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well-pleased with us in his righteoufnefs. And in that day thou shalt fay, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou waft angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comforteft me. Ifai. xii. 1. The Saviour comforts us by fpeaking the word of eternal life to our hearts. My word is fpirit, and my word is life. My fheep hear my voice, and follow me, and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither fhall any pluck them out of my hand. John x. 27, 28. This is my comfort in my affliction; for thy word bath quickened me. Pfalm cxix. 50. The Holy Spirit comforts us, by applying the promises to us, and attending them with power; the word comes with power in the Holy Ghoft, and in much affurance; which power brings peace, joy, and gladness of heart; which is called the fincere milk of the word; and so it is written, Rejoice with Jerufalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her; rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her; that ye may fuck, and be fatisfied with the breasts of her confolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of ber glory. For thus faith the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing ftream; then fhall ye fuck, ye shall be borne upon ber fides, and be dandled upon her knees. As one whom his mother comforteth, fo will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerufalem. Ifai. lxvi. 10-12. This joy, confolation, love, and peace, are in the New Teftament called the fruits of the Spirit. Gal. v. 22.

Perfons

Perfons in true fellowship have great confidence in each other, and know much of each other's minds and fo it is with God and his faints. In the faints" worst hours they believe without doubting the truth of God, and the truth of the whole of his word; whether they can take the comfort of it or not, they know it is true, and that God, the author of it, is truet and, as God is true, fo he makes his children found in the truth, lovers of it, and earnest contenders for it, and fworn enemies to all falfe doctrines. For be faid, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie fo he was their faviour. Ifai. Ixiii. 8. They know much of each other's minds; and fo it is with God and his elect: they are made acquainted with God the Father's fecret purposes of grace, of his counfels and his covenant, of his good will of purpofe and of promife in Chrift Jefus before the world began. Christ chooses us out of the world, and difcovers himfelf to us, with all his finished work and faving benefits; while the Holy Spirit takes of the things that are his, and fhews them to us, and makes them manifeft in our hearts, and fecretly feals us up to the day of redemption.

Perfons in fellowship often feaft and banquet together. The Father makes us a feast of fat things, of marrow and fatness, and of wines on the lees well refined. Ifai. xxv. 6. Which glorious feast is the offering up of Chrift (in facrifice) once for us all. This is bringing forth the fatted calf to entertain the returning prodigals. Wifdom fays, She bath killed her

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beafs,

beafts, fhe bath mingled her wine, she hath furnished her table. Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled. Prov. ix. 2, 5. And no fooner does the poor perishing finner's mind and conscience feast upon his fin-atoning blood and lifegiving flesh, but the fire of inbred lufts, the fiery wrath of a broken law, and the fiery darts of Satan, are all quenched and dispersed, while the Holy Spirit and his grace flow in, and overshadow the foul with the difcovery of Chrift, as the end of the law for righteoufnefs. I fat down under his fhadow with great delight, and his fruit was fweet to my tafte. Song ii. 3And, as the Almighty banquets us, fo does he feast and feed upon the fatisfaction Chrift made for fin, and upon the fruits of his own implanted grace. But the father faid to his fervants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and fhoes on his feet; and bring hither the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and be merry. Luke xv. 22, 23. And the Saviour fays, I am come into my garden, my fifter, my fpoufe; I have gathered my myrrh with my Spice; I have caten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drank my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved. Song v. I. Nor is the Holy Spirit less entertained, when we are lively under his influence, obfervant of his inftructions, and obedient to his dictates; as appears by the approbation that he gives, the witness that he bears to our hearts, and by filling us with more of his grace, while we are bleffing him for what we have got.

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When the apoftles were apprehended and taken before the council of the Jews, and threatened and charged to teach no more in the name of Jefus, the Spirit of God enabled them to speak with fuch fortitude that the council marvelled; and, when they joined their own company, and put up their united prayers, the Holy Spirit fhook the very house, and filled them all again. And when they had prayed the place was fhaken where they were affembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghoft, and fpake the word of God with boldness. Acts iv. 31. For, as the Spirit is faid to be grieved by the fins of fome men, and to be vexed and rebelled against by others; fo he rejoices in fome, approves of others, and fortifies them to the aftonishment of their most inveterate perfecutors. Philip, when he obeyed the Spirit's voice, and joined himself to the Ethiopian's chariot, and preached Jefus to him was caught away by the Spirit of the Lord, and was found at Azotus, Acts viii. 39, 40. He fortified, furnished, and emboldened Paul before the Roman governor, that Felix trembled when Paul ftood undaunted. made Stephen's face thine like the face of an angel, when his perfecutors gnashed their teeth with anguish and defperation; and made Paul and Silas fing the high praifes of God in the prifon at midnight; and fent an earthquake and fhook the prifon to the foundation thereof, and opened the doors of it, and made the chains fall from off the criminals, to let them know that he proclaims liberty to captives-For where

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the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty; and this the poor jailor found foon after, to his aftonishment. In all these things it is eafy to fee how the Holy Spirit is entertained, pleafed, and delighted, when men obey his dictates, and give themselves up to be led by him.

Perfons in fellowship are jointly engaged: fo God and his people are engaged in one cause, and jointly concerned in one intereft. God is the portion of his people, and Jacob is the lot of God's inheritance. He that toucheth the faints toucheth the apple of God's eye; and the faints hate them that hate God, and count them their enemies: they love them that love the Lord; and, when any profeffors turn their backs and forfake God, as Judas did, the real faints always forfake them. God's own glory, in all his works, is what he aims at; and in the defence of God's glory and honour are his people engaged. God feeks a quarrel with the Philiftines, and Samfon will fight. it out if he die in the field. God will avenge his people on the Egyptians, and Mofes engages the whole nation. The wicked Jews judged and condemned the Son of God, and the apostles got upon twelve thrones to judge and condemn them; and, when they had paffed the fentence upon them, the Lord executed it. But, when they perfecute you in this city, flee ye to another: for verily I fay unto you, Ye fhall not have gone over the cities of Ifrael till the Son of man be come. Matt. x. 23. The world, the flesh, and the devil, are God's enemies; and against

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