THOUGHTS CHRISTIAN WORSHIP, AND THE USUAL MODE OF CONDUCTING IT, IN CONNEXION WITH ITS MORAL AND RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE. BY ISAAC ROBSON. PHILADELPHIA: HENRY LONQSTRETH, 915 MARKET STREET. 1858. THE Writer wishes it to be borne in mind that the following pages are not put forth as a complete treatise on the important subject to which they relate, but simply, as the title implies, as cursory thoughts submitted to the serious consideration of Christian Professors of every denomination. THOUGHTS ON CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. IT is truly satisfactory to observe that there has sprung up, within the last few years, a deep and lively interest on behalf of that im- portant part of the community, the labouring classes. It appears to be more and more felt and acknowledged, that, as regards our reli- gious appliances, there has been something wanting that, in fact, whilst its obligations are increasingly recognised by the wealthier portion of society, Religion has obtained but little influence, compara- tively, over the masses. Hence have arisen the efforts recently made, by means of preaching in the open air, and in rooms not usually ap- propriated to religious purposes, to obtain a hearing from those who will not enter a regular place of worship efforts that afford cheering indications of increased vitality in the religious world. In order, however, to apply an efficient remedy, it is important to have a clear understanding, not only of the various phases, but also, as far as practicable, of the causes of the disease. In the body poli- tic, this is no easy matter; nor, indeed, is it possible for any one in- dividual, from his own observation, to form an adequate idea of the varied and multiplied causes which operate against the spread of Christian light nnd truth among the people. This can only be ob- tained by nn accumulation of evidence collected from different quar- ters, and by individuals in various circumstances, who, from diversity of mental constitution and training, view things in different aspects each being prone to discover defects in the direction in which his own attention has been particularly turned. It is with the view of casting in his mite towards this object, not for the purpose of advocating any particular form, that the writer of the following remarks has been induced to invite the attention of his fellow professors of the Christian name to one very important subject, viz. that of IWi'f Worship, and (hr, popular mode of conducting it. In this attempt he is very conscious of his own inability to do justice to what he feels to be not only a momentous but a delicate question; he is well aware, also, that the prejudices imbibed from education and from long-cherished and unquestioning attachment to time-ho- 4 THOUGHTS ON CHEISTIAN WORSHIP. noured observances, will naturally tend to close the minds of many against the cordial reception of some of the sentiments here enunci- ated. But he has enough of confidence in that manly independence of thought, and that desire to ascertain the truth, which are charac- teristic of the present age, to induce him to hope for a patient and candid perusal. Whilst we may thankfully believe that there is in the present day, among the various denominations of Christians, a large and increasing number who are really heart-worshippers, it cannot be denied that there is also a large number of another class, of whom it may be said that " while they profess that they know God, in works they deny Him." Punctual, it may be, in their attendance on public worship, and abstaining, perhaps, from vices which would endanger their con- ventional reputation, if we trace them through the lanes of life, we find them as apt to wander in by-ways and crooked paths as those who make no profession at all. They are as much attached to the world and its pursuits, as fond of money, as unscrupulous in the mode of obtaining it, as ready to take advantage of ignorance or weakness, as often in the Gazette, as prone to deception and dishonesty. Their standard seems no higher thc-ir aim no loftier. In short, there is little or no visible evidence that they regard themselves as strangers and sojourners here below, and that they are seeking " a better coun- try, that is, a heavenly." These, indeed, may be said to be but "spots in our feasts of charity," but, alas, they are so numerous and prominent that, to a great extent, they hide from the view of dis- tant spectators the multitude who look at the aggregate and will not take the trouble to discriminate that which is " pure and lovely, and of good report" that which is calculated more powerfully than any thing else to recommend Christianity to the acceptance of the people. Many of the more shrewd and observant of the working men are very quick to perceive these inconsistencies, and coupling them with the numerous applications for money, for tithes, for church rates, for Easter offerings, for baptisms, for marriages, for funerals, for pew rents, for organs, &c.,. they at once come to the conclusion that religion is a system of human invention, framed for the purpose of enabling individuals of the classes above them to obtain a geuteel and comfortable livelihood. The folly and rashness of such a con- clusion do not alter the fact that, whether sincere or not, this is the sentiment openly professed by many of our mechanics and artisans, and that it is advanced as an excuse for not entering a place of wor- ship. Seeing, therefore, that whilst religion is not answerable for the un- faithfulness and hypocrisy of its professors, we cannot deny the pre- valence of much superficiality and insincerity amongst the various Christian communities, it is worth while to consider whether, in the ordinary modes and appendages of public worship, there is any thing THOUGHTS ON CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. 5 calculated to foster evils so detrimental to the spread of divine truth, and affording, as we must admit, too much occasion for the sneers and taunts of the skeptic and the infidel. Let us then proceed to examine, as fairly and impartially as we can, some of the practices which have obtained almost universal adoption. In the first place, although it may appear a matter of trifling im- portance, it may not be amiss to remark that the buildings appropri- ated to this purpose are often greatly decorated, and that there is a growing tendency in this direction, particularly among the Dissenters of the present day. The manner of conducting " the service" in these buildings varies considerably, but the following may perhaps be taken as an outline of the course most commonly pursued. First, music and singing; then a prayer by the minister; next, the sermon ; after that, another prayer; and lastly, music and singing again; a portion of the Holy Scriptures being also introduced in the course of the service. Let us then first inquire Has the architecture or the music any thing to do with worship? These are classed together, as both ap- pealing to the senses rather than to the understanding. We cannot, of course, believe that our Almighty Father, like one of ourselves, will be pleased with the beauty of the edifice or the notes of the in- animate organ, and that the sweeter the tones, the greater will be His delight. Is it then mainly to gratify man's taste and pride in the building, and to please his own ears, that he is so solicitous about the architectural display and the correctness and harmony of the music? If this be the case, is it serving the Deity, or himself ? Immaterial as it is, so that true worship is performed, whether it be in a cathedral or in a barn, or under the open canopy of heaven, yet it is worthy of consideraiion, whether all this splendour in the building and its fittings is not at once both indicative and promotive of that worldly, unspiritual tendency inherent in our fallen nature, which has ever been the bane of vital Christianity, and which, where it is allowed to prevail, is the sure precursor of degeneracy. It may also be worth a thought whether the circumstance above mentioned, in connexion with the pew system, so comfortable to those who can afford to pay for the most eligible scats, has any influence in prevent- ing the attendance of the millions whose homes and whose habits present so strong a contrast to what they see around them, as to pre- vent their feeling at case in a place whence all class-exclusiveness ought to be banished, and in which it ought to be especially felt that " the rich and poor meet together" on equal ground in the presence of Him who " is the Maker of them all." With regard to the use of instrumental music in worship, we may now proceed to examine whether there is Scriptural warrant for it under the Christian Dispensation. We find indeed that it was, as it still is, largely employed in the worship of Heathen Nations. 6 THOUGHTS ON CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. In Babylon, for instance, we are told that Shadrach, Mcshach, and Abeduego were commanded to fall down before the image on hearing the sound of the music. It was also practised by the Israelites at a much earlier period; for we are informed that, when the children of Israel departed out of Egypt, they had musical instruments iu their possession, and that they used them in celebrating their delive- rance on the banks of the Ked Sea. Under the dispensation of the law, they continued to employ them in connexion with several of their typical ceremonies; but after that dispensation had passed away, and its shadows were superseded by the substance prefigured by them, these ceremonies and their accompaniments being no longer re- quired, we shall search the Ny turns, or one after another, (?'- vicem,') to repeat a hymn to Christ as to a God;" which seems nearly to correspond with the passage in the 1st Cor. already quoted. Justin Martyr, who died in the year 165, says: " We manifest our gratitude to Him by worshipping Him in spiritual songs and hymns, praising Him for our birth, for the vicissitudes of the seasons, and for the hopes of immortality."* Origen, who flourished in the first half of the third century, thus alludes to the practice: "We," says he, "sing hymns to God who is over all, and to his only begotten Son, the Word of God." In these passages there is still no evidence of the introduction of any thing resembling the present artificial system of conducting pub- lic psalmody. Cassiodorus, writing about the year 510, says that the Fathers made no great account of singing in churches, and that " most of them knew nothing thereof; for in the days of Athanasius, Bishop of Alex- andria, about A. D. 848, Flavian and Theodore, first of all in the East, brought in the rite or custom of singing at Antioch."f * Colcman's Apostolic and Primitive Church, f Lawson's Mite into the Treasury. THOUGHTS ON CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. 11 In harmony with this statement, its introduction into th/> Western Churches is thus related by Augustin in his " Confessions." Jus- tina, mother of the Emperor Valentinian, who was then a child, having embraced the Arian heresy, was induced to persecute Am- brose, who was at that time bishop of Milan. " The devout people," says he, "kept watch in the church, ready to die with their bishop. Then it was first instituted after the manner of the Eastern Churches, that hymns and psalms should be sung, lest the people should wax faint through the tediousness of sorrow; and from that day to this, the custom is retained divers, yea, almost all congregations through- out other parts of the world following herein." This was about the year 880. The practice in fact appears to have been gradually gaining ground since the time of the Apostles until this period, so that it had al- ready become the subject of ecclesiastical regulations in the East. For we find that by the Council of Laodicea, (A. D. 361,) "this part of public worship was restricted to a distinct order in the church, styled by them canonical singers; and that " these went up into the singers' seats and sang from a book."* Here let us pause for a moment to look at the state of the church at this period. Mosheim says of it, " No sooner had Constantine re- nounced the religion of his ancestors, than magnificent temples were every where erected, which were adorned with pictures and images; and which, both in their external and internal form, were very simi- lar to the fanes and temples of their gods. Whilst the fostering care of the Emperors sought to advance the Christian religion, the indis- creet piety of the bishops obstructed its true nature, and oppressed its energies by the multiplication of rites and ceremonies." There was little difference in these times between the public worship of the Christians and that of the Greeks and Romans (idolaters.) In both alike there were splendid robes, mitres, tiaras, wax tapers, crosiers, processions, images, and innumerable other things. Genuine piety was supplanted by a long train of superstitious observances, which were derived partly from opinions inconsiderately embraced, partly from a preposterous disposition to adopt profane rites and to combine them with Christian worship, and partly from the natural predilec- tion of mankind in general for a splendid and ostentatious religion." Pilgrimages to Palestine, and to the tombs of the martyrs, whom they had begun to worship, the sale of portions of earth brought from thence as a protection against evil spirits, prayers for the repose of the souls of the departed, &c., are also recorded among the evidences of the lamentable declension that had already taken place, when this mode of singing was thus formally established. In England this practice does not appear to have been introduced * Colcman's Antiquities. 12 THOUGHTS ON CHRISTIAN VYOKSU1P. till about the end of the 7th century, when the Abbot Benedict, founder of the monasteries of Monkwearmouth and Jarrow, who, in his zeal for the introduction into ecclesiastical buildings, of pictures and many other ornamental appendages, made several journeys to Rome, on one occasion brought back with him " one John, the arch- chanter, who fii'st taught in England how to sing in the choir after the manner of Home."* It may, however, be admitted that the mere absence of New Tes- tament evidence, or of example in the early Christians, does not ne- cessarily condemn the present practice of congregational singing. The great question after all must be, " Is it from the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks?" Is it from a real sense of the suitability of the words to our individual condition, and of the reve- rence due to that great Being whom we are thus presuming to ad- dress ? If this be not the case, will the expressions used be regarded as worship in truth by Him who searches the heart? Is there not also great danger that language thus offered to the Almighty, with- out due consideration, and not always truthfully as to the state of the worshipper, may foster not only superficiality and insincerity in reli- gion, but also a disregard to the truth in evcry-day life? For if we venture to address the great Searcher of hearts in language not strictly true, is it likely that we shall be very particular in adhering to the truth in our intercourse with our fellow men ? and is it not almost un- avoidable that the offering up of hymns in worship, according to pre- vious arrangement, and without reference to the conditions of the persons using them, should, by frequent repetition, become a mere habit, naturally producing want of consideration, and consequently, superficiality? May we not solemnly appeal to the consciences of many, even of the sincere hearted, who, on reflection, will be bound to acknowledge that this effect has been produced that while, from the force of habit, their lips and their voices have joined in the song of praise; their thoughts have been far away from the subject of the hymn? Moreover, does not the practice in question hold 'out a posi- tive temptation to insincerity in religious expression ? When a hymn is given out, if those who usually take part in the singing were not to join in it, their abstinence would be marked it might be miscon- strued; and when they know that the language does not speak their feelings, it requires an amount of Christian courage, as well as of con- scientiousness, which all do not equally possess, to act in accordance with their inmost convictions; and, therefore, rather than appeal- singular, and have their motives misunderstood, some may be tempted to join in uttering what they do not feel, or it may even be what as regards themselves is untrue. * A. Beckett's Universal Biography. Catkins' Biographical Dictionary. Lawson's Mite into the Treasury. THOUGHTS ON CUKISTIAN WORSHIP. 13 Some of the foregoing observations are equally applicable to the use of stated forms and times of prayer. It is possible indeed, in this, as well as in singing, that the language may be truly expressive of the feelings of some of the individuals composing a congregation; but who can say beforehand what his feelings may be at a given time? or can any one, when the time arrives, always command his feelings into accordance with the form used, whatever it may happen to be? It is also possible that the words may be so chosen as to be applicable to all the members of a congregation at any time; but still the use of the form does not impart the spirit of prayer, or the real sense of our wants. It may indeed remind us of them, and thus perhaps be occasionally instrumental in quickening our desires; but unless this be the case unless the heart goes along with it, the re- petition of the form, however truly it may describe our condition, becomes an untruth in our lips; it is saying in effect "we pray," when no desire is felt, when in fact we do not pray. "When ye pray," said our Saviour, "use not vain repetitions as the heathen do, for they think they shall be heard for their much speaking." Are not forms of prayer, thus repeated without a sense of the want of that for which we ask, very much like "vain repetitions?" They are certainly not true worship, nor favourable to sincerity of character. Stated forms of prayer do not appear to have been used by the early Christians. "Even the Lord's Prayer," says Coleman, "was not in use in the church in the age of the Apostles. Not the re- motest hint is given in the history of the Apostles that this prayer constituted any part of their worship." Lord Chancellor King says, "As to these prescribed forms, there is not the least mention of them in any of the primitive writings, nor the least word or syllable tending thereunto, that I can find, which is a most unaccountable silence if ever such there were. Tertullian, describing their public prayers, says that looking up to Heaven, they spread abroad their hands be- cause innocent, uncovered their heads because not ashamed, and without a monitor, because they prayed from the heart. "Now the praying by a monitor," continues Lord King, 'as is acknowledged by all, was praying by a book/ but thus Tertullian affirms the primi- tive Christians prayed not. 'We do not pray,' says he, 'with a mo- nitor, reading our prayers out of a book; no! but on the contrary we pray depectore from the heart our own heart and soul dictating to us what is most suitable and proper to be asked.'"* But that which has perhaps the greatest influence in filling places of worship, is the desire to hear the sermon. If the preacher be elo- quent, he soon becomes popular; and the multitudes throng to hear him. Is it then a part of worship to listen to the minister? This question may be answered by another what is the condition of tho * Coleman's Antiquities. 14 THOUGHTS ON CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. listener's mind? If his object be to gratify his curiosity, or to enjoy the intellectual feast afforded by the-eloquence of the minister, what is it but self-gratification? and does not such an one belong to the class thus prophetically referred to by the Apostle Paul as indicative of the approaching degeneracy? "The time shall come when they shall not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears." Again, if the preacher be heard by us in this disposition, does it not in his relation to us, deprive him of the character of a minister of Christ? If, in- stead of regarding him as an ambassador of Christ, as though God was beseeching us by him, we look upon the sermon merely as the product of the minister's brain, and as a proof of intellectual power, the man is admired, if not idolized, and the real object of worship very much lost sight of. Is prcadiing then an act of worship? Here again the question depends on the springs of action. What are the motives by which the speaker is influenced? If the object be a pecuniary one, if the profession be followed primarily as a means of obtaining a livelihood, it is evidently self-service converting the sacred office of a minister of the Gospel into a trade, and inflicting incalculable in- jury on the cause of Christ. If the sermon be merely an intellectual effort, gratifying both preacher and hearer with the result of hard study, mixed up on the part of the former with the love of display, and the desire to gain popularity, is it any thing better than self- worship? Does it correspond with the example of the Apostles, of whom Paul said, "We preach not ourselves," or with his declaration that his "speech and his preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom?" This kind of preaching often seems calculated to set the head on thinking, rather than the heart on worshipping, and thus may divert the attention even of the sincere from the proper object. The following extract from the Memoir of Dr. Judson, [p. 308,] may be appropriately introduced here by way of elucidation. "He used frequently to speak," says his biographer, "of the tendency of cultivated people to visit the house of God in search of intellectual gratification, rather than for the purpose of worship or the promotion of their spiritual good, and mentioned it as the most dangerous snare in the path of the rising ministry. When once asked in private how he liked a sermon that had been eliciting warm praises from a parlour circle, he answered, 'It was very ele'gant every word was chosen with care and taste, and many of the thoughts were exceedingly beau- tiful. It delighted my ears so much that I quite forgot I had a heart, and I am afraid all the other hearers did the same. ' ' We shall hardly do justice to this branch of our subject without adverting to the almost universal practice of confining the public ex- ercise of spiritual gifts to one individual of a congregation a practice THOUGHTS ON CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. 15 which has been already hinted at as unscriptural. Although to dis- cuss this important question at large would not couie within our range, it appears proper to look at it for a few moments in its bearing on the subject before us, in connexion with a custom equally uni- versal and equally unauthorized by the New Testament that of fix- ing beforehand what particular act of worship a congregation shall perform at a given hour. How, then, stands the matter? The minister, however pure his motives, has engaged directly or indirectly for a pecuniary consider- ation, to preach at certain times to the congregation, and to conduct the other religious exercises. In fulfilment of this engagement, he feels himself morally bound, whatever his state of mind may happen to be, to preach, pray, or sing, on those occasions. This offers a strong inducement to him to engage at times in those solemn ex- ercises even in the absence of that feeling which he cannot always command, and without which, they are empty or worse than empty words a temptation which, if yielded to, can hardly fail to be in- jurious to the moral sense of the preacher. The congregation, on the other hand, naturally expect the punc- tual performance of the duties which the minister has undertaken, and rely on him to conduct the worship for them. Instead of seek- ing to realize for themselves the presence and help of Him who is "the Apostle and High Priest of our profession" the appointed Mediator, through whom alone every individual soul must know ac- cess for himself to the Father they are in danger of too much re- garding the minister as their Priest their medium of communication with the Divine Being. Their responsibility is thus, to a certain extent, transferred from themselves to the minister the individual whose business it is to look after their spiritual interests their own engagements being of a secular character; and the idea that it is pos- sible that they themselves might become the recipients of spiritual gifts, perhaps never enters their minds; or if it should enter, the difficulty would at once occur, that according to present arrangements there is no opportunity for their exercise. Thus, an individual might feel his henrt warmed with strong desires for the welfare of his fel- low professors some particular subject might be impressed on his mind by the Holy Spirit as applicable to their condition, and he might feel it his duty to express that which was thus presented; but he cannot obey the requisition, because it would be deemed out of order, or would interfere with the fixed routine of the service. He thus misses the comfort of that inward satisfaction and peace of mind which result from obedience to manifested duty; his worship is in- complete, his gift is quenched, and probably his spiritual growth re- tarded. The assembled worshippers on the other hand, are deprived of a portion of instruction which, under the Spirit's influence, would haye tended to their edification, and lose, perhaps for ever, the set- 16 THOUGHTS ON CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. vices of one of those labourers in the Lord's harvest for the increase of whom we are charged to pray. Before proceeding to submit his own views of the nature of Divine worship, the writer would here disclaim all intention of passing in- discriminate censure upon either preachers or hearers of any denomi- nation. On the contrary, he can rejoice in the belief that there are many earnest ministers both amongst the humble and obscure, and amongst those who are more prominent, who are exercising their calling in integrity of heart, and on whose labours the Divine bless- ing has rested; and that amongst their hearers there are not a few who, in their exemplary lives and conversations, are giving evidence of the truth and reality of their religion. It is in the earnest desire that this number may be greatly multiplied in every section of the Christian church, that he has ventured to point out some of those things which, in his estimation, are calculated to hinder so desirable a result. What then is Divine worship? It is evident that it must in the first place include a belief in the existence of an Almighty and Om- niscient, although invisible Being, who rules the universe, who super- intends all-our actions, and to whom we are accountable. It implies also a reverential sense of His greatness and majesty, and of our in- dividual dependence upon Him, and consequently which is more strictly the act of worship with this impression on our minds, we tender Him our submission, obedience, and adoration, as our right- ful Lord and Master. The communion with our Heavenly Father, which this act includes, is the highest privilege that can be enjoyed by man. It is not to be limited to time or place, nor to be circum- scribed by forms, nor to be directed by ecclesiastical regulations. It is the spontaneous outpouring of a dependent being under the present sense of its indebtedness or its necessities. It is an act in which the soul is permitted, through Him who is the High Priest of our pro- fession, to enter, as it were, into the Sanctuary, and "to pour forth its wants, wishes, hopes, fears, guilt, or pleasures, into the bosom of an Almighty Friend/' In our Saviour's well-known conversation with the woman of Sa- maria at Jacob's well, she thus addressed Him. "Our fathers wor- shipped in this mountain, but ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." To which He condescended to reply, "Woman, believe me the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father." Neither in this place nor that exclusively or pre-eminently but where? "In spirit and in truth;" language that we are apt to apply far too ex- clusively to public worship, but which has a much wider and more comprehensive signification. The temple worship at Jerusalem was about to be abolished the worship under the Christian dispensation is to be in spirit. The spirit of man is to be brought into true subjec- THOUGHTS ON CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. 17 tion and obedience; and the distinct act of worship, whether it be the first ejaculation of the returning prodigal, or the thanksgiving of the experienced Christian, whether it be- in public or in private, whether uttered in words or silently conceived in the heart, is but the natural or spontaneous expression of a spirit thus, for the time at least, subjected. The true worship, in short, is that of the inner man ; and wherever it exists, it will be evinced in conduct as well as in words.* It will consist more in private communion with the Father of spirits than in public display. Its object is not to be seen of men. The Christian worshipper, conscious that the root of evil is within, will seek to have his very thoughts brought "into captivity to the obedience of Christ." His daily life is a life of worship. In his outward engagements and pursuits he has the fear of God before his eyes, and his desire is to make His law the rule of his actions. Weak and faltering though he be, again and again though he have occasion to repair to the "fountain set open for sin and for unclean- ness," the love of his Heavenly Father is nevertheless so implanted in him ; that the language of his inmost soul is "Thy will be done," than which there can be no fitter or more comprehensive expression of real worship. Such a man is one of those whom the Father is seeking to worship Him, to whatever denomination of Christians he may belong. Conscious of his own frailty and liability to err, he will ever greatly prize those means of instruction and of help, which are afforded by the ministry of the Word and by the union of kindred spirits in worshipping their common Lord. Let us then follow such an one to his place of worship, and see what course he will pursue there. Although living daily in the spirit of worship i. e. of true subjection to his heavenly Father, his feelings are not always alike devotional. There are seasons when his transgressions or his un- watchfulness may have produced a temporary coldness and deadness of spirit, or when similar feelings, or rather want of feeling, may be permitted to come over him for the trial of his faith and for his hu- miliation something, like " the sentence of death in himself that he should not trust in himself, but in Christ who raiseth the dead." He is thus taught that he cannot give himself the spirit of prayer or praise that he knows not what he should pray for as he ought, but as the " Spirit helps his infirmities," in short "that the preparation of the heart in man, as well as the answer of the tongue, is from the * Neander, in vol. 1, p. 399 of his Church History (Bohn's edition,) observes thnt, "That which constituted the peculiar character of Christian worship, and which distinguished it from every other kind of religious worship, was the fundamental conception from which the whole character of the Christian life originally took its shape the idea of the universal priesthood of Chris- tians of a worship in spirit and in truth confined to no special time or place and to no particular class of actions, but embracing alike every action of the whole life." 18 THOUGHTS ON CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. Lord." If, therefore, he be called upon to engage in singing, in- stead of thoughtlessly complying, he will first consider whether he can conscientiously, and from his heart adopt the language as his own; if in vocal prayer, he will also thus reflect before eutering upon it or even joining in the "Amen;" and if he cannot truthfully com- ply, can we not believe that the conscientious silence of such an one may have more of true worship in it, than the prayer or praise of many who are very ready to "honour the Lord with their lips?" But when the humbled follower of a crucified Saviour is thus obliged as it were to "put his mouth in the dust," he may take com- fort in the recollection that there are " groanings that cannot be uttered" that "He who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit," whether expressed or not, and that his heavenly Father knows what he has need of, before he asks him. In this state of humiliation, there may indeed be quite as much of genuine worship, as in that more gratifying condition of mind which may be described as the fervour of devotion; a condition which the Christian disciple very naturally desires, and the want of which often needlessly casts him down. It is instructive to remember that, during the whole of our Lord's tarriance upon earth, it was only once that his disciples were called to sing "Hosanna," and that but three of them were permitted to witness his transfiguration in the holy mount That was no merely speculative doctrine, but an enduring and most blessed reality, which was set forth by our Saviour when he said, " Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there AM I in the midst of them." This is not a mere promise, bat the announcement of a fact, and to realize it ought to be the primary object of the Christian worshipper. Equally true is his declaration, " Without Me ye can do nothing/' Endeavouring, therefore, to ab- stract his mind from outward objects, the language of his heart should be " My soul, wait thou only upon God ! for my expectation is from Him." On this engagement of mind, the divine blessing will as- suredly rest, though he may not always be aware of it. If at such times, portions of Holy Scripture be remembered with instruction and comfort, or if he be led into self-examination as in the presence of the Searcher of hearts, or if he be made inwardly conscious of his sins and short-comings, and induced to sue for pardon, or if his heart be filled with love and joy under a sense of the Lord's goodness, or if he be tiaerely humbled under the feeling of his own helplessness and insensibility whether these effects be produced through the preaching of the word or from impressions made on the mind with- out any outward instrumentality, they are not the product of our fallen nature, but of the infinitely varied operations of the " quicken- ing Spirit." They are equally proofs of the presence of Him, who in an unexpected moment, appeared in the midst of his disciples "the doors being shut" who joined himself to two of them on their THOUGHTS ON CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. 19 journey to Euimaus, when, whilst eagerly listening to his discourse, they were unconscious that it was He who was thus opening their understandings to understand the Scriptures, and who now, in his spiritual and omnipresent character, manifests himself as the mi- nister of the inner sanctuary of the heart, ministering to every one ac- cording to his need. Thus, while the Christian will not venture to use words of prayer or praise in worship when his heart does not prompt them, and though he cannot give himself a praying disposition, there will be times often recurring whether it be in the public assembly or in his pri- vate devotions when by the influence of the Holy Spirit, he is made so distinctly to feel his wants, as to be able from a full heart to pour out mentally or vocally his petitions for preservation from the tempta- tions by which he is assailed from within or from without for par- don for his past transgressions for deliverance from the power and bondage of sin for his family, his friends, the Church, or the world at large. The Spirit thus helps his infirmities; and we cannot doubt that prayers so quickened by the Spirit of Christ, and offered up virtually, if not verbally, in His name, are acceptable worship prayers that, being made according to the will of God, win assured- ly be heard and answered.* Again, there are times when the disciple of Christ is made, by the influence of the same "quickening Spirit," so sensible of the forgi- ving mercy of God in having washed away his sins in the blood of Jesus, that his heart is filled with songs of praise. Similar feelings may nrise on deliverance from temptation, on escape from outward danger, or on reflecting upon the goodness of an Almighty Protector and Provider; and when the melody thus raised in the heart breaks forth in outward expression, we cannot doubt that it is that "fruit of the lips" which is acceptable to the bounteous Giver of every good gift. * Clement of Alexandria, says, " Prayer, if I may speak so boldly, is inter- course with God; even if we do but lisp, even though we cry to Him in the inward recesses of the heart; for God always listens to the perfect direction of the inward soul to Him." rhrysostom remarks, "It is not here as in the Old Testament; wherever you may be. you still have the altar, the sacrificial knife, and the offering by you; for you yourself are priest, altar, and sacrifice. . Wherever you are, you may raise an altar by simply cherishing a devout and serious temper. Place and time are no hinderance. Though you boi% not the knee, though you beat not the breast, though you stretch not out your hands to Heaven, but only manifest a warm heart, you have all that belongs to prayer. The wife, while she holds in her lap the spindle, and spins, can with her soul look up to Heaven, and call with fervency on the name of the Lord. It is possible for Mi* man to offer a fervent prayer while on his way alone to the market for that, to lift up his soul to God, who sits in his shop and sews leather; and the servant who makes purchases, goes errands, or sits in the kitchen, has nothing to hinder him from doing the same thing." Neander't Church J7w- tory, vol. 8, pp. 8946. 20 THOUGHTS ON CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. Whilst it is evident that, for this intercourse of the soul with the " Father of Spirits," it is not essential that there should be any vocal expression whilst, in fact, it is probably in " the silence of all flesh" that the enjoyment of this blessed communion will be the most free and unrestrained, the most uninterrupted, the most pure, and the most complete, yet it has consisted with His wisdom and with his condescending goodness, to give to his church apostles, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, " for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ;" and it is from her living members, that He, whose prerogative alone it is, still condescends to select ministers for his own service. For, as under the Law, so under the gospel, "no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron." Having themselves " tasted that the Lord is gracious," they are filled with the love of Christ, and with desires that others may be brought to the same blessed experience. They feel constrained " to testify the gospel of the grace of God." They can say with Paul that " neces- sity is laid upon them." When they venture to speak as " ambassa- dors of Christ" in the congregation, it is truly an act of submission and worship. They speak in obedience to Him who has a right to command their services. Not seeking their own honour not preach- ing themselves, "but Christ Jesus the Lord," they testify of that which their hands have handled spiritually, and from their own experience are prepared to direct sinners in the way of salvation. The words thus coming from the heart of the preacher, under the constraining influence of the Holy Spirit, will often find their way to the hearts and consciences of the hearers; and when these accept the words spoken as a message from their Heavenly Father through his instru- ment not as originating with the instrument their reverential listening becomes also an act of worship. Under these circumstances, such preaching, whether it be homely or eloquent, whether in a few broken words or in a longer discourse, will tend to kindle and increase in the hearts of the audience individually those aspirations which arc the essence of spiritual worship, and will contribute to their edifica- tion and advancement in the Christian course. The young and the unconverted, who might happen to be present, could hardly fail to be favourably impressed with the evidence of sincerity and earnest- ness in the worshippers, and to participate to some extent in the spirit and influence pervading the assembly; the effect of which would be far more powerftil than the sweetest music or the most im- posing ceremonies, in bringing them into the ranks of the true wor- shippers. A Church thus gathered, in ever so mean a building, composed, it may be, of persons in every stage of religious progress, from the newly awakened sinner to the matured Christian, belongs to the militant portion of that glorious Church, prefigured by the outward THOUGHTS ON CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. 21 temple at Jerusalem with its costly magnificence and beauty the one, a temple made with hands, and richly furnished with decorations pleasing to the senses of man ; the other, composed of "living stones," some of them in the process of being hewed and squared by the great Waster Builder for their respective places in the spiritual house, and some already fixed there, more or less adorned with the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit, and all " growing together into a holy temple in the Lord" a temple intrinsically beautiful in the eyes of Him who "sccth not as man sccth," and who " dwclleth not in tem- ples made with hands, neither is worshipped with men's hands as though he needed any thing." In this living Church, preacher and hearer would be found, each in his respective sphere, unitedly worshipping Him who is a Spirit, " in spirit and in truth." Their words also agreeing with their in- ward feelings, there would be the true harmony of which the music practised under the Law may be regarded as a figure a harmony not only of heart with act, but also of heart with heart a harmony which would ascend with acceptance to the throne of the God of truth, who, in return, we may reverently believe, would shower down abundant blessing upon such a congregation. By the influence of His own Spirit, he would at times humble and make contrite the hearts thus gathered before Him, and render their prayers fruitful in supplies of strength for their resistance against the evil propensi- ties of fallen nature, and for the right performance of every social and religious duty. Such is the legitimate fruit of all true worship, and unless the growth of this fruit that of a holy life be promoted by it, we may well suspect unsoundness in our practice in regard to our devotional exercises. It will be but "as sounding brass or as the tinkling cymbal." "To religious feelings as to other things," says Dymond,* "the truth applies ' by their fruits ye shall know them.' If those feelings do not tend to form the inclinations to piety and virtue, they certainly arc riot devotional. Upon him whose mind is really prostrated in the presence of his God, the legitimate effect is that he should be impressed with a more sensible consciousness of the Divine presence; that he should deviate with less facility from the path of duty; that his desires and thoughts should be reduced to Christian subjugation; that he should feel an influential addition to his dispositions to good- ness; and that his affections should be expanded towards his fellow- men. He who rises from the sensibilities of seeming devotion, and finds that such effects as these have not been produced in his mind, may rest assured that in whatever else he has been employed, it has not been in the pure worship of that God who is a Spirit. . . . When the soul is permitted as it were to enter into the sanctuary of " "Essays on the Principles of Morality." 22 THOUGHTS ON CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. God, when it is humble in His presence, when all its desires are in- volved in the one desire of devotcdness to Him, then is the hour of acceptable worship then the petition of the soul is prayer then is its gratitude thanksgiving then is its oblation prai.sc." It is well however to remember that the important practical results above mentioned arc not altogether dependent on the sensible enjoy- ment of the presence of Him who is to the true believers the beloved of their souls. We are too apt to conclude, that unless somewhat of devotional fervour is experienced, our religious meetings are profit- less; whereas, if we should have to retire from them, even under a painful sense of our inability to control our wandering thoughts, and to concentrate them on the one great object for which we are assem- bled, and have thus acquired some increase of self-knowledge and humility; and if this self-knowledge shall have somewhat stimulated our desires after higher attainments, so far from the time having been lost, an important step in the Christian course has been gained. But let us. ever bear in mind that if, at other times than those set apart for religious exercises, we are living thoughtlessly, or pursuing business as the one thing needful, without reference to our future well-being, it is unreasonable to expect to partake of the comforts of the Spirit. It is those who, in their ordinary avocations, are careful not to allow their thoughts to dwell too continuously on the things of time and sense, and who, in their daily walk, are cherishing the habit of secret communion with their God, who will find it the most easy rightly to perform public worship. When beset with wandering thoughts, or with weakness of faith, or with coldness of heart, they know that an Almighty helper is ever at hand, and to him they lift up their souls. They are thus permitted at times, through His as- sistance, to realize the experience of an Apostle, " When I am weak, then am I strong." May Christians of every denomination be willing to look at this matter seriously and candidly. It is a subject on which depends, to a very large extent, not only the substantial prosperity of the respec- tive churches of every name, but, also the progress of Christianity in the world at large. When it shall become evident to beholders that Christians are sincere in their devotions, by the rich abundance of their good fruits by their charity their meekness their humility their purity their integrity their temperance in all things then may we expect the fulfilment of the prophetic language, "The Gen- tiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory." "They that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet, and they shall call thee the city of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel." In conclusion, the writer would venture to add one brief remark of practical and individual application. Admitting, as we must, that in the practice of a worship the most overlaid with forms and THOUGHTS ON CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. 23 ceremonies, there may be instances of spirituality of mind, and, on the other hand, that in the disuse of all forms, there may exist idol- atry in one or other of its varied phases, let us never forget that whether we use this form or that, or no form at all, if we are choosing to follow the inclinations of our own hearts when conscious that we are acting in opposition to the will of God, it is manifest that in thus serving our natural desires in preference to Him, we are violating the first commandment in the Decalogue a commandment containing the sum and substance of the whole matter " Thou shalt have no other gods before ME." VALUABLE WORKS PUBLISHED BY HENRY LONGSTRETH, 915 Market Street, Philadelphia. They will be sent to any address (post-paid) on the receipt of the prices affixed. I. Letters ./Esthetic, Social, and Moral. 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