To make yet some farther improvement of this truth so opened and exhorted unto as before; — it will discover unto us the eminency and privilege of the saints of God. What low thoughts soever the sons of men may have of them, it will appear that they have meat to eat that the world knows not of They have close communion and fellowship with the Father. They deal with him in the interchange of love. Men are generally esteemed according to the company they keep. It is an honour to stand in the presence of princes, though but as servants. What honour, then, have all the saints, to stand with boldness in the presence of the Father, and there to enjoy his bosom love ! What a blessing did the queen of Sheba pronounce on the servants of Solomon, who stood before him, and heard his wisdom ! How much more blessed, then, are they who stand continually before the God of Solomon, hearing his wisdom, enjoymg his love ! Whilst others have their fellowship with Satan and their own lusts, making provision for them, and receiving perishing refreshments from them, ("whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in then: shame, who mind earthly things,") they have this sweet communion -with the Father.
Moreover, what a safe and siueet retreat is here for the saints, m
38 OF COMMUNION WITH GOD THE FATIIEII.
all the scorns, reproaches, scandals, misrepresentations, which they undercfo in the world. When^ a child is abused abroad in the streets by strangers, he runs with speed to the bosom of his father ; there he makes his complaint, and is comforted. In all the hard^ censures and tongue-persecutions which the saints meet withal in the streets of the world, they maj'' run with their moanings unto their Father, and be comforted. " As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you," saith the Lord, Isa. Ixvi. 13. So that the soul may say, " If I have hatred in the world, I will go where I am sure of love. Though all others are hard to me, yet my Father is tender and full of compassion : I will go to him, and satisfy myself in him. Here I am accounted vile, frowned on, and rejected; but I have honour and love with him, whose kindness is better than life itself There I shall have all things in the fountain, which others have but in the drops. There is in my Father's love every thing desirable : there is the sweetness of all mercies in the abstract itself, and that fully and durably."
Evidently, then, the saints are the most mistaken men in the world. If they say,' " Come and have fellowship with us;" are not men ready to say, " Why, what are you ? a sorry company of ^ sedi- tious, factious persons. Be it known unto you, that we despise your fellowship. When we intend to leave fellowship with all honest men, and men of worth, then will we come to you." But, alas ! how are men mistaken ! Truly their fellowship is with the Father : let men think of it as they please, they have close, spiritual, heavenly refresh- ings, in the mutual communication of love with the Father himself. How they are generally misconceived, the apostle declares, 2 Cor, vi. 8-10, "As deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dpng, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." And as it is thus in general, so in no one thing more than this, that they are looked on as poor, low, despicable persons, when indeed they are the only gi-eat and noble personages in the world. Consider the company they keej): it is with the Father; — who so glorious ? The merchandise they trade in, it is love; — what so precious? Doubtless they are the excellent on the earth, Ps. xvi. 3.
Farther; this will discover a main difference between the saints and em2)ty professors : — As to the performance of duties, and so the enjoyment of outward privileges, fruitless professors often walk hand in hand with them ; but now come to their secret retirements, and
' Isa. xxvi. 20.
' 'Eficraiyficii* irilpm i'Xafov, Heb. xi. 36. 'Oviihiff/io't BiaT^i^ofiivai, lleb. X. 33.
* 1 John i. 3. * Acts xvii. 6, xxviii. 22.
OF COMMUNION WITH GOD THE FATHEK. 39
what a difference is there ! There the saints hold communion with God : hypocrites, for the most part, with the world and their own lusts; — with them they converse and communicate ; they hearken what they will say to them, and make provision for them, when the saints are sweetly wrapt up in the bosom of their Father's love. It is often- times even almost impossible that believers should, in outward ap- pearance, go beyond them who have very rotten hearts : but this meat they have, which others know not of; this refreshment in the banquet- ing house, wherein others have no share ; — in the multitude of their thoughts, the comforts of God their Father refresh their souls.
Now, then (to draw towaixls a close of this discourse), if these things be so, " what manner of men ought we to be, in all manner of holy conversation?" Even "our God is a consuming fire." What communion is there between light and darkness ? Shall sin and lust dwell in those thoughts which receive in and carry out love from and unto the Father? Holiness becometh his presence for ever. An unclean spirit cannot draw nigh unto him ; — an unholy heart can make no abode with him. A lewd person will not deske to hold fel- lowship with a sober man ; and will a man of vain and foolish ima- ginations hold communion and dwell with the most holy God ? There is not any consideration of this love but is a powerful motive unto holiness, and leads thereunto. Ephraim says, " What have I to do any more with idols V when in God he finds salvation. Com- munion with the Father is wholly inconsistent with ^ loose walking. " If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth," 1 John i. 6. " He that saith, I know him" (I have communion with him), "and keepeth not his command- ments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him," chap. ii. 4. The most specious and glorious pretence made to an acquaintance with the Father, without holiness and obedience to his commandments, serves only to prove the pretenders to be liars. The love of the world and of the Father dwell not together.