The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-04-26
For TIE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
Is Giving of our Substance to Gcd an act OF
Worship?

|, Wha. is worship? 1t is OF two kinds, or ex-
lists in a two fold form, internal and ecterndI-
Faith is an act of worship since it is not only an
act of obedience to God, but has God for its lmme-
date Object. Ye believe in God, believe also IN
me-" says the Saviour John xiv: 80 also
hope in God, Psalm ii: l2 and compare Jerem
xvii: 5. where curse is denounced against hope
or trust in man. Turretin IL 3. q. %, Sec 25,)
cites these passages to prove that religious worship
is due to Christ, and acts of believing trust
ing" hoping" in God are set down in our Larger
Catechism &C. l04,) as belonging to Worship
Calvin Instit. L. IL chap. s. sec. p refers to the
same category all acts of obedience to the com
mandments of the first table of the Decalogue.-
And, in general, We may say that internal worship
consists in that state and posture OF the soul winch
corresponds with the revelation which God mas
made of Himself to US in His word. and has God
for its direct object. God reveals His supremacy
and our absolute dependency and subsection. We
worship Him when we recognise HIS supremacy
aud our dependence. He reveals Himself as the
giver of all good We Worship Him when we
recognize Him as such and thank and praise Him
for His mercies He reveals Himself as an offend
ed Law giver We worship Him when we 40.
knowledge Him as such, and confess that we are
offenders He reveals Himself as the Saviour
We worship Him. when we recognise Him as such.
aud hope in His mercy. So much for internal
worship External worship consists in the solemn
expression by words or acts Of this internal wor-
ship. or of the state and posture OF the soul to-
wards God. Prayer is the expression Of the faith
hope, trust, repentance, sense OF dependence,
thankfulness, etc, which the soul feels. So in the
service of song the alteration for the Projections
of God, the dependence the gratitude OF the wor-
shipper is expressed. Nay, many of the hymns
which we sing in public worship are merely didac.
tic and contain no address to God, and yet the
congregation are considered as worshipping God
in singing them (See the l421 in our collection J
Others are mere exhortstions to sinners, sort OF
sermons sung instead Of said, as the lS5tb,
| iS4th, lS9th, etc in our book. Thus We teach
and admonish one another in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs singing with grace in our hearts
| to the Lord" Again. in the administration and
reception of baptism, we worship God by profess
ing our faith in the great doctrines and promises
which that sacrament symbolizes; and in the
Lords Supper we do the like, and in addition, ex.
press our communion with each other in the blood
and body of our Lord, as we'll as our communion
with Him.
Now in giving of our substance to God we give
formal and solemn expression to our sense of de-
pendence upon Him, His propriety in US and all
that we have, our thankfulness for his mercies,
and our communion with each other. See
Chron. xxx: lila Why then is it not an act
of worship? We challenge anybody to show from
the nature of the ordinances why the Lords Sup
of our substance should not They are both ordi.
nances in which we express our dependence upon
God, our thankfuness for His mercies, our COM
munion with Him and our communion with each
other; and in both the expression is made more by
act than by soord We might also show that in all
sincere worship there is not only a rendering to
God of that reverence which is His due, but the
operation of reflex Influence upon our own hearts,
by which our faith is increased and our conformity
to Christ as well as our communion with Him con-
6rmed.
Ia another number, we propose to present very
briefly the argument from Scripture, our purpose
in the present number, being to show from an an
alysis of worship that its essential elements are
found in "giving" as we'll as in those ordinances
which are acknowledged by all to be Worship
Meantime we entreat our readers to read the glori
Gus chapter in l Chron above cited and then say
if the grand act of giving there recorded was not
an act of worship, what kind Of act was it?