is the order and work of God first to prepare the heart for communion and then to incline his own ear to hear his people and to entertain communion with them in Ordinances he doth observe this order and follow it with a practise suitable to it in his daily addresses to God that is thus wheresoever he doth finde his heart put into a fitted and prepared frame for communion with God he doth not let it dye again and go out of frame by a sloathfull neglect of such a disposition of heart No but he immediately sets himselfe to duty to worship God and to the acts of his Worship in his Ordinances as he expresseth himself in another Psalm viz. Psal 57.7 thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nacâ—on libbi elohim nachon â—ibbiâ— there is the first he finds his heart fitted and prepared for communion with God My heart saith he is fitted or prepared for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nachon is the passive conjugation niphal signifying he is fitted or prepared from the same root in the former Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chun he fitted or prepared in the active and so it is rather to be rendred prepared or fitted then fixed thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 libbi my heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nachon is fitted or prepared O God my heart is fitted or prepared for communion with thee Well what followes He presently sets himselfe upon that great duty and Ordinance of communion with God in the praising of his Name and singing forth those praises as in the words immediately following in the same verse thus My heart is prepared O God my heart is prepared therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ashidah va-azameral I will sing and give praise 3. When the heart is carried forth in its utmost strength after duty then thou shalt enjoy communion with God Dan. 9.3.22 compared Daniel he sets his face towards Jerusalem and the Text saith that at the beginning the Angel of th Lord came and touched him O Daniel greatly beloved of the Lord thy prayer is heard When the soule puts forth his greatest strength in duty then doth it enjoy most communion with God in duty The more active thou art in imploying thy selfe about this work the more in-comes from God will there be in this work That 's the first particular Secondly in the duty If there be ravishing discoveries the heart knowes it God is his own witnesse in the Spirit I but if there be but an humbling fellowship though there be not ravishing discoveries 't is an evidence Now the dispositions of the Soul in the duty which speaks communion with God are these 1. It is a very humble fellowship it laies a man very low in his own eyes and raiseth God very high How ready are we then to cry with Peter Lord depart from me I am a sinfull man The heart will be humble and the presence of God will be dreadfull 2. The appearance of grace will be powerfull it will set the heart against every sin When Moses came from the mount of communion how zealous was he against the sin of Idolatry 3. There will be an answering of the heart for it is an echoing fellowship The Lord saith thou art my people and they will say thou art my God If he say seek ye my face they will answer thy face Lord will I seek 4. It will be a heating fellowship The Disciples said Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked with us O it will be a heating fellowship it will kindle fresh flames of love towards Jesus Christ it will make your soules burn towards heaven Thirdly after the duty you may know whether you have fellowship by these particulars 1. It will leave a sweet remembrance behind it Psalm 42.4 When I remembered these things I powre out my soul in me for I had gone with the multitude I went with them to the house of God with the voice of joy and praise with a multitude that kept holy day The soul can never forget those times of communion that it had with God nor those bosome embraces nor those sweet kisses that it had from the lips of Christ These mercies are too great to be forgotten by a soule that doth enjoy communion with God 2. It leaves an instinct in the soule after farther fellowship with God If a man fall into sin but once it leaves a pronenesse in a man to fall into it again So 't is in communion with God if a man enjoy communion with God but once it leaves a greater pronenesse and aptitude in the man to look after communion with God again A soule that hath had communion and fellowship with Christ O how doth it long after further fellowship with him 3. It leaves in a man a love to those Ordinances wherein it had communion with God O how is the soul in love with those prayers which brought Christ to it and in love with that Word wherein Jesus Christ spake to his soul How is it taken with every Ordinance wherein the influences of Heaven are distilled and drop upon them 4. It leaves an impression upon the soule of the holinesse of God The holinesse of God is of a transforming nature Acts 4.15 They took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus They saw that they had enjoyed communion with God why there were such beams of the Majesty and the beauty and the glory of God left upon them that they that saw them might easily know that they had seen God and had enjoyed communion with him and 't is said of Stephen they beheld his face as the face of an Angel when he was before the Councell 5. If you have fellowship communion with God you wil have acquaintance with God and familiarity with him Job 22.21 Acquaint thy selfe with God c. A soule cannot enjoy communion with a stranger till he be familiarized into his acquaintance Communion speaks the choicest familiarity between persons If your souls have had communion and fellowship with God then you are brought into acquaintance with God 6. If your soules have enjoyed communion and fellowship with God you will be sure to keep God company and walk with God let others walk which way they please It is said of Enoch to his praise that he walked with God and God spake to Abraham Walk before me and be thou perfect 7. A soul that hath communion and fellowship with God in Ordinances is sensible of all Gods withdrawments he knowes when God comes in and when God goes out at an Ordinance How many persons are there that never minde either the accesses or recesses of Christ or the Spirit when they come in to appear before God in Ordinances 8. There will be a sweet agreement between Christ and the soul can two walk together except they be agreed in what path they shall go and what steps they shall take that which was Gods way shall be the soules way God will not go one
bitter things and 't is only Communion with God that can put sweetnesse into them Jesus Christ he was a man of sorrowes and what upheld his life onely Communion with God the Lord stood by me and strengthned me Now that which upheld the life of Christ that is it that doth uphold the life of every Christian and that is communion with God The same words Paul makes use of The Lord stood by me and strengthened me whose I am and whom I serve This is the mighty end that God aimes at in communion that he may sweeten all the course of our pilgrimage while we are going to heaven This is the bunch of grapes that God gives his people to feed upon in their wildernesse state they would be out of heart if they had no communion with him This is that sweet wood that is cast into the waters of Marah to make them sweet and pleasant 7. Therefore hath God communion with his people that he may prepare their hearts for desertions that they may be affected with them when they come and that they may not be dejected under them though they long continue that they may not think their cloud shall never be blown over though their Sun be hidden 1. That they may be affected with desertions Saith David Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled If he had never seen the face of God he would never have been troubled for Gods hiding of his face The Saints of God if they had not some tasts of communion with him they would never be troubled for his withdrawment from them 2. That they may not be dejected under them David he calls to minde his song that he made in the night and the remembrance of that was exceeding sweet and exceeding pleasant unto him the remembrance of former communions that he had with God bore up his spirit when many troubles were upon him 8. End why God will have communion with his people it is to put them out of tast with all the pleasures of sin and the creature Phil. 4.7 And he peace of God which passeth all understanding keep your hearts and minds c. 'T is usuall when any epithite of God is added to a thing it signifies and notes the excellency of it it 's the peace of God a peace that comes from God a peace that brings to God a peace that makes us live like God in such sweetnesse and peace and contentment Now this peace it puts a mans mouth out of tast of any of the sweet nesses and of the pleasures of sin Thy loving kindnesse is betâ—e then life saith David And Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth for thy love is better than Wine saith the Church There is nothing puts us out of tast with the pleasures of sin so much as a soules tasting of communion with God when a soule hath drank the old wine it cares not for drinking of new because the old was better The loving kindnesse of God in communion with him is that which takes off the pallate from tasting sweetnesse any where else The more any soule is brought into communion with God the more doth it disrelish the pleasures of sin 9. End that God aims at in giving the Soule Coumunion with himself is that it might aggravate their sins in the day of Repentance Sins against Communion are great aggravations Solomon departed from the Lord when hee had appeared to him twice which migh tily aggravated his sin 1 Kings 11.9 God kept an exact account of his manifestations that he might aggravate Solomons sins in the day of his Repentance O when a soule comes to fit down and consider I have not onely sinned against so many mercies of God and so long tired out the Patience of God but I have sinned against Communion with God Jesus Christ took me into his banquetting house and his banner over me was love He stay'd me with flagons he comforted me with Apples his left hand was under my head and his right hand did imbrace me and yet I finned my self out of the sweet imbraces of Christ O how doth this melt the heart when it comes to mourn for sin the sense of the sweetness of his communion that he had with God puts double tears into his eyes and double sighs into his spirit There 's no such aggravation of sin as communion with God 10. Therefore God hath communion and fellowship with his people therefore doth he meet them that he might blesse them Exod. 20.24 Communion times are times when all requests are granted King Ahasuerus grants the request of Hester when he comes to sit with her at a banquet of wine The greatest blessing that ever the Saints do enjoy it is in times of communion with God O then how are their consciences filled with peace O how are their hearts filled with joy God makes large distributions of spirituall blessings when he admits the soul into communion with himselfe What blessing is there that the soule may not have when it hath communion with God in Ordinances 11. End of Gods communion with his people here is that his fellowship here may be the first fruits of glory hereafter When God will bestow any great mercy upon a man he gives him a tast of it before hand that he may set him upon more earnest and eager longings after it Gods people they have the first fruits of all their mercies in this world and the full crop of them all in another world When the soule is made to tast of the sweetnesse of communion with God O how it longs to be with God how many prayers doth the soule make to God that he would tak it home to himselfe that it might ever lye in his arms and ever dwell in his presence I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all What was the ground that raised up such desires in Paul to be with Christ It was because here he had tasted of the sweetnesse of Christ and if Christ in this world was so sweet if a Christ on earth was so sweet then a Christ in heaven would be much more sweet And on this ground the Church calls to Christ Make hast my beloved and be thou like a Roe or young Hart upon the mountain of spices Cant. 8.14 And in Revel 22. when Christ had told the Church that he would return again unto her to have more communion with her she cries out Amen even so come Lord Jesus She puts her prayers to Christs promises and saith Amen Lord so let it be Application THere are three Uses I shal make of this point 1. Information 2. Examination 3. Exhortation 1. For Information Use 1 Is it so that the main end of God in the establishing and setting up of Ordinances is communion with himselfe Hence I draw these six inferences 1. Behold here the infinite delight that God takes in the society of all his Saints that he would set up all Ordinances
THE SAINTS COMMUNION With GOD And GODS Communion with them in ORDINANCES As it was delivered in Severall SERMONS By that Faithfull servant of Christ Mr. WILLIAM STRONG Late Minister at Westminster LONDON Printed for George Sawbridge at the Bible on Ludgate-hill and Ro Gibbs in Chancery Lane 1656. To his Honourable friend Collonell William Purefoy Recorder of the famous City of Coventry SIR THis Book falling by Providence into my hands and the earnest intreaty of divers Christian and pious friends in London having drawn from me the Epistle to the Reader as also having heard much of your being an admirer of the Author hereof Reverend Master Strong now blessed in the Eternall Mansions above I made bold to commend the book also to your selfe as an humble acknowledgment of the faithfull service I owe you by the same way of fellowship and communion in Gospell-Ordinances with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ our Lord we must all attain to that blessed and eternall communion where the presence of God Christ in glory shall transcend the purest Ordinances here below But if either we turn our backs upon holy and pretious truths received and once publickly professed or let our zeal cool or by sitting still go not forward we both lose the comfort of communion here and shall have lesse communion in glory No doubt Sir but it is a wild age wherein we live many stupendious changes strange turnings and amazing alterations we have seen both in Church and State and who knowes what yet any of us must undergo we have therefore more need to stick to our principles more faithfully to own Gods name and to maintain our practise in holinesse with more vigor and constancy that in the end we may reap if we faint not Which that you Sir my Honourable friend may still perform and bring a greater glory to God and do more good to that my native City of Coventry where I was once an unworthy Lecturer and to the whole Country better service shining more gloriously in the end of your daies that so when you have finished your course with joy and kept the faith the houre of temptation which now is upon all the earth that then you may receive the Crown laid up for you which your Son Wife now both blessed and glorious are enjoying to all eternity is and shall be the hearty and earnest prayer of him who doubts not of your candid acceptation of this my bold presumption but desires in all things ever to be found Sir Your most humble and faithfull servant upon the best accompt JOHN HERING From my Study Brides-Church-yard London Christian Reader AT the earnest intreaty and request of some Pious and Christian Friends who finde sweet Communion with God in Gospell-Ordinances I am bold to commend the reading of this book unto thee The Author hereof I believe is now in Heaven receiving his wages after his work is done and a glorified Saint enjoying eternall Communion with God above Ordinances We must all confesse that in respect of human frailties we are not so STRONG but that weaknesse will attend the best of us whilest here below in our pilgrimage to that Heavenly Canaan He will be much deceived that reckons this World his Heaven but doth and will finde it his Wildernesse and at best but his passage through the Red-Sea and here we have need of Moses not only to kill the Aegyptian for us and to bring us out of Egypt and also lift up his Rod and stretch forth his Hand and so divide the Red-Sea that our passage may be safe but also of a Joshua to bring us into Canaan and this is our Lord Jesus Christ who is God blessed for evermore No true Saint in this life can live without or above Ordinances no more then the naturall body can live without food and raiment God in his infinite wisdome and mercy hath admitted the Churches new born babes in all ages to Ordinances whereby Grace and the seeds of Regeneration may be through mercy conveyed to them and are not Saints to the end of their daies perfected by them also as the Apostle speaks Ephes 5.26 27. Some waters are contained in Springs and Wells some in Conduits and Pipes and some also in the main Ocean yet they are all conveyances of Water for the several uses of the sonnes of men and they are all bounded within their due limits And so it is with Gospell Ordinances there 's the Wells and springs of life there 's the Pipes of spirituall Comfort and there 's the Ocean of mercy and all the priviledges of free Grace conveyed to the believing soule All those in these licentious daies which God will require some where that cry down Ordinances are forc'd themselves to devise new waies of conveying their apprehended spirit unto us And should we refuse the waies of Gods own appointment Whereever God shall record his Name shall we deny to worship him there How then will God come unto us and blesse us as he hath promised Let those wild men of this Age that have been at Jericho in stead of Ierusalem resolve the question how the Lord will appear in waies and Ordinances that are not of his own institution and allowance Will he not sadly personally and publickly say to them at the great day who hath required these things at your hands bring no more vain oblations Reader I will say no more but beseech thee to turn thy reading into prayer and thy praying into humble and holy practise that thou maist know the Trinity in Vnity and Vnity in Trinity which reason cannot understand and maist enjoy soule-Communion with all the Persons in the Trinity by Faith in Gospell-Ordinances and that both in the Temple and also in every Administration of the Lord Jesus to thee thou maist cordially affectionately and with comfort say Iehovah Shammah the Lord is there And with Iacob in his Pilgrimage be able to confesse Surely the Lord is in this place though sometimes I knew it not through mine own default And that thou maist finde all mercies and glories bottomed on thy spirituall Communion with God reconciled to thee in Christ thy Redeemer is the desire of him who thirsts after more Communion with God and Christ in holy Ordinances and begs alwaies to be found upon a spirituall account Thine in the Lord Christ IOHN HERING From my Study in Brides Church-yard London Octo. 27. 1655. The Saints Communion with God and Gods Communion with them in O dinances Exod. 20.24 The latter part In all places where I record my name or where I cause my name to be remembred I will come unto thee and I will blesse thee THe whole Chapter is made up of Gods giving the morall Law In the giving forth of which law there are many remarkable passages as why it must be given from Mount Sinai why immediately after their deliverance out of Egypt why in thunderings and lightnings why the world in its infancy lived without
Angels themselves to attend upon him and hence are those and such like expressions of this their office and duty I have set the Lord alwaies before me c. and as the eyes of Servants are upon the hands of their Masters and as the eyes of a waiting-Maid unto the hand of her Mistrâ—sse so our eyes are upon the Lord our God waiting till he have mercy upon us c. Now had the Lord chosen you but to Salvation wheÌ„ he did leave the Angels to fall under the curse of their covenant broken this had been a great mercy but this will not satisfie electing love only to make up old breaches and then to shut up its bosome or to say to us as David said to Absolon let him return to his house but let him never see my face no but God will have his children look him in the face therefore in the Luke 214. there is not only glory to God in the highest and peace on earth which is reconciliation but there is good will towards men There is fellowship and communion peace will not serve loves turn but there must be good will too The love of God did not only ordain us to friendship but it did ordain us to fellowship The Father in love came forth from all eternity to us that we to all eternity might enjoy communion with him I had almost said that the very essence of the love of God and all the actings of it lead to communion and fellowship with him Ground 2 The second ground of communion is from the Covenant of Grace under which you stand When Adam had sinned he ranne away from God when he made himselfe a sinner God made him an exile Now in the Covenant under which Adam was he had communion with God as a Creature with his Creator but not as a child with his Father Now the Covenant of grace it is a conjugall Covenant and conjugall Covenants are all of them made for the enjoying of communion Hosea 2.19 I will betroth thee to me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse and in judgment and in loving kindnesse and in mercies Mark there are foure things in these words that point out the firmnesse and the stability of our Marriages with Christ First 't is done in righteousnesse Secondly in judgment Thirdly in loving kindnesse Fourthly in tender mercies Now what are the fruits and effects of this same conjugall relation and of our joyning to Christ See Chap. 3.3 And I said thou shalt be for me many daies and shalt not be for another so will I be for thee Christ promiseth to be for the Saints and he engageth the Saints to be for him Ephes 2.12 Strangers to the Covenants of promise without God and without hope in the world Till such time as a man be brought into Covenant with God he is a stranger to God and therefore hath no communion with him he stands at the greatest distance from this fellowship with the Father and with his sonne Jesus Christ But now when a man is brought within the verge of the Covenant of grace then hath he communion in all the grace of the Covenant The Covenant of Grace hath two properties peculiar to it which were not in the first Covenant First there is Foedus Amicitiae and Paedus Conjugale a Covenant of friendship and a Conjugal Covenant This is the great end of the Gospell Luke 2.14 the Angels described the purpose of God and what is it to give peace on earth and good will God contents himselfe not only with peace but good will not only reconciliation but communion and the Lord delights his people should come to him in a familiar way under tearms of intimacy Hos 2.16 a strange expression Thou shalt not call me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ishi saith the Lord and shalt call me no more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Baali Baali signifies my Lord God would be called by Lord no more but call me Ishi what 's that my Husband Ground 3 The third ground of communion of Saints with God is their union with Jesus Christ Answerable to your union there will be your communion There 's a five-fold union 1. An union Politicall as between a King and his people 2. An union naturall as between head and members 3. An union sinfull as betwixt one sinner and another 4. An union Hypostaticall between the two natures of Christ 5. An union mysticall and that is between Christ and the Saints Look what Righteousnesse Christ as Mediator hath is yours and the communion that Christ hath with the Father we have interest in it also 1 Cor. 12.12 For as the body is one and hath many members and all the memes of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ God the Father never looks on Christ and the Saints as two but as one Will you take a view of Christs communion with the Father Dan. 7.13 I saw and behold one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the Antient of daies and they brought him neer before him 1 John 18. He lives in the bosome of the Father The bosome 't is the seat of secrets of love and of fellowship Now in this his communion with the Father we are in no lesse then the whole of our Salvation interessed for he is brought before the Father standing at his right hand and lying in his bosom not only to enjoy communion with his Father himselfe but to intercede for our communion with him also Union that disposeth for communion There can be no communion where there is no union Rev. 3.20 Behold I stand at the dore and knock if any man hear my voice and open the dore I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me First there must be opening of the dore and Jesus Christ must come in before ever there be supping together none of the fare that is to feast a Chrian comes till Christ him self brings it If the dore be shut against Christs person then there is a Baracado to all communion Cant. 5.5 I am come into my Garden my sister my spouse c. And then Eat O friends drink yea drink abundantly O beloved There are two things that we enjoy by vertue of our union with Christ First satisfaction in him Secondly Communion and fellowship with him Look what fellowship and Communion Christ hath with the Father it is by vertue of his union with him and look what fellowship and Communion wee have with Christ 't is by vertue of our union with him 1 Cor. 3.22.23 mark how the Relation there riseth All are yours how comes that ye are Christs and Christ is Gods and Rom. 5.2 by whom wee have accesse into this grace wherein we stand note this 1. Believers have under the Gospel accesse into glorious grace into this grace 2. That the meritorious cause of believers accesse into this grace is the Lord Jesus Christ
for this end to have communion with them and that they might have communion with him that he might have the enjoyment of them and that they might come to the participation of him 'T is a wonder of mercy and of condescensions that the most High should stoop to such low persons He that had infinite blessednesse in the society and in the enjoyment of himselfe he that took so great a delight in his Son and in the society of the Angells that he should take any delight to impart himselfe unto poor sinfull dust and ashes to men nay to wormes and no men When men set up variety of means for the accomplishment of their ends 't is a great signe that their hearts are very much set upon them Consider what variety of Ordinances God hath set up for the communication of himselfe unto believers 2. Behold here what should be the main end of the Saints in the use of all Ordinances namely communion and fellowship with God look what was Gods end in appointing Ordinances that should be our end in using of Ordinances In praying we should seek the face of God and in hearing we should hear the voice of God hear what God the Lord will say and in meditating my meditation of thee shall be sweet and in conference Psal 145.11 They shall talk of the glory of thy Kingdome and speak of all thy power In receiving the Lords Supper what should be a Saints greatest delight in comming to that spirituall Banquet It should be meeting with Christ in that Ordinance We oftentimes lose all the blessings of the means because we propound not to our selves communion with God as the end Many soules that come to Sermons Christ may say to them as he said to those What went ye out into the Wildernesse to see a Reed shaken with the winde You are to do as the wise Virgins did to go forth and meet the Brides groom and to trim your Lamps for the meeting of him If communion be not your end in Ordinances Ordinances will be nothing available to you you will lose all the Ordinances that you enjoy except you meet with Christ in them 3. Is communion with God the great end of God in Ordinances Hence then learn this that when communion with God in Ordinances is not enjoyed then the ultimate end of all the Ordinances is frustrated you lose the end for which all Preaching and Praying and Hearing was ordained while communion is missed while you have no communion with God Ordinances never attain their appointed ends How sad is it to use the means and never attain the end and yet this is the case of thousands of soules that live under choice administrations and yet are never brought into a state of communion they are so far from enjoying communion with God that they know not what it is to have communion with God though it be declared to them How many are there that lye a long time at the pool and yet never see any Angell come down to stirre the water that lie by the sides of the pool but are never put into the pool O how sad is it that such excellent Ordinances should lose their ends and that we should so long have the enjoyment of them and yet never be bettered by them that we should never attain those ends for which they were ordained 4. Is it so that the main end of God in establishing and setting up of Ordinances is to enjoy communion with himselfe then let every soul take heed of throwing down of Ordinances let every soul be exceeding tender of the appointments of God lest they throw down the means of their communion with God and live without God in the world Though God hath not tyed himselfe to Ordinances yet he hath tyed us to Ordinances and in mine own experience I have known many men grow worse but never any man grew better by the neglecting of Ordinances There is no communion to be had with God but in Ordinances and therefore if you go from Ordinances you will be fetched home by a smarting rod if you belong to God VVhat ever you do be very tender of Gospell-Ordinances For if he that despised Moses his Law dyed without mercy under two or three witnesses of how much sorer panishment shall they be thought worthy that trample under foot the blood of the covenant wherewith they were sanctified and count it an unholy thing O it 's sad to see how many soules there are that cast dirt upon those Ordinances that are the Charriots in which Jesus Christ rides to take up soules into communion with himselfe 5. If communion be the main end of God in setting up of Ordinances Behold then whence it is and why it is that the Saints of God are so much troubled when they want the sensible enjoyment of communion with God they know the truth of this truth the Ordinance in its end is lost to them When a child goes out to seek his Father and cannot finde him 't is a great grief to him Believers go out in Gospell-Ordinances to seek after God and when they cannot finde him it must needs be very grievous to their spirits Cant. 3.1 by night upon my bed I sought him whom my soul loved but I found him not Divine endeavours do not alwaies meet with Divine successes shee sought him I but she found him not So many a soule comes to meet with God in an Ordinance but God is withdrawn from them they cannot see his face though they come to seek his face and the sorest affliction that a child of God lies under or can lie under in this world is the withdrawment of God from Ordinances when he thinks to find God in them he is departed from them they shall go with their Flocks and their Herds to seek after the Lord but they shall not find him for he hath withdrawn himself 6. Is it the main end of God in setting up Ordinances that his Saints might have Communion with him Then learn hence the ground why the Saints set so high a price upon and are so often found in Divine Ordinances 't is because they there meet with Communion with God now the meetings with God is the ground of their so often appearings before him Alas 't is not their meeting together that they aim at but their meeting with God that they looke after if God be wanting all is wanting if God be there nothing is wanting Ordinances alas they can do nothing without God they are but painted swords in dead mens hands they cannot raise the heart when it is fallen they cannot refresh the heart when it is sad they cannot enlighten the soul when there is a cloud upon it they cannot draw the heart to Heaven when it is earthly they cannot resolve any doubts that are upon their spirits no these things are too great and too good for Ordinances to do 't is onely the God of the Ordinances that can do all all
way and let the soul go an other then it can have no Communion But when God and the soul tread both in the same steps there 's a sweet agreement and delightful harmony between them 9. A soul that hath Communion with God highly prizeth the presence of God and the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ If thy presence go not along with us saith Moses carry us not from hence and nothing gives the soul content if it hath lost Communion till it be restor'd again it can bear any thing better then a breach in its Communion no loads lie so heavy upon it as a departed Saviour how doth the soule lament after the Lord when it cannot find the Lord it is restlesse till it come to lie in it's beloveds bosome Lastly A soul that hath fellowship Communion with God it cuts off all other contrary fellowships that are inconsistent with it cuts off all sinful carnal fellowship They wil have no fellowship with the unfruitfull works of darknesse that have fellowship communion with the Father of lights Use 3 For Exhortation to presse you to look after communion with God There are three things that wee are to look after to attain to communion with God 1. We must have a right path 2. We must have a staffe of strength and power 3. Wee must have true ascents and fellowships First wee must have a right path and that is Jesus Christ there is no coming to the Father but by the Son Jâ—h 14.6 I am the way c. There is a choice way to God but there are no choice of waies to come to God passe by one you pass by all Heb. 7.19 For the Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did by â—he which we draw nigh unto God what is that better hope It is Jesus Christ hope depends so much on him for the best things that he is called our better hope by which with assurance wee may draw nigh to God that 's the Apostles incouragement Heb. 10.19 by the bâ—ood of Iesus we have boldnesse to enter into th holiest Secondly wee must have a staffe of strength and power and that 's the spirit of God Iude 20 Verse praying in the Holy-Ghost As it 's the office of Christ to interceed with God for us so it 's the office of the spirit to interceed in us the prayers that go up to God come down from God There are two burdens that are too heavy for us to bear First the burden of sins Secondly the burden of suits Thirdly we must have true ascents and footsteps else wee shall never come up to Communion with God There are six severall ascents and foot steps by which wee ascend to the Throne of God for the enjoyment of communion with him 1. The sence of self-indigency wee never enjoy communion with the fulnesse of God till we see the Emptinesse that is in our selves a full soule loaths the hony Come though it have never so much sweetnesse in it the whole never prizeth the Physitians Medicines sence of want draws the Creature downe on Earth and then leads it up to Heaven 2. Sence of our own utter inability to supply our own necessities Psal 73.25 26. Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee my flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever If there be any thing that you expect satisfaction from besides God you will never come to communion with him you will then looke after fellowship with him when you see all your happinesse in him The. 3. Footstep to Communion with God is sence of our own unworthinesse that God should give supplies unto us when Jacob was brought so nigh into fellowship and Communion with God when hee was strugling with God and would not let him go till hee had got a blessing then he lâ—t go all opinion of worth in himself to receive a blessing Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies There is no drawing nigh to the most high God without low thoughts of our selves the proud look disdainfully upon God and meet with disdain from him The 4. Footstep to Communion is the clear knowledge and full acknowledgement of the power and sufficiency of God to help us and to fill us Heb. 11.6 hee that cometh to God must believe that God is and that hee is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him what 's that It lies in two things First that God needs no Creature Secondly that he is enough to supply the needs of every Creature 5. Foostep to communion is to believe that the Lord stands ready to embrace us in all our commings to him and to give us all the good that we come for to believe that he is ready to supply us in every good we seek from him we honour God most when we expect the greatest incomes of mercy from him He hath not said to the seed of Jacob seek ye me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou for a vain void and empty nothing The greatnesse of God gives him power and his goodnesse gives him will to supply us therefore we should believe without doubting his readinesse to supply us Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near in full assurance c. In what assurance must we come Even in this that we shall be answered in whatsoever we ask As Faith must be mingled with every word of precept that Godspeaks to us so it must be mingled with every word of prayer that we speak to him James 1.5 6. If any lack wisdome let them aske it of God that giveth to all men lib rally and upbraideth not 6. Footstep of our Communion with God is boldnesse in all our approaches to him As God opens his heart freely so we must open our mouths boldly Holy boldnesse is the highest act of Faith and the neerest step to God when the soul is got thus high it is upon the top of Jacobs Ladder Heb. 4.16 Let us come boldly to the Throne of grace c. Boldnesse is a grace that is most suitable to the Throne of grace Let me speak with reverence we are gotten to Gods side when we come with boldnesse grace can step no higher the next degree of ascent is to be swallowed up in glory In every Ordinance we have a vision of God by faith and in every duty we should come to God with boldnesse and joy To conclude all Would you have Communion with God in Ordinances Then let me commend to you these five things First there must be a being neer to God before there can be a drawing neer to God you must labour after Reconciliation before ever you can enjoy Communion while you are enemies you will be strangers Till God be brought neer to you you can never draw neer to God We are first brought neer to God by the blood of Christ before ever we have Communion with God in Ordinances Secondly He that desires Communion with God in Ordinances must look upon God as present and not as absent from him without this we can never enjoy Communion with him Rev. 4.6 there 's a high Throne which is nothing else but a representation of God to his people in Gospell-Ordinances there they behold his glory and enjoy Communion with him He that desires Communion with God in Ordinances must look upon God as present first in Majesty secondly in jealousie thirdly in authority fourthly in purity 3. If you would have Communion with God in Ordinances then in every Ordinance make Communion with God your end The hypocrisie or the sincerity of every mans spirit is mostly seen in his end There 's a double end that every man should propose to himselfe in comming to Ordinances and when this end is unproposed Communion with God is un-enjoyed First they should do them as acts of obedience in reference to Gods command Secondly they should use them as means of Communion in reference to Gods promise In every Ordinance you should make Communion with God your end and use the Ordinance as a means for the attainment of that end thus I am going to such a duty Lord and this is my end to enjoy thee in it I am going to pray and I would have the enjoyment of God in prayer This is the end you should propound when you go about every Ordinance 4. Get divine and spirituall apprehensions if ever you would enjoy Communion for according to our apprehensions of God such will be our enjoyments of him and such will be our Communions with him Some persons have to do with God in Ordinances that never think what that God is with whom they have to do The only way to raise up our Communion with God is to raise up our apprehension of him if we know him but a little we can never enjoy much society and communion with him 5. Make use of former experiences if you would enjoy communion with God the experience that men have had of the sweetnesse of God will stirre up their hearts to long more and more after communion with God He that hath tasted of the sweetnesse of God cannot sit down satisfied except he meet with God in the Ordinance FINIS