neration, which are to be found in the anci ent fcriptures.

4. A fellowship, wherein two or more parties become united in one common intereft, is another thing by which the divine principle is much illuftrated in the fcriptures: two parties may compofe a fellowship, but an intereft, common to both, is neceffarily fuppofed in fuch a community; which, as has been fhewn, may also be a party: in this cafe, as already illustrated, the intereft is the Holy Ghoft; and it will be kept in mind, that this is the fame thing which has been pointed out, as the intereft in the eternal covenantthe gift which God has bestowed upon us, or that commandment of the Father which embraces the divine favor, by which is the eter nal generation of the Son of God, and the regeneration of his people.

Whatever be the concern; whether in fome business of manufacture, of farming, or of trade, a fellowship is ufually denominated and diftinguished by the nature of the intereft; fo this matter of the divine glory is styled the fellowship of the Spirit, or the communion of the Holy Ghoft.-The confolation in Chrift, which is the gift of love, or the comfort of love, from the Father, is styled the fellowship of the Spirit; and, therefore, in this one thing, The grace of the Lord Jefus Chrift, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghoft, is fummed up the gospel benediction.

The Father is known in this fellowship, if I may be allowed the ufe of the common ex

preffion, by his advancing the capital: The Son is known in it, by his taking charge of the invaluable property, to occupy it, improve and dispense it, to the greateft advantage; fo that it fhould yield a vast profit, and produce an immenfe income and revenue: and the Holy Spirit is in it by his proceeding freely from the Father to the Son, to be appropriated under his hand, and difpenfed abroad for the common intereft, (i. e.) for the glory of the Father, and of the Son, which is infeparable from his own glory; and, as this matter has been laid down, it may be feen that this, in its nature, is a common intereft; for, the glory of the Father cannot be feparated from the glory of the Son, and the glory of the Son cannot be feparated from that of the Father, and the glory of the Holy Ghost cannot be feparated from either. This fellowship, then, confifts of both the inheritance and the family of God; it is compofed of the Giver of the eternal life, of the inheri-: tance itself, and of the inheritors of the eternal kingdom.

But, how are men brought into this holy. and bleffed fellowship? Here is the manifold wifdom of God! Here are the riches of his glory-the exceeding riches of his grace!That which we have feen and heard declare we unto you, that ye alfo may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jefus Chrift. 1 John i. 3.The fellowship of the faints generally is here carried up to the higheft fource; for, they have received the word of life, which has

been delivered unto them by the particular difciples of Chrift, who have declared and witneffed unto them this truth; and fo, coming into fellowship with them, all believers have fellowship one with another: And these difciples, receiving the commandment, which is eternal life, as it was manifefted and witneffed unto them by the Lord himself, came into the holy fellowship with him; and as this is" that eternal life which was with the Father;" even his kingdom, his power, and his glory, in which the fellowship of the Father and Son confifts; it may be faid, that truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jefus Chrift.

This diftinction among the faints, of particular and general, is founded in the covenant made with Abraham: He was taken into this blessed and holy fellowship, by an explicit covenant, wherein God promised to be a God unto him and to his feed; by which he became intitled to this eternal inheritance, and was made the heir of the world. But, by an article inferted in this ancient charter of the inheritance of the faints, given to Abraham and his feed, viz. That in him, &c. fhould all the families of the earth be blessed; the door was opened for the poor Gentiles, who were far off, to come in and partake of the infinite bleffing: Wherefore, in or by Jefus Chrift, who was of the feed of Abraham, the word of life was fent to the Gentiles: He directed, he commanded, that the Gospel, the unfearchable riches of his grace, fhould be preached unto us, that we alfo might know P

the Father, and his Son Jefus Chrift, and be faved. But this, agreeably to the ancient compact with Abraham, who, by this covenant, was made the Father of all them that believe;-this, I fay, must all be done inftrumentally, by Abraham and his feed; therefore, the Apostles of Jefus Chrift, even the Apostle to the Gentiles, were all of the feedof Abraham; hence the Apoftle John, in his epiftle general, makes a distinction, and uses, the ftyle of us and you; That which we have feen and heard declare we unto you, that ye alfo may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jefus Chrift.

A diftinction, fomewhat of the fame nature, exifted in the ancient church, between the tribe of Levi, who had the charge of the law and miniftrations of the altar, and the people of Ifrael; and also, in the matters of the kingdom, between Judah and Ephraim, or the body of the nation; and fomething of this nature ever exifts between them who minifter in holy things, and them who are miniftered unto, who may ever efteem it both their duty and privilege to make fome suitable return; as the Apoflle faid in commendation of the Philippians, chap. iv, verse 15. That in the beginning of the gospel, they only communicated, or had fellowthip with him, as concerning giving and receiving.

But in what manner fhould we fpeak of this difpenfation of the grace of God toward us; that the Gentiles fould be fellow heirs with the holy Apofles and Prophets, and of the

fame body, and partakers of his promife in Chrift by the Gospel.-Wherof Paul was made a minifter, according to the gift of the grace of God, by the effectual working of his power, to make all men fee what is the fellowship of the mystery, which, from the beginning of the world had been hid in God, who created all things by Jefus Chrift: To the intent that now unto principalities and powers, in heavenly places, might be known by the church the manifold wifdom of God, according to the eternal purpole which he purpofed in Chrift Jefus our Lord. This is a fubject furnished amply to fill the mind with wonder, and to make the foul exult for ever, and cry with the Apostle, O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!-Oh, the unfearchable riches of Chrift!

But there is another view of this fubject which must not be paffed over, viz. The fellowship of the Sufferings of Chrift.-This, again, will lead to the contemplation of the divine principle, and afford an illustration of the truth of the holy Trinity, and of the part taken by each divine person in this glorious matter of the purpose and grace of God.The folemn and aftonishing scene is described, Zech. xiii. 7. Awake, Ofword, against my fhepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, faith the Lord of Hofts: fmite the jhepherd, and the sheep fhall be fcattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.-Here we contemplate the three perfons in the Godhead, in their diftinct relations:-Firft, The Lord, as fuftaining an authority and the rights of gov