Twenty-four Discourses / On Some of the Important and Interesting Truths, Duties, and Institutions, of the Gospel, and the General Excellency of the Christian Religion; Calculated for the People of God of Every Communion, Particularly for the Benefit of Pious Families, and the Instruction of All in the Things Which Concern Their Salvation

by Nathan Perkins

What was proposed in discoursing upon the words of the text was—to prove the duty of public worship.——

And then to illustrate the beneficial tendency of it.

In the preceding discourse, we entered upon the proof that it is an indispensable duty statedly to worship God with our fellow-men. This we attempted by two arguments, first, from the principles of reason—and secondly, from the many plain and clear intimations of the word of God.—We pass, thirdly, to observe that, had not God intended that his people should statedly honour his name by public worship, he would never have instituted the Christian Ministry. That he has appointed such an order of men, is as plainly revealed as any truth or doctrine can be revealed. He calls and qualifies them for the important work. He commissions them. The qualifications for the ministerial work and duty are frequently and largely described. The particular manner, in which they are to be separated to the work, or invested with the office of the evangelical Ministry, is marked out. None who seriously believe in the divine authority of the scriptures, can either deny or dispute the institution of the sacred order, or appointment of stated Pastors to be continued, in the Churches, till the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Most full and express to this purpose are the following passages. And he gave some Apostles: and some prophets: and some evangelists: and some Pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the Ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.—Go ye, teach all nations baptizing them, and teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you—and Lo! I am with you always: even unto the end of the world.—Again; go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved, but he that believeth not, shall be damned. The Apostle Paul seems to make a constant attendance on the preached word a necessary mean of the conviction and conversion of sinners. Whosoever, says he, shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then, adds he, shall they call upon him of whom they have not heard? or hear without a preacher? And so he concludes, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God preached.

Priests and prophets were appointed to minister in holy things in the Jewish Church. The Jews were bound in duty to attend upon their ministrations. A temple was built, by divine order; public prayers were to be offered in it; Sacrifices were to be attended; and other religious ceremonies to be performed. But how absurd was all this: if the people were not to resort to this Temple, to unite in these prayers, and to engage in the other religious offerings? Was it not expressly commanded that the law should be read on the Sabbath day? But to what end could this be, if the people were not to hear it? Did not God, in an extraordinary manner, by his spirit, raise up a succession of prophets in the Jewish Church, and send them forth with his messages to the people to warn, reprove, and instruct them? Is not the necessary consequence that the people were to convene to hear their warnings, or the word of the Lord? In the gospel-dispensation, God has appointed ordinances of worship. His ministering servants are to preach his word faithfully—to take heed to their doctrine—to deliver sound doctrine: they are to teach all nations. But how can they discharge their duty, if people be not obliged constantly to attend to their teachings?

4. The obligation statedly to worship God in public may be argued from the frequent injunctions, in the Gospel, to hear the word dispensed. The parable of the Sower, with our Lord’s own exposition of it, were there no other scripture-argument, would be sufficient to satisfy every reasonable mind that an order of men are appointed to preach the Gospel, and that the people are indispensably obliged to assemble themselves together to hear the word preached, and to join in all the acts of public worship. The sower is the appointed and duly authorized Preacher. The seed sowed is the doctrines or truths of the Gospel. The different soils represent the various sorts of hearers. Those who wisely and duly improve the precious advantages of a preached Gospel, are those who receive the seed into good and honest hearts. Our Lord reminds all, of the duty and importance of rightly hearing the word of the Kingdom, Who, says he, hath ears to hear let him hear. He tells all people to take heed how they hear. Take heed therefore how ye hear. But in order to hear, they must be where the word is to be dispensed. How much he prized the duty of a constant and faithful attendance upon a preached Gospel, we learn from his own mouth. And he answered and said my Mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God and do it. A beatitude is pronounced upon such as hear and keep the word of God. But he said, yea rather blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it. If they hear it, they must be where it is appointed to be dispensed. St. James directs us to be swift to hear, which must imply that we be solicitous and careful to be in the place, where the word is to be preached. Wherefore, continues he, lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass. The duty of hearing the word of God dispensed in his sanctuary, is often enjoined in scripture upon all people, whether old or young, high or low, rich or poor. And this duty involves in it, or necessarily presupposes the whole of public worship. Such persons as think themselves too knowing, or too exalted, or too important, or such as through prejudice, or indolence or disregard of all Religion refuse, to appear before God in his house on the Sabbath to hear the word, and join in other Lord’s-day solemnities, do what in them lies to discredit the public exercises of Religion, and are responsible to him, who will be their final Judge. The sin of neglecting public worship—of profaning the Sabbath—or forsaking divine ordinances is seldom viewed, as it ought to be, as heinous in its nature, and pernicious in its tendency.

5thly. The duty of public worship may be argued from the institution of a Gospel-Church and the holy sacraments, baptism and the Lord’s supper. The very nature of a Gospel-Church, implies the obligation of the stated worship of God in public. The Christian ordinances of baptism and the Eucharist necessarily include public worship. If divine ordinances are to be dispensed—if the friends of religion are to bind themselves to serve, love, and fear God, by covenant vows and a profession of religion, they must meet together for this purpose. How could the ordinances of God be administered, if his people were not to assemble themselves together to enjoy them? The institution of the Christian Sabbath is also a clear proof of the obligation of stated public worship. If God have ordained one day in seven, to be employed in religious duties, his people are to sanctify it, or use it for the ends, for which it was appointed. They are to convene together to pray unto him, to praise his name, to celebrate his ordinances, and to attend to his word. All these institutions, therefore, are connected. If one be denied, the others cannot be retained. They must all stand or fall together. If we give up one, we must, to be consistent, give up all.

Having now, at some length, proved the duty of stated public worship, we shall, as proposed, endeavour to illustrate its importance, in the Christian system, and its beneficial tendency.

In order to see, in a clear and forcible manner, the great importance and beneficial tendency of public worship, we will consider the purposes, for which it was instituted by a wise and gracious God. These are three: Man’s present and temporal happiness: his spiritual and eternal happiness; and the divine glory.

1st. In the institution of public worship, a wise and merciful God, had in view man’s present and temporal happiness. This is a very important end, but is the least so of the three now to be illustrated. Could mankind be convinced of this, and really feel it in a proper manner, we should see a reformation in their conduct—our congregations would be full—our Churches crowded—and the holy Sabbath better observed. The ardent wish is to be happy. The general enquiry is who will show us any good? How may our interest be secured and advanced? While I am therefore pleading for the honours of God’s holy name and worship, in the Sanctuary; I consider myself, and hope to be able to make it appear so, as pleading human happiness. All must, then, attend carefully to what promises to be for the benefit of all. Though few truths be more certain, than that public worship is designed and calculated to promote the real welfare of civil society, or present temporal happiness of man, yet very sanguine hopes of making a deep impression of this most pleasing doctrine upon the mind cannot be entertained. It is extremely difficult to induce people to believe that any part or duty of Religion will yield them a present profit, or be most for their present interest. But our present as well as future good is aimed at undoubtedly by public worship. An unnecessary restraint or burden was never imposed on man by his munificent Creator. God consults our happiness in his Providence and word, and in the whole frame of Christianity. Those that honor me, says he, I will honor, but they that despise me, shall be lightly esteemed. If we honor him with our substance, he will not forget to bless us. Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of thine increase, so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

The peace, the order, and the well-being of society are intended in the Gospel.—The Religion which it exhibits, is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is, as well as that which is to come. It is calculated, in its whole frame, its duties, doctrines, and ordinances, to secure the rights of man—to promote freedom, to make mankind happy on earth, as well as blessed in heaven. Its tendency to promote our present good deserves to be numbered among its excellencies and the evidences of its divinity. Indeed, rightly understood, there is no part of it, nor any of its duties, but tend to advance our well-being in this world.—If, in other Countries where it is known, it have, in any measure or degree, injured society, the evil is to be imputed not to its nature or original design, but to superstition, or to the corruptions of it. For in many countries where it is known, it has lost its native simplicity and proper glory. It is so disfigured and distorted that, if the first heralds of it, were now to revisit the earth, they would not even know, that what is called the Christian Religion, in some countries, and among some sects, was pretended to be the religion which they preached, and the truth of which, they sealed with their own blood.