High God? I adjure thee, by God, that thou torment me not," Mark v. 6, 7. "At the crucifixion They smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees, worshipped him," Mark xv. 19.

Now in this collection of texts I find no trace of such worship as is implied in an ordinary religious service. When the Magi presented their offerings at Bethlehem to the infant Messiah they accompanied them with the natural attitude of reverence. So the leper prostrated himself when he asked to be made clean, and the ruler when he entreated that his daughter might be raised from the dead; and the Canaanitish woman when she besought help for her sick child; and the blind man whose sight was restored, and who just before, on the question being asked, "What sayest thou of him?" answered, "He is a prophet." So, the mother of Zebedee's children did homage when she asked the places of honor for her sons in the Messiah's kingdom. The apostles shewed their reverence in the same way after the calming of the storm; the women at the sepulchre; and the disciples after the resurrection; and those who were present at the ascension, after their Lord disappeared from their sight. Then we have the quotation from the Psalms in Heb. i. 6, the instance of the Gadarene demoniac, and that of the mockers at the crucifixion. And this is all. Such is the worship offered to Christ in the New Testament-a bowing down, as who would not bow down to one so full of the Father's spirit and the Father's power? Nor can I be surprised that the expression should have been used in reference to Christ with comparative frequency, for not

only is he the great subject of the New Testament, but he is immeasurably above prophets and apostles. Indeed, when I think of the wonderful union existing between him and God, and of the stupendous work of love for millions and millions of souls he came to accomplish; when I recollect the authority, blended with tenderness, there was in his bearing and speech; when I call to mind the manifestations of divine power which attended his footsteps, and the impression his character must have made on all who were not spiritually blind; and when I read of him as in rank above the angels, and as finally sitting at the right hand of the Most High, I am astonished, not at the number, but at the fewness of those who are described as prostrating themselves before him, and I must think that the honor he received during his ministry is as nothing compared with that, which he would have received, had not men been for the most part insensible to the true dignity of his person and office.

II. The passages in which πроσxvvéw is applied to others than Christ, or the Father, are as follows:

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"And (Satan) saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me," Matt. iv. 9; also Luke iv. 7. "Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them," Acts vii. 43. "And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up, I myself also am a man," Acts x. 25, 26. "And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship

devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood; which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk," Rev. ix. 20. "And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him ?" Rev. xiii. 4. "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world," Rev. xiii. 8. "And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed," Rev. xiii. 12. "And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed," Rev. xiii. 15. "And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,” Rev. xiv. 9. "And there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image," Rev. xvi. 2; also Rev. xx. 4. "And I, John, saw these things and heard them. And when I had heard and seen I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things," Rev. xxii. 8; also Rev. xix. 10. "And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast," John xii. 20; also Acts viii. 27, xxiv. 11; Rev. xi. 1. "The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all," Matt. xviii. 26. "Behold I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee," Rev. iii. 9. To these I will venture to add two passages from the Septuagint. And David said to all the

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congregation, Now bless the Lord your God. And all the congregation blessed the Lord God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the Lord and the king," 1 Chron. xxix. 20. "Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him," Daniel ii. 46.

Thus, πроσкνvéw was applied to Satan, to idols, to angels, to an apostle, to a king, etc. ;* and in the Septuagint to David (with God) and to Daniel. That in the cases of the angel and of Peter the worship was refused, is not unnatural, if we consider that the angel was a mere instrument, and the homage seemed offered to himself rather than to him whom he represented, and that Cornelius was a devout man, respecting whom Peter had received a Heavenly vision. The offering of worship is not the less a sign that such tributes of reverence were paid to others as well as God.

III. In regard to the passages in which poσπροσKvvéw is applied to the Father, it will be observed that many of them refer to such worship as was offered in temple services; and the Father is specified as the Being to whom the true worshippers offer their worship, i.e., worship in the highest sense, such as we offer in our public and private devotions.

"Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only

* Mr. Bickersteth thinks it was because the parable in Matt. xviii. is typical of God's dealings with man that the word worship was used in reference to the king. For the same reason, why was not the title God used instead of king? in other words, why was there any parable at all, and not direct teaching?

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shalt thou serve," Matt. iv. 10; also Luke iv. 8. fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth," John iv. 20-24. "And so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth,” 1 Cor. xiv. 25. "The four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honor, and power for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created," Rev. iv. 10, 11; also v. 11. "And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, saying, Amen; Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen," Rev. vii. 11, 12. "And the four and twenty elders fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, saying, We give Thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because Thou hast taken to Thee Thy great power, and hast reigned," Rev. xi. 16, 17. "Saying, with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made Heaven and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters," Rev. xiv. 7. "Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? For Thou only art holy; for all nations shall come and wor