6

vine perfons, to be a new fangled one, and uncouth; obferve the words of the Reverend Mr Sam. Clark (annotator on the Bible) in his fermon on 1 John i. 7. It is to be noted, that their is a diftinct fellowship with each of the perfons of the bleffed Trinity. Let them attend what is faid by Mr Lewis Stucly, in his preface to Mr Polwhell's book of quenching the Spirit; It is a most glorious truth, tho' confidered but by few, that believers have, or may • have, diftinct communion with the three perfons, Father, • Son, and Spirit. This is attefted 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 fecond chapter of this treatife, and its hoped that then they fhall no longer contra antidotum infanire no longer rage against God's holy medicinal truth, as St Austin faith he did, while he was a Manichee; testifying in fo many words, his error was his very God.

Reader, I am,

Thy fervant in Christ Jefus,

DANIEL BURGESS.

1 John i. 3. con

That the faints have communion with God. fidered to that purpose. Somewhat of the nature of communion in general.

I'

N the first epistle of John, chap. i. ver. 3. the apoftle affures them to whom he wrote, that the fellowship of believers is with the Father and with his Son Jefus Chrift :' and this he doth with such an unusual kind of expreffion as bears the force of an affeveration, whence we have rendered it, Truly our fellowship, &c.

The outward appearance and condition of the faints in those days being very mean and contemptible, their leaders being accounted as the filth of this world, and as the offfcouring of all things, the inviting others unto fellowship with them, and a participation of the precious things which they did enjoy, feems to be expofed to many contrary reafonings, and objections; what benefit is there in communion

with them? Is it any thing else but to be sharers in trou bles, reproaches, fcorns, and all manner of evils? To prevent, or remove these and the like exceptions, the apoftle gives them to whom he wrote to know, and that with fome earneftnefs of expreffion, that notwithstanding all the difadvantages their fellowship lay under, unto a carnal view, yet in truth it was, and would be found to be (in reference to fome with whom they held it) very honourable, glorious and defirable: For truly, faith he, our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jefus Chrift.'

This being fo earnestly and directly afferted by the apoftle, we may boldly follow him with our affirmation, viz. That the faints of God have communion with him' and an holy and spiritual communion it is, as fhall be declared. How this is fpoken distinctly, in reference to the Father, and the Son; muft afterwards be fully opened, and carried

on.

By nature, fince the entrance of fin, no man hath any communion with God. He is light, we are darkness, and what communion hath light with darknefs? He is life, we are dead. He is love, we are enmity, and what agreement can there be between us? Men in fuch a condition, have neither Chrift, nor hope, nor God in the world, Eph. ii. 12. • Being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, chap. iv. 18. Now two cannot walk together unless they be agreed,' Amos iii. 3. Whilft there is this distance between God and man, there is no walking together for them in any fellowship, or communion. Our first intereft in God, was fo loft by fin, as that there was left unto us, in ourfelves, no poffibility of a recovery. As we had deprived ourselves of all power for a returnal, fo God had not revealed any way of accefs unto himself, or that he could under any confideration be approached unto by finners, in peace. Not any work that God had made, not any. attribute he had revealed, could give the leaft light into fuch a difpenfation.

The manifeftation of grace and pardoning mercy, which is the only door of entrance into any fuch communion, is not committed unto any but unto him alone, in whom it is, by whom that grace and mercy was purchased, through whom it is difpenfed, who reveals it from the bofom of the Father. Hence this communion and fellowship with God is not in exprefs terms mentioned in the Old Teftament, the thing

itíelf is found there; but the clear light of it, and the boldnefs of faith in it, is discovered in the gofpel, and by the Spirit administered therein. By that Spirit, we have this liberty, 2 Cor. iii. 17, 18. Abraham was the friend of God: Ifa. xli. 8. David a man after his own heart. Enoch walked with him, Gen. v. 24. Allenjoying this communion and fellowship for the fubftance of it; but the way into the holieft was not yet made manifeft, whilst the first tabernacle was ftanding, Heb ix. 8. Though they had communion with God, yet they had not a boldness and confidence in that communion. This follows the entrance of our High Priest into the most holy place, Heb. iv. 16. and x. 9. The vail alfo was upon them, that they had not freedom and liberty in their accefs to God, 2 Cor. iii. 15, 16. &c. But now in Christ, we have boldness and accefs with confidence, to God, Eph. iii. 12. This boldness and accefs with confidence, the faints of old were not acquainted with. By Jefus Chrift alone then on all confiderations as to being, and full manifeftation, is this distance taken away; He hath confecrated for us a new and living way (the old being quite shut up) through the vail, that is to fay his flesh, Heb. x. 20. And through him we have an accefs by one Spirit unto the Father, Eph. ii. 18. We who fometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Chrift, for he is our peace, &c.' ver. 13, 14. Of this foundation of all our communion with God, more afterwards and at large. Upon this new bottom and foundation, by this new and living way, are finners admitted unto communion with God, and have fellowship with him. And truly for finners to have fellowship with God, the infinitely holy God, is an aftonishing difpenfation. To fpeak a little of it in general, communion relates to things and perfons. A joint participation in any thing whatever, good or evil, duty or enjoyment, nature or actions, gives this denomination to them fo partaking of it. A common interest in the same nature gives all men a fellowship or communion therein. Of the elect it is faid, Heb. ii. 14. thofe children partook of, (or had fellowship in with the reft of the world) flesh and blood; the fame common nature with the reft of mankind; and therefore Christ also came into the fame fellowship: There is also a communion as to state and condition, whether it be good or evil; and this either in things internal and spiritual, fuch as is the communion of faints among themselves; or in refpect of outward things; fo was

it with Chrift and the two thieves, as to one condition, and to one of them in refpect of another. They were under the fame fentence to the crofs, Luke xxiii. 40. ejufdem dolo ris focii. They had communion as to that evil condition whereunto they were adjudged. And one of them requefted, which he obtained, a participation in that bleffed condition, whereupon our Saviour was immediately to enter. There is alfo a communion or fellowship in actions, whether good or evil. In good is that communion and fellowship in the gofpel, or in the performance and celebration of that fellowship of God, which in the gofpel is inftituted, which the faints do enjoy: Phil. i. 5. which as to the general kind of it, David fo rejoices in Pfal. xii. 4. Evil was that, wherein Simeon and Levi were brethren, Gen. xlix. 5. They had communion in that cruel act of revenge and murder. Our communion with God is not comprised in any one of thefe kinds; of fome of them it is exclufive. It cannot be natural. It must be voluntary and by confent: It cannot be in the fame actions upon a third party, but in a return from one to another. The infinite difparity that is between God and man, made the great philofopher conclude, that there could be no friendship between them. Some distance in the perfons holding friendship he could allow; nor could exactly determine the bounds and extent thereof; but that between God and man, in his apprehenfion left no place for it. Another fays indeed that there is communitas homini cura Deo, a certain fellowship between God and man. But the general intercourse of providence is all he apprehended; fome arofe to higher expreffions, but they understood nothing whereof they spake. This knowledge is hid in Chrift, as will afterwards be made to appear. It is too wonderful for nature, as finful and corrupted. Terror and apprehenfions of death at the prefence of God, is all that it guides unto. But we have, as was faid, a new foundation, with a new discovery of this privilege.

• Now.communion is the mutual communication of fuch good things, as wherein the perfons holding that communion are delighted, bottomed upon fome union between them.' So it was with Jonathan and David, their fouls clave to one another, 1 Sam. xx. 17. in love. There was the union of love between them; and then they really communicated all iffues of love mutually: in fpiritual things this is more eminent. Those who enjoy this communion have