The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-02-02

IN Iutn, LOT such doth the Fatner seek
10 De his worbnlppcrS. God ~ Spirit.
and they that worsnip him must worship
In spirit and truth" Ii il evident that
THIS doctrine OF worship IL derived from
True worship is determined by what God
iS-a Spiritual Being. Three points are
specified. Let US see how eacn OF them
stands connected with the idea that Goa
Is Spirit These points are: u) that truo
worship need not be offered in any par
ucular place; God may bes worshipped
anywhere; CD he must be worshipped lin
spirit" and CD he must be worshipped "in
truth"
II is we'll known that the gods OF tho
heather nations were scarcely more than
nesses. the passions and the limitations
OF men; They passed from place TO
place. though with incredible swiftness.
They possessed their favorites and had
their special dwelling places. They
"dwelt in temples made with hands"
Now the Jewish idea of God rose high
above these crude conceptions. The
heaven OF heavens could not contain him.
And yet there were certain limitations
OF view which did not disappear. Je-
tinctiy limited to the temple. Jerusalem
was the sacred city. the place OF his rest
and manifestation. The Samaritans had
set up q. rival claim to Mt. Gerazim as
the place where his favor and blessing
might best be sought. They held that
this mountain had been consecrated by
was here that the patriarch had met
Melchizedek.
TWO RIVAL SHRINES.
competing holy places--Jerusalem and
Gerazim. In which may God be fOundI
In which ought men 10 Worship Jesus
transcends these questions altogether py
announcing a conception which makes all
such questions meaningless and impos-
sible. IL is as IL he said:
This dispute proceeds upon narrow.
limited. local conception OF God. IL be-
comes meaningless so soon as one re.
members that God is Spirit, As Spirit
He is not subject TO limitations OF time
that does he dwell in the sense of being
limited TO any one locality. Since God
is Spirit, He may be worshipped any
place or of any particular people. He
is the God of the whole earth. He Is
the Father. absolutely, that Is. the rain
er OF all men and therefore accessible TO
all men everywhere. Hence Jesus con, con,
tinued: You Samaritans worship tnat
which you know not your Idea ot i 100
is too low and limited: He implied mat
limitations in the Jewish ideas OF GOD;
despite the fact that the Jews cherished
the fuller knowledge of God disclosed IN
the Pentateuch only.
And then he adds: When the fuller and
higher idea OF God AS the universal
Spirit and Father taxes p4ssests,odh posse 80 IA wn U1
upon them-then your question VIII De
answered. or. rather, 1t Will olsapPeal'
An places viii be saorea' tbat VII n,be % true true
Shekinah is man. that the human soul
is the real temple of Cod that the ore
only Bethel is the humble and contrlte
heart which worships the Father In spirit
and I'm truth.
WORSHIP IN SPIRIT.
And now let us briefly examine these
phrases. Worship in spirit IL wor-
hin which proceeds from the desires, az
and aspirations Of the heart.
IS opposed 10 a merely outward or cere-
nonial service This spiritual worship
$ opposed to that which local idea or
he Deity would warrant. IL men think
u God as a limited. though magnihed
nan, they will suppose that they can
worship him by offerings or food, ma
ions OF wine. and similar outward acts.
But when they learn that God Is spirit.
hey see that outward acts are valueless
except so far as they represent the
homage and devotion of the heart. and
hat the seat and source OF real worship
must ever be the spiritual nature WITHIN.
The idea Of worshipping God ''in truth
s involved in the worship OF him IN
,pirit." Worship 'in truth Is worship
which corresponds TO the nature of God
ind agrees with the real relations or
nan 10 God II is opposed TO that ig- I
,orant worship which supposes that one
must go to Jerusalem or TO Gerazim in
,rder 20 meet God. The meanings OF the
wo phrases are involved in each other
md are only formally different
To worship I'm spirit" is TO worship
rom the heart: to worship 'in truth" is
o worship intelligently-with some ade-
,uate idea OF what God Is. This, then,
$ Jesus doctrine OF worship. 1t must
,e sincere and genuine--no mere outward
or form OF words: and, IT
must be something more-rational, based
lpon a worthy idea OF God and of our
ella tions 10 him-true TO the nature of
Tim whom We worship.
The last great thought of the discourse
which we shall consider is this. that
esus offers himself as the satisfaction
Il the deepest spiritual needs OF men. He
dives the Giving water which In him
Who receives 1t becomes "a well OF water |
up into eternal life"
A sTUPENDoUs CLAIM.
When one thinks of the variety and |
epth OF mans spiritual wants, II be- |
ONES apparent what a stupendous claim |
Is which Jesus makes. Think OF the |
anting OF the heart after God which pull |
ates in the philosophers and literatures |
the WOTlu.
Think of the cravings OF the human |
cart for n secure sense Of Gods favor |
nd forgiveness. Recall the arguments |
nd conjectures by which men have 4!
ought TO assure themselves Of a life be- !
ond the grave. How deep and ineradi- |
able are the instincts Of mans religious
ature which have sought satisfaction in |
uguries. orscles and sacrifices. How |
rofound and prolonged has been the |
earning OF the human heart for one clear |
'ord Of God which should still the doubts |
nd comfort the sorrows OF the soul /
,eep from the inmost heart OF our hu-
ianity has arisen the cry: "Show us
he Father" and, 10. here is One who an
wers that cry with the assurance: He
hat hath seen me hath seen the Father"
bring you for your souls thirst the /
'ater Of eternal life: l am the satisfac-
on Of all your needs.
And how does Jesus afford US this salts
iction7 On so great n subject only a
wv hints can here be given. For one
hing. he Is himself one who Is possessed
v an unclouded certainty OF God. He
new God his Father and he never
st the vision OF the Fathers love. De
oite the hatred and scorn of men. their
II