terrors and convictions, that for the present they are overawed, and dare not but profess to be the Lord's. It is strangers that yield feigned or forced obedience to our David. * But the Lord's true hearted subjects shall be a willing people in the day of his power, Fsalın cx. 3, voluntariness or liberalities, so the word signifies they are all volunteers, and look upon it as their privilege, honour and happiness to be the Lord's servants, as the good emperor Theodosius, who accounted it a greater honour to be the subject of Christ, than to be emperor of the world. Real Christians are like the governors of Israel, † that offered themselves willingly among the people; these have God's heart, since the Lord hath their heart. Those in Acts ii. 41, gladly received the word, and so were baptized; every child of God is a free-will offering, and presents his soul and body as a living sacrifice, or holocaust, and this is acceptable to God. O the account that God makes of these! they are called princes of the people. In Psalm xlvii. 9, the margin hath it, the voluntary of the people; the volunteers are princes, as indeed all God's saints are kings, and the church hath her princes in all the earth, § because they have power over their base stubborn wills, which is more than to rule over millions of men; they are persons of most noble, generous, and ingenuous spirits-others, are of a low, base, sordid, degenerate disposition, that have not subjected themselves to God, but are slaves to their lusts. Well, sirs, how is it with you? do you voluntarily, and cheerfully surrender yourselves to the Lord, as the bride doth in marriage? Are your hearts so gone after the Lord, as to look upon it as your greatest * Psalm xviii. 44. See Marg. + Judg. v. 9. Rom. xii. 1. נדיבי עמים || Psal. xlv. 16. preferment, to give yourselves up to him as the husband of the church? Have you seriously deliberated on things in your breasts; and upon mature thoughts concluded that this is the best engagement you can make? Doth your soul make you like "the chariots of Amminadib," or a willing people? and the longer you serve this master, the better do you like this service? You do not repent that you gave up your names to him; if it were to do again, would you not do it, though you knew of ten thousand times more troubles in your way than yet you have met with? nay, do you not thank God heartily, that he will accept of your persons and services, and look upon his service as perfect freedom? Is it thus with you? Bless God that he hath shown you distinguishing favour. (3.) The believer delivers up himself to God resolvedly. There are some that halt between two opinions, that are off and on; one while they will be for God, another while they are staggering like the Samaritans; when the Jews were in prosperity, they would profess to be of their stock-when in adversity, they disowned relation to them. These are a cake not turned, the one side baked for God, the other side dough, † so that one cannot tell what to make of them. God likes not these unfixed, unresolved spirits; but a real saint will attach himself to God whatever it cost him. Carnal friends, that go about to hinder him, say nothing effectual, he will make this agreement in spite of all opposition, they may set their hearts at rest; there is no dissuading him, for his affections are placed; no bonds can hold him, he cleaves to the Lord with full purpose of heart, he hath devoted himself to God's fear-there is no revocation; ‡ all the devils in hell, and men on + Cant. vi. 12. + Acts xi. 23. Psalm cxix. + Hos. vii. 8. and earth, shall not obstruct him in his course and progress to the Lord, "if my father hung about my neck," saith an ancient, "my wife and children stood in my way, to my dearly beloved, I would cast off my father, and push away my wife and my children that I may enjoy my Lord God." Offer a resolved soul, house, lands, pleasures, treasures, they all signify nothing if they be to hire him from Christ. "Let their money perish with them,” said a noble Marquis, "that esteem all the money in the world worth one hour's communion with Jesus Christ." Consider Moses and Paul, the first forsook the pleasures of Pharaoh's court for Christ; the latter accounted not his life dear in the cause of Christ ;* and, indeed, this is the great condition upon which only we can have an interest in him, Luke xiv. 26, "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, mother, wife, children, brethren, sisters, yea, his own life also, he cannot be my disciple;" that is, when these stand in competition with Christ, or when he cannot keep both, "if he be not willing to part with these rather than want Christ, he is not worthy of him," as another evangelist hath it.† Ah sirs, how is it with you? are you at a point? do you hang no longer in suspense? will you receive Christ upon his own proposed terms? and will you receive him now, and not delay a moment longer? do you say that upon due considering your ways, "you make haste and will not delay, to give up yourselves to the Lord? are your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace," that is, with a holy resolution to go through the sharpest paths to the beloved of your souls? You care not what befals you, so that this dreadful evil do not befal you to be without God in the world, and many waters of * Heb. xi. 24, 25. Acts xx. 24. + Matt. x. 37. Psal. cxix. 59, 60. Eph. vi. 15. opposition cannot quench this flame of love to your dearest Lord. Try yourselves by this criterion. (4.) A gracious soul delivers up itself to God, unreservedly, entirely, and universally, and that both with reference to the subject, and the season; the whole soul, and that for ever, wholly and finally. [i.] The whole soul is given up to God in this covenant agreement; here do hypocrites dodge, and article, and make reserves, and come not off fair, but leave some fort of the heart for an appetite or passion, and are not willing to give up themselves entirely; now God will have all the heart, or none at all—he will not brook a rival or competitor, "my son give me thy heart," and, indeed, the whole soul is a present little enough for the God of heaven; it is a whorish heart that is for dividing. A gracious soul saith, let him have all, as it cannot be content with half a Saviour, so it knows, God will not be content with half a heart, and therefore, cries out, Lord, here I am a poor worm, I have polluted myself with sin, and deserve not that ever thou shouldest own such a wretch as I am; yet, such as I am, I here offer myself wholly to thee. Alas, I am but a poor and sorry offering for so great a king, yet I freely give myself to thee, entreating thee to make me better; I cannot bestow myself on one that either hath more right to me, or can do more for me; here I am, Lord, I am only thine and wholly thine; take me as thine, and make me less mine own, and that will be my happiness, and I shall be fitter for thy service; I dare not part stakes betwixt thyself and any other, for I see, I cannot serve two contrary masters; I will not give my faculties or members any more as instruments of unrighteousness. Chain my soul to thee, unite my heart to fear thy name. This, or such like, is the language of a believing soul, and there can be no covenant without this entireness and complete resignation. Hence are those multitudes of expressions that call for "seeking God with the whole heart, and loving God with all the heart, soul, &c. and serving God with all the heart, * yea, this is the sum of all that God requires of us.-Deut. x. 12. O examine, then, hath the Spirit of God beat down every strong hold and vain imagination; and brought over your hearts wholly to the Lord? What say you, is every nook and creek of your hearts delivered up to this great and mighty conqueror? Is there no creature comfort, or sensual pleasure that hath stolen away your hearts from your divine Lord? Deal faithfully with your souls on this behalf, there is no dallying with the searcher of your hearts. [ii.] Have you given up your hearts and selves irrevocably, irreversibly, finally? There is no playing fast and loose with the great God; you must not give and take again, that is fool's play; but you must be for ever the Lord's, all your days devote yourselves to keep his commandments unto the end, not like some servants that will keep to their masters as long as they like, or while they please them; but this is a boring through the ear to be the Lord's servants for ever; it is a marriage that lasts for the term of life, "I will call upon him," saith David, " as long as I live."-Psalm cxvi. 2. It is the hollow-hearted hypocrite that ends his religion before he have ended his days, that puts his hand to the plough and looks back, that falls off when tribulation comes; but a covenanting spirit is a constant spirit. "Whose house are we," saith the apostle, "if we hold fast the confidence, and the rejoicing of the hope firmly unto the end," Heb. iii. 6; it is the end that crowns the action. Solomon saith, "the end of a thing is better than the beginning." Christ saith, * Deut. iv. 29, and vi. 5. |