affirm concerning afflictions with the same certainty they preach'd the Gospel Secondly they affirm not concerning a few but many afflictions Thirdly they declare in some respect a necessity Fourthly this is the way that leads to Gods Kingdom Fifthly hereby they confirm believers and strengthen them to continue in the faith of Gods love Thirdly to make full trial of the sincerity constancy strength of our love to God and to Iesus Christ Cant. 8.7 When Peter had fully declared his love to Christ then Christ tells him of his sufferings for him John 21.17 18. Because some pretend love to Christ as the stony ground which gladly received the Gospel but when persecution came fell away Others who pretend love to Christ can suffer in some kinds but not in others some can suffer a while but not long therefore God hath appointed many great of divers kinds yea sufferings to the last not only some present but some to come to try the sincerity of our love to Christ to the utmost 1. Use This Point convinceth the world and the generality of men who yet live within the sound of the Gospel of gross ignorance misapprehension They judge of the love of God and the ways of God as they are attended with outward peace liberty security from evils en mies dangers by that worldly felicity that attends them Secondly it reproves those who are informed in this truth and therefore dare not engage for God cannot love the ways of God because they know they must thereby expose themselves to so many kinds of sufferings and afflictions Most men love a dainty nice delicate Profession they can love Christ and his Priviledges but not Christ and his sufferings they can like the love of God in Christ but not the manisestations of that love through so many afflictions these cry out as the base Iews to Christ Come thee down from the Cross and we will believe in thee profess thee c. Thirdly for Exhortation to young Christians who are considering and consulting about giving themselves up to Christ and his ways to take that Councel of Christ Luke 14.28 31. to sit down seriously and consider what it will cost you to consider whether with our ten thousand the Promises Graces Comforts Priviledges we have in the Gospel we can meet twenty thousand such is the number of the afflictions trials temptations will encounter us Secondly to those who are engaged in the faith love Profession of Christ do not fancy to your selves some few some small some kind of troubles state the condition aright expect many and great and of several kinds all what is in the text It is true for our comfort all these in the text are not commonly the portion of every Saint but of the whole Church and God divideth to every Saint as he sees good But it stands us in hand to prepare for every one for the greatest men arm themselves all over because they know not where the blow will light Fourthly for Instruction Judge not of your selves nor other Christians by the multitude magnitude and variety of the greatest troubles that do befal you or them they are all founded in the love of God to you in Christ Iesus your Lord. ROM 8.38 39. For I am Perswaded THE Apostle having attained a full assurance of the love of God in Christ he builds his strong holds fortifies his saith in that love and then takes a view of all his enemies to the utmost which might be supposed to endanger him as to a falling off or falling away from this state and then by faith triumphs over all as weak impotent things as unable by their several or Conjunct power or concurrent strength to break the Communion Saints have with God in love through Christ lesus their Lord. The word I am perswaded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports A Persuasion that ariseth from strong conviction fulness of evidence undeniable Arguments therefore notes a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which comes from the same word which is A Persuasion with full confidence of faith Eph. 3.12 see Rom. 14.14 2 Tim. 1.12 It is joyned with a certain knowledge of the thing therefore the Persuasion must be certain and this certain Persuasion cannot be less then a strong confidence and full assurance of faith Doct. Such as have truly believed the Love of God in Christ Iesus their Lord may have a full Persuasion of faith they shall continue in the Communion of that love against all enemies that shall attempt a separation from it This I shall endeavor to demonstrate I From the nature of that Communion believers have with God in Christ Iesus First it is a fellowship with the Father and his Son Christ Iesus 1 John 1.2 In which observe first the reality and certainty of this Communion truly our Fellowship Secondly this Communion is a Priviledge common to every believer with the chiefest and highest Apostles one of which was Iohn called the beloved disciple he whom Iesus loved and laid in his bosom yet that ye might have fellowship with us Thirdly the effect that naturally flows from that Communion to believers viz. fulness of joy ver 4. Could any thing did any thing separate the Apostles from their Communion with the Father and his Son Iesus Christ every believers Communion with the Father and is the same Is there a most unquestionable truth and reality in that Communion whence slows fulness and compleatness of joy to believers then certainly none can separate them from it for then the joy would be very impersect narrow and scanty and by reason of the uncertainty of it the joy of a believer in his Communion with God would prove but like that spoken of Iob 20.5 Secondly it is a Conjugal Fellowship and Communion be ween God and believers Hos 2.19 20. It is for everlassing never to be violated it is performed with those solemnities ratified and confirmed by those engagements which make it sure and inviolable God undertakes for his part and pawns his Righteousness his Iudgment his loving kindness his mercies and his faith fulness for Performance and he undertakes for our part they shall know the Lord and they that know the Lord will never depart from him He who faith of man and woman in Conjugal Communion he hates puting away Mal. 2.16 will much less put away whom he hath betrothed to himself 2. Dem. Is taken from God in whom the love that flows from this Communion is in as its upper fountain and original The love of God the love which is in God There are four things in God First the Power of this God engaged to keep his in close Communion with himself against all adverse power that can attempt a separation John 10.29 If none can pluck them out of his hand less can they pluck them out of his bosome A man may have that wrung out of his hand by violence which cannot be pluckt out of his heart Secondly the unchangeableness of God a Balaam
THE Inseparable Communion OF A Believer WITH GOD IN HIS LOVE Being the Substance of Several SERMONS Preached on ROM VIII 38.39 By that Reverend Minister Mr. THOMAS MALLERY late Pastor of a Church in London LONDON Printed for R. D. near the Royal Exchange MDCLXXIV AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE Christian-READER THE Author of this short Treatise was so well known to the Churches of Christ in and about this City that neither himself nor any of his holy Labours do need an Epistle of Commendation to them For though he be dead he yet speaketh by his past Example to Believers in word in conversation in charity in spirit in faith in purity And by his Ministry which he Managed as the Steward of God holding fast the faithful Word with uncorruptness and dispensed with gravity sincerity sound speech as cannot be condemned rightly dividing the Word of Truth whereby as he did approve himself to God a Workman that needed not to be ashamed so also to every Mans Conscience that knew him and more especially to the Flock over which the Holy Ghost had made him Overseer to whom in Christ Jesus both his Personal Grace and Ministerial Abilities are acknowledged as the Auther and Finisher of them The design therefore of these few lines is not so much to bespeak an Acceptance with the Reader as to Advertise him That these Sermons were not prepared or for ought is known ever intended by himself for the Presse but are made publick by some of his Friends in whose Memory his Name and Labour yet live as those that God made useful and savoury to them when he Preached them and which they hope may be Profitable to all the Saints Yet the Reader may be assured That they are the true Copy of his own Notes the Errors of the Transcriber excepted which he Prepared to methodize what of the Word he Ministred in his daily course which were enlarged and further emproved in the lively Delivery of them which latter if we could present thee with as truly as the substance of them is here emitted especially if it had pleased the only wise God to have spared him to a Review of them by that spiritual Judgment which he was singularly blest with to deliver the things of God not only solidly but in many things very sublimely there would need no Apology to the World whose course is to censure rather then to study profit by the Labours of Gods Servants for the seeming abruptnesse of some of his notions and the brevity of the whole which last inconvenience yet is attended with this advantage That the godly Reader may with less expence of time peruse them and with greater facility retain them and the worth and weight he finds in them will recompence his labour through the blessing of the Holy One who teacheth us to profit as he hath Promised to all that are interessed in this inseparable union to and communion with him in Jesus Christ who will through him make us Conquerours over the unprofitablenesse of our own hearts as well as all other our spiritual enemies The Substance of several Sermons ROM 8.38 39. For I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come Nor heighth nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. IN the 33. and 34. verses we have Paul with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration he sets one foot on Mount Calvary where Christ died the other on Mount Olivet where Christ ascended and by faith takes in a full view of the infinite dimensions of the Grace of Justification and triumphs over the Law and Satan the grand Accuser of the Brethren In 35 36 37 verses he triumphs over the world and the worst the world can do by power or malice by faith in the love of Christ In the Text is a higher Rapture of faith it takes a view of all things in Heaven Earth and Hell and triumphs over all Enemies real or imaginary that can be supposed to endeavor to separate believers from the love of God in Christ ver 38 39. 1. Here we have one thing implied a Mystery that lies hid in the bosom of the Text viz. Communion with God Secondly the Bond of that Communion the Love of God Thirdly the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or first subject of that love Christ Jesus Fourthly the Propriety Believers have to Christ for this end viz. Communion with God in his love Christ Jesus our Lord. Fifthly the triumph of faith in this love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord over all things in Heaven Earth or Hell that can be supposed to separate from the love of God 1. All Believers have a most intimate spiritual Communion with God though in a mystical and wonderful way This truth is couched in the Text and lies hid like a spring in a Watch which yet moves all the Wheels in the Work it is implied in the word Separate for separation is the disjoyâ—ting or disuniting of things conjoyned together in common union and therefore somthing and in the first place is to be spoken to it In which we must consider three things Union Communion Communication between God and Believers 1. We must consider the Union that is between God and Believers which is the foundation of all Communion There are several sorts of Union First A natural union an union of persons in the same common nature such an union there is between Christ and believers Heb. 2.11 and through Christ between them and God for hereby God became Emanuel God with us one with us and we one with him Secondly there is an union by Covenant thus all the sons of men were one with the first Adam the Apostle speaks of this one man as including all men Rom. 5.18 Such an union there is between Christ and believers Eph. 1.10 and through Christ with God Zach. 13.9 I will say it is my people and they c. Thirdly there is an union of Amity or Affection as between Jonathan and David 1 Sam. 18.11 and 20.17 as between those Acts 4.32 such an union is between believers and Christ Eph. 5.25 Christ loved his Church and gave himself Such also between God and believers now reconciled by Christ Eph. 2.14 Fourthly there is a Conjugal union of persons by Marriage Eph. 5.28 31. such an union there is between Christ and believers 2 Cor. 11.2 and such between God and believers Isa 54.5 Isa 62.5 Hos 2.16 19.20 Fifthly there is a spiritual union between all believers 1 Cor. 12.13 such an union hath believers with Christ 1 Cor. 6.17 and through Christ with God 1 Cor. 2.13 with Eph. 2. ult But there is an union of believers with God beyond all these most spiritual most mystical and as yet incomprehensible such an union as is made to resemble the union between the Father and his Son John 14.20 and John 17.21
Gods eternal love to us but only in Iesus Christ 2 â—or 4.6 Knowledge of his glory in the face of Jesus Christ By the glory of God we are in a special manner to understand it of the glory of his eternal love and grace if with this we compare Eph. 1.6 and 12. every believers experience will bear witness to this truth 3. Dem. God did first accomplish all that grace in Christ which his eternal love had purposed to perform in us 2 Cor. 1.20 Hence Christ became the first-born Rom. 8.29 the first-fruits 1 Cor. 15.23 The Image Patern and Exemplar of all the grace and glory of God to us 2. Our salvation was founded on the eternal Election of God Christ was elected Isa 42.1 He was not only one chosen out of all Creatures Men and Angels but chosen out of all the three Persons in Trinity to be the Mediatour of our Peace by the Election of Christ ours is ratified and confirmed Secondly our salvation includes in it a Predestination to the Adoption We were ordained to be sons of God So Christ in our nature by its personal Union with the Divine was the Son of God Luke 1.45 Gal. 4.4 5. Thirdly our salvation is carried on by our Calling Iesus Christ had his Call of God to all the Offices that concerned him in the Work of our Redemption Heb. 5.4 5. Fourthly our salvation is carried by Iustification so Christ was first justified Isa 50 8. 1 Tim. 3.16 Fisthly our salvation is carried on unto a final victory over all our enemies for Christ Iesus he hath first overcome Rev. 3.21 Sixthly our salvation is perfected by the Resurrection from the dead and a possession of glory for Christ first rose from the dead and entred into his glory Eph. 4.5 6. So what faith hope love holiness patience humility obedience God should require of us was first performed by Christ who became a Pattern and Examplar of all grace unto obedience for us John 15.10 and our constant Growth and Increase in Grace is called a growing up in all things to Christ our Head Eph. 4 15. 4. Dem. All these treasures of salvation which God hath in his eternal love decreed to lay out on his Elect both in grace and glory are given into Christ Col 1.19 Col. 2.3 Christ Heir of all things by appointment Heb. 1.3 Here he is said to be made of God unto us whatever God intended to make our salvation compleat by viz. Wisdom 1 Cor. 1.30 Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption These four Ingredients are perfect and compleat salvation So that of Christs fulness we still receive grace for grace and glory for glory 2 Cor. 3.18 John 1.16 and our compleatness is in him Col. 2.9 10. Hence Christ is said to be not only given us for a Saviour but to be the salvation of God to us Luke 2.30 because he contains in himself the whole matter of our salvation every part and parcel that makes our salvation compleat 5. Dem. When God actually performs any of that grace his eternal love purposed and decreed for us he first makes us to be in Christ makes us one with Christ 1 Cor. 1.30 Of God are ye in Christ Iesus he gathers into one in Christ Eph. 1.10 he calls them into the fellowship of Christ 1 Cor. 1.9 whom he intends to save As we are said to be chosen in Christ Eph. 1.4 so we are said to be made the sons of God in Christ Gal. 3.26 reconciled in Christ 2 Cor. 5.19 to be made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5. ult to be made new creatures in him 2 Cor. 1.17 to be made an habitation of God in him Eph. 2. ult to be sanctified preserved called in Iesus Christ Iude 1. hence we are called the Workmanship of God in Christ Eph. 2.10 The grounds of this truth why God should make out all the manifestations and dispensations of his love to us in Christ Iesus may be 1. Christ only is that among all three Persons in Trinity which God did ordain us to be viz. the Son of God The grace of our Adoption is the supreme Priviledge of all that grace we receive from Gods love 1 Iohn 3.1 and is our Right and Title to all other blessings if sons then heirs We must be sons before we can have right to any part of the Inheritance Now Christ having this Prerogative peculiar to himself to be the Son of God it was necessary that we should be made the sons of God in Christ Iesus Eph. 1.5 Secondly because Christ was as the only begotten Son of God so the only beloved of the Father sole Heir of all his Fathers love and his Fathers blessings both in grace and glory Therefore it behoved that the manifestations of the Fathers love and the dispensations of his love to us in the blessings of grace and glory should be made in Iesus Christ Thirdly that the glory of our salvation might not be communicated in any part to the creature but to God alone of whom through whom to whom are all things to whom be glory for ever It is God who of himself and in himself and by himself worketh all grace in us of himself as the Father in himself as the Son by himself as the holy Spirit The Uses of this Point are I. For Information First it informs us how miserable men are who are yet out of Christ they are in no capacity to receive one token of Gods saving love They may love themselves and do good to themselves the world may love friends may love them and shew them love but God will shew them no love out of Christ Secondly it informs us of that excellent order and method the Wisdom of God hath observed in stating our salvation The love of God which is the great spring of life and grace is first in God himself as the original Then it is in Christ as he to whom belongs the Birth-right and the blessings of it in whom all the Promises of God are Yea and Amen Then it is in us who are in Christ Iesus in whom we are made Partakers of the righteousness holiness and glory of God Thirdly that no natural goodness in our selves nothing we can do in conformity to the Law of God no external duties of Worship to God no moral Righteousness towards man can be the least part of that Righteousness that can bring us into a state of love and favour with God It must be what God doth bestow on us in Iesus Christ for no man is made that unto which the love of God hath predestinated him in himself and through himself but in and through Christ only Fourthly it informs us in what glass we may most clearly behold the love of God to us in all its effects it is Iesus Christ Would we know the love of God to us look upon his love to Christ or know the dignity of our Adoption look upon the Sonship of Christ or know the dignity
yet shall never enjoy them so he makes some to taste the wrath and torments of that wrath which is to come who never yet shall feel them Thirdly into this Deep falls in the depths of Satan deep temptations as it was with Christ in this condition so 't is in its meawith Saints now the devil and the powers of darkness bestir themselves Luke 22.33 When Sun sets and darkness covers the earth then the Lions and wilde beasts go forth Psal 104.20 21. so when God hides his face see Christs Complaint in that day Psal 22.1 12 13 16 20. Fourthly into this Deep falls the depths of Hell Hell is deep and large Isa 30. ult nothing deeper Job 11.8 the bottomless Pit Rev 7.1 In the depth of spiritual desertion Saints have complain'd of the snares of death and sorrows of Hell Psal 116.3 Christ Psal 16.10 so â—â—man counted himself 〈◊〉 free of that damned Company and Corporation of devils and reprobates Psal 88.5 Such scorching and scalding drops of wrath God in this condition sometimes lets 〈◊〉 the Conscience as if they were Pledges and Earnests of damnation as if be haâ— already kindled Hell fire in the foul Fifthly into this Deep falls the depth of sorrow and affliction Psal 102. see the title Psal 69 1 2. here is Complaint see his Prayer ver 15. No sorrows like these no afflictions so deep as these they enter into the soul here often misery appears remediless and the foul expects endless sorrow yea refuseth all the comforts that are administred from any hand but Gods alone Psal 77.2 Thus you fee spiritual desertion is a Depth into which many Deeps fall the Depth of sin ' wrath Satan one Deep here calleth on another Secondly let us consider how much these Depths may endanger to separate a believer First in this state Saints apprehend a total cessation of Gods love to them an everlasting night on them that the light of Gods Countenance shall never shine on them more Jonah 2.4 I am cast out of thy sight Thus they say The Lord will cast off for ever Psal 77.8 9. so David Psal 13.1 How long for ever In the favour of God is life Psal 30.5 If he frown who can live In his favour is light if he hide his face who can behold him Job 34.29 Secondly in this state God may seem to withdraw that Spirit which is the bond of our Communion with God hence that Psal 51.11 12. The Spirit in this state useth to suspend its Testimony refuse light to our Evidences and withhold that witness it formerly bare to our Adoption yea it may suffer Satan to bear false witness to our spirits and perswade us that we are hypocrites children of wrath fitting for destruction Thirdly in this state God calls to remembrance sins which the soul thought had long since been repented of and that God had pardoned Thus were the sins of Jobs youth and Davids original sin thus a believer may be brought to question all Gods former Acts of grace and his own faith and repentance and suspect all his former comforts yea the being of any grace at all in truth and this is very dangerous Fourthly it is a state of darkness and no light Isa 50.10 Cant. 3.1 Now he that walks in darkness knows not John 12.35 so these knew not what to do what way to take He that walks in darkness trembles at every thing even the Promises of grace are stumbling blocks to that soul In darkness are terrible apprehensions as to the Egyptians in the Plague of darkness Psal 78.49 the terrours of God are upon Saints in spiritual desertions Psal 88.15 16. Job 7.14 Fifthly in this state God seems for the present to neglect all their Prayers Lam. 3.8 Christ Jesus Psal 22.1 2. Saints here are ready to say as Saul The Lord is departed from me and answereth me no more Sixthly in this state the soul suffers the affliction is on the spirit of a man it s a wound on the spirit Prov. 18.14 a Dagger at the heart â— Psal 42.10 see Christ in his Desertion Maâ— 26.38 Heman suffered not in his inferiour only but in the superiour faculties of his soul Psal 88.15 In other afflictions the body suffers and the soul only by sympathy here the soul suffers and the body only by sympathy Thirdly let us consider these depths shall never be able to separate I. Because they are all consistent with love and always end in love 1. They are consistent with love Heb. 12.5 6. he seems if not only yet principally to intend the Castigation that fall upon the souls and spirits of believers God never loved Christ better then at that time when he cried out My God My God Josephs bowels yearn'd most when he dealt most roughly with his brethren so God Ier. 31.20 II. Be sure all will end in love Isa 54 7 8. Cant. 31 5. Isa 57.18 Secondly because these Depths of spiritual desertion are but to bring forth fulâ—ess of Conformity to Christ in his Death and Resurrection Christs sufferings were some in his body these were call'd his Baptism some and the greatest in his soul these were call'd his Cup Matth. 20.22 23. in this Cup was a mixture of sin wrath death â—nd hell He tells those disciples they should â—artake with him in both When Christ â—ried out My God my God why it was â—bstractio visionis not dissolutio unionis for â—ill he cried My God so it is to Saints in â—he like condition and what faith Christ â—xercised in that state he commanded other â—elievers to do Isa 50.10 Thirdly because there are depths in the â—ercy and free-grace of God that easily wallow up this depth of spiritual deserâ—on and all the depths that run into it â—om 11.33 O the Depth Eph. 3.18 The â—ee-grace of God is a mighty Ocean Miâ—h 7.19 Fourthly because God hath pawn'd all â—e Ordinances of Heaven and Earth that â—othing what he seems to do against them and nothing they do against him shall provoke him to cast them off Jer. 31.35.36 37. 1. Use If such who are lockt fast in the Armes of God such who are in everlasting Communion with God Communion with God in love which love is unchangeable as God himself in love which is in Christ Iesus and therefore can no more fail then his love to Christ can fail If such as these may fall into these depths of spiritual desertion in which are the depths of sin of wrath O where shall the sinner and ungodly appear who are treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath O the infinite unsearchable bottomloss depths of sin wrath devils hells worst of sorrows endless torments wherein all unbelievers impenitent unregenerate persons shall be plunged in swallowed up without Redemption 2. Use This fully informs us that the beâ—â— of Saints must live all their days in every â—ondition on a dependence onthe freâ— grace of God By the Eclipse of the Moon we comâ— to know it borrows its light