Ninthly As to the Apostle's Expression which is frequently objected in this case Rom. xiv 24. He that doubteth is damned if he eat because he eateth not in Faith and what is not of Faith is Sin You ought to consider that the Word we render Doubting is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 making a difference between Clean and Vnclean Meats 'T is not meant of Eating at the Lord's Table but of Eating those Meats which were forbidden by the Law of Moses to the Jews or such as had been offer'd to Idols and afterward sold in the Market Meats to be Eaten at an ordinary Table concerning which one who believ'd the Obligation of the Law of Moses thought to be Vnclean He was perswaded of the Unlawfulness of Eating but he knows he may Lawfully forbare This is quite another matter than the case of an ordinary doubting Conscience where a Man only doubts on one side of an Action 'T is there but reasonable to chuse that side where he hath no doubt rather than the other where he suspects he may transgress some Law of God tho' he be not certain While the Doubt lasts till a Man be better inform'd supposing he be mistaken he should forbear acting against his present Opinion and Judgment Whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin i. e. Whatever a Man doth without being perswaded of the Lawfulness of it tho' it be not a Sin in it self it is so to him who doth it against his Conscience But as to matter of plain Duty such as Doing this in Remembrance of Christ and shewing forth His Death by coming to His Table it is otherwise The Doubt will not excuse him in the neglect of his Duty His Doubt is double whether he be not bound by the Command of Christ to Communicate but on the other side he doubts whether by some other Law of God he ought not as yet to forbear as not thinking himself duly qualified In such a case What should a Man do but endeavour to fit prepare and qualifie himself as soon and as well as he can that he may not continue to offend God by the neglect of Obedience to an Order of Christ And can such a â—ne say he is as certain he is not qualified to come as he is certain in the general that it is his Duty to come As to the Expression He is Damned if he Eat The meaning is He is Self-condemn'd his Conscience condemns him for he knows 't is lawful to forbear and he believes it to be unlawful to Eat If he do Eat he acts against his own Judgment and so is Self-condemn'd As to matter of Duty an Erring Conscience be sure will not cancel the Obligation of the Law of God If we doubt concerning that which God hath made our Duty our Doubt will not excuse us from Sin for God hath bound us to know our Duty and do it Whatever our Opinion and Perswasion be the Obligation to obey the Command of God remains Our doubting whether it be our Duty doth not make it cease to be so However some Melancholy Persons under great Conflicts and Temptations may suspend and stay away for a while lest they should run into Despair on the Apprehension of having Eaten and Drank their own Damnation They ought not to cherish such Doubts and Fears but endeavour to overcome them and ask Advice and Counsel and use all other fit means in order to it that being better acquainted with themselves they may come with Peace and Comfort If your Hearts consent to be the Lord's according to the tenor of the Covenant of Grace you ought to come and Declare that Consent with your Fellow Christians Tenthly Consider that there is a Scrupulous Conscience which tho' resolv'd and satisfy'd in the main concerning Duty when it comes to act is perplex'd and hindred by unaccountable Fears Tho' there be no just rational Scripture Grounds of Fear or Doubt yet a Person of weak Parts little Knowledge and of a timerous Disposition is easily disquieted with general Jealousies and Fears as to himself and his state towards God He fears tho' he can't tell particularly from the Holy Scriptures why that he is not qualify'd that he shall receive unworthily if he come and eat and drink Judgment to himself Ask why he thinks so He has only some conjectural Suspicions some uncertain Surmises of his own Condition arising from some mistaken Notions of the Qualications and Preparation necessary to a Worthy Communicant These general unscriptual Doubts Jealousies and Fears if countenanc'd and indulg'd will increase and like Circles in the Water continue and beget one another But a good Man would not deal with his Neighbour after this manner as with himself He would not he ought not to judge hardly of a Neighbour by general Rumors of Accusation or every idle Objection and imaginary Supposition that may be made to his Prejudice if when particularly Enquired into solid and positive Proof is wanting You must not judge hardly of your selves any more than favourably but according to the Word of God the Rule of Judgment Lastly If you have not Assurance yet if your Hearts accuse you not of Hypocrisie and double Dealing if you can say As far as I know my own Heart and Life I think I do sincerely consent to the Covenant of Grace and am really chang'd as to my Principles and Ends I am unfeignedly willing without reserve to be the Lord's You may come to renew and seal your Covenant Can you say I believe the Gospel to be true I am willing to have Christ for my Saviour and Lord and absolutely to resign my self to Him to be rul'd by His Laws and sav'd by His Righteousness My Imperfections I bewail my Corruptions I strive against and endeavour to Mortifie and as far as I know my self am willing to part with every known Sin I am not certain I am a true Believer but I would fain be deliver'd by Christ from the Dominion of Sin as well as the Condemnation of it Now where the Case is thus what should be a bar to your coming to the Lord's Table Such a sense of Sin and striving against it and desire to be rid of it is your very Fitness And in this as well as other cases we may act according to the best of our Judgment notwithstanding some considerable Doubts Christians You may come with Humility and Reverence paying Homage to a Crucify'd Saviour having found your Sins and being humbled and penitent judging and condemning your selves for 'em tho' you have not so clearly discover'd your Graces as to be able to Rejoyce you may come with broken and contrite Hearts as Penitent Sinners if you can't come with Assurance that you are Pardon'd Sinners you may come sensible of your need of Christ if you can't come with the clear knowledge of your Interest in Him Come with Humility and Contrition of Returning Penitents tho' you can't come with the Joy of Faith as Assured Believers Come with Hunger
and Thirst after Christ and His Righteousness tho' you dare not yet say My Beloved is mine and I am His. Come humbly and Apply yourselves to Him as you can if you can't Apply Him to your selves as you would Honour Him as your Lord when you can't appropriate Him to your self as your Saviour Own His Propriety in you tho' you are not assured of your Interest in Him Come and say Lord I Believe help my Vnbelief If you can't triumphantly say He Lov'd me and Dyed for me You can't with Certainty say He is Mine but you can say it with Sincerity that you desire to be His You resolve to be so and accordingly give up your selves to Him Lord help me Lord save me Lord strengthen me Lord deliver me for I am Thine as the Psalmist frequently speaks You may use such Language Lord I am Thine Devoted Dedicated Resigned Willing to be Thine tho' I can't say with present Joy and Comfort what that truly infers That He is Mine You can say Lord. If I am rejected refus'd cast off and left to Perish there shall One Perish who did heartily and unfeignedly Desire to be the Lord's But you may be certain that such shall never Perish if they follow on to know the Lord and seek him Let me therefore bring this home to Doubting Trembling Christians who are afraid to tarry away from the Lord's Table and yet for want of Assurance are doubtful whether they should come or no. You have Examin'd your selves and found out your Sins so as to be humbled for them You are among such as Hunger and Thirst you can't deny it And is not Blessedness promised to such Matth. v. 6. You are in the Number of such as are weary and heavy laden for Sin and is there not Rest promised to the Souls of such Matth. xi 29. The Blessings of the Covenant have been offer'd to you you consent to the Terms on which they are propos'd and desire to trust in Christ to do all this for you which he hath promised Why should not you come and Seal this at the Lord's Table and profess this to be the Sense of your Hearts Is all this no Evidence of Faith You may have true unfeigned Faith tho' you don't know certainly that it is true If Sin be a Burthen and you are weary of it and would fain have it more subdu'd and you ong for more Conformity to Christ that the same Spirit may be in you that was in Him If you long to have the Love of Christ rule and reign more in your Souls If it be thus you may come in Hope and plead his Word and pray for His Grace and devote and give up your selves to be the Lords You may do this Acceptably at His Table without a certain Perswasion and assured Knowledge that you are passed from Death to Life and made an Heir of Heaven Tho' you have some Fears of Hypocrisie you dare not say but you have some Hopes that you are Sincere and a mixture of some Fear with your Hope should not discourage you Doubts concerning the Truth of your Faith are very consistent with the Reality of it The shaking of a Tree will not argue it is not a Tree or not Alive Our Lord hath told you He is willing to be your Saviour I tell you again that He is Willing to be Yours in all His Offices as Prophet Priest and King He hath done and suffer'd enough one would think to testifie His Willingness to declare His Love and express His Kindness and Good-will Can you think of His Bloody Death and Sufferings and question His Willingness to Receive and Pardon and Save Sinners Now dare you deny that you are willing to be His To forsake all Compeditors and Rivals and accept Him for your only Saviour If you are heartily Willing you are accepted you are united to Christ and interested in Him And will you not lift up your Heads in Hope Will you still cherish unscriptural unreasonable Doubts that have no foundation in the Word of God Will you continue to doubt of His Love tho' you can't deny the Evidence of it Do you not love Him so that you can part with All in this World to be assur'd of His Love and the want of this Knowledge and Assurance is the daily Burthen of your Hearts and the Matter of your continual Complaint If He should ask you as He did Peter this Evening or to Morrow Morning Soul Lovest thou me What Answer could you make but this Lord I cannot say Thou lovest me O that I could but as far as I know my own Heart I do love Thee I desire to love Thee I would fain love Thee I approve esteem and judge those the happiest Souls that love Thee most and live in Thy Love Oh what would I not give or do or part with if I might be One of them The Reflections I would make on what has been said will concern two Sorts of Persons of a very different Character First I would Caution some not to abuse or mis-improve this Discourse by emboldening themselves to come to the Lord's Table in their Hypocrisie and under the reigning Power of Sin Let them not think that 't is enough if they can but make themselves uncertain whether they are Hypocrites or no. There are some who have no Assurance of their Salvation and it is impossible they should their State will not admit it They are under the Dominion of Sin and live in the Impurities of the Flesh and under the prevailing power of an Earthly Mind destitute of Love to God and Strangers to Faith in Christ and yet will adventure to come frequently to the Table of the Lord. 'T is a terrible Passage He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh Damnation to himself Temporal Judgments and Calamity in many Cases Spiritual in others and without Repentance Eternal which frightens Some from Communicating at all which it should not but doth not deter Others from coming unworthily which it should There are divers such who thro' Sloth and Negligence and Inconsideration for want of Enquiring into their true State are ready to flatter themselves from some little things as transient Affections in the publick Duties of Religion c. that their State is good but they do not allow themselves leisure to think what they are and with many the hurry of their Earthly Business will hardly permit them to retire for Self-Examination And yet they will come they will do as others and without further search take it for granted that they may and ought to come to the Table of the Lord. Sometimes they have checks of Conscience and if they think of Dying are afraid and well they may there is reason for it Such Professors should take heed of abusing what hath been said to Others who need it They like to hear that many who have Doubts and Fears concerning their State may yet come to the Lord's Table 't is good News to
Effectual Calling Justification Adoption and Sanctification but such as have full Assurance that they have received all these there would be little Confession Prayer and Thanksgiving in the Christian World Is it unlawful to say I Believe while there is a mixture of Unbelief We must let alone a great part of our Religion if we may not act upon Hope short of Assurance And if all doubting trembling Christians should be debarr'd the Lord's Table till they have Certainty and Assurance there would not only be very few to partake of it but we should exclude some of the fittest the most acceptable and most welcom Guests at that Feast of Love Therefore we may have many Fears and Scruples yet if Conscience enlightned by the Word of God do not positively condemn us tho' upon Self-Examination it doth not clearly and fully absolve us we may come in Hope Seventhly Tho' you have not yet attain'd Assurance of the Love of God and of your reconciled justified State yet by waiting on God in the use of His Holy Ordinances you may expect and hope to attain it You may and ought to wait for the Communications of His Grace and Love in the use of all His Appointed Means and 't is one End and Use of The Lord's-Supper to strengthen weak Faith and to help doubting Christians You have there a Sign and Seal of the Righteousness of Faith The Blood of Christ is there represented as shed for the Remission of your Sins The Benefits of Redemption are offer'd to you in particular and you are called to apply them to yourself as if your Names were mention'd You are there call'd to profess your Acceptance of Christ and the offer'd Salvation of the Gospel and to surrender and give back your selves entirely to be the Lord's This Feast was not appointed only for those who are the most perfect Christians and highest in Grace but for the Relief and Supply of your Spiritual Wants You come there not only to be Thankful for what Grace you have received but to receive more What would you think if one should tell you You must not eat till your Hunger be first satisfy'd or not come to the Fire till you are first Warm or not take Physick till you have recover'd your Health The Seals of the Covenant are appointed for our greater Confirmation that the Heirs of the Promise might have more abundant Consolation and Joy And in this Ordinance our Saviour Speaks more solemnly more particularly and more pathetically to us for the help of our Faith than by the Ministry of the Word What is spoken in general by the Preaching of the Word is here particularly apply'd to individual Persons to support Weak and Doubting Christians as well as to confirm the Joy of their Stronger Brethren You may as well neglect hearing the Word and pray and hope for Faith as expect Assurance and neglect the Lord's Table The Primitive Christians who walked in the Fear of God and in the Comforts of the Holy Ghost continued in the practice of breaking the holy Bread partaking of this Ordinance and so could Eat their common Meat with gladness of Heart praising God It may be you 'll find as Jesus made Himself known to the two Disciples in breaking of Bread to allude to that Expression tho' I think it not meant of Sacramental Bread so you may find by waiting on God in this Ordinance your Doubts scatter'd your Jealousies remov'd your Difficulties clear'd your Objections answer'd and the goodness of your State which before was doubtful made manifest and evident to the Joy of your Souls Therefore refuse not o pay Homage to your Crucify'd Saviour by partaking of this Ordinance believing that you shall not do it in vain It may be e'er you are aware your Souls shall be as the Chariots of Aminadab you can't tell but your Attendance on this Institution shall be the happy means which God will make use of to scatter and cure your Doubts And by your neglect of this Ordinance you not only take the most likely course to increase and continue your Doubts and Fears but are in danger to lose that Seriousness of Spirit and sense of Religion which you now have by denying your self those Means and Helps by which it is preserv'd and maintain'd in other Christians Eighthly Consider that after Self-Examination you may sometimes find one Grace more evident than another A Christian can say sometimes more hopefully that he lives by Faith sometimes that he has true Repentance and Godly Sorrow for Sin sometimes he can say more concerning the truth of his Love to Christ sometimes concerning his Hunger and Thirst after Christ and the Spirituality and Earnestness of his Desires And if you can discover Truth and Integrity of Heart as to any of these you may so far take Comfort But especially as to Faith and Love the two Radical Graces which do influence and strengthen all others and by which you may make the best judgment of your self And a difference you must allow for different Times and Seasons Tho' it may be you cannot now say so much concerning this or the other particular Grace yet at such a time upon serious Reflection you could say a great deal to the Glory of God and to your own Consolation you think that it is much better now with others than with you but it may be the last Month at the last Sacrament you could say truly concerning your Communion with God and the Evidence of His Love and the Expression of your own and the Exercise of other Graces a great deal more than any of those Christians and Brethren whom you apprehend to be so much above and before you Remember how at such a time according to such a Scripture Character of an Upright Christian your Hearts could bear witness and God did bear witness by his Spirit that you were not Hypocrites Did you not record it Did you not promise to remember it and improve it Call to mind what hath pass'd between God and your Souls as to such things And if there be no notable declining to the World and the Flesh or commission of gross Sins or wilful Carelessness or Remissness which must be particularly repented of and reform'd in order to Pardon and Peace you may take comfort in former Evidences and Experience If a Father have forgiven a Child that had offended him and told him so must he be every day telling him again and again that he hath forgiven him or he won't believe it If God hath comfortably resolv'd your Doubts tho' some time since you may be encourag'd by it for you have not alway the same Opportunity or Help outward or inward to discern aright the State of your Soul not alway the same clearness of Apprehension or sedateness of Mind or Assistance of God's Spirit to determine and resolve the great Question 'T is unreasonable on every turn to expect a new Answer from God as if he had given you none before