bitter things and 't is only Communion with God that can put sweetnesse into them Jesus Christ he was a man of sorrowes and what upheld his life onely Communion with God the Lord stood by me and strengthned me Now that which upheld the life of Christ that is it that doth uphold the life of every Christian and that is communion with God The same words Paul makes use of The Lord stood by me and strengthened me whose I am and whom I serve This is the mighty end that God aimes at in communion that he may sweeten all the course of our pilgrimage while we are going to heaven This is the bunch of grapes that God gives his people to feed upon in their wildernesse state they would be out of heart if they had no communion with him This is that sweet wood that is cast into the waters of Marah to make them sweet and pleasant 7. Therefore hath God communion with his people that he may prepare their hearts for desertions that they may be affected with them when they come and that they may not be dejected under them though they long continue that they may not think their cloud shall never be blown over though their Sun be hidden 1. That they may be affected with desertions Saith David Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled If he had never seen the face of God he would never have been troubled for Gods hiding of his face The Saints of God if they had not some tasts of communion with him they would never be troubled for his withdrawment from them 2. That they may not be dejected under them David he calls to minde his song that he made in the night and the remembrance of that was exceeding sweet and exceeding pleasant unto him the remembrance of former communions that he had with God bore up his spirit when many troubles were upon him 8. End why God will have communion with his people it is to put them out of tast with all the pleasures of sin and the creature Phil. 4.7 And he peace of God which passeth all understanding keep your hearts and minds c. 'T is usuall when any epithite of God is added to a thing it signifies and notes the excellency of it it 's the peace of God a peace that comes from God a peace that brings to God a peace that makes us live like God in such sweetnesse and peace and contentment Now this peace it puts a mans mouth out of tast of any of the sweet nesses and of the pleasures of sin Thy loving kindnesse is betâ—e then life saith David And Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth for thy love is better than Wine saith the Church There is nothing puts us out of tast with the pleasures of sin so much as a soules tasting of communion with God when a soule hath drank the old wine it cares not for drinking of new because the old was better The loving kindnesse of God in communion with him is that which takes off the pallate from tasting sweetnesse any where else The more any soule is brought into communion with God the more doth it disrelish the pleasures of sin 9. End that God aims at in giving the Soule Coumunion with himself is that it might aggravate their sins in the day of Repentance Sins against Communion are great aggravations Solomon departed from the Lord when hee had appeared to him twice which migh tily aggravated his sin 1 Kings 11.9 God kept an exact account of his manifestations that he might aggravate Solomons sins in the day of his Repentance O when a soule comes to fit down and consider I have not onely sinned against so many mercies of God and so long tired out the Patience of God but I have sinned against Communion with God Jesus Christ took me into his banquetting house and his banner over me was love He stay'd me with flagons he comforted me with Apples his left hand was under my head and his right hand did imbrace me and yet I finned my self out of the sweet imbraces of Christ O how doth this melt the heart when it comes to mourn for sin the sense of the sweetness of his communion that he had with God puts double tears into his eyes and double sighs into his spirit There 's no such aggravation of sin as communion with God 10. Therefore God hath communion and fellowship with his people therefore doth he meet them that he might blesse them Exod. 20.24 Communion times are times when all requests are granted King Ahasuerus grants the request of Hester when he comes to sit with her at a banquet of wine The greatest blessing that ever the Saints do enjoy it is in times of communion with God O then how are their consciences filled with peace O how are their hearts filled with joy God makes large distributions of spirituall blessings when he admits the soul into communion with himselfe What blessing is there that the soule may not have when it hath communion with God in Ordinances 11. End of Gods communion with his people here is that his fellowship here may be the first fruits of glory hereafter When God will bestow any great mercy upon a man he gives him a tast of it before hand that he may set him upon more earnest and eager longings after it Gods people they have the first fruits of all their mercies in this world and the full crop of them all in another world When the soule is made to tast of the sweetnesse of communion with God O how it longs to be with God how many prayers doth the soule make to God that he would tak it home to himselfe that it might ever lye in his arms and ever dwell in his presence I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all What was the ground that raised up such desires in Paul to be with Christ It was because here he had tasted of the sweetnesse of Christ and if Christ in this world was so sweet if a Christ on earth was so sweet then a Christ in heaven would be much more sweet And on this ground the Church calls to Christ Make hast my beloved and be thou like a Roe or young Hart upon the mountain of spices Cant. 8.14 And in Revel 22. when Christ had told the Church that he would return again unto her to have more communion with her she cries out Amen even so come Lord Jesus She puts her prayers to Christs promises and saith Amen Lord so let it be Application THere are three Uses I shal make of this point 1. Information 2. Examination 3. Exhortation 1. For Information Use 1 Is it so that the main end of God in the establishing and setting up of Ordinances is communion with himselfe Hence I draw these six inferences 1. Behold here the infinite delight that God takes in the society of all his Saints that he would set up all Ordinances
other communions in the world but this is above them all the communion that the Saints have with God compared with other Communions 't is as Saul among the people that was higher by the head and shoulders then the rest of them 't is as the Sunne compar'd with the planets far larger and far more glorious then any one of them nay then all of them you that take up the communion without God below God besides God nay it may be in some things against God know this that it is much inferiour to the Communion that the Saints have with God Cant. 1.2 Let him kisse me with with the kisses of his mouth for thy love is better then wine It was the saying of a precious Saint That one houres communion with God was more worth then the whole world and indeede the Saints are able to set to their seale that this is true will you see them doing of it Psal 84.10 For a day in thy Court is better then a thousand I had rather bee a doore-keeper in the house of God then to dwell in the tents of wickednesse One daies communion with God is more worth then all the communion you have in this world You that are rocked in the cradle of Creatures and take the creame of them that have all the bosoms of created Excellencies to receive from and to communicate your selves too unto alas ther 's more sweetnesse tasted in the injoyment of the least part of God then in the greatest part of the world Are not waters much more pleasant in their springs then in their streames the Saints and people of God they drinke at the fountaines head when they goe to God and take in all at the first hand the creatures milke out no sweetnesse but when God fills their brests The communion that the Saints have with God is Superlative and transcendent in a six-fold respect 1. The dignity excellencie of all communion is according to the persons with whom we communicate 1 Joh. 1.3 That which we have seene and heard declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us why with whom is your fellowship Our fellowship is with the Father and with his son Jesus Christ The fellowship that the Saints have is with all the Persons in the Trinity In this communion there are these two things First the persons dignifie the communion Secondly the communion dignifies the Persons that enjoyes it For a Beggar to have communion with a King is a very high priviledge but nothing compared with the Saints enjoying communion with God Ordinary communion with extraordinary persons raiseth it to a great height 2. Our communion with God must needs be a superlative communion Why because it is the foundation on which all other fellowships are laid When we brake with God all creatures brake with us when man fell from his holinesse he fell from his happiness when he fell from his Image he fell from his excellency The creatures stood upon the same termes with us as we stood with God and by falling from God all creatures fell from us There were two things that we lost in relation to the creature 1. Our dominion over them 2. Our communion with them All men that live in their naturall state have no reall communion with the creature all creatures are become enemies to them since they themselves became enemies to God creatures had no longer their commission to be obedient to us then we were obedient to God I but observe now when once we are restored to God and brought into communion with heaven all the creatures are restored to us when once we our selves are brought to God Hos 2.19 unto 22. I will betroth thee unto me for ever c. and then I will hear the heavens and the heavens shall hear the earth and the earth shall hear the corn and the wine and the oyle and they shall hear Jezreel There is a five fold communion that is bottomed upon our communion with God 1. The communion that the Saints have with the Angels is all bottomed upon the communion they have with Christ 2. The communion that the Saints of God have one with another Saints should never have had communion with Saints if they had not had communion with God 1 John 1.3 These things write wee unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ 3. The communion of the Church of the Jewes with the Gentiles that 's laid in their communion with God 4. The communion the glorious Saints have in heaven with the glorious Saints on earth that 's bottomed upon their communion with God Heb. 12.22 23. 5. The communion that we have with all the creatures that 's bottomed upon our communion with Christ 3. This must needs bee the most superlative communion which is made between God the Father and Jesus Christ and all the Saints why because when once it begins it never ends perpetuity adds an excellency to it Things that are evill are much more evill by how much longer their continuance are So it is in things that are good they are much better by their continuance Some interpositions there may bee of a Saints communion sometimes but no dissipation of it The interruptions that the communion of the Saints meet withall are but as clouds before the Sun that quickly make their departures again when it shines forth upon them Other communions often end as soone as ever they begin they are lost as soone as ever they are found they are taken out of our hands as soone as ever they are gotten into our hands friends quickly die and leave us behind them or it may bee wee our selves dye and leave our friends behinde us and so the knot of communion is untied They are not long liv'd that have the longest life But a Saint in communion would never attaine his end if his communion should ever come to an end Such as the foundation is such is the building that 's laid upon it the foundation of all communion is laid in love and love is laid from everlasting to everlasting God must first cease to let out his affections to the Saints before ever he can cease in communion with them 4. It must needs be the highest communion because it is the open dore to all a Saints blessednesse so you have it in the Text I will meet them and bless them What a blessing did Jacob receive when the Angell wrestled with him all the night But Jacobs wrestling goes before his blessing Our communion makes way for our blessednesse there are no favours but come in through the gates of communion 5. It must needs be the highest communion because all other commnnions are but dark shadowes and resemblances of it the uttermost that all Communions among all the creatures amounts to is but a resemblance and a dark shadow of this communion with God 'T is resembled by the
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
taken up with the works of darkness 2. They are swallowed up with the fellowship and Communion with sinners those that are Gods professed Enemies are their bosom-friends the darling delights of their Souls are in the Society of those in whom God takes no pleasure nor no delight 3. They take up their fellowship and Communion with this world James 4.4 know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the Enemy of God they make up their Heaven upon Earth there are three things wherein they go out to the world 1. They let out their choicest love 2. They lay out their choicest paines 3. They Anchor their greatest hopes upon the world Now those that are taken up with the fellowship and Communion with this world at what a distance do they stand from Communion and fellowship with God Creatures hath their hearts God hath them not 4. They are swallowed up in Communion and fellowship with false foundations this is a certain rule that look whatsoever the foundation is that we build our souls upon that 's it with which wee have Communion Job 8.14 15. He shall lean upon his house but it shall not stand c. Those hopes that it hath that it shal go well with him to all Eternity these are called his house he rests upon them and hee hath Communion with them Houses 1. They are dwelling places a man lives in his house 2. They are hiding places in the time of a storm men retire to their houses for shelter 3. They are resting places 4. They are places that when once they are built men will keep them if they can from falling down Now sinners are swallowed up in Communion and fellowship with those false bottomed hopes that they have laid their soules upon they rest in those houses that they make to themselves though their hopes bee but like Spiders webs yet they lean upon their houses 5. They are swallowed up in fellowship and Communion with the very Devil himself 1 Joh. 5.19 we know that we are of God and that the whole world lies in wickedness In the Greek 't is thus and the whole world lies in that wicked one the Devil and they maintain Communion together the evil spirits haunt their Spirits The Devil in Scripture is said to have all those Acts of worship performed to him by sinners that Christ is said to have performed to him by Saints hath Jesus Christ his Ministers the Devil hath his Ministers also Ministers of Satan transforming themselves into Angels of light hath Christ his Churches so hath the Devil which is call-the Synagogue of Sathan hath Christ his Ordinances and Altars so hath the Devil too he hath his Table and his Communicants you cannot bee partakers of the Lords Table and the Table of Devils Argu. 4 The fourth Argument to prove that unregenerate men can have no fellowship and Communion with God in Ordinances because they live under a Legal Covenant Evangelical Communion is not bottomed upon Legal Covenants In Conversion there is a double change 1. A change of a mans nature and that is wrought within him 2. A change of a mans state and that is wrought upon him Every unregenerate man is under the first Covenant which admits of no Communion with God since it is broken There are five things wee lost in our fall 1. Our holy Image and became vile hence 2. Our Son-ship and became slaves 3. Our friendship and became Enemies 4. Our Communion and became strangers 5. Our glory and became miserable Now 't is impossible till sinners be translated from a broken Covenant of works that was made with them in Adam to a Covenant of grace that is made in Christ that ever they should come up to Communion with God you must know this that Communion with God is no Legal dispensation and therefore every person that is duly under the Law cannot enjoy Communion with God Having premised these I come to those four partioulars I laid down viz. to give you the grounds the properties the Acts and the ends of the Communion First For the Grounds of all the fellowship and Communion that the Saints have with God in Ordinances and they are five for this Communion ariseth 1. From his electing love 2. From the Covenant-state wherein believers stand 3. From our union with Jesus Christ 4. From our Interest in the Spirit 5. Our conformity to the Lord Jesus Christ Ground 1 I. Ground of our Communion with God is his Electing love that 's the foundation of all our blessednesse and the onely spring of all our mercies which without Gods Electing love no mercy would be a mercy to us and with it no misery will make us miserable The Lord hath chosen you unto three great ends in subordination one to the other he hath chosen you to salvation to reconciliation and to communion Psal 4.3 The Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himselfe God hath picked and culled every Godly man out of the world and set him aside For what for himselfe for himselfe what 's that It doth not only note for spirituall service but for the highest priviledges he hath set the godly man apart for these two ends First for the enjoyment of communion with him on earth Secondly for the fruition of blessednesse with him in heaven The Lord hath set c. 1. Consider who is it that hath done it It 's God that hath set him apart 2. What hath he done He hath set him apart put him distinct from all the world 3. Who is it that is thus set apart It is the man that is godly 4. What is the end of this action for which this man is set apart He is set apart for God 'T is the choycest duty that belongs to us to set our selves apart for God and 't is one of the choicest mercies of God to set us apart for himselfe The Lord doth separate to himselfe for imployment and for fellowship he will employ that man and he will have communion with that man The Angels they are of all creatures taken to speciall communion with God they behold the face of God the Father which is in Heaven It was excellently expressed by Tertullian the Saints in this life are the men that are the Lords attendants setting the Lord alwaies before them and standing alwaies before him waiting upon him Zech. 3.7 Thus saith the Lord if thou wilt walk in my waies c. I will give thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mah-lechim Walks that is places to walk 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—en hagnomedim ha-elleh inter stantes illos among these that stand by Who be they The meaning is conceived to be this the Angels they alwaies stand before God thousand thousands compasse his Throne now when the Lord speaks of taking a people into intimate familiarity with himselfe he saith he will give them walkes or Galleries to walk in among the
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