3. In every prayer to GOD, and acknowledgment of his authority over us, and right to difpofe of us, there is the matter of a covenant with him; and though we may not intend, or directly avow any fuch thing, yet we do indirectly and implicitly give ourfelves to GOD, in covenant, and bring ourfelves under the penalty of the covenant, if we do violate or break it.

4. The most folemn acts of directly and explicitly entering into covenant with GOD, are a private furrender and felf-dedication of ourfelves to GOD:-The giving up of our children to GOD in baptifmand the renewing our baptifmal covenant at the Lord's table.

5. A private and folemn furrender and dedication of ourfelves to GOD, through. the Redeemer, is one of the earliest duties. we fhould perform in religion, after we have come to understand the nature of our baptifmal vows, and the obligations we are under to GOD. Forms of this kind may be met with in many devotional books.

6. This kind of covenanting fhould be performed in a very folemn and deliberate:

manner.

7. Something of the fame nature ought to be done by every communicant, both in his preparation for the Lord's fupper, and at the ordinance itfelf; wherein an exprefs recognition fhould be made, of all the prin

cipal and effential parts of our covenantwith GOD, through the Redeemer.

8. The giving up of our children to GOD in baptifm, is an occafion upon which we are called to an exprefs covenant furrender of ourselves, and all that is ours to GOD: We do, at that time, exprefsly acknowledge GOD to be our GOD, and offer him our children, in virtue of a covenant which is fuppofed to fubfift between GOD and us : And the vows we make for our children, fuppofe our own vows of the fame kind.

9. Is it not furprising, that the fame covenant which we renew with fo much folemnity at the Lord's fupper, is generally fo fuperficially renewed at the baptifm of the children of moft Chriftians ?

10. If a folemn preparation is neceffary in order to the right renewing of our covenant with GOD at the gofpel fupper; is it lefs fo before we give up our children to GOD in baptifm? Is not equal solemnity, seriousness and devotion neceffary on both occafions?

ESSAY V.

AFORM of renewing COVENANT with GOD, at the LORD'S TABLE.

S our great bufinefs in this ordinance is to call into lively and grateful remem

brance, the painful and ignominious death of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and to keep up this remembrance of it in the church and world-As we are led to remember it not only as a confirmation of the truth of his doctrines, but alfo as a sacrifice of atonement for the fins of the world, and for our fins, and confequently as the highest and deareft pledge of his and his Father's love to us, and the fweetest and fureft ground of our hope, as believing finners <-And as our principal bufinefs at this facrament, (this feaft upon a facrifice) is folemnly to enter into and renew our covenant with GOD, over thefe dear memorials of his Son's death-over these figns and feals of the blood of the everlafting covenant :-In which folemu tranfaction we do profefs to take and avouch Gon, to be our GoD-and to become his people, according to the terms of the covenant. I have thought it might be exceeding proper and useful upon thefe occafions, to rehearse and repeat at large the form of a folemn covenant trans, action, as it ought to be made, in substance, by every communicant, at or before this.

facrament.

I fhall therefore put this form of covenanting with Gon, in the first person of the singular number-that every one of us may, upon this occafion, ufe it for biself, and make it his own..

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Let me therefore befeech each of my fellow-communicants, as in the immediate prefence of the GoD of heaven, and over the memorials of his Son's facrifice-and as, on this folemn occafion, about to enter into and renew covenant with GoD, to let their hearts and thoughts go along with this form of a folemn.covenant transaction, and cordially and deliberately to make it their own covenant-each faying in his heart with me, and faying it sincerely and feelingly.

"Moft great and adorable JEHOVAH ! Behold! a poor, infignificant guilty worm of the duft, here, proftrate before thee, as it were on the bended knees of my foul, acknowledging thy glorious majefty and divine perfections, thine eternal duration, infinity, felf-fuficiency, all-fufficiency, un. changeableness, and incomprehenfibility -thine almighty power, all penetrating knowledge, unerring wifdom, unbounded goodness, unfailing faithfulnefs, impartial. juftice and undiffembled truth.

"I defire to rejoice (and O! that the whole world would rejoice!) that there is such a GOD and that this GOD ruleth in the heaven and in the earth, and doeth accord ing to his moft facred, fovereign, and holy will throughout the universe.

"Lord, I acknowledge with gratitude and joy, that I am thy creature, thy ser

vant, thy subject, under infinite and unchangeable obligations to know, serve, honor, fear, reverence and obey thee; yea to be and to do juft what thou pleaseft. And

I would forever adore thee, that thou hast fo clofely connected my duty, with thine own glory, and my highest interests: That although my foundation is in the duft; all my original fhame, and my nature fin-yet thou art giving encouragement to such a base,guilty wretch as I am, and have been, to approach thee the eternal all, the foun-tain of all being, holiness and happiness through Jesus CHRIST, the eternal Son of thy love, with hopes of being pardoned, accepted and faved by his most precious merit and mediation! LORD, what am I? what is my original, lineage, discent and nature? what my conduct, merit and defert, that thou fhould'ft once condefcend to look down from the throne of thy majefty and holiness, upon fuch a creature as I have been, and still am:-That thou fhould't once permit me to name thy venerable name with my guilty lips--much more, that thou fhould'ft floop to enter into covenant with me, or caufe me to hope for any bleffing from thee!

Verily, O LORD, I blush, am ashamed and even confounded, at the very thoughts of this matchlefs grace and condefcenfion!

And were it not that thou LORD, haft