remarked, knew when it was Mr. Newton's and when Mr. Harris's day: and it became the common language to speak of it so by all, rich and poor; and people took their measures for going accordingly; I speak of Sunday mornings at breaking of bread. Now it may happen that there may be only one habitually able to edify in a body, though it is a sad thing if there be no diversity of gift in a large body, but a regular alternation of two, and, if absent a sort of manager left, for so it really was, and the speaking prepared as previously considering the state of the congregation and preparing a discourse, and such was the ground avowedly taken with me as the right thing, when I arrived, is certainly not that dependance on the Spirit which characterized the profession of the brethren. I do not like the expression “going to meet the Spirit,” but the devoted brother who used it expresses in it (badly, I think[1]) the substance of an all-important truth, which those who cavil at it have been assiduously undermining: and, I may add, in such language as, I am bold to say, no one under the guidance of that Spirit could use, and which expresses real unbelief as to the substance of the matter. The Church is the habitation of God through the Spirit. It is by the Holy Ghost God dwells in the Church, though He cannot be separated from the Father and the Son. It has been formally, and expressedly, denied that the presence of the Holy Ghost should be looked for in the assembly. It has been perhaps affirmed too. And this is one of the sad circumstances, as it strikes me, in Ebrington Street,—not exactly unorthodox teaching, but important truths dealt with in so rash and daring a manner, and the authority of the teacher leant upon for them, and his wildest notions put upon the level of certainty with justification
- ↑ Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Now the presence of Jesus, though of course, in Spirit, implies many associations of heart which his name peculiarly bears, and his authority too as Lord. But when met, the Holy Ghost is the acting power in every ministration which is not mere fleshly worthlessness.
