The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-07-14
TIE WORSHLP OF GOD.

LHE WOhSHIH OF GOD.
Idolatry is the almost universal sin
that afflicts our humanity 1t takes pro-
team shapes to avoid the worship that
alone is due to "Our Father which is in
Heaven" In recognition of its power,
the first commandment in the Decalogue
is directed against it. Thou SHALT
HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE mel" Yet
such is the perversity of man, he will
fly to any false religion rather than pros
trate himselfin humility before his Maker
He will maintain determined resistance
to the dictates of heavenly wisdom, and
yield himself willing captive to some
debasing and sensual superstition. He
will lean upon some human arm for sal
walton when there is only One omnipo-
tent to save. How easy it is for the soul
to be led away through the senses into
idolatly. How hard to resist the subtle
influences that besiege the human spirit.
Solomon seemed unable to Withstand
them, and allowed the heather women to
lead him away to their temples of abomi-
nation. A remarkable case of this ten
dency towards false worship seems to be
recorded by the apostle St. John while
IN vision at Patmos. After the angel
had shewn him the transcendent glories
of heaven and he had heard his prophetic
utterances, John says, " 1 fell down to
aOorShlp before the feet of the angel which
showed me these things" Then with
quick enunciation of alarm, the angel
said unto him, "SEE THOU DO IT NOT: for
1 am thy fellow-servant, and of thy breth-
rem the prophets, and Of them which keep
the sayings of this book" Then those
grand words followed in their solemn sig
nifcance, WORSHIP GoD" This Ian
guage fell like letters upon his spirit and
dispelled the illusion of his conscience.
Yet this was one of the glorious beings
of the celestial hierarchy This occurs
twice, as if John had forgot himself amid
the splendors of the scene. If we are cor
rect in our view of the transaction, what
rebuke to those who worship the creature
more than the Creator, and yield SEN
timental devotion towards the preacher
or the priest, instead of spiritual de-
votion to Christ. Does not this revelation
of st. John show that the human spirit
cannot bear the strain of excessive splen-
dor in divine Worship That it mis-
leads the soul -charms it in transient
elysium of the senses; reaching at times
to an idolatrous worship of the beautiful?
The Asiatic Church became in it's reli-
gion nothing but solemn pageant,
enriched by oriental splendor,
till at last the spirit of truth yelled its
face in sorrow and fed from the scene.
Just as Milton describes the Parliament
when its spirit and power had gone, as
" mere Parliament of tapestry in the
hangings." This tendency the Eastern
Church has transmitted through the old
channels of religious forms and service.
And the same spirit seeks now to master
the a0hole world with it's "Ritualism. q"
Against its pretensions the Covenanters
Of Scotland stood out to the DEATH and
Sydney Smith said of them sneeringly,
They rushed to the hills and sung their
Psalms out Of tune and listened to SER
mons two hours long, amidst the impos-
ing melancholy Of the tallest thistles. -"
Their worship, perhaps, was more accept
able than that Of a more gorgeous ritual,
where the light Of heaven and truth is not
allowed to permeate the congregation ex-