Nor is this promise made absolutely, but conditionally ; the con- nection of the promise with the command, enforces this qualified sense ; as 2 Chron. xv. 2. " The Lord is with you, whilst you Bxe " with him."" Ignorant, idle, unqualified persons cannot claim the benefit of this gracious grant.
Once more, this promise is made to every hour and minute of time. I am with you, all the days, as it is in the Greek tewt ; in dark and dangerous, as well as peaceable and encouraging days : and it is closed up with a solemn Amen, So he it, or. So it shall be.
To open this point distinctly, we are to consider that there is a threefold presence of Christ.
1. Corporeal. % Represented, 3. Spiritual.
1. There is a corporeal presence of Christ, which the church once enjoyed on earth, when he went in and out amongst his people. Acts i. 21. when their eyes saw him, and their hands handled him, 1 John i. 1. This presence was a singular consola- tion to the disciples, and therefore they were greatly dejected when it was to be removed from them. But after redemption-
^ork was finished on earth, this bodily presence was no longer necessary to be continued in this world, but more expedient to be removed to heaven, John x\i. 7. as indeed it was> and must there abide until the time of the restitution of all things, Acts iii. 21. And in this respeet he tells the disciples, John xvi. 28. " I leave *' the worid, and go to my Father.'"*
2. There is a represented presence of Christ in ordinances. As the person of a king is represented in another country by his Am- bassado7\s, so is Christ in this world by his ministers : " We then " are ambassadors for God ; as though God did beseech you by us, *' we pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God," 2 Cor. v. 20. Christ is about other work for us in heaven, but we stand in his stead on earth. And this speaks the great dignity of the mini- sterial office ; whatever abuses or contempts are cast on them, they reflect upon Christ : " He that despiseth you despiseth me," Luke X. 16. It also teacheth us whence the validity of gospel-administra- tions is ; Christ ratifies and confirms them with his own authority. It also instructs us how wise, spiritual, and holy ministers should be, who represent Christ to the world. A drunkard, a persecutor, a sensual worldhng, is but an ill representative of the blessed and holy Jesus.
3. Besides, and above the two former, there is a spiritual presence of Christ in the churches, and ordinances; and this presence of Christ by his Spirit, who is his Vicegerent, is to be considered as that from which all gospel-ordinances derive,
1. Their beauty and glory.
2. Their power and efficacy.
3. Tlieir awful solemnity.
4. Their continuance and stability.
1. From the presence of Christ by his Spirit, the ordinances and churches derive their beauty and glory : " To see thy power and " thy glory, as I have seen thee in the sanctuary," Psal. xxvii. 4. Look as the beauty of the body is a result from the soul that animates it : and when the soul is gone, the beauty of the body is gone also; so the beauty and glory of all ordinances come and go with the Spirit of Christ, which is the very soul of them. The churches are indeed golden candlesticks, but the candlestick hath no light but what the candle gives it ; hence that magnificent description of the new temple is closed up in this expression, " The " name of that city shall be. The Lord is there," Ezek. xlviii. ult.
2. From this spiritual presence of Christ, all gospel-ordinance* derive all that power and efficacy which is by them exerted upon the souls of men, either in their conversion or edification. This power is not inherent in them, nor do they act as natural, necessary agents, but as instituted means, which are successful, or unsuccess-
ful according as Christ by his Spirit co-operates with them : " He " that planteth is nothing, neitlier he that watereth, but God that " giveth the increase," 1 Cor. iii. 7. That is, they are nothing to tlie purpose, nothing to the accompUshment of men's salvation, without the concurrence of the Spirit of Christ For when the apostle makes himself and Apollos, ^^dth all other ministers, nothing, we must understand him speaking not absolutely, but comparatively, and relatively ; they are necessary in their places, and sufficient in their kind, for what they are appointed to, else it would be a re- flection upon the wisdom of God that instituted them: But singly in themselves, and disjunctively considered, they are nothing ; as a trumpet or wind-instrument is nothing, as to its end and use, except breath be inspired into it, and that breath modulated by the art and skill of the inspirer ; like Ezekiel's wheels that moved not but as the Spirit that was in them moved, and directed their motions. If ordinances wrought upon souls naturally and neces- sarily, as the fire burnetii, then they could not fail of success upon all that come under them : But it is with them as it was with the waters of the pool at Bethesda, whose healing virtue was only found at that season when the angel descended and troubled them,
3. This spiritual presence of Christ gives the ordinances of the gospel that awful solemnity wliich is due, upon that accoimt, to them. The presence of Christ in them commands reverence from all that are about him. " God is greatly to be feared in the " assemblies of his saints, and to be had in reverence of all that are " round about him C hence is that solemn caution or threatening. Lev. xxvi. 23, 24. " If you walk contrary unto me, then ^vill I " also walk contrary unto you." The Hebrew word in that text signifies to walk rashly, or at an adventure with God, sine personoe discrimine, without considering with whom we have to do, and what an awful majesty we stand before. And the punishment is suitable to the sin ; I also will walk at an adventure with you, making no discrimination in my judgments betwixt your persons and the persons of tlie worst of men. O that this were duly considered by all that have to do with God in gospel-institutions !
4. It is the spiritual presence of Christ in his churches and ordinances that gives them their continuance and stability : whenever the Spirit of Christ departs from them, it will not be long before they depart from us ; or if they should not, their continuance will be little to our advantage. When the glory of the Lord descend- ed from betwixt the cherubims, when that sad voice was heard ia the temple, migremus hinc. Let us go hence, how soon was botli city and temple made a desolation ! and truly Christ's presence is noi so fixed to any place, or any ordinances, but the sins of the people may banish it away, Rev. ii. 5. Who will tarry
in any place longer than he is welcome, if he have any \rhere els^ to go ?
But more particularly, let us here di'5cuss these two points.
I. How it appears Christ is thus spiritually present with his churches and ordinances.