Memorials of early piety. Occurring in the holy life & joyful death of Mrs.…

I think it my Duty to interpose my Advice unto the Young Readers, on this occasion. I fear, I fear, that the Action of Entering into Covenant with God, is too often done, with a little too much of the Strain of the Old Covenant. And for this very Cause, the Lord often leaves His Covenanting, and really Regenerate Children, to Some Remarkable Falls into Sin afterwards, that He may drive them into more Evangelical Terms, and make them sensible that it is not a Covenant of Works, but a Covenant of Grace, wherein they are to draw near unto Him. I make no doubt, that the Proposals of the Two Pious Alleines, and Janeway, and Guthry, and others, for, Explicit Covenanting with God, yea, Writing and Signing the Instrument, have been a mighty Service to Religion, in very many Thousands of Christians, as they were in our Jerusha. Yet I will show you mine Opinion. The Form used by those Men of God, is hardly ⟨p. 12⟩quite Evangelical enough. I would propose, that the Nature of the New Covenant, which is all over, Grace, Grace; be thoroughly considered by them who do this Action; and that the Terms of, I Confess, and, I Consent, and, I Desire, be preferred, unto, I Will; as Language best Suiting the Nature & the Tenor of a Covenant, in which, tis not by Doing, but by Receiving, that we arrive unto Blessedness, and that our Holy Resolutions be formed, as points of Thankfulness to the Lord from whom we Receive the Gift of Righteousness, and as parts of our Promised Blessedness; and the style thereof be, O my God, I ask of thee, that thou wilt give me the Grace to do such and such things!

I think it my Duty to interpose my Advice unto the Young Readers, on this occasion. I fear, I fear, that the Action of Entring into Covenant with God, is too often done, with a little too much of the Strain of the Old Covenant. And for this very Cause, the Lord often leaves His Covenanting, and really Regenerate Children, to Some Remarkable Falls into Sin afterwards, that He may drive them into more Evangelical Terms, and make them sensible that it is not a Covenant of Works, but a Covenant of Grace, wherein they are to draw near unto Him. I make no doubt, that the Proposals of the Two Pious Alleines, and Janeway, and Guthry, and others, for, Explicit Covenanting with God, yea, Writing and Signing the Instrument, have been a mighty Service to Religion, in very many Thousands of Christians, as they were in our Jerusha. Yet I will shew you mine Opinion. The Form used by those Men of God, is hardly ⟨p. 12⟩