; they cannot take up with any thing ſhort of this; the mercies, gifts of God, will not ſatisfie them, unleſs they have his ſelf; and they can part with all for this: as Auguſt. ſaid, whatſoever God will beſtow, Auguſt. in Pſal. 29.Ps 29let him take it all away, and give himſelf: ſo God deals with men; 'tis their ſelf that he minds and values: As nothing below Gods ſelf ſhould ſatisfie us, ſo nothing below our ſelf can ſatisfie God. Theſe are the motives, to ſtir you up, to give your ſelves to God, (which is the firſt thing in ſelf-dedication.)

2. Secondly, Live in a conſtant ſurrender and reſignation of your ſelves to the will of God: This is a bleſſed frame p. 103and temper, and that which is of the very eſſence of ſelf-dedication. I will purſue this Exhortation, according to the diſtinction laid down in the Explicatory part. The will of God, is either his Preceptive or his Providential will; 'tis mans duty to ſurrender up himſelf to both, ſo as to be ſubject to the one, and ſubmiſſive to the other.

1. As to the preceptive will of God, which conſiſts in thoſe excellent laws, commands, precepts, injunctions, which the holy God in his word hath impoſed and laid upon his creatures, in order to the directing and obliging of them to their duty. Surrender up your ſelves to this will: 'tis a very becoming thing for the creature ſo to do: a creature (as a creature) is bound to be ſubject to the will of his Creator and Soveraign: The law of obedience is written in our very being; he that conſiders what God is, and what he himſelf is, cannot but judge it a very reaſonable thing, for him to reſign up himſelf to the will of God. And indeed the creature never acts according to the natural obligation which lies upon him, neither is it ever right or well with him, till he p. 104comes to ſay, O God, I entirely reſign up my ſelf to thy will and government; wilt thou have me to be holy? I will be ſo; wilt thou have me to deny ungodlineſs and worldly luſts, Tit. 2.12.Titus 2:12to live ſoberly, righteouſly, godly in this preſent world? I will do ſo; Is my ſanctification thy will? 1 Theſ. 4.3.1 Thess 4:3I will endeavour to come up to it; I will not advance my own will, or oppoſe my own will to thy will, but thy will ſhall carry it; what thou commandeſt I will do, give me but ſtrength to obey, Da Domine quod jubes, & jube quod vis. Auguſt.and command what thou wilt, (as that holy Father once ſaid.) This ſelf-reſignation to Gods will, is a main part, and an infallible evidence alſo of ſanctification. When God ſanctifies a perſon, what doth he do? He doth this, he makes him willing to act in univerſal ſubjection to his holy will; this is the vital act of grace, the proper and genuine effect of it. No unſanctified, unregenerate man, can do this; before converſion the ſinner is all for his own will, he will not be ſubject to the law of God; he will have none upon the throne but himſelf; O what a proud, ſtubborn, rebellious creature is man, in his natural ſtate! p. 105He ſays with Pharaoh, Who is the Lord, that I ſhould obey his voice to let Iſrael go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Iſrael go, Exod. 5.2. And with them; Our lips are our own, who is Lord over us? Pſal. 12.4. But after ſaving grace hath faſtned upon him, he is another man, then 'tis the language of Paul, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do, Acts. 9.6. now his will is melted into the will of God, now the law is written in the heart, Pſal. 40.8.Ps 40:8and there is a principle within him, which ſuits with, and inclines him to, the good will of God.

Obſerve me further, the ſanctification of our will lies in the ſubjection of it to Gods will. That great work of ſanctification extends to all the faculties, but principally 'tis terminated upon the will; that's the faculty which renewing grace doth moſt with; for of all the faculties, that is the moſt depraved and vitiated; there is the very neſt & ſeat of ſins venome and poiſon; & 'tis that which makes the greateſt oppoſition to God; there is Satans ſtrongeſt hold, when that is once taken, all do yield: the ſinner is gained, when the p. 106will is gained; when that is once made pliable, flexible, obedient, the work is done. That which I infer from all that hath been ſpoken, is this, would you act as becomes you, (as you are creatures,) would you have an evidence of ſanctification, as to your perſons and wills? Then ſurrender and reſign up your ſelves to the ſupream, abſolute, holy will of God. If you will but dwell upon this in your Thoughts a little, and urge it home upon your ſelves, it will be enough (the ſpirit of God ſetting it on) to prevail with you, to do what I am urging upon you.

The work would be endleſs, If I ſhould enlarge upon every Head, (according to what the matter would bear,) otherwiſe I might further enforce this ſelf-reſignation and ſubjection, from theſe particulars.Rom. 12.3. Rom. 7.12. Deut. 10.13.Rom 12:3Rom 7:12Deut 10:13

1. Gods will is an excellent will.

2. 'Tis the creatures advantage to correſpond with this will.Pſal. 81.11, 12.Ps 81:11Ps 81:12

3. Many are the miſchiefs that riſe from non-ſubjection.

4. God will have his will, Rom. 2▪25.Rom 2:25one way or another; for volunt as Dei ſemper impletur aut à nobis aut de nobis, (Aug.) It ſhall either be done by us or upon us.

5. External p. 107profeſſion without this is a meer vanity.Matth. 7.21.Matt 7:21

6. This is abſolutely neceſſary to ſalvation.Heb. 10▪36.Heb 10:36

Here is full weight, meaſure preſſed down; put all together, theſe conſiderations muſt needs preponderate and weigh down all objections, that the carnal heart of man can make againſt ſubjection to Gods will. But I ſhall paſs by theſe things, and rather inſiſt upon ſomething by way of direction, as to the matter or the extent of the duty it ſelf. And this I will reduce to two general Heads.

1. Surrender up your ſelves to the will of God, as this refers to acts of worſhip, or to holy duties; I mean prayer, hearing, receiving the Sacrament, &c. The will of God reaches to theſe; and it calls for our ſubjection and obedience, in our conſtant performance of all thoſe holy duties, which the great Lawgiver hath ſtamped his command and inſtitution upon. This is to be religious; Religion (in its primary notion) points to the worſhip of God, (in the matter and manner of it:) what is religion? Take it ſtrictly, 'tis this, to worſhip God, upon the conſideration of his glorious excellencies and will, and to do this p. 108according to his will. If you deſire to be religious, (as ſurely you either do, or ought to do, religion being both the duty, and alſo the advancement of the creature,) then you muſt comply with Gods will, in attending upon the ſeveral parts of ſacred worſhip, doing all according to the mind of God: there's no religion without this. That which I ſhall preſs upon you therefore, is this; ſurrender up your ſelves to God, yield obedience to him, in frequent, conſtant attendance upon, and performance of holy duties, whether they be publick or private. You have very ſtrong reaſons for this. (O that mens corruptions were not ſtronger than all the reaſons that can be alledged!) God wills them; 'tis his will, that you ſhould pray, hear, read, &c. Is not that reaſon enough? Holy duties are that homage, which God requires, and which the creature doth indiſpenſably owe to his Creator: and beſides this, they are the means, in and by which God doth work; in them, the Lord vouchſafes his preſence, Exod. 20▪24. Jam 4.8. & paſſim.Exod 20:24Jas 4:8gives the ſoul communion with him, in his love and bleſſedneſs, diſplays his grace, diſpenſes p. 109his bleſſings, and what not? By them God carries on the great deſigns of his mercy, (for he ſets in with them, and doth great things by them:) here 'tis, that he quickens the dead, ſoftens the hard, tames the ſtubborn, humbles the proud, enlightens the blind, cleanſes the filthy, comforts the ſad, fills the empty, heals the wounded; here the ſinner is converted, the Saint edified; here the thirſty ſoul finds peace, joy, delight, ſatisfaction, Iſa. 56.7. Pſal. 63.1.5. Cant. 2▪2, 3.Isa 56:7Ps 63:1Ps 63:5Song 2:2Song 2:3Aſſurance, &c. Theſe are the pools, where the Angel of the Covenant moves, (Joh. 9.4.) the wells of ſalvation, out of which the ſoul draws the water of life, (Iſa. 12.3.) the breaſts of heavenly conſolation; the keys which unlock the treaſuries of mercy; the golden pipes through which mercy flows, (Zech. 4.12.) the ladder by which we aſcend to God, and he deſcends to us, (Gen. 28.12.) the vehicula coeli, the waggons which carry Earth to Heaven, and Heaven to Earth, (Gen. 45.27.) the galleries, in which Chriſt delights to walk, Cant. 7.5. O the bleſſed effects of holy duties! by them, corruption is mortified, grace wrought and ſtrengthened, p. 110comfort increaſed, doubts reſolved, evidences cleared, &c. As duty goes up, grace goes up, and ſin goes down; the more in duty, the more of grace. Is not here enough, to engage every man, to fall in with the will of God, in the performing of holy duties? David ſaid, it was good for him to draw near to God. Pſal. 73.28.Ps 73:28O that we did look upon duty as good! that it was good to hear, good to read, good to pray, good to meditate, good to be at the Lords Table.

'Tis greatly to be lamented, that there are ſo few, who do conform to the will of God herein: look upon the practices of the moſt of men, God hath but little worſhip from them; they ſeldom pray, ſeldom come to the word, ſeldom read the Scriptures: nay many live in a total neglect and omiſſion of the ſervice of God: they are ſwallowed up in a ſenſual, brutiſh, worldly life; for religious exerciſes, they ſeldom or never mind them: nay, O that there were not too many, that did deride and ſcoff at theſe! what ſhall I ſay to theſe? Is this to be Chriſtians? Surely theſe are flat Atheiſts, not p. 111Chriſtians: have theſe dedicated themſelves to God, that live as though they believed there was no God? Have theſe reſigned up themſelves to his will, who act in ſuch an open contradiction to it? How will Heathens and Turks riſe up in judgment againſt theſe? The Heathens, when they had dedicated themſelves to their Gods, they would worſhip them, according to their light. The**See Mr. Rycauts Hiſtory of the Ottoman, &c. B. 2. Chap. 1. p. 98. & Chap. 23. p. 158. Turks pray five times every 24 hours: Mahomet (that villanous Impoſtor) in his Alchoran, ſpeaks honourably of prayer, he calls it the key of Paradiſe, the pillar of religion, (and many ſuch Elogiums he gives to it:) And he ſtrictly enjoyned all his diſciples to pray five times a day: and the Turks are very careful in the obſerving of this injunction: they have five great fundamentals in their religion, and this is one, to pray ſo often (as I have ſaid) every day. Lord, what a ſort of men are we Christians! who have ſo many ſtrict, peremptory commands from our bleſſed Saviour, for prayer and other holy exerciſes, and yet we make no conſcience of them. O that men would either alter their p. 112courſe, or abandon their Title; they are a ſhame, a reproach to Chriſtianity; what? a Christian, and not pray, not read the Bible, &c. 'tis a contradiction. Well, let theſe go, I beſeech you, (whoever you are, that ſhall caſt your eyes upon theſe lines) to enter upon a conſtant courſe of duty; comply with Gods will, be religious, pray without ceaſing, 1 Theſ. 5.17.1 Thess 5:17come up to all acts of worſhip; no time ſo well ſpent, as time thus ſpent; you will never repent of time thus ſpent; you may (and you will) of that, which is waſted in idleneſs, drunkenneſs, immoderate pleaſures, worldly purſuits, but your praying-time, hearing-time, meditating-time, Scripture-reading-time, you will never repent of that, or wiſh you had ſpent it otherwiſe. And let me tell you, there is that ſweetneſs, delight, complacency, refreſhment in holy duties (duly managed) that if you did but experimentally feel it, you would never be averſe from them; you would prefer duty before all carnal delights. O let ſuch eſpecially, who profeſs God, be much in theſe: let your hearts readily Eccho to Gods p. 113command, (as Davids did,) Pſal. 27.8. When thou ſaidst, ſeek ye my face, my heart ſaid unto thee, (preſently, immediately, as ſoon as ever the word was out of Gods mouth,) Thy face (O Lord) I will ſeek: Do you, not only yield a bare ſubjection to this will, but let it be a willing, chearful, affectionate ſubjection; pray and love prayer; hear and love hearing; receive the Sacrament, and love receiving: Let holy duties be naturalized to you, ſo that you cannot live without them: let them be to you more neceſſary than your daily food, (as the word was to Job, Job 23.12.) or than any thing that ſustains the natural life: let nothing part you & duty, be not diverted or taken off from it. Daniel would rather ceaſe to live, than ceaſe to pray, Dan. 6.10.

2. Surrender up your ſelves to the will of God, as this refers to the life, and the whole life; ſo as to live in an obediential conformity to it; (eſpecially where it refers to things moral, that do eternally and indiſpenſably oblige the creature:) This is holineſs: Complying with the will of God under the p. 114former Head, is Religion, under this 'tis holineſs: for the nature of holineſs, conſiſts in conformity to the will of God; (the ſtandard, meaſure, rule of all righteouſneſs.) O that you would act in an univerſal compliance with this will! 'Tis a great piece of Gods goodneſs, that he hath given us, ſo full, ſo plain a revelation of his will in the word; how we are to think, ſpeak, live, what we are to do, what we are to ſhun, how to trade, converſe, eat, drink, how we are to order the whole converſation, we have clear expreſs diſcoveries of Gods will, for all theſe: now, if you would reſign up your ſelves to this will, to order thoughts, words, actions, the whole converſation conformably to it, this would be ſelf-dedication indeed, real holineſs. And what a bleſſed thing is holineſs! let the world take heed how they diſparage or deride holineſs; 'tis Gods own glory; he is glorious in holineſs, Exod. 15.11. and holineſs is his glory, Joh. 12.41. Theſe things ſaid Eſaias, when he ſaw his glory: when was this? when he heard the Seraphims crying one unto another, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of p. 115Hoſts, the whole earth is full of his glory, Iſa. 6.3. 'Tis a beautiful thing, 'tis called the beauty of holineſs, Pſal. 110.3. Nothing puts ſuch a beauty and glory upon the creature, as holineſs; 'Tis that which is neceſſary to the future glory; without holineſs no man ſhall ſee God, Heb. 12.14. But I muſt not lanch out into ſo vaſt an Ocean: the ſumm of all is this; in your whole courſe conſult the will of God, and give obedience to it; walk by this rule, ſquare all your actions by it, and mercy and peace ſhall be upon you: Gal 6.16.Gal 6:16live not according to the**Eph. 2.3. foreignEph 2:3 wills of the fleſh, or the wills of men, but live according to the will of God, 1 Pet. 4.1. &c. Foraſmuch then as Chriſt hath ſuffered for us, &c. That he no longer ſhould live the reſt of his time in the fleſh, to the luſts of men, but [to the will of God.] For the time paſt of our life may ſuffice us, to have wrought [the wil of the Gentiles, &c. In all your ways, ask this queſtion, what would God have me to do? And when you know this, O ſee that you act accordingly. Ah, and like this will of God; ſay, juſt thus I would have it; I would not have it p. 116otherwiſe; I do not deſire a better will, or a better law, only I deſire a better heart. Do thus, and you are a people dedicated to God: ſo much for ſelf-ſurrender to the Preceptive will of God.

2. There's the Providential will of God; you muſt reſign up your ſelves to this will alſo. A Chriſtian carries it like himſelf, when in every condition, and in all occurrences, he ſays, (with Pauls friends,) The will of the Lord be done, Acts 21.14. when he is heartily willing, that God ſhould have his will, and there is a kind of annihilation or exinanition of his own will; when he ſpeaks to God, (as once the Martyr,) Lord, there ſhall be but one will betwixt thee and me, and that ſhall be thy will. And the truth is, we are no farther fit to live, than as we can ſurrender up our ſelves to God, and in all things ſubmit to his good pleaſure.

I told you, this ſubmiſſion relates either to that which is paſt or preſent, or to that which is to come; the former is Patience, the latter is an humble referring our ſelves to Gods diſpoſe.

1. You muſt reſign up your ſelves to Gods will, as to what is paſt or preſent; p. 117(that is) you muſt with an holy patience, bear whatever evils, trials, troubles, afflictions it pleaſes him to lay upon you. This is included in ſelf-dedication, and is one of the moſt difficult parts of it. We are not ſo obſtinately ſet againſt Gods preceptive will, but we are as peeviſh, fretful, diſcontented under his providential will. Now are you afflicted, (or may affliction hereafter befal you?) Do you ſuffer for God, or from God? Doth he put any bitter cup into your hands, as ſickneſs, want, loſs of relations, &c. look to this,Luke 21.19. Jam. 1.4.Luke 21:19Jas 1:4 that in patience you poſſeſs your ſouls: Let patience have its perfect work: Be ſtill, and quiet, and ſilent, however things go; take heed of murmuring, repining, fretting under Gods hand; keep the heart**Patientia eſt malorum cum aequanimitate perlatio. Lact. l. 5. cap. 22. Eſt virtus conſervans bonum rationis contra triſtitiam. Aquin. 22. Qu. 128. ſedate, calm, let your condition be what it will.

That I may help you on in this great duty of patience, I will only hint a few things. Gods will is in every trial; affliction cometh not forth of the duſt, neither doth trouble ſpring out of p. 118the ground, (Job 5.9.) it comes not by chance, or (only) by ſecond cauſes, but by Gods appointment and ordination; he hath an hand in the inflicting of all evils, who is the fountain of all good. Is there any evil in the City, and the Lord hath not done it? Amos 3.6. He that meaſures out our comforts, doth alſo meaſure out our croſſes. Should not this quiet us? It did ſo in thoſe great examples of patience, which you read of in the word:1 Sam. 3.18.1 Sam 3:18 It is the Lord, let him do what ſeems him good: (ſaith Ely.) I was dumb and opened not my mouth, Pſal. 39.9.Ps 39:9becauſe thou Lord didſt it, (ſaith David:) The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, Job. 1.21.Job 1:21bleſſed be the name of the Lord, (ſaith Job:) what a ſtrange inference was that, This evil is of the Lord, 1 Kings 6.33.1 Kgs 6:33why ſhould I wait on him any longer? When God was in the premiſſes, that impatience ſhould be in the concluſion; nothing could be more abſurd,, nothing more ſinful. If all our troubles be the iſſues of Gods will, there's all the reaſon in the world, we ſhould be patient under them: Conſidering farther what a kind of will this will of God is 'Tis a ſoveraign, righteous, wiſe, faithful, p. 119gracious will; ſhall not poor creatures ſubmit to ſuch a will? O the ſoveraignty of God ſhould awe us; who ſhall ſay unto him, what doſt thou? Job 9.12. Should it be according to thy mind? Job 34.33. Nay but O man, Niſi Deus hominibus placuerit non erit Deus. Tertull.who art thou that replieſt againſt God? Shall the thing formed, ſay to him that formed it, why haſt thou made me thus? Rom. 9.21. The righteouſneſs of God ſhould keep down all paſſion and perturbation: Afflictions may be ſharp, but they are always juſt, and God is righteous in them: He will not lay upon man more than right, that he ſhould enter into judgment with God, Job 34.23. The Lord is holy in all his works, and righteous in all his ways, Pſal. 145.17. The wiſdom of God ſhould further patience; he never afflicts but 'tis in wiſdom; and he never acts his wiſdom more, than when he is afflicting: he's a God of judgment, Iſa. 30.18. Let the trial be what it will, the faithfulneſs of God is in it, Pſal. 119.75. In very faithfulneſs thou haſt afflicted me. Ah, and there's mercy in it too; an afflicting God is a gracious God; Whom the Lord loveth he chaſteneth, and ſcourgeth every p. 120ſon whom he receiveth, Heb. 12.6. We are chaſtened of the Lord, that we ſhould not be condemned with the world, 1 Cor. 11.32. — He for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holineſs, Heb. 12.10. By this ſhall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit to take away his ſin, Iſa. 27.9. If the will of God be not ſufficient to keep down all ſtorms in the ſoul, then look into your afflictions, are they not deſerved? I will bear the indignation of the Lord, becauſe I have ſinned againſt him, Mic. 7.9. Why doth a living man complain, a man for the puniſhment of his ſins? Are they not leſs than what you deſerve? Ezra 9.13. Could ye be without them? 1 Pet. 1.6. Will they continue for ever? 2 Cor. 4.16. Will not God do you good by them? Rom. 8.28. Have they not been the common lot of all the people of God, Joh. 16.33. O that men would**Eccleſ. 7.14.Eccl 7:14 conſider, when 'tis a day of adverſity, and patiently reſt in Gods will, and quietly reſign up themſelves to it. What an**Magna & praecipua virtus …ſt patientia. Lactant. Vid… …ypr. de Bono Patientiae. p. 362. &c. excellent grace is this patience; there's a complication, connexion of many graces in it; ſpeak patience, you ſpeak faith, p. 121humility, ſelf-denial, love, and ſeveral others: It argues not only the truth of grace, but the ſtrength of grace. The Chriſtian that hath this, is perfect and entire, Jam. 1.4. 'Tis the ballaſt of the mind, that which keeps a man ſteddy in the greateſt ſtorms: 'tis the ſoul at reſt, it gives inward ſerenity under outward troubles: it ſhortens and**Leve fit, quod bene fertur onus Ovid. Levius fit patientia, quòd corrigere eſt nefas. Vide Plutarch. Mor. foreign. leſſens affliction; no affliction is great where patience is: nothing can much trouble that man, who reſolves to acquieſce in Gods will, what pleaſes God ſhall pleaſe him. That which makes afflictions to be ſo heavy, is the claſhing and jarring of our wills againſt Gods will. Theſe things (which I have here hinted) might fill up a volume; the ſubject is vaſt, but I muſt take up: Will you now endeavour to live this ſelf-ſurrender to the will of God? Doth not your dedication to God call for this? Do you not in that profeſs the ſubmitting of your wills to the will of God? and that you will quietly undergo all croſſes, troubles, that he ſhall think good to lay upon you? that you will give no way to the ſin, folly, madneſs p. 122of impatience? or any entertainment to aeſtuations, diſcompoſures of ſpirit, mutinous thoughts againſt God? that ſin only ſhall be the object of your paſſion? O what**O virum putrem & integrum; o foedum & pulchrum; O vulneratum & ſanum; O in ſtercore ſedentem & in coelo regnantem. Aug. of Job de Temp. Serm. 105. Ceſſet voluntas propria non erit infernum. Bernard. Rom. 15 5. Coloſ. 1.11.Rom 15:5Col 1:11 excellent perſons ſhould we be, what happy lives ſhould we live, could we but come up to, and make good this dedication! when the wind and tide go the ſame way, the waters are ſmooth: what peace and ſerenity ſhould we enjoy, if Gods will and our wills might concur. Bernard ſays, Take away ſelf will, and Hell would not be Hell. The God of patience ſtrengthen us with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience, and long-ſuffering with joyfulneſs.

2. Surrender up your ſelves to the will of God, as to what is to come; my meaning is this, refer all to Gods diſpoſe; your perſons, conditions, relations, all your concerns, refer them to God. This is both the Chriſtians duty and priviledge; he need not trouble himſelf with anxious thoughts about what is future, but he may leave all with God, and caſt all his care upon God, 1 Pet. 5.7.1 Pet 5:7and reſt there. We muſt neither preſcribe to God, (that's pride,) p. 123nor diſtruſt God, (that's unbelief:) 'tis the former that I drive at; O Chriſtians do not preſcribe to God, or impoſe upon God, as to future mercies, or your future conditions; but put your ſelves into his hands, and lie at his feet, and let him do what he ſees beſt. Thus the child carries it to his Father, and we have a better Father in Heaven, to leave our ſelves and our all with. We love to be directing providence, (as Joſeph would tell his Father what he had to do, Gen. 48.17, 18.) or impoſing upon Providence; ſuch and ſuch things we foreſee, or have them in our thoughts, and then we are ſelfiſh and haſty, and muſt order God, both as to things and times. Is it not much better to refer all to God? He's a God of wiſdom, and a God of mercy; and therefore we have the greateſt ingagements and encouragements too, that are imaginable, to ſit ſtill and to let God alone: God knows what is beſt, ſuch is his wiſdom, he will do nothing, but what is for the beſt, ſuch is his mercy. Had we a friend upon earth, of whom we could have this aſſurance, we ſhould refer all p. 124to him. God is willing to take our affairs into his**Pſal. 31.15.Ps 31:15 hands, to engage all his wiſdom and goodneſs in ordering of them for the beſt, and yet we will not reſign up our ſelves to him. 'Tis a great ſpeech of Plato, foreign, God acts in all things like a Geometrician; he doth all things by meaſure, exactly; he orders all his providences concerning every particular perſon in the world,Providentia ita curat omnia ut unum aliquid▪ ita ſingula, ut ſi illud curaret unicum. Aug. Adjice ad utiliſſimam dulciſſimae Providentiae praeſumptionem, de ſingulis ſic curare Deum quaſi ſinguli ſoli eſſemus in mundo, quemadmodum Adam in Paradiſo. Non diſtrabitur, non confunditur multitudine divina procuratio. Nieremb. Theopolitic. p. 55. according to the exact meaſures of wiſdom and love: If ſo, have we not reaſon then to ſubmit to his diſpoſe? O (ſays the Son in Plutarch) I'll refer my ſelf to my Father, for my Father will do nothing but what is beſt to be done: ſhall not we ſpeak thus to God? O man, (O believer eſpecially) refer thy ſelf to thy God; ſay, He ſhall chuſe our inheritance for us, (as 'tis Pſal. 47.4.) Let God chuſe for you; let it be life or death, liberty or reſtraint, ſervice or no ſervice, what it pleaſes God to chuſe for us, we muſt ſubmit to, and approve of: what ſad p. 125work ſhould we make of it, might we be our own chuſers, or at our own diſpoſe! What a ſtrange creature would man be, if God ſhould let him alone, and leave him to himſelf? He would need nothing more to undo him, than to be left to his own wiſdom, and will. The ſelf-chuſer is the ſelf-deſtroyer. If the Pilot ſhould let the unskilful paſſenger ſteer the Ship, he would ſplit it immediately. If the Phyſician ſhould let the patient eat, drink, what he hath a mind to, he would ſoon bring his life to a period. This is our caſe. It doth not become us, as we are Creatures, to order our ſelves, it would deſtroy us as we are Chriſtians: Bleſſed be God, he will order us, as he ſees cauſe. Well then, upon the conſideration of Gods wiſdom, and your own folly, refer your ſelves to him: As you that are Citizens, in the building of your Houſes, you have no skill in Architecture, and therefore you refer all to your workmen, whom you judge to be skilful and faithful. Indeed we are very ignorant, we know not what is beſt, we may pitch upon this or that as a great mercy, which would be in p. 126truth a judgment: O we have a wiſe and faithful God, let us be willing to be diſpoſed of by him. This is a frame of ſpirit, highly pleaſing to God, and much to our own advantage: we are never ſo much in the way of a mercy, as when we can refer our ſelves to God, for that mercy. So much for the enforcing of ſubmiſſion to Gods Providential will: O that we could come up to this! ſo as that in all things we could quietly refer our ſelves to the will of God, and get our wills perfectly melted into that: Good Lord, how far did the**foreign. Epictetus Enchirid. c. 77. &c. 79. foreign. Vid. Senec. de tranq. Animi. Stoicks go in this, to their ſuppoſed Deities, without the light of the Goſpel, meerly upon the improvement of rational principles: and how ſhort do we come in our actings towards the true God, under thoſe higher advantages that we enjoy, and thoſe higher principles that we pretend to. But let this ſuffice for the ſecond branch.

3. In the third place, ſelf-dedication conſiſts, in the firmneſs and fixedneſs of reſolution for God and his ways; p. 127this is next to be ſpoken to: the nature of it hath been opened already; I am only now to ſtir you up to the practice of it. If you would dedicate your ſelves to God, you muſt do theſe two things; you muſt reſolve for him, and you muſt be reſolute for him: theſe are different things, and I aim at the proſecuting of different things from them. To reſolve for God, 'tis to have the will fully determined, (or fully determining;) to come to a poſitive, peremptory deciſion or purpoſe for God and duty. To be reſolute for God, 'tis to adhere to this determination and purpoſe, ſo as by nothing to be moved or drawn from it: To reſolve for God, is the act of the will ad intra, and it is oppoſed to all doubting, heſitating, fluctuating, irreſolvedneſs within: To be reſolute for God, 'tis a mans carriage ad extra; 'tis to be ſteddy, conſtant, couragious, (in that which is good) in oppoſition to fickleneſs, levity, fear, cowardiſe, let the external dangers or diſcouragements be what they will. The difference betwixt theſe two is plain enough; I will ſpeak ſomething (yet very briefly) to each of them.

p. 1281. Reſolve for God: Let me ſuppoſe this to be your caſe, (which is very frequent and common;) you have been long parlying and debating within your ſelves, whether you ſhould be the Lords, yea or no; whether you ſhould cloſe with holineſs or not; you have traverſed and argued things pro & con; ſuch and ſuch conſiderations have been weighed by you very ſeriouſly: the ballances ſeem to go down on Gods ſide, Scripture reaſons preponderate, the will is in a great meaſure inclined to cloſe with God, to embrace his ways: but it is not yet come up to a full reſolution; yet there is ſome hanging off, ſome ſuſpence and doubting in the matter; 'tis**Acts 26.28.Acts 26:28 almoſt perſwaded, but 'tis not altogether perſwaded. O now that you would fully reſolve, that you would bring things to a point, to an iſſue, and poſitively determine for God againſt all oppoſers. That the almoſt might be turned into altogether; ſhall there be ſuch throws and ſtrivings in the ſoul, and nothing come of it? Shall the**Iſa. 66.9.Isa 66:9 child be brought to the birth, and ſhall there not be a bringing forth? Shall any come ſo near the p. 129Kingdom of Heaven, & yet come ſhort of the Kingdom of Heaven at laſt? After debates come reſolves; you have been debating thus and thus a long time, now reſolve, that God ſhall have your heart and life: 'tis good to deliberate, (they always prove the beſt Chriſtians, that enter upon Gods ways with the moſt deliberation,) but 'tis not good to continue under uncertainties, and irreſolvedneſs. O do not fluctuate or hang in ſuſpence any longer, but paſs a final peremptory decree for God. As the Prophet argued with the people of Iſrael; How long halt ye betwixt two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him, 1 Kings 18.21. ſo I would with you; why are you ſo undetermined and unreſolved? If God be better than ſin, then fall in with him; if ſin be better than God, (but can the heart of man imagine ſuch a thing?) then take your courſe. The Prodigal, 'tis very likely, in his great ſtraits, had ſome debates in himſelf, what he ſhould do; whether it was not beſt for him to return to his Father again; when he had been ſufficiently pinched p. 130with his wants, then he reſolves; I will ariſe and go unto my Father, &c. Luke 15.18. O that ſinners might have ſuch a ſight and ſenſe of ſin and the ſad effects of it, that they might immediately reſolve to return to God! That the ſpirit of God would come in with ſuch a light, ſo illuminate the underſtanding, that the will might be drawn to a peremptory reſolution for God. Here lies the work of grace, and the ſincerity of ſelf-dedication; we do but deceive our ſelves, if we fancy that we have dedicated our ſelves to God, if our wills be not fully, fixedly, reſolved for him.

2. Be reſolute for God. Having given up your ſelves to him, and engaged in a good way, now be reſolute, ſtedfaſt and unmovable, 1 Cor. 15.58. Stand faſt in the Lord, Phil. 4.1. (many ſuch exhortations you meet with in the Scripture:) Eſther was reſolute, ſhe would venture into the Kings preſence, though ſhe periſhed, Eſth. 4.16. 'Tis the duty of ſuch as profeſs God, to hold on in the way of duty, reſolving if they periſh, to periſh in that way. Job ſays of himſelf, he held faſt p. 131his righteouſneſs, and he would not let it go, Job 27.6. Pauls afflictions were nothing to him, he was reſolved for God and Chriſt, Acts 20.24. Acts 21. 13. The three children could burn in the fiery furnacè, but they would not bow to the golden image, Dan. 3.18. Though all ſhould forſake Chriſt, Peter would never forſake him, Matth. 26. 33. (his reſolution was good, but his ſelf-confidence ſpoiled all:) O that we were thus reſolute for God, his ways, his truths, his ordinances, his glory; we ſhould be ſo ſet for him, that nothing ſhould be able to make us quit our profeſſion, or an holy courſe; we ſhould let men ſee, we are not to be moved or altered, we are ſo fixed and reſolute. This is an excellent frame of ſpirit, very well becoming ſuch as have dedicated themſelves to God. Let the truth of your dedication appear in the firmneſs of your reſolution. Doth the world ſmile? Mind it not, let all its honours, pleaſures, poſſeſſions be nothing, when they would draw you off from God. Doth the world frown? fear it not; its good is not much to be deſired, its evil is not much to be p. 132feared: Ther's no evil like to the evil of ſin, and of Apoſtacy from God. Do the generality of men go another way? 'Tis no matter for that; 'tis for the dead fiſh to ſwim down the ſtream; 'tis better to go to Heaven with a few, Matth. 7.14.Matt 7:14than to Hell with the croud. Doth the fleſh interpoſe? ſay,Matth. 16.23.Matt 16:23 fleſh get thee behind me, thou art an offence to me. Doth the croſs lie before you?Luke 9.23.Luke 9:23 take it up, and ſtill follow Chriſt; ſay, you can take up the croſs, but you cannot lay down duty; you can ſuffer, but you cannot leave God. Are the times had? let them not make you bad; do you make them better, let not them make you worſe. Doth Satan aſſault? ſay, Satan let me alone, thou miſtakeſt thy mark, I am fixed for God, thou canſt not alter me. Do you meet with ſcorn and deriſion from men?2 Sam. 6.22.2 Sam 6:22 tell them, If this be to be vile, you will be more vile ſtill. Is your work difficult? yet keep to it, God will help you in it, and reward you for it. Are you ſet in dangerous places, where bullets fly about your ears continually? yet keep your ground, God hath ordered your ſtation; you are his ſouldiers, and therefore p. 133you muſt be men of courage and reſolution. O that you would with full purpoſe of heart cleave unto the Lord: This Barnabas exhorted the Chriſtians of Antioch to, Acts 11.23. How reſolute are ſinners againſt God, will not you be as reſolute for God? He may ſay, do what he pleaſes, yet they will ſin: let the law, judgment to come, Hell, be ſet before them, 'tis all one, they are ſet upon their courſe, Jer. 8. 5. They hold faſt deceit, they refuſe to return, Jer. 2.25. I have loved ſtrangers, and after them I will go, Jer. 44. 16. As for the word, that thou haſt ſpoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken to thee: But we will certainly, &c. Now (I ſay) are they ſo reſolved in their way to Hell, and will not you be as reſolved in your way to Heaven: And pray conſider; can you mend your ſelves by leaving God? will it turn to a good account, to exchange God for the creature, holineſs for ſin? Are the things of time, to be weighed in the ballance, with the things of eternity? What is it to ſecure earth and to loſe Heaven? Can you ſecure the ſoul, future bleſſedneſs, unleſs you p. 134keep steddy to God? Why will you forſake that God,Hebr. 13.5.Heb 13:5 who will never forſake you? Will you find any where a better maſter, a better friend, a better portion, a better God? Till you can do this, pray keep where you are, (if you be in Gods way,) and be fixed and reſolute. Reſolve for God, and then act reſolution in your whole courſe: Herein is your ſelf-dedication. He that is not reſolved for God, come what will come, hath not truly dedicated himſelf to God: when a perſon upon mature deliberation determines for God, and then is firm and ſtedfaſt, hee's the perſon who hath dedicated himſelf in a right manner.

4. Fourthly, As you deſire to dedicate your perſons to God, ſet your ſelves apart for God, and carry it as a people, who are ſeparated from the world. Dedication neceſſarily implies ſeparation: this hath been ſpoke to, (I will not actum agere:) let me only perſwade you, to live in the world, as becomes thoſe, who have paſſed under a ſolemn dedication or conſecration: let it be ſeen, you are no ordinary or common perſons, but ſuch p. 135as have ſeparated, and ſet themſelves apart for ſpiritual purpoſes: Impropriate your ſelves to God; ſelf-dedicating perſons, they profeſs themſelves to be Gods Impropriation; they give up themſelves to God, to be appropriated to his uſe: O Chriſtians, that you would do thus: Do not proſtitute your ſelves to common uſes, (I do not ſpeak this, to take you off from your callings, or your lawful affairs in the world,) but lay out your ſelves in ſpecial for God: you muſt not be as ordinary veſſels, that are put to any uſe, but you muſt be as the veſſels of the Sanctuary, 1 Chron. 22.19.1 Chr 22:19that were dedicated to the ſervice of God. You are taken out of the common of the world, and are as Gods incloſure, and therefore he expects ſome ſingular fruit and ſervice from you. But I run out upon a truth, which is not ſo much in my eye: that which I aim at, is the notion of ſeparation, to preſs that upon you. And I ſhall only ſpeak to one branch of it, and that is this, ſeparation from the ſinful courſe and practiſes of evil men. Self-dedication calls upon you for this: If you would indeed dedicate p. 136your ſelves, then you muſt ſeparate your ſelves from the ordinary ways, and courſes of graceleſs men; you muſt not live as they do, act as they do, be as they are, but you muſt carry it, as a ſeparated people. I meddle not with ſeparation from Church-communion, (far be it from me to urge that upon any,) 'tis only ſeparation from mens vices and ſins that I am furthering; and ſurely the Scripture will bear me out in this, 2 Cor. 6.17. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye ſeparate, (ſaith the Lord) and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, Eph. 5.11. Have no fellowſhip with the unfruitful works of darkneſs, but rather reprove them, Eph. 4.17. This I ſay therefore, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind, &c. Rom. 12.2. Be not conformed to this world, &c. Chriſtians muſt not walk according to the courſe of this world, (Eph. 2.2.) Tertullian tells us of a ſouldier that was a Chriſtian, when his fellow ſouldiers, (who were Heathens) wore Lawrel upon their Heads, he would not do ſo: Being asked p. 137why; O (ſays he) I am a Chriſtian, and therefore I muſt in habit, in every thing differ from others. O Chriſtians, where is your zeal for God, in holy ſingularity? Would you dedicate your ſelves to God, and yet do as others do? O that cannot be! Be ſingular therefore, and let there be a real difference betwixt you and others: They are ſwearers, drunkards, Sabbath-profaners, deriders of godlineſs, deſpiſers of holy duties, &c. you muſt be quite other men, of a different conſtitution and converſation. Eſpecially you who have really dedicated your ſelves, you muſt ſet your ſelves apart, Eadè nos faciemus quae caeteri? Nihilinter nos & illos intererit? Plurimum. Senec. Ep. 5.and differ from the courſe of the world: Shall there be no difference betwixt Saints and ſinners? Shall the two ſeeds be confounded? Shall the children of God, live juſt as the children of Satan? God forbid! You have another ſpirit, (as 'tis ſaid of Caleb, Numb. 14.24.) and therefore you muſt live another life: you have differing principles, profeſs to walk by a differing rule, are inveſted with differing priviledges, and all theſe call for differing practices. You are children of light, p. 138and muſt walk as the children of light, Eph. 5.8. You muſt be as the Sons of God without rebuke, in the midſt of a crooked and perverſe nation, among whom ye (ſhould) ſhine as lights in the world, Phil. 2.15. When others mind earthly things, your converſation muſt be in Heaven, Phil. 3.19, 20. when others work all uncleanneſs with greedineſs, you have not ſo learned Chriſt, Eph. 4.19, 20. O let it appear to the world, that you are perſons of another make and conſtitution, that thoſe that know not God. You are to convince the world, 1 Pet. 3.16. to condemn the world, Heb. 11.7. how ſhall you do this, but by the holineſs and ſingularity of your converſations? Do not do the ſame which others do, (in that which is evil,) do more than others do, (in that which is good,) for Chriſt expects a foreign, ſomething more from you than he doth from others, Matth. 5.47. Chriſtians, dedicate your ſelves to God, and make good your dedication: evidence the reality of it, by your being ſeparated from the courſe of wicked men: he that lives the common life, is but a p. 139common perſon, an unconſecrated perſon. Whereever there is dedication, there muſt be impropriation and ſeparation.

5. Fifthly, Enter into Covenant with God; Give the hand to the Lord, (as Hezekiah expreſſes it.) This is a very weighty point; making of covenant, and keeping of covenant with God, are the ſumme of all, the two poles upon which all religion moves: You have many excellent Treatiſes written by our own Divines upon theſe two Heads: I ſhall refer you to them, for the full and large handling of them, for I muſt contract:) How ſhall I ſpeak to men, to make them willing to covenant with God? to enter into the Bond of the Covenant, Ezek. 20.37.Ezek 20:37and ſo to bind themſelves to the Lord for ever? This is the work that I have now before me, the Lord proſper me in it: O that ſome poor ſouls might be wrought upon by what I ſhall ſay, not only to give up themſelves to God, but to do this in a federal way; that there might be binding as well as giving, and ſtipulation as well as reſignation. Let me allude to that, in the p. 1402 Kings 9.5. you read there of a Prophet coming to the Captains of the Hoſt, and he ſaid, I have an errand to thee O Captain: And Jehu ſaid, unto which of all us? And he ſaid to thee, O Captain. I (a poor Miniſter) bring a meſſage from the Lord to ſinners, (namely, that God would have them to enter into Covenant with him.) Now will theſe ask me, To which of them, I bring this meſſage? I anſwer, To thee O ſinner, whoever thou art, that haſt not yet engaged thy ſelf to God. This is every mans duty; and let men think what they pleaſe, till they have done this, they have done juſt nothing in religion. The Scripture ſpeaking of the converſion of the Gentiles, ſets it forth by this, Pſal. 68.31. Princes ſhall come out of Egypt, Aethiopia ſhall ſoon ſtretch out her hands unto God, (h. e.) they ſhall enter into Covenant with God. Iſa. 44.5. One ſhall ſay I am the Lords, and another ſhall call himſelf by the name of Jacob, and another ſhall ſubſcribe with his hand unto the Lord. Zech. 2.11. Many Nations ſhall be joyned to the Lord in that day, and ſhall be my people. O that in theſe p. 141days we might ſee more of the accompliſhment of theſe Propheſies! that the poor Heathens might be brought to joyn themſelves to the Lord; and that Chriſtians living under the Goſpel, they alſo might ſubſcribe with hand and heart to God, and enter into the obligation of the Covenant. 'Twas propheſied of the Jews, upon their coming out of Babylon, they ſhould be ſo affected with this great mercy, that they would renew and heighten their Covenant obligations: Jer. 50.5. They ſhall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, ſaying, Come and let us joyn our ſelves to the Lord, in a perpetual Covenant that ſhall not be forgotten. Sinners, will you ſpeak this (as to your ſelves,) and make it good? will you joyn your ſelves to the Lord in an everlaſting Covenant? God incline your hearts thus to dedicate your ſelves to him. I will preſs this upon you by a few Arguments.

1. 'Tis an unſpeakable mercy, that God will deal with the Creature in the way of a Covenant. As he is our Soveraign, he might have impoſed a Law upon us, and dealt with us only in p. 140duplicate page p. 141duplicate page p. 142that way: But ſuch is his mercy and condeſcenſion, he will deal with us alſo, by a covenant. A Law obliges the creature, whether he conſent to it or not; but now a covenant preſuppoſes conſent: Man being a free and rational agent, God deals accordingly with him, and ſets a covenant before him, which if he will conſent to, he ſhall be happy for ever. Doth not this hold forth infinite goodneſs in the great God, that he will thus treat with us? And after all this, ſhall not we be willing to enter into covenant with him? Beſides this, conſider the Nature of a Covenant. 'Tis (as the**Pactum eſt duorum pluriumve conſenſus in idem placitum. Civilians define it) the conſent of two or more, to ſomething that is agreed upon; (but this is a very imperfect deſcription:) More fully therefore; A**Vide Zanch. in Hoſ. 2.21. Cloppenb. in Syntag. Diſput. Selec. de Foedere. Coccei: de Foedere. Camer. de Tripl. Foedere. Wendelin. Theolog Chriſt. l. 1. c. 19. Tilenum p. 2. Diſput. 54. Ameſ. Med. l. 1. c… 38. & 39. (& quamplures alios, de Foedere inter Deum & Creaturain t… actantes.)Hos 2:21 Covenant is a mutual ſtipulation or compact between two parties, as to ſomething wherein they do agree, upon which they are mutually obliged each to the other. Such a Covenant there is betwixt God and the Creature; theſe two do interchangeably p. 143indent and ſtipulate each to the other, the one for mercy, the other for duty; and ſo there a mutual obligation paſſes upon both. Says God, here is pardon, reconciliation, eternal life, which I offer upon ſuch and ſuch terms, and I am willing upon thoſe terms to engage to give out theſe mercies: Says the Creature, I accept of thoſe terms, and I ſolemnly bind my ſelf to make them good, (according to the utmoſt of my ſtrength:) Then ſays God, 'tis a Covenant betwixt us; I bind my ſelf to thee, and thou bindeſt thy ſelf to me; be thou faithful to me, I will be faithful to thee. What an Ocean or Treaſury of love and goodneſs, doth God manifeſt in this federal tranſacting of things! that he ſhould be willing to ſtipulate with us, and to enter into an obligation to us, O the heights, bredths, depths, lengths of this love! Here's another difference betwixt a Law and a Covenant; a Law binds the ſubject, but it doth not bind the Lawgiver, (quatenus Lawgiver,) the obligation there is but to one party; but now a Covenant binds both: p. 144there the**Mutua foederatarum partium obligatio, eſt forma foederis: (ſo all expreſs it.) Foedus propri… obligationem duarum partium, certis utrinque conditionibus complecti, certum eſt Gomar. Haec eſt mutua & reciproca conventio foederis, ut homo intuitu promiſſae mercedis alacrius operetur, & Deus intuitu operis det mercedem. Cloppenb, Diſp. 1. Th. 7. obligation is reciprocal. It hath pleaſed God to deal with man this way, and ſo he binds himſelf: As to his Law, we only are bound, but as to the Covenant he (out of the riches of his grace) is willing to be bound as well as we: How ſhould the conſideration of this immenſe love of God, engage the Creature to Covenant with him.

2. The matter of the Covenant, on Gods part is very high, the terms or conditions on our part, are very juſt and equitable. If this be ſo, ſurely then men will be willing to enter into Covenant with God; one would think this ſhould carry it againſt all oppoſition and frivolous objections. In every Covenant there is ſomething promiſed, and ſomething demanded, in order to the making good of what is promiſed. In this Covenant, that which is promiſed, is on Gods part, and this is the matter of it; what is that? No leſs, than that God will be your God: O admirable, p. 145tranſcendent mercy! what can be higher than this? I will open it under the next particular. The terms or conditions, are on the Creatures part; what are they? That the ſinner will break off all his leagues, covenants, with ſin and Satan and the world; and that he will enter into a league of friendſhip with, and ſubjection to, the bleſſed God. Surely theſe are very fair and reaſonable terms: the ſinner cannot well object againſt them. God offers very high, he goes no lower than the making over of himſelf; whatever I am, (ſaith God) it ſhall be all yours: but the terms ſpoil all, God ſtands upon too high conditions, and that keeps us of; doth he ſo? that would be ſomething indeed, (for he that promiſes ſomething, upon impoſſible and unreaſonable conditions, promiſes nothing:) But can you make good what you ſay? Take heed of belying God: what doth he require of you? Is it to burn in Hell a thouſand years? (or ſome ſuch conditions as this?) O there's no ſuch thing: All that God requires is but this, that you will be his, as he is willing to be yours; that p. 146you will own him for your God; that you will be ſubject to his laws and government; that you will break off all your confederacies with his and your own enemies; is not all this moſt reaſonable? Are you not bound to this, whether you enter into Covenant or not? what more high than this, that God will be ours? what more equitable than this, that we ſhould be his? The Covenant holds forth the higheſt of mercies on Gods part, and lays them upon the faireſt conditions on our part; O therefore ſhall we not enter into it?

3. Upon your entring into Covenant with God, he enters into Covenant with you: At the ſame moment of time, in which we cordially engage to him, he doth graciouſly engage to us. What is Gods covenanting with the Creature? 'Tis this; he makes over his ſelf, his whole ſelf, to the Creature: gives him a ſpecial intereſt and propriety in himſelf: God is as much and as truly the faithful Covenanters, as any thing is his, that he hath in the world: He hath no ſooner entred into Covenant, but he hath a real claim p. 147and title to God. Jer. 30.21. Who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me? ſaith the Lord; (There's entring into Covenant and then immediately it follows, verſe 22.) And ye ſhall be my people, and I will be your God. Deut. 26.17, &c. Thou haſt avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, &c. And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, &c. The Covenant makes the intereſt reciprocal. Zech. 13.9. I will ſay, It is my people; and they ſhall ſay, The Lord is my God. So alſo in Ezek. 11.20. Jer. 31.30. And this intereſt in God is the very**Anima foederis. Paraeus, in Gen 17. Subſtantia foederis. Jun. Caput foederis. Muſc.Gen 17 ſoul and ſpirit of the Covenant; of all bleſſings 'tis the higheſt; 'tis indeed the radical fundamental bleſſing, for all other grow upon this, and are built upon this, I will be thy God. O who can expreſs the greatneſs of this mercy, when God makes over himſelf to a poor Creature! To have all God to be mine? 'Tis mercy too big to be ſet forth by the tongue or pen of man. Pſal. 50.7. I am God even thy God: God cannot go higher than this. What an inducement then is this to you, to p. 148enter into Covenant with God? As ſoon as you have done this, God is yours: His All-ſufficiency, wiſdom, power, truth, holineſs, mercy, all is yours. Whatever God is, 'tis all yours. Deus quantus quantus eſt, totus noſter eſt, (ſaith Luther:) O if I could open this to you, in the fulneſs, comprehenſiveneſs, glory of this priviledge, it would make you to ſtand and wonder at the infinite grace of God. Well, 'tis very great, but 'tis yours, if you will but, in this Covenant-way, dedicate your ſelves, and bind your ſelves to God. The wife upon the conjugal covenant, hath an intereſt in the perſon, eſtate, goods of her Husband; all is hers. This Covenant betwixt God and believers is a Conjugal Covenant, (Hoſ. 2.20.) and therefore upon this, they have a right to all that God is, or hath, or doth. O bleſſed are the people that have the Lord for their God. Pſal. 144 ult.Ps 144When they cannot ſay,Perdider at omnia illa quae dederat Deus, ſed habebat ipſum qui omnia dederat Deum. Aug. of Job 1. Serm. de Temp. 105.Job 1 this or that is mine, all is made up in this, God is mine: Do they want the Creature? they have all in God: Do they loſe the Creature? their God they ſhall never loſe: Are they brought into great p. 149ſtraits? they have their God to go to. David encouraged himſelf in the Lord his God, 1 Sam. 30.6. Might you have the whole world, 'tis all nothing in compariſon of my God. May you have this upon engaging with God, and will you not do it? There's little ſweetneſs in a God, but my God is inexpreſſibly ſweet: The higheſt word that a Creature can ſpeak, is my God.

4. God deals with men according to their Covenant-ſtate, or according to the Covenant under which they ſtand. The rule that he goes by, is not particular acts, but the Covenant-ſtate: you may do many good things, but if you be not in Covenant with God, they will not profit you. Would you be accepted by him, or bleſſed by him? Then be a Covenant-people; for God judges of men, and gives out his bleſſings to men, according to this: O ſaith God, have they ſtruck up a Covenant with me? then here's my ſelf, pardon, Heaven, all they can deſire; but without this, I have nothing for them. Here lies the miſery of unbelievers; they are ſtrangers from the covenants of promiſe, p. 150and ſo, they have no hope, and are without God in the world, (as 'tis ſet forth, Eph. 2.12.) They have no plea for mercy, in their non-covenanting condition; they are excluded from all happineſs: He that will not conſent to the covenant-relation or obligation, cannot expect the covenant-advantages: God diſpenſing his bleſſings by his Covenant, till men enter into it they cannot expect them at Gods hand. All depends upon this, and therefore, look that you do it.

5. Every man as he comes into the world, is under the covenant of works; (as to the condemnation or penalty of it, though his caſe by Chriſt is made remediable, and grace is offered in a better covenant:) The Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace, divide all mankind; every man is under one of theſe covenants. We are born under the firſt, and that's a dreadful covenant, for it makes the condition of the Creature deſperate; it lays mercy upon thoſe terms, (viz. perſonal, perfect, univerſal obedience,) which are now impoſſible: He that is under this covenant, if he fail never ſo little, p. 151as to what the law requires, he's undone: 'Tis here Do or Dye: there's no mercy upon the leaſt failure: not a dram of mercy can be found in that covenant. Who would live a moment under this covenant? But let me tell you,**Ita antiquatum eſt vetus legale ſoedus operum, cum reſtipulatione vitae aeternae ſancitum, ut ſolutâ cum Deo ſpirituali agglutinatione, & extinctâ ſpe vitae aeternae ex illo foe dere acquirendae, maneat tamen ſub lege obligatio, & nexus damnationem trahens, donec Deo per Chriſtum agglutinemur novo foedere. Cocceius de Foed. Diſp. 7. Th. 71. till you enter into covenant with God, that new covenant of grace, (which ſucceeds in the room of the covenant of works,) you are yet under that covenant; till a new bond be made, and new conditions put in, the old remains in force.

I might ſet ſeveral other motives before you: Enter into covenant with God, and then you may look upon all your mercies as covenant mercies. How ſweet is it, when they are not only common mercies, but they are covenant mercies; the bread is covenant-bread, the apparel is covenant-apparel; (and ſo in the reſt:) what a reliſh doth this give to a mercy, when it flows upon us, through the Covenant. Enter into covenant with God, your ſeed will reap the benefit of this; upon your p. 152covenanting with God, God makes over himſelf to you, and to your ſeed alſo, Gen. 17.7. In doing this, you do that, which may be a bleſſing to your poſterity when you are dead and gone. Enter into covenant with God, till this be done, what have you to do with the Lords Supper? How dare uncovenanting perſons come to that ordinance? the end of which, is the ſealing, ratification, confirmation of the covenant of grace? They that have not come into this covenant, ſurely the ſeal of it doth not belong to them. O 'tis an awakening conſideration, till thou haſt ſtruck up a covenant with God, every time thou comeſt to the Sacrament, thou makeſt thy ſelf guilty of the body and blood of Chriſt, and thou eateſt and drinkeſt damnation to thy ſelf.1 Cor. 11.27, 29.1 Cor 11:271 Cor 11:29

I intreat you to conſider theſe things, and let them prevail with you, to yield up your ſelves by covenant to the Lord. Have you done this already? This indeed you profeſſed to do, in your Baptiſm, but have you done it in good earneſt? Are ye agreed with God upon the terms? In covenants p. 153the parties muſt be agreed upon the terms, or elſe they will not proceed to covenant: Are God and you agreed upon the terms? They are theſe; that you ſhould put away your ſins, break your league with Hell, Iſa. 28.15.Isa 28:15ſubmit your ſelves to God, to be ruled by him, be holy, conform to his laws: Do you like theſe terms? It cannot be expected, that ever you ſhould enter into covenant with God, till you approve of and aſſent to his terms and conditions. Pray like them, they are very good; there's nothing to be ſaid againſt them; who ſhould rule you but God? Who will rule you ſo well as God? Are not his laws ſo excellent, that you may well be ſubject to them? Is not ſin ſuch an evil thing, that you may well part with it? Have you any reaſon to be in league with it, which will be the ruin of your ſouls for ever? Princes will make their leagues with them, that may help them in a ſtrait; O can ſin, the world help you in a time of affliction, under troubles of conſcience, at the hour of death, at the day of judgment? God will be a good confederate to help in all theſe. Fall upon your p. 154ſins, and ſo enter into Covenant with God. Anciently they uſed to offer ſacrifices, when they made their Covenants: Pſal. 50.5. Gather my Saints together unto me, thoſe that have made a Covenant with me by ſacrifice. What's the ſacrifice, that you are now to offer up, in your covenanting with God? Let it be firſt your ſelves, and then your ſins; your ſelves as a living ſacrifice, your ſins as a ſacrifice ſlain. The Apoſtle ſpeaks of foreign,Rom. 12.1.Rom 12:1 a living ſacrifice: give your perſons to God, as a living ſacrifice; but now your ſins, like the ſacrifices in the law, they muſt be ſlain. O crucifie the fleſh with the affections and luſts thereof, Gal. 5.24. Deſtroy the body of ſin, Rom. 6.6. let out the very heart-blood of your boſome corruptions: This is the way to enter aright into covenant with God: As he confirmed his Covenant in the blood of his ſon, ſo we muſt begin our covenant in the blood of our ſins. But I will add no more upon this; wherein I have been ſo large becauſe of the great importance of the matter: Dr. Preſton of the New Cov. Ball, Bulkely, Ruther ford, Sedgw. &c.and yet I muſt again refer you to our worthy Divines, who have preſſed this duty p. 155upon men, much more convincingly than I can do. I promiſed to ſpeak ſomething touching the explicitneſs of our covenanting with God; but I have in part prevented my ſelf as to that, in what I have laid down concerning the explicitneſs of our dedication: And if any deſire to be further informed about this, they may look into that excellent Treatiſe cited in the Margent, Vindic. of Godlineſs. par. 1. p. 201. &c.where they will find both motives and alſo directions about expreſs, explicit covenanting with God.

6. In the ſixth and laſt place; (I have but one thing more to ſtir you up to, and then I ſhall cloſe this Uſe, and that is this;) Devote your ſelves to the glory of God. David here pens this Pſalm, in order to the dedicating of his Houſe; and he begins it thus; (verſe 1.) I will extol thee, O Lord, &c. and he would thus extol God, not only by praiſe, but in the courſe of his life, this ſhould be his great deſign and buſineſs: To be ſet for the glorifying of God, this is a great thing in our Dedication. He that truly dedicates himſelf to God, devotes himſelf to the glory of God: I cannot deny, p. 156but that this is included, in what hath gone before; yet becauſe 'tis not ſo plain and expreſs there as I would have it, (it being a point of ſo great conſequence, and ſo inſeparable from perſonal Dedication,) therefore I will ſpeak to it here, diſtinctly and by it ſelf. And I conceive, there is not ſuch a coincidence and coalition betwixt this and the foregoing Heads, but that there is ſome difference. As for example; take ſubjection to the will of God; he that acts in obedience to this, and fully reſigns up himſelf to it, he may be ſaid to devote himſelf to the glory of God, (this being the true way of glorifying God:) But here I bring in this, upon another account, which will ſomewhat diverſifie it from the other. There you have that, which doth materially tend to the glory of God, from the nature of the action, but here I am conſidering the aim, and the intention of the perſon: He that obeys God, doth that which brings glory to him; he that devotes himſelf to the glory of God, doth not only do that, but this is that which he aims at and intends: There 'tis finis operis, p. 157here 'tis finis operantis; As a worthy perſon ſpeaks concerning holineſs and godlineſs; Dr. Manton upon Jude. p. 200.This (ſaith he) is the difference between them, holineſs more properly implieth a conformity to the Law, and godlineſs an aim of the ſoul to exalt God: ſo here I may diſtinguiſh as to that which I am upon: but why do I trouble the Reader with niceties? To the buſineſs in hand. In general, let me deſire you, very much to eye Gods glory; let it be precious to you; and let your hearts burn with an ardent zeal, to promote and advance it in the world. Doth he deſerve the name of a Chriſtian, whoſe ſoul is not ſet upon this? O friends, doth God ſet himſelf to further your good, and will not you ſet your ſelves to further his glory? Shall ſo much mercy be received from him, and ſhall no glory be returned to him? When Ahaſuerus read in the Books, how inſtrumental Mordecai had been to preſerve his life, he asks, what honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Eſth 6.3.Esth 6:3Pray do you call for the Book of mercies, ('tis a vaſt volume, in every page and line 'tis filled up with mercy,) read it a little; p. 158there you'l find creating mercy, preſerving mercy, redeeming mercy, and the many great things which God hath done for you: Now ask, what glory hath God had for all this? I fear but very little; how ſhould this fill us with ſhame and grief! O ſhall we not pay God his Quit-rent, or his Rent-charge? Doth he protect our perſons, eſtates, houſes? &c. ſhall we withhold his Tribute and Cuſtoms? You know what I mean by this. What a condeſcenſion is it, that the great God will receive any honour from ſuch poor worms as we are? How ſhould this raiſe and heighten our zeal? Do any loſe by promoting his glory? In advancing God,foreign Ariſt. Rhetor. we advance our ſelves; by this, we gain honour to our ſelves; this is a thing that we are very ambitious of, 'tis a ſweet morſel that we are very greedy of: Now the beſt, the ſureſt way to attain this, is for us to endeavour by all means to honour God; for he tells us, He will honour them that honour him, 1 Sam. 2.30. The Romans ſo placed the Temple of honour, that there was no coming at it, but through the Temple of vertue. Would p. 159you arrive at honour indeed? never think to come to it, but by your endeavours to exalt God. To conclude this; Do you expect to be glorifi'd with God in Heaven, and ſhall not he be glorified by you on earth? Doth not that deſerve all you are, or can do, in order to the glorifying of God? O ſet your ſelves therefore to further this glory of God: If you may do it any way, whether by doing or ſuffering, Philip. 1.20.Phil 1:20whether by life or death, if Chriſt may be but magnified, 'tis no matter what it coſts you; and though you decreaſe, and go down in the world, if Chriſt may increaſe, Joh. 3.30.John 3:30and God may be honoured, do you rejoyce. How ſhould we carry it, like Perſons indeed dedicated to God, if we were thus zealous for Gods glory; 'tis not enough to talk of this, or to do ſomething in a ſlighty, careleſs, perfunctory manner, in order to it; but we muſt ſtudy, plot, contrive, act to our utmost, devote our ſelves to the glory of God.

More particularly, I will leave two things with you:

1. Let your deportment and converſation be ſuch, that God may be glorified. p. 160Let your light ſo ſhine before men, Matth. 5.16.Matt 5:16that they may ſee your good works, and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven: (ſo Chriſt exhorts you.) The matter of our lives ſhould be ſuch, or our lives (materially conſidered) ſhould be ſuch, as that glory to God might reſult from them. This glory of God, lies in the diſplaying and manifeſting of his glorious Attributes and excellencies, to and before the world: (I ſpeak of Gods manifeſtative glory,) Joh. 17.4. compar. with verſe 6. Numb. 14.21. Levit. 10.3. Pſal. 72.19. You that profeſs your ſelves a dedicated people, do you ſo live, that you may diſplay and manifeſt Gods infinite perfections, that you may make them viſible and conſpicuous, to the world: live out the holineſs, wiſdom, mercy, goodneſs of God; that thoſe that ſee your converſations, may ſee much of God in them: The Apoſtle ſpeaks of holding forth the word of life, Phil. 2.16. There is an holding forth of the God of life, as well as of the word of life. And the Saints are ſaid to be a choſen generation, a royal Prieſthood, a peculiar people, that they ſhould [ſhew forth] the vertues of p. 161him, who hath called them out of darkneſs into his marvellous light, 1 Pet. 2.9. Dedicated perſons muſt ſhew forth the excellencies of the bleſſed God, in their deportment: 'tis not enough for them, in their own thoughts, to acknowledge and admire them, but they muſt foreign, ſhew them forth to others. O let us often put this enquiry to our ſelves, Do we ſo live, as that the Attributes of God are made viſible and conſpicuous in our converſations?

2. Let the glory of God be your ſupream and main end, both in the whole life, and alſo in particular actions.

1. As to the whole life; take it in the lump and maſs, this ſhould be every mans end in life, to exalt God. O Lord thou art my God, I will exalt thee, Iſa. 25.1. We live, but what is the end which we propound to our ſelves in living? Many carry it, as though they propounded no end at all to themſelves; they come into the world, and know not wherefore, and then go out of the world, they know not whither. O that any ſhould be ſo brutiſh! what a ſad thing is it, when there ſhall be an p. 162end to terminate life, that there is no end, to raiſe and elevate life! The moſt have an end, but 'tis not this end: That which they aim at, is to get wealth, to be great in the world, to pleaſe the fleſh, to pamper the ſenſual part, to make proviſion for poſterity, &c. But as to the glorifying of their Creator and Maker, that they never intend. This is ſad; are theſe ends fit for a man? Much more, are they fit for a Chriſtian? O that mens profeſſion ſhould be ſo high, and their ends ſo low! Let it be otherwiſe with you; let the end of your life be Gods glory: An end makes the man, this end makes the Saint. Here lies the excellency of a man above a beaſt, he propounds an end to himſelf, and acts accordingly. Here lies the excellency of the Saint above a man, his end is the glorifying of God; this is a bleſſed end indeed; let it be yours. If you live, live to God, Rom 14.7.Rom 14:7if you dye, dye to God, in both eye God as your principal end: The perſon and the life, are to be judged by the end; when the glory of God is the end, then perſon and life are truly excellent. God judges not of men p. 163by particular acts, but by their fixed and ultimate end. O as life is derived from God, let it be devoted to God: As his mercy is the ſpring of life; let his glory be the end of life. What unſpeakable comfort and holy confidence will this give you, when you come to die, if you be ſincere in this. At the ending of life, 'tis the end of life that is ſweet. 'Twas ſo to Chriſt, I have glorified thee on the earth, &c. And now, O Father, glorifie thou me, &c. Joh. 17.4, 5. To Paul, To me to live is Chriſt, and to die is gain, Phil. 1.21.**Hic nobis proponitur, quis ſit praeſtantiſſimus vitae ſcopus. Scotan. Omnes vitae meae actiones ac perpeſſiones ad Chriſti gloriam tendunt, & directae ſunt. Piſcat. Vitam meam Chriſto & Evangelio conſecravi. Eſthius. The words are variouſly interpreted, but the moſt of Interpreters put this ſenſe upon them; Paul liv'd Chriſt, Chriſt was the matter and the end of his life; and upon this, death was gain to him. If you would be holy in life, happy in death, aim at nothing in your general courſe, ſhort of Gods glory.

2. Let this be your end in particular actions: theſe are of ſeveral kinds, ſome are Natural, ſome Moral, ſome Spiritual; and the particular acts under p. 164theſe are innumerable; well, let all be referred to the glory of God; whatever you do, whether you eat, or drink, or trade, or converſe, or pray or hear, in every action intend and aim at this. It cannot be imagined, that a man in every individual act, ſhould formally and**Non oportet ut ſemper aliquis cogitet de ultimo fine, quandecunque aliquid appetit vel operatur: ſed virtus primae intentionis, quae eſt reſpectu ultimi finis manet in quolibet appetitu cujuſcunque rei, etiamſi de ultimo fine actu nen cogitetur, ſicut non oportet, quòd qui vadit per viam, in quolibet paſſu cogitet de fine. Aquin. 1.2. Qu. 1. Art. 6. explicitly intend Gods glory; but this is the bent of the heart, and a gracious perſon charges this upon himſelf, (as far as 'tis poſſible,) explicitly to eye it; and where he doth not come up to this, yet his main tendency is that way. As the Traveller doth not think of the place whither he is going, every ſtep of his way, but there's his aim, and therefore he keeps on in his way, and often he revives upon his thoughts, whither he is going: Thus 'tis here, in a believers eyeing of the glory of God,Duobus modis referri aliquid ad Dei gloriam dicitur; jam formalitèr & explicitè, &c. Voſſius, Theſ. Theolog. de Virt. Gentil. Th. 2 p. 559. as his end in all his actions. Let this be done by you; In every thing that God p. 165doth, his glory is his end: In Creation, in Providential Acts, in ſpecial Acts of Grace, ſtill his glory is his end: I have created him for my glory, Iſa. 43.7. I wrought for my names ſake, Ezek. 20.9. To the praiſe of the glory of his grace, (or glorious grace,) Eph. 1.6. Should not we imitate God in this, in every thing we do, to make his glory to be our end alſo? Take heed of other ends, eſpecially in religious acts: we are too apt to give way to bad ends, in the beſt actions: How often do we make God the object of worſhip, when Self is the end of it? What horrid hypocriſie is this! how is God provoked by it! Sincerity and hypocriſie are beſt diſcovered by a mans ends in what he doth: An Hypocrite may do much, but he can never ſincerely aim at Gods honour. And all that he doth, is all ſpoiled, becauſe his end is naught. As in the caſe of Jehu, he did that which was according to the will of God,Quicquid boni fit ab homine, & non propter hoc fit, propter quod fieri debere vera ſapientia praecipit, etſi officio videatur bonum, ipſo non recto fine peccatum eſt. Aug. contra Julian. l. 4. c. 4. but ſelf was his end, he aimed at his own applauſe, (Come ſee my zeal for the Lord of Hoſts, 2 Kings 10.16.) And p. 166therefore all that he did was evil in the ſight of God; he counted it but murder, Hoſ. 1.4. O how many mens preaching, praying, &c. is turned into ſin, becauſe ſelf is that, which they aim at in all. 'Tis the end that ſpecifies the action, and gives a goodneſs and rectitude to it, (according to the known maxim in Philoſophy:) A good end will not make a bad action good, but a bad end will make a good action bad. 'Tis one thing to do what is good, and another thing to do it well; 'tis never well done, but when grace is the principle, the word the rule, and the glory of God the end. God ſtands much upon this, he will be honoured as mens end: He being the firſt cauſe, he muſt be and will be, the laſt end, Rom. 11.36. O 'tis one of the greateſt pieces of idolatry, to make ſelf ones end. And therefore be very careful here, that in all you eye Gods glory as your laſt end: do that which may be ſeen, (Matth. 5.16.) but take heed of doing any thing to be ſeen, Matth. 6.5. In the whole courſe of life, in every action, ſay (with the holy Father) Propter te Domine, Propter te Domine. p. 167I live, 'tis for thee, this and that I do, 'tis for thee: As far as I can poſſibly go, in all things, 'tis thy glory that I aim at. Thus let every one devote himſelf to Gods glory: Nothing ſhort of this will be Perſonal Dedication. And ſo I have done with this Uſe.