The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-04-13
QUIET WORSHIP.

QUIET WORSHIP.
CSelected for The Timcs)
Now, Peter and John went up together
into the Temple at the hour OF prayer,
being the ninth ur.'---Acts ILL.,, -
The whole beauty of this paragraphis
lost unless connected with the preceding
chapter, which tells US of the marvellous
outpourinS of the Holy Ghost upon the
waiting church. There has ncvAr abeen
such a day in the church before or since
The spirit Of that day was a spirit OF
ccstacy. Men had seen visions and heard
voices and were thrilled by noble thoughts
and purposes. The silver trumpet mad
sounded. and as the last shadows seemed
to flee away the family of 7 God We're
filled with ineffable rapture. Even the
vexing property question fell out of sight
No man reckoned that anything he had
was his own; 'they had all things COM
mon.' Life was raised to ashigher level
than had ever been attained before, and
the people were praising- God from morn
ing till night. ''They. continued daily with
one accord in the Temple breaking Bread
from house to house and eating their meat
with gladness and smpleness of heart
Surely the millennium had come!
Amid all this excitement the words of
the text appear in the nature of sur
prise. What quiet commonplace words
they are. ..Now, Peter and John went
up together into the Temple at the hour
-
of prayer We learn from this that the
ecstatic hours of life should be succeeded
by quiet worship, for thus alone can the
heart be truly nourished. Men cannot live
in ecstacy. God grants to His church
times of refreshing and hours of high en-
thusiasm; but, after all such solemn man
.ifestations of His power and grace. He
expects us to go up into the Temple and
pray. Visions are apt to make all other
life ordinary and common. Life is made
up of duties. not excitement. Bread, not
dainties, sustain life and energies.
But were not these men inspired; lad
they not seen great sights. heard hoy
voices and actually received into their
hearts the Holy Ghost? Yea, verify they
had! Yet these two men,; friends and
former partners in trade. went:up quietly
together into ttesTemple at the hour Of
prayer. d,
The clock was not altered; the time APP
pointed of Heaven was not changed. The
great Pentecostal storm had rushed across
the heavens. set left behind it showers Of
blessings.
Still as the quiet. hours rolled on to. the
flee neither Peter nor John were so trans-s
ported by rapture as TO forget their daily
and customary engagement in Gods
house. ANY Inspiration that makes Us
careless or conte1nptuous of ordinary re-.
ligious duty may we'll be suspected. II
any men had rea son to think that they
could dispense with ordinary routine and
worship, Peter and John were such. They,
might have said: I'VE take no note Of
time now, We have received the Holy
Ghost. To us all days are Sabbath days; I
We live the higher life, But we read
nothing of the kind. On the contrary.
like many unnoticed worshippers. they
went up to the Temple to pray +
Inspiration never lessons duty; true in
spiration ennobles and enforces it. Young
man, beware of any influence which leads
you away from Apostolic practices. You
may be tempted to think. that you need
not take OH you the yoke of religious GUS
tom; your place is by the brook or In
the fields to study God immature. When
such temptation allures think upon and
Peter and the loving heart Of John needed
these helps in their heavenward journey,
can you afford to ignore them?
1t does every man good to be now and
then in a crowd. Standing alone man
may seem very important and indepen-
crowd that he realizes his humanity and
his littlcness. Yet there is a greatness
that comes Of that contraction Of indi-
viduality. 1t does a man good to go up
TO the Temple at the hour Of prayer to
pray with others. Peter and John did
this Immediately after that great day of
Pcntecost under the joyous realization of
the newly-given Spirit.
What is prayer? Is it not communion
with God: Our conception of prayer has
fallen. Few men can pray all the day..
Never say oc~think that prayer can be
ordinary. 1t cannot be in true, earnest
prayer. To pray is to redeem any day
and hour from the commonplace. To have
one quick. flashing view of God makes
even common time and place sacred. =
If yoi, wish to come up into His courts
at the time of the evening sacrifice with
glowing, thankful hearts, ready to re-
ceive any communication God may make
to you, spend the intervening hours in
doing good TO those who sit in solitary
places, visit the poor and friendless, hear
their dreary tales, and when YOU come
to the house OF God it will be not in a
spirit Of criticism, but in a spirit of SYM
pathy. It will be to you thesvery gate of
Heaven, and there will shine forth the
Divine Presence, filling your heart with
joy and your life with power
= y.