with it. The joy which could not but result from being partakers of the same blessed fellowship with the Father, and the Son, the apostles had, must of necessity fill them with the same joys, in a measure, with which they themselves were filled. And this was a fulness of joy. These things write we unto you, that our joy may be full. Here I will open what I conceive may be considered, as the joy which would result to the apostles themselves, from the saints having their minds fully possessed with the knowledge of those truths set forth. Which as the saints fully knew, received and understood them, would yield real joy even to the apostles themselves. For I am not willing to omit the word our any more than the word your. So that here I am altogether on the joy the apostles themselves would be the partakers of, by the saints enjoying joy to the full by the things which were here written unto them. This is a reality, that there is a mutual joy, in such as communicate knowledge, and those who receive the same. The end proposed by such as are the conveyers of it to others, is their benefit. Those who receive cannot but convey their satisfaction of the same, back again on those from whom they received it. The apostles were the conveyances of the best of all knowledge to the churches. They most highly rejoiced and delighted therein. So that it was an increase of their own personal joy, when they found they had been in their writings, and by them, the means of their increasing the spiritual joy of others. So that John might well say, And these things write we unto you, that our joy may be full. This may receive confirmation from what Paul saith to the saints at Thessalonica, "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." And again, asking this question, "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing?" he answers by another question. "Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ? for ye are our glory and joy." 1 Epis. ii. 13, 19, 20. He thus addresseth himself also to the saints at Phillippi, Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved and longed for, my joy, and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved." Chap. iv. 1. Which I conceive

is equal with what our apostle says in these words, These things write we unto you, that our joy may be full. And again, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." 3 Epis. 4. So the saints were partakers of the joys of the apostles, and they of theirs, as there was an enjoying the one and same glorious grace of the gospel. And this in a very special and peculiar manner, as they had fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. It was hereby that their joy was full. They having such personal fellowship with God, and with his Son Jesus Christ, as was as real and true, and so substantiated in their minds as ever it would be even in glory. It might be more highly raised, it might be more enlarged, it might be increased: but it could not be more real and personally enjoyed, either in this world, or that which is to The joy, the fulness of joy, which must have resulted herefrom, must have been of the same kind, yet not to the same degree, as what the apostles themselves, in their own souls, were the partakers of. The joy flowing into their minds in their fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ, must have been purely spiritual, supernatural, and wholly divine: arising from the apprehensions created in their renewed

come.

minds, by the eternal Spirit, of the everlasting love of the Father unto them in his beloved Son. This was opened unto them in their fellowship with the Father, as it could not but be, by all they heard and believed concerning it: because the Father shining manifestatively and influentially on them, in the Person, and mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ, he gave them hereby such intuitive apprehensions of his love to them in his beloved Son, as gave them as true inward evidence of his love to them, as the gift of Christ to them, and for them did. In these intercourses, the Father opened all his heart. Poured out of Himself upon them, in such communications of it to their minds, as they had a real enjoyment of the same. The apostle says, "The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." He says, we also joy in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement." Rom. v.

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5, 11. In communion with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ, the glories of Christ's Person breaking in upon the minds of saints, in real personal communion with Him, must be matter of joy unto them. His opening his heart unto them, his causing his goodness and his glory to pass before them, his giving them glorious views of his righteousness, sacrifice, salvation, perfection, blessedness, and his delight in them, all this must afford joy unspeakable, and full of glory to the minds of saints. Their joy must arise herefrom. It was the same joy the apostles themselves were the subjects and recipients of. They wrote as they did, and as John had in the former verses, to the intent that this joy in God and Christ, might be promoted and increased in the saints. This reminds me, of what I once dropped in the pulpit at Chard in Somersetshire. Including the person who was then the Pastor, who is now with God, I said, we preach Christ, exactly and precisely as we do to answer and attain two ends. The first is, that Christ shining forth in his glory in the ministration of his everlasting gospel, and that light being reflected on your minds through it, you may be attracted and drawn, from a true spiritual apprehension of Him, to trust, and centre in Him alone. And our second end, in our preaching Christ precisely as we do, is that you may have clear, personal communion with Him. So that our ultimate end is to promote fellowship with the Holy Trinity. That you attaining the same, may know, in yourselves, and for yourselves, the blessedness which the apostle John speaks of, Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. I would add, every ministration of the gospel and its ordinances, which does not aim at this, falls far short of what the Lord himself, hath instituted and appointed these for. And it becomes both the ministers, and churches of Jesus Christ to attend to this, and seek to the Holy Spirit, that they in their own persons, be brought to this. If the apostles were of one heart, and were one in union with what our apostle wrote, then this is sufficient proof of what I have asserted being right. His words are, That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. As there was a mutual joy, resulting from the apostles, and the saints to whom they wrote, in their fellowship with each other, in this inexpressible dignity and privilege-communion with the Holy Trinity, so I proceed to my last particular which is to shew and express,

John

4. What this fulness of joy consisted in. That your joy may be full. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. We read of joy, of exceeding great joy, of joy unspeakable, of joy which is full of glory, in various scriptures. And here we read of a fulness of joy. The Psalmist says, "Rejoice in the Lord O ye righteous, for it becometh well the just to be thankful. Let the righteous be glad : let them be glad before God, yea, let them exceedingly rejoice." There must be good reason and ground for all this, or the Psalmist had not excited others unto it. We have sundry expressions of holy joy in God, one of them is uttered by way of a title given to God himself, who is the fountain of all holy joy and gladness. "I will go," says the Psalmist, "unto God my exceeding joy." It is in God all the fountain of spiritual, and everlasting joy originates. From Him it all flows forth. This was acknowledged by the church of old, who said, "All my springs are in thee." The prophet Isaiah expresses an exuberancy of joy, when he breaks out and says, "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God." Peter speaks of the saints being filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory." His words are these. "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory." 1 Epis. i. 8. speaks of a fulness of joy. Which implies it must contain the very perfection of it. He took up what he here expresses from the Lord Jesus Christ himself. He had in one of his last interviews with his apostles delivered these words, "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." John xv. 11. He had been delivering out the following truths-that he was the true vine that his divine Father was the husbandman-that his members were as truly united to him as the branches were with the vine-that there was a real union and communion between Him, and them—that these persons present were clean through the word which he had spoken unto them. He exhorts them to abide in Him. He asserts of Himself, to be the vine, and they to be branches. He informs them as the Father hath loved Him, so he hath loved them. And concludes this part of his discourse with these words, "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." More comfortable truths could not be delivered. No. Not by the Lord himself. These entering into their minds, and dwelling in their hearts, could not but produce a fulness of joy: yea, the joy of the Lord so as for the joy of his mind to be their joy, as they would hereby be possessed of it, agreeably with his most holy word. "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.' The apostle says, And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. Our Lord spake as he did, that his joy might remain in the minds of his beloved, and they might derive a fulness of joy from the same. His beloved disciple who always appears very greatly delighted to express his Lord's words, says, And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This fulness of joy then, must consist, in having such clear and blessed increasing knowledge and enjoyments of the love of God the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ, in real fellowship with them, as could not but feed, and fill, feast, and satisfy the mind to a holy satiety. Which as abiding in them, would at all times be a permanent source and fountain of joy to their mind. And these persons

knowing the love of God was immutable, and the relation between Christ and them indissoluble, might derive a fulness of joy from the real knowledge of this. As also from the consideration of their being as truly interested in the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ, and as the elect of God, as truly the objects of his love, as the apostles were. So that under every spiritual consideration of the subject, there was matter for joy: for great joy for holy and spiritual joy: for a fulness of joy. All which consisted in their fellowship with the Three in the incomprehensible Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in the person of God-Man, Christ Jesus. This is the medium of this fulness of joy. It is hereby enjoyed. And in the enjoyment of the same, the joy of the saints is full. And that it might be thus with them, the apostle wrote just as he did. I here conceive the first part of this chapter ends. These four verses are closely connected together: so are all the following: yet they do not all contain the same subject with these: I should style them the foundation of the whole epistle: the others, so many glorious fruits and consequences flowing from the same. May what hath been delivered by way of explaining them, be followed with a divine blessing. The Lord grant it for his great Name's sake. Amen.

SERMON V.

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.—1 JOHN i. 5.

THE apostle here begins a new subject, which extends itself, and is carried on, and ends with the close of the seventh verse: after which another new period begins. He here reminds those to whom he wrote, of the message which he, and his fellow apostles had received from the Lord Jesus, and which they now were in the act and habit of delivering unto them. It was in its own nature, and also in its consequences of the utmost importance, both as it regarded the Person from whom they received it, and the doctrine contained therein. They heard and received it from Christ himself. It was in his Name, and from his command, and his own authority, they declared and delivered it. What they declared respected the purity of the divine Nature, and the incomprehensible glory and dignity of the same. God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. He cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. This is an essential Truth of the everlasting gospel. The apostle James introduces it thus. "Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." chap. i. 16, 17. This Truth, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all, the apostles, who were with Christ, almost at the very commencement of his ministry, received from him. This they received as a message to be

delivered. This they did to the saints. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. This he begins with here, to shew there is every thing in the revelation God hath been pleased to make of, and concerning Himself, to give full evidence of this. There is not a Truth in his most holy, and written word, but is suitable with the Dignity, Majesty, Holiness, Purity and Perfection of his Essence. Every truth and doctrine of grace, hath an immutable and an inexpressible purity in it. Every purpose and decree of God, is equal to the perfection of Godhead. He cannot will any thing contrary to his Essence and Holiness: so that all his thoughts, will, council, acts, purposes and decrees, his ends and designs towards all things visible and invisible, are all holy, just and good. In his sovereign will in Christ, towards the whole election of grace, He shines forth in the full blaze of light inexpressible. The Essence of God, the Persons in God, the perfection of God, may well be conceived of, as contained in this expression, God is light. The word God is sometimes expressive of the Essence, and sometimes of a Person in the Essence, who is Personally expressed in the text or context. I conceive here, it may be understood both of the Essence, and of a Person in the Essence. As the Essence is one, and the Persons are distinguished by their relation to each other, and their distinctive personal properties, so I should conceive here, the Essence in the first place may be thus expressed, and a Person in the Essence also. Then it must follow the divine Father is here to be understood, as appears by what follows. I will give you the whole connection of these verses. Then you may judge for yourselves. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. From which it appears to me, it is the Divine Nature in the Person of the Father we are to understand here. And the Son and Spirit being equally possessed of the Divine Nature, they are the one true and living God, in the incomprehensible Godhead. So that they are coequal and coeternal. In the words of my text we have the following particulars, and which I shall aim to set before you under the following Heads. As,

1. The reason why this message, or declaration, is here introduced. 2. The assertion contained in it concerning God. In which we have a positive and negative declaration concerning Him. God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

3. How Light and Darkness are made use of in Scripture, to point out prosperity and adversity. The state of sin, and the state of grace. The blessings and benefits of the one, and the tremendous evils of the other. Also heaven and hell.

4. The apostle's end and design in these words. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. Of these as the Lord shall be pleased to assist. And that in the order as laid down; as I conceive thereby we shall have the substance of the words laid open before us. And

1. The reason why this message, or declaration is here introduced.

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