Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-09-02

better it will be for us all. The message may
come whilst we are only prattling children, or
when we are in the prime of life. Certainly
it will come, and then we will have no time
to prepare for the realities of another world
God in his providence says to us all, "Prepare
to meet thy God"
l. - - - . [Odgnall
FORMALITY.
"Bodily exercise" we are told, "pro6teth
little" By bodily exercise we may under
stand the external forms and ceremonies of
religion in general. Under old Testament
dispensation the forms and ceremonies of the
church were exceedingly many and very i'm
posing. The opposite is the case under New
Testament dispensation. The Old Testament
dispensation was typical, or rather it was pro-
spective, and there was need of types to point
to coming Saviour. The New Testament
dispensation is retrospective. Under the for
mer dispensation the believer was required to
look forward to Saviour to come. To assist
him in this work, God gave him types which
pointed forward to the Saviour. Under the
present dispensation there is no need of types
The Saviour has come. All we need is COM
memorative, or a remembrance ordinance.
This is furnished us in the eucharist, or as it
is more frequently called, the Lords Supper.
1t is clear to every Bible reader that the
church, under the present dispensation, and as
organized by Christ himself and his apostles,
is exceedingly simple.
1t is generally supposed that our Saviour
adopted the synagogue service, either in whole
or in part, as the form of worship for the New
Testament Church. What were the forms
and ceremonies Of the ancient synagogue SER
vice, we do not certainly know. Neither isit
certain that the services in all the synagogues
we're the same. 1t would seem that if any
special directions were given to US as to the
formalities to be observed in the worship of
God, we would find these instructions in the
Acts of the Apostles. These special instruc-
tions we do not find There is a. church or
ganization laid down, but it is exceedingly
simple Of this we do not propose to speak,
further than to say that there is, perhaps, no
denomination of Christians on earth, that has
the exact form of church government that is
laid down in the New Testament. Some have
added some things, whilst others have left out
some things. With regard to the mode of
conducting the worship of God, in the public
assemblies of His people, tits evident that the
Saviour has laid down no absolute rule from
which we dare not deviate. At least, we are
not aware of the existence Of such rule.
There is no law in the Bible requiring con-
gregation to sing a certain number OF times,
and offer up a certain number of petitions
before and after the delivery of a sermon.
We have the example of our Saviour for
reading the scriptures before preaching; but,
no doubt, both He and His disciples preached
without reading or singing. In this thing,
the Saviour leaves the church to exercise COM
mon sense, giving US one general instruction
in these words, "Let all things be done de-
Gently and in order"
1t is not our purpose to wound the feelings
of any of Gods dear ones by undertaking the
ceremonies which they have observed aud
practiced since childhood. Our simple object
is to point out the fact, that forms and cere-
monies constitute but very small part Of the
religion of the Lord Jesus Christ. Formality
is one thing and religion is another. There
may be much pomp and no religion; on the
contrary there may be great simplicity and
heart religion. Great sticklers for forms may
and often do have hearts as cold as ice.
Forms and ceremonies, so far as they are con-
ducive to the conviction and conversion of sin.
ners and the building up of believers in their
holy religion, are all right; but when they
overshadow the thing itself they are all wrong.
Whatever in the worship of God is calculated
to attract our attention more than the Saviour,
is wrong, and should be cast to the moles and
bats.
it's worthy of remark that we are always
in danger of becoming cold and formal in our
religion. Not only so, but there is great dan
ger that our religion dwindles down into bar
rem forms. We are liable to mistake the
shadow for the substance. When that takes
place, we are in deplorabe condition. We
are deceiving ourselves. We are worshipping
forms and not God. Our God is a spirit and
we must worship in spirit.
aa% Many of my friends who have to be up
early in the morning ask the policeman to call
them at the appointed hour. | may not COM
pare the Christian minister with policeman
in some respects; but yet he is one of Gods
officers, and it is part of his business to stir
up drowsy professors 1t is we'll to attend to
an earnest gospel ministry, where the minis
ter, under Gods blessing, will be likely to
! E,ith e..l oh O