The Excellency of a Gracious Spirit, Part 1 · Chapter 9
Cap. IX.
Communion and converſe with men of ſuch excellent ſpirits, is a moſt bleſſed thing.
IF the godly be of ſuch excellent ſpirits, then converſe and communion with them is a moſt bleſſed thing; no greater heaven upon earth than this; for here you may ſee the beauty and luſtre of Gods graces ſhining, the brightneſſe of which darkens all the beauty and glory of the world to a ſpirituall eye. Seneca ſaw ſo much excellency, that Moralitie put upon a man, that hee ſayes, that the very looke of a good man Ipſe aſpectus boni viri delectat.delights one: The very ſight of ſuch ſervants of God, who walke cloſe with God, who are carefull to keep their ſpirits clear and ſhining; truly, it is very delightfull, it hath much quickening in it; the uprightneſſe, holines, ſpirituall enlightnings, that their ſoules have, will guide them to adviſe for God in ſafe and good wayes. The adviſe of godly men, in things concerning God, is much to be prized. It was a good ſpeech of Shechaniah to Ezra, Chap. 10. 3. Now therefore let us make a Covenant with our God, &c. according to the counſell of the Lord, and of thoſe that feare the Commandement of our GOD. It was good to follow their counſell. The ſpirits of theſe are favory in their diſcourſe, in their duties, in all their carriage; their example exceeding powerfull and profitable. The bleſſing of Abigail upon David, was, The Lord binde up his ſoule in the bundle of life. Enjoyment of communion with Gods people, is the binding up of our ſoules in the bundle of life, for every one of them hath life in him. Doctor Taylor the Martyr, rejoyced that ever he came into priſon, becauſe he came there to have acquaintance with that Angel of God Iohn Bradford, as he cals him. If the ſociety of one ſweet heavenly ſpirited man, bee enough to make a priſon chearfull, what a bleſſing then is the enjoyment of cōmunion with many? All my delight (ſaith David) is in the Saints, in them that excell in the earth. It is the bleſſing of the Goſpell, to come to the ſpirits of juſt men made perfect, Heb. 12. 23. when we are amongſt them, we may in the beholding the worke of their ſpirits, come to ſee many failings in our own, that we ſaw not before; and ſo be humbled for them, and be put on to ſeeke helpe: We may ſee the ſame graces ſhining in them, that we feele in our owne hearts, and ſo be ſtrengthened and encouraged in them, and ſtirred up to bleſſe God for them; and the ſutableneſſe betweene their ſpirits and ours, if ours be right, will cauſe ſuch a cloſing and mingling, as from thence there will ariſe an unſpeakable delight, and incomparable ſweetneſſe: No ſociety under heaven hath that pleaſantneſſe & ſweetneſſe in it, as the ſociety of the Saints; no mens ſpirits cloſe ſo fully one with another, as theirs; no mens ſpirits bound ſo firmly by ſuch indiſſoluble bonds together, as theirs; they know the excellency of one anothers ſpirits, ſo as they can freely open themſelves, Gregory Nazianzen ſayes of himſelfe, and Baſil, that one ſoule in …rner was in two bodies. In Orat. Fun. Baſi…i. The ſame is ſaid of Minutius Fa…ix, and Octautus.unboſome their hearts one to another, and venture their lives one upon another: and it is the moſt honourable ſociety in the world; for it is the aſſociation of the moſt excellent and glorious creatures; God himſelf delights to joyne himſelfe with them, to be amongſt them: as; 2 Cor. 6. 16. I will dwell among them (ſaith the Lord) and walke there, and I will be their God, and they ſhall be my people. But the words are more ſignificant in the Originall, they expreſſe foreign.Gods delight, not onelyonly to dwell among them, and walke with them, but to dwell in them, and walke in them. And hence that expreſſion of Tertullian, that wee made uſe of before in another caſe is very pertinent for our purpoſe here likewiſe; When good men meet, (ſayes hee) when godly men are gathered together, this is not to bee called a faction, but a Court. What place is accounted ſo honourable, and excels in more delights than the Courts of Princes? The ſociety of Gods Saints, communion with Gods people, hath more honour, is filled with more delights than any Court in the world, where this is wanting: the ſociety of the wicked, that is unſavory and tedious, becauſe their ſpirits are ſo vile and corrupt, like the ſlime and filth there is congealed, when many Toades and venomous filthy creatures doe joyne together; How abominable is their breathings together to a gracious ſpirit? how loathſome is the mixture of their ſpirits? Zach. 13. 2. we have a promiſe, that God will in his due time take away the uncleane ſpirit out of the Land, and oh what a bleſſed time will that bee! How happy would Gods ſervants thinke themſelves, if they might bee delivered from the noyſomnes of corrupt unclean ſpirits? Let us keep our ſelves what we can now, from mingling with them; wee ſhall within a while be for ever delivered from them.