Use 1. Is information.
1. That they do in vain boast of communion with God who do not keep his commandments. It was a cheat usually among the heathens to pretend secrecy with their gods, and human nature is the same still : many usurp this high honour of communion with God, but no fruit of it appeareth. Now Christ abhorreth all pretences of commu- nion with him, which do not appear in the effects : 1 John ii. 4, ' He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar.' ' I know him,' is there put for, I enjoy him, or I am in him ; for in the next verse it is explained, ' Hereby we know that we are in him.' And the Holy Ghost pronounceth there that 'he is a liar !' A lie is more than a falsehood, it is a falsehood with intention to deceive. The gross hypocrite, that liveth in secret wickedness, that contents himself only with a plausible appearance, intendeth to deceive others, as if he were in Christ when he is not ; but the more refined hypocrite, that lives in partial obedience, doth deceive himself. If the communion with Christ were real, it would discover itself, and the fruit of the ►Spirit would be ' all goodness, righteousness, and truth,' Eph. v. D. It cannot be otherwise while he abideth in you by his Spirit, and you abide in him by faith and love.
2. That those who have tasted the good of communion with God need often to be exhorted and encouraged to continue in it. I observe this, because many are possessed with this thought, that union with Christ will do its own business ; and they expect the fruits of it, but do nothing to keep this union being a real union. Nomine non cogitante ; they think though man had no thought or apprehension of it, and contributeth nothing in the way of duty to receive the fruits of it, yet it will preserve him and keep liim : but this is an abuse, for we are to be in him as well as he in us ; and the care of preserving it,
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ihoiigli it lieth mainly on Christ, and the grace cometh from Christ, yet it is our duty, and we need often to be quickened to it, for these reasons —
[1.] Because of dulness, hiziness, and backwardness to those duties which maintain this communion. Christ abideth in us by constant influence and quickening virtue ; but there are duties required on our part of faith, love, and new obedience. As there is a constant influence on his part, so there must be a constant adherence on ours. We are to ' cleave to him with full purpose of heart,' Acts xi. 23. And by constant endeavour seek to please him, and frequently draw nigh to him in holy services, as the scripture everywhere showeth ; but we are idle and apt to neglect our duty.
[2.] Because of our averseness to self-denial, and dependence by reason of that security and selfishness which is very natural to us, especially if we have received anything by way of ability and power to do that which is good. Man is a proud creature, and would fain be sufficient to himself, live of himself, and do all things by himself ; though Christ telleth us, ' Without me ye can do nothing.' The sense of our impotency and emptiness is troublesome and humbling ; there- fore we need often to quicken you to be nothing in yourselves, and all in Christ, who still giveth and continueth all that we have or can do for God. This dependence begetteth observance, Phil. ii. 12, 13 ; 1 Cor. XV. 10, ' Not I, but the grace of God which was with me.' We being but inferior agents and instruments under him, though voluntary and obedient instruments, by our own strength, and without the grace of Christ, we are not sufficient to begin or finish any christian duties ; it is not we that live, but Christ that liveth in us, and bi'eatheth upon us by fresh and continual inspirations. Peter was confident of the sincerity of his own resolutions, but he was not sensible of his weak- ness ; now this must often be revived upon us, that we may entirely depend upon God.
[3.] We are often hotly assaulted with temptations after our hearts are set for God and heaven. God may permit us to be exercised with sharp trials, and buffeted very sorely ; therefore we need quicken you to abide in him. Do not run away from your defence and strength ; do not think that Christ will cast you off. Now is the time to show he is in you, Rom. viii. 39.
[4.] We may run into sins which endanger a forfeiture ; therefore we need often to be put in lemembrance of abiding in Christ, that we may not wrest ourselves out of the arms of mercy.
3. It informeth us how dangerous it is to injure and wrong them that fear God and keep his commandments ; they are in Christ, and Christ is in them ; he taketh the injuries as done to himself: Acts ix. 4, ' Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ? ' You do wrong to the Lord Jesus when you hate what of Christ is in them : Isa. xxxvii. 28, ' But I know thy abode, and thy going out and coming in, and thy rage against me,' saith God to Sennacherib. Benefits done to us are taken as done to him, Mat. xxv. So injuries, Christ taketh them as done to himself.