Prizing Public Worship (Puritan Treasures For Today Series)

As Jonathan Cruse says in the preface, “The glory of God demands the corporate worship of his people. ” And that worship should be a joy and privilege to us.

“The Lord is most glorified when his glory is most declared, and it is most declared when it is declared by most, by a multitude. ”

- This is a good argument for the congregational participation in the liturgy

Clarkson makes the argument that God prefers public worship over private worship. Not that private worship should be neglected but that there is a special glory in the publicity and corporate-ness of the Lord’s day gatherings. God is more fully displayed in public worship in a way that private devotions cannot replicate. It is also even more beneficial to us in its mutual upbuilding and protection against apostasy.

“Esau was stigmatised as a profane person for preferring the stew before his birthright, but those who prefer the things of the world before this singular prerogative of worshipping God in public exceed Esau in profaneness. What a special privilege it is! How few are those in the world who enjoy it! Does the Lord grant this honour so as to have it and himself in it despised?”

- it ought to cause disgust in us when people choose sport over worship. When people adjust when and where they go to church based on the convenience of ‘not loosing the whole day’ in order to be able to fill it with worldly pleasures instead. Will you rob God?

Clarkson gives a deeper appreciation of scripture and what it says…