There are many whofe life is but one continued dream, where in they judge aright of nothing, neither God, heaven, hell, or the world. So that their awakening cannot be but terri

ble. But be ye wife.

4. To prepare timeously for death and judgement, Matth. xxiv. 44. 'Tis certain that naturally we are quite out of cafe for that great change and alas! we are naturally unwilling to think of it, or provide for it. But neceffity has no law. We must die; and we muft either be provided for death, or we are ruined: and if we be not timely provided, our candle may be put out ere our work be done.

(1.) Get habitual preparation for death, in a gracious ftate, Rom. viii. 1. Be fure to get out of the ftate of nature into. the ftate of grace. And then come death when it, will, it, will but tranfport you into the state of glory. And there are two things here to be fecured.

[1] Get your title to heaven fixed. None will get thither. but those who have a right to it, Matth. xxv. 34 2 Cor. v. • 1 To others the door will be caft on their face. But, ye may fay, how may we get a title to heaven? Anf. Marry the heir, and hea ven fhall be your dowery. The everlasting covenant is offered to you in the gofpel, God to be your God in Chrift, and Christ to be yours in all his offices. Therefore make a folemn deliberate tranfaction with God this night, embracing Chrift in the covenant, and confenting to it, with an eye to death and eternity.

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[2.] Get a fitnefs for heaven wrought in you, Col. i. 12 For ye cannot be meet for it, till your nature be changed. How may we get that fitnefs? may ye fay. Ans. Believe and embrace Jefus Chrift, for his Spirit of fanctification, 1 Cor. i, 30. There is a fulness of the Spirit in him to be communicated, and faith muft eye Chrift for his fanctifying Spirit. Put off the old man, and put on the new man: be new creatures, and let old things pafs away, and all things become new. In vain do men pretend to faith without this, 2 Cor. v. 17.; and in vain will men look for heaven without it, John iii. 3.

This is habitual preparation, which whofo have, if they fhould be ftruck dead in a moment, or immediately feized with delirioufnefs, and die raving, yet they are fafe; for there is no condemnation to them which are in Chrift Jefus, Rom. viii. 1.

(2.) Get actual preparation for death, in a gracious frame for dying, that ye may die comfortably.

[1] Make fpeed with your generation-work. Whatever piece of work is put in your hand, for God's honour, dif

patch it with all expedition, Mat. xxiv. 46. for if ye delay it, ye may loft the opportunity for ever.

[2.] Be habitually tender in your life, Acts xxiv. 16. And beware of any standing controverfy betwixt God and you; for if there be any fuch, it will readily ftare you in a dying

hour.

[3] Be weaned from the world, and hold a loose gripe of all you have in it, that it may drop like Jofeph's mantle. (4.) Keep waking and watchful, Luke xii. 36. Be much in the thoughts of death, and the life to come, that ye be not furprised *.

[5.] Lafly, To prepare for more public and general trials and calamities. This is a piece of wisdom to be learned from fuch a difpenfation. For leffer ftrokes are ufually the fore runners of greater ones. Sodom and Gomorrah were tried with a leffer ftroke, ere they were deftroyed by fire from heaven, Gen. xiv. 10. And our Lord told the Jews, that unless they repented, they fhould perish, Luke xiii. 5. which threatening was accomplished in the deftruction of Jerufalem. The day may yet come, wherein men fhall praife the dead, that are already dead; and they may mifs this stroke, who are referved for a worfe, and fhall meet with it ere all be done. In a time when the cup of God's anger is going through a land, they that drink firft ufually fare beft. How are we to prepare ? may ye fay. Anf. Keep your garments clean from the fins and snares of the day, and place where ye live, and take up your lodging in the fure and unalterable covenant of grace, and then no evil fhall befall you.

* See thefe directions amplified and illuftrated in the Fourfold State, ftate 4. head 2. title, Directions how to prepare for death.

Two Forms of perfonal Covenanting by the Author.

[As Mr BOSTON has in his writings accurately explained the na ture, and warmly inculcated the duty and neceffity of perfonal covenanting, or explicit entering into, or renewing covenant with God, by taking hold of God's covenant of grace; it will not be improper to fubjoin the two following fpecimens of that folemn tranfaction in his own practice; the first, dated Aug. 14. 1699, a little before his ordination to the miniftry; the other, dated Dec. 2. 1729, about two years and five months before his death. Both are printed from the original copies.]

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Mr THOMAS BOSTON, preacher of the gofpel of Chrift, being by nature an apoftate from God, an enemy to the great Jaso VOL. II.

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VAH, and to an heir of hell and wrath, in myself utterly loft and undone, because of my original and actual fins, and mifery thereby ; and being, in fome meafure, made fenfible of this, my loft and undone ftate, and fenfible of my need, my abfolute need of a Saviour, without whom I must perish eternally, and believing that the Lord Jefus Chrit, the eternal Son of the eternal God, is not only able to iave me by virtue of his death and fufferings, but willing alfo to fave me (though most vile and ugly, and one who has given him many repulfes) both from my fins, and from the load of wrath due to me for them, upon condition that I believe, come to him for falvation, and cordially receive him in all his offices; confenting to the terms of the covenant: therefore as I have at feveral opportunities before given an exprefs and folemn confent to the terms of the covenant, and have entered into a perfonal covenant with Christ; fo now, being called to undertake the great and weighty work of the miniftry of the gofpel, for which I am altogether infufficient, I do by this declare, that I fland to and own all my former engagements, whether facramental, or any other way whaticever: and now again do RENEw my covenant with God, and hereby at this prefent time do fo lemnly COVENANT and ENGAGE to be the Lord's, and MAKE a fo- lema refignation and upgiving of my felf, my foul, body, fpiritual and temporal concerns, unto the Lord Jefus Chrift, without any refervation whatfoever; and do hereby give my voluntary confent to the terms of the covenant laid down in the holy fcriptures, the word of truth, and with my heart and foull TAKE and RECEIVE Chrift in all his offices, as my PROPHET to teach me, refolving and engaging in his ftrength to follow, that is, to endeavour to follow his inttructions: I TAKE him as my PRIEST, to be faved by his death and merits alone; and renouncing my own righteoufnefs as filthy rags and menftruous cloths, I am content to be clothed with his righteoufnels alone, and live entirely upon fice grace; likewife I TAKE him for my ADVOCATE and INTERCESSOR with the Father: and finally, I TAKE him as my KING, to reign in me and to rule over me, renouncing all other lords, whether fin or felf, and in particular my precominant idol; and, in the ftrength of the Lord, do refolve and Lereby engage, to cleave to Chrift as my Sovereign Lord and King, in death and in life, in prosperity and in adverfity, even for ever, and to drive and wreitle in his ftrength against all known fin; protesting, that whatever fin may be lying hid in my heart out of my view, I dilown it and abhor it, and fhal, in the Lord's ftrength, endeavour the mortification of it, when the Lord thall be pleased to let me fee it. And this folemn covenant I make as in the prefence of the everliving, heart-fearching God, and fubfcribe it with my hand, in my chamber, at Dunie, about one o'clock in the afternoon, the fourteenth day of Auguit, One thousand 6x Lundred and linety-nine years.

T. BOSTON

A fecond perfonal Covenant.

LORD, the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, I confefs from my heart, that I am by nature a loft and undone finner, wholly corrupted, and laid under the curfe, in Adam, through the breach of the covenant of works; and have ruined myself more and more by my innumerable actual tranfgreffions, whereby my whole life appears in mine eyes this day a heap of vanity, fin, and foolishnefs. I am fully convinced, and do from my heart acknowledge, that I am utterly unable to help myself, in whole or in part, out of this gulf of fin and mifery, into which I am plunged; and that it is beyond the reach of the whole creation to help me out of it; fo that I muft inevitably perifh for ever, if thine own ftrong hand do not make help to me. But forafmuch as there is a covenant of grace, for life and falvation to loft finners, established between THEE and thine own SoN, the Lord Jefus Chrift, as fecond Adam; wherein, upon condition of his fulfilling all righteoufnefs, which is now performed, in his having been born perfectly holy, lived altogether. righteouly, and made perfect fatisfaction to juftice by his death and fufferings, thou haft promifed that thou wilt be their God, and they fhall be thy people, to the making of them holy and happy for ever and that this covenant is, in Chrift the head thereof, offered and exhibited to me in thy gofpel, and thou calleft me into the fellowship thereof, in him: Therefore (adhering to my former acceptings and taking hold of it, declared whether by word or writ before thee, without wilful mistaking of it, or known guile), upon the warrant of, and in obedience to, thy command and call, I in my felf a poor perifhing finner, and worthy to perish, do now again TAKE HOLD OF that COVENANT, for life and falvation to ME; believing on the name of Christ crucified, the head thereof, offered and exhibited to me, as the great High Prieft, who, by the facrifice of himself, hath made atonement, paid the ranfum, and brought in everlasting righteoufnefs for pcor finners. I CREDIT his word of grace to me, and accordingly TRUST on him, that he with his righteoufnefs will be mine, and that, in and through him, God will be my God, and I fhall be one of his people, to the making of me holy and happy for ever. God, I do by thy grace acquiefce in that covenant, as all my falvation, and all my defire. With my whole heart and foul, the SON in. carnate is my only PRIEST, my Surety, my Interceffor, and my Redeemer; and, in him, the FATHER MY FATHER, the HOLY GHOST my SANCTIFIER; GOD in CHRIST my God. 1 refign myfelf, foul and body, to him, to be faved by his blood alone; renouncing all confidence in mine own righteoufnefs, doings and fufferings. With my whole heart and foul, he is my HEAD and HUSBAND: and I am his only, wholly, and for ever; to live by him, to him, and for him. I take him for my alone PROPHET, Oracle, and Guide ; give up myself wholly to him, to be taught, guided, and directed, in all things, by his word and Spirit; and renounce mine own wifdom, and the wifdom of this world. He is, with my heart's confent, my alone KING and Lord. And I refign myself wholly, foul

O my

VAR, and fo an heir of hell and wrath, in myself utterly loft and undone, because of my original and actual fins, and mifery thereby ; and being, in fome meafure, made fenfible of this my loft and undone ftate, and fenfible of my need, my abfolute need of a Saviour, without whom I must perish eternally; and believing that the Lord Jefus Chrit, the eternal Son of the eternal God, is not only able to iave me by virtue of his death and fufferings, but willing alfo to fave me (though moit vile and ugly, and one who has given hin many repulfes) both from my fins, and from the load of wrath due to we for them, upon condition that I believe, come to him for falvation, and cordially receive him in all his offices; confenting to the terms of the covenant: therefore as I have at feveral opportunities before given an exprefs and folemn confent to the terms of the covenant, and have entered into a perfonal covenant with Chrit; fo now, being called to undertake the great and weighty work of the miniftry of the gospel, for which I am altogether infufficient, I do by this de clare, that I ftand to and own all my former engagements, whether facramental, or any other way whaticever: and now again do REREW my covenant with God, and hereby at this prefent time do folemuly COVENANT and ENGAGE to be the Lord's, and MAKE a fo lemaicfignation and upgiving of myfelf, my foul, body, fpiritual and temporal concerns, unto the Lord Jefus Chrift, without any refervation whatfoever; and do hereby give my voluntary confent to the terms of the covenant laid down in the holy fcriptures, the word of truth, and with my heart and foull TAKE and RECEIVE Christ in all his offices, as my PROPHET to teach me, refolving and engaging in his ftrength to follow, that is, to endeavour to follow his inttructions: I TAKE him as my PRIEST, to be faved by his death and merits alone; and renouncing my own righteoufnefs as filthy rags and menftruous cloths, I am content to be clothed with his righteoufnefs alone, and live entirely upon fice grace; likewife I TAKE him for my ADVOCATE and INTERCESSOR with the Father: and finally, I TAKE him as my KING, to reign in me and to rule over me, reLouncing all other lords, whether fin or felf, and in particular my precominant idol; and, in the ftrength of the Lord, do refolve and hereby engage, to cleave to Chrift as my Sovereign Lord and King, in death and in life, in profperity and in adverfity, even for ever, and to Atrive and wreitle in his ftrength against all known fin; protesting, that whatever fin may be lying hid in my heart out of my view, I dilown it and abhor it, and fhalt, in the Lord's, ftrength, endeavour the mortification of it, when the Lord thall be pleafed to let me fee it. And this folemn covenant I make as in the presence of the everliving, heart-fearching God, and fubfcribe it with my hand, in my chamber, at Dunie, about one o'clock in the afternoon, the fourteenth day of Augult, One thouland 6x hunde