16. 6. I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live I die for thee that thou mayest not die I am come that thou mayest have Life then the Blessing of these who were ready to perish are poured out upon the Ransomer Then as Mic. 7. 18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity The deeper thy Sense of Guilt be being joyn'd with some hope of Mercy thou art in the surer way for the rich Consolations of God they that Sowe in Tears shal reap in Joy the Lord hath appointed the Garment of Praise after the spirit of Heaviness Isai 61. 3. 6 And though thou has no fear of Wrath having ground to hope that thou art Reconciled to God by the Blood of Christ Yet come humbly because thy sins are against such Streams of Mercy runing upon thee and passing by others thou knowest that thou hast never lived Suitable to the Greatness of thy Mercy never fully payed thy Vows never Glorified God in body and spirit as it became one not his own but Bought with a Price much is required of thee because much is given thee let the Sense of this go deeper in thy heart for if hope of Pardon make thy sin easie thou has cause to suspect both thy self and thy hope There are no Convictions should be more humbling than foolish requiting of the Lord and no Grief more grieving than grieving of his Spirit who minded our griefs and knew our Souls in adversities Thou will not want Matter of humbling to take with thee to the Lords Table and need of Renewed Application of that Precious Blood If thou open thine eyes to see thy way Jer. 2. 23. 7. Come humbly in the Sense of thy sin that thou mayest value the least of Mercy and the very Crumbs that fall from his Table and if such a full Cup of Consolation be not poured out to thee as to others or as at other times to thy self yet to Justifie God in thy heart not thinking thou hast hard measure not wondering if he hide his face from thee but rather wondring if it shine upon thee considering thy Provocations This true Sense of thy unworthiness will make thee think O that I may have a Cup of Salvation when I go to his Table whether it be a Cup of present Consolation or not And that thou may'st approach with some humbling sense of thy sin Consider that there must be some more deadly poison in sin than we do apprehend when no less doth expiate the guilt than that Blood which is called the Blood of God that no other Sacrifice nor Offering could avail Study O Christian to know more of the demerit of sin the greatness of the Justice of God that would accept of no other Atonement and the greatness of thy deliverance if thou art now a Believer that the weight of wrath is not come upon thee And think with thy self thou by thy sins pierced him thou brought blessed Jesus to sweat these drops of Blood thou pressed on him with the weight of thy sins until he cryeth out My GOD my GOD why hast thou forsaken me Canst thou want a humbling sense of sin and think this was for thee Canst thou yet mind it and not mourn What hateful hearts have we that are not more pierced with the piercing of Christ and a wonder if many of us find an interest in that Death wherewith we are so little concerned 2. Be Particular and Impartial in searching out the Aggravations of thy Sin from thy Youth up and when convictions arise in thy Conscience choke them not but intertain them as a Mercy until they be ripened for gracious humbling Thou may'st soon lay aside thy convictions but not so soon take them up again it may be God gave thee the mercy of many Convictions but thy love to sin has mastered them all that now thy Conscience lets thee sin with ease being seared and thy heart hardned and no wonder for many wakenings of Conscience that still end in security makes our hearts as the Iron many heats and many cools makes the Iron harder 3. But when none of thy Meditations or Convictions can soften thy heart but thou can behold thy sin and not grieve and often confess it yet canst not mourn never get thy heart poured out to God except some weight of Affliction press thee and then thou wilt pour out a prayer when the Lord is chastening thee and when thy affliction is over the pouring out of thy heart is at an end I say when nothing prevaileth with thy obdured heart yet bless God that there is a promised spirit of mourning Zech. 12. 10. They shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shal mourn Cry to God for this help that thou may'st go to this blessed Ordinance as is expressed Jer. 50. 4. going and weeping and verse 5. joyn thy self to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant CHAP. V. Communion with Christ should be known before Partaking The fourth Inference IF that the worthy Receiver at the Lords Table obtain the Communion of his Body and Blood then Communicants are obliged to understand what that is which is called Communion with Christ before they Partake lest they be found ignorant of it when they Partake Consider then that true Communion with Christ being the happiness and honour of all who obtain it meriteth the greatest seriousness to know how sinful Mortals partake of it And though it be wonderful yet the exceeding riches of free Grace hath made it sure for Believers have the priviledge of entering into the holiest by the blood of Jesus and so obtain a more gracious nearness to God than those who remain only in the outer Court and that this may appear for the incouragement of those who still retain a value for it but fears that this fellowship is reserved wholly for a better life I shal by the help of God shew first that Believers in this life partake a peculiar and intimate fellowship with Christ Secondly It 's preparatory Antecedents whereby they are brought unto it And Thirdly Wherein it consisteth and the way how it 's enjoyed so far as God giveth to understand it I can promise the Reader no more For the First This blessed Communion with the Lord is not only Commanded both in the Old and New Testament Micah 6. 8 walk humbly with thy God Joh. 15. 4. Abide in me I in you so is made the plain Duty of the People of God to seek after it but is also promised Psal 140. 13. The upright shall dwell in thy presence Joh. 14. 23. We will come unto him and make our abode with him So that Believers may expect success to their Prayers and endeavâ—urs after Communion with God For faithful is he who hath promised Heb 10. 23. Secondly The near Union that is between Christ and Believers doth undeniably prove this Communion he being the Head and Believers the Body supplied in every part by the Head
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
rendered Believers being in a justified state they obtain in this life some real purity of heart notwithstanding of their Imperfections and it becometh a snare or woe to souls that study no purity because of no intire perfection in this life and these have the true beginnings of holy purity who follow that example and direction 2 Cor. 7. 1. Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God for 1. Christ died to purifie a people unto himself zealous of good works Tit. 2. 14. And he will see the travel of his soul 2. Christ dwelleth in the heart by Faith and where he dwelleth there the throne of iniquity cannot stand Psal 94. 20. 3. All who receive forgiveness of sins are sanctified by faith in Christ Acts 26 18. 4. Sin shall not have dominion over any who are brought truly under grace Rom. 6. 14. Search diligently for this purifying of the heart as thou wouldest not be deceived of thy faith hope for according to 1 Joh 3. 3. Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure think not of accepting thy self where the words of God are every man examine your selves Particularly in these 4 things First If thou findest an active Principle in thy Soul standing in opposition to sin if sin be hated so as thou can say of it it 's the evil I hate Rom. 7. 15. See that this hatred be not pretended and Sin in the mean time cherished for it 's not only a sure step toward but also a great length in the purity of holiness to be a hater of Sin 2. And to secure the truth of this hatred try if there be an ordinary warfare against Sin For if it be hated there will be opposition made to it as Rom. 7. 23. Thy sins will feel thy grace to have some power and therefore Christ compareth the mortifying of sin to the cutting off the right hand c. And where there is nothing of this it 's vain to pretend hatred 3. Try if thou lovest the Law which requireth this purity for to love that very Law which reâ—â—râ—ineth from Sin yea the sins that easily beset us is a blessed but I fear a rare attainment to be content to be hedged up from the way of our own hearts and to love the hedge of Gods making not to wish in heart that the Laws of God were otherwise that we might have a greater liberly for sin Psal 119. 97. O how love I thy law There is the greater necessity of searching into this because it 's given us as the character of a godly man to delight in the law of the Lord Psal 1. 2. 4. Try what success attendeth your endeavours against sin if by dependance on the spirit of Christ which mortifieth the deeds of the body it may be said of you as 1 Pet. 1. 22. Seing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth Mark these words ye have purified whereby we may see that Believers have some success against their sin their work is to cleanse themselves and their labour is not in vain in the Lord and it 's necessary that every Christian have some instances and proofs of this in readiness that he hath purified his Soul and kept himself from his iniquity and shut not your eyes upon that awful evidence of an interest in Christ Gal 5. 24. They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Know then that it not only should be but is a sound Believers work to be purifying his Soul though he get not sin abolished in this life 3 Communicants should also examine their love to Christ before they go to the Lords Table and if any shal say that this is a superfluous burdening of people with unnecessary questions their saith being clear what needeth examining of love also But I find Christ is of anâ—ther mind who examineth his followers both as to their Faith love John 16. 31. Do ye now believe And John 21. 16. lovest thou me Therefore we are concerned to be in a readiness to answer both and if our love cannot abide the trial no more can our faith for faith worketh by love Gal. 5. 6. Consider first that Christ manifesteth himself to such as love him John 14. 23. And if Christ do not manifest himself to us at his Table we shal never be able to discern him aright A manifested Christ is the blessing and beauty of that work even when he manifesteth himself as crucified bleeding to death he is then most lovely and beautiful to the Believer he then sheweth himself dying in pure love and what manifestation of him should be more engaging and overcoming but no eyes can thus profitably behold him except he manifest and shew himself which the lovers of Christ may expect and therefore our love to him should be examined 2. This holy Communion is a banquet of love and therein it might well be said he giveth his loves giving himself and the pledges of his love Cant. 7. 12. And is appointed only for the lovers of Christ they are his friends and beloved who are allowed to eat and drink aboundantly Cant. 5. 1. The lovers of Christ are the only prepared persons for Communion with him for he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God 1 Joh. 4. 16. And no man is capable of Communion with him who wants it love being necessary to true fellowship Ther 's need then to search for it lest Christ have it to say as Joh. 5. 42. I know you that ye have not the love of God in you 3. This grace should be carefully searched for Because we are ready to flatter and deceive our selves with an hypocritical love Ezek. 33. 31. with their mouth they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousness They make a show of what they have not men are not willing to charge themselves with the want of love to God it appears so hainous and therefore must have it's shadow but their heart is reserved for others and far from God Isa 29. 13. They have removed their heart far from me Yet the poor men were honouring God with their lips 4. Blessed Jesus Christ not only declareth that love is the great Command Matth. 22. 37. But also searcheth most narrowly and pressingly for this grace in his people as appears by questioning Peter 3 times if he loved him until the godly man was grieved fearing his love was suspected This wounded him that he was asked the third time Joh. 21. 17. Christs questions should teach us to question our selves and to be in readiness for such an answer as was then given Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee He could give an account of his love and appeal to the searcher of hearts for it's sincerity and so should we 5. It distresseth serious souls to be in doubt of their love being of the same mind with the
for that Try thy self the more exactly in this point of thy love to the people of God because God is greatly dishonoured in this age for the want of it Beware of patcht up counter feit agreements and love before Communions But as thou art to labour for Communion with Christ himself so labour to the utmost of thy power for a cordial Communion of Saints that you may Feast together here in love and hope to be together in a better place and be not saying I forgive such a Christian but I desire never to see him I desire never to speak with him this will not be found forgiving from the heart as Christ requireth Matth. 18. 35. Let your love be without dissimulation Rom. 12. 9. Not in Word only but in Deed promoting the good name of one another See that ye love one another with a pure heart servently 1 Pet. 1. 22. These are the Words of God but Ah how little regarded and I fear shal not be much regarded while we continue falling from our first love to Christ love to him and his followers must revive together 4. We should also examine our Repentance because First Christ hath enjoyned it with a certification that except we repent we shal perish Luke 13. 3. How speechless will it render the impenitent perishing sinner when the Books are opened and this found that this obdured sinner was forwarned of this perishing but shut his ears and would not hearken 2. This repentance is that part of Religion which we are most averse either to act or try and therefore the greater need to oblige our selves to search if we have it For to hear of Faith and love and Love goeth more easily down the very naming of them is sweet to such as know little of them but cannot with patience hear of conviction mourning or departing from iniquity many also continue to ensnare their own souls with the conceit that they believe so well that they need not trouble themselves with repentance but they should remark Christs requiring of both Mark 1 15. Repent and believe 3. Others observing repentance to be peremptorly commanded Conclude that some repentance they must have but are satisfied with a shadow of it and are so superficial that any extorted flash of sorrowing any change any returning though not to the most High satisfieth them We find Hos 7. 16. That some return but not to the most High They think they have returned sufficiently And therefore need no more saying as Mal. 3. 7. Wherein shall we return The Lord seeth that they are yet to turn to him as in the same ver return unto me saith the Lord but they think otherwise this should make us afraid lest God do not iudge of our Repentance as we do and therefore to examine it in time It 's easie for people to think themselves sufficiently qualified for a Communion or for Heaven it self but the woe will be that it was only themselves thought so when they find God their judge of another mind 4. There is the more need to examine our Repentance in this age wherein the broken in spirit and contrite in heart are as signs and wonders as if all the broken in heart before us had been in an error and troubled themselves in vain or as if God never regarded any such Soul-exercise and wounding of Spirit though he hath expresly declared Isa 66. 2. But to this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word Then it 's necessary as men would have God to look favourably upon them as ye would have a comfortable reviving look at this Table to try if ever you were wounded in heart for your sin See to it lest the searcher of hearts have it to say here is a man that to this day was never humbled Jer. 44. 10. Never pierced at the heart never at what shal I do to be saved never so wounded but he could easily cure himself no use for that mercy Psal 147. 3. He healeth the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds You will needs go to the Communion but it 's not for any great business you have to do there you have no burden of sin to take off as finding it too heavy for your selves Psal 38. 4. 5. There is the greater need to search particularly into the sincerity of our Repentance before we approach the Lords Table because some serious Christians may deprive themselves of that benefit fearing their Repentance is not sound and that because they had never such a measure of grief as others never so deeply wounded for sin as they think they should or as they have perceived by others who refused to be comforted were long in bondage of fear and ready to be swallowed up with grief and terrour To clear this alittle Consider first That trouble or terrour of mind of it self cannot prove any gracious good in a soul A Judas hath terror of mind but no grace terrour is sometimes a Judgement from God as Lev. 26. 16 I will appoint over you terrour and Deut. 28. 20. The Lord shal send upon thee vexation And some wicked persons are consumed with terrours Psal 73. 19. Therefore it 's not safe to desire such terrour of mind as some have been under for it was their plague 2. Men may have a temporary sorrowing and grieâ— which sin hath occasioned and yet their sorrowing is not for their sin nor any sanctifying grace in their mourning A Saul may lift up his voice and weep and confess others more Righteous than himself and yet still go on in his sin 1 Sam. 24. 16 17. Some may make a great noise of their repentance as he lift up his voice and wept And yet but a worldly sorrow that David was like to have the Kingdom is his greatest grief 3. Some are surprised with a sudden fear of Wrath which they cannot shake off but are as captives so far from any true and humbling sense of sin that all their trouble is for being troubled and cannot help it They are in chains and fetters not knowing for what for it seised them without any apprehension or sense of their sin This doth sometimes make a great alteration and commotion while it continueth so that they tremble under it as Felix Acts 24 25. The poor man knew not what was come on him he is frighted but getteth no good of it and therefore desires Paul to be gone I have seen severals after the same manner frighted with a sudden fear of Judgement and for any thing appeared their Religion never went a greater length yet their trouble in the time was great and made a great noise but when the fright was over their Religion was also over It is not safe then to set up such as paterns for your Repentance though the degree of their anguish might be greater than yours 4. Though the Law be our School-master to bring us unto Christ Gal. 3.
Lords words but Confessest him before men then take comfort from what Christ saith Mat. 10. 32. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men him will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven and mind what followeth in the next verse But whosoever shall deny me before men him will I also deny and though we have not often the occasion of such publick confessions as many Blessed witnesses had before us yet while we converse with men on Earth we shal still be found either confessing Christ his words and true godliness or ashamed and fainting great may be their Comfort who a vow Holiness in all companies This is the more to be adverted because if some Christians be permitted to keep their chambers or much retired from Converse with men then they obtain some measure of comfortable exactness in their Practice but no sooner engadged in Company but some fainting appears shrinking from their former exactness and failing of the Duties required in all company sinfully forgeting God whereby they often return with loss to their Souls and a condemning Conscience Therefore let the fear of being Denied by Christ still influence thy deportment more than fear of mens displeasure 7. When thou art helped in some sincerity to Obey thy Lord having a respect to all his Commands endeavouring to act all thy obedience by Grace out of Christs Fulness and taking delight to do his will yet art thou not of the same mind that Christ requireth Luke 17. 10. When ye shal have done all these things which are Commanded you say we are unprofitable servants though ye take comfort in obeying from the heart as an evidence of Gods grace and Favour yet dare not trust to it as a procuring Cause of the least of your Mercies thou thinkest in heart there is no more cause to boast of the best of thy performances than if a man should declare himself a fool by boasting of filthy rags then the Grace that helpeth thee to obey maketh thee also humble and of the poor in spirit who are rich and Blessed in Christs account CHAP. IV. Sense of sin necessary before Partaking The third Inference 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 And that this is necessary Consider First That if ye have not the Sense of your sin you cannot duely regard a Crucified Christ and so may mistake the whole work despising his Death as of no great use for you and so cannot and will not apply his Blood for purging away of Sin and Guilt for thou art not sensible of Guilt This of it self were there nothing else will make thee eat and drink Unworthily undervaluing that Life-giving Death for the Communicants work is humbly and thankfully to receive a Crucified Christ Represented in that Ordinance as knowing they perish without him 2. If there be no humbling Sense of sin thou shalt Partake as an hypocrite pretending before God and men that thou comest to Embrace Christ as the onely propitiation for thy sins and yet there 's no such thing on thy heart Thou doest not Judge thy self so Guilty or that ever thou provocked God to such wrath but that less might have served Thou felt no such a Burden of thy sin but such as thy self could bear with great ease thou wonderest there should be such a stirr in the World about sin thou never committed any sin but thou hadst a Covering of thy own to cast over it Thou couldest at any time after thy greatest abominations with the whorish Woman Prov. 30. 20. Wipe thy mouth and say I have done no wickedness If thus thou comest to the Lords Table thou wilt but receive Bread and Wine finding need of no more 3. If thy sin do nothing smart and wound thee thou wants the very best Qualification of a Communicant which is hungring after the Bread of Life For he satisfieth the longing soul Psal 107. 9. The Lord hath his Eye upon such more than all others â—sai 66. 2. But to this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit he findeth out such when others are passed by such as are so sensible of their Guilt that they wonder that he should look upon them any other way but to Consume them such as are ashamed to look up to him because of their Iniquities Psal 40. 12. And yet are Longing for a Favourable Look They cannot look up and yet cannot but look up necessity constraineth them to hang upon him for Mercy knowing they perish without him such as these will be Graciously Visited and Received Isai 57. 15. He will revive the spirit of the Humble and revive the heart of the Contrite ones But thou a Stranger to these Contritions of heart will be a Stranger also to these Revivings and no wonder for thou feelest no need of them and therefore Consider 4. That it 's the way of God first to wound and then to Heal Deut. 32. 39. I wound and I heal If thou didst never know any Wounding of heart for sin what Healing canst thou either expect or value for no wounding and no healing no casting down and no raising up no sickness and no Physician For the whole need not the Physician but the Sick Thou hast no use for his coming with Healing under his Wings Thou has nothing to Heal he may spare his Visit until thou has more need of him and keep his Medicines for others Thus thou mayest sit down at the Lords Table with the Best but Christ and thy Soul have no Merciful meeting When the poor and needy are drawing out of Christs fulness getting their Diseases Healed and their Souls Restored Thou art sent away Empty neither art thou Disappointed for thou sought after no more Thou canst not complain of Christ for he Refused thee nothing thou sought Thou art like these Rev 3 17. I have need of nothing 5. Consider also that of all the meetings between Christ and poor sinners on this Earth this is the most Endearing and Comfortable when Sense of deep Guilt and deep Mercy meet together some times the poor sinner is ready to sink under the weight of Guilt it 's a Burden they cannot bear the Fear of Gods Wrath and Separation from him being intollerable The Soul chusing rather if possible to be Reduced to nothing and some times ready to Cry out O happy no Beings being compared with me they shal have no Anguish but my Anguish I can neither bear nor escape no Mountains can cover me from my Judge no Death will extinguish my Pain but if I die in my sins my pain shal never Die Death will flee from me when thus the the poor sinner is Bruised and can stand no longer how Gracious is that Message as Job 33. 24 Deliver him from going down to the pit I have found a ransom And Ezek.
Eph. 4. 16. He the Vine and we the Branches Joh. 15. 5. The very design and scope of these similitudes is to hold forth Christs continued Communications and the Believers Participation Thirdly The experience of the godly who have published it doth also prove its certainty 1 John 1. 3. And truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ Cant. 2. 3. I sat under his shadow with great delight Fourthly Believers remarking his drawing near and withdrawings from their souls Cant. 5. 1. He hath come into his Garden and Cant. 5. 6. he had withdrawn himself Lam. 3. 57. In the day when I cryed thou drewest near and Psal 13. 1. Why hidest thou thy face c. Fifthly This Communion with Christ is of such necessity that a Believer can do nothing without it and on this account Christ requireth his followers to abide in him Joh. 15. 5. So that they do but discover their ignorance and estrangement from God who think there is no nearer Communion with him necessary than the external administration of Ordinances by the Word and Sacraments for many do enjoy these externally and do only draw near to God with their lips and their hearts far from him Isa 29. 13. The godly man findeth it good to draw near to him and so near as to find him the strenght of his heart Psal 73. 26. That is intimate Communion indeed to have the Lord the strength of a mans heart Oh that our merciful God would give the understanding of this to many who have never thought on so near a help as this for such may well go in the strength of the Lord God to any work he requireth himself being the strength of their heart What if our heart be found as a dried withered branch of a Vine that is fit for no work yet that witheredness shal not be known when he cometh to be the strength of our heart For the second thing proposed how the People of God are brought into this Communion with Christ First The Fountain of it is the eternal and free love of God whereby so many as pleased the Father are given to the Son by that eternal mysterious and merciful transaction between the Father and him and by him to be redeemed and prepared for the everlasting enjoyment of God compare Joh. 17. 6. Thine they were and thou gavâ—st them me with Joh. 6 37. All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me He will effectually draw them into his Communion they shall come unto me and so must meet together 2. According to this glorious transaction in the Covenant of Redemption the eternal Son of God is declared to have his delight with the Sons of men before the foundation of the World Prov. 8. 31. Fore-known unto God are all his Works from the Beginning things future being as present to his intuition So that the Son of God hath always taken pleasure in these of the sons of men who were given him of his Father 3. Pursuant to the same transaction and in order to its accomplishment It pleased the Son of God often to appear before his Incarnation in the similitude of man on earth and converse with Men as a fruit of his eternal delight in them and a prelude of his Incarnation as one hasting this gracious nearness and more conspicuous Communion with him Gen. 32. 24. Jacob was left alone and there wrestled a man with him Dan. 3. 24. He appeareth as a man keeping company with the three godly men in the Furnace and his form appeared also as the Son of God this fourth glorious man made the place designed for torment to the three a place of joy and a very Paradise 4. In order to the same partaking of Communion with God a Covenant of Grace is published which is a marriage Covenant Isa 54. 5. Thy maker is thine husband 2 Cor. 11. 2. I have espoused you to one husband by vertue of this honourable relation Believers may plead for his dwelling with them in this holy Communion 5. In due time the Son of God was Incarnate taking unto him our nature that his Fellowship might be the more agreeable to our nature and we come the more familiarly unto him and thereby to have the more feeling Sympathy with us Heb. 2. 14. For asmuch then as the children were partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death and ver 18. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Having taken our nature he continued for some time in the World and conversed with men especially his own Joh. 1. 15. He dwelt among us and we beheld his glory And though this people were not always to have his bodily presence Yet at that time he did manifest so much of his power meekness patience and mercy that thereby he did facilitate the knowledge of spiritual Communion with him some also beheld his glory and had Spiritual Communion with him while he was in the World 6. After he had given a gracious taste of his Fellowship and given instructions for its continuance in a spiritual manner in his own appointed time he purchased reconciliation for all that were given him laying down his life for them that being reconciled by his Blood they might be capable of Fellowship being agreed they might walk together and 1. Pet. 3. 18. The just suffered for the unjust that he might bring us to God and Eph 2. 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometime were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ So that his suffering were to bring his People into this gracious Fellowship with God 7 In order to their actual Fellowship with him he qualifieth them by pouring out of his Spirit Ezek. 36. 26. A new heart will I give and a new spirit will I put within you Whereby they are made meet for the Masters use as a sanctified People 2 Tim. 2 21. Without this there could be no Communion with a holy God our perverse natures being rather inclined to hide our selves from him and say Let the Almighty depart from us but by the renewing of the Holy Ghost they have the spirit of Love whereby the desire of their soul is toward him his Fellowship comes to be their deliberate and delectable choice So great a change doth the spirit of Grace make Eph. 2. 22. In whom also you are builded together for an habitation of God through the spirit And by the same spirit they obtain the grace of Faith which is a fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22. And by this Faith they receive Jesus Christ himself John 1. 12. Then we are united to Christ by receiving him and being united to him he dwelleth in our hearts by Faith Eph. 3. 17. So that Communion with Christ doth infallibly follow upon our union with him for where he is
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
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