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.

THE 1889

Epiftle to the READER.

Christian Reader,

EING brought under an Engagement of Promife for the Publishing of fome Meditations on the Subject which thou wilt find handled in the enfuing Treatife, The Reafons of it's Delay, being not of Publick concernment, Ifball not need to mention.

Those who have been in expectation of this Duty from me, have for the most part, been fo far acquainted with my Condition and Employments, as to be able to fatisfie themselves, as to the deferring of their defires.

That which I have to add at present, is only this; Having had many Opportunities fince the time I first delivered any thing in Publick on this Subject, (which was the means of bringing me under the Engagements.

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mentioned) to reaffume the confideration of what I had first fixed on, I have been inabled to give it that Improvement, and to make thofe Additions to the main of the Defign and Matter Treated on, that my first Debt, is come at length to be only the Occafion of what is now tendred to the Saints of God.

I shall Speak nothing of the Subject here handled, it may, I hope, speak for it self, in that fpiritual Savour and Relish which it will yeild to them, whose hearts are not fo filled with other things as to render the fweet things of the Gospel bitter to them.

The Defign of the whole Treatife, thou wilt find, Chriftian Reader, in the First Chapters of the First Part: And I fhall not detain thee here with the Perufal of any thing which in its proper place will offer it felf unto thee.

Only know, That the whole of it hath been recommended to the Grace of God in many Supplications, for its Usefulness unto them that are interested in the Good Things men

tioned therein.

John Owen.

Lphonfus, King of Spain, is faid to have found Food and Phyfick in reading Livy: And, Ferdinand, King of Sicily, in reading Quintus Curtius. But thou haft here, nobler Entertainments, vaftly richer Dainties, incomparably more Sovereign Medicines; I had almost said, The very highest of Angels Food is here fet before thee. And, as Pliny fpeaks, Permista Deliciis Auxilia : Things that minister unto Grace and Comfort; to holy Life and Liveliness.

Such is this Treatife. This, which is the Only One Extant, upon it's Great and Neceffary Subject. This, Whofe Praise hath been long in the Churches; and hath gone Enamelled with the Honourable Reproaches of more than one English Bolfec. This, whofe Great Author, like the Sun, is well known to the World, by Eminence of Heavenly Light and Labours. This, which, as his many other Works, can be no other than Manna unto Sound Chriftians; tho, no better than Stone and Serpent to Socinians and their Fellow-Commoners.

Importunity hath drawn me, to fay thus much more than I could think needful to be faid, concerning any Work of Dr. Owen's. Needful in our Day it lelf; a Day, wherein Pauci Sacras Scripturas, Plures Nomina Rerum, Plurimi Nomina Magistrorum fequuntur. Few do cleave to the Holy Scriptures; Many do reft in Scholaftick fenfeless Sounds; And most Men do hang their Faith upon their Rabbi's Sleeves.

This

This only I add; Of the Swarms every day rifing, there are few Books but do want their Readers. Yet if I understand aright, There are not many Readers but do want this Book.

In which Cenfure, I think, I am no Tyrant, (which the Philofopher names the worst of wild Beasts:) and I am fure, I am no Flatterer,. (which he calls as juftly, the worst of Tame Beafts.) i Tivta di Taula.

Let the fimple Souls, (the Pauciffima Lectionis Mancipia) who take the Doctrin of Distinct Com munion with the Divine Perfons, to be a Newfangled one, and uncouth: Obferve the Words of Reverend Mr. Sam Clark (the Annotator on the Bible) in his Sermon on 1 John 1.7. It is to be noted, that, there is a Diftinct Fellowship with each of the Perfons of the Bleffed Trinity. Let them attend what is faid by Mr. Lewis Stucley, in his Preface to Mr.Polwheel's Book of Quenching the Spirit; It is a most glorious Truth, tho' confider'd but by few, That Believers have, or may have, diftin&t Communion with the 1 hree Perfons, Father, Son, and Spirit. This is Attested by the Finger of God, and folemnly owned by the first and beft Age of Christianity. To name no more; let them read heedfully but the Second Chapter of this Treatife, and it's hoped that, then,they fhall no longer Contra Antidotum infanire no longer Rage against God's Holy Medicinal Truth, as St. Anftin faith he did, while he was a Manichee; Teftifying in fo many Words, His Error was kis very God.

Reader, I am

Thy Servant in Christ Jesus,
Daniel Burgess.

THE

CONTENTS.

PART I.

CHA P. I.

That the Saints have Communion with God, 1 John 1.3. Con-

fidered to that purpose. Somewhat of the Nature of Com-

Page 1

munion in General.

CHA P. II.

That the Saints have this Communion diftinctly with the Fa-