CHAPTER X.

PUBLIC WORSHIP. SABBATH EMPLOYMENTS.

THE duty of public worship is clearly taught in the Holy Scriptures. From the appointment of one day in seven, to be set apart exclusively for the service of God, we may argue the propriety of assembling together, to acknowledge and worship him in a social capacity. God has made us social beings; and all the institutions of his appointment contemplate us as such. The public worship of the Sabbath is preëminently calculated to cultivate the social principle of our nature. It brings people of the same community regularly together, every week, for the same general purpose. In the house of God all meet upon a level.

If we look forward from the institution of the Sabbath to the organization of the Jewish church, we find that God established a regular system of public worship. An order of men was instituted, whose special business was to conduct the public worship of God. After the return of the Jews from captivity, social meetings, called synagogues,* or assemblies, held every

* The term synagogue was applied both to the place of meeting and to the congregation assembling for public worship, as the term church is now used.

140

DUTY OF PUBLIC WORSHIP.

Sabbath, for public religious worship, became common all over the land. Although we have no particular account of the divine origin of these assemblies, yet it is supposed they were instituted by Ezra, who was commissioned, by divine authority, to reestablish the worship of the true God, and complete the canon of the Old Testament; and they were sanctioned by the presence of Christ, who often took part in the public

exercises.

Under the gospel dispensation, the plan of synagogue worship is continued, with such modifications as suit it to the clearer and more complete development of God's gracious designs towards sinful men. A new order of men has been instituted, to conduct public worship, and impart public instruction. As religion consists very much in the exercise of holy affections, God has appointed the preaching of the word as a suitable means for stirring up these affections. Our desires are called forth, our love excited, our delight increased, and our zeal inflamed, by a faithful, earnest, and feeling representation of the most common and familiar truths of the Bible from the pulpit. It is evident, then, that the private reading of the best books, though highly useful, cannot answer the ends of public worship.

The duty of public worship may also be inferred from the fitness and propriety of a public acknowledgment of God by a community in their social capacity. It is befitting dependent beings, whom God has created, and constituted into societies and com

EXAMPLES OF HOLY MEN.

141

munities, to acknowledge their dependence, and engage in solemn acts of worship, in their associated capacity.

This duty is enforced by the example of holy men of old, but especially of Christ and his apostles. David took great delight in the public worship of God's house, which he expressed in such language as this: "My soul thirsteth for thee; my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is, to see thy power and glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.” "I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end." "Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honor dwelleth." "I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holy day." "We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God in company. “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, - that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple." Such were the feelings of the man who has expressed, in strains of sweetest melody, the experience of Christians in all ages. But the example of Jesus is very clear on this point: "And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read." From this it appears that Jesus, even before entering upon his ministry, was in the habit of attending regularly upon the public worship

142

EXAMPLE OF CHRIST.

of God in the synagogue of Nazareth, where he had been brought up. This was the first time he had been there after the commencement of his ministry; yet he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as his custom was; showing that he had always been in the habit of doing so.

After the crucifixion of our Lord, we find the disciples regularly assembling together upon the first day of the week, which is the Christian Sabbath. And Jesus himself honored these assemblies by his presence, after his resurrection. That this practice continued to be observed by the churches founded by the apostles, is evident from the frequent allusions to it in the Acts, and in the writings of Paul, who preached at Macedonia upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread. In the sixteenth chapter of his First Epistle to the Corinthians, he gives directions for taking up collections for the poor saints on the first day of the week, which evidently means the time when they were in the habit of meeting for public worship; and, in the eleventh chapter of the same Epistle, he tells them how to regulate their conduct when they "come together in the church." Again, he exhorts the Hebrews "not to forsake the assembling of themselves together." It appears clear, then, that, under the direction of the apostles, the public worship of God upon the Sabbath was observed in the primitive churches. And this is confirmed by the fact that the same practice has since been uniformly observed by the church in all ages.

From the foregoing arguments I draw the following conclusions:

1. It is the imperative duty of every person, who has it in his power, to attend regularly upon the public worship of God. He has appointed public worship, consisting of devotional exercises, and the preaching of his word, as the principal means of grace for edifying his people, and bringing lost sinners to himself. We cannot, therefore, excuse ourselves for not waiting upon these means; nor can we expect the blessing of God upon any others which we may substitute in their place.

He

2. The duty of attending upon the public worship of God is not diminished by the existence of things in the ministry, church, or congregation, with which we are connected, which we do not approve, provided the essential truths of the gospel are preached, and the regular forms of worship maintained. This conclusion is drawn from the practice of Christ himself. attended habitually upon the regularly-constituted public worship of the Jews, although there appears to have been scarce any signs of spiritual worship among them. The Scriptures were read, the truth was declared; yet all was cold formality, a mere shell of outside worship. But this principle does not hold good where there is an essential departure from fundamental truth. We are not at liberty to attend upon the ministry of false teachers; for of these Christ has warned us to beware; and the apostle John, in his epistle to the elect lady, says, "If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine," (i. e., the doc