That the saints love public worship is a constant Puritan theme. Why their delight in it? Because in worship the saints do not merely seek God; they also find him. Worship is not only an expression of gratitude, but also a means of grace, whereby the hungry are fed, so that the empty are sent away rich. For 'there is in worship an approach of God to man.' [Stephen Charnock] 'God's presence in his ordinances' is a reality; God is essentially present in the world, graciously present in his church. 'God delights to approach to men, and converse with them in the worship instituted in the gospel.' [Stephen Charnock] And men honour God most when they come to worship hungry and expectant, conscious of need and looking to God to meet them and supply it.
A Quest for Godliness:
The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life
J.I. Packer
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