may fay, if I have hatred in the World, I will go where I am fure of love: tho all others are hard to me, yet my Father is tender,and full of compaffion: I will go to him,and fatiffy my felfin him: Here I am accounted vile, frown'd on, and rejected, but I have Honour and Love with him, whofe kindness is better then Life it felf. There I fhall have all things in the Fountain, which others have but in the drops: there is in my Fathers Love, every thing defirable: there is the sweetness of all mercies in the abstract it felf, and that fully and durably.

§. 18. Evidently then, the Saints are the most mistaken men in the world. If they fay, " come and have Fellowship with us; are not men ready to fay, why, what are you? a forry company of Seditious Factious Perfons: be it known unto you, that we despise your Fellowship; when we intend to leave Fellowship with all honeft men, and men of worth, then will we come to you. But alas! how are men miftaken? truly, their Fellowship is with the Father let men think of it as they pleafe,they have close, fpiritual, Heavenly Refreshings in the mutual Communication of Love with the Father himfelf; How they are generally misconceived, the Apostle declares 2 Cor. 6. 8, 9, 10. As deceivers, and yet true, as unknown, yet well known, as dying and behold we live, as chaftened, and not killed, as forrowful, yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing, yet poffeffing all things: And as it is thus in General, fo in no one thing more than this, that they are looked on as poor, low, defpicable perfons, when indeed they are the only great and noble Perfonages in the world. Confider the Company they keep, it is with the Father, who is fo glorious? the Merchandise they trade in, it is Love, what fo precious? doubtless they are the excellent on the Earth. Pfal. 16. 3.

S. 19. Further; this will difcover a main difference between the Saints and empty Profeffors, as to the Performance of Duties, and fo the Enjoyment of outward ́11 Foh. 13. u At 17. 7, 38, 22.

Chap.IV. Priviledges, fruitless Profeffors, often walk hand in hand with them: but now come to their fecret retirements, and what a difference is there? there the Saints holy Communion with God; Hypocrites for the most part, with the world and their own Lufts, with them they converse and Communicate: they hearken what they will fay to them, and make provision for them: when the Saints are fweetly wrapt up in the Bofom of their Fathers Love. It is oftentimes even almost impoffible that Believers should in outward appearance go beyond them who have very rotten hearts: but this meat they have which others know not of? this Refreshment in the Banqueting house wherein others have not share; in the multitude of their thoughts, the Comforts of God their Father refresh their Souls.

§. 20. Now then (to draw towards a clofe of this Difcourfe) if these things be fo, what manner of men ought we to be,in all manner of holy converfation?even our God is a confuming fire. What Communion is there between Light and Darknefs; Shall fin and luft dwell in those thoughts which receive in, and carry out Love, from and unto the Father? Holiness becometh his prefence for ever. An unclean Spirit cannot draw nigh unto him; an unholy Heart can make no abode with him. A lewd Perfon will not desire to hold fellowship with a Sober man; and will a man of vain and foolish Imaginations, hold communion and dwell with the most holy God? There is not any Confideration of this Love but is a powerful motive unto Holiness, and leads thereunto. Ephraim fays, what have I to do any more with Idols, when in God he finds Salvation. Comunion with the Father is wholly inconfiftent with loose walking. If we fay that we have followfhip with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth, I Joh. 1.6. He that faith I know him (I have Communion with him) and keepeth not his Commandments, is a liar and the truth is not in him, 1. 4. The moft fpecious, and_glorious pretence made to an acquaintance with the Father,

without

without holiness and Obedience to his Commandments, ferves onely to prove the pretenders to be lyars. The love of the world and of the Father, dwell not together.

§. 20. And if this be fo, (to fhut up all) how many that go under the name of Chriftians come fhort of the Truth of it? How unacquainted are the Generality of Profeflors, with the Mystery of this Communion and the fruits of it? Do not many very evidently hold Communion with their lufts and with the world, and yet would be thought to have a Portion and Inheritance among them that are Sanctified? They have neither new name nor I white ftone, and yet would be called the people of the moft High. May it not be faid of many of them, rather, that God is not in all their thoughts, than that they have Communion with him? The Lord open the Eyes of men that they may fee and know that walking with God is a matter not of form, but power. And fo far of peculiar Communion with the Father,in the Inftance of love which we have infifted on; He is also faithful who hath called us to the fellowship of his Son Jefus Christ our Lord, Of which in the next Place.

PART II.

CHAP. I. .

Of the Fellowship which the Saints have with Jefus Chrift the Son of God. That they have fuch a fellowship proved i Cor. 1. 9. Revel. 3. 20. Cant. 2. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. opened. Prov. 9. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

F that diftin& Communion which we have with the Person of the Father, we have treated in the foregoing Chapters; we now proceed to the Consideration of that which we have with his Son, Jefus Chrift our Lord. E

Now

Now the Fellowship we have with the fecond Perfon, is with him as Mediator, in that Office whereunto by difpenfation he fubmited himself for our fakes, being made of a woman, made under the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law, that we might receive the Adoption of Sons, Gal, 4.4, 5. And herein I fhall do thefe two things.

1. Declare, That we have fuch Fellowship with the Son of God.

2. Shew Wherein that Fellowship, or Communion doth confist.

§ 2. For the first, I fhall only produce fome few places of Scripture to confirm it, that it is fo. 1 Cor. 1. 9. God is faithful by whom ye were called to the Fellowship of his Son, Jefus Christ our Lord. This is that whereunto all the Saints are called, and wherein by the Faithfulness of God they fhall be preferved, even Fellowship with Jefus Chrift our Lord. We are called of God the Father as the Father, in purfuit of his Love, to communion with the Son, as our Lord.

S.3. Rev. 3. 20. Behold I ftand at the door and knock, if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will com in to him, and fup with him, and he with me. Certainly this is Fellowship,or I know not what is; Chrift will Sup with Believers, he refreshes himself which his own Graces in them, by his Spirit beftowed, on them. The Lord Chrift is excedingly delighted in tafting of the sweet fruits of the Spirit in the Saints. Hence is that prayer of the Spouse that she may have fomething for his Entertainment, when he cometh to her, Cant. 4. 16. Awake O North-Wind, and come thou South, blow upon my Garden, that the Spices thereof may flow out, let my beloved come into bis Garden, and eat his pleafant fruits. The Souls of the Saints are the Garden of Jefus Chrift, the good ground Heb. 6. 7, 8. A Garden for delight: he rejoices in them, his delights are with the Sons of Men: Prov. 8. 31. and he rejoyces over

a John. 14. 23.

them:

them: Zeph 3. 17. And a garden for fruit, yea pleasant fruit, So he defcribes it: Cant. 4. 12, 13, 14. A Garden. inclofed is my fifter, my Spoufe, a Spring fhut up, a Fountain fealed; thy Plants are an Orchard of Pomgranates with pleafant fruits, Camphire with Spicknard, Spicknard and Saffron, Calamus, and Cinamon, with all trees of Frankincence, Mirrhe and Aloes, with all chief fruits. Whatever is sweet and delicious for taft, whatever's favoury and odoriferous, whatever is useful and medicinal, is in this Garden. There is all manner of Spiritual refreshments of all kinds whatever,” in the Soul of the Saints for the Lord Jefus. On this account is the Spouse fo earnest in the prayer mentioned for an increase of these things, that her beloved may Jup with her as he hath promifed. Awake O north wind &c. Oh that the breathings and workings of the Spirit of all Grace, might stir up all his Gifts and Graces in me, that the Lord Jefus the beloved of my foul may have meet and acceptable entertainment, from me. God complains of want of fruit in his vineyard Ifa. 5. 3. Hof. 10. 1. want of good food for Chrifts entertainment, is that the Spouse fear'd, and labours to prevent. A barren heart is not fit to receive him. And the delight he takes in the fruits of the fpirit, is unspeakable. This he expreffes at large, 5. 1. I am come, faith he, I have eat, I am refreshed. He calls it

19 the fruit of his fweetneffes; or moft pleasant to him. Moreover, as Chrift fups with his Saints, fo he hath promised they fhall fup with him, to compleat the fellowfhip that they have with him. Chrift provides for their Entertainment in a moft eminent manner. There are Beafts killed, and Wine is mingled, and a table furnished, b Prov. 9. 2. He calls the fpiritual dainties that he hath for them, a Feast a Wedding, A feaft of fat things, Wine upon the Lees, &c. The fatted Calf is killed for their entertainement. Such is the Communion, and fuch is the mutual Entertainment of Chrift and his Saints in that communion.