f Chap. 2 .Seer. 3. Looking unto :Jefus. Book IV. Parr. VI. 977 bring the falve,and lay ic to my fon:! oh that I could hear that voice from heaven,mr fon,l wat incarnate for thu, and concrived (or thee, Alld born for thu, apd cir&Hrncifed for thee. and I aid the La.w, .tnd ft1Jf~red the pen, It] for thee;- and now I 11m interceding that thr.ver1 foul may have the benefit of all mJ doings 1 and of all mj (t•lferingJ. Why,if Chrifl:s inrerceffion be the applying caufe, if it ~ring home to my foul all the former cranfadions of Chrifl:, faying. !AU the[' are thine,even thine, oh how defirable mufl: this inrerceffion be? 3· In this application lies that communioR apdfellow!hip wluch we have wtth the F~ther and the Son: I pr117 for theje, that h _ aJ thou F uth~r art in me, tmd I in thu, that the] tz!(o may be one i11 tu.T0 .lr,:r. Underftand this foberly;we cannot think that there ihould be that onenefft: in eq01li ry betwixtGod and u~,as berwixtGod andChrifr; no,no, bur there 1s oneneffe in !imilirude and reali ty, even in this life; by vertue of Chrifl:s inrerceffion we haire o.neneffe with God and Chri!l,noc only in comforts,but alfo in graces;I pray you mark' thi<;whcn I fpeak of communion wirhGod in this life, I mean efpe· ci JIIy the communication of grace between c ·oc! and the foul; on Gods pare thert~s a fpecial influence of gr~ce and favour co man; & · on mans part, th(re is a fpecial rerurn of gnce and honour to God. Some trembling foul~ are apr to think, that all communion with God and C_hriH conGfl:s onely in the comforts of th~: holy ~pirit, wh~reas Chnfttans may as really and advanrageoufly have communion with God in fecret conv~yances of grace , in inward fupports,in a concealed acceptation offervice,in the hidden drawings ofrhe foul God - w~rd, as in the more open, and comfortable manifeftdtio ~s of God unro the foul; communion with God is a famdisr friendihip (f fpc~k it in an holy humble fenft)now do we •. nor as urual ly go to a friend for councf) and ~dvife, as for comfort and che-enng? in a friends bo fome we entrufl: our forrocve~, as well as our joyes. Suppofe a foul even fp ·ritua !lyoven•helmed ,an-d re~dy ro breJk,b rr aking it (elf unco ' ·od 1\nd venting it felfoefore the Lord;now tf afterwJrd ; rhe fo1.1l ~ath no more eafe,than by the bate !Jnching of the fore, tfGod poures in no b1lm ar ali,but only gives fupporr; Oull we fay th u thts fou I in th1s cafe hath no communion wirh God? 0) cs! in Gods fecrct vifits of the foul,and in tbefouls nfl:Jefs groping after God, though r.ot l! iog but darknefs 15e apprehe'lilt'd . yn that foul live> in the ligl .t of Gods counrenanc :. ; the .un !hines - though a cloud incn pofe rh ; God fmiles though the foul do not pe.\ eivc it; or cena•nely thou halt. his : 1 i i i iii - fl:rengthcn.,.
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