Reader, are you assembled on this divine ground? If so, cling to it with your whole soul. Are you in this path? If so, press on with all the energies of your moral being. Never be content with anything short of His dwelling in you, and your conscious nearness to Him. Let not Satan rob you of your proper portion by leading you to rest in a mere name. Let him not tempt you to mistake your ostensible _position_ for your real _condition_. Cultivate secret communion--secret prayer--constant self-judgment. Be especially on your guard against every form of spiritual pride. Cultivate lowliness, meekness, and brokenness of spirit, tenderness of conscience, in your own private walk. Seek to combine the sweetest grace towards others with the boldness of a lion where truth is concerned. Then will you be a blessing in the assembly of God, and an effective witness of the all-sufficiency of the name of Jesus. The veil is rent:--our souls draw near Unto a throne of grace; The merits of the Lord appear, They fill the holy place. His precious blood has spoken there, Before and on the throne: And His own wounds in heaven declare, Th' atoning work is done. 'Tis finished!--here our souls have rest, His work can never fail: By Him, our Sacrifice and Priest, We pass within the veil. Within the holiest of all, Cleansed by His precious blood, Before the throne we prostrate fall, And worship Thee, O God! Boldly the heart and voice we raise, His blood, His name, our plea: Assured our prayers and songs of praise Ascend, by Christ, to Thee. FOOTNOTES: [XVIII.] The same Greek word, _ecclesia_, has been rendered both "church" and "assembly" in our English translation--"assembly" gives the true meaning. [XIX.] It is of the utmost importance to distinguish between what Christ builds, and what man builds. "The gates of hell" shall assuredly prevail against all that is merely of man; and hence it would be a fatal mistake to apply to man's building words which only apply to Christ's. Man may build with "wood, hay, stubble," alas! he does; but all that our Lord Christ builds shall stand forever. The stamp of eternity is upon every work of His hand. All praise to His glorious name! [XX.] There is no such thing in Scripture as being a member of _a_ church. Every true believer is a member of _the_ Church of God--the body of Christ, and can therefore no more be, properly, a member of anything else, than my arm can be a member of any other body. The only true ground on which believers can gather is set forth in that grand statement, "There is one body, and one Spirit." And again, "We being many are one loaf, and one body" (Eph. iv. 4; I Cor. x. 17). If God declares that there is but "one body," it must be contrary to His mind to own more than that one.