(14) The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
Here, like another Solomon, the Apostle comes to the conclusion of the whole matter, Ecclesiastes 12:13. And, as Aaron, was commanded of God on this wise to bless the people; so Paul, Numbers 6:22, to the end. Reader! take a leisurely survey of the wonderful expressions herein contained. In baptism, at the first introduction to the Church of Christ, no sooner brought from the Adam-nature of sin, and brought into the Portal of life in Christ, but we are baptized into the joint name of the Holy Three, agreeably to our Lord's appointment, Matthew 28:19-20. And all along the pilgrimage way in Christ, the Church is blessed in the joint name, and refreshed, comforted, and strengthened in the joint blessing of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost! Oh! how blessed are the people thus blessed, who know the joyful sound, and walk in the light of the Lord s countenance!
I stay not in this place to enter into a particular and critical enquiry, concerning the difference (if any here intended) between the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God; and the communion of the Holy Ghost. I rather accept the sweet expressions, as altogether intended to convey to the Church everything that is blessed, and lovely, and loving. Neither do I desire to do more than merely to notice, at this time, the order in which these distinct blessings from the glorious Persons are spoken of. First, of God the Son; next, the Father; and next, God the Holy Ghost, See 1 Peter 1:2. But I would beg to ask the Reader, or rather, I would beg of him to ask himself, whether by what is said of the communion of the Holy Ghost, is not implied conversation? The Reader should be told, that the word, which in this passage is rendered communion, is the same word, as in 1 John 1:3, is rendered fellowship. And is not fellowship or communion, conversation, partnership, intimacy, familiarity? And if so, how sweetly doth this verse preach to the Church, of the Person, as well as the love, of God the Holy Ghost? And while preaching of his Person, how sweetly also doth it relate to us of his love, and his delight in holding communion with his people? So that, were I to say by letter, or by word of mouth, as Paul here wrote to the Church, of my prayer to God, that the Church might have the communion of the Holy Ghost; it is in effect, saying, I pray that God the Holy Ghost may sweetly and graciously converse with you, talk with you, commune with you, in all, his manifestations and love to the Church. Paul certainly had such views of the Holy Ghost; for, in his Epistle to the Philippians, he makes the fellowship of the Spirit, and the consolations of Christ, as one and the same, and arguments of the same weight, to enforce what he was going to say to them, Philippians 2:1. And how doth Jesus, our Jesus, personally make sweet his consolations to us, but by his visits and conversation? And is not the Spirit's fellowship made known the same way? Revelation 3:20. And are we not called upon to hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches, Revelation 3:22. Oh! for grace to set our Amen to all the truths of our God, while our God so graciously sets His!
REFLECTIONS
My soul! my Reader! let us both pause, and ponder well the sacred and sweet contents of this closing chapter of the Apostle. It opens with the assurances of two or three witnesses establishing every word. An, you and I, have the Three heavenly witnesses bearing record, that eternal life is in God's Son. And the chapter ends with the blessings of those heavenly witnesses, in their grace, and love, and communion with the Church while upon earth; thus confirming the whole in personal proof. Reader! what say you to such decided records, to the truth as it is in Jesus. Oh! for grace, seeing we are encompassed with such witnesses, to run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith!
Farewell Paul! farewell for the present, while we thank thee, as the Lord's servant and minister, for those labors of love, with which, not only the Church at Corinth were blessed, but the Church of God, in all ages since, have been benefited, under the teaching of the Almighty Author of all scripture, God the Holy Ghost. Oh! for ministers of the Spirit, and not of the letter, and the faithful in every true Church of Jesus to be taught from those holy scriptures, by the continual unction of the Holy One, and to know all things? May it be the one language of the whole Church of God, in the common salutation of all saints: Brethren! the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all.
Amen.