Believers Evidences for Eternal Life, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
Evidences or Signes of our Fellowship and Communion with God and with Jesus Christ.
I.
FIrst, The Holy Spirit of God and of I.Iesus Christ given to us; is a clear evidence of our Communion with him. Hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us, 1 John 3. 24. And again, Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit, 1 John 4. 13. His abiding in us, His dwelling in us, and ours in him, are metaphoricall expressions, denoting the sweet spiritual Communion betwixt God and us. For they that abide and dwell with one another, have fellowship together; but they that abide and dwell in one another, they have a more immediate and intimate Communion with one another: And thus it is betwixt God and his people.
How do we know and discover this our Communion with God by his Spirit given us?
Answ. His Spirit given us makes us know this many wayes, viz.
1. As the inward, immediate, efficient cause of this Divine Communion with us. For, (1.) God dwells in us by his Spirit, Eph. 2. 22. (2.) Christ supplies his corporal absence from his Church by his Spirit, Ioh. 14. 15, 17, 25, 26. and 16. 7, 8.
2. As an Anoynting teaching us all things, 1 John 2. 27. Revealing to us the things given us of God, 1 Cor. 2. 12. And illuminating us with light to receive them. Sometimes the Spirit evidences our fellowship with God, by such a clear, bright and immediate Ray, that it wonderfully assures us hereof, Iohn 14. 21, 22, 23.
3. As a witnesse with our spirits, Rom. 8. 15, 16. And when the Spirit testifieth, (saith *Chrysost: in Rom. 8.Chrysostome) what ambiguity remaineth?
4. As a Seale upon our hearts, Ephes. 1. 13.
5. As the earnest, first-fruits and handsel of our Adoption and endlesse Communion with God in glory, Ephes. 1. 14. Rom. 8. 23.
6. Finally, As the original cause and root of all these spiritual fruits, which are onelyonly found in them that have Communion with God, Gal. 5. 22, 23.
But by what signes or evidences may we know that the Spirit of God and Christ, (which is one and the same, Rom. 8. 9.) is given to us?
Answ. Hereof there are many discoveries. For if the Spirit of God be given us; Then
1. We are, or have been effectually convinced by the Spirit of our own Natural misery; and of Christs Supernatural Al-sufficiency to remove it, Iohn 16. 7, to 12.
2. We are washed and sanctified by the Spirit, 1 Cor. 6. 11. mortifying the old man, vivifying the new man in us, Rom. 8. 13, 11.
3. We are acted, guided, led by the Spirit of God, Rom. 8. 14. That is to say, *foreign Oecumen. Comment. in Rom. 8. 14We make him the Guide and Governour of our whole life. As Oecumenius hath well interpreted in.
4. We minde the things of the Spirit, Rom. 8. 5. Our Thoughts, Projects, Contrivements, Ponderings, &c. do habitually fix here.
5. We bring forth the fruits of the Spirit. The Spirit cannot be barren, nor bring forth bad fruit, Eph. 5. 9. Gal. 5. 22, 23.
6. We combate by the Spirit against the flesh, Galat. 5. 17.
7. We are strengthened for every good word and work, with might in the inner man by the Spirit, Eph. 3. 16. Col. 1. 10, 11. And in particular by the Spirit we are notably enabled unto prayer, against all our infirmities, Rom. 8. 15, 26, 27.
II.
Secondly, The true abiding of the ancient Primitive Truth and Doctrine of II.Christ in us: So that we are not carried aside to unsound new-fangle opinions; notably discovers our Communion with God. Let that therefore abide in you: which ye have heard from the beginning: If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remaine in you, ye also shall continue in the Sonne and in the Father, 1 John 2. 22, 23, 24. That which ye have heard,] viz. that Doctrine, that truth that hath been preached to you. From the beginning,] viz. from the beginning of the Doctrine of the Gospel by Christ, his Prophets and Apostles. *Non est attendendum quid alii ante nos fecerint, sed quid Christus, qui ante omnes est faciendum praeceperit. Cypr.We are not to heed what others have done or believed before us, but what Christ hath commanded us to do and believe who is before all. All novelties in Doctrine are to be censured by primitive truths, and brought to the ancient standard, [from ehe beginning it was not so,] for their regulation.
Now the abiding of the Primitive Doctrine of Christ in us, evidenceth our conti…ance in Father and Son, and so our Communion with them. For, God is truth, Deut. 32. 4. Christ is truth, John 14. 6. The Spirit is truth, 1 John 5. 6. Yea, God is absolutely the first truth, cause of all truth in the world: therefore he that abides in truth which was from the beginning, truly and sincerely hath Communion with God, 2 Iohn 9.
Signes of sincere abiding in the truth.
1. A Cordial love of the truth, 2 Thess. 2. 10. Contrary those, 2 Tim. 4. 3, 4.
2. A consciencious care to do nothing against the truth, but any thing for the truth, 2 Cor. 13. 8. 2 John 10, 11.
3. An earnest contending for the faith once delivered to the Saints, Iude 3. Not for new up-start doctrines, and new coyned opinions.
4. A bearing witnesse to the truth both verbally and really in worst of times, and against greatest of dangers. As did Paul, Phil. 1. 17. The Angel of Pergamus, Rev. 2. 13. yea, Jesus Christ himself bore witnesse to the truth to the death, Iohn 18. 37.
III.
Thirdly, True confessing that Iesus is III.the Son of God, is an evidence that such have Communion with God. Whosoever shall confesse that Iesus is the Sonne of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God, John 4. 15.
Doubt. But how can this be? devils confessed Christ to be the Son of God, Mark 1. 24. Luke 4, 34, 41. yea, hypocrites may confesse Christ, Matth. 7. 22, 23. yet neither hypocrites nor devils have, nor can have communion with God.
Answ. There's a double confessing that Jesus is the Son of God, viz.
1. Dogmaticall, arising meerly from the Assenting act of faith, that believes the truth of Gods Record, or revealed Word touching Jesus Christ; that Scripture is true, and that Jesus is the Sonne of God, the true Messiah promised in the Scripture. Thus Devils and Hypocrites may confesse Christ formally, dogmatically, in words, Tit. 1. 16. and in opinion they know him, Luke 4. 41. But this Assenting, knowing, or confessing of Christ, may be without all Communion with God and Christ.
2. Fiducial, arising not onelyonly from the Assenting, but also from the Applying act of faith: Confessing Christ with confidence, and trust in him for salvation, thus hypocrites and devils cannot confesse him, This is here meant.
He that fiducially thus confesseth Jesus Christ,
1. He assents to the truth of all Gods Record touching Christ, 1 John 5. 10, 11.
2. He applies Christ to himself, rests and lives upon him according to that Record, John 1. 11, 12. Gal. 2. 20. Peter (as was formerly noted out of *See this in Cap. 11. Sign. 4. p. 141 more fully.Augustine,) confessed Christ, that be might embrace him: the devils confessed him, that he might depart from them. It is one thing to confesse Christ to retaine him; another to repell him. Notes of true Applying faith, See in Chap. 2. Sign. 2. p. 25, &c.
3. He confesseth Christ thus applied, not only verbally in words, but really in deeds also, Tit. 1. 16. Matth. 7. 21. observeth his Commandements. *Hoc est esse confessorem Domini, hoc est esse martyrem Christi, servare vocis suae inviolatam circa omnia & solidam firmitatem; nec propter Dominum martyrem fieri, & praecepta Domini destruere conari, &c. Cyprian. Epist. 25 sect. 3. p. 57. Edit. Goulart. 1593.This is (saith Cyprian) to be a true Confessor of the Lord, this is to be a Martyr of Christ, to keep the solid firmnesse of his truth inviolate in all things: not to be a Martyr for the Lord, and endeavour to destroy the Precepts of the Lord.
4. He confesseth Christ, even unto sufferings and unto death, Acts 20. 23, 24. & 21. 13. Revel. 2. 13. In this regard, Cyprian applauds the courage and constancy of the Saints and Confessors of Christ in his time, *Quid entm gloriosius, quid ve felicius ulli hominum poterit ex divina dignatione contingere,—quam inter saevientia secularis potestatis varia & exquisita tormenta, etiam extorto, & excruciato, & excarnificaro corpore, Christum Dei Filium, etsi recedente, sed tamen libero spiritu confiteri? Cypr. Epist. 26. sect. 2. p. 59. Edit. Goulart. 1593.That among the various and exquisite torments of the secular power, the body being tortured, tormented and butchered, yet they confessed Christ with a free, though a departing spirit.
IV.
Fourthly. Not doing or practising of sin, IV.is a signe of Communion with God. Whosoever abideth in him, (there's Communion with God,) sinneth not; whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.—He that committeth sin, is of the devill, for the devil sinneth from the beginning, 1 John 3. 6, 8. Consider now whether thou art a Practioner in sin.
Signes of doing or practising of sinne, as also what a vast difference there is betwixt the sinning of the regenerate and the unregenerate; See in Chap. II. Sign. III. p. …9, to. 60.
V.
Fifthly, Unfeigned lobe to God, and dwelling therein, discovers to us our true V.Communion with God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love, and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him, 1 John 4. 16. God is love;] what more precious! He that dwells in love, dwelleth in God;] what more gracious! and God in him,] what more glorious! Love to God, is a Signe not only of Gods cohabitation with us, but of his and our mutual inhabitation in one another, There's Communion. Habitual dwelling in the love of God, must needs be an indication of our Communion with God. For, 1. Our true love to God denotes a Reciprocation of mutual affections betwixt God and us; For we love him, because he first loved us, 1 Joh. 4. 19. 2. Our true love to God implies consequently, a Reciprocation of the genuine fruits and effects of love mutually. God loves us, and redeems, calls, adopts, sanctifies justifies, glorifies us; we love God, and trust in him, fear him, obey him, &c. both these import spiritual communion with God.
Admirably speaks *Charitas te domum Domini facit, & Dominum domum tibi. Foelix artifex charitas, quae conditori fuo talem domum potens est fabricare. Domus ista non constat ex caemento & latere, nec lapide, nec ligno, vel auro, nec argento, vel lapide pretioso. Omne aurum excedit, argentum supereminet universum. In ejus comparatione lapides pretiosi vilescunt, nil est quod valeat comparari pulchritudini ejus & speciositari. Mel comparatum dulcedini ejus, sic est quasi absynthium comparatum dulcedini mellis; omnia quae sunt, quantumlibet pulchra, quantumlibet speciosa, in ejus comparatione, nec reputari debent.—In hac domo caeci lumen, claudi gressum, curvi rectitudinem, infirmi sanitatem, mortui resurrectionem, cuncti qui intrant felicitatem accipiunt; nullus miser in ea, in ea cuncti beati. Bern. in Coen. Dom. Serm. 9. p. 1341. Antuerp. 1616.Bernard of this love and this communion. Love makes thee the house of the Lord, and the Lord thine house. Love is an happy artificer, which can make such an house for its Maker. This house consists not of lime and brick, nor stone nor wood, nor gold, nor silver, nor precious stone. It surpasseth all gold and silver. Honey is but wormwood to its sweetnesse.—In this house the blinde have sight, the lame walke, the crooked are made straight, the infirme have health, the dead have Resurrection, and all enterers happinesse.
But how may we know that we truly dwell in Gods love?
Answ. By these ensuing Signes, viz.
1. When we love God with an intensive love, viz. with all that is within us, Luk. 10. 27.
2. When we love God with a predominant love, that supereminently overcomes our love to all other objects besides God, Psal. 97. 10. Matth. 10. 37. compared with Luke 14. 26. Rev. 12. 11.
3. When we love him obedientially, so as willingly to do any thing at his Command, Iohn 14. 15, 21, 23. 1 Iohn 5. 3. 2 Cor. 5. 14.
4. When we love him invincibly, so that our love cannot be quenched or conquered: but we are ready to endure any thing for his glory, Cant. 8. 6, 7. Acts 20. 23, 24. & 21. 13.
5. When we love him continually, *foreign. Ad incorruptibilitatem. Bez. Graecus scholiastes perpetuum amorem intelligit. ut foreign positum sit, pro adverbio foreign, id est, percun…ter. Bez. Annot. in loc.in incorruption, (as the Original signifies,) Eph. 6. 24. when our love is like heart of Oak, or Cedar, will not worm eat, rot or putrefie, but constantly persevere incorruptible.
VI.
Sixthly, Walking in light and not in darknesse, evidenceth our Communion with VI.God.—God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darknesse, we lie, and do not t…e truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, [viz. God with us, and we with God.] And the blood of Iesus Christ, his Son cleanseth ne from all sin, 1 John. 1. 5, 6, 7.
There's (1.) A darknesse of grosse ignorance and error, Eph. 4. 18. (2.) A darknesse of sinfulnesse, or sinful misery, Eph. 5. 8. Acts 26. 18. Habitually to walk on in these, argues the want of Communion with God, who is purest light without all darkness whatsoever. In vaine for such to pretend they have Communion with God.
Signes of walking in light, not in darknesse.
1. When we are effectually translated from darkness to light. This is presupposed; for till a man be brought from natural state of darknesse, to a supernatural state of light, there can be no walking in light, Acts 26. 18. Col. 1. 13. Eph. 5. 8.
2. When we cast off the works of darkness, and put on the Armour of light, Rom. 13. 12, to the end. When we bring forth the *foreign Quam lectionem in Claromontano, & aliis duobus veteribus libris invenimus, ut & apud Syrum Interpretem. Bez. Annot. in l…c.fruit of light, (as some Original Greek Copies read it) Eph. 5. 9.
3. When we shun all fellowship with works of darknesse in others, Eph. 5. 11.
4. When we hate not the light, as evil doers, but love it and come unto it, that it may be manifest our deeds are wrought in God, …ohn 3. 20, 21.
VII.
Seventhly, Walking as Christ (our chief VII.Captaine, Heb. 2. 10) walked, is a further discovery of our fellowship with God and Christ. He that saith he abideth in him, ought himselfe also so to walke even as he walked, 1 John 2. 6. To walke as Christ walked, is to imitate Christ, to follow Christ; or as Oecumenius *foreign. Oecumen. com. in loc.well expresseth it; so to live and behave our selves in our life, as Christ did. To rectifie our life according to Christs course. Christs *Videatur N. jus divinum Regimin. Eccles. p. 18, 19. edit. 2.actions were either, 1. Acts of divine power, as his miracles, turning water into wine, Iohn 2. 7, &c. walking on the sea, Mark. 6. 48, …9. Raising the dead, Iohn 12. 1. Matthew 11. 5. Luk. 7. 21, &c. 2. Acts of divine Prerogative, Matth. 21. 2, &c. 3 Acts Mediatory, as dying for his sheep, Ioh. 10. 15. Giving of the Spirit, Ioh. 20. 22. Acts 2. Appointing his own officers in the Church, Eph. 4. 7, 10, 11. 4. Moral Acts, appertaining to the common nature of sanctification, as Mat. 11. 29. Eph. 5. 2, 3, 25. Or at least bottomed upon a moral consideration and ground, as in Ioh. 13. 14, 15. According to these moral acts of Christ, we are to follow Christ, to walk as Christ walked.
How did Christ walk? that we may know, whether we walk like him?
1. Christ walked most purely, holily, inoffensively, both before God and man, Heb. 4. 15. and, 7. 26. Isa. 53. 9. Many took offence at Christ, Mat. 15. 12. Mark 6. 3. but Christ gave them no offence. Thus should we walk, 1 Cor. 10. 32, 33. Act. 23. 1. and 24. 16. 1 Thes. 2 10, 11, 12.
2. Christ walked most humbly and meekly, Mat. 11. 28. Phil. 2. 5, 6, 7.
3. Christ walked most selfe-denyingly. Though he was rich, yet became poore for our sakes, 2 Cor. 8. 9. If it be possible, let this cup passe from me, yet not as I will, but as thou wilt, Mar. 14. 36.
4. Christ walked most zealously, Joh. 2. 15, 16, 17.
5. Christ walked most obedientially to his heavenly Father, Rom. 5. 19. Ioh. 4. 34. Heb. 5. 8, 9. He became obedient to death, even the death of the Crosse, Phil. 2. 8. He was so obedient, [ut vitam perdidit, ne obedientiam perderet] that he lost his life, that he might not lose his obedience. *Vitae quoque ipse salvator praetulit hanc virtutem [viz. obed.] Eligens magis animā ponere, quam obedientiam non implere. Bern. de verb. Ecce nos reliq. p. 994. C.Our Saviour (said Bernard) preferred this vertue of obedience before his life, choosing rather to lay down his life, then not to fulfil his obedience:
6. Christ walked most profitably, went about doing good, Act. 10. 38.
7. Walked most lovingly, tenderly, and compassionately towards poore sinners to winne them and save them, Luk. 4. 18, 19, 20, 21. Mat. 12. 19, 20. and 11. 28, 29, 30. Luk. 7. 37, to the end.
8. Christ walked most spiritually and heavenly. He lived on earth, as if he had been still in heaven; Extracted heavenly contemplations, and spiritual lessons, from all sorts of earthly objects and occasions presented before him, Iohn 4 10, &c. and, ver. 31, 32. and 6. 26, 27, &c. and 15. 1, &c.
Dost thou thus walk as Christ walked? then hast thou communion with God in Christ.
VIII.
VIII. Keeping his Word and Commandements discovers our communion with VIII.God. Whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected. Hereby know we that we are in him, 1 Joh. 2. 5. And this is his Commandment, that we should beleeve on the Name of his Son Iesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us Commandment. And he that keepeth his Commandments, dwelleth in him, and he in him, 1 Joh. 3. 23, 24.
Signes of true keeping his commandments, See in Chap. 2. Signe 6. p. 162, to 168. and, Ch. 6. Signe 4. p. 208, to 212.
Signes of true believing in Jesus Christ, See in Chap. 2. Signe 2. p. 23, to 29.
Signes of the brethrens true love to one another, See in chap. 2. Signe 7. p. 168, to 173. and, chap. 8. throughout.
IX.
Lastly, True brotherly love, is a signe of our Communion with God. For we love our brethren for God in them, that begat them, 1 Iohn 5. 1. we love God, because he first loved us, 1 Iohn 4. 19. And where there is mutual love betwixt God and us, we have sweet communion with him. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us, 1 John 4. 12.
Evidences of the truth of our brotherly love to one another, See in Chap. 2. Signe 7. p. 168, to 173. and chap. 8. throughout.