The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
John closeth all with the sweet apostolical benediction. The grace Of OUT Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen. Reader! this is among the greatest of all blessings, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, including, as it doth, the Father's love, and the Spirit's fellowship. All grace can only be in Christ. And all grace only from Christ. And all the actings of our faith upon grace, from the grace given us by Christ. Oh! then, for the Lord, to give out largely, fully, daily, and momently to his people grace, that of his fullness we may all receive, and grace for grace. Once more, may the Lord both say it and confirm it, the grace Of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, Amen.
REFLECTIONS
BLESSING, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever. Lord! upon the bended knee of thanksgiving and praise, let all thy Church praise thee, for this among all thy other unnumbered mercies, that thou hast given to thy servant John, this precious portion of thy sacred word, to show unto thy Church things which must shortly come to pass. Blessed be the Lord for the accomplishment of such parts, as have been already fulfilled, and of others that are now fulfilling in the earth. And do thou, Lord, give thy servants grace, to wait in full exercise of faith and hope, the accomplishment of all that remains to be fulfilled. And since thou hast caused it to be left upon record for the encouragement of the faithful, saying, blessed is he that read eth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein, Revelation 1:3. Lord! I beseech thee, let these blessings be my portion, that I may both read, and hear, and keep those glorious truths, by thy grace in my heart.
Let the blessed prospect of this reign of Christ in his Church, comfort and encourage all thy people. And while here below, let the souls of thy redeemed both drink and be satisfied with the streams of that river, which make, glad the city of God. Oh! for grace, to sit down oft by faith, till the Lord shall take my soul home to sit down forever in full enjoyment, under the Tree of Life. Precious Lord Jesus! be thou my Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end of all my spiritual joys. Thou that art the root and offspring of David, and the bright and morning star; be thou my all in all, in life, in death, in time, and to all eternity. Blessed be the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for all the fulness of blessings, and Jesus, and all his fulness in blessings, both for the life of grace that now is, and for that life of glory which is to come.
And be thou thanked with all the love and affection of a brother, faithful John! for thy tenderness to the Church in Jesus, and for all thy ministry and labor of love. We regard the servant while we bless the Master. And blessed be our God and Savior, for calling thee to the ministry, highly honored Apostle of our God! When Jesus shall come to be glorified in his saints, and admired in all that believe, how will Jesus our God and Savior shine in all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, encircled with all his Apostles and Prophets, and Martyrs, and the redeemed out of all nations, and kindreds, and tongues, who have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Oh! for the poorest and unworthiest of all the Lord's redeemed ones, to be found in the throng, and to join the hymn of salvation and praise, with all the Church of God forevermore.
And now, Reader, in folding up the whole of my Poor Man's Commentary, while I lay low in the dust before God, under a conscious sense of unworthiness, and my continued short comings, I desire to set up a renewed Ebenezer to the praise of his grace, who hath hitherto helped me, and borne with me, all the way through, in the many years since first I entered upon it, to the hour of writing with my pen the last line of it. The more I contemplate the subject, the more I stand amazed at the Lord's goodness, and my undeservings.
I know not whether, after all my endeavours and earnest desires to exalt the adorable name of Jesus, I have succeeded so far, as that the Reader may perceive, that this is the sole object I have all along had in view. To speak of Him as He really is, I know, is impossible. Neither men nor angels are competent to this service. For, of Him it must be said, without any strain of language, THERE IS NO END OF HIS GREATNESS. But, I have only labored so far and in the best manner I have been able, to hold up, and hold forth, the Lord Jesus Christ as God's Christ, and as the sole perfection of all his people. Oh! that the Lord by his grace, may so seal Him in my heart!
And now, Reader, farewell! I hope the Lord hath pardoned, and will pardon all the errors of this Poor Man's Commentary, and that you will pardon them also. And having said this, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build his whole family up, and to give them an inheritance, among all them which are sanctified. Amen. To the one only God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be endless praises. Amen, and Amen.
PLYMOUTH, CHARLES VICARAGE,
April 13, 1816,
Once more made memorable in being my birth day, counting Sixty-three years of the Lord's grace, and my sins.