WORSHIP 75 



is real ; whilst the fellowship of the place of worship is 

 not always a real thing, and men are not slow to recognise 

 its want of reality* 



I have often heard it argued that the emptiness of 

 our places of worship shows that men are less religious 

 now than they used to be. But I do not believe that 

 this is so* May it not be that our places of worship are 

 empty because, in a blind sort of way, man has still a 

 true religious instinct* A keen observer once defined 

 man as being an incorrigibly religious animaL And so 

 he is ; and if our places of worship are empty, depend 

 upon it there is something wrong with our places of 

 worship* And I believe that if we want them to be 

 full once more, we must learn a lesson from the public 

 house, and see to it that our fellowship is a real fellow- 

 ship ; that our places of worship are places where a man 

 can always feel sure of finding a kindly smile, a hearty 

 handshake, and a true sense of brotherhood ; and that 

 not merely on Sundays, but any day and every day in 

 the week. It is surely an absurd anachronism to 

 suppose that our places of worship are so sacred that 

 they, like our Sunday clothes, must only be used on one 

 day out of seven. But a time comes when our Sunday 

 clothes lose their beautiful straight creases, and begin 

 to look a trifle untidy ; and then we begin to 'feel com- 

 fortable and at home in them ; and then we begin to 

 use them every day. And the sooner that which happens 

 to our Sunday clothes, happens also to our places of 

 worship, the better will it be for religion. Then, and 

 then only, will our churches be full and our public 

 houses empty. 



That our Lord fully realised the importance of 

 fellowship and its necessary association with worship, 

 is well illustrated in the prayer which He taught to His 

 disciples. He did not teach them to say : My Father, 

 which art in heaven, give me my daily bread, forgive me 



