" which are in heaven, and which are on earth :" for those in heaven are very closely joined to one another, and bound together" in the bundle of life," of the living," much more than when they were in the body; and those that are on earth, are associated with the blessed in heaven. "Ye are come," says Paul, ❝ unto "mount Zion, -- to the general assembly and church "of the first-born which are written in heaven, - - and "to the spirits of just men made perfect." Now this communion consists in the following things. 1st, That having one God and one Saviour, and animated by the same Spirit, they constitute one body, whose parts are indeed widely separated from each other with regard to distance of local situation, but maintained in close mutual connexion by the same Spirit of Christ. 2dly, That the souls of the blessed, although they be entirely ignorant of the particular persons of believers on earth, and of their necessities," yet by their earnest prayers unite with us in soliciting, and, so to speak, accelerating, the day of the complete redemption of the Church; whilst the saints on earth are associated with those in heaven, in spirit, affection, and desire, having their conversation in heaven.y XLV. But we are chiefly to attend to the communion which believers have with each other on the earth. This includes three heads. 1st, That intimate union, by which, how far removed soever as to place, they are mutually joined together by the Spirit; not merely as brethren, but, what we have already often inculcated, as members of one mystical body. 2dly, Their enjoy "77 71782, in fasciculo viventium. 1 Sam. xxv. 29. v Heb. xii. 22, 23. * Rev. vi. 9, 10, 11. * 1 Cor. xii. 12, 13. Is. lxiii. 16. ment in common, of the most invaluable blessings. "There is one body, one Spirit, even as ye are called in "one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one bap"tism, one God and Father of all."a 3dly, The reciprocation of offices of kindness, which they perform to one another. This may be viewed as consisting of three parts. 1. Sympathy in evil things: by which every one condoles with his neighbour in afflictive evils, and hastens to his relief, no less than if himself were visited with the same adversities; and in moral evils, far from treating a fallen brother with cruelty, every one endeavours to restore him in the spirit of meekness.d 2. The communication of good things; as well temporal, as spiritual.s We have a mutual dependance on each other; which the Apostle nobly urges and illustrates. 3. The devout offering up of prayers for one another, as to those matters in which it is not in our power to avert evil from our brethren, or to confer on them what is good.i f XLVI. That FAITH which we profess regarding the communion of Saints, implies principally the three following particulars. 1st, That we recognise and celebrate the admirable power of our God, which unites believers of every nation, age, condition and sex, often separated from one another by such vast intervening spaces of land and sea, of such dissimilar capacities and tempers, and ́engaged in such diversified pursuits; and so closely conjoins them by one Spirit, that they most harmoniously concur in the same sentiments and feel ings respecting God and Christ, and in the same devout prayers and praises, and discern in each other, with mutual congratulation and applause, the same effects of the same Divine grace; so that, even at their first meeting, a most delightful interchange of love often arises. XLVII. 2dly, That we regulate our life and conduct in a manner becoming the communion of Saints. 1. That we promote, as far as possible, the unity of the Church, and carefully take heed, not to disturb the peace of this sacred society by unnecessary controversies, hot disputations, ambitious projects, or perverse passions of any kind; but, making many allowances for human infirmity, and for those imperfections under which we all labour,-to cultivate assiduously that harmony which Christ so earnestly inculcates upon us, and promote it to the utmost of our power, by fervent prayers, and by a Christian moderation of spirit. 2. That we edify one another by the communication of spiritual gifts. This is the duty not merely of Pastors, but of believers of every class. This includes, administering reproof to an offending brother;k which, when guided by prudence, and dictated by love, obtains, in the issue, greater favour than the fulsome compliments of flattering lips:1 -The instruction of the ignorant:m-Mutual excitement to pious zeal :"-Holy conferences, with fellowship in prayers and hymns. The communion of Saints ought, doubtless, to flourish not only in churches, but also in private houses. And it is lamentable, that in the present state of Christianity, these exercises of so cial piety are become so antiquated, or are sometimes so injudiciously performed, that they are even hateful and odious to many. 3. That we comfort the poor, the sick, the afflicted in mind and body, by our conversation, our prayers, our kind offices. It is wonderful, and in these days almost incredible, how admirably the primitive Christians expressed their love for one another. From numberless instances of this, I may now select one, which Eusebius relates.* At the time when a dreadful pestilence and famine prevailed, after Maximin had issued against the Christians his cruel decrees, "the heathen every where beheld a striking 'proof of the piety and universal benevolence of the "Christians. Amidst calamities so numerous and so severe, they alone exhibited in substantial deeds, the "offices of mercy and humanity. They daily employ"ed themselves, partly in protecting and burying the bodies of the dead, (for innumerable multitudes, of "whom no person took care, died every day;) and partly in distributing provisions to all the indigent "in the whole city that were pining for hunger, whom 'they collected for that purpose. The consequence was, that this was extensively talked of and divulged, "and all men highly extolled the God of the Chris 66 66 66 66 66 tians, and confessed that they alone had approved "themselves in deed and in truth the sincere worshippers of God." 66 XLVIII. 3dly, That we seek in this communion the solace of our souls. What can be more delightful than the mutual fellowship of brethren, mingled together, as Tertullian expresses it, in spirit and soul! What * Hist. lib. ix. cap. 8. r 2 Cor. viii. 1-5. 4 Ps. cxxxiii. more amiable than the reciprocal offices of love, and the holy familiarity of the friends of God, edifying, admonishing, and comforting one another, and uniting in the same supplications and spiritual songs! How refreshing is it to the soul of an afflicted saint, if at any time he becomes languid in prayer, to encourage himself by the thought, that there are so many myriads of believers making intercession for him with our common Father! With what cordial congratulation does he rejoice in the gifts of the Divine liberality towards his brethren, which he knows are granted for this purpose, that they may prove subservient to the general good, and that their salutary fruit may extend to himself also, as a part of the whole community! For of so ingenuous a nature is Christian charity, that, on account of the gathering together of all things in Christ, she considers what belongs to each of the brethren as her own. In this communion of Saints, in fine, there is a kind of prelude of heaven, where there will be no private or separate interest, but ONE GOD SHALL BE ALL IN ALL. |