On communion with God, Owen wrote:
"Our communion...with God consisteth in his communication of himself unto us, with our returnal unto him of that which he requireth and accepteth, flowing from that union which in Jesus Christ we have with him...[a] mutual communication in giving and receiving, after a most holy and spiritual manner, which is between God and the saints, while they walk together in a covenant of peace, ratified by the blood of Jesus."
Receiving Christ's love is by faith, Owen describes as:
free, willing consent to receive, embrace and submit unto the Lord Jesus, as their huband, Lord and Saviour, -- to abide with him, subject their souls unto him, and to be ruled by him for ever...When the soul consents to take Christ on his own terms, to save him in his own way, and says, 'Lord...I am willing to receive thee and to be saved in thy way, --merely by grace; and though I would have walked according to my own mind, yet now I wholly give myself to be ruled by the Spirit, for in thee have I righteousness and strength, in thee am I justified and do glory; --then doth it carry on communion with Christ...Let believers exercise their hearts abundantly unto this thing. This is choice communion with the Son Jesus Christ. Let us receive him in all his excellencies as he bestows himself upon us;--be frequent in thoughts of faith, comparing him with other beloveds, sin, world, legal righteousness; and preferring him before them, counting them all loss and dung in comparison of him...and we shall not fail in the issue of sweet refreshment with him."
-D.
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