clamour and contention,--about which there needs be no strife nor
envy! O! seek that happiness in fellowship with God, which, having
attained, you lack nothing but that others may be as happy.

"These things I declare, that ye may have fellowship with us." O that
ministers of the gospel might say so, and might from their own experience
invite others to partake with them! As Paul requests others to be
followers of him, as he was of Christ, so those who succeed Paul in this
embassage of reconciliation, and are sent to call to the feast, might upon
good ground interpose their own experience thus. O! come and eat with
us,--O! come and share with us, for it will suffice us all without
division. When some get into the favour of great and eminent persons, and
have the honour to be their companions, they will be very loath to invite
promiscuously others to that dignity, this society would beget competition
and emulation. But O! of how different a nature is this fellowship, which
whosoever is exalted to, he hath no other grief, but that his poor
brethren and fellow creatures either know not, or will not be so happy!
Therefore he will always be about the declaring of this to others. But if
ministers cannot use such an expression to invite you to their fellowship,
yet I beseech you, beloved in the Lord, let all of us be here invited by
the apostle to partake of that which will not grieve you to have fellows
and companions into, but rather add to your contentment.

Moreover, this may be represented to you, that ye are invited to the very
communion with the apostles. The lowest and meanest amongst you hath this
high dignity in your offer, to be fellow citizens with the saints, with
the eminent pillars of the church,--the apostles.

It might be thought by the most part of Christians, who are more obscure,
little known, and almost despised in the world, that they might not have
so near access into the court of this great King. Some would think those
who continued with him in his temptations, who waited on his own person,
and were made such glorious instruments of the renovation of the world,
should have some great preference to all others, and be admitted into the
fellowship of the Father and the Son, beyond others, even as many would
think, that Christ's mother and kinsmen in the flesh, should have had
prerogatives and privileges beyond all his followers. But O! the wonderful
mystery of the equal, free, and irrespective conveyance o