Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1905-11-23
OLD WORSHIP
OUR REGULAR SUNDAY SERMON
A Vigorous Discourse Delivered by
Rev. G. L. Palmer

Kingston, n. Y.-The following cru.
dite and eloquent sermon on Ancient
Worship" was preached Sunday in the
Reformed Church Of the Comforter by
the pastor. the Rev. c. L. Palmer. DR..
Palmer said:
History discioses hat the worship
Of the New Testament is not the crea-
ton of the later dispensation, but is
the result of long and complex pro-
cess of evolution. All we know re-
specting the time of its inception is
that it is as old as the human family,
which confirms the belief that religion
and life are insepara Bile.
Three principal elements constitute
religion, worship, doctrine and life.
Worship is the attitude of the individ-
ual or nation toward its deity, Doc
trine is the abstract formation of truth
into definitions and conception. Life
is the conduct that is presupposed to
conform to ones belief. Which shall
be more prominent is determined by
the spirit Of the age.
Since religion is both natural and su-
pernatural we must look hey ond the
former for the channels Of revelation.
All creation is one harmonious doxol-
ogy to the Creator, but His works do
not give us all the informa ton re-
qulred for the true worship Of God.
Accordingly God has appointed certain
ones to communicate His will. The
prophets were a class chosen to in-
struct the people in the chara cter and
requirements of God. Their teachings
are called the "word" of God. Sages
r1,, {o1o
While priests gave instruction in the
form OF law. which recognized no dis
unctlon between civic aud religious
life
Notwithstanding forms and habits
nave undergone many radical changes,
mere are certain eatures Of worship
mat remain essentially the same.
Ihere has always been certa In place
dedicated to the service of God. With
us 1t Is the church, but in the early
times 1t was the temple. synagogue,
tahernacle. altar or grove.
A certain number Of men are dedi.
Gated to the work of the Christian mill
lstry, but in the earlier days there
We're priests and prophets who labored
1or the elevation of mankind. At a
sui earlier time the father of a family
or head one of a tribe or clan conduct
ed the worship.
sacrifcial offerings have been dis
continued among Christians, because
me Lord Jesus Christ has been sacri-
nced once for all. It was not so in
'ne distant past. It was then be-
Aeved that the fellowship between God
ald Hls people was fostered by sacri-
ace: The occasion was not unlike Il
social meal III which the god Of the
clan or family partook Of the repast
win Its members. While the original
laea OF communion with the deity was
paramou sacrifice did not assume
ils lull religious significance until per-
lected i'll the temple ritual. Other
ACTS a OF worship, such as prayer and
s'e VOW, have ever occupied an inn
poftant place. as we'll as music, and at
elles dreams sorcery and dancing.
Worship presupposes a time for the
service Of God. In the remote past
,'! Mneh the people lived wandering
NE 1t was not possible to have q par.
ucular time and place, but when they
sstlied down to agricultural life three
leasts were instituted, one in the
spring. another in the early summer
ana the third in the autumn, CORE.
spoadlng to our modern Easter, pente'
cost and thanksgiving. b g
worship without hymns and songs is
.aconceivable. II we were deprived
VI u, some of our favorite hymns it7would
osestroy one of the most potent motives
VI worship. The psalms were just as
precious to the ancients as the modern
tayinhs are to us, and exerted the same
influence.
oo ne most reliable scholars are Of the
nSv,nVlctlon n,. that the legal code of the
s;N 1u testament was not the result OF 9
S0 Slngle authorship, but the work Of 9
saor ssuactor who compiled existing tradi
uohs and documents. This is more ir
nn,arlnony with the method God EN-
sp,oys to accomplish His purpose. ant
-, certainly explanatory OF the way
'AAF oslg Bible look form.