his face without spot in renewing covenant with God, must first "put
iniquity far away, and not suffer wickedness to dwell in his
tabernacles," as Zophar advises Job, chap. xi. 14, 15. They that would
take on with a new master must be fairly parted from the old, there is
no way of pleasing both Christ and mammon, and therefore no possibility
of serving both; whence the nature of covenanting work requires, that
there be an upright putting away of all sin; for if the soul have any
secret reserves in favor of a beloved sin, it has no ground to think
that Christ will accept it, as his covenanted spouse and bride. Nor is
this all, but 2dly, it must be mourned over and truly bewailed,
especially upon the account of the offence done to a gracious God
thereby; which sorrow must not be of an ordinary sort, but an
extraordinary and most intense sorrow, for it cannot be an ordinary kind
of sorrow, provided it be in any suitable measure proportioned to the
offence. And 3dly, which follows upon the former, there must be a
"loathing of the person's self because of these its ways and doings that
have not been good in his sight," Ezek. vi. 9, even to that degree as to
fill the soul with wonder and astonishment, that ever it should have an
occasion of renewing covenant with God again. 4thly, There must be a
sincere and hearty resolving against all sins, consequent upon this
loathing; the soul saying with a steady purpose, "if I have done
iniquity I will do so no more," Job xxxiv. 32.

2dly, As to the latter, the things engaged unto render the nature of
covenanting work difficult and weighty, which are duties of various
kinds, such as, 1st, Holiness towards God, which is one special and
chief part of the covenant, and that not for a time only, but for ever;
both in regard that God, the party covenanted with, is holy and
unchangeably so, and calls his people to imitate him in this attribute
especially; and also in regard that the covenant itself is for its