CHAPER XV.

OUR BLESSED SAVIOUR, THE

FOUNDER OF THE

I.

CHURCH, TEACHES US THIS DOCTRINE.

ND first of all I desire it may be con. sidered, that our blessed Lord doth plainly suppose this notion of a Church, that is, of religious assemblies, in the very Prayer He taught His disciples. The first words of which being, our Father," not " my father;" are an indication, it was not made for a single person only, but for a company of men, joining together in their petitions to God. Who are put in mind by this expression, when any of them says this Prayer alone by himself, that his Prayer is at that time acceptable; because he is a member of the Church of Christ, and holds communion with the rest of his Christian brethren. There can be no other reason given, why we say, our Father," even in our closets, but that we pray as part of a body, and

hope to be heard, because we are in union therewith, and not divided from it, and therefore stand bound, as oft as we have opportunity, to communicate with it in Prayer, and all other holy offices, when it meets together for that purpose.

II. And therefore we may farther observe, that Christ most especially promises His blessed presence in such public assemblies, Matt. xviii. 20. "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." That he speaks of their being assembled in His name for Prayer, appears from the foregoing verse, where He saith, "if two of you agree on earth as touching any thing they shall ask, it shall be done," &c. And the word gathered together, shews He speaks of public Prayer; such as used to be in the Synagogues; unto which the word, in the Greek, alludes. And two or three so gathered together, are put for any number whatsoever, but rather mentioned than any other greater number, that Christians might not be discouraged, though they could meet but in very

small companies, by reason of the difficulties and distresses they laboured under, in the beginning of our religion.

Temple-Service

The rule of the synagogue was (as Dr. Lightfoot and others have observed) C. vii. Sect. 3. that unless the number of ten persons, who were of years, were gathered together, it was no assembly, nor could there be any Prayer. But our Lord would not have His Church thus abridged, in this high privilege of Prayer; knowing (as Mr. Thorndike observes) it might so fall out, that such a number of His disciples could not get together; either because of the persecutions, which scattered them abroad, or because there were but few (suppose only two or three) as yet converted in a place where the gospel was preached. Who, if they did unanimously agree in common petitions, our Saviour promises should find, notwithstanding their small number, that He would be present among them.

That is the blessing promised to their consent and agreement in common Prayer.

Which is not to be understood, as if He would not be present with a good Christian, when He prays alone; but the meaning is, that then, when they joined in common Prayer, He would be more especially present. For if our Lord Christ have a love to every Christian soul, and delights to have its company, then is He much more pleased with a great number of them, who present themselves together to seek His grace and favour. They are more welcome to Him, their company is more lovely, the sight of them more amiable, and they are more beloved of Him, and prevail for greater tokens of His love.

And thus all wise Christians, ancient and modern, have understood it. I will name one of later times, for there is no doubt of the ancient. "But as for sacred assemblies, in places appointed and deputed for that purpose, we have a very great veneration; and highly approve and love them, for we believe Christ to be more present with us, when we are met in conjunction together." They are the words of Peter Martyr upon Gen. xxviii. 12.

And here it may not be unfit to note, for a fuller explication of this matter, that the greatest blessings have then been bestowed, when God's people were at their public Prayers: which is a mighty argument to frequent them, in hope then to prevail far more, than we can in our private addresses to Him. In the Old Testament the examples of it are many; particularly in 2 Kings iii. 9, 10. where you read that the hosts of the three kings being ready to perish, both man and beast, for want of water, and the Prophet Elisha undertaking to furnish them therewith, "it came to pass in the morning, when the meat-offering was offered" (which was the time when all the people were at their Prayers in the temple)" there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water," ver. 20. Why did it come at this time rather than any other, but to honour the public Prayers and Sacrifices, and to let them know what great benefits they might receive thereby, if devoutly attended.

And when there could be no assemblies at