222 Of COMMUNION with an unholy heart can make noabode with him. A lewd perfon will not defire to hold fellowfhip with a fober man, and will a man of vain and foolifh imaginations, hold communion and dwell with the moil holy God? There is not any confederation of this love, but is a powerful motive unto holinefs and leads thereunto. Epraim fays, What have I to do any more with Idols, when in God he finds falvation. Communion with the Father is wholly inconfeftent with lode walking. If we fay that we have fellowfhip with him, and walk 'in darknefs, we lye, and do not the truth, r John i. 6. He that faith Iknow him, I have communion with him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar and the truth is not in him, chap. i. s,. The moft fpecious and glorious pretence made to an acquaintance with the Father, without holinefs and obedience to his commandments, ferves only to provethe pretenders to beliars. The love of the world and of the Father, dwell not together. And if this be fo, (to Phut upall) how many that go under the name of chriftians comeMort of the truth ofit ? How unacquaintedare the generali- ty of profefforo, with the myftery of this communion,and the fruits of it? Do not many very evidentlyhold communion with their lulls and with the world, and yet would be thought to have a portionand inheritance among them thatare fan&ifyed? They have neither newname nor whiteffone, and andyet would be called the people of the moft high. May it not be faid of many of them, rather that God is not in all their thoughts, than thatthey 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 pow- er. And fo far of peculiar communion with the Father, in thc inftance of love which we have infifted on: he is alfo faithful who loathcalled us to the fellowfhip ofhis Son Jefus Chriff our Lord, of which in the next place. OF
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