The Master has so filled the vessel that it overflows. When the heart is filled with the truth, “as the truth is in Jesus,” and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, it overflows in thanksgiving and praise — it worships God, who is a Spirit, in spirit and in truth. The heart of the guest, we may say, responds to the kindness of the host. But, plainly, that which comes down from God to the soul in grace re-ascends from the soul to Him in grateful praise. Like the curling smoke from the golden altar, it ascends in the sweet odors of acceptable worship.
It is perfectly clear that a cup running over can hold no more; that which is poured in only increases its overflow. But what, may I ask, are the spiritual feelings of a soul that answers to this figure? They are heavenly in their character and produced by the Holy Spirit. Nothing on earth comes so near the occupation of heaven as worship. It will be our happy occupation throughout eternity. But the soul must, in spirit, be in heaven — in the holy of holies — before it reaches this condition, and that is where the Christian should always be. He is in Christ, and Christ fills all heaven with His glory. In God’s account there is no outer-court worship now; it must be priestly and inside the veil. When the heart of the worshipper answers to the overflowing cup, it is evidently completely filled up — not a corner is left empty. This is the main thought. It feels, spiritually, that every wish is met — every desire is satisfied — and all the longings of the soul perfectly answered. True, the worshipper is not yet in resurrection glory, but he knows and feels that he has everything except glory. That he waits for, but not uncertainly. “We through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith” (Gal. 5:55For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. (Galatians 5:5)).
Prayer and Worship
It may be well to notice the difference between prayer and worship, however nearly allied they may be to each other, and even suitably mingled together, as “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks.” We have always much for which to be thankful; still, the two things, in themselves, are quite distinct. We bring our empty cups to the prayer meeting and beg and beseech our God and Father to fill them. This shows our knowledge of God and our confidence in Him, and if we pray in faith, the oil may flow until every vessel is filled (2 Kings 4). Thus, prayer may lead to worship, as preaching the gospel to the world and teaching God’s people may do. Nevertheless, it is well to understand the difference between prayer, preaching, teaching and worship. They are each most important in themselves and all of God and ought not to be confounded. In the preaching of the gospel, God is addressing the world; in teaching, He is speaking to His saints, but in worship we address God — we render adoration to Him. Ministry is from God to man; worship is from man to God. Hardly any two things could be more distinct, and yet the distinction is rarely seen. True worship may be produced by any of the three named services, and even a spirit of worship may be enjoyed when engaged in them, and so much the better when it is so, but in Christian worship we draw near to God as our Father through Christ Jesus and address ourselves to Him. When we know God as He has revealed Himself in the person and work of Christ, we have holy liberty in His presence and render the praise, adoration and thanksgiving of an overflowing heart.
The Sacrifice of Christ
The sacrifice of Christ, which is commemorated in the breaking of bread, is the only foundation of true worship, and the Holy Spirit present in the assembly is the sole power by which God can be worshipped acceptably. It would be the most daring presumption for anyone to draw near to God as a worshipper, unless he knew that all his guilt was removed and that he was a new creature in Christ Jesus. But when we know that the blessed Lord, by the blood of His cross, has fully glorified God, blotted out all our sins, and cleansed us from all defilement, we have holy boldness to draw near to God as our Father. But for the cross, all must be judgment, but by means of the cross, all is grace, boundless grace. The rending of the veil from the top to the bottom is the divine witness to us that Christ put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself and opened up the way for us into the holiest of all. In virtue of His atoning sacrifice, there is now, glory be to God, no question of sin between the worshipper and God. That question was fully gone into on the cross and there settled — there closed forever. The same stroke which slew the Lamb rent the veil and laid open the way into the presence of infinite holiness, where the worshipper now stands without spot and rejoices before the Lord His God.
Still meditate, O my soul, for the deepening and the elevating of thy worship, on that wondrous cross — the great center of God’s moral universe! To this center God always pointed and the eye of faith always looked forward, until the Saviour came. And now we must always turn to that cross as the center of all our blessing and the basis of all our worship, both on earth and in heaven — in time and throughout all eternity. The “new song” never could have been sung in heaven and no hymn of praise could ever have been sung on earth by fallen man, but for the cross of Jesus, and, but for that same cross, ours must have been forever a cup of trembling, in place of an overflowing cup of rejoicing.
The Power of Worship
Having briefly dwelt in our meditations on the only foundation of worship — the sacrifice of Christ — we will now refer to the only power of worship — the Holy Spirit. When “born again” we receive a new nature, which is holy and suited to the presence of God. It is also capable of enjoying Him, which truth surely gives us the highest thought of creature-happiness, and yet, as the Apostle says, that blessed state may be enjoyed even now. “We also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1111And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. (Romans 5:11)). Without this new nature there could be no worship. It is the children that the Father seeks to worship Him. Sonship is essential to our worship. But the Father delights in the worship of His children. Not only does He accept it, but He seeks it. Wondrous, gracious truth, O my soul! Our God and Father is seeking worshippers! “The Father seeketh such to worship Him.”
The Religion of the Flesh
Here, it is not the sin of the flesh, but the religion of the flesh, which the Apostle warns against. In God’s sight the one is as bad as the other. The true worshippers are known by worshipping God in the Spirit and rejoicing in Christ Jesus. The flesh can be very pious in its own way and be largely occupied with good works, but it will never “rejoice in Christ Jesus.” It knows nothing of Christ as despised on earth and honored in heaven, nor of setting our affections on things above. But even when Christ has His right place in the heart and the Holy Spirit is owned as the sole power of worship, we have need to watch against mingling the thoughts of the flesh with the guidance of the Spirit. It will be the constant aim of the enemy, where he cannot substitute flesh for Spirit, to mingle the two. One solemn question — one grand test — remains for each, for all: Do we rejoice in Christ Jesus alone? This is the true standard to judge by — the touchstone of spiritual worship. Answer this, O my soul, to this standard: Is Christ my all in all? Do I come before God — standing in His holy presence — rejoicing in Christ Jesus alone? He is the delight of the Father’s heart — the object of the Spirit’s testimony — the joy and glory of His people. Happy, thrice happy they who, in this day of widespread fleshly pietism, “worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”
Things New and Old, 8:53