DISCOURSE V.
The duty of public worship, and its beneficial tendency.
MATTHEW iv. 10.
Then saith Jesus, get thee hence Satan, for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
It is becoming fashionable not only to disesteem, but to speak lightly of the worship of the supreme Being, the fountain of all existence and blessedness. It is to be deeply regretted, that, by many his name is profaned, his sabbaths disregarded, his ordinances neglected, and all worship of him habitually omitted. Nay, it is even with one class of people, whose number is not inconsiderable, growing into a maxim, or kind of aphorism, that all Religion consists in doing right between man and man, in promoting the temporal welfare, the order, and best civil good of society. This is openly affirmed by men who pretend to clearness of thought, eminence of abilities, and extensive reading; and echoed by their admirers and imitators. They earnestly contend that Moral Virtue, or doing good to man is the most acceptable offering to the divine Being, and not only the most acceptable, but the only rational and acceptable worship, which can be performed by us to our Maker, Preserver and Benefactor. Having gone this length, they are compelled to take one step more, and to assert that all other Worship, or what have usually been called exercises and acts of Piety, are of no worth, are mere superstition and folly, fit only for the vulgar, or to amuse the uninformed and unenlightened. They forget not, at the same time, to remind us, that this superstition, as they term it, is nursed by an interested and mercenary Priesthood. But the fact is, that a system of Religion, which leaves out the duties we owe to God, is an essentially defective system: and no man of reflection and discernment, who is not a disbeliever in the divine Excellence and revealed religion, can adopt it. For men of thought and good capacities to deny or object against the duties, due from us to the first cause of all things, is quite unaccountable, provided they, at the same time, pretend to give credit to any religion at all. But what is still more strange is, that any who pretend to love and fear God, should yet deny all stated worship of him, whether public, social or secret, and refuse to engage in any duties of devotion, until moved or impelled thereto by some supposed inward impression. This, all must see who exercise their reason, is in effect to deny, and virtually to renounce all divine worship.—And whatever such may profess or declare, so it is, has been, and always will be judged, by all rational men.
A greater service, therefore, cannot be done to the true and spiritual Religion of Jesus Christ, to morality, to order, to virtue, and the happiness of the Community, than to explain and urge the obligations, advantages, and importance of stated public worship. This is now proposed. The low condition of Religion and the existing circumstances of our Land, have induced me to enter, at this time, on this great, useful, and essential subject. It is a subject often indeed discussed. Many excellent discourses and treatises have been written upon it. It is a cause, which hath been pleaded by learned and eloquent advocates, and of such merit in itself, as to deserve all the defence, which can be given to it, by its ablest friends. I would contribute my mite to place it in an advantageous and inviting light, hoping my exertions may not be altogether unavailing. May that gracious and merciful God, whose we are, and whom we ought to serve, smile on this attempt to recommend to all, stated public worship, the honours of his name!
In the progress of these discourses, what is intended is to evince the duty. And then illustrate the beneficial tendency of public worship.
The first thing proposed is to evince the duty of public worship. What is now before us it to prove, by plain arguments from reason and scripture, that all people are under obligations to worship, in a stated public manner, the Deity, such obligations as cannot be violated without the highest criminality. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve.
The occasion of our Saviour’s mentioning this great original law of worship, which is binding on all intelligent Creatures in all worlds, on one as much as another, was the attempt of satan to persuade him to pay divine worship to himself. For the trial of our Lord’s Virtue, this enemy of God and man was permitted to tempt him, during forty days of miraculous fasting, in the wilderness of Judea. The temptation was conducted with wonderful art and address. The ability and experience of the tempter were called forth. In the progress of his assault, and as his last effort, he endeavors to excite within the innocent bosom of the Son of God, the sinful emotions of ambition and pride. For this purpose, he makes the greatest and most splendid offers of temporal honor and grandeur, shewed him while on the pinnacle of the temple, all the kingdoms of the earth and their glory, (pourtrayed, no doubt, on his imagination,) and promised them all to him, provided our Lord would fall down and worship him, or pay him that service and those acknowledgments which were due to the one, only, living, and true God; and which could not be paid to any mere Creature, however exalted, without being guilty of gross Idolatry. But the snare, though most artfully laid, and managed with dextrous skill, was in vain. The temptation did not succeed. Our Lord was invulnerable. Though there was no sin in him for the temptation to work upon, yet the more holy and pure his nature, the more afflicting and disgustful must the temptation have been. He replies, as in the text, with pious indignation. Then saith Jesus, get thee hence Satan, for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. He most pertinently and beautifully appealed to, and cited scripture, as our supreme guide, or primary rule by which to regulate all our conduct, to repel the solicitations of the subtle tempter. Hereby he put an honor on the written word of God. And he has left us an example, whenever we are harassed with temptations, to go and do likewise. Perfect as he was, in moral goodness or innocence, he repaired not to any internal directory, as the primary guide, but to the written word of God, as the alone and supreme directory. And here, in the text, he lays down the great moral law relating to our duty to our Maker. And what he delivers is as plain and peremptory a commandment as any that can be delivered. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. We may offer religious homage and praise to no other. If we do, we are Idolaters. We must worship and serve the one true God. He does not wait to know whether his rational creatures be willing to worship him, or whether they fancy that they have an inward prompter to tell them when to worship, or how to worship him. He does not allow them to postpone his worship, till they think the spirit moves them to attend upon it. Because they may be awfully deluded here. For it is impossible for man, utterly impossible, to know whether he be not mistaken about the movings of the sprit, at the moment. We have a sure rule. The commandment is as express and peremptory, as words can make it. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. The great sovereign of the Universe, the Almighty maker of heaven and earth issues out his Mandate. It is absolute and unconditional. It is suspended on no condition whatever. It is not, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, provided you be willing, provided you feel disposed, provided you think it best, provided you fancy the spirit moves you to it. Such provisos would nullify and vacate the Commandment altogether. Are we thus at liberty to render the laws of God null and void, or of no effect? Woe unto that man, or body of men, who undertake thus to modify and tamper with the law of God, under any pretext whatever. It is at our peril to disobey, or put off, or omit to comply, with this great moral law of heaven. If we pretend to any superior rule, we presume to legislate for ourselves, and are wise above what is written. Man’s inventions are not to be put in the place of, or to supersede the express command of God, relating to his worship.
But how far doth this great moral law of worship extend? How much doth it include? All who have common sense cannot but know that the right way of interpreting an absolute and unconditional law is to apply it to all that, to which it is, or can be applicable. According to this rule of interpreting, the law now under consideration reaches to all men, of all ages and nations. It binds all rational creatures, in the whole universe of the almighty, angel and men, one as much as, and as fully as another, without one exception or limitation. Wherever any rational creature or moral agent can be found, in heaven, on earth, or in any part of universal nature, there this law extends, and binds him eternally and unchangeably.
Further, it is obvious to remark, that this law embraces all the ways, times and seasons of worship. It is impossible but that it should comprehend them all, one as much, and as fully as another, according to the nature and circumstances of the case. We are bound forever, eternally, and unalterably to worship God, in all the ways of which we are capable, and at all fit times and proper seasons, in a public, in a social, and in a private manner. For you will be pleased to observe, that this law of worship comprehends one duty of it, as much as another. It comprises indeed all the branches of it equally. It bids us worship and serve the Lord our God, in all his public Assemblies,—in our houses—in our closets—on all other fit and proper occasions or stated seasons, constantly, perseveringly, while life and breath and being last. For if we say it doth not bind us to pay devotion and adoration, gratitude and religious praise statedly in our Families, we may, with equal justice, say it doth not bind us to offer homage to God in religious retirement, in our closets. We may, also, say it includes not stated public worship. And then we may proceed one step further, and say it binds us to no worship at all. To say it only binds us to worship God, the author of every mercy when and how we may fancy the spirit moves or impels us, we say as much as that we will be our own judges, whether we will ever offer one prayer to the fountain of life and glory, the king, immortal, and invisible, or not: that is, we arrogantly assume the power to legislate for the Deity—to alter—repeal—and modify his law of worship as we please—or as our own fickle and perverse imagination suggesteth. This in effect is to ascend the Throne, to take the work of legislation out of God’s hands into our own.—What daring impiety and presumption!—What ignorance and wickedness are in the heart of man!
With evident propriety might we attempt to establish from the text the duty of the stated worship of the supreme Being, in all its forms; but in the subsequent reasonings, our attention will be principally confined to stated public worship to be constantly attended upon, on all God’s holy sabbaths. The arguments however to evince this to be an indispensable duty, when we are able to attend upon it, at least many of them, will apply with equal force to prove the duty of social and secret worship; that is, we are indispensably obliged, to worship God, statedly, in our families, and in our closets, as well as, in his sanctuary.
1. The very reason and nature of things may convince us that God is to be publicly worshipped by his reasonable Creatures. Public worship comprehends, in general, solemn prayer, religious praise, and pious instructions. An essential part of public worship is stated and solemn prayer, preferring unitedly petitions for both temporal and spiritual blessings to the Throne of grace, devoutly imploring the free and full remission of sin, and gratefully recognizing the receipt of past mercies. Where there is no prayer offered to him, who, in gracious condescension, hath stiled himself the hearer of prayer, there is consequently no worship. Now had we no knowledge of Revelation, or suppose there never was any, we contend, that the light of reason would be sufficient to convince us that the public worship of the Deity is an indespensable duty. That homage from us is due to the one Supreme Being seems to be a very obvious dictate of reason. For if he exist at all, and be necessarily what he is, from Eternity to Eternity, his existence ought to be noticed by us, in a becoming manner, not only meditated upon, but reverentially regarded—regarded with adoration and praise. He is in himself infinitely glorious and transcendently excellent, and of course, must be worthy of all love, esteem, and obedience. Rational creatures, are bound, by the intelligent nature with which they are endowed, to pay the Author of their existence, all the homage of which they are capable, and all those acknowledgements of gratitude, praise, and affection for which they were formed. That they are made capable of knowing, loving, fearing, and serving God cannot be disputed; and never was disputed. If capable of worshipping the Father of our spirits and former of our bodies, they are bound to do it. The very relation we stand in to him, obliges us to honour and serve him. In the very nature and necessity of the case, certain relations subsist between the Creator and Creature. It is impossible that these should be dissolved. They will necessarily continue, in full force, as long as the created nature continues. Whatever changes it may undergo, there can be no dissolution of these relations. They cannot but remain to all eternity, if the created rational nature be to continue forever. And that it will, is highly probable from reason, and the instructions, which can be collected from the best and wisest researches of philosophy, and is fully revealed in the Gospel, in which life and immortality are brought to light. As long, then, as the rational Creature exists, so long the relation he stands in to God, as his Creator, lawgiver, sovereign, preserver—beneficent parent, governor, and judge, will continue. So long, consequently, the obligation to pay all possible adoration and praise, fear and reverence, gratitude and love to him, will continue. We cannot get clear of this obligation. Our crimes or follies, however great cannot annul it. We may as well think to change heaven and earth, as to change this obligation. He that made us and preserves us, certainly hath a right to challenge from us, all the service we can render unto him. For on account of the infinite glories of his nature he must be worthy to receive from us, the affections of our hearts, the praises of our tongues, and services of our lives.
And to render unto him the glory and honour due unto his name, by a religious homage, is as much a moral duty as the offices of justice, mercy, and humanity. The moral Law as much binds us to love and serve God, as to do good to man, to promote his just rights and true happiness. Why are we to do unto others, as we would that they should do unto us, but because the very condition of our nature points it out as proper; reason, common sense, and common interest bind us. We participate of one nature, are placed in the same probationary state, and are liable to the same common evils. Man is then related to man. All are brethren. The laws of reason therefore oblige us to do justice to all:—to be compassionate:—to be condescending—to endeavour to advance the good of all, as we have ability and opportunity. Because the divine Being is our Maker and upholder, for the earth is his, and the fulness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein, we are to worship and serve him. The infinite greatness and glorious majesty of God lay us under the most sacred bonds to worship him. For the Lord is a great God, and a great king above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth; the strength of the hills is his also. The Sea is his; and he made it; and his hands formed the dry land. O come let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Here, in these words of pious David, we are to worship God, because he is God—great and glorious—and because the Maker of the world—and our constant benefactor.
Whether he need our religious services or not—Whether they can benefit him or not—Whether they avail to excite divine commiseration or not—or to change the divine purposes or not—is not the question. He is infinitely exalted, it is conceded, above all blessing and praise, whether of angels or men. His beatitude and glory are incapable of receiving an increase, or sustaining a diminution. His benevolence and clemency are boundless. His omniscience precludes any new information. All our wants and necessities are perfectly before him. The condition of each member of his immense family, in heaven and on earth, is known to him, the blessings which they may need, the dangers which may threaten—the storm which may impend. In regard to the worship of our Father who is in heaven, therefore, the question is, whether it be proper and fit in itself,—whether reasonable—whether the moral law enjoin it. The good it is designed to accomplish respects the worshipper—not the object worshipped. A very mistaken and absurd idea of prayer have those, who suppose the end of it, is to bring any accession of honor or felicity to God. He needs us not. But we cannot be happy without his favour. His favour is life; and his loving kindness better than life. We want his blessings, and must perish forever if they be withholden. And prayer is a mean appointed by him, to obtain all needed mercies.—It hath, therefore, an important—a glorious end.
Moreover, there is another consideration most interesting. We are social beings. Every thing indicates that we were made for society. We are placed in society. As individuals, or singly, we can worship God. We are, consequently, obliged to do it. Were there but one intelligent Creature, in the whole universe, he would be bound, statedly and constantly, to pay homage divine to his adorable Maker. But as we are connected with our fellow-creatures, whether in smaller or larger circles, there are superadded ties to bind us to offer religious addresses to heaven, at all proper seasons or fit times: for there is a time or season for every purpose and duty.—Again, as formed for and placed in society, we have social wants, and, therefore, should look to the author of all good for a supply of them. We should seek his bounty. We have public mercies conferred upon us. These we are bound, by the very nature of the thing, thankfully to acknowledge. We have sins which ought to be jointly confessed, repented of, and pardon solicited, publicly. As a Community or public, common evils are to be deprecated, common favours in Providence owned, and common guilt bewailed. As a people or public we need the smiles and protection of the Almighty. We cannot prosper without them. He orders favourable seasons. He disposes of all public concerns. With him, it is to do as he pleases with us—with ours—with all his people—with all creatures. The very principles of reason, then, teach us jointly to acknowledge our dependence upon him, from whom cometh down every good and perfect gift; who can make us happy—or let us by leaving us to ourselves be miserable. The conclusion is we should engage in his stated public worship and praise. We are capable of doing this. We were made on purpose to shew forth his divine glories and praise. Our tongues, can utter abundantly the memory of his goodness. The faculty of speech, by which we are distinguished from the brutal world, was imparted to us, not to curse and blaspheme, but to praise and adore the glorious donor—not to slander and injure man—but to plead his cause, and the cause of Virtue—to aid man in the road to bliss.
By convening together statedly to worship God, we put a public honor on his name, attributes, providence, and ways. We proclaim to all, that we feel ourselves dependent on him, and subjects of his moral government.—But even beyond this, our being together for public worship quickens and animates each other in things divine and heavenly. It assists and strengthens all the offices of humanity, increases our sense of moral Virtue—is contributing to the honour of Virtue and the depression of Vice. Nay, the power of sympathy—our wish to stand fair in the estimation of each other—the passion of shame—and sense of decency may all, by our being together statedly, in holy time, for the purposes of religious worship, be brought to contribute their proportion to advance the interests of morality, and human happiness. The benevolent lover of God and order—the well-wisher to man’s best and real good—and the peace and happiness of society will stand in a kind of pleasing transport and rapturous gratitude, at the wisdom and goodness of God in appointing public worship. And he cannot but esteem it not a duty only, but a rich privilege to engage in it, at its stated returns.
As reason, thus, teaches us the duty of worshipping the God, who made us, in all the ways, of which we are capable, public, or private; so, it is, here, not improper to remark, we find that much the greater part of heathen nations, in antient days, at set times—or stated seasons, paid some kind of homage to their Idol-Gods. They had their stated sacrifices, oblations, and libations, either annual, or monthly, or weekly. They had their domestic and supreme Divinities, and performed to them not only public, but private, and family devotions. Reason, then, binds all men to pay worship to a superiour power. Revelation points to the right object, and marks out the only true way.
2. God, in his word, most expressly commands us to worship him, and signifies his will, in so plain a manner and so repeatedly, that none can deny the duty, who will be upright in searching his word. We may pretend that we must put off worshipping him, till we reckon we have some internal impression, or impulse, or moving on the soul, or that professed mute worship is sufficient to answer a clear Conscience, but God will not be mocked by such weak pretences. For such pretences disgrace reason, and insult common sense. They are but sorry pleas to evade a plain command. And he who denies, under any cloak whatever, or endeavors to dissuade from the duty of the stated public worship of the Majesty of heaven and earth, can be accounted nothing less than an enemy to God and man, to the glory of God and Salvation of man. Then said Jesus get thee hence, Satan, for it is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. The moment Satan artfully attempted to seduce him from the worship of the one true God, and to draw him to Idolatry, he bids him depart. He frowns upon him with indignation. Get thee hence Satan. Here is an example for us. The moment any one denies, or reproaches the worship of the one supreme Being, our fears should be alarmed, our concern should be roused. Omitting or disparaging, by vile sneers, the worship of God is one of the first steps to a denial of all religion, and to a profligate and immoral life. For a writer of note, and not of the Priesthood, asserts, “that there can be no morality without Religion.”
According to the text, we are to worship God, because he is God: and we are to serve him alone, because there can be but one God—one true God. For all Idols, are a vanity and a lie. And not to worship him, statedly, is to neglect him, to forget him, to forsake him, to be hostile to religion. He has always had a church and people in the world who have faithfully served him. He reared the frame of nature, as a kind of spacious and august Temple, and placed man at first in it, as a Priest to the mouth of creation to offer prayers and praises continually before him. All inanimate things, as it were, silently worship him. It is man’s business to render vocal their homage. He is not to be mute, but to speak forth the divine praises. In the earliest times, God had public worship offered to him, Gen. iv. 26. Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord. Then, began they, as soon as their numbers were adequate, to worship God publicly. A day for solemnizing public worship was instituted in Paradise. Gen. ii. 1, 2, 3. Thus the heavens and earth were finished, and all the hosts of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made: and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it, he had rested from all his work which God had created and made. The appointment of a Sabbath implies the appointment of public worship. A Sabbath, or seventh part of time to be kept holy, necessarily includes the worship of God. For if he were not to be publicly honored and served by his people, in a collective capacity, why need there be a day of rest to be weekly celebrated by religious adoration and praise? And that the Sabbath was observed, and public worship performed by the Saints of the old world cannot be doubted by any, who believe that God had a seed to serve him, in that early age of the world. After the flood, we know that men publicly worshipped God. For we read of their erecting altars, in one place and another, where they removed or resided, and offered sacrifices and praises. Noah, who lived several hundred years before the deluge, and was the father of the new world, was a Preacher of righteousness. But the office of a Preacher cannot be executed without hearers. People must have assembled therefore at stated seasons, to hear him, and to join in worshipping God with him.
When the moral law was given, God commands all to worship and serve him. The moral law was given to Israel as a people, and they were absolutely ordered to worship and serve, as a people, the true God, in distinction from all Idols. The first commandment points out the object of all religious prayer and praises. Thou shalt have no other God before me. They were to forsake all Idols. They were to own, acknowledge, and serve the God of heaven and earth. They were publicly, or as a people, to own, cleave unto, and worship him.—The second Commandment forbids all image-worship—all corruptions and mixtures of human invention in the worship of God. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them. For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God. The reason which God gives, for prohibiting all Idol or image worship is his being jealous for his own honour. He will not give his glory to another, or have any competitor in worship. To worship Idols is directly to forsake and disown him. The third commandment prohibits all profaning the name of God, or his word, or works, or attributes, or any thing whereby he makes himself known. The fourth specifies the proportion of time, the stated season, and appoints the sabbath—or rather renews the appointment of it, for the original appointment was, at the close of Creation, when the six days of labour were ended. All these four commandments relate to the right worship and service of God—the true God; and are honoured with the name of the First table of the law. The moral law begins with our duty to God. It is altogether fit and reasonable that it should begin with our duty to him, who is the sum of all being and blessedness. Divine revelation puts every duty in its proper place. It does not let a less important one occupy the place of a more important one. Our first duty—is with him who is the first of all beings, and infinitely the most glorious.—Can any deny that the worship of God is a moral duty, when so much of the moral law is taken up in commanding it, and regulating it? Then one of them which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him and saying, Master which is the great commandment of the law: Jesus said unto him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. Our Lord thought that the first duty of man was to love and serve God.—And that person must have a very perverted mind who can suppose, that the neglector of divine worship can be said, with any propriety, to love God.
Again, The tabernacle was erected for the public worship of God. It was fashioned by divine order. The very form of it was given to Moses in the mount. Speaking of the various articles used in that wonderful structure, the command to Moses, is, And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was showed thee in the mount. The Tabernacle was the appointed place of public worship for the people of Israel, or God’s visible professing people, in their travels through the wilderness. It continued to be the place of public worship for the nation, till the temple, one of the wonders of the world, was built by Solomon. Here God recorded his name. Here the people were commanded to come. The symbols of his divine presence were in this place. And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light: to go by day and night. He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night from before the people. The glory of the God of Israel filled the Tabernacle, was over the mercy-seat. He promised them his blessing in the place of public worship. In all places where I record my name, I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. After the people had gotten possession of the promised land, the Ark of the covenant was lodged in Shiloh, and there for a long time, the people celebrated divine service. When the temple was finished, Jerusalem was fixed upon as the permanent seat. Three times a year all the males were to appear before the Lord in Zion. After the captivity in Babylon the privileges of the sanctuary were again restored. A second temple was built by Zerubbabel, and Israel continued to worship, at Jerusalem, until the Messiah came.
On every Sabbath day, the law of Moses was read and explained by the appointed Teachers, and Songs of Zion were sung. When our Saviour was on earth, in Judea, there were Synagogues, at convenient distances, for public worship, and he honored the Sabbath and public worship by his punctual and constant attendance. And Jesus 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. And even unto this day, the Jews continue the same practice of worshipping God publicly on their Sabbath-days. Isaiah prophesying of Gospel times says, It shall come to pass that from one Sabbath to another all flesh shall come to worship before me saith the Lord.—On the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, St. Paul preached unto them ready to depart on the morrow, and continued his speech until midnight. In places too numerous to be particularly cited, all men are directed to hear the word preached—to attend to it—to obey it. Jesus Christ called and sent his Apostles to proclaim the good news of Salvation. They universally attended the worship of God—prayed—preached—and in religious songs, celebrated the divine praises. And we find it has been the invariable custom of Christians, from the times of the Apostles, down through all ages, and in all countries to the present day, to convene for public worship, in God’s sanctuaries and houses of prayer, from week to week, on the Lord’s day. And we are now, this day, in God’s house, for the same purpose. It is more indeed owing to the institution of public worship, than any thing else, that we now enjoy the Christian Religion; that it has not long ago been lost. Upon the whole, by public worship the interest of the Gospel is supported—the communion of saints preserved—and the kingdom of the Redeemer enlarged.——