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come short of the glory of God." (Rom. iii. 23.)" If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us," (1 John i. 8, 10,) And "the wages of sin is death." (Rom. vi. 23.)

And I hope you will confess that you cannot be pardoned and saved without a Saviour, and therefore as you need a Saviour, so you must have a special interest in him." It is as certain that Christ saveth not all, as that he saveth any for the same word assureth us of the one, and of the other.

Quest. 2. But if you confess that once you were children of wrath, my next question is, Whether you know how, and when you were delivered from so sad a state? or at least, whether it be done, or not? Perhaps you will say, it was done in your baptism, which washeth away original sin. But granting you, that all that have a promise of pardon before, have that promise sealed, and that pardon delivered them by baptism, I ask you,

Quest. 3. Do you think that baptism by water only will save, unless you be also baptized by the Spirit? Christ telleth you the contrary, with a vehement asseveration, (John iii. 5,) " Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." And Peter tells you that it is "not the putting away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God." (1 Pet. ii. 21.)" If therefore you have not the Spirit of Christ," for all your baptism, "you are none of his;" (Rom. viii. 9;) For" that which is born of the flesh is (but) flesh," and you must be born of the Spirit if you will be spiritual. (John iii. 6.)

I shall further grant you, that many receive the Spirit of Christ even in their infancy, and may be savingly as well as sacramentally then regenerate. And if this be your case, you have a very great cause to be thankful for it. But I next inquire of you,

Quest. 4. Have you not lived an unholy, carnal life, since you came to the use of reason? Have you not since then declared, that you did not live the life of faith, nor walk after the Spirit but after the flesh? If so, then it is certain that you have need of a conversion from that ungodly state, whatever baptism did for you; and therefore you are still to inquire, whether you have been converted since you came to age.

And I must needs remember you, that your infant covenant made in baptism, being upon your parents' faith and consent, and not your own, will serve your turn no longer than your infancy, unless when you come to the use of reason, you renew and own that covenant yourselves, and have a personal faith and repentance of your own. And whatever you received in baptism, this must be our next inquiry.

Quest. 5. Did you ever since you came to age, upon sound repentance, and renunciation of the flesh, the world, and the devil, give up yourselves unfeignedly by faith, to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and show by the performance of this holy covenant, that you were sincere in the making of it?

I confess it is a matter so hard to most, to assign the time and manner of their conversion, that I think it no safe way of trial. And therefore I will issue all in this one question.

Quest. 6. Have you the necessary parts of the new creature now? Though perhaps you know not just when, or how it was formed in you? The question is, whether you are now in a state of sanctification? And not, whether you can * tell just when you did receive it? He that would know, whether he be a man, must not do it by remembering when he was born, or how he was formed; but by discerning the rational nature in himself at present. And though grace be more observable to us in its entrance, than nature (as finding, and entering into a discerning subject, which nature doth not): yet it beginneth so early with some, and so obscurely with others, and in others, the preparations are so long or notable, that it is hard to say when special grace came in. But you may well discern, whether it be there or not. And that is the question that must be resolved, if you would know yourselves.

And, though I have been long in these exhortations, to incline your wills, I shall be short in giving you those evidences of the holy life, which must be before your eyes while you are upon the trial.

In sum, if your very hearts do now unfeignedly consent to the covenant which you made in baptism, and your lives express it to be a true consent, I dare say you are regenerate, though you know not just when you first consented.

Come on then, and let us inquire what you say to the several parts of your baptismal covenant.

1. If you are sincere in the covenant you have made with Christ, you do resolvedly consent, that God shall be your only God, as reconciled to you by Jesus Christ. Which is, 1. That you will take him for your Owner or your absolute Lord, and give up yourselves to him as his own.

2. That you will take him for your supreme Governor, and consent to be subject to his government and laws, taking his wisdom for your guide, and his will for the rule of your wills and lives.

3. That you will take him for your chiefest Benefactor, from whom you receive and expect all your happiness, and to whom you owe yourselves and all, by way of thankfulness. And that you take his love and favour for your happiness itself, and prefer the everlasting enjoyment of his glorious sight and love in heaven, before all the sensual pleasures of the world.

I would prove the necessity of all these by Scripture as we go, but that it is evident in itself; these three relations being essential to God, as our God in covenant. He is not our God, if not our Owner, Ruler, and Benefactor. You profess all this, when you profess but to love God, or to take him for your God.

2. In the covenant of baptism you do profess to believe in Christ, and take him for your only Saviour. If you do this in sincerity, 1. You do unfeignedly believe the doctrine of his Gospel, the articles of the Christian faith, concerning his person, his offices, and his sufferings and works. 2. You do take him unfeignedly for the only Redeemer and Saviour of mankind, and give up yourselves to be saved by his merits, righteousness, intercession, &c. as he hath promised in his word. 3. You trust upon him and his promises, for the attainment of your reconciliation and peace with God, your justification, adoption, sanctification, and the glory of the life to come. 4. You take him for your Lord and King, your Owner and Ruler by the right of redemption; and your grand Benefactor, that hath obliged you to love and gratitude, by saving you from the wrath to come, and purchasing eternal glory for you by his most wonderful condescension, life and sufferings.

3. In the baptismal covenant, you are engaged to the Holy Ghost. If you are sincere in this branch of your cove

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nant, 1. You discern your sins as odious and dangerous, as the corruption of your souls, and that which displeaseth the most holy God. 2. You see an excellency in holiness of heart and life, as the image of God, the rectitude of man, and that which fits him for eternal blessedness, and maketh him amiable in the eyes of God. 3. You unfeignedly desire to be rid of your sin, how dear soever it hath been to you; and to be perfectly sanctified by the Holy Spirit, by his degrees, in the use of the means which he hath appointed: and you consent that the Holy Ghost, as your Sanctifier, do purify you and kindle the love of God in you, and bring it to perfection.

4. In baptism, you profess to renounce the world, the flesh, and the devil; that is, as they stand for your hearts against the will and love of God, and against the happiness of the unseen world; and against your faith in Christ your Saviour; and against the sanctifying work of the Holy Ghost. If therefore you are sincere in this part of your covenant, you do upon deliberation perceive all the pleasures, profits, and honours of this world, to be so vain and worthless, that • you are habitually resolved to prefer the love and favour of God, and your salvation, before them; and to be ruled by Jesus Christ, and his Spirit and word, rather than by the desires of the flesh, or the world's allurements, or the will of man, or the suggestions of the devil; and to forsake all rather than forsake the Father, the Saviour, the Sanctifier, to whom you are devoted, and the everlasting life, which upon his promise you have taken for your hope and portion. This is the sense of baptism, and all this in profession being essential to your baptism, must be essential to your Christianity. Your parents' profession of it was necessary to your infant title to the outward privileges of the church. Your own personal profession is necessary to your continuance of those privileges, and your visible Christianity and communion with the adult. And the truth of what you profess, is necessary to your real Christianity before God, and to your title to salvation: and this is it that is to be now inquired after. You cannot hope to be admitted into hea ven, upon lower terms than the sincerity of that profession which entereth you into the church: while we tell you of no higher matters necessary to your salvation, than the sin

cerity of that which is necessary to baptism and Christianity, I hope you will not say we deal too strictly with you. Inquire now by a diligent trial of your hearts, whether you truly consent to all these articles of your baptismal vow or covenant. If you do, you are regenerate by the Spirit: if you do not, you have but the sacrament of regeneration; which aggravateth your guilt, as a violated profession and covenant must needs do. And I do not think, that any man worthy to be discoursed with, will have the face to tell you, that any man, at the use of reason, is by his baptism, (or any thing else) in a state of justification and salvation, whose heart doth not sincerely consent to the covenant of baptism, and whose life expresseth not that consent.

Hence therefore you may perceive that it is a thing unquestionable, that all these persons are yet unregenerate, and in the bond of their iniquity.

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1. All those that have not unfeignedly devoted themselves to God, as being not their own, but his. His by the title of creation, (Psal. c. 3,) Know ye that the Lord he is God; it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves, we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture." And his by the title of redemption; for "we are bought with a price." (1 Cor. vii. 23.) And he that unfeignedly taketh God for his owner, and absolute Lord, will heartily give up himself unto him; as Paul saith of the Corinthians, (2 Cor. viii. 5,) "They first gave up their own selves to the Lord, and to us by the will of God."

And he that entirely giveth up himself to God, doth with himself surrender all that he hath in desire and resolution. As Christ with himself doth give us all things," (Rom. viii. 32,) and “addeth other things to them that seek first his kingdom and its righteousness, (Matt. vi. 33,) so Christians with themselves do give up all they have to Christ.

And he that giveth up himself to God, will live to God: and he that taketh not himself to be his own, will take nothing for his own; but will study the interest of his Lord, and think he is best disposed of, when he honoureth him most, and serveth him best, (1 Cor. vi. 19, 20,)" Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

If any of you devote not yourselves unfeignedly to God, and make it not your first inquiry, what God would have

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