Heaven Upon Earth, Sermon · Direction 12
XII. DIRECTION.
If you would be acquainted with God, reſolvedly and freely given up your ſelf to him, and enter into a moſt ſolemn Covenant with him. And here I ſhall make bold with that Reverend Author which R. A. doth mention in his Vindicia Pietatis, and preſent you again with that excellent Form with the preparatories to it, which I have lately met with in the forementioned Author. After your moſt ſerious addreſſes to God, and after a deliberate conſideration of the terms of this Covenant; and after a thorow ſearch of your own heart, whether you either have already, or can now freely make ſuch a cloſure with God in Chriſt, as you have been exhorted to: And when you have compoſed your ſpirits into the moſt ſerious frame poſſible, ſuitable to a tranſaction of ſo high a nature, Lay hold upon the Covenant, and reply upon his promiſe of giving grace and ſtrength, whereby you may be enabled to perform your promiſe. Reſolve in the next place to be faithful, having engaged your hearts, and opened your mouths, and ſubſcribed with your hands to the Lord; reſolve in his ſtrength never to go back. And being thus prepared, and ſome convenient time being ſet apart for the purpoſe, ſet upon the work, & in the moſt ſolemn manner poſſible, as if the Lord were viſibly preſent before your eyes; fall down on your knees, and ſpreading forth your hands towards Heaven, open your hearts to the Lord in theſe or the like words.
O moſt dreadful God; for the Paſſion of thy Son, I beſeech thee accept of thy poor Prodigal, now proſtrating himſelf at thy door; I have fallen from thee by mine Iniquity, and am by Nature a Son of Death, and a thouſand fold more the Child of Hell by my Wicked Practiſe; but of thine infinite Grace thou haſt promiſed Mercy to me in Chriſt, if I will but turn to thee with all my Heart: Therefore upon the Call of the Goſpel I am now come in, and throwing down my Weapons, ſubmit my ſelf to thy mercy. And becauſe thou requireſt as the Condition of my Peace with thee, that I ſhould put away mine Idols, and be at defiance with all thine Enemies, which I acknowledge I have wickedly ſided with againſt thee; I here from the bottome of mine Heart renounce them all, freely covenanting with thee, not to allow my ſelf in any known Sin, but conſcientiouſly to uſe all the means that I know thou haſt preſcribed for the Death and utter Deſtruction of all my Corruptions; And whereas I have formerly inordinately and Idolatriouſly let out my Affections upon the World, I do here reſign my heart to thee that madeſt it; Humbly proteſting before thy glorious Majeſty, that it is the firm Reſolution of my Heart, and that I do unfeignedly deſire grace from thee, that when thou ſhalt call me hereunto, I may practice this my Reſolution, through thy Aſſiſtance, to forſake all that is dear unto me in this World, rather than to turn from thee to the ways of ſin; And that I will watch againſt all its Temptations, whether of Proſperity or Adverſity, leſt they ſhould withdraw my Heart from thee; beſeeching thee alſo to help me againſt the Temptations of Satan, to whoſe ſuggeſtions. I reſolve, by thy Grace never to yield my ſelf a Servant. And becauſe mine own Righteouſneſs is but menſtruous Rags, I renounce all Confidence therein, and acknowledge that I am of my ſelf a hopeleſs, helpleſs undone Creature, without righteouſneſs or ſtrength. And for as much as thou haſt of thy bottomleſs Mercy offered moſt graciouſly to me wretched ſinner, to be again my God through Chriſt, if I would accept of thee; I call Heaven and Earth to record this day, that I do here ſolemnly avouch thee for the Lord my God, and with all poſſible Veneration, bowing the Neck of my Soul under the Feet of thy moſt Sacred Majeſty, I do here take thee the Lord Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt, for my Portion, and chief good, and do give up my ſelf, Body, and Soul for thy Servant; promiſing and vowing to ſerve thee in holineſs and righteouſneſs all the dayes of my life.
And ſince thou haſt appointed the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, the only means of coming unto thee, I do here upon the bended Knees of my Soul, accept of him as the only new and living way, by which ſinners may have acceſs to thee; and do here ſolemnly joyn my ſelf in a Marriage Covenant to him.
O bleſſed Jeſus, I come to thee hungry and hardly beſtead, poor, and wretched, and miſerable, and blind, and naked, a moſt loathſome polluted wretch, a guilty condemned Malefactor unworthy for ever to waſh the feet of the Servants of my Lord, much more to be ſolemnly Married to the King of Glory; But ſince ſuch is thine unparall'd Love, I do here with all my power accept thee for my Head and Husband, for better for worſe, for richer for poor, for all times and conditions, to Love and Honour, and Obey thee before all others, and this to the Death. I embrace thee in all thy Offices, I renounce mine own worthineſs, and do here avow thee to be the Lord my righteouſneſs; I renounce mine own wiſdom, and do here take thee for mine only Guide; I renounce mine own will, and take the will for my Law.
And ſince thou haſt told me that I muſt ſuffer if I will reign, I do here covenant with thee, to take my Lot as it falls with thee, and by thy Grace aſſiſting, to run all hazards with thee, verily ſuppoſing, that neither life nor death ſhall part between thee and me.
And becauſe thou haſt been pleaſed to give me thy Holy Law, as the rule of my life, and the way in which I ſhould walk to thy Kingdom; I do here willingly put my Neck under thy Yoke, and ſet my ſhoulders to thy Burden, and ſubſcribing to all thy Laws, as Holy, Juſt, and Good; I ſolemnly take them as the rule of my Words, Thoughts, and Actions: Promiſing, that though my fleſh contradict and rebel, yet I will endeavour to order and govern my whole life according to thy direction, and will not allow my ſelf in the neglect of any thing that I know to be my duty.
Only becauſe through the frailty of my fleſh, I am ſubject to many failings, I am bold humbly to proteſt, that unhallowed miſcarriages contrary to the ſetled bent and reſolution of my heart, ſhall not make void this Covenant; for ſo thou haſt ſaid.
Now Almighty God, ſearcher of hearts, thou knoweſt that I make this Covenant with thee this day, without any known guile, or reſervation; beſeeching thee, that if thou eſpieſt any flaw or falſhood herein, thou wouldeſt diſcover it to me, and help me to do it a right.
And now glory be to thee, O God the Father, whom I ſhall be bold from this day forward, to look upon thee as my God and Father, That ever thou ſhouldeſt find out ſuch a way for the recovery of undone ſinners. Glory be to thee, O God the Son, who haſt loved me, and waſhed me from my ſins in thine own Blood, and art now become my Saviour and Redeemer. Glory he to thee, O God the Holy Ghoſt, who by the finger of thine Almighty power haſt turned about my Heart from ſin to God.
O dreadful Jehovah, the Lord God Omnipotent, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt, thou art now become my Covenant-Friend, and I through thine infinite Grace, am become thy Covenant-Servant. Amen. So be it. And the Covenant which I have made on Earth, let it be ratified in Heaven.