1.
Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
THE ETHICS OF PUBLIC WORSHIP
Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools.’
Ecclesiastes 5:1
I. God, Who is present at all times and everywhere, has nevertheless appointed particular seasons and especial places in which He has promised to manifest Himself more clearly, more powerfully, and more graciously to men. The pious heart finds a temple of God everywhere. It is itself a temple of God. Yet even hence the need of other temples does appear, for what one good man considered by himself is, that God commands us all as a body to be. In order that we may all be thus united together as one man, we must have public assemblies, we must have visible temples, in which God, angels, and men may together meet.
II. From the consideration of the dignity and blessedness of men regarded in their relations to one another and to the holy angels, and as united for the performance of that work wherein their highest dignity and blessedness consists—namely, intercourse with God—the necessity which thence arises for the existence of holy places is clearly evident. (1) God commanded Moses to frame a tabernacle in which He might dwell among His people Israel. (2) The constant attendance of our Blessed Lord at the public worship of the synagogue and that of the Apostles at the Temple afford sufficient proof of their opinion concerning this matter.
III. To keep our feet diligently is to order devoutly not merely our thoughts, but our words, looks, and gestures, lest we be guilty not only of irreverence towards God, but of folly towards ourselves and of sin towards our brethren.
—Bishop C. Wordsworth.
Illustration
‘Narrowing the application to worship, what does it say to us? Let us be truthful in our hymns, our prayers, and our preaching. We must not call ourselves “miserable sinners” unless we believe that we are so. Our prayers are full of vows; let us keep them. Our hymns are full of aspirations; let us try to live up to them. What covenant did you enter into with God when you were brought into the Church? Was not your baptism a promise to walk in newness of life? Ask yourself whether you are not often guilty of breaking your promises made to God in confirmation.’
2.
Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
3.
For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.
4.
When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
5.
Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
6.
Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?
7.
For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.
8.
If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.
9.
Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.
10.
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
11.
When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?
12.
The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
13.
There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.
14.
But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.
15.
As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.
16.
And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?
17.
All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
18.
Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.
19.
Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.
20.
For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.