[2.] Doubting what is acceptable. What is the reason the people of God are so dejected, and do so doubt of the acceptance of God ? It is because they are not acquainted with the nature of the ordinances. Many receive no comfort by the sacraments, because they do not know the use and benefit of them. They do not look into the scriptures to
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354 SERMONS ON THE SACRAMENTS.
see what God hath promised to accept. The promise and the com- mandment are so indissohibly knit to^ijether, that whilst we keep to the iiile, why should we doubt but that the Lord will be well pleased with our sacrifices : Heb. xi. 4, ' Abel offered a better sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous.' IlXeiova ; it does not signify gratiorem only, but uheriorem, a more beseeming sacrifice : he came nearer the rule, and therefore he had a testimony of his person and performance. Cain did not come to the rule, which was to give the tenth part of the first-fruits, quod offerehat non rede dividehat ; and therefore he cannot find such comfort. When christians strive to keep to the rule, then they obtain a witness.
But you will say — Doth the searching of the commandment settle the conscience ? It filleth it with doubting rather ; for when we see the strictness of the institution, and how far we come short of it, we are ready to doubt that we do too little, less than God requireth.
I answer briefly — No ; the true soul can comfort itself in the sin- cerity of its desires ; for though God accounts nothing little that springeth from an upright heart, yet they think all is too little because they cannot perfect holiness in the fear of God. And indeed the peace of conscience ariseth hence ; because —
(1.) They meet God in his own way. Having searched the institu- tion, they know what God requireth ; and therefore will not pay the debt of obedience with their own devices ; they offer him a pure worship. Though they cannot be perfect in their services, yet they will make a right choice, serve God after his own manner ; not make it up in the pomp what is wanting in the power of religion, as many do ; but look principally to the inward part, to the truth of religion. Brethren, he is a better debtor, and more to be trusted, that payeth the creditor in true money, than another that overlasheth in counter- feit coin. One diamond is better than a whole rope of Bristol stones. It is somewhat in God's account when we take the right way to please him, when we love pure ordinance, and had rather serve him for con- science' sake than custom. It is a comfort to a poor soul when he doth but go to the rule ; and though otherwise, if he would serve God after man's way, he might do better, yet he would rather bring written service. Certainly, when we submit to God's appointment, the simplicity and plainness of his ordinances, it is a comfort ; whereas, on the other side, when men serve the Lord after their own fashion, and satisfy their conscience with the outward pai-t of worship, like those that the Lord speaketh of, Isa. xxix. 13, ' Their fear towards me is taught by the precept of men,' they usually feel no comfort, get no benefit by the ordinances, only lull their consciences asleep by them. All that they get by duty is a false peace, not quickening grace ; pride in their excellences, rather than humility for their wants and failings.
(2.) There is comfort in it that they do it upon a good ground. They present true service with a true heart. They do what is written because it is written. They do not come to the sacrament as those Jews kept their fast, Zech. vii. 3, because they had done so for these many years ; or as Ezekiel's hearers, chap, xxxiii. 31, ' They come and sit before me as my peojile.' Not for fashion's sake, because the people of God in the country where they live use to do so ; but because God
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hath commanded, instituted such an ordinance, and in liis holy word invited them. They do it in obedience to God. But of this more by and by.
(3.) They may comfort themselves because they bend all their strength and power to come up to the fuhiess of the commandment. Though they cannot receive as they ought, yet they will not allow themselves in any laziness. Tlierefore, before duty they strive to seek God in the ordinance. In duty, they strive to meet God in the or- dinance ; after the duty, they bless God for admitting them, and humble themselves for their failings. They account nothing too much, and therefore they know God acceptelh their little. They use their best endeavour, and therefore there is nothing that may trouble them wiien they search the rule ; for there they know the Lord will accept their endeavours. And if they offer a better sacrifice than Cain, that is, if they come with a better heart, in a better manner, than worldly men (for they will be sacrificers too), and their desires are to the remembrance of God and a due celebration of the com- munion, that they know the Lord accepteth. But, on the contrary, without a due knowledge of the nature of obedience, the grounds and ends of it, there can be no such comfort. Therefore, as thou dost tender the settling of thy conscience, as thou wouldst not have it entangled with scruples, divided and distracted with a double mind — a wavering double-minded man, St-v/ru^^^o?, that is St James's word : James i. 8, ' A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways ;' now of the thought that thou doest well, and then again thinking that thou shalt not be accepted, and so banded and whirrited between hopes and fears ; seek the word, go to the canon, ' to the law, and to the testimony,' Isa. viii. 20, that thou mayest be directed. Chi'istians are perplexed many times, because they do not ask counsel of the word of God so often as they should. So I have done with the first use.