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
to eternal life believed 5thly By what revelation do ye know that ye are not elected answer this if you can For tho' ye had lived a godless life to this hour that will not prove it for God effectually calleth the elect at what time he pleaseth some in their younger and some in their elder age What presumption is this in you to judge so presumptuously of the Decrees of God For your great concern in Election is to judge by its fruits that ye are elected and thus ye are directed to make your Calling and Election sure by the Graces of Gods Spirit which are the fruits of Election 2 Pet. 1. from the 5th vers to the 11th of that Chapter But to make it your first question whether ye are elected or not before ye believe is a way of your own devising having nothing from God to warrant it 6thly Whatsoever tempteth you to disobey the Command of God is from a Principle of darkness but this tempteth you to disobey the Command of God and therefore it s from a Principle of darkness and whatsoever hath a direct tendency to separat you from Christ by not believing you should take as proceeding from the same Principle and so without further dispute to reject it 7thly Tho' Satan be so cruel to thy poor soul by his temptations yet be not thou so cruel to thy self as to hearken to him but put it home to thy own Conscience am not I a sinner deserving the wrath of God what course should I take Or whether can I go but to him who hath the words of eternal life who directeth me to believe and promiseth I shall be saved Joh. 3. 16. What should more to raise thy indignation against all suggestions or temptations that oppose thy believing Object Some say they cannot go to the Lords Table because of fearful suggestions and horrid temptations that go near to blasphemy which they cannot get out of their thoughts and are ashamed to utter them to their dearest friends or relations whereby they think themselves unworthy the name of Christians or the society of men Ans I shall premit a few considerations before any particular answers be given for the case of such distressed souls is sometimes the most distressing part of a Ministers whole work how to minister a word in season for their relief and comfort For 1st They often conceal the worst of the temptations which are most horrid and are so disturbed with them that they can hardly consider any thing that is spoken they will appear to hearken to what a man speaketh but in the mean time are busied in talking with their temptations their adversary labouring to keep them so close at his work that they shall hearken to nothing else that being his interest and their hurt 2dly In some of these tempted persons their appeareth no exercise of godliness nothing but these dreadful temptations sometimes vexing them for great levity is found in their conversation otherwise as being unconcerned for salvation yet are they often frightned with temptations tending to blasphemy Others again who for many years have given good testimony of serious piety yet are afflicted with temptations no less horrid and hateful so that this tryal of being assaulted with such suggestions and temptations cannot of it self prove either a gracious or graceless state and therefore cannot be spoken unto as if they were all godly which makes the difficulty the greater for tho' tenderness be due to them yet must not be flattered as if these troubles of mind were proofs of true godliness nor on the other hand should the fearers of God be discouraged as if such suggestions could make evidence that they are cast off of God 3dly Tho' there be great variety of these hellish temptations which cannot all be named nor expedient to mention yet commonly the sum and scope of them is to represent God as without mercy and the Author of all their woes that so God may be hated and the poor tempted souls expect no good from him this being Satan's great design 4thly Their temptations are sometimes so violent that their understanding is in present danger or their lives or sometimes both which increaseth the difficulty how to be serviceable to them in season besides that many of these tempted people are found so fixed in their melancholly apprehensions that whatever opinion they once conceive either concerning their own temptations or souls state they are therein so tenacious that except the very power of God accompany what is spoken neither Arguments nor Exhortations will move them I say except the power of God appear for sometimes his power hath appeared in blessing seasonable words for a relief unto them which themselves have acknowledged as for the Physicians part and wherein they may be useful for correcting the excess of melancholly I leave to themselves but doubtless the Bonds of humanity and much more Christian sympathy oblidgeth so far as we are capable to endeavour their good and therefore tho' I be very unfit for such difficult work yet having frequently occasion to speak with such persons I shall humbly offer a few things to consideration as God helpeth First Great compassion is due to such tempted souls by praying for them and with them as God giveth opportunity and not amiss to let them know our sympathy that they may be the more encouraged to a free discovery of the very worst it will not be found safest only to chide them for having such thoughts or to say you are very sinful for having them because the distressed person will reply such suggestions are my burden and misery I cannot keep them out of my mind and that you call me sinful for having them you are of my mind for I do not think there is such a monstruous sinner in the World as I whose soul is a receptacle for such suggestionâ— for fear of sin in having sâ—ch thoughts is the poor mans anguish already and thus he findeth you adding to his grief 2ly After â—hey have fully discovered their Tâ—mptations or so much as they will reveal sometimes by the blessing of God it 's found very useful to let them know that others have been as deeply tempted as they and to as great evils as they who now by the mercie of God are delivered for it 's a great ease to them if they can be perswaded that any others have been in the the like case and are at last cured when they do not much regard other things that are spoken yet they will readilie hearken to this and sometimes urge to know it's certaintie with great importunitie at which time it were not a miss to gratifie them with some particular instances of such persons now delivered from their bondage and albeit they commonly think that no sorrow is like to theirs and that there are some evils in their hearts that was never in the heart of any other yet I have seen such instances blessed for allaying the
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
so desperatly wicked and deceitful that some have need of this Caution 2dly Yet on the other hand when some are exhorted to prepare for the Lords Supper especially young people who did never partake before if fears and doubts arise in their hearts whereby they stand in need of counsel and help of the more experienced they should not deprive themselves of that help fearing they may be thought Hypocrites or get a name of more seriousness than they deserve as some have kept up their doubts from all others until their doubts were too strong for them and brough them under such distress that it had been much their advantage to have revealed them sooner 3dly Where stumbling Blocks are such as may be removed with a little pains or some more humility all should make conscience of getting them removed As fore Instance if there be variance betwixt persons where a little true humility would cure all in confessing of wrongs and injuries done to others or forgiving injuries then men should go to the utmost against their own pride and submit to one another rather than to deprive themselves of so blessed a communion with Christ Eph. 5. 21. Submitting your selves one to another in the fear of God 4thly Where Objections are really serious and of weight yet Christians should take care not to indulge them by heaping up of Scruples and in the mean time shutting their ears against any solution or mean of cleâ—ring their Doubt they should not conclude that such Objections cannot be answered and so determine to follow their own Opinion before means be used As for Instance some because they find such a particular evil in themselves or because they have no perswasion that Christ will countenance them in that Ordinance do inconsideratly conclude they will not partake but such should use all means within their reach to know if these or the like Objections be sufficient arguments to keep them from the duty of communicating 5thly When some are observed to withdraw from the Lords Table if they be of sober and Christian Conversation its uncharitable to judge them Hypocrites on that account and to load them with Reproaches as if they were all distempered if they be not Hypocrites for ye are discharged to judge Mat. 7. 1. Judge not that ye be not judged 6thly Such as are of that Opinion that all professing Christians should without debate be Communicants should consider that all Communicants are required to examine themselves and accordingly act and the Examination required is in order to partaking that he who examineth may find clearness in his Conscience to partake and without this no man should approach the Lords Table that is no man should partake who in the mean time doubteth whether he should partake or not for whatsoever is not of faith is sin Rom. 14. 23. I grant a Christian may partake tho' he hath may other doubts but he cannot safely partake while this doubt remaineth therefore all means should be used to have his conscience convinced that its his duty to partake It cannot be sufficient for a Christian to say I am not clear to communicat and so continue neglecting that Ordinance if he make not conscience of getting stumbling Blocks in his way removed the man is guilty of his own bondage who doth not what he justly may to get his Fetters off And for your help I shall consider and by the Lords help answer some of these Objections which I have most insisted on and urged As First Some object I am not a Believer and therefore should not go to the Lords Table Answ Some object this indeliberatly is it easie to think thy self no Believer Dost thou consider what will be the eternal lot of Unbelievers sure this comfortless Conclusion should have very evident reasons But it s to be lamented that some will very lightly object their not believing when it may serve a turn and keep them from a Duty they have no mind to and yet little exercised or grieved for the matter You are easily satisfied not to go to the Lords Table but will not take pains conscientiouslly to examine your faith putting it to the tryal of Gods word but thou thinkest thou art no Believer and there 's an end and thus thou mayest sinfully neglect that Ordinance while thou livest 2dly Before thou dost impartially examine thy self thou art not sure but the grace of Faith is given thee and if it be given thou art most ungrate to deny it for a conscientious Christian doubting of his Faith dare not therefore peremptorily say he hath no Faith lest he be injurious to the free Grace of God not knowing but after serious examination he may be enabled to say I know in whom I have believed 2 Tim. 1 12. He finds it very uneasie to charge himself with a graceless state except the grounds were undenyable therefore search well before you fix so comfortless a Conclusion 3dly Weak Faith should not be lookt on as no Faith for Faith admitteth of degrees some are of little Faith Mat. 6. 30. O ye of little faith Some are of great Faith Mat. 15. 28. Woman great is thy faith And if you be of the very meanest who have obtained like precious Faith acknowledge it to the glory of the Giver see that your Faith be of that kind which uniteth Christ and the sinner Eph. 3. 17. Thy ' ye cannot say that ye are strong in faith yet if you have received Christ ye have a right to the childrens food Gal. 3. 26. By faith we are the children of God 4thly See that you mistake not the nature of saving Faith as if it were only a perswasion that you shall be saved which is to follow after believing if you cannot deny but the desire of your soul is toward him then you have ground of comfort for the people of God have comforted themselves with this desire Isa 26. 8. 9. The desire of our soul is to thy Name with my soul have I desired thee If God hath wrought this in you do not deny the thing you find What pleasure have ye to deny God his due glory and keep your souls in perplexity Ye see the Children of God have searched out their very desires and avowed them thankfully before the searcher of hearts which is also your duty and if you cannot deny some real willingness to have Christ as he offereth himself then a day of gracious power hath come to thy soul for nothing could make thy heart willing but divine power Psal 110. 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power God hath bestowed more on thee than only light this is the Light of life therefore search it carefully if thy soul be made willing and if thereby thou hast been opening thy heart for Christ for where the heart is opened by willingness Christ hath certainly performed his word Rev. 3. 20. He cometh in and suppeth with such There is no willing opened heart for Christ but he
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
eye to see it No wonder the Lord be sparing of His comforts to some people who so dote upon them that the help of Grace is not so much valued if they want Comfort be not so proud as to think ye deserve Comfort nor so ignorant as to think the Lord is not free to dispense Consolations when He seeth fit but not when ye think it fit and learn to value the help of Grace more than Comfort by it self joy without Grace will deceive thee therefore search yet if any sincerity can be found in thy Communicating that thou mayest humbly and thankfully acknowledge it to His Praise Secondly If after thou hast again tryed it yet thou canst find no Faith in thy Communicating thou art then to try if ever before that time thou didst sincerely Believe in Christ receiving Him as thy Redeemer and Lord for if it was so the Union then made can never be Disolved For he that Believeth hath everlasting Life John 3. 36. And by this Union thou has an Interest in Grace to make thee Repent for sinful Communicating Acts 5. 31. Thirdly If neither before Partaking nor in the time thou couldst say thou ever Believed Yet if thou shalt now Believe thou shalt be Saved Acts 16. 31. VVhat ever hath been thy Guilt the Blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin CHAP. XI Communicants should Live suitable to such Holy Communion The tenth Inference THIS Holy Ordinance being the Communion of Christ's Body and Blood then Communicants are Oblidged to Live suitable to so great a Benefit and testifie their Gratitude by a Holy Walk and Conversation The last thing to be Considered is that after Examination of our way in Communicating if we did truely Partake the Communion of Christ's Body and Blood we are to endeavour a Practice suitable thereunto in order to this Holiness of heart and Conversation I shal put you in mind of these four things First A brief hint of that Conversation required 2. That our performance should be early begun 3. That Engagments and Vows be particularly performed 4. That for Strengthening to the whole Work required our begun Communion with God be cherished and continued in that Holy walk which God hath Prescribed For the first the Conversation required of us is First To be blameless in all things Phil. 2. 15. That ye may be blameless and harmless the sons of God without rebuke Stains on Communicants doth much obstruct the Progress of Religion and true Godliness it should grieve us much to be a Comfort to the wicked in their wickedness Ezekiel 16. 54 2. In a particular manner our Conversation should be Just and Conscientious Israelites indeed in whom is no guile 1 Thessalonians 4. 6. That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter It 's true Godly men will be reproached by the wicked carry as they will but then be sure their Accusations be false that so they may be ashamed 1 Peter 3. 16. It 's a most wounding reflection on Religion if an ordinary communicant shal be found in unjust Practices 3. Our Conversation should be meek and lowly this being a Bright Ray of Christ's Image which He requires us to learn of Him Matth. 11. 29. It 's the very best Ornament of a Christian that all should be clothed with though it be most difficult to proud nature yet must be Learned otherwise God will look upon us afar off but He dwelleth with the humble Isaiah 57. 15. His dwelling with such should suffice to make us Love it 4. Believers must walk Circumspectly and be watchful in all things Ephesians 5. 15. Sins within us and temptations from without are never wanting move where we will in this World Therefore we must be always on our Guard which was Christ's Solemn Counsel Mark 13. 37. What I say unto you I say unto you all Watch. We cannot spend a Day nor an hour of a day without sin and loss to our Souls if this Direction be not followed our unwatchful hours being many woes for many days which we cannot shake off but the watchful Christian is the Blessed Servant in Christs account Luke 12. 37. 5. Our Conversation should be ordered and designed for Edification Rom. 15. 2. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification We must not say with Cain am I my brothers keeper we are required to do good to all men as we have Opportunity Galatians 6. 10. What a bitter farewell to the World shal that man have who when he must go hence hath that to take to the grave with him Here is a man leaving the World who never did good but hurt to the Souls of men whom he leaveth behind him 6. Our Conversation should savour of Communion with God and Spiritual heavenly things Phil. 3. 20. Our Conversation is in Heaven VVe should learn to be more as Strangers on Earth thinking and speaking more of our Better Countrey and Comforting one another with the Hope of it 1 Thessalonians 4. 18. we have no cause to be ashamed of our Countrey it 's well if it be not ashamed of us yet many of us now a days appear ashamed to speak of Heaven or heavenly things lest we be thought either too Religious or Hypocrites but the matter is that Heavenly Meditations and Affections abound not in our hearts and therefore the mouth speaketh so little of them 7. Our walk should be suitable to Gospel Promises and Priviledges that the VVorld may see neither our Hope nor Portion is in this Life the Believers Inheritance shall be for ever Psal 37. 18. And therefore ought not to be cast down with worldly Losses but learn to be Content in every State knowing how to be abassed and how to abound the Believer should Rejoyce in Hope of the Glory of God knowing that he shal be shortly above all the griefs and Comforts that this VVorld can give and therefore should go through his Journey cheerfully in Hope that he shal soon Rest from his Labours and desire nothing but what he shal Possess Hebrews 4. 3. These are a part of the ways that thou art Engadged to walk in having taken the Seal of God's Covenant thou art in a special manner bound to all the Duties therein required but thy Comfort is that the same Covenant alloweth thee help to perform and He whom thou hast Received hath all the fulness of the God-head in him Colossiaans 2. 9. John 1. 16. 2. Enter thy work early to pay thy Vows lest thou forget them and so render thy Guilt great lest the present sense of thy Obligations go off thy heart defer not a day for many Christians come to loss after Communions by triffling away time until the Edge go off and their hearts are coolled again and so much cooled that they are nothing like what they were when their hearts burned within them in Communion with Christ these Disciples mentioned Luke 24. 32. were wise in this that they Improved the