II. Why it is necessary he should be so.
First, By what e\"idence doth it manifestly appear that there is such a presence of Christ with his churches and ordinances. And this will appear by two undeniable evidences thereof.
1. By their wonderful preservations.
2. From their supernatural effects.
1. From their wonderful preservations : For it is wholly tinac- countable, and inconceivable, how the churches, ministers and ordinances should be supported and preserved without it, amidst such hosts of potent and enraged enemies. If Christ were not among them, they had certainly been swallowed up long ago. It is he that holds the stars in his right-hand. Rev. ii. 1. His walking among the seven golden candlesticks is their best security. The burning bush, Exod. iii. 3. is a rare emblem to open this mystery ; the bush burned with fire, but was not consumed. The busJi was a resemblance of the church of God in Eg^^pt, the flames upon it were their terrible persecution ; the wonder, that no ashes appeared as the effects of those terrible flames ; the reason whereof was, God was in the bush, Jesus Christ was in the midst of his people.
By virtue of this presence we are here this day, in the enjoyment of gospel liberties; no society of men in the world have such security as the church hath upon this account. The mightiest monarchies have been overturned, no policies nor human power could preserve them ; but the church and ordinances are still pre- served, and shall ever be, by virtue of that gracious promise, Jer. XXX. 11. "For I am with thee, saith the Lord, to save theer •' Though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered " thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee."
The Babylonian, Persian, Grecian monarchies, have destroy- ed and ruined one another :
AssyriOi Syroqiie tulit moderamlna Perses, &,-€. but still the church of Christ Hfts up its head, and beholds their ruins-
2. This presence of Christ in and with his ordinances is unde- niably evinced from their supernatural effects upon the souls of men, ^ Cor. x. 4. " The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, '' but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds."" It is the Spirit of Christ that gives them their success and efficacy ;, the sword of the gospel hath its point and edge, but it is impossible the heart of a stupid, hardened sinner should ever be pricked of
wounded by it, if the Spirit of Christ did not manage it. When sinners fall down convinced under the authority of the word, they feel, and readily acknowledge that God is in it of a truth, 1 Cor. xiv. 25. Ruffinus reports, that at the council of Nice, a godly man of no great learning, was the instrument of converting a learned philosopher, whom the bishops with all their arguments could not persuade : of which the philosopher himself gave this re- markable account, ' Whilst you reasoned with me (said he) against
* words, I opposed words, and what was spoken I overthrew by the
* art of speaking ; but when instead of words power came out of
* the mouth of the speaker, words could no longer withstand
* truth, nor man resist the power of God/
And this, indeed, is the true and just account of all those mar- vellous and gracious changes made upon the souls of men by the preaching of the gospel : can the vanishing breath of a dying man, think you, inspire spiritual and eternal life into the souls of other men ? Can he search the conscience, break the heart, and bow the will at this rate.? No, this is the power and operation of Christ ; and of that presence we must say, saith a reverend author*, as Martha did to her Saviour concerning the death of her brother Lazarus, John xi. 21. " Lord if thou hadst been here, my bro- •* ther had not died." So say I, If that presence and power of Christ were felt by all, which hath been certainly experienced and felt by many, they would not remain in the state of spiritual death as they do. But though there be thousands under ordinances that never felt this power of Christ upon them, yet blessed be God there are also multitudes of witnesses and evidences of this truth, that there is a real, spiritual, energetical presence of Christ in his o^v^l appointments ; which was the first thing to be evinced.
Secondly, The second thing requiring explication, is the uses and ends which make such a presence of Christ necessary. And they are,
1. To preserve and support his ministers and churches amidst fuch hosts of potent and enraged enemies : this presence of Christ, is as a wall of fire round about them. It was the Divine presence with Jeremiah that was as a life-guard to him against the rage of the princes and nobles of Israel; Jer. xv. 20, 21. "I will make " thee to this people a fenced brazen wall, and they shall fight " against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee ; for I am " with thee to save thee, and to deliver thee, saith the Lord : and " I will dehver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will re- " deem thee out of the hand of the terrible.*'
It was easier for the Roman army to scale the walls, and batter
* Mr. Burgess on 1 Cor. ill.
down the towers of Jerusalem, than for all the enemies in Jeriisa* lem to destroy this prophet of God, thus immured by the Divine presence. Athanasius and Luther had the power of the empire en* gaged against them, yet the presence of Christ was their security. The witnesses could not be slain till they had finished their testi- mony, Rev. xi. 7. To this presence alone the faithful witnesses of Christ owe their marvellous preservation at this day ; had not Christ said, Zo, / am with you, you had not said at this day, be- hold our ministers are still with us.