After Comunnion
In the next place, I shall speak to those heirs of heaven, who, notwithstanding of their being at the table, remain full of doubts and fears, and are very apprehensive that God has not yet put them among the children, nor given them a right to the heir's portion. Well, what is the ground of your doubting? 1. O, saith one, I scarce feel the working of the sanctifying Spirit of God in my soul, which is the common earnest or pledge of the inheritance, that God useth to give to his heirs while here. Ans. Though grace be weak in you, you must "not despise the day of small things," or say you have none at all: nay, bless God, if thou canst spy any spark of grace in thy heart at all, and pray that God may cherish it. A man that gets an earnest of a good bargain, is not much discouraged whether it be a greater or a smaller piece of money, a sixpence or half-a-crown. for he thinks the least piece is a sufficient earnest or pledge from an honest man of his bargain; and he is easy, seeing he knows he has to do with one that is faithful, and will not go back of his word: indeed he might be discouraged, if that which he got were not an earnest-penny: but there is a great difference betwixt a piece of money that is given in gratitude, and that which is given only in earnest, as a pledge of a far greater sum, or of a very rich bargain. O heir of heaven, remember this, the small degree of grace thou hast, is given only as an earnest of more grace, yea, of eternal glory itself.
2. Another may be saying, Ah! but I want that love to God that a child should have to his father. Ans. 1. It is good thou art sensible of it, and that thou knowest thy wants. 2. Canst thou say it is thy greatest grief thou hast not more love to thy Father; yea, that thou wouldst give a world, if thou wast master of it, for more heart-love to him? Then take comfort, for there is sincerity of love to God in thy heart.
3. Another may say, I have not the spirit of prayer, which God useth to bestow on his children; I cannot attain to these enlargements and fluent expressions that I see others have in prayer. Ans. 1. It may be they are old experienced Christians thou conversest with, and they likewise have their ebbings and flowings as well as others; for the "Spirit blows when and where he listeth." Thou seest perhaps the one, but art unacquainted with the other. 2. It is thy happiness, thou hast to do in prayer with one that looks not so much to the words of the mouth, as the affections of the heart. If thou hast a heart centring on God, and flowing out towards him in duty. God loves that better than the most eloquent expressions. 4. Ah! saith some poor soul, I cannot attain to any tenderness of heart and frame in prayer. Ans. 1. Is it thy greatest grief and trouble that it is so? Then it is a good sign thou hast some tenderness in thy heart. 2. Dost thou look to thy elder brother, Jesus Christ, that he may plead for thee, and send his Spirit to help thy infirmities? Our blessed Lord Jesus has prayed for many that could not pray for themselves. Cry to him for the quickening influence of his Spirit, to enable you to call on his name; for he "gives his Spirit to them that ask him."
5. It may be some poor drooping soul is saying, I came to my Father's table yesterday, but instead of any comfortable discovery, all I got was a frown: my Father frowned, and seemed angry with me. Ans. 1. Thou hast reason to be thankful that he took any notice of thee at all; for sometimes God holds communion with his people by frowns and reproofs, and thereby humbles them for sin, and draws them nearer to himself. 2. Perhaps God is correcting thee for some former sins against light, which as yet thou hast not mourned over: for those whom God takes into his family, and puts among his children, he will correct in his fatherly love, but "his loving-kindness he will not take away from them." Let all the children of God, and heirs of heaven, submit, in a humble and kindly manner, to the reproofs and corrections of their heavenly Father. And let them say, as Elihu to Job, under his sharp trials, "What I see not, teach thou me. If I have done iniquity, I will do so no more." Lord, train me up during my minority, as thou pleasest; make use of what discipline towards me thou thinkest best for me; only, if it be thy blessed will, make it known to me for my comfort, that I really belong to thy family, and shall not be shut out of doors for ever. And so my soul shall live and praise thy name. Amen.
2. Another may be saying, Ah! but I want that love to God that a child should have to his father. Ans. 1. It is good thou art sensible of it, and that thou knowest thy wants. 2. Canst thou say it is thy greatest grief thou hast not more love to thy Father; yea, that thou wouldst give a world, if thou wast master of it, for more heart-love to him? Then take comfort, for there is sincerity of love to God in thy heart.
3. Another may say, I have not the spirit of prayer, which God useth to bestow on his children; I cannot attain to these enlargements and fluent expressions that I see others have in prayer. Ans. 1. It may be they are old experienced Christians thou conversest with, and they likewise have their ebbings and flowings as well as others; for the "Spirit blows when and where he listeth." Thou seest perhaps the one, but art unacquainted with the other. 2. It is thy happiness, thou hast to do in prayer with one that looks not so much to the words of the mouth, as the affections of the heart. If thou hast a heart centring on God, and flowing out towards him in duty. God loves that better than the most eloquent expressions. 4. Ah! saith some poor soul, I cannot attain to any tenderness of heart and frame in prayer. Ans. 1. Is it thy greatest grief and trouble that it is so? Then it is a good sign thou hast some tenderness in thy heart. 2. Dost thou look to thy elder brother, Jesus Christ, that he may plead for thee, and send his Spirit to help thy infirmities? Our blessed Lord Jesus has prayed for many that could not pray for themselves. Cry to him for the quickening influence of his Spirit, to enable you to call on his name; for he "gives his Spirit to them that ask him."
5. It may be some poor drooping soul is saying, I came to my Father's table yesterday, but instead of any comfortable discovery, all I got was a frown: my Father frowned, and seemed angry with me. Ans. 1. Thou hast reason to be thankful that he took any notice of thee at all; for sometimes God holds communion with his people by frowns and reproofs, and thereby humbles them for sin, and draws them nearer to himself. 2. Perhaps God is correcting thee for some former sins against light, which as yet thou hast not mourned over: for those whom God takes into his family, and puts among his children, he will correct in his fatherly love, but "his loving-kindness he will not take away from them." Let all the children of God, and heirs of heaven, submit, in a humble and kindly manner, to the reproofs and corrections of their heavenly Father. And let them say, as Elihu to Job, under his sharp trials, "What I see not, teach thou me. If I have done iniquity, I will do so no more." Lord, train me up during my minority, as thou pleasest; make use of what discipline towards me thou thinkest best for me; only, if it be thy blessed will, make it known to me for my comfort, that I really belong to thy family, and shall not be shut out of doors for ever. And so my soul shall live and praise thy name. Amen.
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