THOSE who were called by the Lord Jesus Christ to follow Him, while He tabernacled among men during the days of His humiliation, were few in number in the midst of a nation and people who received Him not. This fact did not eliminate the existence of a living Church enjoying spiritual fellowship and the divine presence and blessing; for the blessed Head of the Church said on one occasion while counselling His disciples, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them,” (Matthew xviii. 20). These words considered in connection with their context do, of course, refer to the assemblies of the Church for the purpose of exercising Church discipline in the name and by the authority of Christ Himself, with the promise of His presence and guidance. Yet they may, without violation of their primary application, be taken as a most precious and encouraging pronouncement and promise in relation to the gatherings of Christians to worship God according to His claims and the requirements of His Word.
David was filled with gracious joy when others said to him, “Let us go into the house of the Lord,” (Ps.cxxii. 1), inasmuch as he had a secret, heart expectation that the Lord would be in their midst, there being thus others like minded with himself, desirous of humbly and spiritually worshipping the God of Israel. They had the promise then, as believers have now, of the divine presence. Paul in writing to the Romans commands Priscilla and Aquila, helpers in Christ Jesus, and continues, “Likewise greet the church that is in their house,” (Rom. xvi. 5). No doubt, a small gathering of those who feared God met in their house, and worshipped there the just God and Saviour, in the name of Jesus Christ and through Him as the mediator between God and men; and their Lord and Redeemer would be in their midst by the presence and power of His Spirit, enabling them to pray and praise and also clothing the Scriptures read and expounded with heavenly authority.
There were days in Scotland, as elsewhere, when thousands met together to worship God, here and there throughout the land, and the power of the Lord was present to feed and comfort the living in Zion and to convert and save hundreds of sinners who were ignorant and out of the way. The gospel faithfully and fully declared by the pious servants of Christ, was then with the power of the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven. To-day we look upon the land’s decayed face spiritually. Things have changed. Generally, and in most places, comparatively few publicly worship the God of heaven, in fellowship with others. Yet let the times be as dark as they are in this respect, the two or three who know and love the Saviour and desire to honour God and seek His face and favour for their needy souls, in the public means of grace, are not abandoned spiritually; for “where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them,” declares their Lord and Friend.
Let not His people who find themselves in the midst of “a day of small things,” be tempted by the devil or discouraged by worldlings to conclude that they bear not the mark of being His Church in the world and have no authority to expect His blessed presence when they gather together, scripturally and in Christ’s name, because they are but two or three in the sanctuary on the Sabbath and fewer still in the weekly prayer-meeting. The Risen Lord appeared in the midst of eleven fearing disciples at Jerusalem and to them He showed His hands and His side. “Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.” And can He not reveal the memorials of His dying love, through the truth and by His holy Spirit’s influence, to the two or three gathered in His name, in these sad days; and thus fulfil His sweet and precious promise, “There am I in the midst of them”? Of course, He can, and so He does, when that seemeth good in His sight.
And so let His disciples to-day be solemnly exercised as to having grace whereby they may gather together in His name, truly, spiritually, in faith and humbly—then the Lord will be as good as His Word. “For He is faithful that promised.” (Heb. x. 23).