LETTER VIII. To the Rev. J. JENKINS, at the new Vicarage, Dearly-beloved and longed-for, my joy, and the crown of my rejoicing! : I I WISH above all things that thou mayeft profper in thy labours, and be in health for the work, knowing that hard labour and a frail tabernacle make us move heavily but our God has promised that, as our day so shall our strength be. I shall now refume my former fubject, as I find you are by no means weary of it. And what I purpose to fend to my dear brother is fomething of the unctuous experience which believers have of the glorious mystery that I have been writing about. fhewed you in a former epiftle that if ever our hearts were comforted, if they were ever knit together in love, and if ever we come to the full affurance of understanding, it must be by an humble acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Chrift, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Col. ii. 2, 3. This myftery is not only to be acknowledged or affented to as a revealed truth, but it is to be embraced by faith, and and to be held, and held fast; as many violent and unwearied attacks, both by devils and heretics, will be made against it; and, if we are unfound or unfettled in the ground-work or foundation, all the reft will be out of order. The building cannot be fitly framed, according to the account of a wife master builder, unless the glorious proprietor of the building be favingly known; for it is a myftical building, founded in faith, and cemented together in love, and grows up in wisdom, knowledge, and power, not by human might, nor by the power of free-will, but by my fpirit, faith the Lord of bofts. Take the apoftie's account-Now, therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the faints and of the boufebold of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner ftone; in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto an boly temple in the Lord; in whom you also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. Eph. ii. 19-22. The apostle tells us that the living ftones, the choice materials of this building, are God's household, freeborn citizens; and that Jefus Chrift is the chief cornerftone that unites all faints, Jews and Gentiles, antediluvian and poftdiluvian faints, together; and that the building grows up into an holy temple in the Lord, an habitation of God through the Spirit. If God the Son be left out of our faith, there is no foundation; and if God the Father, or the Holy Spirit, be left out, where is the inhabitant? It is an babitation bitation of God through the Spirit. Christ is the neareft object to faith, as our Mediator. Ye believe in God, believe alfo in me; for through Chrift we believe in God, who raised him from the dead. i Peter i. 21. And we receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Here is the mystery; faith lays hold of Jefus Chrift, and through him we believe in God the Father, and, upon our believing we receive the Spirit through faith, and are fealed by him. This is the ground-work, the bafis, and power, on which faith stands or rests; all building is in vain without this. Building your felves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghoft, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jefus Chrift unto eternal life. Jude 20, 21. The most Holy Trinity is the mystery on which faith refts; and we ftand by faith, or rest on the powerful confidence which the arm of God reveals in us. Hence the exhortation, Hold the mystery of faith in a pure confcience. 1 Tim. iii. 9. This is called building up ourselves on our most holy faith. Faith is the Father's gift to us through Chrift, and from his fulness it comes, and by the operation of the Spirit it is wrought in us, and therefore called a fruit of the Spirit; this is the bafis, namely, the Holy Trinity. Love is the bond of union, or the grand cement that compacts and builds up; charity edifieth, or raises the edifice. Hence we read of the love of God to us, in giving the Son; and the love of the Son, in laying down his life for us; and the love of the Holy' Ghoft alfo. Now I beseech you, for the Lord Jefus Chrifl's Jake fake and for the love of the Spirit. Rom. xv. 30. The love of the Trinity to us is the bond of union, which, when perceived by faith, and enjoyed, leads to a moft bleffed freedom and familiarity with the Father, Son, and Spirit; as you read, And to make all men fee what is the fellowship of the mystery. Eph. iii. 9. We can have fellowship with nothing but perfons; there is no fellowship with names. These things have I written unto you, that you may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with bis Sen Jefus Chrift. 1 John i. 3. And you read of the comfort of love, and of the fellowship of the Spirit. Phil. ii. 1. Hence the foundation of vital godliness is God-Father, Son, and Spirit. Faith apprehends this, and by a full perfuafion ftays the mind thereon; love is the cementing bond that unites the foul to God. He that loveth dwelleth in God, and God in him; that is, he abideth in the Trinity; he abideth in the Son, and in the Father. And it is added, As that anointing bath taught you, you shall abide in him. Read 1 John ii. 27. Here is our inbeing and abiding in the Father, Son, and Spirit; and fellowship is the effect of this union. True fellowship among men is a company of real friends meeting together in love. God was in Chrift reconciling the world to himself. When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son. And the Holy Ghost applies the word of reconciliation. Henceforth I call you not fervants; for the fervant knoweth not what his lord docth; but I have called called you friends; for all things that I have heard of wy Father I have made known unto you. John xv. 15. Perfons in fellowship often meet and affociate together. Believers, with their confeffions, prayers, praifes, and thank-offerings, pay their conftant vifits to their God: and in their conclufive doxologies address all the three divine perfons diftinctly; and by these we afcend, in faith and affection, to the Almighty. And, with respect to the fenfible enjoyment of God's prefence, the Holy Trinity often condescends to vifit us. If a man love me he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. John xiv. 23. And the Holy Ghost comes alfo-I will fend you a Comforter, who shall abide with you for ever. Thus does the holy and blessed Trinity visit and take up their abode with believing fouls. Perfons in real union and fellowship are a comfort to each other, and partake of each other's joys. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you for ever. John xiv. 16. Chrift does not fay, "I myfelf will pray to myself, that I may fend myself;" which would have been the right way of expreffing the matter, if there were but one perfon in the Trinity: but "I will pray the Father." Here is Chrift upon earth praying; the Father in heaven prayed unto; and another Comforter, diftinct from them both, prayed for. The Father comforts us by revealing his dear Son in us, and by accepting us in the beloved, and appearing well |