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John Owen, Of Communion With God

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Of Communion With God, by John Owen

 

Contents

Part 1
Contents

Part 1: Of Communion with The Father

Part 2
Chapter 1: That the saints have communion with God - 1 John 1:3 considered to that purpose - Somewhat of the nature of communion in general.
Part 3
Chapter 2. That the saints have this communion distinctly with the Father, Son, and Spirit, 1 John 5: 7 opened to this purpose; also, 1 Cor. 12: 4-6, Eph. 2: 18 - Father and Son mentioned jointly in this communion; the Father solely, the Son also, and the Holy Ghost singly - The saints' respective reward in all worship to each manifested - Faith in the Father, John 5: 9, 10; and love towards him, 1 John 2: 15, Mal. 1: 6 - So in prayer and praise - It is so likewise with the Son, John 14: 1 - Of our communion with the Holy Ghost - The truth farther confirmed.
Part 4 Chapter 3. Of the peculiar and distinct communion which the saints have with the Father - Observations for the clearing of the whole premised - Our peculiar communion with the Father is in love - 1 John 4: 7, 8; 2 Cor. 13: 14; John 16: 26, 27; Rom. 5: 5; John 3: 16, 14: 23; Tit. 3: 4, opened to this purpose - What is required of believers to hold communion with the Father in love - His love received by faith - Returns of love to him - God's love to us and ours to him - Wherein they agree - Wherein they differ.
Part 5 Chapter 4. Inferences on the former doctrine concerning communion with the Father in love.

Part 2: Of Communion with The Son Jesus Christ

Part 6
Chapter 1. Of the fellowship which the saints have with Jesus Christ the Son of God - That they have such a fellowship proved, 1 Cor. 1: 9; Rev. 3: 20; Cant. 2: 1-7 opened; also Prov. 9: 1-5.
Part 7
Chapter 2. What it is wherein we have peculiar fellowship with the Lord Christ - This is in grace - This proved, John 1: 14,16,17; 2 Cor. 13: 14; 2 Thess. 3: 17, 18 - Grace of various acceptations - Personal grace in Christ proposed to consideration - The grace of Christ as Mediator intended, Ps. 45: 2 - Cant. 5: 10, Christ, how white and ruddy - His fitness to save, from the grace of union - His fulness to save - His suitableness to endear - These considerations improved.
Part 8
Chapter 3. Of the way and manner whereby the saints hold communion with the Lord Christ as to personal grace - The conjugal relation between Christ and the saints, Cant. 2: 16, Isa. 54: 5, etc.; Cant. 3: 11, opened - The way of communion in conjugal relation, Hos. 3: 3; Cant. 1: 15 - On the part of Christ - On the part of the saints.
Part 9
Chapter 3, Digression 1. Some excellencies of Christ proposed to consideration, to endear our hearts unto him - His description, Cant. 5, opened.
Part 10
Digression 2, Part 1. All solid wisdom laid up in Christ - True wisdom, wherein it consists - Knowledge of God, in Christ only to be obtained - What of God may be known by his works - Some properties of God not discovered but in Christ only; love, mercy - Others not fully but in him; as vindictive justice, patience, wisdom, all-sufficiency - No property of God savingly known but in Christ - What is required to a saving knowledge of the properties of God - No true knowledge of ourselves but in Christ - Knowledge of ourselves, wherein it consisteth - Knowledge of sin, how to be had in Christ; also of righteousness and of judgement - The wisdom of walking with God hid in Christ - What is required thereunto - Other pretenders to the title of wisdom examined and rejected Christ alone exalted.
Part 11
Digression 2, Part 2
Part 12
Chapter 4. Of communion with Christ in a conjugal relation in respect of consequential affections - His delight in his saints first insisted on, Isa. 62: 5; Cant. 3: 11 Prov. 8: 21 - Instance of Christ's delight in believers - He reveals his whole heart to them, John 15: 14, 16; himself, 1 John 14: 21; his kingdom; enables them to communicate their mind to him, giving them assistance, a way, boldness, Rom. 8: 26, 27 - The saints delight in Christ; this manifested Cant. 2: 7; 8: 6 - Cant. 3: 1-5, opened
Part 13
Chapter 5. Other consequential affections: - 1. On the part of Christ - He values his saints - Evidences of that valuation: - (1.) His incarnation; (2.) Exinanition, 2 Cor. 8: 9; Phil. 2: 6, 7; (3.) Obedience as a servant; (4.) In his death. His valuation of them in comparison of others. 2. Believers' estimation of Christ: - (1.) They value him above all other things and persons; (2.) Above their own lives; (3.) All spiritual excellencies. The sum of all on the part of Christ - The sum on the part of believers. The third conjugal affection - On the part of Christ, pity or compassion - Wherein manifested - Suffering and supply, fruits of compassion - Several ways whereby Christ relieves the saints under temptations - His compassion in their afflictions. Chastity, the third conjugal affection in the saints. The fourth - On the part of Christ, bounty; on the part of the saints, duty.
Part 14
Chapter 6. Of communion with Christ in purchased grace - Purchased grace considered in respect of its rise and fountain - The first rise of it, in the obedience of Christ - Obedience properly ascribed to Christ - Two ways considered: what it was, and wherein it did consist - Of his obedience to the law in general - Of the law of the Mediator - His habitual righteousness, how necessary; as also his obedience to the law of the Mediator - Of his actual obedience or active righteousness - All Christ's obedience performed as he was Mediator - His active obedience for us - This proved at large, Gal. 4: 4, 5; Rom. 5: 19; Phil. 3: 10; Zech. 3: 3-5 - One objection removed - Considerations of Christ's active righteousness closed - Of the death of Christ, and its influence into our acceptation with God - A price; redemption, what it is - A sacrifice; atonement made thereby - A punishment; satisfaction thereby - The intercession of Christ; with its influence into our acceptation with God.
Part 15
Chapter 7. The nature of purchased grace; referred to three heads: - 1. Of our acceptation with God; two parts of it. 2. Of the grace of sanctification; the several parts of it.
Part 16 Chapter 8. How the saints hold communion with Christ as to their acceptation with God - What is required on the part of Christ hereunto; in his intention; in the declaration thereof - The sum of our acceptation with God, wherein it consists - What is required on the part of believers to this communion, and how they hold it, with Christ - Some objections proposed to consideration, why the elect are not accepted immediately on the undertaking and the death of Christ - In what sense they are so - Christ a common or public person - How he came to be so - The way of our acceptation with God on that account - The second objection - The necessity of our obedience stated, Eph. 2: 8-10 - The grounds, causes, and ends of it manifested - Its proper place in the new covenant - How the saints, in particular, hold communion with Christ in this purchased grace - They approve of this righteousness; the grounds thereof - Reject their own; the grounds thereof - The commutation of sin and righteousness between Christ and believers; some objections answered.
Part 17
Chapter 9. Of communion with Christ in holiness - The several acts ascribed unto the Lord Christ herein: 1. His intercession; 2. Sending of the Spirit; 3. Bestows habitual grace - What that is, and wherein it consists - This purchased by Christ; bestowed by him - Of actual grace - How the saints hold communion with Christ in these things; manifested in sundry particulars.
Part 18
Chapter 10. Of communion with Christ in privileges - Of adoption; the nature of it, the consequences of it - Peculiar privileges attending it; liberty, title, boldness, affliction - Communion with Christ hereby.

Part 3: Of Communion with The Holy Ghost

Part 19
Chapter 1. The foundation of our communion with the Holy ghost (John 16: 1-7) opened at large - "Parakletos", a Comforter; who he is - The Holy Ghost; his own will in his coming to us; sent also by Christ - The Spirit sent as a sanctifier and as a comforter - The adjuncts of his mission considered - The foundation of his mission, John 15: 26 - His procession from the Father twofold; as to personality, or to office - Things considerable in his procession as to office the manner of his collation - He is given freely; sent authoritatively - The sin against the Holy ghost, whence unpardonable - How we ask the Spirit of the Father - To grieve the Spirit, what - Poured out - How the Holy Ghost is received; by faith - Faith's acting in receiving the Holy Ghost - His abode with us, how declared - How we may lose our comfort whilst the Comforter abides with us.
Part 20
Chapter 2. Of the acting of the Holy Ghost in us, being bestowed on us - He worketh effectually, distributeth, giveth.
Part 21
Chapter 3. Of the things wherein we have communion with the Holy Ghost - He brings to remembrance the things spoken by Christ, John 14: 26 - The manner how he does it - The Spirit glorifies Christ in the hearts of believers, John 16: 14, sheds abroad the love of God in them - The witness of the Spirit, what it is, Rom 8: l6 - The sealing of the Spirit, Eph. 1: 13 - The Spirit, how an earnest; on the part of God, on the part of the saints - Difference between the earnest of the Spirit and tasting of the powers of the world to come - Unction by the Spirit, Isa. 11: 2, 3 - The various teachings of the Holy Ghost - How the Spirit of adoption and of supplication.
Part 22
Chapter 4. The general consequences in the hearts of believers of the effects of the Holy Ghost before mentioned - Consolation; its adjuncts, peace, joy - How it is wrought immediately, mediately.
Part 23
Chapter 5. Some observations and inferences from discourses foregoing concerning the Spirit - The contempt of the whole administration of the Spirit by some - The vain pretence of the Spirit by others - The false spirit discovered.
Part 24
Chapter 6. Of particular communion with the Holy Ghost - Of preparation thereunto - Valuation of the benefits we receive by him - What it is he comforts, us, in and against; wherewith; how.
Part 25
Chapter 7. The general ways of the saints' acting in communion with the Holy Ghost.
Part 26
Chapter 8. Particular directions for communion with the Holy Chest. Before I name particular directions for our communion with the I must premise some cautions, as far as the directions to be given, concerning his worship.
(End, Of Communion with God, by John Owen)

 

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