will carry the heart to an undervaluing of all other things, as being
too low and unworthy for this end, and so to a forsaking of every thing
for the closer enjoyment of God. I fear many believers are little
acquainted with this joy, because they draw not their joy singly out of
the pure fountain of delight, but turn aside to other external comforts,
and drown their souls in them. Now, indeed, these two cannot well consist
together. If we take in any thing else to make up our happiness and
comfort, so much we lose of God, and that which is truly spiritual, and
therefore our hearts would be more purified from carnal delights, if we
would have experience of this joy, we must hang only upon his countenance
and company, else we lose the sweetness of it.

Now the apostle prosecutes this further, to discover what conformity must
be between them that should keep this fellowship, and what likeness of
nature and qualities is necessary for them who would be happy in God's
society. "This is the message we have heard," saith he, "and which we
declare unto you, that God is light," &c. Take this jointly with that
which went before, "this we declare, that ye may have fellowship with the
Father and the Son." And to the end this fellowship may hold and yield
you fulness of joy, it is necessary that the nature of God be laid down as
the pattern to which ye must be conformed,--"God is light," and therefore
you must be light too, if ye would have fellowship with that pure light.
Now this, I say, is the full message of the gospel, that which was sent
down from heaven with the Son of God, the messenger of the covenant, and
which the apostles heard from him. Indeed the very manner of the proposal
of these things stirs up our hearts to attention, and makes us more
serious than commonly we are. That there is one, and such an one sent
from heaven, with such an embassage as this is, to invite us to society
with God again, one whose interest lies in this, to make us happy, and
this he declares unto us, that he hath no other design but to fulfil our
joy. O how powerful might this be on our hearts to conquer them, to make
them willingly hearken to him! Any message that comes from heaven should
be received with great reverence and respect of mortal men, because it
comes from the court and palace of the great King. But when this is the
substance of it, to make us happy in himself, to advance us to this
incomparable dignity of society with him