The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 237

i.~, ~Ith ver. 20, a very familiar promise, often used in acts ol' publio prayer, but Hin;1ost al":l'aye misquoted, (It is remarkable how many scriptural texts have non- ecnptural ideas attached to them, through misquotation.) It is always right, and always vm:t, _to take ~•s Word as it precisely is. Ver. 19 appears to be an unconditional 11rom1~e,. but (t _is not. What we ~k shall be done for us, but only if two of you, my disciples, JOID to ask ; and only 1f you two are really agreed in the matter about which you ask. It will at once be seen that, simple as these conditions sound, they really are searching conditions, and were especially soarching to those disputatious disciples. I. TII11: AGREEMENT OF CHRISTIAN DISCIPLES. This suggests what is the primary foundation-principle of Christ's Church. We know what it has developed to; it is well to see what it has sprung from. It is the voluntary union, for worship, fellowship, and prayer, of two or three. They must be disciples; they must meet together; then we may apply the term "Church " to them. They must agree on some special points of interest, if they allow large liberty of opinion in other matters. The real uniting bond must be their common love to Christ, and purpose to secure the honour of his Name. And the Divine seal set upon their fellowship will be the spiritual presence of Jesus, and all that for them, and by means of them, which his spiritual presence involves. IL THE PB.AYEB-POWEB WHICH COMES OUT OF SUCH AGREEMENTS. It is a meeting of necessary conditions. It is a persuasion with God. Such agreement differs from personal prayer in two things: 1. It represents interest in others. 2. It indicates thought- ful consideration. Many a private prayer cannot be answered because it is only the utterance of a passing impulse, and had better not be answered. What we consult over becomes intelligent. Well-considered prayer cannot fail to gain the Divine regard.-R. T. Ver. 20.-Tlu, ccmditiom of (Jhrisfs sensiok presence. "There am I in the midst of them." Familiarity with this sentence, and a circle of fixed associations gathering round it, prevent our observing what a striking and revealing sentence it is. He who spoke the words was standing in the midst of the disciples, in the necessary limitations of a human body. And yet he says to them that wherever two or three a.re gatheren together in his name, he is actually with them; in the midst of them; and this seems to imply that his presence might actually be realized and felt by them. This was a hopelessly extravagant declaration for any mere limited man to make. Already Christ could present himself as he really waa, and soon manifestly would be-an unlimited spiritual presence. L THE FIBST CONDITION IB BINCEilITY, The two or three must meet in Christ's name, distinctly as his disciples, to whom his honour is the supreme interest. The one thing that our Lord most severely rebuked was "hypocrisy." The one thing from which he turned away was "insincerity." Poverty of means or mind wae no hindrance to him ; but he could only show himself to the true-hearted. It is the ever-working 1aw of Christ. He comes only to the sincere. IL THE :RE:X:T OONDITION IB CULTUBE. Precisely, the culture of the spiritual faculties and susceptibilities. This is not adequately apprehended. Our Lord put it very i;trongly to his select disciples, when he said to them, "The world shall not see me, but ye see me." Their spiritual culture enabled them to see. The higher faculties of the soul are quickened by personal relation to Christ "who is our Life;" but those quickened faculties need culture, then the soul breathes in a spiritual atmosphere, sees spiritual things, handles spiritual realities, and recognizes the presence of the spiritual Lord. It is suggested that the gathering together of the disciples involves their helping one another to secure this spiritual culture; those of the fuller and higher attainments inspiring and aiding their brethren. IIL THE NEXT OONDITION IS trNITY. It might seem as if unity in request were all that w&B necessary; but the true unity lies in the soul-conditions of which the request is but an expression and illustration. And it will be found that the true unit_y li88 in the spiritual growth and culture of each one; jUBt 118 the health of a tree 18 found by the growth and enterprise of all the branches.-R. T. Ver. 22.-The (Jhrl,tian Umit of forgi?WM8s, "Until seventy times seven." Thi.a •(HI. xvm, 1-86.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTIIEW. 241