Here is that which may well act on the conscience of a saint. Have you ever worshiped God your Father in spirit and in truth? Or have you been content hitherto to mingle with the world and take part in its music, its architecture, its rituals? You know well that anybody can take part in these things. It is bringing back again the very substance and means of idolatry.

Indeed, the apostle discerned this in the Galatians (Gal. 4:9) when they took up Jewish forms. But what would he feel and say about the state of things found now? And what makes it so especially solemn at this time is that it advances daily. This will never cease till the awful close, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven, “in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who know not God, and those who do not obey the glad tidings of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Th. 1:8).

I beseech my brethren in Christ that it may be their hearts’ joy, when assembled for the purpose, to rise up into worship, and not to content themselves with mere speaking about it. Sometimes there seems too much of this when we meet to praise the Lord. It is rather something said or prayed about worship than actually adoring Him. I may talk about worship in my prayer or from the Word of God, perhaps even in the very hymn. Talking about worship is not worship. We do not come at such times to expound or enforce the matter: this may be all well to set forth at another time. If we are there to worship, let us be found engaged in the thing, adoring Him who should be before every soul to praise and magnify and delight in. Christian worship is the outflow to God of hearts that have seen and found their joy and satisfaction by the Holy Spirit in the Son and in the Father.