The Saints have Fellowship with the Father in His Love - Some Thoughts from Owen's Works vol. II

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Ed Walsh

Puritan Board Senior
Greetings,

I am reading volume II of The Works of John Owen and finding, as I always do with Owen's Works, the matter Spiritually delicious beyond words.

OF

COMMUNION

WITH

GOD THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY GHOST,

EACH PERSON DISTINCTLY,

IN LOVE, GRACE, AND CONSOLATION;


OR,

THE SAINTS’ FELLOWSHIP WITH THE FATHER, SON, AND
HOLY GHOST UNFOLDED

Presently I am meditating on Part I, Chapter 3, Of the peculiar and distinct communion which the saints have with the Father.
Below is Owen's outline of the chapter, wherein my words here—The communion the saints have distinctly with the Father is eminently one of love—His love to us, and our return of love to Him.

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.

I find myself frustrated to tears in how briefly to relate Owen's teaching that we do indeed have fellowship with the Father in LOVE. So I decided not to try directly, but instead, quote from the opening two paragraphs of Chapter 4 to show negatively that our relationship with the Father often falls short what it should be with sad consequences. I do this in the hope that you will download the PDF of all four chapters of Part 1 and read for yourself the wondrous, eternal, never changing love the Father has for you.

CHAPTER IV​
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 questionings 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 most3 kind and tender. Let us look on him by faith, as one that hath 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,—

Owen, J. (n.d.). The works of John Owen. (W. H. Goold, Ed.) (Vol. 2, pp. 31–32). Edinburgh: T&T Clark.
 

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How Believers Should Think about the Father


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 to3 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.4 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 thereunto; 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 hath any thing to do. “Who5 among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?” say the sinners in Zion.6 And, “I knew thou wast an austere man,” saith the evil servant in the gospel. 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 hath enough,—all that he doth desire. This hath been his design and way from the beginning. The1 first blood that murderer shed was by this means. He leads our first parents into hard thoughts of God: “Hath God said so? hath 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 in2 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 doth he expostulate this with Zion! “What iniquity3 have ye seen in me?” saith he; “have I been a wilderness unto you, or a land of darkness?”4 “Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath 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 [to turn your back on] 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 hath 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.


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3 1 John 4:16.
4 Song. 7:5.
5 Isa. 33:14.
6 Luke 19:21.
1 Gen. 3:5.
2 Ἐφʼ ᾦ πάντες ἥμαρτον, Rom. 5:12.
3 Jer. 2:5, 21.
4 Isa. 40:27–29, 49:15, 16.



Owen, J. (n.d.). The works of John Owen. (W. H. Goold, Ed.) (Vol. 2, pp. 34–36). Edinburgh: T&T Clark.​
 
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