Page:A Sermon Preached in the Temporary Chapel of Keble College.djvu/15

 ways of expressing their reverence: on the contrary, I am grateful to those to whom such expressions would be naturally congenial when I see that they refrain from them. I am sure, as I do not doubt some of you know from experience, that such individual demonstrations of reverence cause difficulties in the way of temptation to self-consciousness to those who practise them; while in the common worship of a society they minister to division and distraction, and so tend to mar the unity which is the first condition of reverence. Therefore I would ask, in the name of a higher and larger good, that even where it is some sacrifice they should be restrained. But upon the other hand, and much more, if there are any who do not kneel, any who are apt to fall into lounging attitudes, to yield too readily to sleep or the like, let them feel that the fixed reverence, if I may so call it, of the building summons them to render a living homage more accordant to it.

And this leads me to what remains to say. You will see that the true doctrine of Christian worship sets before us as it were a two-fold Divine presence in that worship, a presence for us, and a presence in us; I had almost said a presence which we find, and a presence which we bring. We have been dwelling on the first, let us not forget the second—the presence of Christ by the Spirit in the company of faithful people, who are members of His body; in the Church on the large scale, and in each congregation as a miniature of the whole. It is this