Matthew 18:19,20

For when two or three are gathered together in My name.

The presence of Christ in the sanctuary

I. What is implied in this promise or the divine presence. God comes not here as to a court of assize, but to a Bethesda, to dispense mercy.

II. The conditions under which the promise will be fulfilled.

1. TO meet in the Saviour’s name is to seek its exaltation.

2. His name must be pleaded as the ground of approach to God.

3. The sole authority of Christ must be recognized if we would meet in His name.

III. The Jewish church as well as the Christian had God’s gracious presence.

1. The incarnation was substituted for the Shekinah-a symbol.

2. The bodily exercises, carnal ordinances are at an end in the Christian worship.

3. We have the indwelling of the Holy Ghost.

4. Let us expect the Divine blessing.

5. If the presence of God be promised, how is it that professors are content with an occasional visit to the sanctuary? (J. S. Pearsall.)

The presence of Christ in the meetings of His people

I. Thy promise.

1. There is a sense in which it is true that Jesus is present with all men at all times.

2. But in the text He meant something different from that to which we have referred. Jacob at Bethel.

3. It implies a readiness on the part of Christ to do for His people what they ask.

4. It implies a gift of those graces which are fitted to sweeten the spiritual intercourse of the soul with Himself, and to enrich it with those Divine ornaments which shall best display the lustre of His own glory.

II. That in order to realize the riches of the promise the disciples must be gathered together. Also to meet in the name of Christ. Acknowledge on our part all fulness and power in Christ. (W. Willson.)

I. When the people of God meet together for religious worship it should be in the name of Christ.

1. With His authority.

2. Agreeably to His directions.

3. That our expectations of success are founded on the influence which may connect itself with His name.

II. When Christians are thus gathered together they may expect their master’s presence.

1. A large number not necessary.

2. A particular class not necessary.

3. A particular place not necessary. Christ once present.

III. The redeemer has important ends to accomplish in connection with the vouchsafement of his presence when his disciples are assembled. (T. Bradshaw.)

Christ’s presence consecrating His Church

I. The speaker.

1. The beaming of His essential glory.

2. How our Lord claims to Himself omnipresence.

3. That our Lord here claims to Himself self-existence, independent existence.

4. Our Lord does not contemplate His own existence as a contingency.

II. The acknowledged relation in which Christ stands to his church.

1. Our Lord declares His headship.

2. The declaration which He here makes of His mind towards the Church

(1) condescension;

(2) faithfulness.

III. The view here given by Christ himself of the church.

1. The amount, “two or three.” The Church small in the world.

2. The unobstrusibe, humble character of the Church.

3. The special bond of the Church.

IV. The gracious promise which christ here makes to the church as thus exercised. (J. Macdonald, M. A.)

United prayer

I. United prayer is to those who exercise it a means of grace.

1. In recognizing this, you will get a clue to the advantages to be derived from united prayer as an agency for personal and relative spiritual advancement.

2. United prayer strongly tends to draw out the souls of those engaged therein in sympathy and care, and love for one another, and for Christians generally.

II. Untied prayer is an instrument of service for Christ. Some phases of service to which Christians are called. The cultivation of personal spiritual life. The development and maintenance of the true nature, status, and influence of the Church of Christ. Effort to save souls.

III. How shall we, as Christians, avail ourselves to this means of grace and instrument of service for Christ? Exercise united prayer for the outpouring of God’s Holy spirit upon the Church, etc. For the conversion of men, women, and children. For the agencies employed, that they may accomplish the devout ends they have in view. (John, Thomas.)

I. The religion of jesus christ is social. “Two or three.” Man is a social being. The gospel raises men to considerations of the highest nature, and to a uniting order of things. The servants of God have similarity of views; a common ground of dependence, a common relation to Christ; the same object of endeavour; oneness as to cause and interest, look for the same blessed end. We are not surprised that they “meet together.”

II. Wherever they meet Christ is in the midst of them.

1. It is His word, grace, and spirit that forms the Church.

2. It is the love of Christ that prompts and influences them.

3. This subject constitutes a criterion of discipleship.

4. It may serve to encourage us when few in number.

5. It animates our thought in view of the eternal world. In heaven there will be a great gathering. (J. Rift.)

An august visitor

I. The place. “Where,” etc. A meeting place is intended; simple; it may be lonely.

II. The presence. A spiritual presence. The world sees Him not. Time was when He granted sensible tokens of His presence to man; burning bush, Jacob; Christ incarnate; now the Comforter is come.

III. The purpose. He is in the midst for

(1) inspection, “His eyes are as a flame of fire;”

(2) for protection;

(3)direction;

(4) probation. He is in the midst to try with means and mercies-

(5) salvation. (J. Basley.)

Jesus present in worship

More than the numbers stated here have thus met. Christ is here. If we had met this evening to discuss questions concerning geography, we should probably have felt ourselves honoured with the presence of such a man as Sir Roderick Murchison or Dr. Livingstone. Had the discussion related to history, to antiquity, to chemistry, with what elatedness and bated breath should we have listened to that prince of historians, the late Lord Macaulay, to the world-renowned Layard, and to the wonder-working Faraday. Had this been a congress of nations-a meeting of crowned heads-planning the course of politics, disposing of the destinies of nations, and marking the limits of empires, how important should we have deemed the occasion! Notable visitors from other climes, men of mark and might from other lands, would have attracted our observation-have riveted our attention; our interest would have risen with the occasion. But we meet with other ends in view. We come together about our souls’ affairs; our present peace, and our everlasting salvation, are the matters which concern us. Compared with these other things are temporary and trivial. (J. Basley.)

Jesus present in a simple sanctuary

“Where two or three are gathered together.” There is evidently a meeting-place intended. Proud mortals love display. When Henry of England and his neighbour monarch of France met with friendly greetings, it was amid the most gorgeous glitter on the Field of Cloth of Gold. Christ makes no demand for parade or ostentatious display. It forms no condition in the terms upon which He will visit us. We have not a tesselated pavement; we can worship God without it. We have no encaustic tiles: Christ does not want them. (J. Basley.)

Jesus present to inspect

He is Light. He is the Searcher of hearts, the great Revealer. He visits thus all His Churches. He knows them all-their constitution, their practice, their state. He visits them as the florist visits his garden, to watch the progress of choice plants and flowers. He visits them as the shepherd does his flock, to inspect the condition of his sheep. He visits them as the officer does his soldiers, to see if they are at their post, if their discipline is as it should he, and their arms in good condition. What a sight for Christ do some churches professedly Christian present! How must His holiness loathe the worldliness, selfishness, pride, and the many foul abominations that are covered with a Christian name! Christ is here for inspection. No member, no character, no practice, no thought, word, wish, or feeling, escapes the notice of His eye. Christian professor! Christ sees thee. Thou art fully and thoroughly known to Him. (J. Basley.)

Four present, but only one visible

When it was decided to close the prayer-meeting m a certain village, a good woman declared that she would be there if no one else was. She was true to her word, and when the next morning some one said to her rather jestingly, “Did you have a prayer-meeting last night?” “All! that we did,” she replied. “How many were present? … Four,” she said. “Why,” said he, “I heard that you were there all alone.” “No,” she said; “ I was the only one visible but the Father was there, and the Son was there, and the Holy Spirit was there, and we were all agreed in prayer.” Before long there was a revival prayer-meeting and a prospering church. (J. Basley.)

In My name

I. The place which the name of Jesus occupies in christianity. The subject of knowledge. The object of faith and love. Doctrines, duties, precepts permeated with His name. Does not imply nominality, as the name of a book; but He is the substance of the thing. He is the life of Christianity.

II. On what ground does the name of jesus occupy this place in Christianity.

1. The Father’s appointment.

2. On His own authority as Messiah.

3. His Divine nature.

4. His perfect manhood.

5. His mediatorship.

Jesus

1. The central force of Christianity.

2. The radiating glory of Christianity.

3. The attractive power of Christianity.

4. The ultimate victory of Christianity.

5. Who then will be ashamed of the name of Jesus? (J. Bate.)

Public worship acceptable to God

No doubt the prayers which the faithful put up to heaven from under their private roofs were very acceptable unto Him. But if a saint’s single voice in prayer be so sweet to God’s ear, much more the church choir. His saints’ prayers in consort together. A father is glad to see any one of his children, and makes him welcome when he visits him, but much more when they come together; the greatest feast is when they all meet at his house. The public praises of the Church are the emblem of heaven itself, where all the angels and saints make but one consort. There is a wonderful prevalency in the joint prayers of His people. When Peter was in prison, the Church meets and prays him out of his enemies’ hands. A prince will grant a petition subscribed by the hands of a whole city, which may be he would not at the request of a private subject, and yet love him well, too. There is an especial promise to public prayer “Where two or three,” etc. (Gurnall)