them. Christians engage in the mutual exercise, and all who feel aright will wish an interest in the same. Dan. ii. 17, 18. 3. The duty and happiness of God's people may be gathered from this subject. Their duty is to honour the witnessing Spirit of God, to guard against negligence, and to exalt the riches of divine grace, and the Beloved of their souls; and their happiness is from God. What matters who rejects, so long as he accepts? What may not such expect who are objects of divine favour? Go then, O Christian, "Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a cheerful heart, let thy garments be always white, and let thy head lack no ointment, for God now accepteth thy works.” Eccles. ix. 7, 8. SERMON XIX. We have fellowship one with another.—1 JOHN 1. 7. THIS chapter developes the grand design to be answered by the Christian ministry, see verse 3; in order to this, the apostle shows the full evidence he and the apostles possessed of the truth and divinity of our holy religion; he marks out the way in which the best of blessings are communicated to the sons of men, the change necessary to take place in their hearts, and the high dignity to which the true Christian is raised: "We have fellowship one with another." Fellowship with God is afforded the Christian, with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in love, and grace, in redemption, and influence. Phil. ii. 1, and other places, treat of communion with the Spirit. It were easy, and delightful to enlarge upon this privilege of "our high calling." The declarations of our text might be used, of saints in heaven, and believers on earth; they have fellowship the Christian is brought not only to God the Judge of all, and to an innumerable company of angels, but to the church of the first born, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, Heb. xii. 23; "The saints on earth and all the dead there is but one family, though part of this family be in heaven, and part on earth, in distinct apartments in their Father's house. Delightful idea! reviving thought! to be incorporated with those happy spirits, and united to the same glorious Head. But we must consider the passage as referring to the truly pious upon earth who, however situated, or circumstanced in this world, have fellowship one with another. The word κονωνία, like many others, has both primary and subordinate significations; the primary meaning is a participation in the things which belong to each other, arising from mutual interest, and herein we may distinguish it from communion, strictly so called, but what is at times meant by the term fellowship, i. e. mutual converse, or endearing intercourse. I propose to show, I. The things in which Christians participate with each other as constituting Christian fellowship; and, II. That this is a fruit of their union with Christ. I connect the two parts, lest I should fall into a repetition of the same things, and a tautology of expression which otherwise would be scarcely avoidable. Some of the things in which Christians participate with each other; for there may be and are personal distinctions, and certain peculiarities in which as Christians they have no common interest; but in others an interest runs through the whole church, from the highest apostle to the weakest believer. First. They have fellowship in their spiritual relations. Not strangers, but of the household of God, the sheep of Christ, the children and heirs of God, the citizens of heaven; that these high characters, expressive of spiritual relations, are applicable to all the people of God, and are enjoyed through Christ Jesus, will appear from consulting Gal. iii. 26, 28, 29; John x. 16; Eph. iii. 17, 19. Second. In the gifts they possess. May I not here recall to your recollection the metaphor we lately considered, taken from the human body? The peculiar gift with which any member is endowed, is for the good of the whole; the discernment, the activity, the sensation, the strength of the different members are considered as the mutual possession, all have an interest; so it is in the Christian church, Eph. iv. 11, 12; there you see for the edifying the body, and belonging to that body we should never lose sight of mutual dependence and general interest in each other's gifts; if not occupied with this aim, there is either a guilty negligence, or unwarrantable end. Third. In the exercises of grace. In godly sorrow for sin; in the lamentations of a broken heart; in desires, earnest and ardent desires for pardoning mercy and sanctifying grace; in a faith which embraces the distinguishing truths of the Gospel; in love to God and his people; in a pure joy founded upon the atonement; in a Christian sympathy, or delight with others, there is a coincidence of experience. The things I have enumerated are only distinct parts of experimental religion; in some they are more conspicuous than in others, and in the same person beam forth more fully at one period than another; but they have a real existence in all true Christians. "6 They have obtained like precious faith through the righteousness of God their Saviour," 2 Peter i. 1; they are brought to have "one heart and one soul," Acts iv. 32; for faith works by love, particularly love to the brethren, to all the household of faith; this gives them a delight in their company, Psa. xvi. 3, cxix. 63; sympathy under their trials, or joy and thankfulness in their prosperity. You have felt these exercises when reading tidings of Christians and churches, which you never expect to see, or from whom you cannot expect any advantage in this present evil world. Permit me to say, it is an unfavourable symptom when this is not known and felt, see Amos vi. 6; or, to revert to the members of the human body, "These being one body in Christ, therefore whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it, or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it; because the members should have the same care one for another," 1 Cor. xii. 26. Fourth. In the enjoyment of privileges. These are of an external nature, or inward possession ; in the former view we may reckon ordinances, and providences; the ordinances are parts of the |