God a Christians Choice, Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Cloſeth up all, ſhewing the intendment of the whole,
ANd now in the cloſe of all I beſeech and perſwade you, to chuſe and cloſe with God by heartily accepting, and embracing of the terms of his Covenant of Grace. God's Covenant runs in the form of an offer on his part, and of a gracious acceptance, and charge mixed together as to our part, I will be your God; as who ſhould ſay, chuſe me and I am yours (as before Mot. 1.) and ye ſhall be my people. I will take you, accept you as mine, and ye ſhall become my holy, obedient people, and I could heartily wiſh, that I might prevail with you all, for a particular expreſs entring into Covenant with God. To chuſe and take God to your ſelves according to the aforeſaid offer, and ſo ſolemnly give and yield up your ſelves to God, to become his people as he requires. That there might be a deliberate and open tranſaction between God and your Souls, and that you would have a draught by you as a teſtimony thereof, containing the Sum of the whole, ſubſcribed with the hand, and ſealed with your ſeal, as we read of ſome that did. Neh. 9.38. whether that was done by every particular of that great multitude, as by reaſon of the*foreign at or over the ſealing Annotat. Hebraiſm ſome conceive, that the Princes, Levits, and Prieſts, were to ſee the Covenant ſealed by all, or whether they as the Heads and Repreſentatives of the reſt did it, is not now needful to Queſtion, but if the former was done as it may be rationally ſuppoſed, then it ſpeaks fully to our purpoſe, it may be not only ſubſcribed with the hand, but ſealed alſo. This would be as effectual a Monitor of, and Bond upon us, as Joſhua's ſtone that he ſet up for a teſtimony, ver. 27. This way is the Counſel of a Reverend Divine, in a book written by him, called a Vindication of Godlineſs (which it may be ſome of you that hear and read this, and I hope thouſands more have ſeen) wherein pag. 173. &c. he hath given ſuitable direction, very quick and preſſing to ſuch a way of dealing with God; and pag. 179. he hath ſet down the form of ſuch a Covenant. Such a thing is directed to alſo,*Mr. Thomas Vincent, Treat. called Words whereby we may be ſaved. pag. 63.64. &c. Alſo in Mr. Joſ. Alleins book of Converſ. pag, 164. the ſame as is in Vindictae Pietatis. in another Reverend Divine's book, named in the margin, and another you may find ſubjoyned at the end hereof; you may make uſe of which you pleaſe: But I think it beſt, for every judicious Chriſtian to have a draught of his own, as beſt ſuiting his eſtate; which will much tend to our Spiritual good and advantage, as the Appendix will diſcover; and then in life manifeſt, that you have choſen him, by chuſing all thoſe things that pleaſe him. God complaints of it as a great ſin of the Jews, that they did evil before him, and wherein was that ſo evident? and did chuſe that wherein I delighted not, Iſa. 65.12. juſt as if a women ſhould chuſe a man for her husband, but not do any thing he delights in, rather chuſe to do all that might diſpleaſe him. Whereas thoſe that do take hold of God's Covenant, muſt chuſe alſo thoſe things that pleaſe God, Iſa. 56.4. It may be ſhe will live with him, for a ſhew and a pretence, but is ſo far from pleaſing him, as that ſhe is always vexing, and fretting him; juſt ſo Jeruſalem fretted God in all theſe things, Ezek. 16.43. Though we ſhould walk ſo as to pleaſe God, and abound therein more and more. 1 Theſ. 4.1. The carriages and converſations of moſt towards God, do diſcover, that they chuſe the things that do diſpleaſe him, but let us do and chuſe to do the things that pleaſe him. Particularly. 1. chuſe the fear of the Lord, Be in the fear of the Lord all the day long. Prov. 23. that is a brave life, and that will make a man eſchew whatſoever is diſpleaſing unto God. God laies it on a people as their great ſin, that they did not chuſe the fear of the Lord, Prov. 1.31.
2. Chuſe the ſtatutes of God; David that choſe God for his portion and inheritance, he alſo choſe Gods ſtatutes. Pſal. 119.111. Thy teſtimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever, for they are the rejoicing of my heart; and ver. 30. I have choſen the way of thy truth. Men look upon the actions, but God looks on the choice of perſons more than their actions, (though he look to and obſerves both): ſome ſin out of infirmity, others out of choice chuſe the things wherein God hath no pleaſure. Folly is joy to him that is deſtitute of Wiſdom. Prov. 15.21. now God pities the one, and pardons; But if we ſin wilfully, after we have received the knowledg of the truth, this is ſad indeed! Heb. 10. I beſeech you therefore, chuſe God, and cleave to him, with all your Heart and Soul for ever. And frequently reiterate and ſolemnly view this way of tranſacting with God; according to the draught you have lying by you, eſpecially every faſt-day, & every Sacrament-day, wherein there is (as I may ſo ſay) a new Seal ſet to the bond of the Covenant, wherein you are obliged: Oh that the tranſaction between God and Iſrael, might be between every Soul, that hath heard and may read this. Deut. 26.17. Thou haſt avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his waies, and to hearken to his voice. ver. 18.See the Appendix. and the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promiſed, and that thou ſhouldeſt keep all his Commandements.