Fellowship.

No. 2.
IF it is only by “the communion of the Holy Ghost” that we can truly have “fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ;” and if it is only by the gracious operation of the Holy Ghost, through the Scriptures, that we can have any tame knowledge of the Godhead, how important that we should “search” the inspired pages of truth, in humble dependence upon Him who searcheth “the deep things of God,” particularly when we remember that blessed saying of our adorable Lord, “This is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou had sent;” and also that when the beloved disciple, by the Spirit, touched on the same glorious subject, he added, “These things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” (1 John 1:3, 43That 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. 4And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. (1 John 1:3‑4).)
In meditating upon a subject so amazingly profound and sublime, we may well take our shoes from off our feet; for it is holy ground. The psalmist said, “Who can utter the mighty acts of Jehovah?” “Who can show forth all His praise?” Surely it is not by our “searching” that we can find out God, that we can find out the Almighty to perfection (Job 11:77Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? (Job 11:7)); but, taught by that same Spirit, who indited the Scriptures of truth, who “searcheth all things,” teaches all things, and guides into all truth, we find that the “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come,” is revealed to us (though in measure now,) in the glorious perfections of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Taking, then, the Holy Scriptures as our only sure guide, we find very early in the sacred records some blessed intimations of a plurality of persons in the Eternal Godhead. “God said, let us make man in our image. So God created man in His own image. (Gen. 1:26, 2726And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (Genesis 1:26‑27).) “Behold the man is become as one of us.” “So He drove out the man.” (Gen. 3:22, 28.) “Let us go down and confound their language. So the Lord scattered them abroad.” (Gen. 11:7, 87Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. 8So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. (Genesis 11:7‑8).) In Isa. 6 we see the same truth brought out; “I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I: send me. And He said, Go.” The Spirit of God also strikingly intimates, in Prov. 8, that there was One lying in the bosom of the Father before all worlds, in the sweet repose of ineffable delight and affection. “Jehovah possessed Me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: while as yet He had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When He prepared the heavens, I was there: when He set a compass upon the face of the depth: when He established the clouds above, when He strengthened the fountains of the deep: when He gave to the sea His decree, that the waters should not pass His commandment; when He appointed the foundations of the earth: then I was by Him, as One brought up with Him; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him; rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth; and My delights were with the sons of men.” Surely this is none other than the beloved Son, who, in the days of His flesh, said, “Now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was. (John 17:55And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. (John 17:5).) And is not this view of the subject greatly confirmed by the words of Agur, in the same book? “Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? Who hath gathered the wind in His fists? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son’s name, if thou canst tell?” Other Old Testament Scriptures speak of the “Spirit of God” (Gen. 1:2; 41:88. Ex. 31:88And the table and his furniture, and the pure candlestick with all his furniture, and the altar of incense, (Exodus 31:8)); and also of Emmanuel, the virgin’s Child; the Son given, the mighty God; and Nebuchadnezzar declares that he saw in the fiery furnace one “like the Son of God.” (Isa. 7:14; 9:614Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
6For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6). Dan. 3:2525He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. (Daniel 3:25).) These Scriptures unquestionably teach us about plurality of persons in the eternal Godhead; at the same time, the Spirit of God continually preserves the doctrine of the One living and true God. “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.” (Deut. 6:44Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: (Deuteronomy 6:4).) “Is there a God beside Me? Yea, there is no God; I know not any.” (Isa. 44:88Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any. (Isaiah 44:8).) “Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord.” (Jer. 23:24, 2424Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord. (Jeremiah 23:24)
24Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord. (Jeremiah 23:24).) “The Lord of Hosts is Ilia name, the Holy One of Israel.” (Isa. 47:44As for our redeemer, the Lord of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 47:4).)
But with all these various ways, in which it pleased Jehovah, at different times, to reveal Himself to His people, by the prophets, it remained for God to speak to us by His Son, by whom He made the worlds, in order that the true light might more fully shine forth. “No man,” said He, “hath seen God at any time, the only-begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.” (John 1:1818No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. (John 1:18).) And blessed be His name, He could say with emphatic truthfulness, “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.” (John 14:99Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? (John 14:9).)
In the New Testament, God is everywhere set before us as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; yet “the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God.” And most blessed it is that in reference to the work of eternal redemption, we find the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, continually presented to us, as acting in the unity of divine wisdom, power, and grace. We know full well that it must be so, but how blessed to find it so repeatedly set before us in the Scriptures for our comfort and blessing. Let us, beloved, with reverence and godly fear, approach the oracles of truth, to see, as the Spirit may graciously anoint our eyes, this great sight!
At the Lord’s baptism, also, we find that, when Jesus came up out of the water, the SPIRIT OF GOD descended upon Him like a dove, while a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved SON, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matt. 3:16, 1716And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:16‑17).) Then we find Him who was in the form of God, and who emptied Himself, and took upon Him the form of a servant, returning from Jordan, full of the HOLY GHOST, without measure, (John 3:34,34For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. (John 3:34)) tempted and overcoming, preaching and teaching, doing good and working miracles, and yet declaring, “The FATHER that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works.” (John 14:1010Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. (John 14:10).)
Again, look at the cross. The FATHER, not sparing, but delivering up His own Sox. (Rom. 8:3232He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32).) The FATHER, giving the bitter cup. The SON freely drinking the cup. (John 18:1111Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? (John 18:11).) The Son willingly laying down His own life for the sheep. (John 10:1111I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. (John 10:11).) The SON delivering Himself up―knowing all things that should come upon Him, “He went forth” (John 18:3-83Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? 5They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. 6As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground. 7Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. 8Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way: (John 18:3‑8)); and we are also taught that it was by the ETERNAL SPIRIT that He offered Himself. (Heb. 9:1414How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:14).) Look further, at the resurrection of the Lord. Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the FATHER (Rom. 6:44Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4)), also the Sox triumphed over principalities and powers; like Sampson, he arose in the darkness of midnight, and took the doors and posts of the city, and carried them up to the top of the hill (Judg. 16:33And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron. (Judges 16:3)), for He rose again the third day. (1 Cor. 15:44And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (1 Corinthians 15:4).) He had power to lay down his life, and power to take it again. (John 10:1818No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. (John 10:18).) Yet, we are also taught that He was quickened by the SPIRIT. And yet still further, does not the same gracious instruction meet us in reference to the ascension and glorification of Christ? When the Sox had by Himself purged our sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (Heb. 1:33Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (Hebrews 1:3).) Eph. 1:2020Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, (Ephesians 1:20) teaches us that the FATHER not only raised Him from the dead, but” set Him at His own right hand.” And we are elsewhere instructed, that” THE HOLY GHOST was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified; and in another place we read, “Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the HOLY GHOST, He hath shed forth this which we now see and hear ... therefore God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (John 7:3939(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) (John 7:39); Acts 2:33, 3633Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. (Acts 2:33)
36Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:36).)
Our hearts might still go onward in the contemplation of Him that sitteth on the throne, and the Lamb as it had been slain in the midst of the throne, and the seven Spirits before the throne; but we may well pause, beloved, and adoringly worship, while we linger over the wonderful revelation of God in Christ crucified. Great, indeed, is the mystery of God manifest in the flesh; and great, beyond all conception, was the love that led Him to give His life a ransom for many. It is dwelling here that our souls increase in the knowledge of God; it is here we learn the deceitful and unsatisfying character of every other science; it is here we behold with ever new and varying beauty that God is for us; it is here we find ourselves launched on an ocean of everlasting love; it is here we realize that peace which passeth all understanding, and it is here we see written in indelible characters, “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”
May we, beloved, enjoy closer and more abiding fellowship, in the Spirit, with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ!