And not only in the emanation of grace irom God, and the illapses of the Spirit on us, but also in all our approaches unto God, is the same distinction observed.' " For through Christ we have access by one Spirit unto the Father," Eph. ii. 18. Our access unto God (wherein we have communion with him) is dia xpiffrov, " through Christ," Iv lli'eu/xar/, " in the Spirit," and vphg rov Uarspu, " unto the Father;" — the persons being here considered as engaged distinctly unto the accomplishment of the counsel of the will of God revealed in the gospel.
Sometimes, indeed, there is express mention made only of the
' "Eccedico alium esse pat rem, et alium filium, non divisione aliiiin, scd dis- tiiictione." — Teitul. adv. Prax.
Oi (p(a,vu TO £v vonfni, xa) tois tpkt) •TipiXci[iiTii[/,aiy oh (p^dw to, tpio, oiiXi'vj xa) ii; to it
avx<pi^o/u,ai. — Grejj;. Naz.
- Xoc^'itrfiaTU, iiaxot/iocf, ivt^yrtfi-aTa.
^ Hayav /Atv ya^ oin(ri)i Koti 'jr^oriuy^hy "■ou ivTiui^n, xa) ib^^a^nrTiat avaTifiTTioy tu st/ 'Txirt %i(i/, oitt, Tov i'jri rravTut ayytXav a(^^iipicus ifi\}/u-^ou Xoyou xa) idiov. — Orig. COIlt.
Cels., lib. V. [c. 4.]
OF COBIMUNION WITH EACH PERSOX DISTINCTLY. 11
Father and the Son, 1 John i. 3, " Our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." The particle " and" is both distin- guishing and uniting. Also John xiv. 23, " If a man love me, he will keep my words : and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." It is in this communion wherein Father and Son do make their abode with the soul.
Sometimes the Son only is spoken of, as to tliis purpose. 1 Cor. i. 9, " God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord." And, Rev. iii. 20, " If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me;" — of which place afterward.
Sometimes the Spirit alone is mentioned. , 2 Cor. xiii. 14, " The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the com- munion of the Holy Ghost be with you all." This distinct commimion, then, of the saints witii the Father, Son, and Spirit, is very plain in the Scripture ; but yet it may admit of farther demonstration Only this caution I must lay in beforehand : — whatever is affirmed in the pursuit of this truth, it is done with relation to the explanation en- suing, in the beginning of the next chapter.
The way and means, then, on the part of the saints, whereby in Christ they enjoy communion ."with God, are all the spiritual and holy actings^ and outgoings of their souls in those graces, and by those ways, wherein both the moral and instituted Avorship of God doth consist. Faith, love, trust, joy, etc., are the natural or moral worship of God, whereby those in whom they ai'e have communion with him. Now, these are either immediately acted on God, and not tied to any ways or means outwardly manifesting themselves; or else they are farther draA\Ti forth, in solemn prayer and praises, according unto that way which he hath appointed. That the Scripture doth distinctly assign all these unto the Father, Son, and Spirit, — manifesting that the saints do, in all of them, both as they are purely and nakedly moral, and as farther clothed with instituted Avorship, respect each person respectively, — is that which, to give light to the assertion in hand, I shall farther declare by particular instances : —
1. For the Father. Faith, love, obedience, etc., are peculiarly and distinctly yielded by the saints nnto him; and he is peculiarly mani- fested in those waj's as acting pecidiarly towards them : which should draw them forth and stir them up thereunto. He gives testimony unto, and beareth witness of, his Son, 1 John v. 9, " This is the wit- ness of God which he hath testified of his Son." In his bearing witness he is an object of behef. When he gives testimony (which he doth as the Father, because he doth it of the Son) he is -to be received in it by faith. And this is affirmed, verse 10, " He that ' Hie tibi prsecipu^ sit puia mente colendus.
12 OF COMMUNION WITH EACH PEESON DISTINCTLY.
believeth on the Son of God, hath the witness in himself." To believe on the Son of God in this place, is to receive the Lord Chiist as the Son, the Son given nnto us,^ for all the ends of the Father's love, upon the credit of the Father's testimony; and, therefore, therein is faith immediately acted on the Father. So it follows in the next words, " He that believeth not God" (that is, the Father, who bears witness to the Son) " hath made him a liar." " Ye believe in God," saith our Saviour, John xiv. 1 ; that is, the Father as such, for he adds, " Believe also in me;" or, " Believe you in God; believe also in me." God, as the prima Veritas, upon whose authority is founded, and whereunto all divine faith is ultimately resolved, is not to be considered vTcsraTr/.ug, as peculiarly expressive of any person, but ouaiooBoJi, comprehending the whole Deity; which undividedly is the prime object thereof. But in this particular it is the testimony and authority of the Father (as such) therein, of v/liich we speak, and where- upon faith is distinctly fixed on him; — which, if it were not so, the Son could not add, " Believe also in me."