"Permit me, madam, to explain. I am a minister of the Gospel. The public assemblies of which I have been speaking are the assembling together of those who meet for God's worship and service; the honourable persons to whom I referred are those whom the Bible calls the children of God; and the King whom I believe to have been present at these assemblies is He who is 'King of kings and Lord of lords,' who Himself has told us that, where two or three are gathered together in His name, there He is in the midst of them."
There was such kindness and courtesy and respect in the gentleman's manner, that I could not feel vexed at his having spoken in a sort of parable, so I smiled, and said, "I had no idea that you were a minister, sir."
"I am glad that you are not angry with me, young lady," said he, "for having wilfully misinterpreted your questions. You know it is 'out of the abundance of the heart' that 'the mouth speaketh'; and when you got into the coach I was engaged in thought, studying a subject which I hope to speak about next Sunday; and, singularly, this subject is so far like that which has engaged a few minutes of our conversation, as that it refers to an assembly, though one of a very superior character to any the world has ever seen or known."
"May I ask, sir, what assembly it is you mean?"
"Certainly," replied he; and taking from his pocket a New Testament, he opened it and read, "Ye are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and Church of the First-born which are written in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel."
Having read this, my fellow-traveller again put up his Book, and there was a short silence between us, until he said, "That is the text, madam. Do you think it possible for any preacher to do justice to it?"
"I do not know indeed, sir," I said; and I added (what I truly thought) that the words struck me as being very beautiful.
"They are indeed beautiful, and magnificent, and solemn," he said; and he continued to remark that they were highly calculated to arouse in the mind emotions of no ordinary nature. Did I not think so?
I hesitated what to reply, for I shrank from expressing sentiments which I did not really feel. Doubtless he saw my embarrassment, and, instead of pressing for an answer, he asked me if he might mention a few of the thoughts which had passed through his mind, as he had pondered over the passage. I said, if he pleased to do so, I should be glad to hear him, and accordingly he went on—
"I suppose that the words I have read referred not so much to the future, as to the present position or condition of those to whom they were addressed, and that they may be applied also to certain characters at the present time. I have no doubt, madam, that you understand of what characters I speak?"