Part 1, Chapter 4: Inferences on Communion with the Father in Love

Having thus discovered the nature of that distinct communion which we have with the Father, it remains that we give some exhortations to it, directions in it, and take some observations from it.

First, it is most evident that Christians are but little exercised in this duty — 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 do not hearken to the voice of the Spirit which is given to us that we may know the things 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 questionings there are of his goodwill and kindness! At the best, many think there is no sweetness at all in him toward 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 to us. Let us then —

First, 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 who has had thoughts of kindness toward 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 you will put their trust in you. Men cannot abide with God in spiritual meditations — he loses souls' 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 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 toward them. To raise them hereunto, let them consider —

First, whose love it is. It is the love of him who is in himself all-sufficient, infinitely satisfied with himself and his own glorious excellencies and perfections. Who has no need to go forth with his love to others, nor to seek an object of it without himself. There might he rest with delight and complacency to eternity. He is sufficient to his own love. He had his Son also, his eternal wisdom, to rejoice and delight himself in from all eternity, Proverbs 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 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.

Second, what kind of love it is.

First, it is 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. The delight of the Father in the Son mentioned in Proverbs 8:30 is not so much his absolute delight in him as the express image of his person and the brightness of his glory, but with respect to his love and his delight in the sons of men. As the order of the words requires: 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. From eternity he laid in his own bosom a design of our happiness. The very thought of this is enough to make all that is within us, like the babe in the womb of Elizabeth, leap for joy. A sense of it cannot but prostrate our souls to the lowest abasement of humble holy reverence and make us rejoice before him with trembling.

Second, it is 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. Romans 9:12, Ephesians 1:3-4, Titus 3:5, James 1:18.

Third, it is unchangeable. Though we change every day, yet his love changes not. Could any kind of provocation turn it away, it had long since ceased. Its unchangeableness is that which carries out the Father to that infiniteness of patience and forbearance — without which we die, we perish, 2 Peter 3:9 — which he exercises toward us.

Fourth, it is distinguishing. He has not thus loved all the world. Jacob have I loved, but Esau I hated. Why should he fix his love on us and pass by millions from whom we differ not by nature? That he should make us sharers in that, and all the fruits of it, from which most of the great and wise of the world are excluded. I name but the heads of things — let them enlarge whose hearts are touched.

Let the soul frequently eye the love of the Father under these considerations. They are all soul-conquering and endearing.

Second, so eye the Father's love as to receive it. Unless this is added, all is in vain as to any communion with God. We do not hold communion with him in anything until it is received by faith. This then is what I would provoke the saints of God to: even to believe this love of God for themselves and their own part; to believe that such is the heart of the Father toward them, and to accept his witness herein. His love is not ours in the sweetness of it until it is so received. Continually then act thoughts of faith on God as love to you, as embracing you with the eternal free love before described. When the Lord is by his word presented as such to you, let your mind know it and assent that it is so; and your will embrace it in its being so; and all your affections be filled with it. Set your whole heart to it. Let it be bound with the cords of this love.

Third, let this love have its proper fruit and efficacy upon your heart in returns 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 goodwill.

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 thereunto.

First, it is exceeding acceptable to God 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 toward us. Flesh and blood is apt to have very hard thoughts of him — to think he is always angry, almost implacable; that it is not for poor creatures to draw near to him; that nothing is more desirable than never to come into his presence. Who among us shall dwell with that devouring fire? say the sinners in Zion. And I knew you were an austere man, says the evil servant in the gospel. Now there is nothing more grievous to the Lord, nor more subservient to the design of Satan upon the soul, than such thoughts as these. Satan has enough, all that he desires, when he can take up the soul with such thoughts of God. This has been his design and way from the beginning. He led 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. 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 you seen in me? says he. Have I been a wilderness to you or a land of darkness? Zion has said, the Lord has forgotten me and my God has forsaken me. But can a mother forget — 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 alienation of heart, what drawing back, what unbelief in our walking with him. Consider then this in the first place: receiving the Father as he holds out love to the soul gives him the honor he aims at and is exceeding acceptable to him. Assure yourself then: there is nothing more acceptable to the Father than for us to keep up our hearts to him as the eternal fountain of all that rich grace which flows out to sinners in the blood of Jesus.

Second, this will be exceeding effectual to endear your soul to God, to cause you to delight in him, and to make your abode with him. Many saints have no greater burden in their lives than that their hearts do not come clearly and fully up to constantly delight and rejoice in God. What is at the bottom of this distemper? Is it not their unskilfulness in or neglect of this duty — 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 to 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 are not wrought upon to delight in him. Sit down a little at the fountain, and you will quickly have a further 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.

Some may ask: how shall I hold communion with the Father in love? I know not at all whether he loves me or not; 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.

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 you may have of this love: he who is Truth has said it. Whatever your heart says, or Satan says, unless you will take it up on this account, you do your endeavor to make him a liar who has spoken it (1 John 5:10).

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.

He has spoken it as particularly to you as to any one in the world. And for cause of love, he has as much to fix it on you as on any of the children of men — that is, none at all without himself. 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. You are then upon a most sure foundation: if you believe and receive the Father as love, he will infallibly be so to you, though others may fall under his severity.

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.

This is the most preposterous course that possibly your thoughts can pitch upon — a most ready way to rob God of his glory. The Scripture says: herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us first (1 John 4:10, 19). Now you would 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 in ourselves, you would have something in you for which God should love you. This is a course of the flesh's finding out, that will never bring glory to God nor peace to your own soul. Lay down then your reasonings; take up the love of the Father upon a pure act of believing, and that will open your soul to let it out unto the Lord in the communion of love.

This truth will also discover 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 honor to stand in the presence of princes, though but as servants. What honor 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 are they who stand continually before the God of Solomon, hearing his wisdom and enjoying his love? While others have their fellowship with Satan and their own lusts, receiving perishing refreshments from them, the saints 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, and 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 hard censures and tongue-persecutions which the saints meet with in the streets of the world, they may run with their moanings unto their Father and be comforted. 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. Here I am accounted vile, frowned on, and rejected, but I have honor 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 everything desirable — 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 refreshings in the mutual communication of love with the Father himself; how they are generally misconceived, the apostle declares (2 Corinthians 6:8-10). As deceivers, and yet true, as unknown, 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, 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 (Psalm 16:3).

Further; 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 wrapped 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 becomes his presence forever. 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 says I know him, I have communion with him, and keeps not his commandments, is a liar and the truth is not in him (1 John 2:4). The most specious, and glorious pretense 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 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.

Having described the nature of our distinct communion with the Father, it remains that we offer some exhortations, directions, and observations from it.

First, it is abundantly clear that Christians give very little attention to this duty — namely, holding immediate communion with the Father in love. Unfamiliarity with our mercies and privileges is our sin as much as our sorrow. We do not listen to the Spirit who was given to us so that we might know the things freely given to us by God. This makes us go through life heavily when we could rejoice, and weakly when we could be strong in the Lord. How few of the saints are experientially acquainted with this privilege — holding immediate communion with the Father in love? With what anxious, doubtful thoughts they look at Him? What fears, what questionings about His goodwill and kindness? At best, many think there is no sweetness at all in the Father toward us, except what was purchased at the high price of the blood of Jesus. It is true that this is the only channel — but the free fountain and spring of it all lies in the bosom of the Father. Eternal life was with the Father and has been revealed to us. Let us then —

First, look at the Father as love. Do not think of Him as a perpetually scowling Father, but as one most kind and tender. By faith, see Him as one whose thoughts toward us have been thoughts of kindness from before the world began. A wrong picture of God is what drives away anyone who has even the faintest longing for Him. Those who know You will put their trust in You. People cannot remain with God in spiritual reflection — they lose His company because they do not know His love. They fix their minds only on His terrible majesty, severity, and greatness, and so their spirits are never drawn to Him. If a soul would continually look at His everlasting tenderness and compassion, His purposes of kindness from of old, His present gracious acceptance — it could not bear an hour apart from Him, though now perhaps it cannot watch with Him for even one hour. Let this then be the saints' first and foundational thought about the Father: He is full of eternal, free love toward them. To raise them up to this, let them consider —

First, whose love this is. It is the love of One who is in Himself all-sufficient, infinitely satisfied with His own glorious excellencies and perfections. He has no need to reach outside Himself for love or to look for an object of it beyond Himself. He could rest with delight and contentment in Himself forever. He is sufficient to His own love. He also has His Son, His eternal wisdom, to rejoice and delight in from all eternity (Proverbs 8:30). This could fully satisfy and occupy the whole delight of the Father. Yet He also wills to love His saints. And it is a love in which He seeks not only His own satisfaction but our good as well. It is the love of God, the love of a Father — whose natural expression is kindness and generosity.

Second, what kind of love this is.

First, it is eternal. It was fixed on us before the foundation of the world — before we existed or had done any good at all. His thoughts were on us then; His delight in us was established. The delight of the Father in the Son mentioned in Proverbs 8:30 is not so much His absolute delight in the Son as the express image of His person and the brightness of His glory — it is His delight in connection with His love and purpose toward the sons of men. The order of the words makes this clear: I was daily His delight — and My delights were with the sons of men. That is, in His thoughts of kindness and redemption toward them. From eternity He planned for our happiness within His own heart. This thought alone is enough to make everything within us leap for joy, like the child leaping in Elizabeth's womb. A sense of it must bring our souls down to the lowest depths of humble, holy reverence, and cause us to rejoice before Him with trembling.

Second, it is free. He loves us because He chooses to. There is nothing in us, and there never has been, for which we should be loved. If we deserved His love, we would think less of it. What is owed as a debt is seldom received with gratitude. But what existed from eternity before we did must be entirely free in its regard for our well-being (Romans 9:12; Ephesians 1:3-4; Titus 3:5; James 1:18).

Third, it is unchangeable. Though we change every day, His love does not change. If any kind of provocation could turn it away, it would have ceased long ago. Its unchangeableness is what sustains the infinite patience and forbearance He exercises toward us — patience without which we would die and perish (2 Peter 3:9).

Fourth, it is distinguishing. He has not loved all the world in this way. Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. Why should He fix His love on us, passing over millions who are no different from us by nature? That He should make us partakers of this love and all its fruits, from which so many of the great and wise of this world are excluded. I have only named the headlines of these things — let those whose hearts are moved expand on them.

Let the soul frequently look at the Father's love under these headings. They are all soul-winning and heart-drawing.

Second, look at the Father's love in such a way that you receive it. Without this, everything else is in vain when it comes to communion with God. We hold no communion with Him in anything until it is received by faith. What I am pressing the saints of God to is simply this: believe this love of God for yourselves and your own part; believe that this is the heart of the Father toward you, and accept His testimony about it. His love is not ours in its sweetness until it is received in this way. Continually direct thoughts of faith toward God as love toward you — as embracing you with the eternal, free love described above. When the Lord is presented to you in His Word as such, let your mind acknowledge and assent that it is so; let your will embrace the fact that it is so; and let all your affections be filled with it. Set your whole heart on it. Let it be bound with the cords of this love.

Third, let this love produce its proper fruit and effect in your heart — return love to Him. This way we will walk in the light of God's face and hold holy communion with our Father all day long. Let us not be unkind to Him and repay His goodwill with indifference.

To help us further in this duty and its daily consistent practice, let me add one or two considerations that are especially worth having.

First, it is exceedingly pleasing to God our Father when we hold communion with Him in His love — when He is received into our souls as one full of love, tenderness, and kindness toward us. Our flesh and blood is prone to think very hard thoughts of Him — to think He is always angry, nearly impossible to appease; that it is not for poor creatures to draw near to Him; that nothing would be more welcome than never having to come into His presence. 'Who among us will dwell with the devouring fire?' say the sinners in Zion. 'I knew you were a hard man,' says the wicked servant in the parable. There is nothing more grievous to the Lord, and nothing more useful to Satan in his work against the soul, than these kinds of thoughts. Satan has everything he needs when he can fill a soul with such thoughts of God. This has been his strategy from the very beginning. He led our first parents into hard thoughts of God: has God really said that? has He threatened you with death? He knows very well it will go better for you. With this single weapon he shattered and overthrew all of humanity at once. It is exceedingly grievous to the Spirit of God to be so slandered in the hearts of those He dearly loves. How earnestly He presses this question on Zion: what wrong have you seen in Me? says He. Have I been a wasteland to you, or a land of darkness? Zion has said, the Lord has forgotten me, and my God has forsaken me. But can a mother forget — The Lord takes nothing harder from His people than such hard thoughts of Him, knowing well what bitter fruit this root will produce: alienation of heart, drawing back, and unbelief in our walk with Him. Consider this first: receiving the Father as He reaches out His love to the soul gives Him the honor He desires, and is exceedingly pleasing to Him. Be assured of this: nothing is more acceptable to the Father than for us to keep our hearts fixed on Him as the eternal fountain of all the rich grace that flows to sinners in the blood of Jesus.

Second, this will be highly effective in drawing your soul to love God, to delight in Him, and to make your home with Him. Many saints have no heavier burden in their lives than that their hearts do not come fully and freely to a constant delight and rejoicing in God. What lies at the root of this trouble? Is it not their unfamiliarity with — or failure to practice — this duty of holding communion with the Father in love? We will delight in God exactly to the measure that we see His love, and no more. Every other revelation of God, apart from this, will only cause the soul to shrink back from Him. But if the heart is once truly occupied with the greatness of the Father's love, it cannot help but be overpowered, won over, and drawn close to Him. If a father's love cannot make a child delight in him, what will? So put this to the test: direct your thoughts to this very thing — the eternal, free, and fruitful love of the Father — and see whether your heart is not moved to delight in Him. Sit for a little while at the fountain, and you will soon discover more of the sweetness of the streams. Those who have run from Him will find before long that they cannot keep their distance for even a moment.

Someone may ask: how shall I hold communion with the Father in love? I have no idea at all whether He loves me; shall I dare to cast myself on it? What if I am not accepted? Might I not die in my presumption rather than find sweetness in His arms? God appears to me only as a consuming fire and everlasting burning — I dread to look up to Him.

I am not entirely sure what is meant by 'knowing' the love of God: though it is carried and deepened by spiritual sense and experience, it is received purely by believing. To know it is to believe it as it has been revealed. We have known and believed the love that God has toward us; God is love (1 John 4:16). This is the assurance you can have of this love from the very first step of walking with God: He who is the Truth has declared it. Whatever your heart says, whatever Satan says — unless you take God's word for it, you are doing your best to make the One who said it a liar (1 John 5:10).

I can believe that God is love toward others, because He has said He is love. But that He will be love toward me — I see no ground for that confidence. There is no reason in the world why He should turn one thought of love or kindness toward me. Therefore I dare not cast myself on it and hold communion with Him in His special love.

He has spoken it as particularly to you as to anyone in the world. And for a reason to love you — He has as much ground to fix His love on you as on any child of Adam — which is to say, none at all, apart from Himself. Not one person from the foundation of the world who has ever believed such love in the Father and returned love to Him in response has ever been deceived — and none ever will be, to the world's end. You stand on the most secure ground there is: if you believe and receive the Father as love, He will infallibly be so to you, though others may fall under His severity.

I cannot find my heart returning love to God. If I could find my soul set on Him, then I could believe His soul delighted in me.

This is the most backwards course your thoughts could possibly take — and a sure way to rob God of His glory. Scripture says: in this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us first (1 John 4:10, 19). Now you would invert that order and say: in this is love, not that God loved me first, but that I love Him first. This is to take glory from God: whereas He loves us without any cause in ourselves, you would have something in you to give God a reason to love you. This is a course invented by the flesh that will never bring glory to God or peace to your own soul. Lay down your reasonings then; receive the Father's love through a pure act of faith, and it will open your soul to pour itself out to the Lord in the communion of love.

This truth will also reveal the privilege and dignity of the saints of God. Whatever low opinion others may have of them, it will be clear that they have food to eat that the world knows nothing of — they have close communion and fellowship with the Father. They deal with Him in the exchange of love. People are generally esteemed according to the company they keep. It is an honor to stand in the presence of princes, even merely as servants. How much more honor do all the saints have — to stand with boldness in the presence of the Father and there enjoy His intimate love? What a blessing the Queen of Sheba pronounced on the servants of Solomon, who stood before him and heard his wisdom. How much more blessed are those who stand continually before the God of Solomon, hearing His wisdom and enjoying His love? While others have their fellowship with Satan and their own lusts, drawing from them only short-lived and perishing consolations — the saints have this sweet communion with the Father.

What a safe and sweet refuge is here for the saints in all the contempt, ridicule, slander, and misrepresentation they face in the world. When a child is mistreated out in the street by strangers, he runs at full speed to his father's arms. There he makes his complaint and is comforted. In all the harsh judgments and verbal persecution the saints face in the world, they may run with their sorrows to their Father and be comforted. The soul may say: if I have hatred in the world, I will go where I am sure of love; though everyone else is hard to me, my Father is tender and full of compassion. Here I am despised, frowned on, and rejected — but I have honor and love with Him whose kindness is better than life itself. There I shall find everything in the fountain that others have only in drops; in my Father's love there is everything that could be desired — fully and enduringly.

The saints, then, are the most misunderstood people in the world. If they say, come and have fellowship with us, are not people ready to answer: who are you? A sorry company of troublemakers and dissenters. Let it be known — we want nothing to do with your fellowship; when we have finished with all decent and worthwhile company, then perhaps we will come to you. But how mistaken are people? Truly, their fellowship is with the Father. Whatever people may think of it, the saints have close, spiritual, heavenly refreshment in the mutual exchange of love with the Father Himself. How broadly they are misunderstood, the apostle declares: as deceivers and yet true, as unknown and yet well known, as dying and yet behold we live, as disciplined and yet not killed, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things (2 Corinthians 6:8-10). And as it is so in general, in no way is it more so than in this — that they are regarded as poor, lowly, and despicable people, when in fact they are the only truly great and noble persons in the world. Consider the company they keep — it is with the Father; who is more glorious? Consider the business they are engaged in — it is love; what is more precious? Truly they are the excellent of the earth (Psalm 16:3).

Furthermore, this will reveal a great difference between the saints and empty professors. When it comes to performing religious duties and enjoying outward privileges, fruitless professors often walk side by side with the saints. But look into their private, hidden lives and what a difference there is. There the saints hold communion with God. Hypocrites, for the most part, hold company with the world and their own lusts — listening to what those things say to them, and making provision for them — while the saints are sweetly wrapped up in the bosom of their Father's love. It is often nearly impossible for genuine believers to visibly outperform those whose hearts are rotten. But they have this food that others know nothing of. They have this refreshment in the banqueting hall in which others have no share. In the midst of all their thoughts and troubles, the comforts of God their Father refresh their souls.

Now, to draw toward a close of this discussion — if these things are so, what kind of people ought we to be in all our conduct? Even our God is a consuming fire. What fellowship is there between light and darkness? Shall sin and lust make their home in thoughts that receive and carry love from and to the Father? Holiness befits His presence forever. An unclean spirit cannot draw near to Him; an unholy heart cannot remain with Him. A corrupt person has no desire for the company of a holy one — and would a person of vain and foolish thoughts hold communion and dwell with the most holy God? There is no true understanding of this love that does not powerfully drive toward holiness and lead there. Ephraim says, what have I to do anymore with idols, when in God he finds salvation. Communion with the Father is completely at odds with a loose and careless way of living. If we say we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not live the truth (1 John 1:6). The one who says, I know Him, I have communion with Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar and the truth is not in him (1 John 2:4). The most impressive and high-sounding claim to friendship with the Father, apart from holiness and obedience to His commandments, only proves the claimant to be a liar. Love for the world and love for the Father cannot coexist.

And if this is so — to close everything up — how many who go by the name of Christian fall short of the reality of it? How ignorant of this mystery and its fruits are the generality of professing Christians? Do many not plainly hold fellowship with their lusts and with the world, yet expect to have a place and inheritance among those who are sanctified? They have neither the new name nor the white stone, yet want to be called the people of the Most High. Could it not more truthfully be said of many of them that God is not in any of their thoughts at all, rather than that they have communion with Him? May the Lord open people's eyes to see and understand that walking with God is not a matter of outward form but of inward power. So much for the peculiar communion with the Father in the instance of love that we have been considering. He is also faithful who has called us to the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord — of which we will speak next.