this was the means of his conversion, and the very instrument of the Spirit for raising him from the dead; and as the Christian is so in love with the book of God, so is he with the doctrine of it, wherever he finds it. Any other book that is written to explain and apply this, is savory to him; especially the public preaching of this word, which is most eminently the standing ordinance of God for man's conversion and edification. The same sermons that would have made him sleep, or made his head ache before his conversion, do now awaken him, and make his heart ache for his former folly; and yet he loveth them, though they trouble and grieve him, for he loveth that kind of trouble and grief which they beget. Oh how sweet is that word to his soul, which heretofore he was wont to loathe or quarrel at! He could live with David in the temple, even day and night: other men can scarce be drawn to it, but for customs or byrespects, but it would be a death to him to be kept away. If there were a famine in the land of the word of God, he would wander from sea to sea before he would be without it. It is as natural, according to this new nature, for a true convert to seek after the word of God, as for the infant to make to the breast". As new-born babes, they desire the sincere milk of the word, that they may live and grow thereby; they receive with meekness the engrafted word: τὸν λόγον ἔμφυτον the word which is innaturalized to them, and connatural with them: for it is it that is able to save their souls; James i. 21. Able to do its own part thereto. Never did you know that Christian that could live without this word, any more than a man can live without meat. I told you the language of Job, David, and Jeremiah before. O how certainly do the careless neglecters and despisers of this word discover, that yet they are unconverted souls, that taste no more sweetness in it than in a chip; that will rather make it a matter of derision, when they see people read and hear so diligently, and talk so much of the word of God and do in their hearts almost as one of the Papist rebels in Ireland did with his feet, even stamp the Bible in the dirt, and curse it, and said, "This is it that hath bred all this, and set us together by the ears." Little better thoughts have many secret infidels of it in their hearts. But here the Christian hath grounded his hopes; here hath he built and bottomed his soul; and here will he live and die. This then is another part of the work of conversion, it turneth men's hearts to the word of God, and maketh them value it as their necessary food. (4.) The fourth means of salvation which conversion turneth the heart of a man to, is the Communion of the Saints. Before conversion, the nature, and sometimes the very name of a saint is loathsome to them, though God hath told us, that without holiness none shall see him. And that all his people are called and sanctified; and that none but they shall be glorified, yet how commonly do we hear men make a mock at the very name of saints. These are the saints, say they, these are the holy brethren. When the blood of Christ is shed to sanctify men, when the Spirit of grace is sent from heaven to sanctify men, and hath made it his office, when all that God doth by his word and ordinances is to sanctify men. When all true Christians are sanctified men, or saints, and the church itself is a company of saints; and when sanctification is nothing else but our devotedness to God that made and redeemed us. Yet, dare these impious wretches open their mouths against sanctity, coming near to the scorning of God himself, and to reproaching the word and the will of God! Yea, and to some kind of blaspheming the Holy Ghost. It is natural to a wicked man to hate a saint". An enmity is put between them. And the first two men that were born into the world did manifest that enmity, for Cain killed his brother Abel, because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. And Christ himself telleth his disciples, that because they are not of the world, but he hath chosen them out of the world, therefore the world hateth them; but if they were of the world, the world would love his own!. Yea, on this very account, it first hated Christ himselfs. And therefore no wonder if the communion of the saints be abhorred, or not delighted in by the ungodly, even while they make it an article of their creed. But when once the soul is truly converted, there is a likeness to God and his saints put upon them, and a natural love to them implanted • Heb. xii. 14. P Gen. iii. 15. 4 1 John iii. 12. Heb. xi. 4. in their hearts, and thereupon a strong inclination to have communion with them in the worship of God, and the way to heaven; as many drops of water will gather into one, or many streams will run into one river, or many small flames, if you bring them near, will make all into one, and every thing is inclined as it were to incorporate with its like, so is it with the truly sanctified soul. The same means will not serve their turns, if they have it not in communion. The multitude of them that believed were of one heart, and of one soul, and they distributed to one another, as every one had need, and charity made that common which law had made proper". They continued stedfast in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and breaking of bread and prayer; and they that believed were together, and had all things common, (that is, by charity, as I said before) and they continued daily with one accord in the temple, breaking bread from house to house. Certainly, there is in all the children of God, such a love to their brethren, that they love their company, especially in the holy worship of him that redeemed them. False hearted Christians, that have but the name, may have the hearts of heathens, and do as they did, who were unacquainted with Christian love, but so will not the true. Hence it is, that the Christians in all ages have so valued the sacrament, which hath been still called the Communion of the church, or of saints; because there they all join together to feed upon one Christ, and taste of the supper of the Lord, as the fellow heirs of his glory. And as many corns made one loaf of bread, so are they, as the apostle speaks, one bread and one body. For the bread which they break, it is the communion of the body of Christ, and the cup which they drink, is the communion of his blood*. And hence it is, that it hath ever been so heavy a punishment in the eyes of all Christians to be excommunicate, and shut out of the fellowship of the church, (though there are also other reasons greater than this). So that the poor Christians, if they had fallen into any sin that deserved excommunication, they would have stood with tears at the church doors, month after month, entreating the prayers of the church that they might be pardoned, and be fit to be taken in again; and this even when Chrisx 1 Cor. x. 16. t Acts iv. 32. u Aets ii. 43. tianity was so persecuted, that it was a matter of danger to a man's life to be a Christian, so precious then was the communion of saints. Every Lord's day did they administer the Lord's supper, that they might be frequent in that part of communion. And, therefore, they highly esteemed the Lord's days, because they were the days of the churches' holy communion. Do not marvel then, if any true converted soul have a closing, uniting, combining, disposition; and if they love to be together in the holy worship and service of God; and if they are glad when they can get together in the public meeting place, or any other convenient place, to join together, and help each other in the work that is common to all. I know there may be some upright souls live among such as hinder them from that communion which they would have; but their hearts are towards it, and they will have it if they can. I know also, that the heathens and the Papists, and all enemies of the church, have still defamed the communion of Christians, and such as join to seek the Lord. And if any evil fall out among them, they would lay it all on their meeting and communion. But yet this malice of the devil could never break the assembly and communion of the saints. I know also, that many heretics are much addicted to secret combination, and to tie together in their way; but that is natural for men to love their like in evil; so drunkards can flock together to an alehouse; but it is not so natural to delight in good; other men's communion in evil, doth not disgrace, but commend our communion in the fear of God. Satan hath his legions that can agree in one man; but they are not such as the legions that attended upon Christ. What, must Christ have no school or army, because satan hath one? Must we dissipate, because the wicked always associate? There are means sufficient left us to discern the communion of the church of Christ from all ungodly and heretical combinations whatsoever. Though there be some stings in the church of Christ among the bees, yet there is more honey. The meetings of heretics are like the nests of wasps, they are all sting and no honey. Saith Tertullian, Vespæ habent favos, et Marcionitæ ecclesias:"-" Wasps have combs too, and heretics make churches." The combs of the bees and of the wasps may be very like to look upon, but the honey is not like, nor the sting altogether. It is not to feed on the doctrine of Christ, and live to him, that heretics do combine; but it is to divide the church, and to shew their error and pride, and to sting and despise others. So that their meetings are nothing like the meeting of the church in many regards. I beseech you now beloved hearers, try how your hearts are affected to the matter in hand. If you are true converts, your very hearts are among the saints: it doth you good especially to join with them in public, and especially in the two duties of praising God, and receiving the sacraments, which are the most proper to the church. And also it will do you good to have communion with them in private, in prayer, in conference, in any holy work. You are where you would be, when you are thus employed. You do not do like the hypocritical world, to say, "I believe the communion of saints," and at the same time either hate and scorn, or at least neglect and set light by the communion of saints. It is not to every wicked man that the promise is made, " Where two or three are met together in Christ's name, there is he in the midst of them." And it is not for nothing, that the saints delight in this communion. For as here is most of God's blessing, and most help from one another, so when they are nearest to one another, they are all nearest to Christ. And their closure and communion is a foretaste of their communion in glory: for their happiness lieth in their being one with Christ and among themselves": and Christ died of purpose to " gather into one the children of God, that are scattered throughout the world ";" and it is God's design in the work of redemption to "gather together in one all things in Christ"." And as he therefore "gives his prophets, apostles, and ministers to the church, for the perfection of the saints, and edifying the body, till it be all come in the unity of the faith to a perfect man, that we may grow up in him, who is the Head in all things from whom the body fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body, to the edifying of itself in love." So also at the day of judgment shall the "angels gather the elect together from the y John xvii. 21. a Ephes. i. 10. z John xi. 52. |