throw out a few hints, is in I John i. 3. "And truly our fellowship
is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." Observe!, The
words "fellowship," "communion," "coparticipation," and
"partnership," mean the same. 2, The believer in the Lord Jesus does
not only obtain forgiveness of all his sins (as he does through the
shedding of the blood of Jesus, by faith in His name;) does not only
become a righteous one before God (through the righteousness of the
Lord Jesus, by faith in His name;) is not only begotten again, born
of God, and partaker of the divine nature, and therefore a child of
God, and an heir of God; but he is also in fellowship or partnership
with God. Now, so far as it regards God, and our standing in the Lord
Jesus, we have this blessing once for all; nor does it allow of
either an increase or a decrease. Just as Gods love to us believers,
His children, is unalterably the same (whatever may be the
manifestations of that love:) and as His peace with us is the same,
(however much our peace may be disturbed:) so it is also with regard
to our being in fellowship or partnership with Him: it remains
unalterably the same, so far as God is concerned. But then 3, there
is an experimental fellowship, or partnership, with the Father and
with His Son, which consists in this, that all which we possess in
God, as being the partners or fellows of God, is brought down into
our daily life, is enjoyed, experienced, and used. This experimental
fellowship, or partnership, allows of an increase or a decrease, in
the measure in which faith is in exercise, and in which we are
entering into what we have received in the Lord Jesus. The measure in
which we enjoy this experimental fellowship with the Father and with
the Son is without limit; for without limit we may make use of our
partnership with the Father and with the Son, and draw by prayer and
faith out of the inexhaustible fulness which there is in God.--Let us
now take a few instances in order to see the practical working of
this experimental fellowship (or partnership) with the Father and
with the Son. Suppose there are two believing parents who were not
brought to the knowledge of the truth until some years after the Lord
had given them several children. Their children were brought up in
sinful, evil ways, whilst the parents did not know the Lord. Now the
parents reap as they sowed. They suffer from having set an evil
example before their children; for their children are unruly and
behave most improperly. What is now to be done? Need such parents
despair? No. The first thing they have to do is, to make confession
of their sins to God, with regard to neglecting their children whilst
they were themselves living in sin, and then to remember that they
are in partnership with God, and therefore to be of good courage,
though they are in themselves still utterly insufficient for the task
of managing their children. They have in themselves neither the
wisdom, nor the patience, nor the long-suffering, nor the gentleness,
nor the meekness, nor the love, nor the decision and firmness, nor
any thing else that may be needful in dealing with their children
aright. But their heavenly Father has all this. The Lord Jesus
possesses all this. And they are in partnership with the Father, and
with the Son, and therefore they can obtain by prayer and faith all
they need out of the fulness of God. I say by prayer and faith; for
we have to make known our need to God in prayer, ask His help, and
then we have to believe that He will give us what we need. Prayer
alone is not enough. We may pray never so much, yet if we do not
believe that God will give us what we need, we have no reason to
expect that we shall receive what we have asked for. So then these
parents would need to ask God to give them the needful wisdom,
patience, long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, love, decision,
firmness, and whatever else they may judge they need. They may in
humble boldness remind their heavenly Father that His word assures
them that they are in partnership with Him, and, as they themselves
are lacking in these particulars, ask Him to be pleased to supply
their need; and then they have to believe that God will do it, and
they shall receive according to their need.--Another instance: suppose
I am so situated in my business that day by day such difficulties
arise, that I continually find that I take wrong steps, by reason of
these great difficulties. How may the case be altered for the better?
In myself I see no remedy for the difficulties. In looking at myself
I can expect nothing but to make still further mistakes, and,
therefore, trial upon trial seems to be before me. And yet I need not
despair. The living God is my partner. I have not sufficient wisdom
to meet these difficulties so as to be able to know what steps to
take, but He is able to direct me. What I have, therefore, to do is
this: in simplicity to spread my case before my heavenly Father and
my Lord Jesus. The Father and the Son are my partners. I have to tell
out my heart to God, and to ask Him, that, as He is my partner, and I
have no wisdom in myself to meet all the many difficulties which
continually occur in my business, He would be pleased to guide and
direct me, and to supply me with the needful wisdom; and then I have
to believe that God will do so, and go with good courage to my
business, and expect help from Him in the next difficulty that may
come before me. I have to look out for guidance, I have to expect
counsel from the Lord; and, as assuredly as I do so, I shall have it,
I shall find that I am not nominally, but really in partnership with
the Father and with the Son.--Another instance: There are a father and
mother with seven small children. Both parents are believers. The
father works in a manufactory, but cannot earn more than ten
shillings per week. The mother cannot earn any thing. These ten
shillings are too little for the supply of nourishing and wholesome
food for seven growing children and their parents, and for providing
them with the other necessaries of life. What is to be done in such a
case? Surely not to find fault with the manufacturer, who may not be
able to afford more wages, and much less to murmur against God; but
the parents have in simplicity to tell God, their partner, that the
wages of ten shillings a week are not sufficient in England to
provide nine persons with all they need, so as that their health be
not injured. They have to remind God that He is not hard master, not
an unkind being, but a most loving Father, who has abundantly proved
the love of His heart in the gift of His only begotten Son. And they
have in childlike simplicity to ask Him, that either He would order
it so, that the manufacturer may be able to allow more wages; or that
He (the Lord) would find them another place, where the father would
be able to earn more; or that He would be pleased somehow or other,
as it may seem good to Him, to supply them with more means. They have
to ask the Lord, in childlike simplicity, again and again for it, if
He does not answer their request at once; and they have to believe
that God, their Father and partner, will give them the desire of
their hearts. They have to expect an answer to their prayers; day by
day they have to look out for it, and to repeat their request till
God grants it. As assuredly as they believe that God will grant them
their request, so assuredly it shall be granted.--Thus, suppose, I
desired more power over my besetting sins; suppose, I desired more
power against certain temptations; suppose I desired more wisdom, or
grace, or any thing else that I may need in my service among the
saints, or in my service towards the unconverted: what have I to do,
but to make use of my being in fellowship with the Father and with
the Son? Just as, for instance, an old faithful clerk, who is this
day taken into partnership by an immensely rich firm, though himself
altogether without property, would not be discouraged by reason of a
large payment having to be made by the firm within three days, though
he himself has no money at all of his own, but would comfort himself
with the immense riches possessed by those who so generously have
just taken him into partnership: so should we, the children of God
and servants of Jesus Christ, comfort ourselves by being in
fellowship, or partnership, with the Father, and with the Son, though
we have no power of our own against our besetting sins; though we
cannot withstand temptations, which are before us, in our own
strength; and though we have neither sufficient grace nor wisdom for
our service among the saints, or towards the unconverted. All we have
to do is, to draw upon our partner, the living God. By prayer and
faith we may obtain all needful temporal and spiritual help and
blessings. In all simplicity have we to tell out our heart before
God, and then we have to believe that He will give to us according to
our need. But if we do not believe that God will help us, could we be
at peace? The clerk, taken into the firm as partner, believes that
the firm will meet the payment though so large, and though in three
days it is to be made, and it is this that keeps his heart quiet,
though altogether poor himself. We have to believe that our
infinitely rich partner, the living God, will help us in our need,
and we shall not only be in peace, but we shall actually find that
the help which we need will be granted to us.--Let not the
consciousness of your entire unworthiness keep you, dear reader, from
believing what God has said concerning you. If you are indeed a
believer in the Lord Jesus, then this precious privilege, of being in
partnership with the Father and the Son, is yours, though you and I
are entirely unworthy of it. If the consciousness of our unworthiness
were to keep us from believing what God has said concerning those who
depend upon and trust in the Lord Jesus for salvation, then we should
find that there is not one single blessing, with which we have been
blessed in the Lord Jesus, from which, on account of our
unworthiness, we could derive any settled comfort or peace.
IV. There is one other point which, in connexion with several
portions of the word of God, which bear on the subject, I desire to
bring before the believing reader, and it refers to the "scriptural
way of overcoming the difficulties with which the believer now meets
who is engaged in a business, trade, profession, or any earthly
calling whatever, which arise from competition in business, too great
a number of persons being occupied in the same calling, stagnation of
trade, and the like." The children of God, who are strangers and
pilgrims on earth, have at all times had difficulty in the world, for
they are not at home but from home; nor should they, until the return
of the Lord Jesus, expect it to be otherwise with them. But whilst
this is true, it is also true that the Lord has provided us in all
our difficulties with something in His own word to meet them. All
difficulties may be overcome by acting according to the word of God.
At this time I more especially desire to point out the means whereby
the children of God who are engaged in any earthly calling may be
able to overcome the difficulties, which arise from competition in
business, too great a number of persons being occupied in the same
calling, stagnation of trade and the like.
1, The first thing which the believer, who is in such difficulties,
has to ask himself is, Am I in a calling in which I can abide with
God? If our occupation be of that kind, that we cannot ask Gods
blessing upon it, or that we should be ashamed to be found in it at
the appearing of the Lord Jesus, or that it of necessity hinders our
spiritual progress, then we must give it up, and be engaged in
something else; but in few cases only this is needful. Far the
greater part of the occupations in which believers are engaged are
not of such a nature, as that they need to give them up in order to
maintain a good conscience, and in order to be able to walk with God,
though, perhaps, certain alterations may need to be made in the
manner of conducting their trade, business, or profession. About
those parts of our calling, which may need alteration, we shall
receive instruction from the Lord, if we indeed desire it, and wait
upon Him for it, and expect it from Him.