refponding with the profeffion of a covenanting people, is a moft valauble and excellent thing.

DOCT. III. That the work of covenanting with the Lord is flight work, when it is not heart-work. Or, in other words, Solemn covenanting with the Lord is but folemn trifling with him, when the work of covenanting is not heart-work.

We begin with

DOCTRINE I. That men often make what ought to be the moft folemn transactions with the Lord about their fouls concerns, but folemn trifling with him.

NEVER was there a more folemn tranfaction which men had with God than what was here. Their ears were filled with the noife of the thunder, the lightnings flashed in their eyes, they heard God himself fpeak, they were most express in covenanting with God; all this time their hearts were not right with him, nor found in his statutes. -In difcourfing from this doctrine, we propose,

I. To fhew how far a man may go in transacting with, and engaging himself to the Lord, and yet after all he may be but trifling.

II. Shew wherein this trifling and flight work in fuch a weighty business doth appear.

III. Point out how people come to turn such folemn work into mere trifling.

IV. Apply the fubject.

WE are, then,

I. To fhew how far a man may go in tranfacting with, and engaging himself to the Lord, and yet after all he may be but trifling.---Upon this head we obferve,

1. That

1. That a perfon may formally and exprefsly covenant with God, to be the Lord's, and yet after all be but trifling with God. So did this people, ver. 27. (quoted above). A perfon may make a covenant with God, both by word and writ, when there is no fuch heart in him, and the heart goes not along either with tongue or pen. It is an eafy thing to fay unto the Lord, that he fhall be our God, but not easy to say it with the heart. The tongue is not always a faithful interpreter of the heart, efpecially in these things.—We observe,

2. That a perfon may make a very full cove nant with the Lord, and yet after all be but trifling. What exception was there in this, ver. 27. "All that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee, we will hear it and do it." How large a promise was this, Matth. viii. 19. " Mafter, I will follow thee whitherfoever thou goest." No doubt, had their hearts kept pace with their words, they had engaged to purpose. Had there been as few fecret as there were open referves, they had dealt honeftly. We observe,

3. That perfon: may even be morally serious in all this, thinking and refolving in the time to do as they fay. It was not a season for grofs diffimulation, nor to make a jest of transacting with the Lord anent foul-concerns, when the Lord was fpeaking out of the darkness and fire to them. Perfons in this cafe are like those who trifle with merchants, in offering to bargain for their wares, out of mere fimplicity and ignorance as to the worth of these wares, who, if they had matters fet in their due light, would never once propofe again fo to bid for them. The foolish virgins faw not their lamps out till it was past time.-We observe,

4. That perfons may do all this from a fenfe of A a 2

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their need of a Mediator. Thus did they in the What was it that brought this people to this? Why, they had formerly engaged with a whole heart to be the Lord's: Exod. xix. 8. " And all the people answered together, and faid, All thatthe Lord hath fpoken, we will do." But now they fall more folemnly and seriously to work. God fets the mountain on fire for a tribunal of justice; there is a trumpet whose voice waxes louder and louder; by all which God doth as it were summon them to compear before him. There are dreadful thunder-claps to carry the fentence of death to their hearts; there are lightnings, by the glancings of which they read the wrath of God against finners. Yet they must not touch the mountain, left they be confumed, to teach them how sin had laid the bar as to accefs to God. This fills them with terror and fear of death, and now they feel the neceflity of a mediator: Exod. xx. 19. « And they faid unto Mofes, Speak thou with and we will hear but let not God fpeak with us, left we die." And yet, after all, "O that there were fuch an heart in them!"

WE are now,

us,

II. To fhew wherein this trifling and flight work in fuch a weighty business does appear.

1. It appears in perfons engaging themselves to the Lord, without being at pains to prepare themfelves, and bring up their hearts to the duty. O what a light thing do moft people make of covenanting with God! It is but the saying of a word in prayer; and this is foon faid. It is but taking the facrament; and this is foon done. In the mean time, the heart, like Abraham's ass, is left at the foot of the hill: Gen. xxii. 5. Mát. xv. 8. This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth,

mouth, and honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." They are ftrangers to God who are ftrangers to heart-work. They who find no difficulty in bringing their hearts to duties, do not bring them to them at all. The true Christian finds much difficulty in this. I find, fays Paul, a law, that when I would do good, evil is prefent with me. It is but trifling to give the hand to the Lord, while the heart is far from any due concern about the business, and from that folemn seriousness requifite to get it rightly managed. This appears,

(2.) When people engage themselves to the fervice of the Lord, but do not give their hearts to him. Many engage with the Lord, as a married fervant with a mafter; the master is to get his service, but another has his heart: Jer. xii. 2. "Thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins." The heart may remain glued to lufts, while the foul pretends to be engaging itself to the Lord; and if it were not fo, there would not be fuch a fad account of many who covenant with God. This is but to trifle with God, who requires the heart, or nothing: Prov. xxiii. 26. "My fon, give me thine heart." Jer. xxx. 21. "For who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me? faith the Lord." It is an ill-made fecond marriage, when there is neither the death of, nor a divorce from the first husband. There is no right engaging with the Lord, but where the foul forfakes all others for him, and the heart takes up its eternal reft in Chrift. This trifling appears, (3.) When people have any fecret referves in their clofing with Chrift, as is the cafe when the heart is not well content to take Christ with whatfoever may follow this choice: Luke, xiv. 26. "If any man come to me, and hate not his father,

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and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and fifters, yea, and his own life alfo, he cannot be my difciple." There is none make right work here, but those who, weighing all things, are content to put a blank in Christ's hand; saying, "Lord, what wouldst thou have me to do?" Acts, ix. 6. They do but trifle, who have their righthand fins which they wish not cut off, for they will in this cafe mar the bargain; and also those who cannot digeft that tribulation which is in the way to the kingdom. No cross, no crown. That heart which is not reconciled to the cross, is not such an heart as is required. This trifling appears,

(4.) When people overlook the Mediator in their covenant of peace with God, but tranfact with God for peace and pardon without refpect to the ato. ning blood of Chrift. It is natural to all men to come immediately to God without a Mediator: Exod. xix. 8." And all the people answered together, and faid, All that the Lord hath fpoken, we will do." They are thus for coming without a Mediator, till the terror of God correct their rafhnefs, and they fee what a confuming fire God is, and that, if they would be fafe, they must come to him under the covert of Chrift's wings. If a foul fincerely defires to come to God, the first perfon to which they must go, is to Chrift, the secretary of heaven. For by him we have access into that grace wherein we ftand," Rom. v. 2. And he is the Mediator of the new covenant." Heb. xii. 24. God out of Chrift is a confuming fire. But there are beafts that will tou h the mountain, though they be thrust through with a Would you fact with God a covenant of Reconciliation? then go to him on the mercyfeat; not the feat of mercy merely for mercy's fake,

dari.

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