1'94 Of COMMUNION wlth to be expofed to many contrary reafonings, and objections: What benefit is there in communion with them ? Is it any thing elfe but to he (haters in troubles, reproaches, fcornes, and all manner of evils? To prevent, or re- move thefe and the like exceptions, the apoftle gives them to whom he wrot to know, and that with force earneftnefs ofexprethon, that notwith- ftanding all the difadvantáges their fellowlhip layunder, unto a carnal view, yet in truth it was and would be fount!' to be, in reference to fomewith whom they held it, veryhonourable, glorious, and defirable : For truly faith he our fellowfhip is with the Father andwith big Son Jefus This being fo earneftly and directly alferted by the apoftle, we may /boldly follow himwith our affirmation, viz. That the faints of Godhave communionwith bim. And an holy and fpiritual communion it is, as shall be declared. How this is fpoken diftin/tly, in reference to the Father, and the Song muft afterwards be filly opened, and caryed on. By nature, fence the entrance of fin, no man hath any communion with God. He is light (a) we aredarknefs, and whatcommunion hath light with darknefs? He is life, weare dead, he is lovewe are ernnity, and what agree- ment canthere bebetween us ?Men in fuch a condition,have neither Chrift (b) nor hope, nor God in the world Ephef. ii. s a. Being alienatedfrom the life ofGod through the ignorance that is in theism, chap. iv. 18. Now, two can- not walk together unlefs they be agreed, Amcs iii. 3. Whilft there is this diftance between God and man, there is no walking together for them in any fellowfhip, or communion. Our firft intereft in God, was fo loft by fin (c) as that therewas left unto us (in -our felves) no poffibility of a recovery. As we had deprived our felves of all power for a returnal, fo Godrhad not revealed any way of acccfs unto himfelf, or that he could un- der any confideration be approached unto by liners, in peace. Not any work that God had made, not any attribute that he had revealed, could give the leaf}light into fuch a dï.fpenfation. . The manifeftation of grace and pardoning mercy, which is the only door of entrance into any fuch communion, is not committed unto any but unto him (d) alone, in whom it is, bywhom that grace and mercy was. purchafed, through whom it is difpenfed, who reveales it from the bofom of the Father. Hence this communion and fellowfhip with God is not in exprefs termes mentioned in theOld Teftament, The thing it felfis found there; but theclear light ofit, and the boldnefs of faith in it, is dif- covered in the Gofpel, and by the fpirit adminiftred therein. By that fpirit we have this liberty, 2 Cor. iii. r7, 18. Abraham was the friend of God, Ifa. xli. 8. Davida man after his own heart. Enochwalked with hint, Gen. v. as,. All enjoying this communion and fellowship for the fubltance ofit: but the way into the holieftwas not yet made manifeft, whilflthe firft tabernacle was handing, Neb. ix. 8. Though they had communion with God, yet they had not wup4,4cm, a boldnefs and confidence in that communion. This follows the entrance of our high prieft into the molt holy place, Heb:îv. s6. x. 9. The pail alto was upon them, that they had not dAte.aF ior freedom and liberty in their accefs to God, a Cor. iii. 05, s6. &c. But now in Chrift, we have (e) boldnefs and accefr with confi- denceto God, Ephef. iii. 12. Thisboldnefs and accefs with confidence, the (a) a John 5. 2 Çor. vi, 54. Ephe( v. 8. John v- 16. Matt vii. 32. Ephef ii, t. s John iv. 8 Romans viii, 7. (b) Magna hominis miferia eft cum' Ito non a@, finequo non ',theft rile. .AS Jt. (a) Edef. vii. 29 l¡erem xiii. 25. Aas iv. as. Ifa. suss,. 54..59. (d) John i. 18, Heb. a. rq., no 21. Units verufq; Mediator per Sacrificium pads reconcthans pos pee ; unum cum silo manebat cuiofferebat, noun in fe feciq pro quibus offrebat, onus ipfe fait, quioflerebat : & quodofferebat Awg jl. dr Trnif, 4. (s) tea f,r,ne xdlràr -redfa ár:r enw0ren. faints
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