Ver.23. the 17th Chapter of St. J O H N. 335 r. Of Sin, which divides God from you. 2. Of doting upon the Creatures, which withdraweth yott from God. I. Of Sin, which maketh God Hand at a diftance from you. Ifa. 59.2. Tour Ini- tlttities have fiparated between on and your God, and your Sins have hid his Face from you. As long as Sin remaineth in full Power, there cannot be any Union at all ; What Communion bath Light with Darl¿nefi ? And the more it is allowed, the more it hindreth the Perfe&ion of the Union. What is the Reafon we do not fully grow up to be one with God in this Life, that our Communiòn with him is fo fmall ? Sin is in the way ; the lefs Holy you are, the lets you have of this Happinefs,fuch unfpeakable Joys, lively Influences of Grace, and immediate Supplies from Heaven. In bitter Af& &ions, we have molt Communionwith God many times ; that is nothing fo evil as Sin; as Afflicti ons abound, fo do our Comforts. 2. Of doting upon the Creatures, which withdraweth your Heart from God. The more the Heart is withdrawn from God, themore miferable : Let the Object be never fo pleating, it is an A& of Spiritual Whoredom. Sin is Poyfon, Creatures are not Bread. Ifa. 55. 2. Why do you fßend your Mon, upon that which is not Bread ? and your Labour for that which fatisfeth not ?' It cannot yield any folid Contentment to the Soul. Thefe things are fhort, uncertain, things beneath the Dignity of the Soul: there is a Reftlefneg within our felves, and Envy towards others they are not enough for us and them too : Not for us, if enough for the Heart, not for the Confcience. If God do but arm our own Thoughts againft us, as ufually he doth when the Affe &ions are fatisfied with the World, he will (hew you that the whole Soul is not fatisfied ; therefore he awakeneth Confcience. As Children catch at Butterflies, the gawdy Wings melt away in their Fingers,and there remaineth nothing but an ugly Worm. De- fertion is occafioned by nothing fo much as Carnal Complacency. Many times the Ob- je& of our Deliires is blafted ; but if not, God awakeneth Confcience, and all the World will not allay one Pang. You may underhand this Onenefi with refpeh to our Fellow-Members ; and fo you may underhand it jointly of the compleatnefs of the whole Myftical Body ; or tingly, of the hrength of that brotherly Affe&ion each Member hath to another. There is a double Imperfect ion for the prefent in the Church ; every Member is not gathered, and thofethat are gathered are not come to their perfect growth. So that let them be per fell in one, is, that the whole Body may attain to the integrity of Parts and Degrees. FirfI; Let us take it Collectively, that they may all be gathered together into a per - felt Body, and no Joints lacking. Obferve. Thatall the Saints, of all Places, andall Ages, make but one perfell Body. In this fenfe, the glorified Saints are not perfect without us. Heb. It. 40. God having pro - mifed fame better thing for en, flat they without re jbould not be made perfed. ft is no derogation, for Chrift is not perfect without us. The Church is called, the Fulnefs of him that fiLleth allin all, Ephef. I. 23. They are as to their Perfons perfect, free from Sin and Mifery, made perfe& in Holinefs and Glory ; but not as to their Church-Rela- tion. So, Ephef. 4. 13. Till we all come to the Vnity of the Faith, and of the Knowledg of the Son of God, unto a perfeei Man, unto the meafure of the Stature of the Fulnefs of Chrifl. All the Body mutt be made up, that Chrift Myftical may be compleat. Now there are fome Joints lacking; all the Elect are not gathered. life t. See the Honour that is put upon the Saints ; The Saints on Earth, and the Saints in Heaven make but one Family. Ephef. 3. t 5. Of whom the whole Fa- mily in Heaven and Earth is named. In a great Houfe there are many Rooms and Lodg- ings, fame Above, fome Below, but they make but one Houfe: So of Saints, fome are Militant, force Triumphant, and yet all make but one Affembly and Congregation. Heb. I a. 23. We are come to the General Afembly, and Church of the Firfi -Bern, which are written in Heaven; we upon Earth are come to them. Our Chrift is the fame, we are acted by the fame Spirit, governed by the fame Head, and (hall be conducted to the fame Glory. As in the State of Grace force are before us in Chrift, fo Come are in Heaven before íis, their Faces once as black as yours : We have the fame Ground to expect Heaven, only they are already entred. Vil
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