(1.) To begin with the first grace that shews itself in the soul of a Chiistian, to wit, repentance, and sorrow for sin. In the ex- ercise of this grace of repentance, the soul pours out itself before the Lord with much bitterness and brokenness of heart; casts forth its sorrows ; which sorrows are as so much seed sown, and, in return thereto, the Lord usually sends an answer of peace. Psal. xxxii. 4^ 5. "I said, I will confess my transgression, and thou " forgavest the iniquity of my sin." Here is a voice of sorrow sent up, and a voice of peace coming down, which is real communion bet\\ixt God and man in the exercises of repentance.
(2.) As there are seasons in duty wherein the saints exercise their repentance, and the Lord returns peace ; so likewise the Lord helps them in their duties to act their Jhith, in return whereunto, they find from the Lord inward support, rest, and refreshment. Psal. xxvii. 23. " I had fainted unless I had beheved." And oft- times an assurance of the. mercies they have acted their faith about, 1 John V. 14.
(3.) The Lord many times draws forth eminent degrees of our love to him, in the course of our duties ; the heart is filled with love to Christ. The strength of the soul is drawn forth to Christ in love, and this the Lord repays in kind, love for love. John xiv. 21. " He that loveth me, my Father will love him ; and we will *' come and make our abode with him." Here is sweet communion with God in the exercise of love. O what a rich trade do Chris- tians drive this way in their duties and exercises of graces ?
(4.) To mention no more in the duties of passive obedience, Chris- tians are enabled to exercise their patience, meekness, and long- &ufFering for Christ, in return to which, the Lord gives them the singular consolations of his Spirit, double returns of joy. " The
" Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon them,'' 1 Pet. iv. 13, 14. The Lord strengthens them with passive fortitude, with all might in the inner man, unto all long-suffering ; but the reward of that long-suffering is joy fulness, Col. i. 11. This is the trade they drive with heaven.
3. Beside communion with God in the contemplation of his attributes, and graces exercised in the course of duties, there is an- other method of communion with God in the way of his provi^ dencesy for therein also his people walk with him. To give a taste of this, let us consider providence in a fourfold aspect upon the people of God.
(1.) There are afflictive providences, rods and rebukes where- with the Lord chastens his children, this is the discipline of his house ; in answer whereunto gracious souls return meek and child- like submission, a fruit of the Spirit of adoption ; they are brought to accept the punishment of their iniquities. And herein lies com- munion with God under the rod ; this return to the rod may not be presently made, for there is much stubbornness unmortified in the best hearts, Heb. xii. 7. but this is the fruit it shall yield ; and when it doth, there is real communion between God and the afflicted souF. Let not Christians mistake themselves, if when God is smiting, they are humbled, searching their hearts, and blessing God for the dis- coveries of sin made by their afflictions ; admiring his wisdom in timing, moderating, and chusing the rod ; kissing it with a child- hke submission, and saying, it is good for me that I have been afflicted : That soul hath real communion with God, though it may be for a time without joy.
(2.) There are times when providence straitens the people of God ; when the waters of comfort ebb and run very low, wants pinch ; if then the soul returns filial dependence upon fatherly care, saying with David, Psal. xxiii. 1. " The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not " want ;■" it belongs to him to provide, and to me to depend : I will trust my Father's care and love. Here now is sweet commu- nion with God under pinching wants. The wants of the body enrich the soul, outward straitenings are the occasions of inward enlargements. O see from hence how good it is to have an interest in God as a Father, whatever changes of providence may come upon you.
(3.) There are seasons wherein the Lord exposes his people to imminent and visible dangers, when to the eye of sense there is no way of escape. Now when this produces trust in God, and re- signation to the pleasure of his will, here is communion with God in times of distress and difficulty. Thus David, Psal. Ivi. 3. " At " what time I am afraid I will trust in thee."" q. d. Father, I see
a storni rising, thy poor child conies under his Father^s roof for shelter ; for whither should a distressed child go but to his Father ? And then, as to the issues and events of doXibtful providences, when the soul resigns and leaves itself to the wise disposal of the will of God, as David in 2 Sam. xv. 24, 26. " Here am I, let " him do with me as seemeth good in his sight :'' This is real and sweet communion with God in his providences. And so much for the nature of communion with God.
Secondly^ In the next place I shall evidence the reality of com- munion with God, and prove it to be no fancy. I confess it grieves me to be put upon the proof of this, but the atheism and profaneness of the age we live in seems to make it necessary ; for manv men will allow nothinor for certain but what falls under the cogmzance of sense. And O that they had their spiritual senses exercised ; then they would sensibly discern the reality of these things. But to put the matter out of question, I shall evidence the truth and reality of the saints coimnimion with God divers ways.
Evidence 1. From the saints' union vA\h. Christ. If there be an union betwixt Christ and behevers, then of necessity there must be a communion between them also. Now the whole word of God which you profess to be the rule of your faith, plainly asserts this union betwixt Christ and behevers ; an union hke that betwixt the branches and the root, Job xv. 4, 5. or that betwixt the head and the members, Eph. iv. 16. Now if Christ be to believers as the root to the branches, and as the head to the members : then of necessity there must be a communion between them : For if there were not a communion, there could be no communications ; and if no communications no life. For it is by the communication of vital sap and spu'its from the root and from the head that the branches and members subsist and live.