A New Years Gift, Section 28
XXVIII.
The Import, and Obligation of our Baptiſmal Covenant. The renewal of it by a ſolemn Dedication of our ſelves to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, exemplify'd and recommended.
ALL this, O my Soul, which I have now reſolv'd on, is no more than what I am obliged to by my Vow in Baptiſm; to renounce the Devil and his Works, the Fleſh and the Luſts thereof, the World, and Conformity to it, that I may Love and Serve the Lord: Agreeable to the undoubted Right which God hath in me by Creation, Redemption, and his innumerable other Benefits. But the outward waſhing of Baptiſm, and a viſible profeſſion of obedience, will not ſave me, without the Anſwer of a good Conſcience towards God; 1 Pet. chap. 3. v. 21. May I not by the conſideration of my Baptiſmal Covenant ſuppoſe God ſpeaking to my Conſcience, to this effect? Will you take me for your whole Portion and Felicity? And my Law for the conſtant Rule of your obedience? And fight againſt the World, the Fleſh, and the Devil, to your lives end? Will you believe in Jeſus Chriſt, and receive him as a Prince and Saviour? And adhere to the faith and obedience of the Goſpel, how hazardous and difficult ſoever the profeſſion and practice of it may be? Will you receive the Bleſſed Spirit as your Teacher, Sanctifier, and Comforter? and cheriſh all his Motions, to enlighten, purify, confirm, comfort, and aſſiſt you? 'Tis my hearty conſent to theſe Terms, and reſolved compliance with them, which Baptiſm obligeth to; and this is the Anſwer of a good Conſcience towards God.
I have often renewed this Covenant on ſeveral Occaſions; but did I ever duly conſider the tenor and obligation of it? How have I lyed unto the God of Truth? Dealt deceitfully with him? and been Falſe and Fickle, Treacherous and Unfaithful to what I promiſed? O let me now again repeat it, and give up my ſelf once more to be the Lord's, more unfeignedly, more firmly than ever I have hitherto done! That the Bonds of God upon me may be ſtrengthened, and my Soul more throughly ingag'd to be the Lord's. O help me to do it with the greateſt ſeriouſneſs, as the moſt important Affair of my whole Life! By thine Aid and Grace alone, ſhall I be ſincere and cordial in this ſurrender, and Dedication of my ſelf. O breathe upon my Soul, moſt Holy Spirit, (the Power of the higheſt) that there may be no Hypocrifie, or Reſervation, in this ſo weighty and ſolemn Tranſaction between God and me!
O moſt Bleſſed and Glorious TRINITY! Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, thy favour is my Life, and thy Loving kindneſs is better than Life: Thy Will ſhould have been my Rule, thy Word my Law, thy Glory my End, to pleaſe thee my principal Buſineſs, and to enjoy thy Love and Preſence my ultimate Felicity. But I am one of thy revolted Creatures, who have loſt thine Image, and rebell'd againſt thy Law, ſlighted thy Authority, and rejected thy Grace, and deſerve to be caſt out of thy ſight, and baniſht from thy Preſence for ever. Nevertheleſs, O moſt merciful God, and Father, upon thy gracious Invitation and Call, I now return to thee my rightful Lord: acknowledging thee, as my Almighty, Wiſe, and bountiful Creator, my abſolute Owner, my Righteous Governour, my End, my Happineſs, and Chief Good. I now accept thine offer'd Mercy; I now ſubmit to the Scepter of thy Grace; and give up my ſelf to Thee, as my King, and my God; to rule and ſanctifie me now, and be my Everlaſting Portion. I deſire to be no longer my own, but Thine, to whom of right I belong, and ought to be devoted. I yield my ſelf to Thee, O my Lord! Accept and poſſeſs that which is thine own. I lay my ſelf at thy Foot, at all Times, and in all Conditions, to be at thy diſpoſe, and in every thing to acquieſce in thy good Pleaſure. Deliberately reſolving, with unfeigned and free conſent of my Will, to walk before Thee in Holineſs and Righteouſneſs all the days of my Life. Hereby I conſecrate and devote my ſelf to be thy perpetual, Avowed Servant: Lord, I am thy ſervant, I am thy ſervant, the Son of thine Handmaid. Though other Lords have had dominion over me, I will now make mention of thy Name, and of thy Righteouſneſs only, by Jeſus Chriſt.
O bleſſed Jeſus, my All-ſufficient Saviour! Thy dying Love, infinite Condeſcention, and matchleſs Grace hath at laſt overcome me, and conſtrain'd me to reſolve to be wholly Thine, who haſt redeem'd and bought me with thy moſt precious Blood. I now acknowledge and own Thee, as my Lord, and my Jeſus, my Prophet, Prieſt, and King; my Sacrifice, Surety, and Ranſom, to ſatisfy for my Sins, and reconcile me unto God; to inſtruct me in his Will, and teach me the Myſteries of his Kingdom, and the way to the Father. How often haſt thou open'd thine arms, and called me, yea beſeech'd me to come unto thee, and accept of Life? but I refuſed to come. I adore thy merciful Condeſcention, that yet thou wilt receive me on ſuch eaſie Terms.
O thou Lord of Life and Glory, now accept of an unworthy helpleſs Sinner, who flies to Thee as his only Refuge and Hope! who is convinc'd, that None but Chriſt, None but Chriſt can make his Peace with God, and ſave from wrath to come. I acknowledge thy Title to me, and my Obedience, and to all I have by dying for me. I deſire to take thy Yoke upon me, for it is Eaſie; and thy Burthen, which is Light. I deſire to be intirely, and for ever thine, in an Everlaſting Covenant, never to be broken: To take up the Croſs, and follow thee, whitherſoever thou ſhalt lead me; through the ſtraight Gate, and the narrow way. I will reſerve no Luſt, refuſe no Labour, grudge at no Suffering, ſtick at no Difficulty, ſo I may pleaſe, and honour thee, and continue in thy Love. O ſhed abroad more of thy Love in my Heart, to make all Things eaſie for his ſake, who hath loved me, and waſhed me from my Sins in his own Blood.
O God the Holy Ghoſt, I acknowledge Thee, as my Great Teacher and Sanctifier, and give up my ſelf to Thee, as the Author of all ſaving Knowledge and Holineſs: By Thee I have been convinc'd of my Sin, againſt the Law of God, and the Goſpel of Chriſt, and of my neceſſity of his Merit, Satisfaction, and Righteouſneſs, to juſtify my guilty Soul, by procuring the Forgiveneſs of Sin, and my Acceptance with God; and of the freeneſs of his Love, the Riches and All-ſufficiency of his Grace, towards all who come unto God by him. I adore Thee, O moſt bleſſed Spirit, as proceeding, and ſent from the Father and the Son, to renew all the Powers of my Soul, and reſtore the Divine Image there; to enlighten my mind, to know and receive the Truth, as it is in Jeſus, and purify my Heart: and to ſanctifie all the Members of my Body, and make them Inſtruments of Righteouſneſs unto Holineſs, which before were Servants unto Sin; and gradually to deliver me from the power, the defilement, and abode of Sin; as from the Guilt and Puniſhment by the Blood of Jeſus. And as the Witneſs of God to the Truth of the Holy Scriptures; and as the Great Paraclete, to comfort and eſtabliſh the Hearts of Believers, ſealing them up to the day of Redemption, and giving them the Earneſt of the Heavenly Inheritance. O bleſſed Spirit, be thou my Witneſs, that though I have violated the Law of God, and defac'd his Image, and formerly undervalu'd the Love of Chriſt, and the Grace of the Goſpel, yet by thine Aid, I now accept what I have ſo long neglected: And thankfully devote my ſelf henceforward to be the Lord's, in a Covenant Relation.
But fearing and diſtruſting my ſelf, I give up my ſelf entirely to the conduct of thy Grace, depending upon it for my eſtabliſhment and perſeverance. O form my Heart into an obediential Frame! that in every thing I may endeavour to anſwer the Ends and Obligations of this Devoted State.
To this One God I have once again dedicated and reſign'd my ſelf; to ſerve, and pleaſe and honour Thee, in Thought, Word, and Act, to the laſt moment of my Life: In the Performance of all Duties, even thoſe which I have been moſt averſe from; in the mortification of every Luſt, and the forſaking of every Sin, even thoſe which I was once moſt addicted to: Reſolving deliberately to allow my ſelf in nothing, great or little, ſecret or open, which I ſhall know or believe to be contrary to thy holy Will; making it my buſineſs to be fruitful in good Works, to the Praiſe of my Redeemer; waiting in the uſe of all his appointed means, for higher meaſures of Grace and Holineſs, to be more Victorious over inward Luſts, and outward Temptations, ſtill preſſing towards the mark for the prize of my high and holy Calling, even Eternal Life.
I call Heaven and Earth, O Lord, to witneſs this day, That I own and avow this to be my Mind, and the ſetled Prevailing Purpoſe of my Soul. This I again ratifie and confirm, without any Clauſes, or Exceptions. So help me, O my God. Glory be to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.