So it is here the neearer the union the closer the communion A child is farther off in point of union then a spouse a servant farther off then a child the highest union hath alwaies the closest communion Jesus Christ and the Saints have the neerest union for they are made one spirit The bond of all union below is flesh but the bond of all union above is spirit Jesus Christ and a Saint is so one as the Father looke upon them all in him he never lookes on them as substracted but as united There is alwaies the closest communion where there is the choycest love but there is the choicest love betweene Christ and the Saints therefore the closest communion Love cannot live at the least distance from its beloved love lets nothing come between or interpose between it and its object it is like a falling mountaine that breakes downe all that is betwixt it and its rest love is never so neere but it would still be nearer when it hath got its object its eye it would then have it in his Armes IIII. Property of the communion that the Saints have with God it is a growing and increasing communion it every day creepes up to a greater height and to taller stature no communion is capable of such increase as our communion with God There are two things you may consider in relation to the soules of the Saints 1. They grow up by cōmunion with God 2. They grow up in communion with God the more a Soule converseth with God and the oftner it doth approach unto him it comes to see a greater beauty in God to tast a greater sweetnesse in God and to enjoy a greater presence of God Consider three particulars 1. Looke how a mans apprehension growes of God so his communion growes with God most mens apprehensions are below God but the best mens apprehensions are too low of God when men raise apprehensions of God and with thoughts of the glory and excellency of God upon them then are they raised in their communion with God As the Soules apprehensions of God are raised by degrees so his communion with God is raised by degrees also Jsa 6.3 The Angels they have glorious acts of communion with God they alwaies behola the face of God they are holy holy holy when men have low understanding slighting thoughts of the glorious Majesty of God and of the holynesse of God they can never enjoy excellent and glorious communion with God for such as a mans apprehensions are of God such is his communion with God There are 3 things that are according to our apprehensions of them 1. Such as our apprehensions are such will be our estimations as wee see things so we prize them 2. Such will be our applications if they be raised towards a thing we apply our selves to it that we may have the enjoyment of it 3. Such will bee our communions none shall ever take delight to draw neere to those things wherein we see judge no excellency 2. Consider as men grow up in conformity to God so will they grow up in communion with God for as conformity is a ground of communion so the more conformitie the greater the communion still As the life of holinesse growes up within us so communion with God flowes in upon us Phil. 3.10 That I may know him and the power of his Resurrection c. The more conformable Paul was made to Christs death the more communion he enjoyed in Christs Resurrection 2 Cor. 3. last We beholding the same Image as in a glasse as the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory 3. The more a Saint growes in largeness of affection the more will he grow up in spiritualnesse of communion love drawes the heart strongly after God many waters cannot quench love neither can the flouds drown it At the first entrance upon our communion with God the soul is but weak and poor it hath but some tasts of God but it comes for more till at last it feed upon a full Table 1 Pet. 2 3 4. If you have tasted that the Lord is gracious What then to whom comming as unto a living stone dissallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and very precious Ye also as lively stones are built up a spirituall house The more we tast of the graciousness of God the more still do we come into communion with God 'T is very observable in the Song of Solomon that the Spouse at first she had but some kises of the lips of Christ but afterward she is taken into his Chambers and at last she is brought into his Banqueting house into his house of Wine There are foure things that communion leaves in the soul after any precious acts that it hath enjoyed 1. Communion leaves in the soule a sweet remembrance in it Cant. 1.4 The King hath brought me into his chambers We will be glad and rejoyce in thee we will remember thy love more then wine The Acts of the love of Christ shewed to a soule in communion with him is increased by it Psalm 42.4 When I remember these things I power out my soule in me These things what things when I went with the multitude that kept holy day that is when I went with thy Saints to worship thee where I enjoyed communion with thee 2. It leaves an impression of grace and holinesse of God upon the soule Cant. 5.5 I rose up to my beloved and my hands dropped with mirrh and my fingers with sweet smelling mirrh upon the handles of the lock Moses his communion left an impression of the glory of God upon him when he comes from the Mountain he comes with his face shining there are bright beams of Gods face to be seen upon Moses face 3. It leaves in a man a love to those Ordinances where he had this communion O how much is the soule in love with those Sermons in which communion with God is obtained and with those prayers in which he hath the enjoyment of God 4. It leaves in the soul an instinct after further fellowship and after further communion so that the whole desires of the foule are carried forth now after greater and larger enjoyments after higher and more glorious incomes and fresh influences of the divine presence You never knew what it was to enjoy communion with God if your hearts run not out after further and greater communion The V. Propertie of communion and fellowship that the Saints have with God in Ordinances it is spirituall and and supernaturall First it is not all theabilities of nature that can make up this commumunion it is not all the education of the world that can bring a soule into the presence of God or any parts and gifts that is able to raise the Soule into communion with God It is a spirituall communion it is the Spirit of God cōming down and taking the Spirits of the Saints up to its selfe Revel 1.10 I
THE SAINTS COMMUNION With GOD And GODS Communion with them in ORDINANCES As it was delivered in Severall SERMONS By that Faithfull servant of Christ Mr. WILLIAM STRONG Late Minister at Westminster LONDON Printed for George Sawbridge at the Bible on Ludgate-hill and Ro Gibbs in Chancery Lane 1656. To his Honourable friend Collonell William Purefoy Recorder of the famous City of Coventry SIR THis Book falling by Providence into my hands and the earnest intreaty of divers Christian and pious friends in London having drawn from me the Epistle to the Reader as also having heard much of your being an admirer of the Author hereof Reverend Master Strong now blessed in the Eternall Mansions above I made bold to commend the book also to your selfe as an humble acknowledgment of the faithfull service I owe you by the same way of fellowship and communion in Gospell-Ordinances with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ our Lord we must all attain to that blessed and eternall communion where the presence of God Christ in glory shall transcend the purest Ordinances here below But if either we turn our backs upon holy and pretious truths received and once publickly professed or let our zeal cool or by sitting still go not forward we both lose the comfort of communion here and shall have lesse communion in glory No doubt Sir but it is a wild age wherein we live many stupendious changes strange turnings and amazing alterations we have seen both in Church and State and who knowes what yet any of us must undergo we have therefore more need to stick to our principles more faithfully to own Gods name and to maintain our practise in holinesse with more vigor and constancy that in the end we may reap if we faint not Which that you Sir my Honourable friend may still perform and bring a greater glory to God and do more good to that my native City of Coventry where I was once an unworthy Lecturer and to the whole Country better service shining more gloriously in the end of your daies that so when you have finished your course with joy and kept the faith the houre of temptation which now is upon all the earth that then you may receive the Crown laid up for you which your Son Wife now both blessed and glorious are enjoying to all eternity is and shall be the hearty and earnest prayer of him who doubts not of your candid acceptation of this my bold presumption but desires in all things ever to be found Sir Your most humble and faithfull servant upon the best accompt JOHN HERING From my Study Brides-Church-yard London Christian Reader AT the earnest intreaty and request of some Pious and Christian Friends who finde sweet Communion with God in Gospell-Ordinances I am bold to commend the reading of this book unto thee The Author hereof I believe is now in Heaven receiving his wages after his work is done and a glorified Saint enjoying eternall Communion with God above Ordinances We must all confesse that in respect of human frailties we are not so STRONG but that weaknesse will attend the best of us whilest here below in our pilgrimage to that Heavenly Canaan He will be much deceived that reckons this World his Heaven but doth and will finde it his Wildernesse and at best but his passage through the Red-Sea and here we have need of Moses not only to kill the Aegyptian for us and to bring us out of Egypt and also lift up his Rod and stretch forth his Hand and so divide the Red-Sea that our passage may be safe but also of a Joshua to bring us into Canaan and this is our Lord Jesus Christ who is God blessed for evermore No true Saint in this life can live without or above Ordinances no more then the naturall body can live without food and raiment God in his infinite wisdome and mercy hath admitted the Churches new born babes in all ages to Ordinances whereby Grace and the seeds of Regeneration may be through mercy conveyed to them and are not Saints to the end of their daies perfected by them also as the Apostle speaks Ephes 5.26 27. Some waters are contained in Springs and Wells some in Conduits and Pipes and some also in the main Ocean yet they are all conveyances of Water for the several uses of the sonnes of men and they are all bounded within their due limits And so it is with Gospell Ordinances there 's the Wells and springs of life there 's the Pipes of spirituall Comfort and there 's the Ocean of mercy and all the priviledges of free Grace conveyed to the believing soule All those in these licentious daies which God will require some where that cry down Ordinances are forc'd themselves to devise new waies of conveying their apprehended spirit unto us And should we refuse the waies of Gods own appointment Whereever God shall record his Name shall we deny to worship him there How then will God come unto us and blesse us as he hath promised Let those wild men of this Age that have been at Jericho in stead of Ierusalem resolve the question how the Lord will appear in waies and Ordinances that are not of his own institution and allowance Will he not sadly personally and publickly say to them at the great day who hath required these things at your hands bring no more vain oblations Reader I will say no more but beseech thee to turn thy reading into prayer and thy praying into humble and holy practise that thou maist know the Trinity in Vnity and Vnity in Trinity which reason cannot understand and maist enjoy soule-Communion with all the Persons in the Trinity by Faith in Gospell-Ordinances and that both in the Temple and also in every Administration of the Lord Jesus to thee thou maist cordially affectionately and with comfort say Iehovah Shammah the Lord is there And with Iacob in his Pilgrimage be able to confesse Surely the Lord is in this place though sometimes I knew it not through mine own default And that thou maist finde all mercies and glories bottomed on thy spirituall Communion with God reconciled to thee in Christ thy Redeemer is the desire of him who thirsts after more Communion with God and Christ in holy Ordinances and begs alwaies to be found upon a spirituall account Thine in the Lord Christ IOHN HERING From my Study in Brides Church-yard London Octo. 27. 1655. The Saints Communion with God and Gods Communion with them in O dinances Exod. 20.24 The latter part In all places where I record my name or where I cause my name to be remembred I will come unto thee and I will blesse thee THe whole Chapter is made up of Gods giving the morall Law In the giving forth of which law there are many remarkable passages as why it must be given from Mount Sinai why immediately after their deliverance out of Egypt why in thunderings and lightnings why the world in its infancy lived without
her Bridegroom so doe the Saints prepare to meet with God in ordinances they trim up their laps to meet the Bridegroome So Heb. 10.22 Let us draw neere c. Cant. 4.16 Awake O North winde and come thou South blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may blow out and then it followes let my beloved come into his garden and eate his pleasant fruit They begged a North winde for ripening and the South winde for refreshing of all their fruits but for what end for no other but that her beloved might come into his garden that he might tast his pleasant fruit Proofe 3 3. Proofe The end why God sets up his Ordinances amongst a people to whom hee will shew mercy is certainely this that he will meet with them and have communion with them in these ordinances because for God to withdraw his fellowship and communioÌ„ when the Saints of God are in acts of worship before him is threatned as one of the greatest judgements Hos 5.6 They shall goe with their flocks and herds to seeke the Lord but they shal not finde him for he hath withdrawn himselfe from them that is they should go to Acts of publique worship ah but they should enjoy no coÌ„munion nor societie nor fellowship with God for he had withdrawn himself from them when they drew neere to him he should draw back from them hee should leave them to the naked use of Ordinances which was one of the greatest curses in the world Alas what sapp or sweetnesse can be found in an Ordinance that is appointed by God if God himselfe who is the sweetnes of all Ordinances be withdrawne from them Hence then doe these positions clearly follow Posit 1 1. Position In all these ordinances wherein you come before God and meet not with him they are all in vaine To converse with Ordinances and not to converse with God to have to doe with Ordinances not to have to do with God alas they are but dry brests a miscarrying wombe that wil never bring forth the fruits of holinesse Ordinances without God are but like bones that have no marrow in them they are but like shells without a kernell your hearing will be vaine and your hearing will be in vaine your praying vaine and your praying will be in vaine There will be no spirit moving no voice answering no heart warmings no soule-refreshings nâ— God-meetings It 's a sad thing for God to do these two things first to leave Ordinances to men Secondly to leave these men to these naked Ordinances The poore man that lay at the poole of Bethesda lay there long and longer he might have layne if Jesus Christ had not come and given cure to him There are three things in Ordinances when they become effectuall there 's a Majesty a sweetness and a power First There is a Majesty and glory in Ordinances A Majesty and a glory discovered 2 Cor. 3. last We all with open face behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image c. What 's that The glasse is Gospell-Ordinances they are the windowes by which we looke into the glory of God Alass without this Preaching is but babling Praying is but howling It 's not the Ordinances that puts a glory upon God but it 's God that puts a glory upon Ordinances what 's that that puts a beauty and glory upon all the Ordinances of God 't is the presence of God the very presence of God makes all glorious in heaven and the very presence of God makes all glorious in the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jehovah Shammah the Lord is there is the glory of all Ordinances yet if you have not God in them you may say as she said the glory is departed they are but like the beames that are cut off from the Sun if God be not in them thus there is a Majesty and a glory discovered Secondly There 's a sweetnesse that the Soule tasts in Ordinances but when the Soule wants the presence of God in Ordinances then there is no sweetnesse in them for Ordinances to the Soule when the presence of God is departed from them carry no more tast nor sweetnesse in them then is in the white of an egge The word is sweeter then the hony and the hony combe when God is in it what is that that gives a Soule to tast any sweetnesse in any Ordinance you may finde it Cant. 2.3 I sate under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet unto my tast The word is very significant for it importeth sweetnesse or all kind of sweetnesse his fruit was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mamtakkim all sweetnesse What 's the ground that men grow weary of Ordinances 't is because they tast no sweetnesse in them what 's the ground they tast no sweetnesse in them 't is because God is withdrawne from them 3. Thirdly there must not only bee a Majesty and a glory discovered and sweetness tasted but there must be a power felt if ever Ordinances doe you any good Isaiah 55.1 Who hath beleeved our report why they had made reports to be beleeved but none had beleeved the reports that were made many hearers but few beleevers ' its spoken by way of complaint who hath beleeved our report why what 's the ground that the report is not beleeved To whom is â—he Arme of the Lord revealed If the Arme of God be not revealed no reports of God wil be beleeved I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ saith the Apostle Paul why it's the power of God to Salvation So the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty mighty how through God for the bringing downe of every lust that exalts its self against him If God bee not in an Ordinance an Ordinance is of no effect The Posi 2 2. Position That when Communion with God shall be perfected and compleated then all Ordinances shall bee abolished and removed Ordinances shall be continued till our Communion be perfected till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ Ephes 4.13 When once wee are brought to a perfect man in Christ Jesus then and not till then shall all Ordinances bee taken from us In the state of our perfection God will do these two things First hee will succeede all Ordinances Secondly hee will exceede all Ordinances all our vailes shall then be taken away when we come to look God in the face Cant. 2.17 Vntill the day breake and the shadows flee away turne beloved and be thou like a Roe or a young Hart upon the mountaines of Bether Some expound it of the night of troubles and of miseries that the Church of God lay under others of the obscurity and darkenesse that was upon them others of those ceremonies and shadowes that they could not see through others
Angels themselves to attend upon him and hence are those and such like expressions of this their office and duty I have set the Lord alwaies before me c. and as the eyes of Servants are upon the hands of their Masters and as the eyes of a waiting-Maid unto the hand of her Mistrâ—sse so our eyes are upon the Lord our God waiting till he have mercy upon us c. Now had the Lord chosen you but to Salvation wheÌ„ he did leave the Angels to fall under the curse of their covenant broken this had been a great mercy but this will not satisfie electing love only to make up old breaches and then to shut up its bosome or to say to us as David said to Absolon let him return to his house but let him never see my face no but God will have his children look him in the face therefore in the Luke 214. there is not only glory to God in the highest and peace on earth which is reconciliation but there is good will towards men There is fellowship and communion peace will not serve loves turn but there must be good will too The love of God did not only ordain us to friendship but it did ordain us to fellowship The Father in love came forth from all eternity to us that we to all eternity might enjoy communion with him I had almost said that the very essence of the love of God and all the actings of it lead to communion and fellowship with him Ground 2 The second ground of communion is from the Covenant of Grace under which you stand When Adam had sinned he ranne away from God when he made himselfe a sinner God made him an exile Now in the Covenant under which Adam was he had communion with God as a Creature with his Creator but not as a child with his Father Now the Covenant of grace it is a conjugall Covenant and conjugall Covenants are all of them made for the enjoying of communion Hosea 2.19 I will betroth thee to me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse and in judgment and in loving kindnesse and in mercies Mark there are foure things in these words that point out the firmnesse and the stability of our Marriages with Christ First 't is done in righteousnesse Secondly in judgment Thirdly in loving kindnesse Fourthly in tender mercies Now what are the fruits and effects of this same conjugall relation and of our joyning to Christ See Chap. 3.3 And I said thou shalt be for me many daies and shalt not be for another so will I be for thee Christ promiseth to be for the Saints and he engageth the Saints to be for him Ephes 2.12 Strangers to the Covenants of promise without God and without hope in the world Till such time as a man be brought into Covenant with God he is a stranger to God and therefore hath no communion with him he stands at the greatest distance from this fellowship with the Father and with his sonne Jesus Christ But now when a man is brought within the verge of the Covenant of grace then hath he communion in all the grace of the Covenant The Covenant of Grace hath two properties peculiar to it which were not in the first Covenant First there is Foedus Amicitiae and Paedus Conjugale a Covenant of friendship and a Conjugal Covenant This is the great end of the Gospell Luke 2.14 the Angels described the purpose of God and what is it to give peace on earth and good will God contents himselfe not only with peace but good will not only reconciliation but communion and the Lord delights his people should come to him in a familiar way under tearms of intimacy Hos 2.16 a strange expression Thou shalt not call me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ishi saith the Lord and shalt call me no more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Baali Baali signifies my Lord God would be called by Lord no more but call me Ishi what 's that my Husband Ground 3 The third ground of communion of Saints with God is their union with Jesus Christ Answerable to your union there will be your communion There 's a five-fold union 1. An union Politicall as between a King and his people 2. An union naturall as between head and members 3. An union sinfull as betwixt one sinner and another 4. An union Hypostaticall between the two natures of Christ 5. An union mysticall and that is between Christ and the Saints Look what Righteousnesse Christ as Mediator hath is yours and the communion that Christ hath with the Father we have interest in it also 1 Cor. 12.12 For as the body is one and hath many members and all the memes of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ God the Father never looks on Christ and the Saints as two but as one Will you take a view of Christs communion with the Father Dan. 7.13 I saw and behold one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the Antient of daies and they brought him neer before him 1 John 18. He lives in the bosome of the Father The bosome 't is the seat of secrets of love and of fellowship Now in this his communion with the Father we are in no lesse then the whole of our Salvation interessed for he is brought before the Father standing at his right hand and lying in his bosom not only to enjoy communion with his Father himselfe but to intercede for our communion with him also Union that disposeth for communion There can be no communion where there is no union Rev. 3.20 Behold I stand at the dore and knock if any man hear my voice and open the dore I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me First there must be opening of the dore and Jesus Christ must come in before ever there be supping together none of the fare that is to feast a Chrian comes till Christ him self brings it If the dore be shut against Christs person then there is a Baracado to all communion Cant. 5.5 I am come into my Garden my sister my spouse c. And then Eat O friends drink yea drink abundantly O beloved There are two things that we enjoy by vertue of our union with Christ First satisfaction in him Secondly Communion and fellowship with him Look what fellowship and Communion Christ hath with the Father it is by vertue of his union with him and look what fellowship and Communion wee have with Christ 't is by vertue of our union with him 1 Cor. 3.22.23 mark how the Relation there riseth All are yours how comes that ye are Christs and Christ is Gods and Rom. 5.2 by whom wee have accesse into this grace wherein we stand note this 1. Believers have under the Gospel accesse into glorious grace into this grace 2. That the meritorious cause of believers accesse into this grace is the Lord Jesus Christ
Vine and the branches the head and members the friend and the friend the husband and the wife but alas these are but the fingers of the diall without to let us see how the wheeles move therein Look how much the substance out-goes the shadow so much doth the love of Christ and our communion with him outgo any resemblance that can be made of it 6. Our communion with God must needs be superlative communion because all other communions is to be laid down in order to the taking up and the keeping up of this communion with God look what fellowship soever any man hath or what communion soever he can have that is inconsistent with his communion with God is all to be laid down for the enjoyment of communion with God therefore it is the most transcendent communion I might give it you in foure particulars more there is no communion so desirable so profitable so powerfull so perfect as this communion with God This is the first property of communion with God 't is a transcendent communion II. The second property of the Saints communion with God is that 't is a free a voluntary communion the communion that the creatures have with God and that God hath with them is not brought in by force 1. On Gods part to the creature 't is free and voluntary 2. On the creatures part to God 't is free and voluntary God makes choice of the creature for communion with himselfe for the unveiling of his glory for the opening of his bosome for the bestowing of his love for the powring forth of his Spirit God freely and voluntarily opens his bosome to the Saints and the Saints do freely and voluntarily open their bosomes to God Rev. 3.20 Behold I stand at the dore and knock if any man hear my voice and open the dore I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me The dores are not broken open but they are set open when Christ comes in Christ comes 't is true undeserved and many times undesired but where he findes not the will free he makes the will free to embrace him The will of God is in nothing more set forth to the creatures then in communion and the will of the creature is in nothing more let out to God then in communion also Communion is so much the more choice by how much the more it is chosen Cant. 1.4 Draw me and we will run after thee When Christ drawes she will not withdraw from him but she will follow after him The severall dispensations of communion speaks it out to be a free communion 1. Some have a more clear and distinct communion with God then others have had In Numb 12 6 7 8. And he said if there be a Prophet among you that I the Lord will make my selfe known to him in visions and dreams But my servant Moses it is not so with him for I will speak to him mouth to mouth that is apparently and not in dark speeches and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold Some mens communions are more clear and lesse clouded then others Some men they talk with God face to face as men talk with their friends but others they see only the back-parts of God communion is more clouded to them they cannot enter within the veils but these are taken within all veiles and they have more naked viewes of Divine glories then others have Some soules they have sweet enjoyments of communion with God and yet have not so clear discoveries as to be able to demonstrate their communion Whence is this but because communion is free and voluntary and so God dispenceth it according to the rules of his own will 2. Some mens communions with God is more constant than others some they walk continually in the light of his countenance and ever sit under the hearing of the joyfull sound others complain again as in Jer. 14.8 O the hope of Israel the Saviour thereof in the time of trouble why shouldst thou be as a stranger in the land and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night With some God staies but a little while with others he takes up his dwelling they are alwaies under the dew droppings of divine communion and have the constant flowings in of a divine presence He lies down with some soules and riseth up with them again I have set God alwaies before me saies the Prophet he is at my right hand I shall not fall God was never out of his sight his eye was fixt upon him his soule was running out after him Psal 73.23 Neverthelesse I am continually with thee thy right hand hath upheld me It 's a free and voluntary communion Though desires be the actings of the affections yet they are the issuings forth of the will Cant. 4.16 Awake O North wind and come thou South blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may blow out let my beloved come into his garden and eate his pleasant fruits and Cant. 7.10 I am my beloveds and his desire is towards me there is the going forth of desires to each other for the enjoyment of one another no communion so free as the communion that is betwixt Christ and the Saints between God and his people III. Propertie of communion that the Saints have with God it is a very close and neer communion so my Text I will meet them and blesse them Looke as the union that is betwixt Christ and a beleever is very close and neere so the communion that is betwixt Christ and beleevers is very close and neere also they are joyned each to other There are two things that hinder communion 1. Difference of persons 2. Distance of places both these are taken away in Christ when the soule comes to approach the presence of God and stand before him 't is made one with him a soule cannot say as he said in Numb 26.17 I shall see him but not now I shall behold him but not nigh no this communion it is called an appearing before God it is called a drawing nigh to God a supping with God it is not a communiō at a distance but a Communion in presence it is not a communion without doors but a communion within doores it is Gods comming into the Soule and the Soules comming up more and more into God Cant. 4.16 Let my beloved come into his garden and eate his pleasant fruits Revel 3.20 I wil come in to him and suppe with him and he with me It is a Soule creeping into the very bosome of Christ it is as it were the child getting into his Fathers Armes or the husband lying betweene the brests of his spouse as Cant. 13. A bundle of Myrthe is my welbeloved unto me he shall lie al night between my brests and Heb. 10.22 Let us draw neere c. Observe all communion is according to the union the farther off any thing is in uniō the greater distance in point of fellowship
was in the Spirit on the Lords day when he was in the spirit of the Lord then he had communion with the Lord 2 Cor. 3. last we all with open face behold as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image c. we see the glory of the Lord I but what is the eye by which you see it it is the spirit of the Lord. This is an unerring rule that such as the union is such the communion must be but the union that is spirituall and therefore the communion that must needs bee spirituall also 1 Cor. 6.17 They that are joyned to the Lord are one spirit 2. Such as the persons are enjoying communion such is the Communion of those persons now the persons enjoying communion they are spirituall persons therefore the communion that they enjoy is spirituall God is a spirit and the Saints are spirituall and therefore have communion one with another in a spirituall manner 3. Such as the meanes of communion is such is the communion it selfe now all the meanes of communion are spirituall therefore the communion it selfe must be spirituall The Ordinances they are all of them spirituall they are not carnall Ordinances though many persons use them carnally The words that I speake saith Christ they are spirit and they are life that is they be full of vigor full of power full of majesty and full of authority As no meanes attaine their end but such as are sutable to that end so no end orders the meanes but such as agree with it The communion the Saints have with God is a spirituall communion and therefore looke into your spirits whether or no you doe enjoy communion with God The VI and last Propertie of the Communion that the Soule hath with God it is a delightfull fellowship communion the Soule comes to take up its delight and complacency in the enjoyment of God when once it is brought into communion with him and God takes up his delight and complacency in the Soul when once hee comes to have communion with it There is no communion so delightfull as the communion that is made between God and the Saints There bee many most patheticall expressions in Solomons his Song of Songs holding forth the unexpressible sweetnesse and delight in this communion between Christ and the Soule but two of them are chiefly remarkable and to be taken notice of viz. Cant. 2.3 and 5.16 The words of the first Text are these As the Apple tree among the trees of the wood so is my beloved among the sons I sate downe under his shadow with great delight or as it is in the Hebrew I delighted my self greatly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chimmadti beeing the conjugation piel which much intendeth and augmenteth the signification of the roote and I sate downe or I desired exceedingly for the proper and radicall signification of the root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chamad is he desired and in piel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chimmed hee desired greatly or exceedingly and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chimmadti I desired greatly and I sate downe to wit to enjoy him and communion with him and to tast the sweetnesse of his fruit and what followes and his fruit was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 matok lechikki sweet to my pallate according as I desired which made me to delight my selfe abundantly in the enjoyment of him and communion with him That is the force and emphasis of the first text But further as if this were not enough to expresse the sweetnesse and delightfulnesse of this communion therefore in that other text Cant. 5.16 these same roots 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chamad and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 matak are raised up higher as it were to expresse a higher degree of delight and sweetnesse in this spirituall communion between Christ and the Soule thus his mouth is most sweet yea hee is altogether lovely that is the expression in your translation But the original words which no translation in the world can reach nor rise to are those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chicko mamtackkim vecullo machamaddim and word for word translated they sund thus or to this sense his mouth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chic-co or the place of his mouth is all sweetnesse full of nothing but sweetnesse for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mamtakkim is a nowne in the plurall number importing dulcedines sweetnesses that is all sorts of sweetnesse or sweetnesse it selfe and all the species or kinds of sweetnesse are all laid up and hid as it were in the palate of his mouth to bee tasted by Soules taken up to communion and fellowship with him that is the force of the first word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mamtakkim sweetnesse from the former root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 matak hee was sweet and the other word in this text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vecullo machamaddim hath the like and no lesse emphasis importing this and he is all desires or delights or all of him all and every whit or part of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cullo is nothing out delights 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 machamaddim being also from the former root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chamad he desired a nowne in the plurall number setting forth him and all the parts of him to bee pleasures and delights that is most pleasant most lovely and delightfull even to be all delights and desires that is most desirable and most worthy to bee the object of all desires and therefore he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chemdat col haggojim the desire of all nations Hag. 2.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 zeh dodi this and such is my beloved so sweet so delightfull is the tasting of his fruit in the enjoyment of him communion with him saith the beleeving soule to invite all the daughters of Jerusalem to come and partake of such exceeding delight and sweetnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 betzillo under his shaddow for no shaddow yields such shelter no shaddow yeelds such comfort as the soule sitting under Christ as a shaddow that is enjoying her communion and fellowship with him What delight doth the tender Father take to have communion with his beloved child and the loving husband take to have communion with his beloved wife what delight doe friends take in having coÌ„munion with each other O how much more and how much higher is the delights of Christ raised in having communion with the Saints and the delights of the Saints raised in enjoying communion with Christ And hence in the same chapter Cant. 2.14 The â—ice of Christ to the Church is thus O my dove that art in the clifts of the Rocks in the secret places of the staires let me see thy countenance let me heare thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comly So much for the properties of communion Thirdly I come to the acts of communion and they are many and various I le name the chiefe of them 1.
for this end to have communion with them and that they might have communion with him that he might have the enjoyment of them and that they might come to the participation of him 'T is a wonder of mercy and of condescensions that the most High should stoop to such low persons He that had infinite blessednesse in the society and in the enjoyment of himselfe he that took so great a delight in his Son and in the society of the Angells that he should take any delight to impart himselfe unto poor sinfull dust and ashes to men nay to wormes and no men When men set up variety of means for the accomplishment of their ends 't is a great signe that their hearts are very much set upon them Consider what variety of Ordinances God hath set up for the communication of himselfe unto believers 2. Behold here what should be the main end of the Saints in the use of all Ordinances namely communion and fellowship with God look what was Gods end in appointing Ordinances that should be our end in using of Ordinances In praying we should seek the face of God and in hearing we should hear the voice of God hear what God the Lord will say and in meditating my meditation of thee shall be sweet and in conference Psal 145.11 They shall talk of the glory of thy Kingdome and speak of all thy power In receiving the Lords Supper what should be a Saints greatest delight in comming to that spirituall Banquet It should be meeting with Christ in that Ordinance We oftentimes lose all the blessings of the means because we propound not to our selves communion with God as the end Many soules that come to Sermons Christ may say to them as he said to those What went ye out into the Wildernesse to see a Reed shaken with the winde You are to do as the wise Virgins did to go forth and meet the Brides groom and to trim your Lamps for the meeting of him If communion be not your end in Ordinances Ordinances will be nothing available to you you will lose all the Ordinances that you enjoy except you meet with Christ in them 3. Is communion with God the great end of God in Ordinances Hence then learn this that when communion with God in Ordinances is not enjoyed then the ultimate end of all the Ordinances is frustrated you lose the end for which all Preaching and Praying and Hearing was ordained while communion is missed while you have no communion with God Ordinances never attain their appointed ends How sad is it to use the means and never attain the end and yet this is the case of thousands of soules that live under choice administrations and yet are never brought into a state of communion they are so far from enjoying communion with God that they know not what it is to have communion with God though it be declared to them How many are there that lye a long time at the pool and yet never see any Angell come down to stirre the water that lie by the sides of the pool but are never put into the pool O how sad is it that such excellent Ordinances should lose their ends and that we should so long have the enjoyment of them and yet never be bettered by them that we should never attain those ends for which they were ordained 4. Is it so that the main end of God in establishing and setting up of Ordinances is to enjoy communion with himselfe then let every soul take heed of throwing down of Ordinances let every soul be exceeding tender of the appointments of God lest they throw down the means of their communion with God and live without God in the world Though God hath not tyed himselfe to Ordinances yet he hath tyed us to Ordinances and in mine own experience I have known many men grow worse but never any man grew better by the neglecting of Ordinances There is no communion to be had with God but in Ordinances and therefore if you go from Ordinances you will be fetched home by a smarting rod if you belong to God VVhat ever you do be very tender of Gospell-Ordinances For if he that despised Moses his Law dyed without mercy under two or three witnesses of how much sorer panishment shall they be thought worthy that trample under foot the blood of the covenant wherewith they were sanctified and count it an unholy thing O it 's sad to see how many soules there are that cast dirt upon those Ordinances that are the Charriots in which Jesus Christ rides to take up soules into communion with himselfe 5. If communion be the main end of God in setting up of Ordinances Behold then whence it is and why it is that the Saints of God are so much troubled when they want the sensible enjoyment of communion with God they know the truth of this truth the Ordinance in its end is lost to them When a child goes out to seek his Father and cannot finde him 't is a great grief to him Believers go out in Gospell-Ordinances to seek after God and when they cannot finde him it must needs be very grievous to their spirits Cant. 3.1 by night upon my bed I sought him whom my soul loved but I found him not Divine endeavours do not alwaies meet with Divine successes shee sought him I but she found him not So many a soule comes to meet with God in an Ordinance but God is withdrawn from them they cannot see his face though they come to seek his face and the sorest affliction that a child of God lies under or can lie under in this world is the withdrawment of God from Ordinances when he thinks to find God in them he is departed from them they shall go with their Flocks and their Herds to seek after the Lord but they shall not find him for he hath withdrawn himself 6. Is it the main end of God in setting up Ordinances that his Saints might have Communion with him Then learn hence the ground why the Saints set so high a price upon and are so often found in Divine Ordinances 't is because they there meet with Communion with God now the meetings with God is the ground of their so often appearings before him Alas 't is not their meeting together that they aim at but their meeting with God that they looke after if God be wanting all is wanting if God be there nothing is wanting Ordinances alas they can do nothing without God they are but painted swords in dead mens hands they cannot raise the heart when it is fallen they cannot refresh the heart when it is sad they cannot enlighten the soul when there is a cloud upon it they cannot draw the heart to Heaven when it is earthly they cannot resolve any doubts that are upon their spirits no these things are too great and too good for Ordinances to do 't is onely the God of the Ordinances that can do all all