carelessness: That is a remarkable expression of tlic Psalmist, Psal Ixxxv. 1. " I will hearken what God the Lord will speak, for he, " will speak peace to his people, and to his saints ; but let them not " return again to folly."' Sin, in this text, is fitly called by the name oi fhlhj ; for indeed it is the greatest folly and madness i^ the world to forfeit and divest ourselves of such sweet peace and comfort by returning unto sin, which hath cost us so much sorrow and trouble before. Are you willing to be in your former darkness and fears, tears and troubles ; to exchange the pleasant light you pow enjoy, for the horrors you have formerly felt.'* This you must do if you return again to folly.
Advice 9. Long ^ for heaven, where the fulness of tliose joys isy whereof those you taste are hut the earnest andjirstfruits.
One design of God in giving them, is to set us a longing after heaven to help our conceptions, and raise our affections : if these be so sweet, what must they be ? Rom. viii. 23. " We which have '.' the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within our- *' selves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of ouv " body.'' We are not to sit down satisfied, and say we have enough of these first-fruits ; but they arc given to set us a groaning after the fulness of those enjoyments. This answers God's end in giv- ing.
Advice 10. Lastly, Improve every spiritual comfort ycni have from, Christ unto greater cheerfulness in the paths of obedience to Christ.
This is another end for which God communicates them, that our souls being refreshed by them, we might pluck up our feet the more nimbly in the paths of duty. Psal. cxix. 32. " Then will I ^' run the ways of thy commandments when thou shalt enlarge my " heart." Now God expects that you pray more frequently, me- ditate more delightfully, and perform every duty more cheerfully ; and this is the way to perpetuate your comibrts. How many Chris- tians go on droopingly in the ways of duty for want of those encou- ragements you enjoy ?
Rev. iii. 20. — / will sup with him, and he with me.
T T E have heard the first encouragement or argument of Christ to persuade the hearts of sinners to open to liim, viz. That he will come in to them, and that not empty-handed ; He will also
sup with tliem: And to make the encouragement complete, and full, he here adds, And he zcith me. This last clause sets forth that spiritual, soul refreshing communion which is betwixt Christ and believers ; begun in this world, completed and perfected in the world to come. Hence our eleventh observation is,
Doct. 11. That there i^ a mutual^ sweety and intimate comm^union betxvixt Jesus Christ and believers in this world.
Communnion with Christ is frequent in the lips of many men, but a hidden mystery to the souls of most men. This atheistical age scoffs at, and ridicules it as enthusiasm and fanaticism ; but the saints find that reality and incomparable svreetness in it, that they would not part with it for ten thousand worlds. When the Ro- man soldiers entered the temple pt Jerusalem, and found no image there, as they used to have in their own idolatrous temples ; they gave out in a jeer, that the Jews worshipped the clouds. Thus profane Atheists scoff at the most solemn, awful, and sweetest part of internal religion as a mere fancy ; but the thing is real, sure, and sensible : if there be truth in any thing in the world, there is truth in this, that there are real intercourses betwixt the visible and invisible world ; betwixt Christ and the souls of believers, which we here call communion : 1 John i. 3. " Truly our fellow- " ship is with the Father, and with his Son Christ Jesus." It is really and truly so, we impose not upon the world, we tell you no more than we have felt. The life of Enoch is called his walking with God^ Gen. v. 24. O sweet and pleasant walk ! all pleasures, ail joys are in that walk with God. " Blessed are the people that " hear the joyful sound ; they shall walk, O Lord, in the Kght of *' thy countenance,'' Psal. Ixxxix. 15. The joyful sound there spoken of was the sound of the trumpet, which called the people to the solemn assemblies, w^here they walked in the light of God's countenance, the SAveet manifestations of his favour ; and because the world is so apt to suspect the reality and certainty of this doc- trine, the apostle again asserts it, Phil. iii. 20. " Truly our con- " versation is in heaven," We breathe below, but we Hve above ; we walk on earth, but our convei^ation is in heaven. To open this point, three things must come under consideration.
1. What communion with Christ is.
2. That there is such a communion betwixt him and be- lievers.
3. The excellency of this communion.
Firsts What communion with Christ is, in the general nature of it. To open this it must be considered that there is a twofold communion.
1. A state of communion.
The first is fundamental to the second ; we can have no actual communion with the Father, Son, or Spirit, till we be first brought into a state of communion. This state of conmumion is in scrip- ture called TLomua, our fellowsliip or partnership with Christ : such a fellowship as merchants l"^ave in one and the same ship and cargo; where one hath more and another less, but, however, a joint, though unequal interest ; one lives in one kingdom, another in another kingdom, but they are jointly interested in the same goods. This comparison must not be stretched beyond its intention, which is to shew nothing but this, that Christ and behevers are co- partners, or co-heirs in the same inheritance : Hence they are call- ed, Psal. xlv. T. his fellows ; " God, even thy God, hath anoint- " ed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows -^ And again, Rom. viii. 17. " If children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint *' heirs with Christ." Christ states his people, gives them a right and title not only to himself, but to those good thing purchased by him, yea, and the very glory he now enjoys in heaven, John xvii. 22. " The glory which thou gavest me, I have given <« them.''