Gospel-worship, or, The right manner of sanctifying the name of God in general. And…

And this must needs be so, because that the nature of it being the Seal of the Covenant of grace requires it; it must be supposed that all that come hither must be in Covenant with God, they must be such as have been brought to submit to the condition of the Covenant. Now the Condition of the Covenant of grace is, Believe and be saved; it is therefore appointed for Believers; And as the nature of it being a Seal supposeth a Covenant, so none can have this Covenant sealed to them, but those that do first submit to it, and are brought into Covenant: when you make an Indenture, and put to the Seal, certainly the Seal belongs only to those that have their names in the Indenture: Now tis true though mens names are not mentioned in the word, yet the condition is to those that are brought in to believe in Jesus Christ; saith God I come now to seal all my mercies in Christ to their souls. We abuse God if we come to take the Seal to a blank, it is to make this Ordinance a ridiculous thing; therefore there must be some transactions between God and your souls before you come to the Seal; if a man should say unto you, come set ⟨p. 233⟩to you seal to such a thing, and there were never any kind of transactions between this man & you before, you would account it ridiculous; after there hath been agreements between you, you use then to seal. So it must be here; I would appeal to many of your Consciences that have come to the Lords Supper, what transactions have there been between God and your souls? canst thou say the Lord was pleased to reveal himself to me, to make known to me my wretched condition, and the way of grace and salvation, and showed me that upon my coming in to receive his Son, he would be merciful to me and pardon my sins; and I have found the Spirit of God working my heart to Jesus Christ, the Lord from heaven speaking to me, and I sending an Answer to heaven again, how willing my soul was to accept of the Covenant, which the Lord hath made with poor Creatures in the Word of his Gospel? canst thou say this in the uprightness of thy heart? if not, know that this Seal belongs not to thee: until the Lord hath by his word subdued thy heart to this agreement first with him.

And this must needs be so, because that the nature of it being the Seal of the Covenant of grace requires it; it must be supposed that all that come hither must be in Covenant with God, they must be such as have been brought to submit to the condition of the Covenant. Now the Condition of the Covenant of grace is, Beleeve and be saved; it is therefore appointed for Beleevers; And as the nature of it being a Seal supposeth a Covenant, so none can have this Covenant sealed to them, but those that do first submit to it, and are brought into Covenant: when you make an Indenture, and put to the Seal, certainly the Seal belongs only to those that have their names in the Indenture: Now tis true though mens names are not mentioned in the word, yet the condition is to those that are brought in to beleeve in Jesus Christ; saith God I come now to seal all my mercies in Christ to their souls. We abuse God if we come to take the Seal to a blank, it is to make this Ordinance a ridiculous thing; therefore there must be some transactions between God and your souls before you come to the Seal; if a man should say unto you, come set