364 · The Exercife of t/;e Mediatgry Office 2 . . Hereby th~ is ~ continuation. of Communion:between the Church Trit(tnph.ant _abov~) andtha~ yet Milftant her~ be-– low. That tliere1s fuch;vCommumon. between: Glonfied S.aints and Believers )r(this world, is ·an Atticle of Faith._ Both Societies ar~Jotlt one Church, one M)flical Body, ijave: one Head, ~pd{(i:nutual conccrnment in.each other. Yea the: fprirtg-an<lmeans of this Communion is no,fmaU part of the · Glory of t_he Gofpel. For before the Saints under the Old, Tefiament had the Myfiery of the Glory of God in Chrifl: with. our Redemption- thereby revealeGl unto them, in-the: W,ay .before declared; this,Communion was very obfcure ;: but we are now taken int0 the· Light andGl0ry ofit;. as the.:· AEo.ftledeclares; HelJ. 12. 22,23, 24. . , I know fame have perve~tedthe Notions ofthis . Commu~ nien uhto Idolatrous fuperfiition; .. and fo have all other"Truths, ofthe Gofpel been abufed; and wte~dunto·the clefrrufriou• of the fou1s of men; all the Soriptures have been fo dealt withal,, 2 Pet. 3·-16~ But they deceived themfelves in this- . matter,. the Tr.uth deceiveth none. Upon~ fuppofition of Communion, they gatheted that there mufi of neceffity be am .immediate -Communication between thern aboveandus, below~ .And_if fo, they knew noway for it, no means- 0f it, but by· ,GJ,lr praying unto them; and · their prqying, for ut: But they were-under the power of their own deceivings. Communi– Go-cloth not require imrn~diate, tnutual communication; un– lefs it be among·perfons in the fame fiate, and ·mat in futh; afrs-. as ·wherein ·they are. mutually affi:ft~ng . an~ helpful unto;, one a,nother. But our different fl:ates w1ll admtt of no fuel!', , entercoui-fe, nor do we iland in need of a~)t relief from– them, or can be helped_by any acts Gf their Love, as ~e, may aid and- help one another -here bdow. · Wherefore , the unter of tlri'S Communion' is inChri!l: alone, ·an~ - our ex~ @!d[e_ofjtis uRon-him o~ly, with refpea untp th-em, Yet ·.
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