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fin and luft dwell in those thoughts which receive in, and carry out love, from and unto the Father? Holiness becometh his prefence fore ver. An unclean spirit cannot draw nigh unto him; an unholy heart can make no abode with him. A lewd perfon will not defire 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 falvation. Communion with the Father is wholly inconfiftent with loofe walking. If we fay that we have fellowship with him, and walk in dark nefs, we lie, and do not the truth, John i. 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, chap. i. 4. The moft fpecious, and glorious pretence made to an acquaintance with the Father, without holinefs and obedience to his commandments, ferves only to prove the pretenders to be liars. The love of the world and of the Father, dwell not together.

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 profeffors, 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 in heritance among them that are fanctified? They have neither new name nor white ftone, and yet would be called the people of the most High. May it not be faid of many of them, rather that God is

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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 instance of love which we have infifted on; he is alfo 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 faints have with Jefus Christ the Son of God. That they have fuch a fellowship proved, 1 Cor. i. 9. Rev. iii. 20. Cant. ii. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, opened, Prov. ix. 1, 2, 3,

4, 5, 6.

F that diftinct communion which we have` with the person of the Father, we have treated in the foregoing chapters; we now proceed to the confideration of that which we have with his Son, Jefus Christ our Lord. Now the fellowship we have with the second perfon, is with him as Mediator, in that office whereinto by difpenfation he fubmitted 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. iv. 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 confift.

1. For the first, I fhall only produce fome few places of fcripture to confirm it, that it is fo, 1 Cor. i. 9. (God is faithful by whom ye were called to the fellowship of his Son, Jefus Christ our Lord:) This is that whereinto all the faints are called, and wherein by the faithfulness of God they shall be preserved, 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.

Rev. iii. 20. Behold I ftand at the door and knock, if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and fup with him, and he with me. Certainly this is fellowship, or I know not what is; Christ will fup with believers, he refreshes himself with his own graces in them, by his Spirit beftowed, on them. The Lord Chrift is exceedingly delighted in tafting of the fweet fruits of the Spirit in the faints. Hence is that prayer of the fpoufe that the may have fomething for his entertainment, when he cometh to her, Cant. iv. 16. Awake, O north wind, and come thou fouth, blow น. pon my garden, that the Spices thereof may flow out,

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my beloved come unto his garden, and eat his pleafant fruits. The fouls of the faints are the garden of Jefus Chrift, the good ground, Heb. vi. 7, 8. a garden for delight, he rejoices in them, bis delights are with the fons of men, Prov. viii. 31. and be rejoices over them, Zeph. iii. 17. And a garden for fruit, yea pleasant fruit, fo he defcribes it, Cant iv. 12, 13, 14. A garden inclofed is my fifter, m

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Spoufe, a fpring fhut up, a fountain fealed; thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates with pleasant fruits, camphire with Spikenard, Spikenard and faffron, calamus, and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincenfe, myrrhe, and aloes; with all chief fruits. Whatever is fweet and delicious for tafte, whatever is favoury and odoriferous, whatever is useful and medicinal, is in this garden. There is all manner of fpiritual refreshments of all kinds whatever, in the fouls of the faints 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 fup with her as he hath promised. 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. v. 3. Hof. x. 1. Want of good food for Christ's entertainment, is what the spouse feared, and labours to prevent. A barren heart is not fit to receive him. And the delight he takes in the fruits of the Spirit, is unfpeakable. This he expreffes at large, chap. v. 1. I am come faith he, I have eat, I am refreshed. He calls it the fruit of his fweetnesses; or most pleasant to him. Moreo ever, as Christ fups with his faints, fo he hath pro mifed they fhall fup with him, to compleat the fellowship 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, Prov. ix. 2. He calls the fpiritual dainties that he hath for them a feaft, a wedding: A feaft of fat things, wine upon the lees, &c. The fatted Calf is killed for their entertainment. Such

is the communion, and fuch is the mutual enter tainment of Chrift and his faints in that commu nion.

Cant. ii. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. I am the Rofe of Sha ron, and the Lilie of the vallies. As the lilie

among

the thorns, fo is my Love among the daughters: as the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, fo is my beloved among the fons: in his fhadow I delighted and fat down, and his fruit was fweet to my taste, &c.

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In the two firft verfes you have the defcription that Chrift gives, firft of himself, then of his church. Of himself, ver. 1. that is, what he is to his spouse: I am the Rofe of Sharon, and the Lily of the vallies. The Lord Chrift is in the fcripture compared to all things of eminency in the whole creation. He is in the heavens, the fun, and the bright morning. Star; as the lion among the beafts, the lion of the tribe of Judah. Among the flowers of the field, here, he is the Rofe, and the Lily. The two eminencies of flowers, fweetness of favour, and beau ty of colour are divided between these. The Rofe for fweetnefs, and the Lily for beauty (Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed as one of thefe) have the preheminence. Further he is the Rofe of Sharon, a fruitful plain, where the choiceft herds were fed, Chron. xxvii. 29. fo eminent that it is promised to the church, that there shall be given unto her the excellency of Sharon, Ifa. xxxv. 2. This fruitful place doubtless brought forth the most precious rofes. Chrift in the favour of his love, and in his righteoufnefs (which is as the garment wherein Jacob received his bleffing, giving forth a fmell as the fmell of a pleasant field, Gen. xxvii. 27. is as this excellent Rofe, to draw and allure the hearts of his faints unto him. As God fmelled a sweet favour

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