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'forter he fhall teach you all things; and the anointing which you have received,' (faith the apostle) abideth in you, and you need not that any man teach you, but as the fame anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you,' ye fhall abide in him, 1 John ii. 27. That teaching unction which is not only true, but truth itfelf, is only the holy Spirit of God: fo that he teacheth alfo; being given unto us, that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God, 1 Cor. ii. 15.I have chosen this fpecial inftance, becaufe as I told you, it is comprehenfive, and co nprizes in itself most of the particulars that might be enumerated: quickning, preferving, &c.

This then farther drives on the truth that lyes under demonftration; there being fuch a diftin&t communion of grace from the feveral perfons of the Deity, the faints must needs have diftinct communion with them.

It remaineth only to intimate in a word, wherein this diftinction lyes, and what is the ground thereof. Now this is, that the Father doth it by the way of original authority; the Son by the way of communicating from a purchased treafury; the holy Spirit by the way of immediate efficacy.

1. The Father communicates all grace by the way of original authority. He quickneth WHOM HE WILL, Joha v. 21. Of HIS OWN WILL, begat he us, James i. 18. Life-giving power is in respect of original authority invested in the Father by the way of eminency: and therefore in fending of the quickning Spirit, Chrift is faid to do it from the Father, or the Father himself to do it. But the Comforter, the holy Spirit whom the Father will

fend

fend, John xiv. 26. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will fend from the Father, John xv. 26. Though he be alfo faid to fend himself, on another account, John xvi. 7.

2. The Son, by the way of making out a purchafed treasury. Of his fulness do we all receive and grace for grace, John i. 16. And whence is this fulness? It pleafed the Father that in him all fulness fhould dwell, Col. i. 19. And upon what account he hath the difpenfation of that fulness to him committed, you may fee, Phil. ii. 8, 9, 10, 11. When thou shalt make his foul an offering for fin, he fhall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord fhall profper in his hand. He fhall fee of the travail of bis foul and be fatisfied by his knowlege shall my righteous Servant justify many: for he shall bear their iniquities, Ifa. liii. 10, 11. And with his fulness. he hath alfo authority for the communication of it, John v. 25, 26. Matth. xxviii. 18.

3. The Spirit doth it by the way of immediate efficacy, Rom. viii. 11. But if the Spirit of him that raifed up Jefus from the dead, dwell in you: he that raised up Chrift from the dead, all als● quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Here are all three comprized, with their diftinct concurrence unto our quickning. Here is the Father's authoritative quickning, he raifed Christ from the dead and he fhall quicken you: and the Son's mediatory quickning, for it is done in the death of Chrift: and the Spirit's immediate efficacy; he fhall do it by the Spirit that dwelleth in you. He that defires to fee this whole matter farther explained, may confult what I have elsewhere written on this fubject. And thus is the distinct communiC

OF

on whereof we treat, both proved and demonftrated.

CHA P. III.

Of the peculiar and diftinct communion which the faints have with the Father. Obfervations for the clearing of the whole premifed. Our peculiar communion with the Father is in love: 1 John iv. 7, 8. 2 Cor. xiii. 13. John xvi. 26, 27. Rom. v. 5. John iii. 16. John xiv. 23. Titus iii. 4. opened to this purpofe. What is required of believers, to hold communion with the Father in love. His love received by faith. Returns of love to him. God's love to us, and ours to him wherein they agree. Wherein they differ.

H

AVING proved that there is fuch a distinct communion in refpect of the Father, Son, and Spirit, as whereof we fpeak; it remains that it be farther cleared up by an induction of inftances, to manifeft what and wherein the faints peculiarly hold this communion with the feveral perfons refpectively: which alfo I fhall do after the premifing fome obfervations, neceffary to be previously considered; as was promised, for the clearing of what hath been fpoken. And they are thefe that follow."

1. When I affign any thing as peculiar, wherein we diftinctly hold communion with any person, I do not exclude the other perfons from communion with the foul in the very fame thing. Only this I fay, principally, immediately and by the way of eminency, we have in fuch a thing, or in fuch a way communion with fome one perfon; and therein with the others, fecondarily and by the way of

con

confequence on that foundation: For the perfon, as the perfon of any one of them, is not the prime Object of divine worship, but as it is identified with the nature or effence of God. Now the works that outwardly are of God, (called trinitatis ad extra) which are commonly faid to be common and undivided, are either wholly fo, and in all refpects; as all works of common providence, or elfe being common in respect of their acts, they are diftinguifhed in refpect of that principle, or next and immediate rife in the manner of operation; fo creation is appropriated to the Father, redemption to the Son; in which fenfe we speak of these things.

2. There is a concurence of the actings and operations of the whole Deity, in that difpenfation, wherein each perfon concurs to the work of our falvation, unto every act of our communion with cach fingular perfon. Look by what act foever, we hold communion with any perfon, there is an influence from every perfon to the putting forth of that act. As fuppole it to be the act of faith. It is bestowed on us by the Father: It is not of ourfelves, it is the gift of God, Eph. ii. 8. It is the Father that revealeth the gofpel, and Chrift therein, Matth. xi. 25. And it is purchased for us by the Son: It is given unto you for Christ's fake to behieve on him, Phil. i. 29. In him are we blefed with fpiritual bleffings, Eph. i. 3. He beftows on ns, and increaseth faith in us, Luke xvii. 5. And it is wrought in us by the Spirit: he adminifters that exceeding greatnefs of his power which he exercifeth towards them who believe, according to the working of his mighty power; which he wrought in God when he raised him up from the 'dead,' Eph. i. 19, 20. Rom. viii. 11. € 2

3. When

3. When I affign any particular thing wherein we hold communion with any person, I do not do it exclusively unto other mediums of communion; but only by the way of inducing a special, and eminent inftance, for the proof and manifestation of the former general affertion: otherwise there is no grace, or duty wherein we have not communion with God in the way defcribed. In every thing wherein we are made partakers of the divine nature, there is a communication and receiving between God and us. So near are we unto him in Christ.

4. By afferting this diftinct communion, which merely refpects that order in the difpenfation of grace, which God is pleafed to hold out in the gofpel, I intend not in the leaft, to fhut up all communion with God under thefe precincts, (his ways be ing exceeding broad, containing a perfection whereof there is no end) nor to prejudise that holy fellowship we have with the whole Deity, in our walking before him in covenant obedience, which also (God affifting) I fhall handle hereafter.

These few obfervations being premifed, I come now to declare what it is, wherein peculiarly and eminently the faints have communion with the Father: and this is LOVE. Free, undeserved, and eternal love. This the Father peculiarly fixes upon the faints: this they are immediately to eye in him, to receive of him, and to make fuch returns thereof, as he is delighted withal. This is the great discovery of the gospel. For whereas the Father as the fountain of the Deity, is not known any other way but as full of wrath, anger, and indignation against fin, nor can the fons of men have any other thoughts of him, Rom. i. 18. Ifa. xxxiii.

15, 16.

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