Moses Choice, Treatise · Part 2 · Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX. Enjoyment of communion with Gods people, is worth the enduring much affliction.
WE are now come to the ſixth doctrinal Doct. 6.Point that we have here in this part of Moſes choice, That the enioyment of communion with Gods people, is worth the enduring of a great deal of affliction. Moſes chooſes to ſuffer affliction with the people of God; he ſaw they were Gods people, and that it was a good thing to be with them, and therefore rather then he would not be with them, he was content to loſe all the honors of Pharaohs Court, and put himſelf under the ſoreſt affliction that he could meet withal, nothing ſhould hinder him from joyning with them.
In the worſt times of the Church, wherein the hardeſt things were to be ſuffered in joyning with Gods people, yet even then would thoſe who had gracious hearts chooſe to be with them upon the hardeſt terms, rather then to be from them with all outward eaſe, and carnal delight. It was a very ill time when there was a ſeparation between the ten Tribes, and the reſt, when the ten Tribes left the Temple, left the Ordinances of God, and followed after Jeroboam; this was a very hard time, and the rather becauſe Jeroboam ſet watchers, to obſerve who would go from him unto Judah to joyn with Gods people there, for there remained the true Church. And this is the meaning of that place, Hoſ. 5. 1. Hear ye this O Prieſts, and hearken ye houſe of Iſrael, and give ye ear O houſe of the king, for judgement is towards you, becauſe you have been a ſnare on Mizpah, and a net ſpread upon Tabor: Now theſe two places, were places that were between Samaria, the ten Tribes, and Jeruſalem; whoſoever ſhould go from them to Ieruſalem, to joyn with Gods people there in the true worſhip of God, thoſe that were ſet at Mizpah and Tabor, would ſpy them, and ſo they were ready to be taken: This was the hard condition of Gods people then, and they did mightily ſcorn at thoſe that would go to Jeruſalem to worſhip, and to joyn with them in that way of worſhip.
And therefore Amaziah ſaid to Amos, (Chap. 7. ver. 12.) O thou Seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and propheſie there: as if Amaziah ſhould ſay, Judah is a fitter place for you then this, you are ſo preciſe, and ſtrict, you had need be gone to Judah, we are Idolaters here, and no true Church but in Judah, ſuch as you are, had better be gone to Judah: And ſo it is uſual for thoſe that are carnal and prophane, to ſcorn at thoſe that are godly. Yet though things were ſo hard in theſe times, that there were watches and ſpies ſet to watch over them, and they did contemn thoſe that did look towards Judah, yet thoſe that were godly would not be diſcouraged, but would go, and joyn with Gods people notwithſtanding all this: and therefore you have it in 2 Chron. 11. 16. what was the way of Gods ſervants in that time, when it was ſuch a difficult thing to joyn with Gods people: All ſuch as ſet their hearts to ſeek the Lord God of Iſrael: there were a company of them that would ſtay in Samaria, that might have good wiſhes, that times were better, and things were better, but would not ſuffer any thing, to go and joyn with Gods people, where they might have the Ordinances in a pure maner; but all ſuch as ſet their hearts to ſeek the Lord, and reſolved whatſoever came of it, they would have God in the purity of his Ordinances, they went up to Jeruſalem: And
So it was in the Primitive times, they were very hard times for Gods people, and the people of God, and Chriſtians were diſcovered by their meetings together; if ſo be all of them would have ſeparated one from another, and kept their Religion to themſelves, they might not have been diſcovered, but though it were with hazard of their lives, they would joyn together, and meet together; and therefore when any was converted, it is ſaid, they were added to the Church. And S. Paul, Heb. 10. 25. lays a charge upon them, though it were at ſuch a time as they hazarded their lives, Not to forſake the aſſembly of the Saints, as the maner of ſome is. And Mr. Calvin in a Sermon upon that Text, Seek ye my face, interpreting it thus, The face of God is Gods Ordinances; as a man is known by his face, ſo God maketh himſelf known in his Ordinances; and ſo he urges that place, Seek my face, that all Chriſtians in conſcience are bound to go where Gods Ordinances may be enjoyed, if poſſibly they can: And he ſays further, It is better they ſhould ſcrape the ground with their nails, then to be any where elſe, where they ſhould not ioyn with Gods people in the ways of his Ordinances. Certainly, it is a great bleſſing to be with them, though upon never ſuch hard terms in regard of afflictions.
That is obſervable that we read of Jacob bleſſing his ſons, Gen. 49. 28. it is ſaid, He bleſſed every one of them; How was that? for you ſhall finde he rather ſeemed to curſe three of them, Reuben, Simeon, and Levi; he ſpeaks onelyonly of evil to them; but becauſe they were not rejected, from being amongſt Gods people, although they were to be under great and ſore afflictions, yet they are ſaid to be bleſſed.
Well, but why ſhould we ſuffer much affliction for Quest.the joyning with Gods people? What is there in them, or amongſt them, that makes joyning with them to be ſo deſireable?
Firſt, that point we handled before, might be Anſw. 1.enough to ſhew the reaſon of this: they are the excellent of the earth, Iſaiah 43. 4. I do not now ſpeak of them particularly, though every Saint is honorable, but eſpecially they are honorable in a way of Church communion: Now we know it is a credit, and priviledge to have ſociety with thoſe that are honorable; Gods people are ſo, they are the glory of the world: as for others, God ſpeaks of them as dirt and droſs, Pſal. 119. 118, 119. but now Gods people are called the glory of God himſelf, Iſaiah 4. 5. now it is good being with ſuch as thoſe are. Peter, when he ſaw but two of Gods ſervants together with Chriſt, Moſes and Elias, ſays, It is good being here, let us make three Tabernacles, one for thee, one for Moſes, and one for Elias; he never thought of himſelf, it is good being here, though he ſhould lye in the field, and in the rain: and ſo ſays a gracious heart, It is good being here with Gods people, for they are precious, whatſoever hardſhip we ſuffer amongſt them.
Secondly, there is no ſuch comfortable communion 2.in the world, as with Gods people. It is comfortable,The excellency of the Communion of Saints.
Firſt, in the very beholding of the ſhining of the graces of Gods Spirit in them; ſays Heathen Seneca, The very look of a good man delights me: What 1.is the glory of God himſelf, but to ſee his own glory Ipſe aſpectus boni viri delectat.ſhining in the world, in the works of creation, and providence? If God delights ſo much to ſee the reſplendency of that glory that ſhines in his works, ſurely it muſt be a great delight to thoſe that have any work of grace, to ſee grace ſhining in others.
Beſides, there is a bleſſed fragrancy of graces in 2.Gods people: as the eye is ſatisfied in beholding the beauty of them, ſo the heart is ſatisfied in the ſweetneſs of them; Cant. 6. 2. My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of ſpices; the Catholike Church is as the garden, and every particular Church, if it be as it ſhould be, is as a bed of ſpices, that gives forth a very fragrant ſmell. It is reported of Alexander, his body was of ſuch an exact conſtitution, that it gave a ſweet ſcent where it went: and ſo a Church is of ſo good a conſtitution, that it gives forth a wonderful ſweet fragrant ſmell to thoſe that have their right ſenſes.
Again, no ſuch comfort as in communion with Gods people, in regard of the nearneſs of their union one 3.with another, their hearts joyn, and are one if they be truly ſpiritual: other ſocieties are but as the iron and the clay in the toes of Nebuchadnezzars Image, they may cleave together, but they will not incorporate one into another: The more ſpiritual any thing is, the more it does unite with that which is ſpiritual; ſpiritual things are more unitive then ſuch things as are bodily; as if you have a heap of ſtones, they do not joyn ſo cloſe together, but now a thouſand beams of the Sun will unite together in one point, becauſe they are ſpiritual things in compariſon: and this is the reaſon why there is ſuch a full union between God, and a ſpiritual heart, becauſe God is ſo ſpiritual, and the more ſpiritual the heart is, the more union; and ſo Chriſtians having grace, and grace being ſpiritual, the more grace, the more ſpiritual, and the more ſpiritual, the more union: and the reaſon why in Church-fellowſhip there is ſo little union, is becauſe they are ſo carnal, and therefore the Apoſtle ſays, the contentions that were in the Church of Corinth, were becauſe they were carnal. If you were more ſpiritual, there would not be ſuch diviſion between you.
As it is in wicked communion, thoſe who are more ſpiritually wicked, (for there is a kinde of ſpiritual wickedneſs) they do more unite together, thoſe that are more fleſhly wicked, do not ſo cloſely unite, as your drunkards, and prophane fellows, though they call good fellows, yet upon every croſs word, they are ready to fall out: but others that are wicked in a malicious way againſt the godly, and wicked in a way of policy, to work to undermine the way of godlineſs, ſuch as thoſe joyn together a great deal more ſtrongly, then thoſe that joyn together in an outward fleſhly way; Now becauſe Gods people are ſpiritual in a gracious way, therefore they have ſuch near union, and union cauſes abundance of comfort. We read Exodus 26. of two ſorts of Curtains for the Tabernacle, the one, verſe 1. of fine twined linen, blew, purple and ſcarlet, and the tatches were of gold to couple them; the other were of goats hair, ver. 7. and the tatches to couple them were of braſs, ver. 11. Which may ſet forth the ſeveral ſorts of people in the Church; ſome are of a finer make then others, more ſpiritual, and the bonds of their union are golden, others are more courſe, and the bonds of their union are not ſo glorious; but this is a truth for ever, the more ſpiritual, the more union, the more pure the ſouls of men are, and of the more excellent temper, the more cloſe, ſweet, excellent in their union.
Again, no ſuch comfort as with Gods people, becauſe of the ſuitableneſs of that diſpoſition that is in 4.their ſpirits, one with another, having but one ſpirit, and but one divine nature, led by the ſame principles, and rules, and have the ſame ends, and affections, hopes, and deſires, and joys: and where there is ſuch a ſuitableneſs, ſurely there muſt needs be a great deal of comfort, for all comforts come from a ſuitableneſs between the heart and the object; if the thing be never ſo good, if there be not a ſuitableneſs between the heart and it, there is no comfort; but no ſuch ſuitableneſs as between Gods people, and therefore no ſuch comfort.
Fifthly, no ſuch joy as is to be had in communion with them, becauſe of their entireneſs of love, entireneſs 5.of love is a lovely ſight. Dioniſius ſeeing two entire friends together, wiſhed himſelf the third. Cant. 6. 9. My Dove is but one, and it follows, the daughters ſaw her, and bleſſed her; an oneneſs of heart is a bleſſed thing, no ſuch entireneſs, ſuch oneneſs any where as amongſt the Saints: their love is ſpiritual, and not upon baſe grounds, as the love of others is, there is not that baſe aiming at ſelf as in others: a carnal heart cannot love another, but in ſome baſe reſpect to himſelf; but now it is not ſelf that is the the ground of the love between thoſe that are truly gracious and godly, but God that is between them, and with them, the ground of their love is more ſpiritual, and therefore it is a kinde of divine love, and not ſo droſſie as others.
Sixthly, no communion ſo comfortable in regard 6.of their faithfulneſs, they dare truſt one another. Apellant ſe fratres & mori volūt proſe invicem. Tertul apud …uel. Ser. in Luc. 10. 23.They call themſelves brethren, and they will dye for another, ſays Tertullian: the men of the world cry out, Of all men I would not truſt thoſe that are ſo preciſe: Indeed, if you do take all refuſe that make profeſſion, you may ſay ſo, but a gracious heart can ſavor who is godly, and will not truſt every one that talks of Religion, but ſuch as are truly godly, they dare truſt them, and venture their lives with them: no communion in which we can eaſe our ſelves of our burthens, as where there are a company of true gracious humble Saints in communion one with another. So that put theſe together, and you ſee the ſecond reaſon why it is worth the enduring ſo much affliction to have communion with the people of 3.God.Why it is worth enduring of affliction to enjoy the communion of Saints.
Thirdly, it is worth the enduring a great deal of affliction, to have communion with them; becauſe it is in their communion, in which the ſolemn worſhip of God is ſet up; now it is worth the enduring of a great deal, to be where that is. In Judah is God known, and his name is great in Iſrael: he hath honor by others, but his name is great in Iſrael, in his Church; What a comfortable thing is it, and bleſſed, and worth the enduring of much, to have multitudes of Gods people joyn with one heart, in ſetting out the praiſes of God, ſitting at his Table, ſitting before him, lifting up the name of the great God, making his praiſe glorious: When the Saints are gathered together for this end, in this work, Chriſt is there preſent with them, praiſing God, he joyns with them in this work, Heb. 2. 12. In the midſt of the Church will I praiſe thee; this is ſpoken of Chriſt, it is quoted out of Pſal. 22. 22. which is prophetical of Chriſt: who would not be in ſuch acts of worſhip, to joyn with ſuch as Chriſt joyns with? If God be our God, and dear to our ſouls, his worſhip is dear to us; and if there be any people in the world, among whom God is truly worſhipped, it is a great affliction not to be with them.
It is the obſervation of one Interpreter upon that place in Iſa. 6. where the Cherubims cryed, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hoſts, the earth is full of thy glory: the Prophet cryes out, Wo unto me, I am undone, becauſe I am a man of unclean lips, unfit to joyn with thoſe that are praiſing of God: howſoever the meaning of that place be, yet thus we may make uſe of it, to be a great affliction, and cauſe there is to cry out, Wo to our ſelves, when we hear of Gods people crying out, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hoſts; if we be not amongſt them, though it be in the wilderneſs, yet if Gods worſhip be ſet up, the people of God have a feaſt: When the Iſraelites were to go from Egypt, into the wilderneſs, Moſes ſays, they muſt go thither to keep a feaſt unto the Lord; What was that feaſt in the wilderneſs, but the ſetting up the worſhip of God?
Fourthly, no communion, no ſociety in which there is ſo much profit and benefit, as to be amongſt theſe. 4.As Abigail ſaid to David, The Lord ſhall binde up the ſoul of my Lord in the bundle of life: to be amongſt Gods people, is to be bound up in the bundle of life; much good we enjoy in them, and the more communion we have, the more intereſt we have in all their gifts, and graces, and prayers: and therefore we read of Daniel, when he had a great work to do, how he makes uſe of that intereſt he had in the prayers of the godly, Daniel 2. 17, 18. It is a great bleſſing to have an intereſt in the prayers of the Saints, and ſo in all their gifts, 1 Cor. 3. 22, 23. Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, &c. all are yours, and you are Chriſts: as if he ſhould ſay, there need no ſuch envying one at another, to ſay, I am of Paul, and another of Apollos, and another of Cephas, for all are yours; all the gifts, and graces of all the worthies of the Lord, are all yours, they are all for your good, and you have intereſt in them all: in communion with the Saints, there is watching over one another, and quickning one another, and admoniſhings, and wholeſome counſels, and ſtirring up the graces of God that are in one another: Have you not felt your ſelves, when you have come away from a ſpiritual communion, to come away with hearts raiſed, and ſpirits inflamed for God, and ſo ſtrengthened, that your reſolutions have been up, to do or ſuffer any thing for the Lord; as in Mal. 3. 16. Thoſe that feared the Lord, ſpake often to one another, quickned the hearts of one another; and ſo in Acts 18. 5. And when Silus, and Timotheus, was come from Macedonia, Paul was preſſed in ſpirit, and teſtified to the Iews, that Ieſus was Chriſt: Certainly in their converſe together, S. Paul found his ſpirit wrought upon, and refreſhed, ſo that the Text ſays, when Timotheus was come, Paul was preſſed in ſpirit.
Fifthly, it is good being with Gods ſervants, though 5.it be in ſuffering affliction, becauſe God takes ſo much delight in them; if God takes delight in being with them, certainly there is great cauſe we ſhould take delight in them: there are admirable expreſſions of Gods taking delight in them, Zeph. 3. 17. The Lord thy God in the midſt of thee is mighty; he will ſave thee, he will rejoyce over thee with joy, he will reſt in his love, he will joy over thee with ſinging: One word is heaped upon another, to ſet out the abundance of delight that God takes in his people: Hence the Church hath that name given her, Hephzibah, becauſe God delighteth in her, Iſaiah 62. 4. And in Deut. 33. 3. it is ſaid, He loved his people, there is a general love: All his Saints are in his hand, and they ſate down at his feet, that is more particular: and in Cant. 4. 9. Thou haſt raviſhed my heart, my ſiſter, my Spouſe, &c. One would think by the reading of the words, they were rather the ſpeech of the Spouſe to Chriſt; but it is the ſpeech of Chriſt to his Spouſe: And ſo again in Cantic. 5. 2. Open to me, my ſiſter, my love, my dove, my undefiled: theſe are the expreſſions of the delight that God hath in his people; The Lord loves the gates of Zion, more then all the ling places of Jacob, that is, God delights in the publike communion of his people, more then in all their private dwellings: If we be of Gods minde, and have Gods Spirit, our hearts muſt be where God is, Gods bowels yern towards them, I am afflicted with thee in all thy afflictions, and how ſhall I give thee up?
There is a notable expreſſion in Hoſea 9. 10. where God ſets out much of his delight in his Church, I found Iſrael like grapes in the wilderneſs; as a traveller, wearied, parched in the wilderneſs, if he findes bunches of grapes, O how ſweet and refreſhing are they to him! ſo, ſays God, was Iſrael to me: and further, I ſaw your fathers, as the firſt ripe in the fig-tree at her firſt time: Fruit when it comes at the firſt, and is dainty, how is it prized? ſome will give an incredible price for ſome kinde of timely fruit, when it is rare at the firſt; Thus God ſets out his delight, never Longer did delight more in ſome timely rare fruit, then God does in his Saints. God takes delight (you ſee) in his people, above all others, and therefore it is good to be with them.
Sixthly, Conſider the glorious titles that in Scripture 6.are put upon the Saints in a way of Church communion: as,
1. They are Gods portion, Deut. 32. 9. The Lords The glorious titles of the Saints.portion is his people.
2. His pleaſant portion, Jer. 12. 10. They have made my pleaſant portion a deſolate wilderneſs.
3. His inheritance, Iſaiah 19. 25. other people are the work of Gods hands, but Iſrael is his inheritance.
4. The dearly beloved of his ſoul, Jer. 12. 7. He gave the dearly beloved of his ſoul into the hands of their enemies.
5. His treaſure, his peculiar treaſure, Exod. 19. 5. Ye ſhall be a peculiar treaſure to me above all people, for all the earth is mine: that is called peculium, Abulenſis in Exod. 19.which the ſon and heir of the houſe hath of his own, beſides the right of his fathers inheritance, which he may diſpoſe of as he thinks good: ſo though the earth be the Lord Chriſts by inheritance, by right of creation, yet he hath a ſpecial intereſt in his Church, above all other. God hath treaſure in the works of nature, and it is called his good treaſure, Deut. 28. 12. The Lord ſhall open to thee his good treaſure; but this is his peculiar treaſure.
6. His glory, Iſaiah 46. 13. I will place ſalvation in Zion, for Iſrael my glory.
7. The houſe of Gods glory, Iſa. 60. 7.
8. A crown of glory, Iſa. 62. 3.
9. The throne of God, Exod. 17. 16. The words may be read thus, becauſe the hand upon the throne of the Lord, and ſo by many they are tranſlated, and then the ſenſe is, becauſe Amaleks hand was upon the Church, the throne, therefore God threatens war againſt them: vea,
10. The Throne of glory, Jer. 4. 21.
11. The Ornament of God, Ezek. 7. 20.
12. The beauty of his ornament, Ezek. 7. 20.
13. The beauty of his ornament ſet in majeſty, Ezek. 7. 20.
14. A royal Diadem, Iſaiah 62. 3. Many other ſuch expreſſions you may meet with in Scripture, but put theſe together, and you ſee it is deſireable to be with the Saints in their communion.
Seventhly, There is a ſpecial preſence of God amongſt them; and to be there, where God is in his eſpecial preſence, it is worth the enduring of a great deal of affliction: God is there in a ſpecial maner, as in the laſt words of the propheſie of Ezekiel, the Church is called by that name, Iehova Shammah, the Lord is there. And the Lord filled his Tabernacle with his preſence: the Tabernacle was a type of the Church, and did typifie his eſpecial preſence with his people in Church-communion.
And as God is there preſent, ſo obſerve the expreſſions of his eſpecial preſence; he is ſaid to dwell there, Pſal. 76. 2. In Salem is his Tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion: Now it is good keeping houſe with God. You are his houſe, ſaith the Apoſtle; the Church of God is his houſe, and it is good to be in Gods houſe. But though it be his dwelling, Is it a dwelling that is lovely to him? Yes, for it is that his ſoul deſires to be in; as if ſo be God counted it a kinde of honor (as we may ſpeak with holy reverence) to have ſuch a habitation; Pſal. 132. 14. Here will I dwell, for I have deſired it: as if he ſhould ſay, If I might have but a dwelling among my people, I deſire no better habitation in the world. Now you that are fain to be put into mean holes for your dwellings, if you may be with Gods people, do not think it much, for God dwells there, and deſires no better habitation: It is ſtrange that God that hath Heaven to be his habitation, ſhould deſire to dwell with his people, yet ſays he, I deſire to dwell there, and I will dwell there.
If a man make a houſe to do ſome mean buſineſs in, he does not take much delight there, but in that houſe where the Kings Majeſty is manifeſted, that is the greateſt place in the Kingdom: now in Pſal. 26. 8. it is, Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy houſe, where thy honor dwelleth: as if this were the chief houſe that God had, that God delighteth in this above all other dwellings; his honor dwells here. But will God ſtay here? Yea, it is the place that he will dwell in for ever, Pſal. 132. 13, 14. Surely our hearts may reſt where God reſts, and we ſhould not be weary where God is not weary. And he does not onelyonly dwell here, but he hath his delightful walks here: the walks of God are amongſt his people, 2 Cor. 6. 16. If a man have a houſe that he rejoyces in, he will have his garden as near his houſe as he can, that he may have ſome walks to delight in: and ſo the Church of God is ſuch a houſe, as hath not onelyonly room for God to reſt in, and ſet his honor in, but he walks there, and walks in them, ſaith the Apoſtle. Thus the Lord is pleaſed to condeſcend to our weakneſs, to expreſs his eſpecial preſence with his Church, and therefore it is good to be with them; theſe are the expreſſions of it.
But wherein does the preſence of God with his people Queſt.appear more then with other people?
In theſe two things eſpecially.Anſw.
Firſt, becauſe there God makes himſelf known, reveals 1.himſelf there, and makes his beauty to appear. Pſal. 27. 4. One thing have I deſired of the Lord, Wherein the preſence of God with his people, appears more then with others.that I will ſeek after, that I may dwell in the houſe of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his Temple: It is the glory of Heaven to ſee God in his beauty, and this is one of the greateſt promiſes of God to his Church,. that they ſhall ſee the King in his majeſty: We may ſee ſome glimmering light of God in the Heavens; Sun, Moon, and Stars; but in the Church, there God ſhews his beauty, there we may ſee the face of God; and this is that which Moſes did deſire; Lord-ſhew me thy glory: It is much granted to us in the Church, in enjoying his Ordinances; and there is no way to ſee Gods face ſo clearly, as this way: Every childe of God that is in the Temple, ſhall ſpeak of Gods glory, for they ſee God in his glory in a ſpecial maner.
Secondly, the eſpecial preſence of God with his people, is eſpecially manifeſted, in that he communicates 2.to his people; as namely,
Firſt, the choice mercies of God are communicated to his people: If you would have any ſhare in Gods 1.choice mercies, his peculiar mercies, come amongſt Gods people, joyn with them: as that place is obſervable in Pſal. 134. 3. The Lord that made Heaven and earth, bleſs thee out of Sion: He does not ſay, the Lord that made Heaven and Earth, bleſs thee out of Heaven and Earth; but the Lord that made Heaven and Earth, bleſs thee out of Sion: as if he ſhould ſay, The bleſſings that come out of Sion, are the choice bleſſings, and the peculiar mercies of God, even above any that come out of Heaven and Earth.
Secondly, God communicates his mercies more 2.fully then any where elſe: Iſa. 25. 6. And in this mountain, that is, in the Church, I will make a feaſt of fat things, a feaſt of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, &c. and Pſal. 36. 8. They ſhall be abundantly ſatisfied with the fatneſs of thy houſe, and thou ſhalt make them drink of the river of thy pleaſures: In a private way there may be ſome drops of pleaſure from God, but there is not that full communication from God, as with his people in his Ordinances: there is in the world, in the creature drops, in private communion there are ponds, but in a pulique Churchcommunion, there are rivers of pleaſure, and that is the height of all.
Thirdly, God communicates his mercies more powerfully in the Church then any where elſe: Pſal. 3.133. 3. For there the Lord commanded the bleſſing, even life for evermore. God did not onelyonly ſpeak, and ſaid there ſhould be a bleſſing, but ſpake in a commanding way; There: Where is that? There in the Church, amongſt his people, there God commanded the bleſſing, even life for evermore.
Laſtly, God bleſſeth more univerſally with all 4.kinde of bleſſing, and therefore he is more preſent there: and in that reſpect the Pſalmiſt ſays, Pſalm 87. 7. All my ſprings are in thee. This whole Pſalm is to ſet out the excellent condition of the Church, and he concludes the Pſalm with this, All my ſprings are in thee: Now this expreſſion is very emphatical; Spring is taken two or three ways in Scripture: The Law of God, the Doctrine of Gods Law is compared to a ſpring, and heavenly knowledge is compared to a ſpring; and then it is thus, All my ſprings: All the truths I have, all the knowledge I come to be made partaker of, are all in the Church. Again, All my ſprings; all the comforts of my heart, and that good and joy my ſpirit receives, and all the graces of the Spirit that I have, and all the quickning and ſtrengthning I have, is communicated to me this way. And upon this ground, the Church is called the very perfection of all beauty, Pſal. 50. 2. Out of Zion the perfection of all beauty, God hath ſhined: Out of Zion, there is his glory wonderfully apparent; The word that is tranſlated, the perfection of beauty, is tranſlated by ſome, the univerſality of beauty; all kinde of beauty, all kinde Univerſitate decoris.of excellency: as if the Pſalmiſt ſhould ſay, Put all excellencies together that poſſibly you can imagine, to make a thing comely and lovely, they are all in the Church. Thus you ſee it is good being with Gods people, when as God is thus preſent with them, in a ſpecial maner.
Eighthly, it is good being with Gods people, becauſe 8.there is Gods ſpecial protection; others are but as the wilderneſs, the Church is as a garden encloſed, Cant. 4. 12. A man regards his garden that he hath encloſed, and beſtowed coſt about, more then a wilde field; the fields have hedges to keep out the beaſts, but gardens have brick wals, or wood walls. Iſa. 27. 3. I the Lord do keep it, I will water it every moment, leſt any hurt it; I will keep it night and day: How full is this? his care over it is ſuch, as he threatens thoſe which ſhall but touch it, Jer. 12. 14. to pluck them out of their land. Zach. 2. 5. God promiſeth he will be a wall of fire round about his people; alluding to the cuſtom of travellers in the wilderneſs, who uſed to make fires round about them in the night for their ſafety, becauſe then none of the wilde beaſts durſt come near them; ſuch a defence is God to his people.
There is nothing in the Book of God, wherein God is ſo full in his expreſſion, as when he comes to this argument, to manifeſt his affection to his Church. Chriſt is the Shepherd, and when ſheep are together, they are under the protection of the Shepherd, when the ſheep are ſcattered, the Shepherds eye is not ſo over them; And therefore in Hoſea 4. 16. God threatens his people, he would feed them as a Lamb in a large place; as a Lamb getting from the fold, goes up and down bleating; ſo when Gods people are ſcattered, they are as a Lamb in a large place: and when God would threaten the ſoreſt judgement againſt his people, Ezekiel 34. he ſays, He will ſcatter them, and they ſhall become to be meat to the beaſts of the field. And hence it is, that the condition of the Church is ſo ſtable a condition: and therefore in Iſaiah 60. 15. the Church is called an eternal excellency, becauſe it is under the Lords protection, and is it not good being there, to be under the wing of God?
Ninthly, to be amongſt Gods people is a bleſſed 9.thing, becauſe they have ſo many priviledges from God: every one deſires to joyn with ſuch ſocieties as have great priviledges; now Gods people have ſuch as are very great, Pſal. 87. 3. Glorious things are ſpoken of thee, O City of God! What glorious things? They have glorious priviledges; What are they? To them are committed the Oracles of God, as the Apoſtle reaſons for the Church of the Jews; So to every Church of God, is committed the Oracles and the Ordinances of God, and thoſe Offices for the diſpenſation of the myſteries of God; which were the great gift, that Chriſt triumphingly aſcending to Heaven gave, and ſurely that gift muſt needs be great. The benefit but of one Ordinance, the Miniſtery of the Word, diſpenſed rightly, is made an argument by God himſelf, for the comfort of his people, in all their adverſities, Iſaiah 30. 20, 21. And though the Lord give you the bread of adverſity, and the water of affliction, yet ſhall not thy Teachers be removed any more into a corner, but thine eyes ſhall ſee thy Teachers. The word in the Miniſtery of it, in the the right way, is a great bleſſing: When Chryſoſtom Tolerabili us fuiſſe ſi ſol radios ſuos retraxiſſet obſcuratus, quàm quòd …s Johānis tacuit.was baniſhed, many godly people were ſo grieved, that they profeſſed it were more ſufferable for the Sun to withdraw his beams, and ſo be darkned, then for the mouth of Chryſoſtom to be ſtopped. If this one Ordinance be ſo bleſſed, what a bleſſing then is the enjoyment of all, and that in a right way?
Every Church-fellowſhip is as the pillar, to hold T. 5. ep. 3.forth the truth to the world, as a light ſet upon a hill, to hold forth the glory of God. And they have amongſt them the broad ſeal of Heaven; To Gods people that are together in a Church-fellowſhip, the ſeals are committed; now this is a mighty priviledge. And beſides, they have the power of Chriſt with them, 1 Cor. 5. 4. the power of Chriſt is committed to them. And amongſt other priviledges, this is one of great worth, that all the promiſes of God made to his Church in former ages, is the heritage of every preſent Church, Iſaiah 54. 17. Theſe are great and high priviledges, and worth the enduring of a great deal of hardſhip, to be made partakers of the good of them.
Tenthly, it is a bleſſed thing to be with them, though with ſome hardſhip, becauſe God is working 10.more and more good for his people every day: Now he is about fulfilling the glorious promiſes that we have in the Prophets, to make an end of all the glory that he does intend in the world: Now if God be working great things for his people, as we hope he is, To ſet up Jeruſalem, as the praiſe of the whole earth; Is it not good to be with them, that we may be partakers of the glory that God intends to them? Iſa. 58. 14. There is a promiſe that the Church ſhall ride upon the high places of the earth: There is a time a coming, that the ſociety of Gods people in this world, ſhall be ſet above all ſocieties in the world; and Iſa. 2. that The mountain of the Lord ſhall be raiſed above all mountains: we cannot ſee how this hath been fulfilled. Iſaiah 60. 19. The Sun ſhall be no more thy light by day, neither for brightneſs ſhall the Moon give light unto thee, but the Lord ſhall be unto thee an everlaſting light, and thy God thy glory. This propheſie is ſpoken of the eſtate of the Church of God; when was this fulfilled, that there ſhould be ſo much glory in the Church, that there need not be any Sun, or Moon, but God ſhould be in ſtead of Sun and Moon, and all the glory of his people? and to be with Gods people, when God does ſuch great things for them, is worth the enduring much hardſhip
In the former part of Iſaiah 60. v. 7. God ſays, He will glorifie the houſe of his glory; and mark what follows, ver. 8. Who are thoſe that fly as a cloud, and as the Doves to their windows? Seeing God will glorifie the houſe of his glory, his people ſhould fly to it as a cloud; Thoſe who are of heavenly, not of droſſie ſenſual ſpirits, will do ſo, and as Doves to their windows; thoſe who are of Dove-like ſpirits, loving ſociety, and purity, they will do ſo. And it was the reaſon why ſome deſired to live, becauſe in a few years, they hoped to ſee ſome great things for his people. And ſo the 102 Pſalm is a prophetical Pſalm, into what a happy condition the Lord will bring his people; and in the latter part of the Pſalm, the Pſalmiſt brings in a gracious heart living in thoſe times, bemoaning the condition of it, that it hath a ſickly body, and weak, and like to dye, before God would make good thoſe promiſes made to the Church: as if he ſhould ſay, Lord, thou art bringing glorious things to paſs for thy Church, and thou art gathering the Kingdoms to ſerve thee, Lord, then take not me away in the midſt of my days; O God let me live to ſee all fulfilled.
Eleventhly, It is good to be with Gods people, becauſe 11.they are thoſe people we ſhal live withal in Heaven: If there were a company travelling together in a ſtrange countrey, and knew when they came to their own countrey they ſhould live together, in ſome great preferment in the Court, how would they delight in one another? So the godly ſhould look upon one another; here we have communion one with another, and theſe are they we muſt joyn in communion withal hereafter, to praiſe God eternally in the higheſt Heavens.
Laſtly, it is Heaven already to joyn with the people 12.of God in communion: The Scripture calls the Church of God, and Church communion, Heaven. And therefore where there is a promiſe of God to reſtore his Church, and recover it from thraldom and miſery, Iſaiah 65. 17. Behold, ſays God, I create new heavens, and new earth; and ſo in Rev. 12. where the viſion of the reſtoring of the Church was ſhewn to John, it was ſhewn that way; there was a new heaven, and a new earth: ſo that the Church of God is heaven, it is not onelyonly a company we ſhall live withal in Heaven hereafter, but it is Heaven now; and therefore our Savior ſays, The leaſt in the kingdom of Heaven, ſhall be greater then John; the leaſt that lived after John in the Chriſtian Church, could ſpeak more of Chriſt then John could: The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man ſowing his field with wheat, that is, the eſtate of the Church is a field ſown with wheat, and after the adverſary ſows tares in it. The Church, ſays Chryſoſtom in one of his Sermons Eccleſia eſt locus Angelorum, Regia coel… coelum ipſum Chry. Hom. 36 in 1. ad Cor.upon the Corinthians, is the place of Angels, the Palace of Heaven, yea Heaven it ſelf. And if it be ſo, that communion with Gods people is Heaven already, ſurely it is worth enduring of much affliction to be with them.