Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-07-05
&eadina tur the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
[Original.J
THE WORSHIP OF GOD.


[Orgina.J
THE WORSHIP OF GOD.
Man is so constituted that he must render
religious worship to some being. That
which distinguishes enlightened nations
from pagans is not that the former are more
religious or pious than the latter, but that
the object Of the religious worship of ell
| lightened nations is the true and living God,
the maker and preserVer of all things, and
pagan nations worship false gods. The OBJ
ject which all enlightened nations worship
| is the same. 1t always has been the same,
and it necessarily always must be the same.
The gods of heather nations are many and
very unlike. In the worship which pagan
nations render to their imaginary deitics,
there is great diversity. The character of
the divinity determines the character of the
worship. Nopeople can possibly rise high
er in morals or civilization than the object
of their worship. In fact, the mass Of every
nation is inferior, in every respect, to their
gods. Their gods are their models, which
they endeavor to initiate, not surpass. BY
species of assimilation, they become like
their divinities. The ancient worshipers of
Mars were blood-thirsty warriors; those Of
Venus degraded debauchees, while there
was some decency and dignity about those
who worshiped the sun and the moon.
We would naturally expect thatthose who
| in creation, providence and the Bible would
be far superior to those who worship the i'm
aginary deities of the pagan world. Such
is actually the case. No one will deny this.
1t is the worship of the true God that makes
the English and Americans superior to the
Africans and AsiaticS. In fact, it is the
worshiping Of the God of the Bible that
makes one Englishman differ from another
Englishman, and one American differ from
another American. There is another thing
that we expect to exist among the worship
ers of the God of the Bible-We expect them
all to worship God in the same way. Such
isnot the case. There is a general sameness,
but there are great and contradictory differ
ences in the modes of worship, which are
practced by those who reverence and adore
the God of the Bible. In some particulars
these differences amount to nothing, and are
traceable to social differences. In other in
stances, differences in the modes of worship
practiced among the worshipers of the God
of the Bible, strike at the very fundamental
principles of religion. These differences
are diametrically opposed to each other and
have direct tendency to render null and
void the worship itself
That the worship of God-the God of the
Bible-be acceptable, several things are ne
cessary. The being worshiped must be sub
stantially the God revealed in the works ana
word of God. In other words, in-order that
an acceptable worship be rendered to the
God of the Bible, the worshiper must wor-
ship God as he is revealed in his word and
works, and not as morbid and deranged
imagination conceiveS him to exist. No
worship of Ged can be Scriptural, and con-
sequently acceptable, unless the Worshiper
has clear and we'll defined Scriptural notions
of God.
Idolatry is worshiping deity which we
either make with our hands or fabrlcate IN
our minds. The name we give that deity
is matter of no Importance. We may call
it Jehovah, the most sacred name by which
the God Of the Bible makes himself known,
and bestoW upon that deity attributes OF u
our own devising, We may choose as a
name for our divinity, the name Of the God
that is revealed in the Scriptures, but at the
same time choose God of our own make,
and according to our own liking. This is
an important matter. Our Saviour says
that in the greatday of final accounts "Many
will say to me Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in thy name; and in thy name
cast out devils; and in thy name done many
wonderful works? And then will profess
unto them, Il never knew you.'" These
individuals, spoken of by our Saviour, as
having lived and died deluded, were Wor-
shippers of a God, through Jesus Christ,
but their god was not the God of the Bible,
and their Jesus Christ was not the Jesus
Christ whom God gave to save sinners.
They were idOlaters and the name of their
idol was Jesus Christ. The number con-
tained in this class Of idolaters, our Saviour
says, is many.
Another thing essential to constitute the
worship which is rendered to God. accepta-
able, is that it be, in all its parts, prescribed
by God himself. Without this restriction,
the worship of God must, in every case, de-
generate into gross idolatry, with mode of
worship adapted to the character of The
idols Worshiped.
In the first commandment we are restrict
ed in our worship to one God who is the
maker of all things. In the second com
mandment hemode ofworshipi prescribed.
The first commandment requires US to WOr-
ship the living and true God, and forblds
the worship of any other being. The sec
ond commandment forhids the WOrshiping
of God, by or through idols, and requires
that God be worshiped in that way or man.
ner which he has prescribed in his word.
This seems to be natural. 1t is certainly
strange if God has required US to DO GER
tain thing and left us to select the mode or
manner in which that thing shall be done.
This would do away with the Well-estab-
lished notion that the right thing may be
done in wrong way. Parents not only in
struct their children what they must do, but
point out to them the mode or manner in
which the duties enjoined must. be perform
ed Masters act in the same way with their
servants. In fact, the knowledge of how to
perform duty is equally important with
the knowledge of the duty itself. 1t is alb
surd to suppose that God would prescribe a
duty and not, at the same time, prescribe
the mode or manner in which that duty
shall be performed. God commanded Mo-
ses to make tabernacle, but he did not
trust Moses to devise a plan for that taber-
nacle. Everything connected with the tab
ernacle was minutely pointed out, and Mo
ses was strictly charged to ''make all things
according to the pattern shown him in the
mount"
Sincerity is necessary to acceptable Wor-
ship. If, however, the WOrshiper has only
imaginary notions of God, and attempts to
render even prescribed worship, in an un-
prescribed manner, there will of necessity
be want of genuine sincerity. No amount
of superstitious devotion will constitute sin
cerity. The base or foundation of that sim
cerity, which is necessary to an acceptable
worship of God, is truth. Every super
structure which is reared upon falsehood is
rottenness. The starting point in all accep-
table religious worship, is a correct know
ledge of God, as he is revealed in his word
| and works Cod demands the affections of