It is quite certain that those who are whole-hearted for Christ desire to be in His company. They instinctively wend their way to the spot where He is known to be. Is there such a spot on earth? Yes, " Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am 1 in the midst of them." (Matt, 18:20.)
No one who is truly conscious of the greatness and excellency of His person, and of the blessedness of communion with Him, would willingly be absent from that favored place. A neglected Lord's Table, and a neglected prayer-meeting, speak aloud of the Laodicean state of the heart towards Him. We read that of old " They continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers " (Acts 2:4242And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2:42)). Alas that there should be such a lack of continuing steadfastly now!
Does the Lord say to the Father, " In the midst of the church will I sing praise unto Thee " (Heb. 2:1212Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. (Hebrews 2:12)), and can we suppose that He fails to notice whether we are there or not, to join in the song He leads?
In the coming day of review before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:1010For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10)), how shall we take the disclosure, that self-indulgence, a little unfavorable weather, or a of with a brother or sister in. Christ, has outweighed with us all the mighty motives for a loving response to His wish, " This do in remembrance of Me "? (Lake 22:19).
It is deeply humbling to think that any who have tasted the Lord's love can take advantage of not having to work on the Lord's day, to spend its morning hours in bed, and that others can excuse their absence from its meetings on the ground of visiting, or receiving visits from friends. Priceless opportunities of gratifying the heart of the Lord, and of showing our attachment to Him in the scene of His rejection are thus wasted and lost.
It is mere mockery to repeat " Come Lord Jesus," and use glowing expressions of desire to be with Him in glory, if, by our absence from His assembly, we betray our indifference to His presence here.
Beloved, it is high time to awake out of sleep (Rom. 13:1111And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. (Romans 13:11); Eph. 5:1414Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. (Ephesians 5:14)). May we take to heart the solemn and impressive exhortation of the word, " Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is: but exhorting one another: and so much the more as ye see the day approaching " (Heb. 10:2525Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25)).
Closely connected with the foregoing is the question of time. Where is our reverence for the Lord or our sense of His grace, where our responsive love, if we come with lagging steps, five, ten or fifteen minutes after He has taken His place in the midst of His own?
It was easy in the freshness of first love, to come early to the place where He manifests Himself in such a peculiarly blessed way. Excuses were not made. Has He become less precious? The moments we may thus spend together with Him on earth stained with His blood, are swiftly passing away. Let us not willingly lose one of them.
It is touching to remember that no thought of all the sufferings that awaited Him, of Himself presently becoming the true passover, "sacrificed for us,'" delayed the Ford's appearing at His last paschal feast. " When the hour was come, He sat down and the twelve apostles with Him (Luke 22:1414And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. (Luke 22:14)).
Oh for a holy eagerness to be where He is!