trying whether they have Communicated acceptablly or Unworthily they must distinguish between their being helped to perform the Substance of the work then required and having their Graces revived and elevated by the shining of God's Face upon them because a Believer may sincerely receive Christ Offered to him in the Sacrament when â—â—ere is not such lifting up of God's Countenance upon him as at other times a Believer may be under some deserved rebuke even at the Lord's Table and yet he cleaveth to Christ though hiding his face and affectionatly Embraceth Him though his affections be not raised to that hight that they have been and should be 3. There is great need of wisdom from God how to Judge of the passions of mens souls in time of communicating for some men may have great flashes of Grief or joy at such times who know no such thing at other times or if they should be so at other times yet no better than the weeping of an Esau or the joy of an Hypocrite which soon perisheth others again at the same work may have true Godly sorrowing melting down their hearts before the Lord in the Sense of their sin and sometimes the Joy of the Lord 's true Spiritual comfort replenishing their fouls so that they find it unspeakable and these elevated affections having a sincere Root flowing from indignation at sin or Love to Christ are most desireable so that it should or will be painful to a Believer if he find not some gale of affections suitable in some measure to the love he is receiving and publishing at the Lord's Table nor will it abate his regard to these due affections that an Hypocrite may have the Counterfit of them Fourthly Such Believers as doubt of their acceptance at the Lord's Table which doubt doth often arise from people not being comforted at that time or the lowness of their graces not acting vigourously when they were Partaking such Communicants I say for preventing of disponding disquiet of mind must in Reviewing their work Consider if that which was indispensably necessary was performed that is the souls receiving of Christ as He is offered in the Gospel and offereth Himself to His people in that Ordinance if the heart was opened for Him and He embraced then the most Substantial part of the VVork was performed though there be Cause to Mourn that the affections were so low at such enriching and Honourable work yet Bless God if thou wast enabled to Joyn thy self to the Lord for the Ordinance is not profaned and though thou wast a weak yet not an unworthy Communicant It may also contribute to thy Comfort if when thou comest from the Lord's Table thou findest in thy Soul First an Inclination to Praise and Exalt thy Redeemer and for this particularly that He did not utterly forsake thy soul as thou knowest was deserved and though thou had a Rebuke by the hiding of His Face as to thy Comfort yet thou submits to it and does not cease to love Him knowing that He can make a Blessing of that froun to render thee more humble and diligent for the time to come 2. If thou find a desire to hold fast what thou hast received Thou art so far from having done with Christ when thou has done at the Table that thy heart cleaveth close to Him and so much the more if thou had any fear of His anger by withdrawing of His Comfort if thou canst not sray from Him but must have some renewed Testimony of His Love fear of His anger being too heavy for thee to bear Job 10. 2. Psal 80. 7. Thirdly VVhen thou comes from the Lord's Table thou findest upon thy heart a fear of sinning that thy Lord be not provocked more and this fear is of any manner of sinning so that there is no Trial or trouble thou fearest so much as sin and so much the more because thou thinkest thy sin hath provocked thy God already thy indignation is now raised against all sin as thy greatest Enemy making thee long to be Delivered from Root and Branch of it Rom. 7. 24. Fourthly If this thy Indignation at sin be Testifyed by thy watching against it and all Temptations leading to it though it were as Plucking out of the Right Eye if thou find thy heart Purified then thou has the Faith of God's Elect the cleansing Vertue of Christ's Blood hath reached thy Soul for nothing else could do it 1 Peter 1. 19 22. Fifthly If thou comest from the Lord's Table with this fixed on thy heart that from henceforth whatever come in thy way thou wilt Believe let the Difficulty be never so far above thy Strength thou wilt Honour thy Redeemer by Trusting Him with any thing without exception thou has now Professed thy self a Believer before Angels and men and by Grace thou wilt act as becometh a Believer thou fearest sin thou fearest Temptations thou wants not fear that the Burden of some Trials is ready to breake thy Back but now thou dare fear none of them with a faithless fainting fear knowing thy Redeemer is Strong and that thou art Solemnly Engaged to Trust Him at all times If this be the fruit of thy Communicating then the Bond of the Covenant hath bound thy heart to thy Lord then thy heart beareth the Impression of His Seal Psal 52. 8. Sixthly Since thou came from the Lord's Supper observe what Gracious alterations are to be found in thy Soul and Practice that were not found before what thou can find of that exceeding great and Mighty Power whereby the Lord worketh in them that believe if thou has not only brought Godly resolutions from that Ordinance but vertue and power if thou can observe more of the Spirit of Power in thy Duties if there be any observable new spring that decayed Graces are revived if thy sin be languishing and Grace flowrishing if whatever Holy work thou art Engaged in some vigour Life and strength appeareth thou art not now desiring to shift clear Duties thy heart and thy work go now together which often before were far asunder thou now takest delight in doing thy Lord's VVill thou can run now and not weary as formerly if this be found then the Lord hath abundantly Blessed thy Provision thy Meat hath been thy Blessing and thou mayest now find it even as Christ said His flesh Meat indeed and His Blood Drink indeed I shal add but one word more to such as still fear they did not Communicate acceptably even as to the very Substance of the work and cannot say they Believed when they did Partake Answ This Fear is very afflicting but some who find not comfort at a Communion are so cast down and so disturbed in their apprehensions concluding the Lord hath diserted them that they can see nothing for their Comfort and sometimes refuse to be comforted having a strange kind of pleasure to harden themselves in sorrow though they did Believe in the time of Partaking yet now they have not an
not mercifully Remembred me this day in bringing me here where I find the Bread of Life hath he not now made me taste of that Tree of Life which shal be food for ever and all by His Gracious Remembring of me and shal I not Remember His Love more than Wine no thanks to me O Lord to Remember Thee and thy Love hadst thou required me to pass through some flames of a Hell it were my part to essay it at thy Command how much more when I have nothing but Love to remember shal not I remember thy unquenchable Love who hast rescued me from unquenchable Flames I have many times VVretchedly done what I could to quench thy Love but many waters hath not done it I do remember it Lord and through thy Grace will remember it and I will do this which thou now Requirest in remembrance of Thee and Thy love giving Thee thanks for Commanding it and had I nothing else to do in this Ordinance yet by Thy grace Thy gracious Command shal be Answered though in great weakness Here also is another part of this Blessed Communion Christ requiring remembrance and the Believer cordially yielding it 10. And when thou hearest of the shewing forth of His Death which Christ is not ashamed of but will have it in this manner Published then saith the Believer that Death brought Life to my Soul that Death hath overcome Death for me that now I may say O Death where is thy Sting by this Death is the Death of Deaths Hos 13. 14. O Death I will be thy plague and 1 Cor. 15. 54. Death is swallowed up in victory Death was long my terrour and kept me in Bondage not knowing what hour the first and the second Death might surprise me together now when I must go through that Passage I hope to fear no evil Christ hath Sweetned the Passage made it no Enemy but a necessary step for puting off Corruption that I may be Cloathed with incorruption there shal be no Prints of Sin or Death seen upon me no spot or wrinkle by the shrugs of Death I shal take no stench of Death with me where I go and all this by His Death who was Slain and is Alive I will this day apply it thankfully and Solemnly shew it Forth Christ Crucified being my Glory and He who bringeth me to Glory desiring in my Soul that His Death were shewed Forth from the Rising to the Setting of the Sun Here also is a part of this Blessed Communion Christ Requiring His Death to be shew'd Forth and the Believer cordially performing it 11. VVhen the Believer heareth that the Cup is the New Testament in His Blood Considering that by the Death of the Testator the Testament is of Force Heb. 9. 16 17. The Believer Interested in the Legacy may now with Confidence expect what is bequathed for the Testament thus Confirmed cannot be Disanulled Gal. 3. 15. Then saith the Believer I will give Credit to the Tokens and Pledges devised by Himself for my Confirmation He requireth me to take them as such and so I receive them from Him who is Faithful I will from henceforth expect all the Promised Blessings that I stand in need of for in this Covenant or Testament is all my Salvation Christ hath made all sure by His Death and now He hath made all sure to me by His Seal I dare not distrust His Seal or Pledges He hath made me a Believer He hath this day given me to believe in Christ Crucified I have Received Him according to His Offer He hath given me power to become one of the Children of God His Testament therefore is for me and it's Seal sealeth me up unto the day of Redemption and here is a comfortable part of this Communion with Christ He giveth the Pledges and Seal of His Testament and the Believer joyfully receiving them as such and Rendering Him Praise the Believer resolving now to go to Death in humble confidence That the Lord hath made an everlasting Covenant with him ordered in all things and sure These are but a taste of the seasonable Meditations in the time of Partaking and a Help for preventing Impertinent wanderings of the Mind and though a Communicant reach not all such particular Meditations at one time yet one or moe suitable serious Meditations on Christ's words of Institution will be found by the Blessing of God a mean to keep the Soul at that work which God then Requireth and so prevent the wounding Reflections of many after they have Communicated for it must be supposed that every Godly Communicant will reviewe the way how his Soul was Imployed at the Lord's Table and if he find that his Meditations were not opposit to the work it cannot but make a very bitter Reflection Know also that these Meditations already hinted are but for puting some weak People in mind to keep close by the Institution lest their thoughts go off their VVork but no ways intended as any Restriction or Limiting of Communicants except from wandring for if Christ manifest Himself and entertain thee with His Loves thou will not need such Helps for He can soon Elevate thy Soul into such Meditations affections and joy by the Breathings of His Spirit as thy self cannot Express and all of them suitable to the Blessed work thou art about CHAP. VII Believers should desire to Partake of this Communion The sixth Inference THis Blessed Ordinance of the Lord's Supper being the Communion of Christ's Body and Blood then Believers are oblidged to have a sincere and an earnest desire to partake of so great a Mercy And that we should desire this great Benfit Consider First The Lord Commandeth it and therefore we should have a desire and a delight to do His will we may not chuse or refuse as our inclination leadeth which appeareth to be the Errour of many not Considering that the Lord will call to an account what Regard is testified to so Gracious a Command which is to be Lamented that so many make their Humours their Rule they have not a mind to it it 's not their present desire and so lay it aside forgetting that it should be their desire because of Christ's Merciful Command 2. Because it 's a Feast of pure Love on Christ's part therefore it should be desired it was His Love that laid it's Foundation in laying down His Life 2. It 's His Love to appoint such a Memorial of it 3. His Love the Tokens of it then to be Communicated to Believers in a special manner Can there be Love where there is no desire to meet with Love and entertain it Consider what is to be your Feast the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the World if this be believed in heart how can ye but hunger and desire to eat for such Food will not be always in your Offer give praise that ever ye had the Offer of that which will make you praise for ever and be satisfying to
Advice to Communicants For necessary preparation and profitable improvement of the great and comfortable Ordinance of the Lords Supper That therein true spiritual Communion with Christ may be obtained and the eternal enjoyment of God Sealed By Robert Craghead Minister of the Gospel in L. Derry Acts 2. 42. And they continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayer 1 Cor 11. 28. But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. verse 31. For if we would judge our seâ—ves we should not be judged EDINBVRGH Printed for William Dickie Book-seller in Glasgow and are to be sold at his Shop in the Saltmarket 1695. To the Right Honourable The Lord Provost The Bailiffs The Dean of Gild The Deacon Conveener and remnant Members of the Council of the City of Glasgow c. And all the Inhabitants thereof THe unquestionable duty of all men who cannot pay just Debt is at least to acknowledge it specially where the Debt is so great that the Debitor is not responsable when I remember the good hand of God upon me in bringing me to such a refuge as Glasgow through so many difficulties and dangers having stayed in Derry until the second day of its Siege could not get out of the Gates without great difficulty and forced to leave the half of my Family within the Walls by the violence of Souldiers and the next day was taken and Robbed by the Enemies yet coming unto you in grief for the lamentable State of this Nation and particular relations found no less affectionat tenderness and care than if I had come among so many near Relations being suffered to want nothing necessary for this life Many others also of this Nation do and have reason to remember gratefully your labour of love in their destitute condition I can see no reason why such seasonable compassions should be buried in oblivion but rather should be published according to many Scriptural precedents rendering fragrant and perpetuating the memory of such Christian Sympathy And though in point of modesty some find it difficult to commend Benefactors to their face yet find no less dissicult to be ungrate Your friendly reception of me at first was not all for after ye were pleased to call me for a season to labour in Gospel-work your acceptance of my poor labours was yet a greater comfort and the testimonies I had of affection from Magistrats Ministers and People were really surprising being conferred on so worthless a Creature and that which added yet more to render my lot comfortable at that time was the exemplary conversation of many Christians whose knowledge and experience in godliness was such as gave occasion for my own edification every day Pardon this confidence of perfixiâ—g your honourable Names to so mean a Work which I the rather hope to obtain because experience of your former indulgence hath made me thus presume to hope for acceptance of an affectionat and obliged testimony of gratitude though it be but as a mite where so many Talents are due And that ye may continue of one heart and way exemplary as hitherto in appearing for and promoting the Kingdom of Christ that your labour of love may be fruit abounding to your account that the Countenance of God may be lifted up and his face shine on your assemblies and that upon all the glory a defence may be created to continue from generation to generation is the desire of Right Honourable Your obliged Servant in the Lord ROB CRAGHEAD L. Derry Feb. 26. 1694 5 TO THE Christian Reader REason requireth that the ensueing Discourse appear with an Apology in the entry for troubling the World with any thing new on the Lords Supper by so unpolished a Pen after so many elaborate and profitable Treatises on this subject but for thy satisfaction know that though I presume not to offer any thing near so excellent as others yet having occasion to converse with many in soul-distress on the account of the Lords Supper some doubting if they should Partake others troubled because they did Partake and some afflicted because they did not Partake Finding also some objections from their own mouths that have not been usual and because they have not occurred to others are therefore not discussed by such as have written Learnedly and Piously on this Sacrament and being peculiarly concerned with some who are thus troubled found it Duty to endeavour their relief by a few particular instructions not presuming a Treatise on the Lords Supper so Divine and profound a Subject as giveth work sufficient if not more tâ— the most able and choice of men if all thingâ— be considered that natively belong to thaâ— Ordinance The Lords Supper is a largâ— and fertile Field where diligent Reapers may yet find more and more for the gathering both for the comfort of Believers anâ— seasonable warning to the presumptuous As for Believers First There is an appointed meeting between Christ and them the desire of all Nations is there to be received He who is our all the one peaâ—â— for which when the richest of men sell theiâ— Earthly all yet have him freely and for nothing the light and glory of Heaven cometh down to us to be the hope of Glory in us He cometh with Garments rolled in Blood to make us know what we cost him and through these Garments Eternal and overcoming love shineth warmeth and attracteth the hearts of Believers 2. Christ cometh in this Ordinance to give Believers a hearty taste of that intimate Communion which shall hereafter be the fulness of their joy their Crown and their Glory and though now they see him but darkly yet they know it to be himself and not another and when he and they shall meet again in another manner when he shal come to receive them without a Vail on his glorious Face they shall know it 's the same blessed Face which they beheld before but as in a Glass How sweet to think on that meeting with Hope Where the hope is sure as an Anchor already entred within the vail at the first Celebration Christ willed the Communicants to raise up their hearts to the Meditations and joyful Expectations of that blessed Communion to come by putting them in mind that he and they shal drink together of the new Wine in his Fathers Kingdom 3. Believers admitted to true Communion with him in this Ordinance receive with himself grace to love his fellowship grace to hate what offereth to separat grace to love the means of its continuance grace to long for its perfection when he who is full of grace and truth comes near to a poor sinner the savour of his Oyntments goeth to the poor mans heart Christ bringeth him near not that he may look at him and get nothing but look and be saved behold and be transformed into the same image eat and be satisfied Christ's fulness of Grace overfloweth yielding
showers of Blessings to the dry and parched Ground we cannot so much as touch him by Faith but vertue proceedeth for healing the poor sinner 4. Here also is the Seal of Christ's Testament securing the Believer he shal be preserved unto the Heavenly Kingdom and be forever witb the Lord he hath given himself to them and they bave received him Therefore now no Sin no Death no Devil no ensnaring World nothing present or to come shall separate from his Love The believing Receiver may and should conclude this because the honour and regard that is due to Christ's Seal and therefore together with dependance on the Spirits sealing the Believer is not to be idle waiting only if assurance will drop down upon him but is to endeavour the assuring of his own heart by the Seal of God On the other hand the danger is great if this Ordinance be profaned for the more of Christ's Love shine in any Ordinance the nearer he cometh with the offers of his Love the more heinous is the profanation Now of all Gospel Ordinances Christ offereth to come nearest to us in the Lords Supper preaching is to bring us near to Christ but in the Lords Supper the Believer directly acteth Communion with Christ and therefore this Ordinance doth in a peculiar manner bear this name of Communion There is no cause then of judging it great severity when it 's said he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh Damnation or Judgement to himself some are ready to say these were monsters of men who imbrued their vile hands in that precious Blood they would not have been guilty of it for all the Kingdoms of the Earth who yet forget that the Lord chargeth the same guilt on themselves for profaneing that holy Ordinance being thereby guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. The danger of this hath made me insist the more largely on that head of Self-examination before partaking at the Lords Table which perhaps some may think tedious but if it may conduce as a mean to prevent the guilt of one poor soul I shall not think any pains too much as for others who find no need of so many and particular Examinations they may pass them by and leave them to others Some may be apt to Object the same against so long discoursing on Communion with God but whosoever Objecteth this let him Consider First That Communion with Christ is the very Text and Subject in haâ—d 2. If Men know nothing of the Nature and Way of Communion with God how shall they seek after it in the Sacrament 3. If true Communion with Christ be obtained at the Lord ' s Table then it ought to be Cherished and Entertained in a Believers Walk for Christ being Received we are to Walk in Him It were great Ignorance if not Ir-religious profaneness to say that Communion with Christ being Obtained at His Table we are to be no more concerned with it until the next Communion for such as are of this Opinion have just cause of Fear they never yet had Communion with Christ any where 4 The very Happiness of men consisting in Communion with God this being the Believers only help and Comfort it's interruptions his great loss grief disquiet finding that without it he is as nothing for nothing but evil I therefore wish this little hint of it may be serviceable were it for no more but to excite others better Qualified Blessed with more experience to write on this Subject of Communion with God by it self in a more full and particular manner than I have yet seen or such a weak Person as I am able to perform Some also will probally Object against the many Objections here Published especially these Temptations mentioned that it might be Prudence rather to conceal some of them To which I answered First That many Horrid Temptations are Recorded in the Holy Scriptures as also the Mercy of God's delivering from them Published to His Glory Therefore His Gracious support under such Temptations and granting frequently a Comfortable Victorie is not to be concealed 2. It 's necessary that People be Warned and Armed for the worst of Temptations that so they may be fixed by the Armour of God before they be assaulted 3. Many conceal their Temptations too long until they are ready to sink and are sâ—ill silent for this very Reason that they hear so little of the Temptations of others and therefore think there is no sorrow like theirs which addeth to their Affliction whereas some particulâ—ar Instructions Pertinent to their distressed Case ready at hand might by the Blessing of God be Vseful especially in the beginning of their Temptations 4. This requireth the more Publick consideration because such distressed Souls under grievous Temptations and Suggestions are more Numerous than is commonly Apprehended and these not only of our Perswassion for I can give Instances of several sober Persons now living and of another Perswassion Afflicted in like manner 5. Let it be Considered that their is nothing in the following Discourse for Indulging any manner of Temptations but what is said is to resist them in a Christian manner The last thing I am to acquaint thee with is that this little Treatise being wholy practical and designed only to for help to the weaker sort of Christians it 's stile is fitted for the meanest for though Controversies cannot be Mannaged without words dificult to the Ignorant yet it hath sometimes grieved Me to see some Excellent practical Books Thrown away by some Readers for no other Reason but that the Words were above their reach which I Humbly Conceive should be conscientiously prevented for knowing Readers can understand the plainest but the Ignorant cannot understand words for which they had no Education That this Essay notwithstanding it 's Manifold Imperfections may Obtain thy candide reception and that it may prove by the Blessing of God in some Measure Servicable to to thy Souls great Interest is the desire of Thy Souls well wisher and Servant for Christ's sake R. C. CHAP. I. 1 Corinthians 10. 16. The Cup of blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ the Bread which we break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ COmmunion with God is justly the wonder of all that obtain it who can do little more while here but wonder not understanding it's value untill the shaddows flee away and they see His Face in a greater brightness This dignity and mercy must be exceeding great seing the blood of him who is God was shed for it's Purchase The just suffering for the unjust to bring us to God 1 Pet. 3. 18. But when his servants shal serve him and see his Face and thereby themselves be made to shine in their Fathers Kingdom then shal the glory of that love which contrived and the glory of that love which purchased this Communion be celebrated in another manner Yet this Communion
took bread and blessed it Thirdly after it 's blessed it remaineth still bread the Apostle doth not say the Body which we break but the Bread which we break now the Bread is not broken before but after it 's blessed for he took bread and blessed it and brake and the Apostle saith expresly it's Bread which is broken but if after the blessing or consecration the bread were transubstantiated into the natural Body of Christ then the Apostle had said the Body which we break sure the Apostle knew what name to give it having received of the Lord what he delivereth and what can be more plain than that it 's still Bread when it 's broken which is after it's consecration this breaking of the bread is so material a part of the institution that the whole of the Sacrament bears its name called the breaking of bread Acts 2. 42. The breaking of Christs precious Body being thereby signified Christ requireth this discerning of his Body broken saying this is my body which is broken for you 1 Cor. 11 24 and the breaking of the bread must be Sacramentally and publlckly performed in sight of the Communicants for their instruction as in the first Celebration And in the last place the sincere Believer in eating of this bread according to Christ's institution doth by Faith receive himself hath special Communion with him and partakes the benefits and purchase made through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all Heb 10 10 This is the Sacrifice he came to give when no other could do and therefore it's memorial should be always fragrant Many pertinent Doctrines may be here observed both from the scope and words of this Text but I shal name only this one Doct. The worthy receiver at the Lords Table hath Communion with Christ in partaking the benefit of his precious blood and broken Body From this great and comfortable truth these ten inferences following appear native which shal be the subject matter of the ensuing Discourse First inference the celebration of the Lords Supper being an holy transaction between Christ and Believers wherein they have the Communion of his Body and blood then the Doctrine of Christ concerning himself what he is what he hath done and suffered should be firmly believed as a foundation for our partaking of this blessed Communion 2. Inference the Lords Supper being the Communion of Christs body and blood to the believer then all who partake are obliged to prepare for so great a blessing particularly to examine themselves before they eat 3. This blessed Ordinance of Christ being the Communion of his body and blood Then Communicants are to approach it with a humble sense of their sin as needing the vertue of that precious blood 4. The worthy Receiver obtaining the Communion of Christs body and blood Then Communicants are obliged to understand what that is which is called Communion with Christ before they partake 5. Seing such blessed near Communion with Christ may be obtained at the Lords Table then Communicants should prepare for entertaining communion with him in the very time of that Solemnity 6. This blessed Ordinance of the Lords Supper being the communion of Christs body and blood then believers are obliged to have a sincere desire to partake of so great a mercy 7. This holy Ordinance being the Communion of Christ body and blood Then believers should approach it with Faith and expectation of this blessed Communion with Christ 8. Seing so great a benefit as the Communion of Christs body and blood may be had in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Then Christians are obliged to endeavour the removal of all objections and stumbling blocks that stand in the way to obstruct their partaking of this benefit 9. This holy Sacrament being the Communion of Christ's body and blood Then after partaking Communicants are obliged to try if they have obtained that blessed Communion 10. This holy Ordinance being the Communion of Christ's body and blood Then Communicants are obliged to live suitable to so great a benefit and testifie their gratitude by an holy walk and conversation CHAP. II. The Doctrine of Christ Crucified must be believed by Communicants The first Inference THe celebration of the Lords Supper being an holy transaction between Christ and Believers wherein they have the Communion of his body and blood then the Doctrine of Christ concerning himself what he is what he hath done and suffered should be firmly believed as a foundation for our partaking of this blessed Communion For if the Doctrine unto which this Sacrament belongeth and whereupon it dependeth be doubted such also will our partaking be not in faith but doubting therefore all concerned who have a due value for their Souls are to labour for fixedness in the great Gospel truths concerning Christ and the way of obtaining Communion with him I shal God willing make this appear in this Chapter and conclude it with a few words of advice to such Communicants as have most need of greater establishment in the truth Consider first that mens professing of Gospel truths is not sufficient proof that they believe these truths for many profess that which they do not believe having no firm perswasion of these truths in their own minds but stand yet in need of being taught which be the first principles of the oracles of God even after such profession and opportunities of knowledge that they might have been teachers of others Heb. 5 12. 2. Nor is want of doubts concerning these truths sufficient evidence that they are firmly believed for the want of doubts doth not always proceed from fixedness in Faith but sometimes from being unconcerned whether the Doctrine be true or false not being so serious as either to believe or doubt 3. Nor is it sufficient that people have an implicite Faith in what concerneth their Salvation because their teachers instruct them so and they so receive having nothing against it because men may be easily shaken out of that sort of Faith and therefore we are to receive the Doctrine of Christ 1 Thes 2 13 not as the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God Particularly first if we do not believe there was and is a Christ we cannot converse with him for who can seek Communion with one of whose very being they doubt Would to God all professed Christians believed in heart firmly that there is a Christ as our merciful God hath given us full evidence for our belief 2. If we do not believe that he is God and man God manifest in the flesh we cannot have Communion with him as such and if we have not Communion with him as such then we have not Communion with the true Christ the Mediator and sent Saviour of the World 3. If we do not believe that he really died then we can have no Communion of his Body and Blood Not believing that his Blood was shed 4. If we do not believe that this his Death
we know clearly provoketh God to give us no more light since we improve not what we have CHAP. 3. Self-examination required of all before Partaking THe second inference is that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper being the Communion of Christâ— Body and Blood to the believer then all whoâ— partake are oblidged to prepare for so great a Blessing particularly to examine themselves before they eat I shall therefore by the Lords help First Givâ— some reasons why this Examining a mans self must noâ— be omitted 2. Answer some objections made against it 3 Shew the manner how it ought to be performed And in the last place Point at these heads wherein we are chiefly to examine our selves before we partake For the First The reasons why every man should examine before he eat are these First It 's expresly Commanded 1 Cor. 11. 28. Let a man examine himself and so let him eat Here is no exception of one by another and therefore we should make none It 's not said let a poor ignorant man examine himself but men of knowledge need not it 's not said let a man examine himself the first time he receives only but whensoever he is to eat let him examine himself Therefore the neglect of this one Duty will render a man guilty before God take care how ye enter the work if ye go out of the road in the beginning of the way you shal not easily know where to fall into it again 2. The transaction betwixt Christ and partakers of the Lords Supper is of the greatest importance for a mans soul for either he shal be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord by unworthy receiving or be blessed with the Seal of God for his eternal happiness if he truly receive Christ Therefore previous examination is most necessary 3 It 's Gods great mercy to our souls that he requireth this Duty of examining our selves and therefore should not be lookt upon as a burden but a mean for preventing our ruine for if after examination you find your selves in the bond of iniquity and in the broad way to the Pit It 's your mercy to know it before you feel it Can you in cold blood think it adviseable that the Pit be your first wakening When the unquenchable flames of Gods wrath are about you are ye resolved to understand the state of your soul no other way Can this be the way of Wisdom Can you approve it And if you cannot in your own conscience approve it but knows it to be a sinful and dangerous neglect Why then will you take a young Hell in your breast to the old Why do you prepare such a gnawing Worm as this will be That here is a man who never had so much regard to Heaven or fear of Hell as to enquire which of them he was going to On the other hand if after examination ye shal find any thing of true Grace the least grain of that fine Gold tried in the Fire though covered with much rubbish if any love of Christ and holiness though but as a smoaking Flax would not the comfort aboundantly compense thy pains canst thou deny it If Christ hath given thee grace is it not worth the looking on that thou mayest at least give him thanks for it Search therefore diligently for thou knowest not the many blessings that may attend a conscientious Examination Psal 119. 59. I thought upon my ways and turned my feet to thy testimonies 4. We are naturally inclined to flatter our selves in our iniquity Psal 36. 2. He flattereth himself in his own eyes And if we could to deceive and flatter God with our lips And therefore are obliged to make a diligent search lest we vainly think we stand in need of nothing when we are wretched and naked Rev. 3. 17. We may think that we live and have a name that we live and yet God find us Dead Rev. 3. 1. What woe of woes what a costly delusion to the poor Soul if still among the Dead and at last under the second Death and the poor man has no more to say but I thought I was alive in my Soul and many others thought so of me I thought that I might be as welcome to the Lords Table as any Christian was there I thought my self more upright than many of them my heart said so to me I many times thought their many Prayers Whinings Groanings Doubts and examining themselves was either but Hypocrisie or vain Labour But now iniquity hath found me out cannot now have one hour for the Work I despised night is come I cannot now see how to work Night is come without hope of a Morning Be wise then as to your latter End for the time is at hand when men will need no Examinations you will be all at a point in a few Years and eternally fixed in your Lot 5. If people will not be at pains to examine themselves before a Communion they will easily neglect it at other times and so are apt to live out of this Duty while they live when men become so impudent as to face the Lords Table not observing his Direction and the manner how to approach it the Direction being perremptory But let a man examine himself So that albeit there be a reluctancy to this profitable Duty yet this should constrain to it as we would not profane the holy things of God and when people make Conscience of it though the Sacrament be in its own nature a confirming Ordinance yet this previous examination hath been signally blessed of God being the very time and mean of awakening many out of their secure sleep in their Sins I know many at this day now exemplary in Holiness who can declare that preparation for Communions in their younger years was the very time their hearts were first engaged to Christ and his ways 6. Some without due examination take up an opinion that they have no grace no Title to Christ or his Table and so deprive themselves of that benefit This opinion was not the result of serious Examination but rather a temptation to obstruct both their Duty and Mercy and this becometh both a Sin and snare to them a Sin because they have not followed Gods Directions in knowing the very state of their Souls and a snaâ—e being thereby barred up from their spiritual good therefore this Self examination is most necessary every way Notwithstanding of the many clear and ponderous Reasons for this examining before Partaking of the Lords Supper yet some object against it as First I know my souls condition so well already that I am resolved not to Communicat anâ— therefore it would be to me but an unprofitable toil and therefore I will leave that Work to such as intend to receive Answ By what Rule can or dare ye resolve not to partake before ye take the way of Gods appointment to examine first and then determine Is it not just with God to leave you to your own
Christ was made a curse for us v. 13. so John 3. 18. He that believeth not is condemned already But Rom. 8. There 's no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus Observe also that God accepteth of sincerity where obedience to the precept is not perfect John 17. 6. They have kept thy word yet their obedience was evidently Imperfect Therefore let not this break up thy work that thou hast nothing suitable to the purity of Gods Law neither conclude thy self graceless because thou doest not that which thou wouldest in obedience to God Rom. 7. 19. 5. Beware of insufficient marks or evidences either of a gracious or graceless State for thou mayest deceive thy self either of the ways It 's not a sufficient work of Grace thou takest delight some times in approaching to God as Isai 58. 2. Nor great appearances if there be no root Matth. 13. 5. forthwith they spring up the appearance may be such as beholders may take notice there is a great change the seed springeth up then appears a fresh green field that appeared not before yet no sound Root none of the uncorruptible seed which springeth up to Life Eternal Thou mayest be again and again ashamed of thy sin and confess it as Saul yet no Godly sorrowing on the account of sin it self you may also have the out side clean and whited beyond others and yet be but whited sepulchres nothing within but Death what is whiter than a dunghill covered over with snow but when the snow is gone the dunghill appears as it was On the other hand it is not easie for a Christian when he Examineth his Souls State to take the highest degrees of grace which hath been attained by the Saints and makes them the only Evidences of true graces as Pauls wish Rom. 9. 3. For I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ for my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh There is no ground to think that is recorded as a Mark whereby every Christian must Try if he be in a State of Grace a man may be a sincere Christian and not know how to manage such a wish The Apostle Paul understood how to abide in Christ notwithstanding of this his extraordinary Zeal for his Countrey-men but the measure of grace is given according to the gift of Christ Eph. 4. The safest way is to take Scriptural Marks such as are set down as evidences of sanctifying Grace for it is Dangerous to overlook these such as that John 3. 3. Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God And 2 Cor. 5. 17. Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are past away behold all things are become new and such as that John 14. 23. If a man love me he will keep my words Such as these are the Marks we should Try our selves by for the Spirit of God hath given them as Discoveries of Grace and our Interest in Christ and therefore it is our sin to neglect them being a great Mercy that the Lord in a manner Condescendeth to answer our Questions How shall I know if Heaven shall be my Habitation It 's answered we must first be born again we must be regenerated by the Spirit of God How shall I know if I be in Christ It 's answered I must be a new Creature How shall I know if I have the love of God It 's answered Prov. 8. 17. I love them that love me again how shall I know if I Love him It 's answered I must keep his Words and 1 John 5. And every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him 6. When thou art under this Tryal seek to have thy Witnesses assisting and speaking freely Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirit that we are the children of God albeit Grace hath been freely given thee yet thou wilt need the help of the Spirit of God to make known the things that are freely given thee as 1 Cor. 2. 12. If the Giver of Grace shine not on Grace it will not appear the Spirit is the Comforter even on this account to give the Comfort of his own Grace to to make it evident for thou canst not Judge without evidence 1 Cor. 2. 10. The Spirit searcheth all things yea the Deep things of God Thy second Witness is thy own Spirit or Conscience for the Spirit beareth witness with our Spirits Let your Conscience speak freely all it hath to say as to the very Intentions and Designs of thy heart for what end and by what Motives thou performest Duties if thy Conscience can Charge thee with hypocrisie let all its Depositions have a fair hearing if it accuse thee of any retained Idol of heart or any lust thou makest Provision for if faithful Witnesses be not heard how shalt thou Judge of thy State or if thy Conscience warrantably Excuse and Comfort thee as to thine Integrity that thou canst humbly appeal to the Searcher of hearts and thy very Soul content he Search thee then thou art not to pass from thine Integrity Job 27. 5. I will not remove my integrity from me 7. Search not only into your sins nor only into your Grace but search out both some who are under Bondage by fear when they Examine themselves look only into their faults and often are apt to say what need for any further Search here are so many sins often prevailing I see them I feel their Power the world also may see many of them in my Practice though they cannot see all whereupon they are forthwith discouraged they open their eyes upon such Words as these Psal 65. 3. Iniquities prevail against me and their faint heart not considering what follows as for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away nor the Interest they have in such Comfort that the Lord will purge away their Iniquities nor that the Grace of God hath made it their ordinary care to keep themselves from their iniquities Psal 18. 23. and cannot deny but sin is their greatest burden Psal 38. 4. And that there is a constant warfare against it Rom. 7. Some on the other hand sinfully covering their sin consider only their best side Luke 18. 11. Lord I thank thee that I am not as other men I am more holy than many others Isa 65. 5. But these are found most unsavoury before the Lord as a smoake in his nose they please themselves as preferable to all others they will soon say come see my zeal 2 Kings 10 16. but dare not say as Psal 139. 24. see if there be any wicked way in me If thou cover thy sins thou shalt not prosper Prov. 28. 13. Therefore be ingenuous with God and thy own Soul search out the worst as well as the best and the best as well as the worst the worst that thou mayest be yet more humbled and the best that thou mayest praise 8 Remember also to search into
thy former ways as well as present otherways there may be unpardoned Guilt upon thee for former sins Psal 79 8. Remember not against us former sins And Psal 25. 7. Forgive the sins of my youth Try what way thou hast taken for the pardon of them lest as Lam. 3 42. thou find we have transgressed thou hast not pardoned Consider also what the Lord did for thee what he wrought in thee in the days of thy youth that though thou be not now as lively as then yet thou must be excited to cry unto God as Job 29. 4. O that it were with me as in the days of my youth when the Secret of God was upon my tabernacle and though thy declinings should be bitter to thee yet try if it did convincingly ever appear thou wast the Planting of the Lord a tree of righteousness bringing forth fruit unto holiness for If it was so though the Tree appear to be cut down as Job 14. 7 There is hope of a tree if it be cut down that it will sprout again and vers 9. through the scent of water it will bud and bring forth boughs like a plant gather what thou canst safely of this nature that thou mayest yet hope to sing as in the days of thy Youth for trees of righteousness never utterly decay both root and branch 9. When thou has not only thy souls Condition and way to Examine whether advancing or backsliding from the ways of God but the very State of thy Soul whether under the Dominion of Sin or Grace and must draw some Conclusion from the whole of thy Examinations for thou art allowed to Judge 1 Cor. 11. 31. For if we would judge our selves we should not be judged Then take care that rash Judgment proceed not look to God that thy Sentence come from before him it being of great moment what thou mayest safely judge of thy self and particularly for clearing thy Right to the Lords Table Delusions being the Ruine of most men The fourth thing to be considered is what we are to Try and Examine and the things that I conceive to be the most necessary are 1. Our knowledge 2. Our Faith 3. Our Love 4. Our Repentance and 5. Our Obedience As to our Knowledge 1. It 's necessary we have some measure of Knowledge of the Lord Himself 2. His Covenant 3. Of the Sacrament it self particularly how to Discern the Lords Body Ye are first to Try your Knowledge of God in Christ for though it be a small Portion of him we can know yet we must know or perish 2 Thess 1. 8. Christ is coming to render Vengeance to them who know not God This Knowledge of God we must have by Jesus Christ for the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God is in the Face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4. 6. We cannot transact with him in this Ordinance if we be Ignorant of him 1 John 1. 6. For if we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie Therefore some competency of Saving Knowledge we must have lest we be found Children of Darkness yet 2. In Examining this think not to find a Knowledge unto Perfection for that which is Perfect is to come 1 Cor. 13. 10. And when that is come all that is in that Infinite Divine Majestie can never be be known by us or finite Creatures We are apt vainly and some times Presumptously to desire such a knowledge as is Gods peculiar Prerogative perfectly to know himself and too often more curious to know what we cannot know than what we should and may know how silencing to all flesh should be Exod. 3. 14. I AM and though all Creatures be incapable of a comprehensive knowledge of that Glorious Immense being yet 3. Great shal be our mercy to apprehend aright of him if your conceptions of him be suitable to the Revelations he hath given of himself in his VVord content thy self with these lest thou wander in thy Imaginations and lose thy self in Aspiring further 4. Do not conclude thou knowest nothing of him because thou knowest not as thou wouldest or knowest not as thou a Believer shalt hereafter 5. Yet try if thou art sure that though weakly yet it is certainly the Lord himself thou knowest this is a greater attainment and mercy then many think to have the Soul delivered from fear of delusion in it's apprehensions of God These words Jer. 24. 7. are of great Consideration I will give them a heart to know me that I am the Lord. These people had long professed the Knowledge of God and yet need to know that he is the Lord. 6. To be sure of thy knowledge try what Impressions have the Divine Attributes made on thy Soul what effects attend thy knowledge Psa 9. 10. They that know thy name will put their trust in thee Try also if thy practice can prove thy knowledge Jer. 22. 15. 16. Thy father did judgment and justice he judged the cause of the poor then it was well with him was not this to know me saith the Lord v. 7. In a special manner try if Christ hath manifested himself to thee if thereby thou has been enabled to Behold him and in Beholding transformed into the same Image 2 Cor. 3. 18. Be particular with thy Conscience to have an account wherein that Blessed Image doth appear 2. VVe must try what knowledge we have of the Covenant of Grace Because First This Ordinance of the Lords Supper is one of it's Seals for here we have the New Testament in his Blood and this blood is the Blood of the Covenant Heb. 13. 20. The blood of the everlasting Covenant therefore the Seal shal be profained if there be no knowledge of that gracious Transaction and Covenant unto which it is a Seal 2. VVe are obliged actually to renew our Covenant with the Lord when we partake of this Ordinance for we are to embrace Christ according to the Terms of his Covenant Receiving of Christ and joyning our selves to the Lord is the very Substance of the VVork which cannot be performed if we be Ignorant of the Covenant for who can take hold or joyn in a Covenant whereof he is utterly Ignorant and the man who taketh not hold of the Covenant cannot have a right to the Seal try then particularly First If ye know the chief Articles of the Covenant if ye know the Difference betwixt doing as the Condition of the Covenant of VVorks and believing as the Condition of the Covenant of Grace try if you believe this great Gospel truth in your heart that whosoever believeth shall not perish â—ohn 3. 16. 2. And that the Covenant of Grace requireth perfection though sincerity be accepted Matth. 5. 48. 3. And that all sincere believing hath gracious Fruits and VVorks attending it for we are created in Christ Jesus unto good works Eph. 2. 10. 4. Do ye know him who is surety of this better testament Heb. 7. 22. In whom all the
Promises are yea and Amen Do ye know that all your Interest in this Covenant is by Jesus Christ who is given a Covenant for the people Isa 42. 6. 5. Do ye know that all your Salvation and all that ye should desire is in this Covenant 2 Sam. 23. 5. That it 's Ordered in all things for your good and sure hath the Lord showen you his Covenant Psal 25. 14. Do ye in heart believe it to be sure 6. VVere ye ever taught of God how to take hold of this Covenant and how to Subscribe your selves the Lords Isa 44. 5. One shall say I am the Lords and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord If ye know nothing of it ye cannot perform it and if not performed the Seal is not yours for ye have not Subscribed to the Deed. Remember Christian thou hast no other Charter for thy part of Heaven but this Covenant of Grace and if thou art a Christian indeed it will be to the as a Fountain of Joys that he hath made with thee an everlasting Covenant thou wilt never think thy self safe till thou know thou art Savingly in it and therefore it will be the great concern of thy Soul how to Joyn thy self to the Lord especially before thou partake of it's Seal blessed is that hour wherein a man may say now I subscribed my self the Lords I have given my self to him and he hath received me graciously what has thou to do from thy Birth to thy Grave like this which can make thee sing in the face of Death 3. Try thy Knowledge of the Sacrament it self specially if thou canst Spiritually and believingly Discern the Lords Body for if thou Discernest no more than Bread and VVine thou wilt Receive no more and if thou Receivest no more thou hast not Received the Sacrament of Christs Institution thou hast but a shadow for the Substance besides the Guilt of profaning that Holy Ordinance The words of the Holy Ghost are carefully to be remarked 1 Cor. 11. 29. he eateth and drinketh Damnation to himself not discerning the Lords Body This Discerning of his Body is a Discerning Spiritually Christ himself as Crucified and if this one thing be wanting the Communicant will surely Eat and Drink unworthily Therefore put such Questions as these to thy self First I am perswaded that the Son of God did take unto him our nature and in due time did shed his Blood for the Remission of the sins of many 2. That this our Blessed Saviour did Institute this Ordinance of the Lords Supper to be Celebrated in Remembrance of him 3. That the Bread and VVine there presented and Blessed doth Represent his Body and Blood 4. That Christ who Offered himself to his Father doth in this Ordinance Offer himself to be Received by Believers 5. That in Offering himself to be Received by them he Offereth unto them also the Benefits purchased by his Death 6. That every partaker must so Discern him by Faith 7. And every Partaker is Obliged by Faith to Receive himself with all his Benefits when he Receiveth that Bread which Christ Requireth to take and eat and that no person should presume to eat of that Bread or drink of that Cup but with a full purpose of heart thankfully to Receive himself seek to be established in these before thou go to the Lords Table that thou mayest partake in Faith and not by eating and Doubting or Eating and Ignorant what thou art about many Souls are Guilty before God for taking so little pains to prevent their being Guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord and some not of the very worst obstruct their own Comfort by indistinct Communicating there being no action under the heavens that Requireth more fixed ripe and distinct apprehensions than partaking at the Lords Table Secondly Our Faith must be Examined before we go to the Lords Table Consider first the Reasons why this must be done And 2. How to find out Saving Faith The Reasons 1. Christ himself is to be Received at his Table and this Receiving of him is Believing as is plain by John 1. 12. But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his Name Therefore Christ cannot be Received without Faith and if he be not Received the Sacrament is profaned The Communicant should be a believing Believer having Faith not onlie in Habit but in Act. 3. Our Faith must be Examined because we are VVarned that there are manie sorts of Faith and yet but one kind of Faith Is Saving whereby the man is Justified we Read of a Believing which Devils have James 2. 19. Some wicked men also are said to Believe yet remaining in the bond of Iniquitie Acts 8. 13. VVe have an account also that some Believed for a while Luke 8. 13. It 's Lamentable that men stand not in awe of such Scriptures and so few moved with fear least their Faith be no better we Read also of some mens Faith raised so high as thereby to work Miracles and yet their last Sentence Depart from me Matth. 7. 21 22. It appears these men did mistake true Saving faith thinking such as they had would cary them to Heaven for they make it a plea for their Admissions did we not cast out Devils in thy Name doubtless this made them Christians of great Fame in the VVorld but how easie is it even for men of great Gifts to mistake Faith and go to Death without a Discovery of that Mysterie VVe are warned also of a dead faith James 2. 17. Such a faith as found men and leaveth them dead in their sins It cannot therefore be safe after such warnings for any man to Conclude that because in the general he belleveth therefore he shal be Saved and hath a Right to the Lords Supper except the nature of his faith be instructed and made out to be such as thereby he is united to Christ and so shal be Justified 4. This Danger of mistaking Faith being so great it 's our Mercy that there is a particular Command to Examine our Faith as we would be Secured we are not Reprobates 2 Cor. 13. 5. So that if this be still neglected we not only endanger our Souls by Delusion but shal be found sinfully disobedient to a merciful Command 5. That which is said Heb. 11. 6. That without faith it 's impossible to please God should of it's self engage us to Examine our Faith what Regard can we have to God and be contentedly in that State wherein it 's impossible to please him or be ignorant whether in that State or not can ye look up to God and think it not worth the while to enquire whether ye be pleasing or displeasing to him Dare ye sit down at his Table not knowing but it may be said of you in particular it 's impossible for this man to be pleasing to me and no wonder he cannot be accepted as not
being in Christ there 's no acceptation but in the Beloved Eph. 1. 6. These few Reasons without adding mo may convince that it highly concerneth thee to be at the utmost pains in trying of thy Faith Consider also that all thy pains shal be richly payed Home if by searching thou shalt find that God hath bestowed upon thee Precious Faith 2 Pet. 1. 1. The Faith of Gods Elect Tit. 1. 1. That Faith whereby a sinner is justified and hath peace with God Rom. 5. 1. That Faith whereby thou art Sanctified Acts 26. 18. That Faith the end whereof shal be the Salvation of thy Soul 1 Pet. 1. 9. Receiving the end of your faith even the Salvation of your Souls What pains should be valued where this is the Result How great may be thy Joy in his Salvation when thou canst say The beloved is mine and I am his Cant. 2. 16. Christ is mine the Pledges of his Love are mine his Fellowship is mine his Food and Table is mine He hath clothed me with the garments of Salvation Isa 61. 10. I shal not be rejected for want of a Wedding Garment Shall be not with Christ freely give us all things Rom. 8. 32. Q. But what way shal I take to Examine my Faith First try if you can observe the direct Actings of Faith that you may say now Lord I believe though before it be well out of your lips ye must add Lord help my unbelief Mark 9. 24. Acceptable Believing is of so great Importance that serious souls are solicitous so to Believe as that they might immediately Reflect upon it and finding it believing indeed Blessed Jesus Christ would needs have it out of his Disciples own mouths that they did Believe John 16. 30. By this we believe They do not say we have Belleved but in the very present time we Believe And in the next verse Christ saith Do ye now believe for this Cause it were good especially for you who doubt of your Faith to set your selves for actual present Believing before ye go to the Lords Table some people are apt to weary of long Debates in their mind whether they have Believed or not and tempted to give it over who by the Blessing of God upon this mean are Relieved of their Fears and cleared of their Doubts Addressing themselves to the Lord with all the Reverence and Seriousness they can attain and in the Sense of their sin and need of a Saviour set themselves to Receive and Embrace Christ as their Redeemer and Lord. This Mean hath been so Countenanced of God that after it's serious Performance some hath gone to the Lords Table with desire Chearfulness and Peace though Doubting before Oject But I cannot Believe when I please nor is it so light a matter to go off hand and Believe and so have done Answ 1. Ye cannot Believe too soon if you Believe indeed 2. This is an Opportune Season for it when ye are called to Partake of an Ordinance which you cannot neglect without sin nor Partake without Believing 3 Ye are peremptorly Commanded to Believe therefore it 's Duty to endeavour it and it 's such a Duty as should not be Deferred That ye are Commanded Consider John 14. 1. 1 John 3. 23. And this is his Comandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ And that it 's a Duty not to be Delayed see John 3. 36. He that believeth not the wrath of God abideth on him If you still reply I cannot Believe though it be a Duty I will Answer that no more can you perform any Religious Duty aright will ye therefore resolve to perform no Religious Duty will ye not Pray because ye cannot Pray aright will ye never praise because ye cannot do it aright see what thy verie Reason can Answer to this plain Argument what ever God Commandeth we are obliged to endeavour Obedience unto it but God Commandeth us to Believe therefore we are Obliged to endeavour Obedience to this Command of Believing And though it be granted that we cannot Believe when we will yet we are to endeavour and put out the Withered Hand hoping we may take it in Whole if the Lord shal say arise from the dead as Ephes 5. 14. Should we Dispute and Proudly Quarrel in stead of Obeying cannot the Lord of Life give Life with the Word of Command as to Dead Lazarus mind John 11. 25. He that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live But if ye cannot find the Truth of your Faith by this manner of Trial yet ye are not so to leave it for what quiet can a man have in his Soul not knowing but he is still under the Wrath of God as all Unbelievers are and not knowing what hour that VVrath may Surprise him with it's intollerable weight and Eternity Therefore other Means must be essayed to Search it out by it's Fruits for Luke 6. 44. A tree is known by his fruits and the Apostle James saith He will shew his faith by his works it 's a great mercy that there is any way to have it secured Consider these two ways wherein by the Blessing of God the sincerity of your Faith may be Discovered as first by trying your ordinary Dependance on God and 2. By searching into the Gracious Fruits of Faith specially that by Faith the heart is purified Acts 15. 9. For the first enquire at your own Conscience what Course is ordinarly taken for Light and Direction when ye are in Darkness or Doubts do ye still lean to your own Understanding or on Christ as made of God VVisdom unto Believers 1 Cor. 1. 30. 2 VVhen ye do Pray for wisdom and Light is it that you may walk according to that Light or Direction Deal ye Ingenuously with God not seeking Counsel of God with a Reserve if it be to your own Humour but Resolved to walk in his Light whithersoever it lead you has thy Soul fixed on the Lord as thy Guide then Remember what is said Psal 73. 24. Thou shalt guide me with thy Counsel and afterward recelve me to glory for Glory will follow to the Followers of this Guide 2. Try also what way thou taketh for thy Guilt whither dost thou go for ease to thy Conscience when it accuseth thee as it certainly will if not seard is it to the Blood of Christ or dost thou make a cover to thy Sin of thy Duties thy Tears thy Mourning thy Amending of some evil Practices and thy not being as some other men if this be thy way thou art yet a Stranger to Gospel Faith but if thou believest in thine heart that the Blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin and thou will not dishonour that perfect Sacrifice by thinking it insufficient for thy sin and therefore leans thy Soul with all it's Guilt upon him who made his soul an offering for sin Isai 53. 10. Thy care is to be found in him not having thine own Righteousness but that
appointed to an eternity mind where it shall be whither with Christ or with Devils a little more time will discover it and time is precious on this very account that we are as yet called into fellowship with the Son of God and may have hope of such a beginning of it here as nothing present or to come shall separat 1 Cor. 1. 9. Blessed Jesus Christ hath opened a door for it by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the Vail that is to say his flesh Heb. 10. 10. He hath opened his door and standeth knocking knocking at our doors for this fellowship He hath a desire to use his Followers as Friends and to admit them unto a comfortable Communion with him Joh. 15. 15. Henceforth I call you not servants for the servant knoweth not what his lord doth but I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you Which is not so to be understood as if they were no more to serve him for when they are at their best his servants shall serve him and see his face Rev. 22. 3. and well may it serve the best of them at their best But the matter is that Believers are admitted to more than the ordinary priviledge of Servants which is to have great Mysteries and Secrets communicated to them for so our Lord explaineth it the servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I have made known to you c. He sometimes openeth the very secret counsel of God to them the Father himself loveth you Joh. 16. 27. and Psal 25. 14. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him This leadeth me to the second thing proposed That Believers are made active in entertaining this communion wherein Christ and the Believer do intimatly converse together as Friends tho' with a due distance on their part this communion is the very life of a Believer Gal. 2. 20. I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me this only maketh the Believer fruitful Joh 16. 4. Abide in me and I in you As the branch cannot bear fruit of it self except it abide in the vine for the better understanding of this actual fellowship with Christ I shall premit these few things First That tho' the Infinite and Immense Divine Majesty be not far from every one of us For in him we live and move and have our being Act. 17. 28. Yet as to his gracious presence some are said to be far off Ps 73. 27. They that are far from thee shall perish and we are required to draw nigh to him Jam. 4. 8. and these who were far off are made nigh Eph. 2 13. So that these Expressions of being near unto or far from God are Scriptural and therefore should not be mistaken or stumbled at by any on the account that God is every where present 2. There is no special and gracious communion with Christ where there is not first union with him by faith some wonder they have not that communion with Christ that they read and hear of but consider not the reason that they are not agreed and so cannot walk together How confidently and I fear ignorantly do some speak of communion with God as if it were due to them who as yet are uncapable of it until they be reconciled to God there being no entering into the holiest but by the blood of Jesus 3. After a poor sinner is united to Christ by faith he is never altogether deprived of some communion with him Joh. 14. 19. Because I live ye shall live also and Christ dieth no more and vers 23. We will make our abode with him And he that believeth shall never die Joh. 11. 26. 4. Yet every Believer is not admitted to the same degree of nearness as to the manifestations of Gods gracious presence every believer getteth not his face to shine with that glory as Moses Exod. 34. 29. Yet he manifesteth himself to all who firmly love him Joh 14. 23. 5. The best of Believers obtain not in this life that degree of nearness which sometimes they desire when Moses got his face to shine yet was he covered with the hand of God and did see but his back-parts after he had beseeched God to shew him his glory Exod. 33. 18 22 23. 6. Nor doth one and the same Believer enjoy the same degree of this nearness at all times Moses had fellowship with God before that time his face did shine so the Disciples who were on the Mount must come down and take share with other Believers of that which was ordinary you may be sitting under Christs shaddow with great delight this day and in a little time crying out saw ye him whom my soul loveth my beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone Cant. 5. 6. 7. Sometimes Believers do not discern in the very time how near they are unto God and he to them Gen. 28. 18. Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not And sometimes he maketh them know distinctly that they have fellowship with him Cant. 5. 1. and and themselves can give an account of their fellowship Cant. 3. 4. I found him whom my soul loveth I held him c. 8. There is sometimes strengthning communion with Christ when their comfort is not so great as at other times Psal 138. 3. In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthnedst me with strength in my soul Here is prayer and an answer to it which is blessed communion with God and is made out by the strengthning of the soul so Paul 2 Cor. 12. 8. He besought the Lord thrice and obtaineth a strengthning answer vers 9. My grace is sufficient for thee this the Lord said to him giving it him as his answer this also was true communion and sometimes there is great delight in this fellowship the Lord is free to dispose of it as he will Cant. 2. 3. I sat under his shaddow with great delight Ps 63. 7. Because thou hast been my help therefore in the shaddow of thy wings will I rejoyce Who can but rejoyce when they know they are admitted to such an habitation the wings of the Almighty spread about them It s also seriously to be observed that when the Children of God make mention of their great joy in communion with him they are found usually clearing the soundness of their joy by the gracious help that their souls partake of so in this Scripture because thou hast been my help I find it was true communion I had by the help I got and therefore it is allowed joy Psal 28. 7. My heart trusted in him and I am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoyceth Here is communion with the Lord for his heart trusted and the Lord helped and finding this help he greatly rejoyceth It s necessary for the people of God to try any joy they have in holy dutiâ—s whence it ariseth because some may have delight
in acts of worship and yet have no fellowship with God as Isa 58. 2. And many are apt to think if they have joy and pleasure in these duties that then doubtless they have fellowship with God which becometh a snare to them not considering the deep deceit and hypocrisie of mans heart which can easily stretch it self in the externals of Religion and that with pleasure that thereby they may think themselves religious as well as to be thought so by others this yieldeth them some delight and so much the more that notwithstanding of all they perform in Religion they can reserve their lusts and Idols of heart entire even the whorish woman can delight in her peace-offerings to God that she may have the more peace in her wickedness Prov. 7. 14 15. It s her delight that she can please God well enough with a show and ceremony of Religion and her heart and practice go to her own pleasure therefore therefore all delight in worship is not found and will not prove fellowship with God for natural Vivacity the exercise of common Gifts hope that it will please God and sometimes hope of the applause of men may and doth go a great length to make these Duties pleasant where there is neither joy in the Lord nor sanctifying communion with him That which is indeed the joy of the Lord is strengthning to us Neh. 8. 10. The joy of the Lord is your strength And if you be admitted to gracious nearness so as to behold him we shall thereby be in some measure changed into the same image 2 Cor. 3. 18. These spiritual advances in godlinese and conformity to the image of the Son of God are the safest indications and proofs of the truth of our communion with God 9. Consider also that this Communion with God is to be found both in our worship and walk for where he recordeth his Name he cometh to his people he meeteth with them and blesseth them Exod. 29. 43. As also in their practice Isai 64. 5. He meeteth him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousness these things being premised let us now consider how this blessed Communion between Christ and believers doth appear First There is a peculiar knowledge that Christ and Believers have of each other John 10. 14. I am the good shepherd I know my sheep and am known of mine Though he knoweth all things yet he knoweth them in in a special manner with approbation and for his enemies because they are rejected he saith Matth 7. 23. Depart I know yow not And therefore he Manifesteth himself where he designs to make abode Joh. 14. 21 23. They know his voice Cant. 2. 8. The voice of my beloved behold he cometh and verse 14. He knoweth their voice Let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice strangers who never converse know not the voice of one another they who are His know His voice that they will follow his voice and will flie from the voice of a stranger Joh. 10. 45. They know his voice when he speaketh to them by his Ordinances and when they observe his voice there they attend knowing the danger of souls to take the voice of strangers for his they know his call and knock Cant. 5. 2 It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh saying Open to me and he understandeth their secret moans Jer. 31. 18. I have heard Ephrain bemoaning himself Thus Christ and Believers have a peculiar way of acquaintance that is unknown to others 2. They mutually mind others in love he hath them ever graven on the palms of his hands Isai 49. 16. And they remember him in his ways and these the Lord meeteth with Isai 64. 5. Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousness those that remember thee in thy ways He is the good High Priest that beareth the names of his people on his heart and the desire of their soul goeth toward him Isai 26. 8. It is the Believers great joy to think that he mindeth him Psal 40. 17. I am poor and needy yet the Lord thinketh upon me how satisfying is it to cordial friends when they are assured that what ever they be yet are affectionatly minded by a friend of worth If a man live until most of his intimate friends are gone what a bare comfortless World do they leave him when friends and familiars are put far from him he sees none that he can unbosom his soul to this maketh the World like a very wilderness to him but here is a brother born for the day of adversity when father and mother or most Sympathizing friends are removed yet he is the same yesterday to day and for ever he supplieth all and often dearest friends are removed from Believers that Christ himself may be their all that himself may have their heart and fellowship more intirely they used to run to their Sympathizing friends with every grief and it may be before they went to Christ with it which Christ observing in any with whom he determines fellowship turneth the Cisterns utterly dry one way or another and then the man must come to the Fountain or faint Blessed Jesus loves to be remembred by his people he writeth a Book of remembrance for them who thought upon his Name Mal. 3. 16. Complaines when they forget him Jer. 2. 32. My people have forgotten me days without number But when his people come to be well acquainted with the blessings of his fellowship the meditation of him becomes sweet Psal 104. 34. The love they have to him makes remembering of him habitual native and in some respect easie rather a pain to be long without thoughts of him and the same love makes it most uneasie to be forgotten by him it is as Death to them if they think their Lord forgetteth them Psal 88 5. Free among the dead like the slain that lie in the grave whom thou rememberest no more 3. There is pains taken for this blessed fellowship on both sides though the unequality be greater than we can imagine he being at the greatest Pains and Expence who hath no need of such company yet he is found standing and knocking at our Door pursuing this fellowship Rev. 3. 20. Behold I stand at the Door and knock if any man hear my voice and open the Door I well come in to him and will sup with him and he with me It is Communion with thee I am seeking and let me have it I will Sup with thee and it shall not be at thy Charges I will bear the Cost all is provided and you shall find it meat indeed how many wonders are in this love that the Prince of the Kings of the Earth should thus urge our nearness as if he were to have some great Prize is this the manner of men Where did you ever hear of a King in possession of his Kingdom and Splendor come to a poor mans Door and stand there waiting for a word of him or to let him in to do him
be said to serve God there is need to advert to this for it 's a great mean of peace to a mans Conscience when he knoweth that which he hath been employed in was the very work God called him into and therefore he engaged in it and though it were a worldly concern and did take a considerable time and intent thoughts yet he is not to think all this time was sinfully spent because he was not on the meditations of God all that time for God called him to be about other things which could not be performed without the thoughts of his mind 4. These external affairs should be attended no longer than Duty requires This also should be considered lest love to the World keep your minds hanging upon them longer than need requireth this becometh a snare and a great obstruction to Fellowship with God you need fear nothing that God Commandeth will of itself marr your Spiritual good for his Commands are For our good always Deut. 6 24. But fear thy own mismanagement and weakness in making Duties to interfer and justle out one another Seek therefore to get thy heart inclined to perform his Statutes always Psal 119. 112. Be always about seasonable Duty give no allowance to idleness and vain thoughts for it 's mis-spending of time and being out of all manner of Duty that doth most procure these disquieting reflection for if thou be conscientiously serving God and working righteousness then thou shalt find peace and quietness as Isa 22. 17. And the work of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever Yea the Lord will meet with thee when thou art performing works of righteousness Isa 64. 5. Thy acting of Justice and performing Duties to men shal not obstruct thy Fellowship with God for he meeteth with such For the third Help which is frequent retiring to God in Secret Worship pray always Luke 18. 1. and 1 Thess 5. 17. Pray without ceasing this requireth more than only a Praying disposition for a meer disposition is not the acting of Prayer which is required though I grant this disposition is required in the Command of Praying always and if there be not a disposition and willingness Prayer will soon be but a burden and if there be an inclination and disposition Prayer will be frequent where God giveth an opportunity David not only Prayeth three times a day Psal 55. 17. but prayeth seven times a day Psal 119. 164. which appeareth to be stated ordinary times for Worship daily there is great guilt on many for seldom praying who have times at will sometimes knows not how to spend it they can tell you they weary they think long they know not what to fall about how to put off time they will go to such a place or such a company only to put off time and yet very seldom retiring to secret Prayer have you no concerns with God have ye all the Communion with him that ye desire have ye nothing to ask of him or nothing to Praise him for how Just will it be with God to cut thee out of these opportunities either by sudden Death or cast thee in such Sickness and pain that it shal be more than thou canst to bear thy Afflâ—ction and hopelessly wish for such full opportunities of Conversing with God as formerly thou hadst some of you have now your chambers at command your meat and drink provided seasonably for you and your worldly business not thronging you yet you will go any where rather than to God frequent Retirements to God when sincere are a great part of this Communion with him while we are on Earth and prevent long forgeting of God are a help to have our Conversation such as becometh those who are often to come before him a great mean to keep the Conscience in ordinary awe of God to understand how it is between him and our souls to obtain help for present Duty or trials and to be Spiritually minded which is life and peace and to make Christians savoury and profitable to one another as relishing the company where they resort The 4th Help for this Communion with God in our walk is frequent ejaculatory prayer when there is not opportunity for retireing to Worship these may be very numerous and are more numerous than can be well counted by a walk with God who hath acquired a gracious habit of making his request known to God in every thing Phil. 4. 6. by this kind of Prayer a man may often minde God without any detriment or prejudice to his other concerns the Motions of the soul being swift when Jacob is predicting the Lot of his Children Gen. 49. 18. and speaking to them there 's no loss to his work by that pathetick and pertinent Meditation such as do all their works in the Lord cannot but frequently mind him Pious Nehemiah 2. 4. when in the presence of a great Monarch hath his short Prayer to the God of heaven there being no season then for retiring and Bowing his knee to his Maker yet he will not manage his Design without some application to God no company could keep him from his God on whom his dependance was This Example might Instruct in Many Things for 1. Nehemiah had Prayed before for Success in the first Chap and particularly that God would grant him Mercy in the sight of that man v. 11. Yet now in the presence of the King he prayeth again many such as we would be ready to think we have prayed for this already what needeth more prayer and there 's no opportunity for prayer now and so let it alone but he will not utter his Request till he pray again 2. He was Surprised with the King 's unexpected demand verse 4. For what dost thou make request When ever we are surprised we should go first to God whatever company we are in 3 He was in great fear Chap. 2. 2. Then I was very sore afraid and therefore betaketh himself immediately to God as a present Help and Refuge and if we would do so in our fears it would much strengthen our Communion with God 4. That which he was concern'd in was of great Consequence and therefore besought God to be concerned in it neither should we attempt any thing of moment without application to God this would be another Help to prevent our forgetting of God 5. Here was an opportunity offered for doing good and he must go to God for Direction how to manage it his Design was now much Ripened when the King desires to know his Request and lest by his weakness he should obstruct the good of others he Addresseth himself to God for Counsel so should we when ever and wheresoever occasion Offereth to be useful in the Worâ—d this would be another Help to keep us near God many such occasions Offer which are sinfully neglected I say Occasions for being Profitable though not in that manner of Nehemiah 6. Here is a present
Duty must be performed immediately Nehemiah must now speak there was no Deferring of his Answer but he appeareth Self Deemed not daring to Trust his own Understanding and therefore must needs go to God with it what shall I speak he had been at this time an accomplished Courteour and Favourite and admitted near the King's Person yet he will not Trust his Parts or Elocution but he will Trust his God here also is another profitable Example that when men are clearly called to speak either before few or many and have not time to premeditate yet there ought to be a serious humble looking up to God for his Assistance what ever be mens Station in the World no doubt Humility is a Mother of many Prayers and if this Example were followed how Blessed a Help would it be for frequent Remembring God these are but a taste of the many Occasions we have for these short Ejaculatory Prayers which will do hurt to no mans other concerns in the World but are a great Help to Communion with God CHAP. VI. Pertinent Meditations in the time of Communicating The fifth Inference SEing such Blessed and near Communion with Christ may be obtained at the Lord's Table then Communicants should prepare for entertaining Communion with him in the time of that Solemnity after serious preparation great Diligence is necessary that this Holy Ordinance be managed on our part in an acceptable manner that we may find it a true Communion with Christ suitable to it's name and of all Communicants they have the most peculiar advantage who are acquainted with Communion with God before they come to the Lord's Table for except there be some admirable work of power and Mercy men will surely profane the Sacrament who have their Fellowship with Christ then to begin not knowing how to receive Christ when they receive these Sacred signs or how to Feed upon him I say without some great work of God's Mercy for we must still leave place for Soveraign Power and Mercy who can not only Confirm such as have doubted of their Fellowship with God but even then give it a Beeing which had no Beeing before and in one day or hour give both Faith and Fellowship with God yet this is no Warrant for any to presume without endeavouring both Faith and Fellowship before they come to the Lord's Table It should also be remarked that many godly persons find themselves at a great loss when they come to the Lord's Table by not knowing how to act their part distinctly in Communicating and though they have made some Conscience of Preparation before yet complains they act but confusedly in the very time of the Solemn Action which doth much obstruct their Peace and Comfort yea though they dare not Charge themselves with Hypocrisie as to their desires for Communion with Christ or that they were altogether inconcern'd in Partaking yet not knowing what Meditations were most suitable in the time of Partaking and wandring from one thought to another without fixing on that which was most proper for the work do often fall into impertinecies alien to the great work in hand which being Reflected upon giveth such a Wound to their Conscience that the day or hour which should have been the time of their great Joy is turned into Grief and Complaints and that which will appear strange unto Strangers to these things that some find more dificulty to be Composed in their minds in the very time of that Solemnity than they found before they came to it whereby they are Surprised and fall into great Consternation that when the Soul should have been most United Fixed and elevated for Communion with Christ that than their thoughts should be a gathering though possibly the things they were thinking of were Pious and Good in themselves but altogether unseasonable such would Consider that Feeding on Christ is so excellent and profitable for the Soul and so Destructive for Satan's Interest that no Devices or Temptations will be wanting to frustrat that Profite and therefore should be Guarded against not onely to Resist Temptations in the time or any thing Impertinent to the Work in hand but withall before we come to Partake this should have a peculiar Consideration how we should Act in the time of that Solemn Action and who knoweth but the Neglect of this part of Preparation may provock God to let us find our own Weakness to our Grief if we be so proud as to think we can Act the Most Solemn part of the Work of our selves without any Preparation therefore it will be found our Duty both to Pray and Meditate before hand how to be Employed in the time of Receiving and such are in a special manner concerned to notice this who have Smarted already for it's Neglect complaining that God had Deserted them for no other reason but because of their Impertinent wandring at the Lord's Table And for your help in this part of the Work how to Act your part of this Holy Communion I shall propose by the Lord's help a few things to your Consideration I say how to Act lest any should say there 's no Acting required of us but only Receiving but such would Consider that our Receiving of Christ is the Acting of Faith as is clear from John 1. 12â— Wherein also Love to our Blessed Redeemer must be Acted so that we must Act our part in this Holy Communion if we expect the Benefite for which also we should be active in Praises First Then when we are to enter on this Blessed Duty we should humbly request for the Lord's Asistance and Presence with us that our hearts may be Established by his Grace and kept closs to the Work this should be done were there never so many about you 2. It 's necessary also that what the Lord sendeth by his Messengers for clearing the Nature of the Sacrament be Diligently hearkened unto and I do the rather mind you of this because some do then shut their ears from attending to any thing spoken being wholly taken up with thoughts of their own I am not yet speaking of the very Instant of Receiving for at that time People must be exercised with their own Meditations and should not be diverted with many Words but that which I say is that before the Sacred Action be engaged some take a liberty to Neglect all they hear attending only to their own secret thoughts and debates but this is not the seasonable Work for if it be Ministers Duty to Preach and open up the Nature of the Sacrament and teach the Duty of communicants then it 's the Peoples Duty to hearken not knowing but the Lord will Direct that unto them which may either clear their present Doubts or set them on some more seasonable Work than that wherewith they are at present Exercised 3. When ye are entering the Work labour to come to it cheerfully and thankfully Blessing God you have so Blessed a Work to go to as actual Solemn
thy Soul when all other things fail thee Psal 22. 26. The meek shal eat and be satisfied Can ye with peace keep your selves out of the way where such an Offer is made know ye not that the Receiving of Christ is your begun Eternal happiness which neither Death nor any thing else shal deprive you of if thou say thou hast received Him already in another manner dost hope to be Blessed in Him for ever though thou never Receive Him at the Lord's Table I would Answer that thou art the more Ingrate who doest not desire to Receive Him afresh in the manner He hath appointed Art thou weary of Receiving Him didst thou get such a fill of Him before that thou desirest to Receive Him no more this is ground sufficient to make thee suspect thou didst never yet Receive Him if thou be wearied of it for thy heart should be still open to Christ 3. Is it not Communion with Christ thou art dayly Praying for and if thou prayest in sincerity then it should Elevate thy heart to hear of His appointments for obtaining it when he saith in such an Ordinance I am to be present in a peculiar manner allowing you a most intimate fellowship as near as you can expect in this Life there thou mayest expect the return of thy Prayers and if thou hast no regard to it thou rendrest thy self and Prayers suspicable of meer Hypocrisie wilt thou not be ashamed to call thy self a praying Christian for fellowship with Christ and yet have no desire to be there where thou mayest meet Him and have Him dost thou not often say O that I knew where I might find him Job 23. 3. He answereth in this Ordinance I will be present giving my Self and my Loves if thou regard not this and yet has no desire to be where He is what can thy self judge of thy Prayers but as words of course and flattering God with thy lips beware of bewraying thy estrangement to Christ as one that has never seen Him in any part of His Beauty lest thou be of these who say as Isai 53. 2. There is no beauty that we should desire him 4. The Love we owe to the Glory of our Blessed Redeemer oblidgeth to this desire of shewing it forth in the manner He hath appointed yet on this account also many are Guilty by the neglect of this Ordinance for these Dangerous mistakes are too much rooted in many thinking because they receive Christ at any time when they Believe therefore they need not be solicitous for Receiving Him at His Table and because they may Render Him Glory at other times for His Love in Dying therefore they need not go to the Lords Supper to perform it but these thoughts involve you in great Guilt for however frequent thy praises be at other times why would thou presume to wiser than thy Lord who hath appointed this Publick Solemn manner of performing it Darest thou say in His face Lord I think this way of shewing forth thy Death needless I think a more privat way may serve wilt thou Impudently advance thy own wisdom as above His whether doth He or thou know best which way He is to be Glorified whether art thou to give Him Rules or to be Ruled by Him if thou wilt be so arrogant as to plead that thou knowest better how to do thy Duty than he can teach thee it 's no wonder thou have no desire for the Lords Supper but rather if thou canst regard any Gospel Ordinance since thou art wise enough to teach thy self Think with thy self I must once compear before my Judge the same blesed Redeemer who requires his Death to be shewed forth what shal I answer when thus charged by him the just died for the unjust I submitted to agony in my soul and torments in my body to relieve poor sinners from eternal torments thus my Death was the reconciliation of the whole Elect World who thereby now stand upright in Judgement I required that this my Death should be shewed forth unto this day that I am come again But here is a man that thought it not necessary to render me that publick honour What can be thy answer but speechless consternation Think also with thy self if I expect reconciliation with God by that precious Death how can I refuse Nay should I not rejoyce to publish that love especially in so comfortable a manner as in Communion with Christ and his Saints on earth and contribute my mite to keep its memory fresh and fragrant in the world It 's great ingratitude to have no longings for this Ordinance yet it appears that if some were placed in such circumstances as no occasion offered it would be no great grief of heart to them or if occasion offer but it may be at some distance occasioning bodily trouble in attending they can easily forego it though perhaps performing longer journeys at the same time to other places or if opportunity offer in the place of their residence yet it cometh undesired and a very triffle shal detain some from partaking and all this because there is no love and desire of soul after it I speak not this of all but it 's shameful to be found in any professing Christian and so much the more because our blessed Redeemer testified so great regard to this Ordinance that when he was immediately to engage his deepest sufferings yet even then he would have this Feast of Love celebrated and fixed for after generations Shal our Saviour testifie so great desire for our good and we have no desire to receive it Shal we so undervalue that Love which can neither be overvalued nor duely valued Luke 22. 15. And he said unto them with desire have I desired to eat this passeover with you before I suffer Appointing this Communion of his Body and Blood to continue until he come again 5ly If thou be a Christian indeed then thou art duely praying for grace to strengthen thee for the Duties thou must perform for Strength against thy secret or open sins for strength against Temptations from thy own heart or from Satan and his Instruments for strength to bear thy afflictions and grace to carry Christianly under thy trials therefore thou should desire to be there where he is to be received who shal be the strength of thy heart Art thou not often fainting both in thy Duty and Trials Then believe in thine heart that Christ is that true bread of life Joh. 6. 48. Hereby thou shal be strengthned for Duties far above thy own strength hereby thou shalt be enabled to cut thy way through the greatest difficulties Thy Redeemer is thy strength Psal 19. 14. Thou art to receive that which will make thee a lively Christian for the honour of thy Lord. refusing nothing he commandeth and sinking under no burden he layeth on thy back Great is the mercy to believe this strength and great is the loss of our souls when that strength is but thought
will give it over and thus some poor tender smoaking Flax may be quenched by your means and if compassionate Iesus be tender of them as no doubt he will yet no thanks to you who are guilty by casting water on their little coal which could have quench't it if a better friend had not kept it in life It may not be amiss to consider in this place what may be the reasons that so few professing Christians go to the Lords Supper with this necessary believing expectation seing its dishonourable to our blessed Redeemer obstructeth our own good and is often found prejudicial to others Ans First It will be found that the seeds of Atheism and unbelief of Gods Word and Promise hath a deep hand in this wo. Ah! few Christians by profession are established in the truth men do not will not lay this to heart tho' they often hear it and I fear are disgusted because they so often hear it proud Nature taking it heavily to be charged with unfixedness in the Faith and these disrelishing such warnings most who have most need of them I wish the Reader concerned in this retire to his own Conscience and put the question closly home do I firmly believe the history of Christs Passion And that Salvation is by no other Name I speak not now of mens perswasion that Christ hath loved them and washed them in his own Blood but mens perswasion that he was dead and is alive Iâ— ye will not try your unfixedness in fundamental Truths in season you may soon come to know your misbelief by experience to your grief in an hour of temptation or at the hour of death try therefore in time what ye believe and on what grounds seek to be fixed in the faith of Christ and his truth otherways your expectations will still be faint Nor do I speak here of such perswasion and fixedness in the truth as is inconsistent with any degree of doubting for here we know but in part but that which I speak is against that dangerous unfixedness that hath no degree of perswasion under which too many are perishing Secondly But some others are not so much discouraged by misbelief of this nature as by their fears that Christ will have no regard to them that he will never honour them with such communion with himself others they grant may have it but for themselves they look for nothing but a dry Fleece when others are wet they have deserved no better and expect no better Ans If our mercies be dispensed according to deserving then we may all stop together and proceed no further But blessed be God that our expectations depend on free gree grace I will freely love them Hos 14. 4. 2. Hath he not regarded thee already in opening thine eyes to see thy wretchedness which thou didst not see before Doth he not discover Diseases in order to a remedy If he had no regard to thee he could have suffered thee to run on in presumption and sit down at his Table without ever minding a wedding Garment and made thy rising thy terrour but now he preventeth it by making thee consider what thou art about Therefore 3. If thou would be regarded at his Table and accepted know that a garment of Salvation will cover all thy spots give praise that this Garment is ready for the putting on give praise that its not only provided for the putting it on but himself puteth it on Isa 61 10. He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation Give praise that ever any poor sinners were secured of these garments and render praise that there is a minut of time left thee to beg these garments that fine Linnen of the Saints under which covering thou canst not be despised noâ— thy holy Expectation disappointed Thirdly Others faint in their expectations because tho' they have been often at the Lords Table yet they never get great profit Ans and whose fault was this If thy misbelief deprived the of the communications of grace where wilt thou leave thy complaint For he warned thee that mighty works were not to be expected where unbelief had the dominion thou mayest go to a hundred Communions and never be the better if thou dost not believe nor draw out of the Wells of salvation therefore if thou hast a sincere value for Communion with Christ if thou would not always carry away a bad report of that enriching Ordinance if thou would'st prevent a contempt of it in thy own soul consider seriously what hath been thy manner of communicating formerly see thy way wherein thy particular defects have been thy neglect of preparation thy hypocrisie thy lukewarmness in the whole of the work and thy misbelief at the work repent of these evils that thou mayest not say thou had a hard Master but an hard heart Fourthly Others are discouraged in their expectations because they observe not others who frequent Communions much bettered in their conversations This I grant is for a lamentation that so few appear like communion with Christ yet it is not so with all and tho' they were but few as Isa 17. 6. a few berries in the utmost fruitful branches Its Gods great mercy when some are preserved as Witnesses against a declining generation who not only are made suitable to a publick solemn Communion but such as rarely any thing can be discovered in their practice that is not consistent with present fellowship with God tho' possibly ye discern it not as being ignorant of walking with God your selves 2. If this be thy regrate that that thou seest so few fruitful Christians after Communions then labour to add one to the number of these few lest others be discouraged by thy practice also Thirdly However it be as to partakers tho many prove very unfruitful yet this is never occasioned by want of provision being allowed to eat and drind abundantly and the hungry are filled with good things and many have found their souls made as a watered Garden in attending this holy Ordinance O that we were stirring up our selves and stirring up one another to pray down such showers of Blessings as hath been found at Communions in the days of old CHAP. IX Objections of doubting Christians answered The eighth Inference THe eighth Inference from the words is That seing so great a benefit as the Communion of Christs Body and Blood may be had in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper then Christians are obliged to endeavour the removal of all Objections and stumbling Blocks that stand in the way to obstruct their partaking of this Benefit Before the particular Objections be mentioned I shall premit these few things First That all professed Christians should make conscience not to pretend Scruples and Objections where there is none for where the Conscience is not really burdened with some difficulty it s but hypocrisie to frame Objections against peoples partaking of the Lords Supper that they may appear more serious than others the heart of man is
I profane so holy an Ordinance Ans 1st It s your mercy if you can discern where the Lord either cometh unto or deserteth your souls for such as are utter strangers to God know not the one by the other if you had got no merciful visits how had ye known these departings 2dly You may think your selves forsaken because ye have not the comforts of Gods countenance which sometimes ye had and yet not be forsaken as to the influences of his grace Jer. 20. 9. Then I said I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his Name Yet vers 11. But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible One my persecutors shall stumble 3dly You may utterly mistake and think you are forgotten when God says the contrare Isa 49. 14. But Zion said the Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me But vers 15. Can a woman forget her sucking child c. And vers 16. I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands 4thly If ever you had the favour of the chosen of God if ever ye had testimonies of his love then whom he loveth he loveth to the end Joh. 13. 1. and will never utterly forsake but labour to have this sure that ye have enjoyed the sanctifying mercies of the chosen of God Psal 106. 4. Pray for such mercies as these lest it be as you fear 5thly If you be left as to influences of grace it is a bitter forsaking yet some have been left as to degrees of grace who were not totally forsaken nor altogether deprived of grace as Solomon 1 Kin. 11. 9. 6thly The Lord may thus forsake both as to comforts and many degrees of grace and yet return again For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee Isa 54. 7. And Micah 7. 19. He will return again he will have compâ—ssion on us 7thly It should be considered also that we are often forsaking our God in a great measure and then say he hath forsaken us it s our wretched way first to fall back from him who is our life and then what good we had begins to wither which being discerned in stead of blaming our selves for declining we first begin and challenge God for forsaking of us as if he were the author of all the hurt and not we O! how much doth he bear at our hands Our way is to cast off the thing that is good Hos 8. 3. and then we cry out Why hath he cast us off 8thly If the Lord should forsake us yet we must not forsake him hâ— hath no need of us but we have need of him we cannot want him but he may well want us it doth not become us proudly to debate with our God whether he or we shall first draw to other again but it becomes us humbly to look up and wait for God when he hideth his face Isa 8. 17. 9thly And it s to be observed that the Lord approveth most of these who pursue his mercy most closly when he appeareth displeased as having no regard to them as is evident in the woman of Canaan Mat. 15. 25. c. 10thly Be sparing in thy complaints of God and rather leave thy complaint upon thy self Job 10. 1. I will leave my complaint upon my self Remember he gave thee warning of old 2 Chr. 15. 2. If ye forsake him he will forsake you Lay to heart how thou hast procured this unto thy self Jer. 2. 17. Hast thou not procured this unto thy self in that thou hast forsaken the â—ord thy God when he led thee by the way Remember how often thou hast turned the back on him when he was doing thee good acknowledge this thy sin and that thou hast fallen by thine own iniquity and return unto the Lord thy God as Hos 14. 1. And if thou wilt take his counsel hearken yet to what he faith Mal. 3. 7. Return unto me and I will return unto you saith the Lord of hosts Bless God that there is yet any hope of a meeting again in mercy Draw near to God and he will draw near to you Jam. 4. 8. Yea tho' thou hast played the harlot with many lovers yet return again unto me saith the Lord. Jer. 3. 1. What wouldest thou have the Lord to say more But sayest thou I need one word more yet for I have lost all spiritual strength I know it s my duty to return to him and praise him while I live for this condescension ever to invite me any more that there is any door of hope left open but I cannot return to him if I should never meet with him in favour what then wilt thou do wilt thou leave it so Art thou resolved to forsake and be forsaken Ah poor sinner who will be the loser Better for thee yet to hearken what he will say further to thee remark then what is said Prov. 1. 23. Turn you at my reproof behold I will pour out my spirit unto you set to your duty endeavour to turn to him and you shall have the help of his Spirit defer not then but while he calleth entertain his kind offer and give it such an answer as Jer. 3 22. Return ye back-sliding children and I will heal your back-slidings behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God this will make a comfortable meeting again so that thou shalt not need to stay from his Table As one forsaken of thy God thou shalt be as tho' thou had not been cast off Zech. 10. 6. He can soon make thy latter end better than thy beginnings Ezek. 36. 11. Object I doubt if I should believe for I think my self one of these who would not be the better fearing still I am none of Gods Elect. Ans If such Objections were not framed to my hand I should neither form nor publish them but being often proposed and particularly this fear of not being elected and some souls distressed thereby cannot pass it altogether but for answer First You may as well say I doubt whether I should be saved or not as to say ye doubt whether ye should believe or not since he that believeth not the wrath of God abideth on him can you deliberatly think ye should not desire to be saved This needs no refutation I hope ye will be ashamed of it 2dly Consider you are under a command to believe and to reject it designedly is rebellion against God besides your own ruine and what success you can dream of in a course of rebellion against a merciful God I understand not 3dly No revelation from God allows you to defer believing until you know you are elected you must have this from some new unhallowed Bible but neither from Old or New Testament 4thly The way to know of your Election is first to believe and if you have grace to believe you are elected and if ye be elected ye will believe for Act. 13. 43 And as many as were ordained
extremity of terrour 3ly It were necessary also to know the rise and first beginnings of their disquiet if natural or accidental melancholy and grief hath first opened a door to their troubles as also if their understanding or bodies begin to suffer that means may be the more dexterously and seasonably managed for their good both as to soul and body 4thly It hath been observed to be sometimes useful to improve for their incouragement any word that droppeth from them savouring of respect to God and fear of sin for some of them do inadvertently let fall most savory expressions and where these 3 things are found 1. Speaking honourably of God 2. Bitterly against their own Sin and 3ly Prayer continued there is good ground to hope for a merciful Issue Lam. 3 25. He is good to the soul that seeketh him 5ly It 's necessary also prudently to conceal what Temptations they discover for if they find them published they will be ready to impart no more and withal if their most frighting Temptations be published the very shame of them may heighten their anguish and tempt to worse 6ly It 's expedient also their friends take care that they be not troubled with such company as may increase their affliction such as are not prudent but may be ready to quarrel them for some of their expressions or possibly mock them which will be to their grief as also from such company as are in like case with themelves and not yet healed of their wounds but these who have been in such trouble and are now at liberty from their former bondage are most meet for converse with them to declare what God hath done for their souls Psal 66 16. 7ly Great prudence and caution is necessary to any friend of theirs who would perswade them to go to the Lords Table while under the violence of these Temptations for to urge them without some composure of mind and freedom in their own consciences may have bad effects the safest way is to use arguments for convincing them of their Duty and if this cannot be obtained better forbear until God make light to arise and they be more fitted for it I have known some who being pressed by their friends have been perswaded to go to the Lords Table but being there did not open their mouth either to eat or drink which afterward raised their trouble to a great height and are at this day under deep distress on that account it appears then to conduce more for the good of such souls to suffer them to wait for a more serene hour by the arising of the Sun of Righteousness whereby the dark clouds surrounding them shall be dispelled and then in his light they sâ—al see light Psal 36. 9. And for such as are tempted all of you are not in a like danger and faithfulness requires to be plain with such of you as have never been concerned for your salvation that your danger is great every way until ye flee to Christ as your refuge and though ye hear that godly persons has been assaulted with horrid Temptations yet that is no ground for you to think your selves godly because ye have such Temptations for ye may have their Temptations but want such grace to resist them if ye embrace not Christ and Salvation through him ye expose your selves as a prey to any Temptation having no interest in him who came to destroy the works of the Devil Therefore cry to God to make you serious for Salvation to make you sincere Believers and convert you to himself by his spirit of grace and the more ye are tempted be the more diligent make the greater haste that ye may be found in Christ by whom ye shal be overcomers and who knoweth but meat may come out of the eater and he who goeth about as a roaring lion seeking to devour be disappointed of his design and thy affliction under these very temptations be made by the over-ruling power of God a mean to make thee flee to Christ for Salvation to thy soul and deliverance from all thine Enemies and if you will fix on this way for your relief and all of you who have done so before ye came under these fiery trials Consider First That blessed Jesus Christ was tempted himself and tempted to the greatest sins even to worship the Devil God's great enemy Matth. 4. 9. And to destroy himself by being guilty of his own Death ver 6. By casting himself down from the Pinacle of the Temple All this and more he subjected unto and being carried by Satan from one place to another that thou a poor weak tempted Believer might be perswaded he knoweth the greatest and worst of thy Temptations 2ly That he will have Sympathy with thee as being tempted himself Heb. 2 18. 3ly That he hath sanctified this trial to Believers by subjecting to it himself for though the wicked Temptations be not sanctified yet thy lot under them is thereby sanctified 4ly That he overcoming them all thou in him as thy head shalt also overcome Therefore adhere still to him and thou cannot sink Rev. 12 11. He who accuseth day and night is overcome by the blood of the lamb 2ly Consider That there are some Temptations that are the Devils sins rather than ours not arising from our selves nor entertained by us are but the fiery Darts of Satan cast in by violence if Satan should now appear or any other way should tempt a godly man to renounce God and worship him this godly man at the very first rejecting such Temptation with Indignation and hatred is not guilty by that Temptation albeit the nature of the Temptation be most horrid and blasphemous and albeit the same godly man have sin remaining in him yet that temptation is not his sin because it neither had it's Original in his heart nor in any measure entertained by him therefore do not so far yield to the Adversary as to take with all his Temptations as if they were your sins for that 's no final part of his design thereby to terrify you as if ye were the most monstrous sinners in the World the Apostle Rom. 7. 17. Finding a gracious principle in his soul against Sin and Sin making war against the law of his mind he can say of this Enemy that warreth against him this Enemy is not himself it 's no more I but sin that dwelleth in me the tempted Believer may well say it 's not I but Satan who tempteth me and so much the more because these Temptations had never that place in his heart that his Sins have albeit it be afflicting to a child of God that Satan should come so near yet he is in all this but at War not gaining nor yielded unto 3ly Therefore be sure of your resisting these Temptations from first to last for voluntary entertaining such Suggestions would soon weaken your confidence and strengthen your adversary therefore let all your thoughts be resisting thoughts and then the Temptation
my soul out of prison that I may praise thy Name 9ly Mind also that thine Adversary is still in Chains and cannot go beyond Divine permission They are in chains of darkness 2 Pet. 2. 4. so also Jude ver 6. They are reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day And so we see nothing could be done by Satan against godly Job but as Divine power ordered and over-ruled Job 1. 12. And the Lord said unto satan behold all that he hath is in thy power only upon himself put not forth thine hand Chapter 2 ver 6. And the Lord said unto satan behold he is in thine hand but save his life So thou art not at thy worst absolutely under his Dominion he is never out of the Chain thou art still under the absolute Dominion of thy God not an hair shal fall from thy head in this conflict without a Divine Providence keep the impression of this upon thy heart for it is a grand design of the Tempter to have thee thinking thou art now wholly in his hand without remedy he will tempt thee to think that God taketh no care of thee hath no pity on thee and never regardeth thee that so he may draw thee either to some dislike of God as merciless or to deny that there is any Providence of God and so carry thee on if he can to doubt if there be any God but himself if he can drive thee to this then his hellish design is far ripened then he tempts thee to think thou must obey him thou art wholly in his hand I have heard some acknowledge this was their Temptation but when Satan did drive hardest he made but fools haste for that Temptation became so frightning that they were helped to hearken the less to any of his temptations and so the Devils malice over-run his policy the Lord discovering the wickedness of his devices for when poor tempted souls are at the very brink of ruine knows not what to do but yield all to the Tempter yet The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of Temptations 2 Pet. 2 9. 10ly Know also that though thy Temptations be very dreadful yet while God helpeth thee to continue resisting them as an hateful burden under which thou groans then thou standest yet on God's side against his Enemy thou fightest against these Temptations as God's Enemies thine then God will be for thee I am for thee Ezek. 36. 9 Faint not in his Service he will not leave you alone Hag. 2. 4. Be strong for I am with thee He will not see thee perish in his own cause fighting against his Enemies he will send from above and draw thee out of these depths though thine Adversary hath thrust sore at thee that thou mightest fall yet thou shal have it to say But the Lord helped me Psal 118. 13. And though thou be sore wounded in the time yet he will tenderly bind up these wounds Psal 147. 3. Hold on the fight and the Lord will teach thee to fight Psal 144. 1. He teacheth my fingers to fight and ye shal fight because the Lord is with you Zechariah 10. 5. Yielding is thy greatest danger 11ly Do not gratifie Temptations by allowing time to attend them since thou art to pray that thou be not led into Temptation then do not cast thy self into it by idleness neglecting the Duties of thy Calling set about thy Work whether thy Station lead thee to employment of the Mind or Body thou hast thy God and his service to wait upon and has no time allowed thee to attend his enemies and their service if thou give the tempter time he will give thee Work he will strive to have thee so far engaged as to draw back from thy Duty to God and man and attend what he hath to say if thou yield to this he has too great Advantage I know you are ready to retire from all company and your ordinary Affairs and say ye are not capable of business but see that many of your retirements be not rather to talk with the Tempter than to talk with God I acknowledge frequent Retirements for Prayer are most necessary but then take care that the time be not worse spent advert to this especially in the beginning of thy Temptations that thou enter not the conflict with present sinning by omitting of plain Duties to God relations or others 12ly And that thou may'st have the benefit of Christ's coming to destroy the works of the Devil 1 Joh. 3. 8. And the comfortable hope that Satan who hath so bruised thee shal be shortly trampled under thy feet Rom. 16. 20. Essay yet once more to believe and in believing thou shalt see the glory of God Joh. 11. 40. When thou hast toiled and outwearied thy self seeking rest yet thou shalt find it no where but in Christ who inviteth thee to come and get rest to thy Soul which he promiseth to give Matth. 11. 29. Here must be the end and conclusion If thou desirest and expectest to enter into rest for Heb. 4. 3. We which have believed do enter into rest Labour then through the throng of all opposition difficulties to adventure on believing in Christ as himself commandeth Joh. 14. 1. Let not your hearts be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me Here is the true cure for a troubled heart adventure on Christ's counsel keep still by his Word for it 's the Sword of the Spirit I know some who were almost crushed under violent and most dangerous Temptations in so much that friends were dejected both because the Temptations were so strong that they could hardly be concealed and a recovery more and more hopless but one day that person by the tender mercy of God begun to think that ther 's no mention in all the Scriptures of Christ's rejecting any poor Sinner coming to him for relief whereupon forthwith that person resolved to Essay believing in Christ whatsoever should follow the Essay was no sooner made but instantly the God of mercy gave a comfortable victory over all these Temptations with encrease of Grace and great joy attending the healing of these wounds and yet continues of a Gospel becoming conversation free of all these afflicting Bonds This I can attest for truth from the persons own mouth the next day after God had broken these Bars of Brass and Iron And judge it Duty to publish it for the encouragement of poor tempted souls that they may consider how signally our gracious God doth countenance such as in the very throng of Temptations cast themselves and their burden upon the Lord. Quest But may I take any comfort in the hope that these frighting Suggestions and Temptations are not originally from my self it 's grievous that they should be in my thought at all but much more if I be the Author of them Answ 1. It 's certain that our selves are the Authors of many Temptations Jam. 1. 14. But
required for its Celebration for every Partaker was to be sanctified unto the Lord 2 Chron. 30. 17. But some had not cleansed themselves yet did they eat the Passover otherwise than it was written ver 18. But Hezekiah prayed for them that the Lord would pardon such as prepared their hearts to seek God though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary ver 19. And the Lord hearkned to Hezekiah and healed the people ver 20 Whereby we may see that sins of that Nature are pardoned when sincerely acknowledged and application made unto the tender mercies of God The knowledge of this is necessary for some who fear their condemnation is inevitable because of their not Communicating aright but by these Scriptures ye may see that all shall not be condemned who have been guilty by sins of that nature where Repentance is there is remission of sins by Christ giving both together Acts 5. 31. CHAP. X. Communicants obliged to review their Communicating The 9th Inference THis Ordinance being the Communion of Christ's Body and Blood then after Partaking Communicants are obliged to try if they have obtained that blessed Communion Consider 1 The Reasons why this should be tried and 2. A few helps how to perform it All Communicants should seriously examine the way of their own hearts when they did Partake because First It was our blessed Redeemer's way after the first Celebration of this Sacrament to set the Communicants in this Road of searching themselves whether they did then believe or not Joh. 16. 31. Do ye now believe This was demanded of them when they had but lately risen from the Lord's Table and therefore is a question that Communicants ought to put to themselves and obliged to have a ready Answer as these Communicants had which is the more to be noticed that after they had declared their Faith ver 30. Yet ver 31. Christ urgeth it again that they may be deliberat and know well what they say when they say they believe Secondly Our Communicating should be carefully reviewed lest we did eat and drink unworthily otherwise we shal be found despisers of that important warning 1 Cor. 11. 27. That such as eat and drink unworthily are guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. Men have neither a due fear of the anger of God nor regard to their own souls who having partaken think there is no more to be done not so much as to enquire whether they came from the Lords Table guilty of his Body and Blood or not for the best of men should take notice of the great regard God hath to Sealing Ordinances The First thing we find Godly Hezekiah considering after the Celebration of the Passeover 2 Chron. 30. 18. Is the transgression of the people who did eat the Passeover otherwise than it was Written for whom he prayed and the Lord mercifully answered his prayer Thirdly If the pains thou did take in preparation before Partaking was sincere that thou might have a blessed meeting with Christ then the same principle will lead thee to enquire if he did meet with thy Soul for no man can be said to be earnest for that which he will not so much as observe if it be found if Communion with Christ was the desire of thy Soul then it will be thy desire now to be secured of it that thou may'st say I sought and found him whom my soul loveth Cant. 3 4. Fourthly If thou shalt find after searching that thou did obtain real spiritual Communion with Christ this will make thy Thanksgivings sincere this will be a mean to endear thy soul to Him and increase thy Love which thou knowest hath need to be encreased when thou has it to say he came and manifested himself to thy Soul did draw the in to his Fellowship fed thee with the hidden Manna whereby thy Soul was revived canst thou then but Love and seek to have thy heart enlarged for more Love This will also endear thy heart to this holy Ordinance wherein thou found Him this will make thee forward in seeking occasions for it hereafter because there the Lord appeared unto thee This will help thee to be a good example to others who are negligent in seeking after it this will be a mean to endear to thee the Promises to thee the Lord promised to come and bless his people where he recorded his Name thou has found it even as he hath said his Words be true now thou knowest it to be a meer Temptation to doubt of his Promise or think that it faileth now thou canst say I will no more distrust any offer that Christ maketh of himself to a poor Sinner for as he offered so I did embrace and am not disappointed now thou canst Sing by experience as Psal 33. 21. For our heart shall rejoyce in him because we have trusted in his holy Name Be perswaded then of the clearness and necessity of this Duty to review thy work at the Lord's Table that thou may'st know what to conclude of thy self whether thou may'st safely take comfort to thy Soul as a sincere and accepted Communicant or not for a mistake here is dangerous if on the one hand thou judge thy self a worthy Communicant and thy self but a stranger to Christ this will harden thy heart in Sin and render thee obstinate against all necessary admonition and reproof and thus you may go on adding to your guilt at every Communion and remain impenitent ye thinking it improper for you to repent for any sinful Communicating on the other hand it 's also dangerous for you to conclude your selves unworthy Communicants without sure grounds or ever searching into the matter for thus you may deny the grace freely given you and belie the operations of the holy Ghost and thus ye may deny God the glory due to him for his mercies and cast your own souls into perplexing diquiet and bondage therefore there is much need to be guided of God in this Search And for the clearing of this a little we are to Consider both how it was with our Souls in the time of Communicating and with what impressions and help we come from that work as for our work in the time of that Solemnity albeit by the Word of God it may be declared how Communicants should act and if they have so acted then they are not unworthy Communicants yet no man can discover the internal acts of other mens souls whether they have acted as they should or not none can know that but God and mens own consciences Therefore when ye are to try your sincerity at the Lords Table the Word of God must be your Rule the spirit of God your Guide and your own Conscience a Witness for the utmost that can be said by men is Conditional that is if you have acted suitable to the nature of the Work if you have embraced Christ c. Then you are accepted and not unworthy Communicants 2. VVhen Communicants are
Season of their Mercy feeling their hearts to burn within them they would not part with Christ but verses 28. and 29. Albeit He made as though He would go away they constrained him to stay with them unto which He Graciously yielded approving their Diligence to have their Mercy continued Keep your selves in the love of God Jude 21. And remember that these Disciples who fell asleep presently after Communicating the next thing we hear of them was forsaking their Master 3. As thou art to begin thy work early so Engage in it Effectually and particularly to follow the Lord fully Remember before thou came to the Lord's Table when thou was Examining thy heart and Practice how many sins then appeared and how Hainous insomuch that thou thought it hard for thee to approach the Lords Table lest thou should prof me it and durst not resolve on Partaking until thou hadst resolved and Engadged against such and such particular sins as for Instance thy pride and seeking of vain glory to thy self polluting lusts over reaching of the siâ—ple wasting of time in company without necessary occasion thy being often ashamed of thy Lord's Words rather complying with than rebuking of evil thy offensive passions fretting at thy Lot thy fainting in time of Trial thy earthliness of mind thy frequent neglecting of Prayer thy lukewarmness in it thy neglect of Meditation on the state of thy Soul thy wearying of Sabbaths or the Holy Duties then required thy Ingratitude for many signal Deliverances and Mercies thy being unâ—utiful either to the Souls or Bodies of thy Relations or to the Poor the bad example thou often givest to thy Family and the like sins If all these or any such evil were wounding to thy Conscience acknowledged to God Lamented and Engadged against as in the sight of God when no Mâ—â—tal eye was witness and with this Engadgment on thy Conscience to Reform thy ways to endeavour all Duty and cast away all thy Transgressionâ— by the help of Grace if thus thou came to the Lords Table and there Solemnly Renewed thy Covenant with God avâ—ching Him that day to be the Lord thy God and to walk in his ways Deut 26. 17. And in Testimony of thy Consent to all the Articles of the Covenant of Grace didst receive the Lord's publick Gospel Seal then know that God will call thee to account for thy observation of this Covenant take care lest thou be Charged as these Psal 78. 36. Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth and they lied unto him with their tongâ—es For their heart was not right with him neitheir were they stedfast in his Covenant Take heed ye be not as these who said they would not Transgress and yet are found wandring from God and playing the Harlot every where Jeremiah 2. 20. And that ye may be stedfast in your Covenant with God and faithfully performing your Vows that ye may shine more and and more bright unto the perect Day and continue that Blessed Communion with Christ which is begun Resolve on a true walk with God this honourable Walk is often mentioned and diverse ways expressed in Scripture whereby the Lord Condescendeth to our weakness for our good that we may the better understand how to manadge this Walk as First Walk in Him Col. 2. 6. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him What a wonderful walk is this to walk in Christ who can understand this if it be not given from above yet they are the Words of God discovering our Duty our Priviledge and our greatest Help for this Holy Walk 1. Our Duty still to abide in Christ never to go from Him to any hand to have all our way consisting with Communion with Christ to admit willingly of nothing but that which He will admit of in fellowship with Him that so our fellowship may be continued 2. Our Priviledge in partaking of so great Happiness as to be Interested in His Favour His love and care and Blessed with such nearness as to have Him for our Habitation where we may live and walk at a Holy Liberty 3. Here is our greatest Help and the very Fountain of it if all ordinary Cisterns were dried up the Believer shal Live by the Fountain itself because Christ Lives he who is in Him shal Live also the Believer Liveth upon Christ and His Fullness there he hath Grace to make him Love this Holy walk and hold up his goings in it 2. Walk with God Micah 6. 8. Walk humbly with thy God Let none be so profane as to say are not these one to walk in Him and to walk with Him and what need is there for Expressing this walk so many ways for they are the Words of God and therefore all to be Regarded This walking with God is a Testimony and Proof of our being agreed with Him otherwise there could be no walking with Him For He putteth away all the wicked like dross Psal 119. 119. The Lord confereth this honour upon Believers that being now reconciled by the Blood of Christ they may draw near with some Holy confidence and without Presumption walk with their God though it must be Humblâ— because He is God and we but dust nor is it possible to keep up this walk without Humility for the proud in heart are an Abomination to Him and the rareness of true humility maketh this walk so rare 2. It 's to walk with God that is in His way not in our ways we must attend Him in His own ways not expecting to walk with Him in our sinful ways this is the more to be regarded because we would willingly have God to be with us in our own way to owne and countenance us in the way of our own chusing when there is little care taken to be with God in his ways but we cannot walk with Him out of His own way and as we would have Him to be with us so we should take care that we be with Him 2 Chr. 15. 2. The Lord is with you while ye be with Him 3. Walk before me Gen. 17. 1. I am God Almighty walk before Me and be thou perfect 1. To walk as being under Gods al-seeing Eye which is a great help to a Holy walk labouring to do nothing but as being content God behold it setting the Lord always before our eyes or as the Apostle expresseth it I forsaw the Lord always before my fâ—ce Acts 2. 22. Blessed is the man who frameth all his way for that Omniscient Eye 2. To walk before Him is not only to be impressed with His discerning all our ways but to set Him before our eyes as our all sufficient God and help Believing in our hearts that He can strengthen and bear us up in all the difficult steps of our walk 3. To walk before Him or before His face is to Encourage the Believer that not only God can help but that His Eyes Mercifully upon His People observing all their