the temple of the Lord are we;" he graciously says, "In all places where I record my name, I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee." The second regards number—“ Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." It was not without design that our Lord, instead of a multitude, which seems imposing and striking, specifies such a few. It would rectify the mistake of the Jews, who contended that there must be always ten persons present, at least, to give efficacy to social prayer. It would encourage his followers both in cases of choice and necessity. Some few may be disposed to meet together for prayer, reading the Scripture, pious conversation, or to arrange or excute plans of usefulness; and why may they not expect that he will meet with them? Did not he join the two disciples going to Emmaus, and made their hearts burn within them? Let us make him our subject, and he will become our companion. When two or three fellow-citizens happen to be in the same place abroad, they soon hail each other, and become acquainted; they are sure to meet together and commune concerning the difference between their present residence and their own country; and inquire when they heard from home; and when they think of returning. How is it that Christians who are strangers and sojourners, do not oftener "meet and mingle?" and compare the vanity of this world with the worth of their own? and joyful, as the children of Zion in their King, talk of the glory of his kingdom, and abundantly utter the memory of his great goodness? But there are cases in which only a few can meet together. Persecution formerly prevented or dispersed the worshippers; and only small parties, in places of concealment, and in the night, could assemble-Yet these were distinguished seasons and services. When the Gospel now first enters a town or village, it frequently meets with opposition; and fear and shame restrain many from attending. Yet let not the day of small things be despised. Some of our most flourishing Churches arose from very inconsiderable beginnings-a few from time to time passed along unnoticed, or reproached, to some poor apartment, where they claimed the Saviour's promise, and found it good to be there--And now the little one has become a thousand-What has God wrought! If the weather reduces the number, let us not, if possible, be absent ourselves-The exertion and self-denial will not be in vain-Them that honour him, he will honour: and they that despise him will be lightly esteemed. This also teaches ministers. Popular excitement is pleasing. But multitude is not essential to usefulness. A sportsman has fired into a flight of birds and not killed one of them; and he has killed one when he has had only one to aim at. When tempted to excuse himself from going, or to neglect preparation, because there is such a handful of poor rustics, let the preacher remember the value of a soul-Let him remember that there is joy in the presence of the angels of God, over one sinner that repenteth-Let him remember that a much greater than himself-the Lord of all, will be there"For where two or three are gathered together in his Name, there is he in the midst of them." JUNE 24.-"In my Name."-Matt. xviii. 20. WE have seen that no stress is to be laid on the circumstances of the worship. But it is otherwise with the nature of it. The place and the number of the assembly are nothing-“ where”—let it be where it will: "two or three"-if there be no more-" are gathered together," it is enough-if they are "gathered together IN HIS NAME." But this is essential to Christian worship. What is the meaning of the requisition? We cannot do it in his Name, unless we do it by his authority. This import of the phrase is too obvious to require proof or exemplification. Jesus is the Judge and the King in his Church; his will is made known in his word: to this our appeal is to be made in all spiritual concerns: it is the only rule by which we are to walk. It matters not who enjoins, if he forbids, or who forbids, if he enjoins -To the law and to the testimony. Nothing is binding on the conscience without his sanction: but his followers must say, "All the Lord commandeth us we will do"-And because he commands it. We cannot do it in his Name unless we do it for his sake. When a speaker says, "in the name of reason and common sense;" he means, by the respect which it is supposed men are ready to pay to them. If in arguing with a rebellious child I was to plead "in the name of her who bore him," I should be understood to mean, by the affection he owed to so dear a relation. And when our Lord speaks of our "receiving a little child in his name," he means from regard to himself-or because we are desirous of serving and honouring him. He always demands a supreme regard from his disciples. He tells them that whoever loves father, or mother, or wife, or child, more than himself, is not worthy of him. And he deserves what he requires. And when we are brought to know him, we shall feel no reluctance thus to regard his dear Name. "How much do I owe him! What has he not done for me? He has made, preserved, redeemed, saved me. When I consider the state in which he found me-the condition to which he has advanced me-and the awful and expensive manner in which he has accomplished my salvation; I feel that I am not my own. Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth. Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" And does he require us to sanctify his day, to repair to his house, to hear his word, to address his throne, to approach his table; we shall not only do it, b-it is the nature of love, we shall do it with pleasure; and the duty will be found our privilege. me. We cannot do it in his Name, unless we do it in a dependance on his mediation. Now there are two things which we must rely upon him for. The one is, assistance. We can only serve him in strength derived from him. These are his own words, "Abide in As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me: for without me ye can do nothing." Our work is great, and we are weak; but his ) grace is sufficient for us. The service asks the utmost spirituality, and we feel every thing but a suitableness to it, when we engage: but "the preparation of the heart, and the answer of the tongue, are from the Lord." The supply of his Spirit helpeth our infirmities, and keeps us under our discouragements, from giving up so poor and defective a course of duty and devotion. The other is acceptance. We are come unto God by him; and by him we are to offer up all our spiritual sacrifices. If we are accepted, it must be in the Beloved, not only as to our persons, but services. A Christian feels this. His imperfections are his afflictions; and he is conscious of so many deficiencies that he would have no delight or confidence in drawing near to God without this hope. If when be examines himself, and the sins of his holy things appear, he feels relief, it is by looking unto Jesus. But when he views the infinite value of his sacrifice, the perfecnon of his obedience, the prevalency of his intercession and advocacy; he has humble boldness and access with confidence, by the faith of him. And even originally he could not have been so endeared to God as he now is-thus coming in his name-sprinkled with his blood—and making mention of his righteousness only. What a difference is there between the language of the Scripture concerning Christ, and the sentiments entertained of him by some who yet consider themselves to be Christians! They refer to him so rarely and so slenderly, that their hearers may almost be considered "as without Christ." But the Scripture tells us that "we are complete in him"-That he "is all, and in all"-That "whatsoever we do, in word or deed, we are to do all in THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS." 66 JUNE 25.-"There am I in the midst of them."-Matt. xviii. 20. A LARGE portion of the Scripture is promissory; and the promises it contains are exceeding great and precious. Some of these, as we should naturally expect, are designed and adapted to excite and encourage us in the exercises of divine worship. Accordingly the Lord said of old, "In all places where I record my name, I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee." And if such was his language to Jewish worshippers, what says he to Christian assemblies? Where two or three are gathered together in my name, THERE AM I IN THE MIDST OF THEM." This cannot be understood of his cor poreal presence; for as to this, he said, "I am no more in the world," and no more will he be in the world as to his bodily presence, "till he shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation." It is also to be distinguished from his essential presence; for by this he is every where, and fills heaven and earth. Whenever his presence is spoken of in a way of promise, it intends not the perfection of his nature, but a privilege. Thus though he is not far from any one of us, yet it is said "The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." It is of such a peculiar and gracious presence he here speaks. And thus he is with all his people. He is with them in their own persons; with them in the closet; with them in the family-But "the Lord loveth the gates of Zion better than all the dwellings of Jacob" "His mercy visits every house, That pay their night and morning vows; It is observable that he does not say what he will do there, but only that he is there, in the midst of them. This is assurance enough. His presence is all his people can need; for with him is the fountain of life. Moses desired nothing more than that his presence should go with him. David was emboldened by this to look into the valley of the shadow of death-"I will fear no evil, for thou art with me." What is heaven? To "be for ever with the Lord." Well, when they are gathered together in his name; there he is in the midst of them, as a physician in the midst of his disordered patients; as a father in the midst of his family; as the sun is in the midst of the garden in spring; as the soul is in the body, animating every member, and penetrating every particle of the frame. There he is, to enliven their devotions, to hear their complaints, to relieve their wants, to give them grace and glory, and to withhold no good thing from them. There he is, to pardon the guilty, to enrich the poor, to comfort the mourners, to be the father of the fatherless and the judge of the widow in his holy habitation. Christians! you are his witnesses. This assurance you have often tried; and it has now become a matter of history and experi ence. There he gave you these eyes to see, and ears to hear, and hearts to feel. You know the preacher could not have made you "a new creature"-" the excellency of the power was of God""God was in the midst of them of a truth." There you have found him in painful discoveries, which laid open the chambers of imagery in the heart; and made you cry,." Behold, I am vile;" "wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." There you have enjoyed him in the manifestations of his love; and have been convinced that they were not the delusions of fancy, or the ferments of animal nature, by their humbling, holy, heavenly tendency. There he has removed your perplexities and doubts; freed your conscience of its galling load; and spoken many a word in season to your weary souls: : so that you can now say, "In every new distress, We'll to his house repair; We'll think upon his wond'rous grace, And seek deliverance there" And go-always pleading this promise, and saying, "Do as thou hast said:" "Fulfil thy word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope." That hope will not, cannot make you ashamed. Your expectation is sustained not only by his goodness, but also by his truth. You could not have bound him, but he has bound himself. He cannot be absent from your assembly if you meet in his name-For he hath said, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, THERE AM I IN THE MIDST OF THEM." JUNE 26.-" Where two or three are gathered together in my Name, there am I in the midst of them."-Matt. xviii. 20. LET me take this blessed assurance, and consider it As a demonstration of my Saviour's divinity. Who less than God could have given such a promise? He does not say, there shall my blessing be, but myself: yea, not there will I be, but there I am. This necessarily supposes omnipresence. How else could he be in so many companies and places at once? How many assemblies are there on the Sabbath in the various parts of the earth? And, if there be truth or meaning in this promise, he is in every one of them, attending to all the peculiarities of individual condition, and affording the most suitable relief. Could an angel do this? But Let me consider it as a standard by which to estimate his condescension and grace. Here I find David before me-" When," says he, "I consider the heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained; Lord, what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou visitest him?" So felt also his son Solomon at the dedication of the temple, It was a glorious scene; and a common mind would have been struck with the splendour of the building, the largeness of the audience, and the sound of such a multitude of performers; but he, wondering that the Supreme Being should deign to notice it, exclaims, "Will God in very deed dwell with men upon the earth? Behold, the heaven, even the heaven of heavens, cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built?" See, O my soul, he not only allows us to wait upon him, but he waits upon us. Small as our number may be, wherever we meet together he is in the midst of us -however poor and unworthy-and as often as they choose to assemble—and he has been always doing this-and will continue to do it to the end of time! "Who is a God like unto thee? Let it serve to bind me to a proper demeanour in his house. There is always something impressive in a company of human beings, especially if there be in the midst of them some very distinguished personage, such as a hero, a philosopher, a king. "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him." In his presence let me guard against a roving eye; wandering thoughts; drowsiness; hypocrisy ; formality. When I enter the sanctuary, I place myself immediately under his view-and he sees me, and knows whether my devotion be any thing more than a form of godliness or a fair show in the flesh. Let it impress me with the importance of social and public worship. Some ask, " May we not read and pray and meditate at home? And will not this equally answer the purpose with our joining in the service of the sanctuary?" But the Judge of all has decided this, not only by his command that we forsake not the assembling of ourselves together, but by his promise that he is in the midst of us. Indeed reason and experience will lead us to the same result. In his house the greater number of the Lord's followers are called by grace; and they who are not born, are nourished there. It is thus excitement and allurement are provided to draw the ignorant and the careless together. Nothing tends so much to civilize and harmonize men as their frequently uniting in such exercises; and nothing tends so much to keep the distinctions of life from excess and abuse. Let it also prove a stimulation to the use of the means of grace. Some think it is needless for them to go to the sanctuary, because the minister can tell them no more than they know already. This is very questionable. But allowing that the servant is unable to do any thing more for them, is the master too? I do not go only or principally because the preacher is there, but because the Saviour himself is there, whose sufficiency is divine. How is the company |