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i T IS sad to think of the number • of professing Chris- tians who, in the very face of t he Holy Spirit's solemn warning, habitually forsake the assembling of them- selves together. They would probably acknowledge the
Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered to- gether, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus C h r i s t ," (I. Cor. v. 4). In .the commemoration of t he Savior's death it was enjoined, " w h e n ye come together to eat, t a r ry one for a n o t h e r ," (I Cor. xi. 33); and it was t h e custom with His sanction that " t h e whole church be come together into one p l a c e ," (I Cor. xiv. 23). Those who refused thus to come together, departing f r om the faith, and mocking at the promise of His coming, are described as " t h e y who separate themselves, sensual, having not t he S p i r i t ," (Jud&19). On the other hand, in an evil and trying time,, " t h e y that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and t he Lord "hearkened, and heard, and a book of remembrance was' written before him f or them t h at feared the Lord, and t h at thought upon his n a m e . " (Mai. iii. 16). But if there was no other precept about it in all the word of God, surely it is enough to read the plain admonition of the Holy Ghost, " N o t forsaking the as- sembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one an- other: and so much the more as ye see the day approaching." Here it stands as an unchangeable part of the inspired Scrip- tures;. and the professing Christian who deliberately disregards it ¡may well ask himself the question, whether he really has passed f r om death unto life, or whether he has only a name to live, while dead. Nothing but good can follow from giving heed to t he direction of the Spirit of t r u t h; nothing but evil can result from disobedi- ence. The Hebrew Christians who had fallen into this manner or custom of forsaking the assembling of themselves together might have pleaded as a sufficient excuse the danger of attending public service. They were called to endure a great fight of afflictions, made a gazing-stock both by reproaches and persecutions, and forced to take t he spoiling of their goods. They might have urged, therefore, t h at under the circumstance^ it would be better to worship God privately and secretly; but in the face of all their reasonings towers up the commanding authority of t he eternal Spirit, " N o t forsaking t he assembling Of
claims of t he Lord Jesus upon their love and obedience; they would perhaps admit that He purchased them with His blood; they might even confess t h at they are bound by the highest, the most saered, and the most lasting considerations and obli- gations to pay Him at least the outward respect of public worship; and yet upon the slightest excuse, or no excuse at all, they absent themselves f r om the stated services of His house. They certainly: cannot be ignorant" of the f a ct t h a t i t is t t e will of their Master to have them meet .«socially to honor Him, as well as to hold j communion with Him privately. . " Where two or three are gath- ered together in my name, there am I in t he midst of t h e m , " He says (Matt, xviii. 20), although there may be only two or three thus gathered. I t was to t he disci- ples assembled withiil closed doors He re- vealed Himself on the evening a f t er His resurrection, and Thomas, who was absent, missed a great blessing, (John xx. 19-25), Not separately but together the apostles " a l l continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of! Jesus, and with his b r e t h r e n ," waiting for t he presence and power of t he Holy: Ghost;; (Acts i. 14), " W h e n the day of j Pentecost 'was fully come, they were all with one accord in one p l a c e ," (Acts i i . - l )j and, being let go, they went to their own c omp a n y ," (Acts, iv. 23). Paul and his companions " w e n t out of the city by] a river side, where prayer was 'twont io b e 4 n a d e ." (Acts xvi. 13.; a n i ' ^ u p j o n' the ..first day of the week, when t h e j ^ s c i p l es came together to break bread. Paul, preached unto t h e m ," • (Acts xx. 7). There are many other proofs and' illus- trations of the assembling of the saints for instruction, prayer, worship or discipline; and this plainly acocrding to the mind and word of God. " I n the name of the Lord
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