I should not have thought it necessary to have called the reader's attention to this word, had it not been to remark to him, the great beauty of it in a double sense, when applied to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ in relation to his fellowship with his Father in the nature and essence of the GODHEAD, and in relation to his fellowship with his church in the human nature; under both which the Lord Jesus appears so lovely and so endeared to his people, as to render him most interesting indeed.
In the former sense of the word, as applied to Christ, or spoken of him, we have that very precious unequalled passage of the Lord, by the prophet Zechariah, (Zechariah 13:7) where JEHOVAH calls him by this name, "The man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts." Every one who knows any thing of the common terms made use of among men, knows also, that fellow means equal. The very name, indeed, would lose all its force and meaning, when spoken of persons in common, if there were supposed the least inequality between them. And this runs through all ranks and orders of the people, from the king to the beggar. The king's fellow, and the beggar's fellow, is perfectly understood as implying a common level. How truly blessed, therefore, is the word as applied by JEHOVAH himself to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Who but must rejoice, when he thus receives God the Father's own testimony to the oneness and fellowship in the divine nature between God the Father, and God the Son. "The man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts."
In like manner, on the same ground, how very blessed is it to consider him who, in his divine nature, is fellow to the Lord of hosts; in his human nature, is fellow to his church and people. Here again, the Lord JEHOVAH, the Father, gives the like testimony; for speaking to Joshua, the type of Jesus, the Lord saith, "Here now, O Joshua the high priest, thou and thy fellows that sit before thee, for they are men wondered at" (Zechariah 3:8) Wondered at indeed, to be fellow to him in his human nature, who, in his divine nature, "is fellow to the Lord of hosts!" But so it is: for the truth is undeniable. Hence Jesus himself, by the spirit of prophecy, under the ministry of a prophet, is introduced as saying, "Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me, are for signs and wonders in Israel; from the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion." (Isaiah 8:18) See this more fully explained, (Hebrews 2:11-13) Hence also, the Holy Ghost bears testimony to the same in that glorious Scripture, when speaking of his mediatorial throne, and the covenanting of Christ for his people; "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness; therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above (or for) thy fellows:" for so the word may be rendered. And if I were writing a Concordance for the learned, and not for the poor man, I should say the original will justify that it should be, non pr? consortibus, sedpropter consortes. (Compare Psalms 45:6-7 with Hebrews 1:8-9)
Now I beg the reader to ponder well the subject, and mark with me the blessedness and the preciousness of it. Here are all the persons in JEHOVAH testifying to this glorious character of the Lord Jesus, as the fellow of the Lord of hosts in his divine nature. And let me ask, what can be more blessed or precious? In the one, how glorious to consider the foundation and security of all that is interesting to our hopes for the life that now is, and that which is to come. And in the other, how very sweet and lovely it is, to know our nearness and fellow partnership in all that is in Christ Jesus as the Head and Husband of his body the church, "the fulness of him that filleth all in all." O! with what rapture ought every child of God to read what the Holy Ghost saith to this purport, in the close of the second chapter of the Hebrews. (Hebrews 2:1-18) "For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered, being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted."
And now I hope from such unanswerable testimonies to this great truth as are found in all the persons of the GODHEAD witnessing to it, the reader will never be in danger of being led away from the uniform and unceasing belief, that he who in his infinite grace and mercy hath made himself our fellow, is, and hath been from all eternity, fellow to the Lord of hosts. If any would teach a contrary doctrine, let him first solemnly declare whether God the Holy Ghost hath taught it him. This question, if properly applied, would be a dreadful silencing to all such as pretend to be "wise above what is written." And I would solemnly recommend also, every one of this description, who, under the pretence of candour, is literally joining, however unintentionally, the Infidel's cause, to read the history of Nadab and Abihu, Leviticus 10:2 and Uzzah, 2 Samuel 6:6-7. With such tremendous judgments in view, we should hear no more of such presumptuous reasonings.
And while the Lord Jesus himself bears testimony to the fellowship and equality between himself and his Father, saying, "I and my Father are one," (John 10:30) none after this would fancy fellow meant neighbour. Neither would such venture to say, when our Lord quoted the passage of Zechariah, which he did in the hour of his sufferings, (see Zechariah 13:7 compared with Matthew 25:31-32) he meant no more than a mere proverbial expression, and had not the most distinct relation to his sufferings and death.