witli [1.] on that pago. Tlic insertion of it, however, would have ronuircd great cliangos, and rendered the snhsecpient niunemtiun very obscure. — Ed.
' 'liiovh y-aXXov iv n^tfiia tffTis, ri iv Kivnati. — Arisl. Ktll., lib. vii., cap. 14. TlXuci "hi Tri» Incyi'd* >) rilovri. — id. 1. 10, C. 4.
OF COMMUNION WITH THE SON JESUS CHRIST. 1 19
takes into his care to breed up, and disposetli of things for his advan- tage. So did Christ take us then into his care, and rejoiced in the thoughts of the execution of his trust. Concerning tliem he saith, " Here %yill I dwell, and here will I make my habitation for ever/' For them hath he chosen for his temple and his dwelling-place, be- cause he delighteth in them. This makes him take them so nigh himself in every relation. As he is God, they are his temple ; as he is a king, they are his subjects, — he is the king of saints; as he is a head, they are his body, — he is the head of the church ; as he is a first-born, he makes them his brethren, — " he is not ashamed to call them brethren."
I shall choose out one particular from among many as an instance for the proof of this thing ; and that is this : — Christ reveals his se- crets, his mind, unto his saints, and enables them to reveal the secrets of their hearts to him; — an evident demonstration of great delight. It was Samson's carnal delight in Delilah that prevailed with him to reveal unto her those thbags which were of greatest concernment unto him; he will not hide his mind from her, though it cost him his life. It is only a hosom friend unto whom we will unbosom ourselves. Neither is there, possibly, a greater evidence of delight in close com- munion than this, that one will reveal his heart unto him whom he takes into society, and not entertain him with things common and vul- garly known. And therefore have I chose this instance, from amongst a thousand that might be given, of this deHght of Christ in his saints.
He, then, communicates his mind unto his saints, and unto thenb only; — his mind, the counsel of his love, the thoughts of his heart, the purposes of his bosom, for our eternal good ; — his mind, the ways of his grace, the workings of his Sj)irit, the rule of his sceptre, and the obedience of his gospel.^ All spiritual revelation is by Christ. He is " the true Light, that lighteth every man that cometh into the world," John i. 9. He is the " Day-spring," the " Day-star," and the " Sun ;" so that it is impossible any light should be but by him. From him it is that " the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he shows them his covenant," Ps. xxv. 14; as he expresses it at large, John xv. 14, 15,^ "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth; but I have called you friends; for'' all things that I have heard of my Father I have made kno^ii unto you." He makes them as his friends, and useth them as friends, — as
' Mai. iv. 2; Luke i. 78; 2 Pet. i. 19.
' " Voluntatem Dei nosse quisquam desiderat? fiat amicus Deo, quia si volun- tatem hominis nosse vellet, cujiis amicus non esset, omnes ejus inipudentiam et stultitiam deriderent." — August, de Gen. Cont. Man., lib. i. cap. 2.
' " Vox rravTu ex subjecta materia, restrictionem ad doctrinam salutis requirit." — Tarnov. in loc.
120 OF COMMUNION WITH THE SON JESUS CIIIUST.
bosom friends, in -wlioni he is deliglitcd. He makes known all his mind unto them; every thing that his Father hath committed to liim as Mediator to be revealed, Acts xx. 24. And the apostle declares how this is done, 1 Cor. ii. 10, 11, " ' God hath revealed these things unto us by his Spirit;' for we have received him, 'that we might know the things that are freely given us of God.'" He sends us his Spirit, as he promised, to make known his mind unto his saints, and to lead them into all tnith. And thence the apostle concludes, " We have known the mind of Christ," verse 16;" for he useth us as friends, and declareth it unto us," John i. 18. There is not any thing in the heart of Christ, wherein these his friends are concerned, that he doth not reveal to them. All his love, his good-will, the secrets of his cove- nant, the j^aths of obedience, the mystery of faith, is told them.
And all this is spoken in opposition to unbeliever's, with whom he hath no communion. These know nothing of the mind of Christ as they ought : " The natural man receiveth not the tilings that are of God," 1 Cor. ii. 14. There is a wide difference between understand- ing the doctrine of the Scripture as in the letter, and a true knowing the mind of Christ. This we have by special unction from Christ, 1 John ii. 27, " We have an unction from the Holy One, and we know all things," 1 John ii. 20.