II. The security we have for the performance of it —
The Lord Jesus assigns this as a ground of assurance to the supphants : " It shall be done for them by my Father which is in heaven : for, where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Now, as the Shechinah, the bright symbol of the Deity, was in the holy of holies, and answers to prayer were obtained by the high-priest from it ; so is Jesus ever in his Church, to give an answer of peace to his suppliant and believing people.
It is here supposed, that, whether individually or collectively, the suppliants draw nigh to God " in the name of Jesus Christ" —
[There is no access to God, for any man, but through
Him nor any danger of repulse to " any man that comes
unto God by him." God has said, that " not one such person shall ever in any wise be cast out" ]
Jesus Christ himself is already there, to secure to his believing people an answer to their prayers —
[He has said, " Lo, 1 am with you alway, even to the end of the worlds" And he is in the midst of them, on purpose to bless them^\" He is expressly empowered by the Father to hear and answer their petitions. He has said, " Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son^" See, then, what security this affords us that our petitions shall be heard. He came down from heaven for us : he assumed our nature, and died for us on the cross : he ascended to heaven to intercede for us : he had all fulness committed to him for us, on purpose that we might receive out of it according to our necessities. When, there- fore, he hears us pleading the merit of his blood, and looking to him for the very blessings which he purchased for us, can we suppose that he will cast out our prayer ? No : we may assure ourselves, that, as " he is in the midst" of his praying people, no prayer of theirs shall ever go forth in vain. Whether they be many or few, it shall make no difference with him : he will hear, and answer, and do for us " far beyond all that we can either ask or think" — ]
See, then,
] . With what pleasure we should attend the house of God—
a Matt, xxviii. 20, i' Exod. xx, 24, ^ Joju^ xiv. 13.