ever
be to purpose conscientious of our covenant? A sad remembrance of old
sins is a special means to prevent new. When every solemn remembrance of
former vileness, can fetch tears from our eyes, and blood from our
hearts, and fill our faces with an holy shame, the soul will be holily
shy of the like abominations, and of all occasions and tendencies
thereunto: "Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and
the gall. My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled within
me." When old sins cost dear, new sins will not find an easy
entertainment. When old sins are new afflictions, when the remembrance
of them is as wormwood and gall, the soul will not easily be bewitched
to drink a new draught of that poisoned cup any more. Christian, believe
me, or thou mayest find it by experience too true, when thou hast forgot
old sins, or canst remember them without new affliction of soul, thou
art near a fall; look to thyself, and cry to God for preventing grace.
There will be great hopes we shall be faithful in our new covenant, when
we come with a godly sense and sorrow for our abuse of old, and labour
to maintain it upon our spirits.

_Secondly_, If you would have this covenant to be a perpetual covenant,
labour to see old scores crossed; do not only mourn for thy
covenant-unfaithfulness; but labour to get thy pardon written and sealed
to thee in the blood of the covenant. There is virtue enough in the
blood of the covenant, to expiate the guilt of thy sins against the
covenant. "I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean;
from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you."
Their sins of idolatry, were sins especially against their covenant;
idolatry being the violation of the marriage-knot, between God and a
people; yet even from them doth God promise to cleanse them, upon their
repentance and conversion. The blood of the covenant, compared to water
for the cleansing virtue thereof, should cleanse them from their
covenant defilements. "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all
sin." "Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet, return again
to me, saith the Lord." It is a mighty encouragement to renew our
covenants with God, that He is so ready to pardon the breach of old; and
the sense of this pardon is a mighty engagement and strengthening, to
keep our new covenants. Oh! for God to say to a poor soul, "be of good
cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee." "And I ha