nant people of God; for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. But ftill, in order to our living comfortably, and being animated on the way, we must not fimply once choose the Lord for our covenant God, but the folemn act must be repeated. We cannot too frequently renew our engagements to be the Lord's for ever.

It often occurs, that the Chriftian doubts of his having ACTUALLY entered into covenant with God. But nothing can better remove his doubts, and affure him of his having done it in truth, than to go immediately to the Lord, and say, "Lord, I am ftill "willing to take thee for my covenant God, and if I "have never before, I will now do it in the fincerity " of my heart."

Again, There are feasons when, overtaken by temptations, he FALLS into fin, becomes unfaithful to his God, and confequently loses his wonted confidence in him. Shall he rife again, and be reftored to his former fituation? let him directly go to the Lord, and again devote himself to his fervice. In this way the Eternal is glorified, and the intentions of the enemy defeated.

But the conduct of God himself will be the best guide to us in this point. He did not content himfelf with once making a gracious covenant with the believing patriarchs, but often repeated it. Firft, he covenanted with Adam after his fall, and then with Noah, both before and after the flood. He frequently made a covenant with Abraham, and afterwards renewed the fame with Ifaac and Jacob, with David and other faints. But why did God fo frequently covenant with his people, if not to teach them that he was fincere in the declarations which he had made, and to remove from their minds every cause of un

belief and fear. Now, has God, who is unchangeable in his nature, and under no neceffity of making a covenant with his people, repeatedly renewed his engagements with them, to manifeft his earnestness and faithfulness, and to remove all doubts on their part? is it not reasonable that we, who are finful and unfaithful creatures, and inclined to err daily, fhould often renew thofe folemn engagements which we once have entered into with him, and thus evidence to the Lord, that we purpose, through grace, to cleave to him for ever.

3. On what particular OCCASIONS, ought God's people to renew their covenant?

A. CHILDREN OF GOD, you cannot do it ToQ FREQUENTLY, though it should be done daily; yea, though every time you approach unto God in prayer, you should fay, "Lord, thou art the object "we constantly feek: thee we choose for our por❝tion in thee all our affections are placed."

B. It ought, especially, to be done AT TIMES WHEN THE LIGHT OF GOD'S GRACE fhines with unusual splendour upon the foul,—when God animates and enlivens the heart, either in fecret or under the miniftrations of his word. Such feafons muft not be unimproved. Then the hand must be again given to the Lord:-then you should of anew devote yourselves to his fervice. Thus your fouls would become established more and more in the ways of Chriftianity, and you learn to live by faith: For if afterwards it fhould pleafe God to withhold his grace, and cause you to experience fome degrees of darkness, you might comfort your hearts, and say, "We are po strangers to God. At fuch a time, on "fuch a season, we are certain we gave ourselves to the Lord, and did it uprightly."

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C. The people of God ought to renew their covenant with him on all folemn occafions, fuch as days fet apart for fafting and prayer, and for commemorating the dying love of Chrift in the facra ment of the fupper. At fuch seasons we are especially called to engage in an examination of the ftate of our hearts, and of our conduct before the Lord. Such an investigation will lead us to difcover that we have offended him, times and ways without number. Now, what can be more to our advantage and comfort, than to return unto God, with confeffion of fin and contrition of heart, and, in his strength, again pledge ourselves to be true to him. The Scriptures exprefsly mention that the faints obferved days of fafting and prayer, on which they were to covenant with God.

D. The people of God are called to renew their covenant, when they enter upon ARDUOUS and IMPORTANT offices, or are called in providence to change their situation in life. At fuch feasons they stand in need of much grace, in order that they may continue faithful to their covenant engagements: and therefore, previous to entering upon fuch undertakings, it behoves them folemnly to approach God, and fay, "Lord, we undertake this work, not with "a view to break our covenant engagements with thee, nor in any respect to weaken them. And "to evidence this, we humble ourselves before thee, "and look to thee as our covenant God, for all "needful grace to enable us faithfully to discharge the "duties of our ftation."

E. Chriftians must renew their covenant when they FALL into any grievous fins; then is the time to fet apart a day for fafting and prayer. When David had committed thofe grofs fins, mentioned in the

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fifty-firft Pfalm, he was deprived of the joy of God's falvation, and it was never reftored to him till he was brought to confefs them; to feek the face and favour of God; and to furrender himself again the Lord. On fuch occafions it is, believers, that you ought, with fhame and confufion of face, to confefs your tranfgreffions, to take refuge in the blood of Chrift, and bind yourselves afresh to the Lord.

F. The covenant must be renewed when you are brought into extraordinary difficulties, when afflictions oppress you, or when you are brought to a bed of fickness, or to a dying hour. It is then a fit feafon to give your hearts to God, to refolve that whatever may befall you, you will cleave to the Lord, and to take confolation from this, that though your houfe be not fo with God, yet he hath made with you an everlafting covenant, well ordered in all things and fure, and which must be all your falvation and att your defire.

The THIRD fubject which comes under confideration, is, what are the beft means of preferving a Chriftian's confidence of his interest in the covenant; and of recovering it, when it may be in any measure loft."

I. TO PRESERVE the confidence of faith, God's covenant people are to endeavour, through grace, to discharge the following duties, viz.

A. Endeavour to keep conftantly alive the principle of LOVE to God in Chrift: let your esteem of him, and your holy affections be expreffed by a frequent declaration of your regard for him; of your ftrong defires after him, and of your fixed purpose of cleaving to him: there is nothing with which the Lord Jefus is more delighted, than with his people's affection towards him; hence we find these extraor

dinary expreffions in the Canticles, "thou haft ravifhed my heart with one of thine eyes, Songs, iv. 9: Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me, Chap. vi. 5: My defire is towards thee." As love is faid to be the whetstone which fharpens love, fo the Lord Jefus promises, John xiv. 23, " If a man love me, my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him :” and again, Prov. viii. 17, "I love them that love me." Are there fo many great and precious promises to those who love the Lord? what can tend more to preferve our friendship and intimacy with God, than the exercise of love to him?-what is it that gives the highest perfection to conjugal happiness? is it not mutual love? and what unites the foul in the closest bands to God, and creates a holy boldness in his prefence? it is love ascending like incenfe towards heaven, and reciprocated by the God of love. But if we would expect that our love fhould meet with a gracious return, we must be careful that it be an UNDIVIDID love, excluding felf-love and the love of the creature; for God is a jealous God, and will have the whole heart.

B. To preserve the confidence of faith, it is further neceffary, that the people of God become intimately acquainted with him; "acquaint thyfelf with God, and be at peace," Job. xxii. 21. We must meditate much upon the divine perfections, especially thofe which are difplayed in the covenant of grace; we muft acquaint ourselves with him, by keeping up a conftant intercourfe with him, by the exercife of faith; by earnest prayer; by freely confulting with him, and by speaking of him to others. In a word, we acquaint ourselves with God, by converfing with him in fecret, and by praifing him in pfalms, hymns,