Owen, Of Communion With God, File 5
(... continued from File 4)
Chapter 4. Inferences on the former doctrine concerning
communion with the Father in love.
Having thus discovered the nature of that distinct
communion which we have with the Father, it remaineth that we
give some exhortations unto it, directions in it, and take
some observations from it: -
1. First, then, this is a duty wherein it is most evident
that Christians are but little exercised, - namely, in holding
immediate communion with the Father in love. Unacquaintedness
with our mercies, our privileges, is our sin as well as our
trouble. We hearken not to the voice of the Spirit which is
given unto us, "that we may know the things that are freely
bestowed on us of God." This makes us go heavily, when we
might rejoice; and to be weak, where we might be strong in the
Lord. How few of the saints are experimentally acquainted with
this privilege of holding immediate communion with the Father
in love! With what anxious, doubtful thoughts do they look
upon him! What fears, what questioning are there, of his
good-will and kindness! At the best, many think there is no
sweetness at all in him towards us, but what is purchased at
the high price of the blood of Jesus. It is true, that alone
is the way of communication; but the free fountain and spring
of all is in the bosom of the Father. "Eternal life was with
the Father, and is manifested unto us." Let us, then, -
(1.) Eye the Father as love; look not on him as an always
lowering father, but as one most kind and tender. Let us look
on him by faith, as one that has had thoughts of kindness
towards us from everlasting. It is misapprehension of God that
makes any run from him, who have the least breathing wrought
in them after him. "They that know thee will put their trust
in thee." Men cannot abide with God in spiritual meditations.
He loseth soul's company by their want of this insight into
his love. They fix their thoughts only on his terrible
majesty, severity, and greatness; and so their spirits are not
endeared. Would a soul continually eye his everlasting
tenderness and compassion, his thoughts of kindness that have
been from of old, his present gracious acceptance, it could
not bear an hour's absence from him; whereas now, perhaps, it
cannot watch with him one hour. Let, then, this be the saints'
first notion of the Father, - as one full of eternal, free
love towards them: let their hearts and thoughts be filled
with breaking through all discouragements that lie in the way.
To raise them hereunto, let them consider, -
[1.] Whose love it is. It is the love of him who is in
himself all sufficient, infinitely satiated with himself and
his own glorious excellencies and perfections; who has no need
to go forth with his love unto others, nor to seek an object
of it without himself. There might he rest with delight and
complacency to eternity. He is sufficient unto his own love.
He had his Son, also, his eternal Wisdom, to rejoice and
delight himself in from all eternity, Prov. 8: 30. This might
take up and satiate the whole delight of the Father; but he
will love his saints also. And it is such a love, as wherein
he seeks not his own satisfaction only, but our good therein
also; - the love of a God, the love of a Father, whose proper
outgoings are kindness and bounty.
[2.] What kind of love it is. And it is, -
1st. Eternal. It was fixed on us before the foundation of
the world. Before we were, or had done the least good, then
were his thoughts upon us, - then was his delight in us; -
then did the Son rejoice in the thoughts of fulfilling his
Father's delight in him, Prov. 8: 30. Yea, the delight of the
Father in the Son, there mentioned, is not so much his
absolute delight in him as the express image of his person and
the brightness of his glory, wherein he might behold all his
own excellencies and perfections; as with respect unto his
love and his delight in the sons of men. So the order of the
words require us to understand it: "I was daily his delight,"
and, "My delights were with the sons of men;" that is, in the
thoughts of kindness and redemption for them: and in that
respect, also, was he his Father's delight. It was from
eternity that he laid in his own bosom a design for our
happiness. The very thought of this is enough to make all that
is within us, like the babe in the womb of Elizabeth, to leap
for joy. A sense of it cannot but prostrate our souls to the
lowest abasement of a humble, holy reverence, and make us
rejoice before him with trembling.
2dly. Free. He loves us because he will; there was, there
is, nothing in us for which we should be beloved. Did we
deserve his love, it must go less in its valuation. Things of
due debt are seldom the matter of thankfulness; but that which
is eternally antecedent to our being, must needs be absolutely
free in its respects to our well-being. This gives it life and
being, is the reason of it, and sets a price upon it, Rom. 9:
11; Eph. 1: 3, 4; Titus 3: 5; James 1: 18.
3dly. Unchangeable. Though we change every day, yet his
love changeth not. Could any kind of provocation turn it away,
it had long since ceased. Its unchangeableness is that which
carrieth out the Father unto that infiniteness of patience and
forbearance (without which we die, we perish), 2 Pet. 3: 9,
which he exerciseth towards us. And it is, -
4thly. Distinguishing. He has not thus loved all the
world: "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." Why should
he fix his love on us, and pass by millions from whom we
differ not bye nature, - that he should make us sharers in
that, and all the fruits of it, which most of the great and
wise men of the world are excluded from? I name but the heads
of things. Let them enlarge whose hearts are touched.
Let, I say, the soul frequently eye the love of the
Father, and that under these considerations, - they are all
soul-conquering and endearing.
(2.) So eye it as to receive it. Unless this be added, all
is in vain as to any communion with God. We do not hold
communion with him in any thing, until it be received by
faith. This, then, is that which I would provoke the saints of
God unto, even to believe this love of God for themselves and
their own part, - believe that such is the heart of the Father
towards them, - accept of his witness herein. His love is not
ours in the sweetness of it until it be so received.
Continually, then, act thoughts of faith on God, as love to
thee, - as embracing thee with the eternal free love before
described. When the Lord is, by his word, presented as such
unto thee, let thy mind know it, and assent that it is so; and
thy will embrace it, in its being so; and all thy affections
be filled with it. Set thy whole heart to it; let it be bound
with the cords of this love. If the King be bound in the
galleries with thy love, shouldst thou not be bound in heaven
with his?
(3.) Let it have its proper fruit and efficacy upon thy
heart, in return of love to him again. So shall we walk in the
light of God's countenance, and hold holy communion with our
Father all the day long. Let us not deal unkindly with him,
and return him slighting for his good-will. Let there not be
such a heart in us as to deal so unthankfully with our God.
2. Now, to further us in this duty, and the daily constant
practice of it, I shall add one or two considerations that may
be of importance whereunto; as, -
(1.) It is exceeding acceptable unto God, even our Father,
that we should thus hold communion with him in his love, -
that he may be received into our souls as one full of love,
tenderness, and kindness, towards us. Flesh and blood is apt
to have very hard thoughts of him, - to think he is always
angry, yea, implacable; that it is not for poor creatures to
draw nigh to him; that nothing in the world is more desirable
than never to come into his presence, or, as they say where he
has any thing to do. "Who among us shall dwell with the
devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting
burnings?" say the sinners in Zion. And, "I knew thou wast an
austere man," saith the evil servant in the gospels. Now,
there is not any thing more grievous to the Lord, nor more
subservient to the design of Satan upon the soul, than such
thoughts as these. Satan claps his hands (if I may so say)
when he can take up the soul with such thoughts of God: he has
enough, - all that he does desire. This has been his design
and way from the beginning. The first blood that murderer shed
was by this means. He leads our first parents into hard
thoughts of God: "Has God said so? has he threatened you with
death? He knows well enough it will be better with you;" -
with this engine did he batter and overthrow all mankind in
one; and being mindful of his ancient conquest, he readily
useth the same weapons wherewith then he so successfully
contended. Now, it is exceeding grievous to the Spirit of God
to be so slandered in the hearts of those whom he dearly
loves. How does he expostulate this with Zion! "What iniquity
have ye seen in me?" saith he; "have I been a wilderness unto
you, or a land of darkness?" "Zion said, The LORD has forsaken
me, and my Lord has forgotten me. Can a woman," etc. The Lord
takes nothing worse at the hands of his, than such hard
thoughts of him, knowing full well what fruit this bitter root
is like to bear, - what alienations of heart, - what drawings
back, - what unbelief and tergiversations in our walking with
him. How unwilling is a child to come into the presence of an
angry father! Consider, then, this in the first place, -
receiving of the Father as he holds out love to the soul,
gives him the honour he aims at, and is exceeding acceptable
unto him. He often sets it out in an eminent manner, that it
may be so received: - "He commendeth his love toward us," Rom.
5: 8. "Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed
upon us!" 1 John 3: 1. Whence, then, is this folly? Men are
afraid to have good thoughts of God. They think it a boldness
to eye God as good, gracious, tender, kind, loving: I speak of
saints; but for the other side, they can judge him hard,
austere, severe, almost implacable, and fierce (the very worst
affections of the very worst of men, and most hated of him,
Rom. 1: 31; 2 Tim. 3: 3), and think herein they do well. Is
not this soul- deceit from Satan? Was it not his design from
the beginning to inject such thoughts of God? Assure thyself,
then, there is nothing more acceptable unto the Father, than
for us to keep up our hearts unto him as the eternal fountain
of all that rich grace which flows out to sinners in the blood
of Jesus. And, -
(2.) This will be exceeding effectual to endear thy soul
unto God, to cause thee to delight in him, and to make thy
abode with him. Many saints have no greater burden in their
lives, than that their hearts do not come clearly and fully
up, constantly to delight and rejoice in God, - that there is
still an indisposedness of spirit unto close walking with him.
What is at the bottom of this distemper? Is it not their
unskilfulness in or neglect of this duty, even of holding
communion with the Father in love? So much as we see of the
love of God, so much shall we delight in him, and no more.
Every other discovery of God, without this, will but make the
soul fly from Him; but if the heart be once much taken up with
this the eminency of the Father's love, it cannot choose but
be overpowered, conquered, and endeared unto him. This, if any
thing, will work upon us to make our abode with him. If the
love of a father will not make a child delight in him, what
will? Put, then, this to the venture: exercise your thoughts
upon this very thing, the eternal, free, and fruitful love of
the Father, and see if your hearts be not wrought upon to
delight in him. I dare boldly say, believers will find it as
thriving a course as ever they pitched on in their lives. Sit
down a little at the fountain, and you will quickly have a
farther discovery of the sweetness of the streams. You who
have run from him, will not be able, after a while, to keep at
a distance for a moment.
Objection 1. But some may say, "Alas! how shall I hold
communion with the Father in love? I know not at all whether
he loves me or no; and shall I venture to cast myself upon it?
How if I should not be accepted? should I not rather perish
for my presumption, than find sweetness in his bosom? God
seems to me only as a consuming fire and everlasting burnings;
so that I dread to look up unto him."
Answer. I know not what may be understood by knowing of
the love of God; though it be carried on by spiritual sense
and experience, yet it is received purely by believing. Our
knowing of it, is our believing of it as revealed. "We have
known and believed the love that God has to us. God is love,"
1 John 4: 16. This is the assurance which, at the very
entrance of walking with God, thou mayest have of this love.
He who is truth has said it; and whatever thy heart says, or
Satan says, unless thou wilt take it up on this account, thou
does thy endeavour to make him a liar who has spoken it, 1
John 5: 10.
Obj. 2. "I can believe that God is love to others, for he
has said he is love; but that he will be so to me, I see no
ground of persuasion; there is no cause, no reason in the
world, why he should turn one thought of love or kindness
towards me: and therefore I dare not cast myself upon it, to
hold communion with him in his special love."
Ans. He has spoken it as particularly to thee as to any
one in the world. And for cause of love, he has as much to fix
it on thee as on any of the children of men; that is, none at
all without himself. So that I shall make speedy work with
this objection. Never any one from the foundation of the
world, who believed such love in the Father, and made returns
of love to him again, was deceived; neither shall ever any to
the world's end be so, in so doing. Thou art, then, in this,
upon a most sure bottom. If thou believest and receives the
Father as love, he will infallibly be so to thee, though
others may fall under his severity. But, -
Obj. 3. "I cannot find my heart making returns of love
unto God. Could I find my soul set upon him, I could then
believe his soul delighted in me."
Ans. This is the most preposterous course that possibly
thy thoughts can pitch upon, a most ready way to rob God of
his glory. "Herein is love," saith the Holy Ghost, "not that
we loved God, but that he loved us" first, 1 John 4: 10, 11.
Now, thou wouldst invert this order, and say, "Herein is love,
not that God loved me, but that I love him first." This is to
take the glory of God from him: that, whereas he loves us
without a cause that is in ourselves, and we have all cause in
the world to love him, thou wouldst have the contrary, namely,
that something should be in thee for which God should love
thee, even thy love to him; and that thou shouldst love God,
before thou knowest any thing lovely in him, - namely, whether
he love thee or no. This is a course of flesh's finding out,
that will never bring glory to God, nor peace to thy own soul.
Lay down, then, thy seasonings; take up the love of the Father
upon a pure act of believing, and that will open thy soul to
let it out unto the Lord in the communion of love.
To make yet some farther improvement of this truth so
opened and exhorted unto as before; - it will discover unto us
the eminency and privilege of the saints of God. What low
thoughts soever the sons of men may have of them, it will
appear that they have meat to eat that the world knows not of.
They have close communion and fellowship with the Father. They
deal with him in the interchange of love. Men are generally
esteemed according to the company they keep. It is an honour
to stand in the presence of princes, though but as servants.
What honour, then, have all the saints, to stand with boldness
in the presence of the Father, and there to enjoy his bosom
love! What a blessing did the queen of Sheba pronounce on the
servants of Solomon, who stood before him, and heard his
wisdom! How much more blessed, then, are they who stand
continually before the God of Solomon, hearing his wisdom,
enjoying his love! Whilst others have their fellowship with
Satan and their own lusts, making provision for them, and
receiving perishing refreshments from them, ("whose end is
destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in
their shame, who mind earthly things,") they have this sweet
communion with the Father.
Moreover, what a safe and sweet retreat is here for the
saints, in all the scorns, reproaches, scandals,
misrepresentations, which they undergo in the world. When a
child is abused abroad in the streets by strangers, he runs
with speed to the bosom of his father; there he makes his
complaint, and is comforted. In all the hardy censures and
tongue-persecutions which the saints meet withal in the
streets of the world, they may run with their meanings unto
their Father, and be comforted. "As one whom his mother
comforteth, so will I comfort you," saith the Lord, Isa. 66:
13. So that the soul may say, "If I have hatred in the world,
I will go where I am sure of love. Though all others are hard
to me, yet my Father is tender and full of compassion: I will
go to him, and satisfy myself in him. Here I am accounted
vile, frowned on, and rejected; but I have honour and love
with him, whose kindness is better than life itself. There I
shall have all things in the fountain, which others have but
in the drops. There is in my Father's love every thing
desirable: there is the sweetness of all mercies in the
abstract itself, and that fully and durably."
Evidently, then, the saints are the most mistaken men in
the world. If they say, "Come and have fellowship with us;"
are not men ready to say, "Why, what are you? a sorry company
of seditious, factious persons. Be it known unto you, that we
despise your fellowship. When we intend to leave fellowship
with all honest men, and men of worth, then will we come to
you." But, alas! how are men mistaken! Truly their fellowship
is with the Father: let men think of it as they please, they
have close, spiritual, heavenly refreshing, in the mutual
communication of love with the Father himself. How they are
generally misconceived, the apostle declares, 2 Cor. 6: 8-10,
"As deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known;
as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;
as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many
rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." And
as it is thus in general, so in no one thing more than this,
that they are looked on as poor, low, despicable persons, when
indeed they are the only great and noble personages in the
world. Consider the company they keep: it is with the Father;
- who so glorious? The merchandise they trade in, it is love;
- what so precious? Doubtless they are the excellent on the
earth, Ps. 16: 3.
Farther; this will discover a main difference between the
saints and empty professors: - As to the performance of
duties, and so the enjoyment of outward privileges, fruitless
professors often walk hand in hand with them; but now come to
their secret retirements, and what a difference is there!
There the saints hold communion with God: hypocrites, for the
most part, with the world and their own lusts; - with them
they converse and communicate; they hearken what they will say
to them, and make provision for them, when the saints are
sweetly wrapt up in the bosom of their Father's love. It is
oftentimes even almost impossible that believers should, in
outward appearance, go beyond them who have very rotten
hearts: but this meat they have, which others know not of;
this refreshment in the banqueting house, wherein others have
no share; - in the multitude of their thoughts, the comforts
of God their Father refresh their souls.
Now, then (to draw towards a close of this discourse), if
these things be so, "what manner of men ought we to be, in all
manner of holy conversation?" Even "our God is a consuming
fire." What communion is there between light and darkness?
Shall sin and lust dwell in those thoughts which receive in
and carry out love from and unto the Father? Holiness becometh
his presence for ever. An unclean spirit cannot draw nigh unto
him; - an unholy heart can make no abode with him. A lewd
person will not desire to hold fellowship with a sober man;
and will a man of vain and foolish imaginations hold communion
and dwell with the most holy God? There is not any
consideration of this love but is a powerful motive unto
holiness, and leads thereunto. Ephraim says, "What have I to
do any more with idols?" when in God he finds salvation.
Communion with the Father is wholly inconsistent with loose
walking. "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk
in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth," 1 John 1: 6. "He
that saith, I know him" (I have communion with him), "and
keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not
in him," chap. 2: 4. The most specious and glorious pretence
made to an acquaintance with the Father, without holiness and
obedience to his commandments, serves only to prove the
pretenders to be liars. The love of the world and of the
Father dwell not together.
And if this be so (to shut up all), how many that go under
the name of Christians, come short of the truth of it! How
unacquainted are the generality of professors with the mystery
of this communion, and the fruits of it! Do not many very
evidently hold communion with their lusts and with the world,
and yet would be thought to have a portion and inheritance
among them that are sanctified? They have neither new name nor
white stone, and yet would be called the people of the Most
High. May it not be said of many of them, rather, that God is
not in all their thoughts, than that they have communion with
him? The Lord open the eyes of men, that they may see and know
that walking with God is a matter not of form, but power! And
so far of peculiar communion with the Father, in the instance
of love which we have insisted on. "He is also faithful who
has called us to the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our
Lord;" of which in the next place.
Owen, Of Communion With God
(continued in File 6...)
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