The Existence and Attributes of God, Volumes 1 and 2Charnock, Stephen
Religion
The Existence and Attributes of God, Volumes 1 and 2
Charnock, Stephen
God (Christianity) -- Attributes; Providence and government of God -- Christianity
6. Spiritual worship is performed with delight. The evangelical
worship is prophetically signified by keeping the feast of tabernacles;
“They shall go up from year to year, to worship the King, the Lord
of Hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles” (Zech. xiv. 16):
why that feast, when there were other feasts observed by the Jews?
That was a feast celebrated with the greatest joy; typical of the
gladness which was to be under the exhibition of the Messiah, and a
thankful commemoration of the redemption wrought by him. It was to be
celebrated five days after the “solemn day of atonement” (Lev. xxiii.
34, compared with ver. 27), wherein there was one of the solemnest
types of the sacrifice of the death of Christ. In this feast they
commemorated their exchange of Egypt for Canaan; the manna wherewith
they were fed; the water out of the rock wherewith they were refreshed;
in remembrance of this, they poured water on the ground, pronouncing
those words in Isaiah, they shall “draw waters out of the wells
of salvation;” which our Saviour refers to himself (John vii. 37),
inviting them to him, to drink “upon the last day, the great day of
the feast of tabernacles,” wherein the solemn ceremony was observed.
Since we are freed by the death of the Redeemer from the curses of the
law, God requires of us a joy in spiritual privileges. A sad frame in
worship gives the lie to all gospel liberty, to the purchase of the
Redeemer’s death, the triumphs of his resurrection: it is a carriage,
as if we were under the influences of the legal fire and lightning,
and an entering a protest against the freedom of the gospel. The
evangelical worship is a spiritual worship; and praise, joy, and
delight are prophesied of, as great ingredients in attendance on
gospel ordinances (Isaiah xii. 3‒5). What was occasion of terror in
the worship of God under the law, is the occasion of delight in the
worship of God under the gospel. The justice and holiness of God, so
terrible in the law, becomes comfortable under the gospel; since they
have feasted themselves on the active and passive obedience of the
Redeemer. The approach is to God as gracious, not to God as unpacified;
as a son to a father, not as a criminal to a judge. Under the law, God
was represented as a judge; remembering their sin in their sacrifices,
and representing the punishment they had merited: in the gospel as
a father, accepting the atonement, and publishing the reconciliation
wrought by the Redeemer. Delight in God is a gospel frame; therefore
the more joyful, the more spiritual: “The sabbath is to be a delight;”
not only in regard of the day, but in regard to the duties of it (Isa.
lviii. 13); in regard of the marvellous work he wrought on it; raising
up our blessed Redeemer on that day, whereby a foundation was laid for
the rendering our persons and services acceptable to God (Psalm cxviii.
24); “This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will be glad and
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