1 Gal. iii 1. 2 1 Cor. i. 30. ^ Rom. x. 4.
* " Porfice hoc precibiis, pietio, ut liseream in parte aliqua tandem," etc.
1 48 OF COMMUNION WITH THE SON JESUS CHRIST.
pose : yea, sometimes they know not whether they have any interest in him or no, — he absents and withdraws himself; they still continue solitary, in a state of widowhood, refusing to be comforted, though many things offer themselves to that purpose, because he is not. When Christ is at any time absent from the soul, when it cannot see that it hath any interest in him, many lovers offer themselves to it, many woo its affections, to get it to rest on this or that thing for re- lief and succour; but though it go mourning never so long, it will have nothing but Christ to lean upon. Whenever the soul is in the wilderness, in the saddest condition, there it will stay until Christ come for to take it up, until it can come forth leaning upon him, Cant. viii. 5. The many instances of this that the book of Canticles affords us, we have in part spoken of before.
This doth he who hath communion with Christ : — he watcheth dili- gently over his own heart, that nothing creep into its affections, to give it any peace or establishment before God, but Christ only. When- ever that question is to be answered, " Where^vith shall I come before the Lord, and appear before the high God?" he doth not gather up, " This or that I will do ;" or, " Here and there I will watch, and amend my ways;" but instantly he cries, " In the Lord Jesus have I ^right- eousness; all my desire is, to be found in him, not ha\'ing on my own righteousness."
2. In cherishing that Spirit, that holy Comforter, ivhich Christ sends to us, to abide with us in his room and stead. He tells us that he sends him to that purpose, John xvi. 7. He gives him to us, " vi- cariam navare operam," saith Tertullian, — to abide Avith us for ever, for all those ends and purposes which he hath to fulfil toward us and upon us ; he gives him to dwell in us, to keep us, and preserve us blameless for himself His name is in him, and with him: and it is upon this account that whatever is done to any of Christ's is done to him, because it is done to them in whom he is and dwells by his Spirit. Now, herein do the saints preserve their conjugal affections entire to Christ, that they labour by all means not to grieve his Holy Spii'it, which he hath sent in his stead to abide with them. This the apostle puts them in mind of, Eph. iv. 30, " Grieve not the Holy Spirit."
There be two main ends for which Christ sends his Spirit to be- lievers : — (1 .) For their sanctification ; (2.) For their consolation : to which two all the particular acts of piu'ging, teaching, anointing, and the rest that are ascribed to him, may be referred. So there be two ways whereby we may grieve him: — [1]. In respect of sanctifi- cation; [2.] 1\\ rQ^\)Qci oi consolation : —
(L) In respect of sanctification. He is the Spirit of holiness, — holy ' Isa. .\lv. 24; Phil. iii. 9; Ilab. ii. 1-4
OF COMMUNION WITH THE SON JESUS CKEIST. l-iO
in himself, and tlie author of hohness in us : he works it in us, Tit. iii. 5, and he persuades us to it, by those motions of his which are not to be^ quenched. Now, this, in tiie first place, grieves the Spirit, — when he is carrying on in us and for us a work so infinitely for our advantage, and without which we cannot see God, that we should run cross to him, in ways of unholiness, pollution, and defilement. So the connection of the words in the place before mentioned manifests, Ej)h. iv. 28-31 ; and thence doth Paul bottom his powerful and most effec- tual persuasion unto holiness, even from the abode and indwelling of this Holy Spirit with us, 1 Cor. iii. 16, 17. Indeed, what can grieve a loving and tender friend more than to oppose him and slight him when he is most intent about our good, — and that a good of the greatest consequence to us? In this, then, believers make it their business to keep their hearts loyal and their affections chaste to Jesus Christ. They labour instantly not to grieve the Holy Spirit by loose and foolish, by careless and negligent walking, which he hath sent to dwell and abide with them. Therefore shall no anger, wrath, malice, envy, dwell in their heai'ts; because they are contrary to the holy, meek Spirit of Clnrist, which he hath given to dwell with them. They attend to his motions, make use of his assistance, improve his gifts, and nothing lies more upon their spirits, than that they may Avalk worthy of the presence of this holy substitute of the Lord Jesus Christ.
(2.) As to consolation. This is the second great end for which Christ gives and sends his Spirit to us; who from thence, by the way of eminency, is called " The Comforter." To this end he seals us, anoints us, establishes us, and gives us peace and joy. Of all which I shall afterward speak at large. Now, there be two ways whereby he may be grieved as to this end of his mission, and our chastity to Jesus Christ thereby violated : —