And this is the second part of our first demonstration. Thus the 'knowledge of ourselves, in reference to our supernatural end, is no small portion of our wisdom. The things of the greatest concern- ment hereunto are, sin, righteousness, and judgment; the wisdom of all which is alone hid in the Lord Jesus: which was to be proved.
III. The THIRD part of our wisdom is to walk with God. Now, that one may walk with another, six^ things are required: — 1. Agreement. 2. Acquaintance. 3. A way. 4. Strength. 5. Boldness. 6. An aim- ing at the same end. All these, with the wisdom of them, are hid in the Lord Jesus.
1. Agreement. The prophet tells us that two cannot walk to- gether unless they be agreed, Amos iii. 3. Until agi'eement be made, there is no communion, no walking together. God and man by nature (or whilst man is in the state of natvn-e) are at the greatest enmity. He declares nothing to us but wrath, Rom. i. 18; whence we are said to be children of it; that is, born obnoxious to it, Eph. ii. 3: and whilst we remain in that condition, " the ^vrath of God abideth on us," John
' In the jircvioiis editions it is stated tluit/re tilings are retjuired to walk witli God, and i\\vn fire tliinf,'s are immediately enumerated. It will be found, Iiowever, tlint, in tlie subsequent illustration, .'('.i- paitieulars are sjieeiried. A particular, the xnni, (see p. 109,) bad beeii omitted in tlie division stated above. We bave, there- fore, altered it in accordance with Owen's real treatment of his subject. — Ed.
OF COMMUNION WITH THE SON JESUS CHRIST, 1()7
iii. 36. All the discovery that God makes of himself unto us is, that he is inexpressibly provoked ; and therefore preparing wrath against the day of "vviuth, and the revelation of his righteous judgment. The day of his and sinners' meeting, is called " The day of wrath," Rom. ii. 5, 6. Neither do we come short in our enmity against him; yea, we first began it, and we continue longest in it. To express this enmity, the apostle tells us, that our very minds, the best part of us, are " enmity against God," Rom. viii. 7, 8 ; and that we neither are, nor will, nor can be, subject to him; our enmity manifesting itself by universal rebellion against him: whatever we do that seems other- wise, is but hypocrisy or flattery; yea, it is a part of this enmity to lessen it. In this state the wisdom of walking with God must needs be most remote from the soul. He is ^" light, and in him is no dark- ness at all;" we are darkness, and in us there is no light at all. He is life, a " living God;" we are dead, dead sinners, — dead in trespasses and sin. He is " holiness," and glorious in it ; we wholly defiled, — an abominable thing. He is " love;" we full of hatred, — hating and being- hated. Surely this is no foundation for agreement, or, upon that, of walking together: nothing can be more remote than this frame from such a condition. The foundation, then, of this, I say, is laid in Christ, hid in Christ. " He," saith the apostle, " is our peace; he hath made peace" for us, Eph. ii. 14, 15. He slew the enmity in his own body on the cross, verse 16.
(1.) He takes out of the way the cause of the enmity that was between God and us, — sin and the curse of the law. He makes an end of sin, and that by making atonement for iniquity, Dan. ix. 24; and he blotteth out the hand- writing of ordinances. Col. ii. 14, redeem- ing us from the curse, by " being made a curse for us," Gal. iii. 13.
(2.) He destroys him who would continue the enmity, and make the breach wider, Heb. ii. 14, " Through death he destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;" and. Col. ii 15, " Spoiled principalities and powers."
(3.) He made " reconciliation for the sins of the i:)eople," Heb. ii. 17; he made by his blood an atonement with God, to turn away that wrath which was due to us, so making peace. Hereupon God is said to be " in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself," 2 Cor. V. 19; — being reconciled himself, verse 18, he lays down the enmity on his part, and proceeds to what remains, — to slay the enmity on our part, that we also may be reconciled. And this also, —
(4.) He doth; for, Rom. v, 11, "By our Lord Jesus Christ we do receive the atonement," accept of the peace made and tendered, laying do%vn our enmity to God ; and so confirming an agreement betwixt us in his blood. So that " through him we have an access
' 1 John i. 5, 'iKor'ia Ev auTu sLk scriv oiSj^/o. Jolin i. 5; Eph. V. 8, ii. !; Exod. XV. 11; 1 John iv. 8; Tit. iii. 3.
108 OF COMMUNION WITH THE SON JESUS CHRIST.
unto tlie Father," Epli. ii. 18. Now, the whole wisdom of this agree- ment, without which there is no Avalking with God, is hid in Christ ; out of him God on his part is a consuming fire, — we are as stubble fully dry, yet setting ourselves in battle aiTay against that fire: if we are brought together we are consumed. All our approachings to him out of Christ are but to our detriment ; in his blood alone have we this agreement. And let not any of us once suppose that we have taken any step in the paths of God with him, that any one duty is accepted, that all is not lost as to eternity, if we have not done it upon the account hereof.