Pontus, Galatia,-grace unto you, and peace be multiplied."

2 Pet. i. 2, "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you, through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus Christ our Lord."

In St. John's first epistle there is no solemn wish or prayer, either at the beginning, or the end. However at ver. 3 and 4, of chap. i. he says: "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us. And these things write we unto you,

that your joy may be full."

2 John, ver. 3, “Grace be with you, mercy and peace from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love."

3 John, 2," Beloved, I wish above all things, that thou mayest prosper, and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.'

Jude, ver. 2, "Mercy unto you, and peace and love be multiplied."

Rev. i. 4," John to the seven churches in Asia, grace be unto you, and peace, from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits which are before the throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness."

These are the solemn wishes or salutations at the beginning of the apostolical epistles, as under the preceding head we saw their solemn wishes and benedictions at the end.

Before I leave this second proposition I would observe, that there is nothing solemn, but only, as it seems, common in the wishes or salutations in the epistle, written by the apostles and elders at the council of Jerusalem. Acts xv. 23," The apostles, and elders, and brethren, send greeting unto the brethren, which are of the Gentiles in Antioch, and Syria, and Cilicia." And the conclusion at ver. 29, is only this: "If ye keep yourselves from these things, ye shall do well. Farewell."

III. The wishes, prayers, or benedictions of the apostles, at the end of their epistles, are designed for christians only. Whether that be expressed or not, it is to be supposed, and understood. If St. Paul sometimes says no more than "grace be with you all," it may be reckoned equivalent to what is a more common form, the "grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all." Which can pertain to such only, as make a profession of faith in Christ, and are desirous of his favour. And sometimes this is expressed, as in St. Peter's first epistle, "Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus." And St. Paul at the end of his epistle to the

Ephesians, "Grace be with all them that love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity," that is, "in simplicity;" meaning, probably, such as embraced and adhered to the true doctrine of Christ, without the additional observances of the law of Moses, as necessary to salvation.

But if there be no limitation in the words of the benediction at the end of the epistles, (which, as before hinted, may be sometimes concise and summary,) the introductions to the epistles teach us, to whom all the rest is directed, and to whom the blessings, or good wishes, at the end, do belong. For the epistles are all, or however all with very few exceptions, expressly addressed to believers. So: "To all that be at Rome, called to be saints. Unto the church of God, which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours -Unto the church of God, which is at Corinth, with all the saints that are in Achaia." And in a like manner in other epistles. Beside that the whole train of the arguments and exhortations show them to be written to christians.

IV. The benedictions, or farewell wishes at the end of the epistles, which we are considering, are of a solemn kind, different from common salutations.

That they are not common greetings, is apparent at first sight. This may be argued also from the conclusions of several of the epistles, where there is a common friendly salutation, beside the solemn benediction. The first epistle to the Corinthians concludes in this manner: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus." The conclusion of the epistle to the Philippians is thus: "Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me greet you. All the saints salute you, chiefly they of Cæsar's household. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." The last words of the epistle to Titus are: "All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen." Heb. xiii. 24, 25, "Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you. Grace be with you all. Amen." We might also argue from St. Paul's many salutations of particular persons in the sixteenth chapter of the epistle to the Romans. After which he shuts up all, saying: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all."

a

If any find this Sermon too long to be read at once, here may be a good pause.

6

6

V. The meaning of the valedictory prayer or benediction at the end of this second epistle to the Corinthians seems to be to this purpose: May the favour of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love and good will of God be with you, and abide with you. And may you partake of all the blessings of the gospel, with all good things needful for you.' Let us observe each expression.

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ." It is so well known, that the word, which we render grace, signifies favour, that there can be no need to prove it. Hereby then is to be understood all that is included in having the favour of Jesus Christ.

"And the love of God." 'And may you enjoy, and con'tinue to have, the love, approbation, and good will of God; 'whose good will is the spring of all happiness, natural and spiritual, temporal and eternal.'

"And the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all." "Communion," or fellowship. The word is used several times in the New Testament, and seems to signify one or other of these two things. First, it sometimes denotes "communication," or distribution. At other times it signifies partaking or "participation" of somewhat together with others.

66

First, I say, it sometimes denotes communication or distribution of somewhat to others. Rom. xv. 26, "It has pleased them of Macedonia, and Achaia, to make a certain contribution," communion, communication, "for the poor saints at Jerusalem." It is the same word in the original, which is here rendered "communion." 2 Cor. ix. 13, "Whilst by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your liberal distribution to them," communion or communication, " and to all men." Heb. xiii. 16, “ But to do good, and to communicate forget not." The Greek is literally thus: "But forget not well-doing, and communion," or communication. For here too is the same word which we have in the text. And the words are well rendered: "But to do good, and to communicate, forget not." These instances, not to mention others, show that the word does sometimes signify communication, or distribution of some good to others.

ye

It seems also to denote sometimes participation with others in some good. 1 Cor. i. 9, " God is faithful, by whom were called to the fellowship" or communion" of his Son Jesus Christ:" that is, to a participation of the blessings vouchsafed in and through Jesus Christ. And 2 Cor. viii. 14, "What fellowship has light with darkness? Gal. ii. 9,

They gave unto us the right hands of fellowship :" or admitted us to partake with them in the same office and work in which they were engaged.

Thus it also signifies a participation of good things with others. And both these senses may be included in the word, as used by St. John, and perhaps in some other places. 1 John i. 2, "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye may have fellowship with us:" that is, that ye may have like privileges with us. "And truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." 'And indeed we are servants of God, and followers of Jesus Christ, and have received most delightful and 'most valuable communications from above.'

By the "Holy Ghost," undoubtedly, is often meant in the New Testament, and throughout the scriptures, miraculous powers and gifts, or immediate inspiration, and divine revelation, in an especial manner. Acts vii. 5, St. Stephen, before the Jewish council, says: "Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost." Or, ye have been always wont to oppose and disobey the divine revelations, and the messengers sent to with them. As ye have now resisted Christ, so did your fathers the prophets in former times.

you

It is said in St. John's gospel, ch. vii. 39, that the "Holy Ghost was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified:" meaning, that the miraculous powers and gifts designed to be bestowed upon the apostles, and others, who believed in Jesus, were not yet vouchsafed to them: the plentiful effusion of such gifts having been deferred till after Christ's ascension, as an evident proof of it to all. Acts ii. 4, "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." And it is well known, that miraculous gifts, in some degree and proportion, were bestowed upon most believers at that time. Acts v. 32, Peter, and the other apostles before the Jewish council: "And we are his witnesses of these things. And so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him."

This is what the apostle may be thought to mean here: to wish that these christians might continue to partake in 'miraculous gifts and powers.' And if that be the meaning, it is argued that this benediction, or farewell prayer, is confined to those times, and cannot be reasonably used now.

For farther clearing up this point therefore, and enabling all to judge of it, so far as I am able, I would observe, that words are not always used in their fullest sense and meaning. If all believers in general at that time are spoken of

as having the Spirit, yet, as to most of them, it was in a much inferior degree and measure than that of the apostles.

St. Paul says, Col. i. 19, " It pleased the Father, that in him all fulness should dwell." In Eph. iii. 19, he prays for those christians, that "they might be filled with all the fulness of God." Nevertheless none can suppose, that he intends all the power and wisdom that was in Christ. The context does not lead us to think that the apostle intended any miraculous gifts at all. But he means, probably, what the evangelist John does, when he says, ch. i. 16, 17,“ And of his fulness have all we received, even grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ;" that is, the true grace of the gospel, with which all christians ought to be well acquainted. And the apostle there prays particularly for the Ephesians, that they may be so.

In like manner, Eph. i. 17, 18, he prays for the same Ephesian christians," that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: that the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, ye may know what is the hope of his calling." And the rest, which there follows. Not intending, I presume, any new revelation, or immediate inspiration, or the infusing into them any wisdom miraculously; but that in the right use of their reasonable powers and faculties, and recollecting what they had heard from him, and other preachers of the gospel, and attending to this his epistle, and other scriptures, or rightly improving any other means of religious knowledge, they might attain to and be settled in a right conception and understanding of the doctrine of the gospel, as it had been revealed by Christ and his apostles. Upon this place Mr. Locke might be fitly consulted.

Moreover the phrase, the Holy Ghost, is, I think, plainly used for spiritual good things in general. Luke xi. 9—13, "And I say unto you: Ask, and ye shall receive.- For every one that asketh receiveth. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or, if he shall ask an egg, will be offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" Which in St. Matthew is expressed by good things. And I shall likewise recite that context largely, that all may the better judge whether it is not exactly parallel. "Matt. vii. 7-11, Ask, and it shall be

VOL. IX.

2 D

66