I CONSIDER these words conclude the first grand subject of this chapter. The next particular subject begins with the 5th, and closes with the 7th verse. Then the 8th, 9th, and 10th verses have a distinct subject. Yet as all stand connected together, they form one whole most glorious system of everlastingly precious and glorious truth. Let it be here observed, as in various Bibles, I read my text in them differently, as thus. And these things write we unto you, that our joy may be full. In others, And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full, so I have included both words, our and your, hoping thereby to give the fullest sense of the apostle's meaning and design in the text itself. The text stands entirely connected with the three former verses, which connection as I greatly value, and always love to preserve, it most certainly reflecting a great light upon the whole, so I consider it is particularly necessary throughout the whole exposition of this very important epistle. The apostle had been speaking of the Eternity of Christ's Person, of his having been visible unto them, so as for their outward and spiritual evidence, of his real and open incarnation. They had heard Him : they had seen Him with their eyes visibly before them they had looked on Him: they had handled Him the Word of Life. He was manifested to them. They knew Him to be that Eternal Life, which was with the Father from everlasting. In whom was all His delight. He being the Son of His love. One in the same Essence with Himself, and Spirit. Who as God-Man, was essentially, immutably, and invariably in his Person, the Image of the invisible God, the brightness of glory, who was in the form of God, the Fellow of the Lord of Hosts. In whom as one personally with the Son of the living God, all the fulness of the Godhead dwelleth. He was with the Father all this, before the world-was. He became incarnate in the fulness of time, and in his incarnate state, was manifested unto his apostles, and others, whom he had chosen. That which John and his fellow-apostles had seen in Him, heard from Him, enjoyed in fellowship with Him, they declared to the whole church at large. Their end in the same was most noble and most truly generous. Their end was, that all saints might be the better for it: that they might improve by it : and have the same fellowship, in all the blessings, and reality of it which they themselves had, with the Father, and the Son. All which was written to the whole church of Christ, and to every individual saint therein, that the joy of the apostles might be full. They having communicated unto them, all they themselves knew of these glorious mysteries of grace. And that the joy of these saints, and all saints to the end of the world might be full. As directed into an increasing knowledge of the Person: of Christ, and God the Father, and into an acquaintance in what way, and by what means, they were to look for, and expect to participate in the same. Thus you have the outline of these first four verses; which I will now recite, that you may view for yourselves their real coherence and connection. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of Life. (For the life was manifested, and we have seen. it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us.) 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 our joy may be full. So it is in the Bible before me; in others it is, that your joy may be full. The words of my text may be thus divided ; and considered as containing the following particulars.

1. The things which were before written.

2. The end and design of writing the same.

3. What the joy was which could not but result there from, both to the apostle, and; to saints. And these things write we unto you, that our joy, your joy may be full.

4. What this fulness of joy consisteth in. These are the particulars I am to treat on, that I may fill up the division into which I have cast my text. I am then to begin

1. With the things which were before written. And these things write we unto you, that our, your joy may be full.

It does not appear any where concerned with our apostle, in writing this epistle. `'It seems the Holy Ghost called him, and influenced him to write it, and that under his immediate influence and direction. How then does he say, And these things write we unto you, that our, your joy may be full ; or that your joy may be full? My reply to this is, the apostles were filled with, and possessed with one and the same spirit, respecting the whole church of the Lord Jesus Christ. There was nothing they knew of Him, but they were of one heart and one soul, in the imparting the same. What they saw in Christ, what apprehensions the Holy Ghost, had given them of his worth, and transcendent excellency, they were all of one mind in this very particular, to communicate the full knowledge of, so far as words could possibly convey the same. This being their one desire, our apostle might well use the term, we. There being in this but one soul possessing each of them. Again the subject they every where declared was one and the same. Their testimony of Him was one and the same. Their witness and setting of Him forth differed not a whit. Nor did their aim and end vary. It was to make Him known. To gain Him a glorious Name. To spread his fame and renown. That sinners under the operation of the Holy Ghost might be led to believe on Him, they preached Christ crucified. When any of these persons wrote to the churches of the saints, their one view was their real and spiritual good. And all the difference with respect to their particular, and distinct gifts, lay here. They neither of them wrote, but as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. He directed them to write as seemed good in his sight. There is no difference in their writings, but this-One is called to write on one particular subject. Another on I what the others were not to meddle with. Every epistle is on a different subject, let it be written by Paul, James, Peter, John, or Jude. I would add, with a particular end and design also. In these their epistles, there is a difference, just agreeably to what they were influenced by the eternal spirit to engage on. But in their personal testimony of Christ, they differed not a whit, their end being in the whole, whether by their preaching or writings to glorify and exalt their, and the one only, and common Lord of all the churches of the saints, they therefore sometimes use the term we, and us to enforce their writings on the minds of saints. You have an example of this in Peter. "This second epistle, (beloved,) I now write unto you ; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance. That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour." 2 Epis. iii. 1, 2. And Peter and John before the senate at Jerusalem, said one for the other, "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." Acts iv. 20. It was the will of the eternal Spirit, our John should write on the most important of all subjects, which concerns inward, vital, experimental Christianity. This is communion with God. He had the true blessedness of it in his own mind. He knew by what means it was begun in his own soul. Mow it had been maintained therein. That it was still carried on. He was well persuaded all the holy apostles, together with himself, were favoured with having real fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. That they would most cordially join with him, in aiming to promote this, ministerially, amongst all saints. That, were the end obtained by this means, it would afford them, and himself, joy : and it would increase the joy of saints also. He therefore says in the words before us, And these things write we unto you, that our joy, that your oy may be full. It may be here asked what are these things which he wrote to attain this end ? And what are those special and peculiar subjects our minds must be conversant with, that we may attain this most blessed end, viz. fellowship with the apostle, and with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ? I refer to the words of the preceding verse. 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 our, your joy may be full. It is the utmost end and design bf the ministration of the gospel, to bring believers into a state of fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. This was the state of blessedness into which the apostles were brought. That other saints might enjoy the same blessedness, was John's aim and design in writing to the saints, this " First Epistle General," which will be continued down to the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The things which the apostle had written to attain this blessed end which he proposed to himself, concerned Christ. Who he was. What lie was. The Person of Christ, and the Incarnation of Christ, are the glory of the sacred page. The love of Christ is the spring of life to us. The salvation of Christ is our foundation to hope in Him. And to expect most blessed communications from Him. It is from his immutability, and his inexhaustible fulness of grace and glory, we are encouraged to expect to receive supplies suited to all our wants, equal to all our spiritual desires. Grace, now, and evermore, to the closing of a time state with us.' And glory everlasting, out of the same immensity of blessedness, contained in the fulness of Christ, God-Man, to constitute us glorious to the ages of eternity. Christ as God-Man, is the Head of his Church. The Life of his Church. The Perfection of his Church. The Glory of his Church. The blessedness of his Church. He is her Treasure. He is her Portion. Her Righteousness. Her immutable Holiness. Her in effable Purity. What the apostle had been expressing concerning Him, as the word of Life, as that eternal life, which was with the Father before all time, who became incarnate in the fulness of time, which the apostles were witnesses of, could not but shed its influence on spiritual minds, through the grace of the Holy Spirit. It had this very effect on this apostle himself. Therefore he expressed the communion he had, and the reality of the same, with the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ. Which, says he, I. write unto you, that ye may have fellowship with us, in the same unspeakable blessing and blessedness. I would next take up the question, what are those special and peculiar subjects, that our minds must be conversant with, that we may attain this most blessed end, viz. fellowship with the apostles, and with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ? To this I cannot but reply, they must for the subject arid substance of them, be the same with what the apostle has been setting forth in the former verses. He had been treating of fellowship with the Holy Trinity. It is through the God-Man, Christ Jesus, we have blessings inconceivable. These are made known to our minds, as the Holy Spirit is pleased to open our understandings, to know the Father's love to us, in Him, the Son of his love. It is through Him, we have fellowship with the Father, in all the blessings of his everlasting love. All which we enjoy through the indwelling of the Holy Ghost. It is he alone, who is the manifestor of our union to Christ-of our interest in Christ-of our title in Him to all the blessings of grace, and glory. It is He who is the efficient of all our fellowship with the Father, and the Son, in all contained in the realization of grace and glory, either in earth, or heaven. From hence a joy, yea, a fulness of joy abounds. God himself is the object of this joy. It arises from the knowledge we have of the Holy Three, being the fountain and spring of our exceeding joy. Our Lord says to his disciples, "These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." John xv. 11. And John, speaking after his Lord and master, says, And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. So we the Master and the disciple are of one heart in this. The one spoke out the whole of his heart most fully, that his beloved might have the fullest participation of fulness of joy. And the other wrote what he did, concerning fellowship with the Holy Trinity, that they enjoying the same fellowship, might also have a fulness of joy. But to the question. What are the subjects the mind must be engaged on, and conversant with, that we may attain this most blessed end, viz. fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ ? To this I reply. They must be the glorious truths and doctrines. of the everlasting gospel. Such as concern the Person of Christ. The Three in Jehovah, as revealed and manifested in Him. The everlasting love of God, to the persons of the elect in Him. His union unto them, and with them, founded on their election in Him, and settlements of grace : with his Personal interest in them ; salvation of them, and his presentation of them in his Person, before the ,Majesty in the heavens : These are the Truths with which the mind must be spiritually occupied, and conversant, that we may attain this most blessed end, viz. fellowship with the apostles, and with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. Then it must follow, the ministry of the. gospel in our present day, is not calculated to promote, or attain this end. The general stream of all, goes no further than to reach the minds of the hearers, with an apprehension of their sinful state and the necessity of a change. If some go beyond this, yet it is not sufficient to fix the mind on Christ. Those who are looked on to be the greatest in our times, they express the terms of "Jesus Christ," and some doctrines of grace, more than they even attempt to open and explain his most glorious Person, or explain one single doctrine of the gospel. They may be said to name him, and some gospel truth. But it cannot be said with Truth they preach Him, neither can it ever be proved, either in this world or in the world to come, they ever were the means of establishing one real saint on Christ, or directing Him ministerially into real fellowship with the apostles, into clear views of the doctrines of God our Saviour, and into fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. It is owing to this, many who are saints wander from one congregation to another. Yet with all their goings from one to the other, they do not meet with that which does their souls any real good. They want guides to go before them. Pastors after God's own heart, to feed them with knowledge and understanding. The mysteries of the gospel must be opened and explained, the Personal Glories of Christ unveiled, the love the Holy Trinity love the elect in Him with, and the communion they have with the elect in Him, these are the subjects which the called of God in Christ Jesus must have their minds fully possessed with, that they may be disposed to seek after real, distinct, and personal communion with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. But I will proceed

2. To the apostle's end and design in writing on this subject; These things write we unto you. What for? The words of the text say, that your joy may be full. If we quote the words of the former verse, which may be done with safety, and bring them into this, then the end and design will be this. He aims these, and all saints down to the end of time, might freely and fully partake in their measure and degree, of all the blessings of Christ, and salvation, with themselves. He would they should know it a real privilege and blessing which they were interested in, as truly as the apostles were, to have and hold fellowship with the Holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity. They were not to look into themselves for any worth or worthiness, to entitle them to this in- estimable grace, but to look to the grace, and in the views of the same, seek for the blessedness contained in this holy, personal fellowship with the Persons of the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ in real, experimental accesses to, and fellowship with them. Assuring them of the reality there was in all this, by saying, That which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, 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. This was most noble. It expresseth their spirit towards the saints. They want them to be as truly blessed as themselves, so far as it was possible, in their knowledge of the Father, and the Son, in their acts of grace towards them, in their relation and union with them, in their love to them, into that fellowship they had most blessedly opened for them, for their satisfying their souls with holy and divine joys,' such as were truly foretastes of Heaven and Glory, as might give. them the best experience of what those joys will consist in, they would be the real partakers of, when they should be admitted into the kingdom of glory.

All this could not be effected in their minds, but by this as the medium thereof. The supreme and transcendently excellent truths, which concern the deep things of God, The Person, and Glories of the Lord Jesus Christ, how he stood in the Father's sight before all time; how he was conceived in the divine mind, and laid as the foundation of all the eternal decrees, will, council, purposes, ends and designs of Jehovah respecting all things visible and invisible. How he was brought forth openly in his incarnation, as the first-born of all God's vast ends and designs, and He is God's Alpha and Omega, his beginning and ending, in all his displays of love, grace, and glory towards the elect. Now, if these- are the subjects which alone can feed a spiritual mind, and increase the spirituality thereof; and if it is by means of the same, the mind is drawn forth towards the Father and his Son Jesus Christ, so as to breathe after, and really to enjoy distinct fellowship, in an apprehensive way, with the Father, in clear scriptural views of his everlasting' love to his Church in Christ, God-Man; and so as also to have such blessed scriptural apprehensions of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in his Person and salvation, as to worship Him, by acknowledging his distinct Personality with the Father, whilst we confess his coequality in Godhead with the Father and the Spirit, this is that knowledge of the subject as alone can draw out the, renewed mind into real affections and desires after communion with the Lord, so as to partake of this inestimable blessing-distinct and personal communion with the Father and the Son. I again repeat it, that to fit the mind for this, there must be a proportional light, let in from the Lord on the same, to give it a holy relish for it, and draw out the desires after it. Hence it follows, that that preaching which suits this, must be wholly supernatural. It is not preaching Christ's salvation, and how complete we are in Him, is sufficient to effect this great end. No. It must be preaching what God is to us in Christ, above and beyond all consideration of the fall. It must be setting Christ forth in his ancient and primordial glories, and then coming down to his sub-lapsarian state, is the preaching which alone, in the hand of the Spirit can produce this. For a proof of which I only refer you to the three former verses, which issue in our text in which the apostle says, And these things write we unto you, that our joy, your joy may be full. It follows then, the utmost the gospel produces, in the minds of the saints of the most high God, is, communion with him. And that this is the uttermost of its blessedness-personal fellowship with the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ. These things write we unto you, that our joy may be full. To see the gospel as set forth by us unto you, hath produced this, which is the very essence of all its blessedness. That you and we, have real fellowship with the Father and the Son. These things write we unto you, also, that your joy may be full. As thereby you, and we, will have matter and cause for increasing joy. I come

3. To speak of what the joy was, which could not but result from the same blessed fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ, both to the apostles, and to saints, And these things write we unto you, that our, your joy may be full.

Spiritual joy in God, is a midst inestimable blessing. It flows from God himself. The people of God are the partakers of the same. And on many and various occasions their souls are filled through and through 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." I Epis. ii. 13, 19, 20. He thus addresseth himself also to the saints at Phillippi, " Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved and longed for, any 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 come. 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 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. 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 Somerset shire. 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 center 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, bath 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,

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 0 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 exuberance 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. John speaks of a fulness of joy. Which implies it must contain the very perfection of it. He took up what he here expresses floral 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 lie did. I here conceive the first part of this chapter ends. These four verses are closet 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 bath been delivered by way of explaining them, be followed with a divine blessing. The Lord grant it for his great Name's sake. Amen.