Fellowship with God, Sermon 6
SERMON VI·
1 Joh. 1.3.
—And truly our fellowship is with the Father and the Son, &c.
IT was both the great wisdome and infinit goodnesse of God, that he did not only f…ame a creature capable of society with others of his own kind, but that he fashioned him so, as to be capable of so high an elevation, to have communion and fellowship with himself; it is lesse wonder of Angels, b…cause they a…e pure incorporeal Spirits, drawing towards a nearer likeness to his nature, which similitude is the ground of …ommunion; but that he would have one of the material and visible creatures below, that for the one half is made of the dust of the earth, …dvanced to this unconceivable hight of priviledge, to have fellowship with him; this is a greater wonder: and for this end he breathed into man a spirit from Heaven, that might be capable of conformity and communion with him, who is the Father of spirits. Now take this in the plainest apprehension of it, and you cannot but conceive that this is both the honour and happinesse of man: It is honour and dignity, I say, because the nature of that consists in the applause and estimation of those that are worthy, testified one way or another, and the highest degrees of it rise according to the degree or dignity of the persons that esteem us, or give us their fellowship and favour. Now truly, according to this rule, the honour is incomparable, …nd the credit riseth infinitly above all the airy …nd fancied dignities of men; for the Foot-stool to be elevated up to the Throne, for the poor contemptible creature to be lifted up to the society and friendship of the most high and glorious God, the only fountain of all the Hierarchies of Heaven, or degrees upon Earth▪ so much as the distance is between God and us, so much proportionably must the dignity rise, to be advanced out of this low estate to fellowship with God; the distance between creatures is not observable in regard of this, and yet poor worms swell, if either they be lifted up a little above others, or advanced to familiarity with these that are above them. But what is it to pride our selves in these thing…? when we …re altogether higher and lower at one view, as grasshoppers in his sight; therefore man being in honour, and understanding not, wherein his true honour and dignity consists, he associats himself to beasts; only the soul, that is aspiring to thi… communion with God, is extracted out of the dregs of beastly mankind, and is elevated above mankind, and associated to blessed Apostles, and holy Angels, and Spirits made perfect: and that were but little, though it be a honour above Regal or Imperial dignities, but it is infinitly hightned by this, that their association is with God, the blessed and holy Trinity.
Now herein consists mans happinesse too, for the soul being inlarged in its capacity and appetite, far beyond all visible things, it is never fully satiated or put to rest and quiet, till it be possessed with the chiefest and most unive…sal good, that is, God; and then all the motions of desires cease, then the soul rests from its labours, then there is a peace and eternal rest proclaimed in the desires of the soul, Return unto thy rest, O my soul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with me, Psal. 116.7. O! what a poor short requiem do men sing to their own hearts from other enjoyments? Oftentimes mens hearts, whether dreaming or waking, speak in this manner, Soul take thy rest ▪ but how ill grounded is that peace, and how false a rest, daily experience in part witnesseth, and the last day will fully declare? But, O! how much better and wiser were it for you, to seek the favour and light of his countenance upon you, and to be united to him who is the fountain of life, so ye might truly, without hazard of such a sad reprehension as that fool got, or grievous disappointment, say, Soul take thy rest in God.
Man was advanced to this dignity and happinesse, but he kept not his station, for that great Dragon falling down from that pinacle of honour he had in Heaven, drew down with him the third part of the stars of Heaven, and cast them to the earth: and thus, man who was in honour, is now associated with, and made like to beasts, or devils, he is a stranger to God from the womb, all the imagination… of his heart tend to distance from God, he is exiled and banished from Gods presence, the type whereof was his being driven out of the Garden, and yet he is not long out, nor far away, when the infinit love of God moves an Embassage to send after him, and to recall him; many messengers are sent before-hand to prepare the way, and to dispose mens hearts to peace; many prophesies were, and fore-intimations of that great Embassage of love, which at length appeared; for God sent his Son, his own Son, to take away the difference, and make up the distance. And this is the thing that is declared unto us by these eye and ear-witnesses, to this end that we may know how to return to that blessed society which we had forsaken, to our own eternal prejudice. Is man banished out of the Paradise of God into the accursed earth? Then the Son is sent out from his own Pallace and th… Paradise above, to come into this world, and to save the world. Is there such a gulf between us and Heaven? Christ hath put his own body between, to fill it up. Do the Cherubims watch with flaming fire to keep us from life? Then the Son hath shed his own blood in abundance, to quench that fi…e, and so to pacify and compose all in Heaven and Earth. Is there such odds …nd enmity between the families of Heaven and Earth? He sent his Son the chief heir, and married him with our nature, and in that eternal marriage of our nature with him, he hath buried in everlasting oblivion all the difference, and opened a way for a nearer and dearer friendship with God then was before. And whence was it, I pray you, that God dwelt among men? First in a Tabernacle, then in a fixed Temple, even among the rebellious sons of men; and that so many were admitted and advanced again to communion with God; Abraham had the hono…r to be the friend of God, (O incomparable title! comprehending more then King or Emperour) Was it not all from this, the anticipating vertue of that uniting and peace-making sacrifice? It was for his sake who was to come, and in his flesh to lay a sure foundation for eternal peace and friendship between God and man.
Now you see the ground of our restitution to that primitive fellowship with God, my earnest desire is that ye would lay hold on this opportunity. Is such an high thing in your of…er? yea, are you earnestly invited to it by the Father and the Son? then sure it might at the first hearing beget some inward desire, and kindl… up some holy ambition after such a happinesse. Before we know further what is in it, (for the very fi…st sound of it imports some special and incomparable priviledge) might not our hearts be inflamed, and ought we not to enquire at our own hearts, and speak thus unto them, Have I lived so long a stranger to God the fountain of my life? Am I so far bewitched with the d… ceitful vanities of the world, as not to think it incomparably better, to rise up above all created things, to communicat with the Father and the Son? And shall I go hence without God and without Ch…ist, when fellowship with them is daily, freely, and plentifully holden forth? I beseech you consider where it must begin, and what must be laid down for the foundation of this communion, even your union with Jesus Chri… the Mediator between God and man; and you cannot be one with him, but by forsaking your selves, and believing in him; and thence flow… that constant abode and dwelling in him, which is the mutual intertainment of Christ and … soul, after their meeting together Can two walk together except they be agreed? We are by nature enemies to God; Now ce…tainly reconciliation and agreement must inter…een by the blood of the Cross, before any friendly and familiar society be kept. Let this then be your first study, and it is first declared in the Gospel, Jesus Christ is holden out as partaking with you in all your infirmities, he is represented as having fellowship with us in our sins and curses, in our afflictions and crosses, he hath fellowship in our nature to bear our sins and infirmities. Now since he hath partaken in these, you are invited to come and have fellowship with him in his gifts and graces, in the precious merits of his death and …uffering, in his …ising again and returning to glory. And this is the exchange he makes and declares in the Gospel, I have taken your sins …nd cu…ses, O come and take my graces, and that which is purchased by my blood. Now this is the first beginning of … souls renewed fellowship with God, and it is the foundation of all that is to come, to imbrace this offer, to accept him cordially as he is presented, and to pacifie and quiet our own hearts by saith in that he hath done. And this being once laid down …s the ground-stone, the soul will grow up into more communion with him.
To speak aright of this communion, would require more acquaintance with it, then readily will be found amongst us: but it is more easie to understand in what it is exercised and intertained, then to bring up our hearts unto it. Certainly it must neither be taken so low and wide, as if it consisted all in these external duties, and approaches of men to God; for there is nothing capable of communion with the Father of spirits, but a Spirit; and sure I am, the most part of us removes them, and acts little that way. It is a lamentable thing that men pretend to please God with such vain empty shows, …nd bodily appearances, without any serious exercise of their souls, and attention of their minds in divine worship. Neither yet must it be taken so high, and made so narrow, a… if it consisted only in these ravishments of the soul after God, which are joyned with extraordinary sweetnesse and joy, or in such rare pieces of accesse and liberty; for though that be a part of it, yet is it neither universal to all Gods children, nor yet constant in any. The…e may be some solid serious attendance on God in his Ordinances, which may have more true substantial life in it, and more of the marrow of Christianity in it, though a soul should not be acquainted with these …aptures, nor ever carried without the Line of an equal walking with God. Therefore that which I would exhort you to, i… to acquaint your selves with Iesus Christ, and you shall find a new way opened in him, by which you may boldly com… to God, and having come to God in him, you are called to walk with him, to intertain that acquaintance that is made, till all the distance and estrangednesse of your heart… be worn out. And I know not any thing which is more apt either to beget, or preserve this fellowship, then the communication of your spirits often with him in prayer, …nd with his word in meditation, and this is not to be discharged as a custome, but the love of God within, drawing the heart willingly towards communication with him, and constraining to pour out your requests to him, and wait on him, even though ye should not find that sensible sweetnesse that sometimes is found. It were an happy advancement in thi… fellowship, if converse with God, whether in prayer and solemn retirements, or in meditation, or in our ordinary walking, were become the delight of our hearts, at least that they might be carried that way towards the intertaining the thoughts of his Majesty, his Glory, and Grace, and Goodness, and Wisdome shining every where, as from a natural instinct, even when we are not ingaged with the present allurements of that sweetnesse that sometimes accompanies it.