Of Communion with God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Each Person Distinctly: in Love, Grace, and Consolation. Or The Saints Fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost Unfolded. By the Reverend John Owen D.D.

force of its own love, raised by a sense of Christ's, prayeth for it would have ftrengthning grace to fupport it in that condition, that it may be able to attend its duty; and confolations of the Holy Ghost, to content, revive, and fatiate it, until in come to a full enjoyment of Christ. And thus fweetly and with delight is this Communion carried on.

$.9. 3. Safety: His banner over me was Love,v.4. The Banner is an Emblem of fafety and protection, a sign of the prefence of an hoft. Perfons belonging to an Army, + do encamp under their Banner in fecurity. So did the children of Ifrael in the wilderness, every Tribe kept their Camps under their own Standard. It is also a token of fuccefs and victory, Pf. 20.6. Christ hath a banner for his faints and that is Love. All their protection is from his Love; and they shall have all the Protection his Love can give them. This fafeguards them from Hell, and all their Enemies. What ever preffès on them, it must pass through the Banner of the Love of the Lord Jefus. They have then great spiritual fafety, which is another Ornament or Excellency of their Communion with him.

S. 10. 4. Supportment, and Confolation. v.6. His left band is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me. Christ here hath the posture of a moft tender friend towards any one in fickness,and fad nefs. The foul faints with Love; fpiritual longings after the enjoyment of his prefence, and Chrift comes in with his Embraces. He nourifheth and cherisheth his Church: Ephef. 5. 29. Ifa. 63. 13. Now the hand under the head, is fupportment, fuitaining Grace, in preffures and difficulties; and the hand that doth embrace, (the hand upon the heart) is joy and confolation in both Chrift rejoycing, as the Bridegroom rejoyceth over the Bride. Ifa. 62. 5. Now thus to ly in the Arms of Chrifts Love, under a perpetual influence of fupportment and Refreshment, is certainly to hold communion with him. And hereupon v. 1. the fpoufe is most earnest for the continuance of this fellow

fhip, charging all fo to demean themselves, that her beloved be not difquieted, or provoked to depart.

In brief this whole Book is taken up in the defcription of the Communion that is between the Lord Christ and his faints, and therefore it is very needless to take from thence any more particular inftances thereof.

S. 11. I fhall only add that of Pro. 9. 1. 2. 3.4. 5. Wifdom bath builded her house, fhe bath bewen out her seven pillars. She bath killed her beasts, fhe hath mingled her Wine, The bath

fo furnished her table. She bath fent forth her maidens, fhe cryeth upon the highest places of the City. Whofo is fimple, let bim turn in bither, as for him that wanteth understanding he faith to him, Come eat of my bread, and drink of the Wine that I bave mingled.

The Lord Chrift, the Eternal Wisdom of the Father, and who of God is made unto us Wisdom erects a fpiritual-house, wherein he makes provision for the entertainment of thofe Guests whom he fo freely invites. His Church is the Houfe which he hath built on a perfect number of pillars, that it might have a ftable Foundation: His flain Beafts, and mingled Wine wherewith his table is furnished, are thofe fpiritual fat things of the Gospel, which he hath prepared for those that come in upon his Invitation: furely to eat of this bread, and drink of this Wine which he hath fo graciously prepared, is to hold fellowfhip with him; for in what ways or things, is there nearer communion than in fuch?

I might farther evince this Truth, by a confideration of all the Relations wherein Chrift and his Saints do stand, which neceffarily require that there be a communion between them, if we do fuppofe they are faithful in thofe Relations: but this is commonly treated on, and fomething will be spoken to it,in one fignal inftance afterwards.

CHAP. II.

What it is, wherein we have peculiar Fellowship with the Lord Chrift. This is in Grace, This proved, Job. 1. 14, 16, 27.

12 Cor. 13.14. 2 Theff.3.17.18. Grace, of various acceptations. Perfonal Grace in Chrift propofed to confideration. The Grace of Chrift as Mediator intended in Pfal. 45. 2. Cant 5.9. Chrift how white and ruddy. His fitnefs to fave. from the Grace of Union. His fulness to fave. His fuitablenefs to endear. Thefe confiderations improved.

S. 1.

Aving mainfested that the Saints hold peculiar Fellowship with the Lord Jefus,it nextly follows, that we fhew wherein it is that they have this peculiar Communion with him.

§. 2. Now this is in G RA CE. This is every where afcribed to him by the way of Eminency. Joh.1. 14. He dwelt among us, full of Grace and truth. Grace in the Truth and fubftance of it. All that a went before was but Typical and in Reprefentation: in the truth and fubftance, it comes only by Chrift Grace and truth is by fefus Chrift, V. 17. And of his fulness we receive Grace for Grace v: 16. that is, we have Communion with him in Grace; we receive from him all manner of Grace whatever, and therein have we Fellowship with him.

S. 3. So likewife in that Apoftolical Benediction, wherein the Communication of fpiritual Bleflings from the feveral Perfons unto the Saints, is fo exactly diftinguifhed; it is Grace that is afcribed to our Lord Jefus Chrift, 2 Cor. 13.14. The Grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and the Love of God, and the Communion of the Holy Ghoft be with you all.

S. 4. Yea, Paul is fo delighted with this, that he makes it his Motto, and the token whereby he would have his Epiftles known, 2 Theff. 3. 17, 18. The Salutation of Paul with mine own band, So I write, The Grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift be with you all. Yea he makes thefe two, Grace be with you, and the Lord Jefus be with you, to be equivalent Expreffions; for whereas he affirmeth the one to be

a Acts 15. 11. Rom. 16. 24. 1 Cor. 16, 23. 2 Cor. 13. 14 Gal. 6. 18 .Ephef. 6. 24.

the

Token in all his Epiftles, yet fometimes, he useth the one only, fometimes the other of these, and fometimes puts them both together. This then is that which we are peculiarly to eye in the Lord Jefus,to receive it from him, even Grace, Gofpel Grace, revealed in, or exhibited by the Gospel. He is the Head-Stone in the building of the Temple of God, to whom Grace, Grace, is to be cried : Zach. 4. 7.

§ 5. Grace is a word of various acceptations. In its most eminent fignifications it may be referred unto one of these three Heads,

1. Grace of Perfonal Prefence and Comelinefs b So we fay a Graceful and comely perfon, either from himfelf or his ornaments. This in Chrift (upon the matter) is the subject of near one half of the book of Canticles: it is alfo mentioned Pfal. 45. v. 2. Thou art fairer then the Children of men, Grace is poured into thy lips. And unto this first head in refpect of Chrift, do I refer also that acceptation of Grace, which in refpect of us, I fix in the third place. Thofe inconceivable Gifts and Fruits of the Spirit which were bestowed on him, and brought forth in him, concur to his Perfonal Excellency, as will afterward appear.

2. Grace of free favour and acceptance. By this Grace we are faved that is, the free favour and gracious Acceptation of God in Chrift. In this fenfe is it used in that frequent expreffion, if I have found Grace in thy fight: that is, if I be freely and favourably accepted before thee. So he giveth Grace, (that is, favour ) to the Humble. Jam. 4.6. Gen. 39. 21. chap.14. 37. Acts 7. 10. 1 Sam. 2. 26. 2 Kings 25. 27. &c.

3. The fruit of the Spirit, fanctifying and renewing our Natures, enabling unto good, and preventing from Evil, are fo termed. Thus the Lord tells Paul, his Grace

b Prov. 1. 9. 3. 32. 34. Cant 3.6, 7, 8, 9. 10, 11. Cant. 5. 9, 10. 11, 12, 13, 14,15,16,5%.

was

was fufficient for him: that is, the Affiftance against Temptation which he afforded him. Col. 3. 16. 2. Cor. 8.6.7. Heb. 12. 28.

These two latter, as relating unto Chrift, in respect of us who receive them,1 call purchased Grace,being indeed purchafed by him for us; and our Communion with him therein, is termed a Fellowship in his fufferings, and the power of his Refurrection, Phil. 3. 10.

§. 6. Let us begin with the first, which I call Perfonal Grace, and concerning that do these two things.

1. Shew what it is, and wherein it confifteth, I mean the perfonal Grace of Chrift. And.

2. Declare how the Saints hold immediate Communion with him therein.

S. 7. To the handling of the first, I shall only premise this obfervation. It is Chrift as Mediator, of whom we speak, and therefore by the Grace of his Perfon, I underftand not

I. Nor the outward appearance of his human Nature, neither when he converfed here on Earth, bearing our infirmities, (whereof, by reafon of the charge that was laid upon him, the Prophet gives quite another character Ifa. 52. 14.) concerning which fome of the Ancients were very Poetical in their Expreffions: Nor yet as now exalted in Glory; a vain imagination whereof, makes many bear a false, a corrupted Respect unto Christ, even upon Carnal Apprehenfions of the mighty Exaltation of the human Nature, which is but to know Chrift after the flesh 2 Cor. 5. 19. a mifchief much improved by the Abomination of foolish Imagery: But this is that which I intend the Graces of the Perfon of Chrift, as he is vefted with the Office of Mediation: His fpiritual Eminency, Comeliness and Beauty, as appointed and anointed by the Father unto the great work of bringing home all his Elect unto his Bofom.

§. 8. Now in this Refpect the Scripture defcribes him as exceeding excellent, comely, and defirable, far above comparison

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