body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee; nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you." Every particular Christian, therefore, has, in this mystical body, his own office and position. The due and regular distribution of divine grace in this sublime economy, is, by the divine promises, made to depend mainly on these two conditions: that each member of the body shall efficiently satisfy the functions of his own. peculiar office and position; and that each shall derive his proper measure of grace, with a due recognition of the offices and uses of all the others. To this end St. Paul will teach us, are all ministers and ordinances designed: "for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come, in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness

of Christ1."

All the mechanism and contrivances of the spiritual body, aim at this result that the individual parts shall conduce to the growth and well-being of the whole; not by a confused and incoherent aggregation but by the discharge of the especial function, for which each is fitted and designed. To attempt to set aside these arrangements, or to do without them, is to be wiser than our Creator; who has made nothing in vain; and has contrived the whole system in its combined result, and adapted and harmonized the construction and movements of all the component members, to this very end,—that we may all, in the beauty and integrity of one united, indissoluble body, "grow up into him in all things, which is the head even Christ from whom the whole body, fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body, unto the edifying of itself in love 2."

1 Eph. iv. 12, 13.

2 Eph. iv. 15, 16.

Since, then, the determinations of the divine will are the basis on which His promises are founded; since the promises of God, are the only title, which distinguishes just and reasonable expectation from absurdity and presumption; and since it is not a random and preposterous application of the divine promises, but a sober understanding of the sense which they were really designed to bear, that draws the line between hope and enthusiasm: then certainly, true faith is not so fanatical, as to look for the supplies of divine grace, except upon the humble and diligent use of the ordinances and institutions, which the promises of Christ have assigned for their distribution.

Let us apply these observations to two classes of the promises of the New Testa

ment.

1. Faith expects, in due time and manner, to receive the answers to its prayers and intercessions. It expects these answers, because God has promised them. Consequently, it uses with humility the modes prescribed for the oblation of its

requests. Now one mode prescribed by the divine promise, is the united public worship of the church. Our blessed Saviour has given to His Apostles and to the Church in unity with them, the distinct and especial promise of His mysterious presence, to grant the petitions, and ratify the acts, of those who assemble by His authority, to offer up their united supplications. "Again, I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of 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 1." It is, surely, no sign of faith, to treat such a promise as this with indifference and neglect. It is no sign of faith, to expect to obtain, without uniting in the prayers of the church, those blessings which Christ has promised only to the common supplications of His ministers and people. It is no sign of faith, but too fearful a symptom of un

1 Matt. xviii. 19, 20.

belief and irreligion, and too sure a prognostic of spiritual apostasy and death, when the children of God are to be found anywhere and every where assembled, except in their Father's presence; when the house of prayer is precisely the only place of public meeting, which is left empty, desolate, and forsaken. It may be said in reply, that a Christian can pray acceptably in private. No doubt he can. More than this, unless he be diligent in the habits of private prayer, he cannot expect to pray acceptably in public. But this in no way affects our argument. A man of faith will not expect to receive, in answer to one sort of prayer that which God has promised to another. He will not expect an answer to any sort, if he treat any of His promises with disrespect. Consequently, if a man be either indifferent to the blessing promised to united prayer in public, or secure of obtaining the blessing of the promise, without conforming to its conditions, it is all one, as far as faith in the promise is concerned, whether he pray in private, or pray no where at all. The promise of Christ's presence is one,