How often do we see professing Christians not attending the public worship of God! The reasons may vary. “It is so inconvenient.” “I want to have a lie-in.” “I don’t get anything out of it.” Frequently the excuse is given, “I can worship God just as well at home by myself as I can with a bunch of other people.”

The Puritans would have strongly disagreed. One who forcefully did so was David Clarkson. Today we can read his views on the matter in Prizing Public Worship. Edited by Jonathan Landry Cruise, it has been published as part of the “Puritan Treasures for Today” series by Reformation Heritage Books.

In this small book (less than 180 pages in total) we have three sermons by Clarkson, edited to make them more accessible to twenty-first century readers while keeping the seventeenth-century truths. The first sermon, “The Primacy of Public Worship,” is based on Psalm 87:2: “The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.” In the first chapter Clarkson states, “Public worship is to be preferred before private.” He also defines what is meant by public worship. First, there are ordinances for public worship: prayer; praise; the Word read and preached; and the sacraments administered. Second, there is a people assembled, more than one or two persons or even a family. Last and not least, there is an officer ordained to preach the Word and to administer the sacraments.

In the second chapter, Clarkson lays out his case why public worship is to be preferred before private worship. God is more glorified in public worship than in private worship, and is more present in public worship than private. There is greater spiritual advantage to public worship than private, and there is greater edification to God’s people in public worship. Public worship is a greater security against apostasy than private worship. Our public worship is a small picture of what heaven will be like. All this and more is why Clarkson says that the public worship of God is to be preferred before private.

Clarkson then addresses why we think that our private worship may seem to be more fruitful than public worship. Here we see Clarkson being a good Doctor of Souls, asking the careful, searching questions that get right down to the heart.

Clarkson then reproves two errors. The first error is the preferring profane things to the public worship of God. In Clarkson’s eyes, this is truly a dangerous matter, one that argues that one is not right with God. The second is to prefer private worship over public worship. To Clarkson, this is a stealing of God’s glory, a declaration that you are wiser than God, and a willingness to run the risk of backsliding. 

Clarkson concludes with directions as to how we can prioritize the public worship of God as well as getting the most out of it. These directions are well worth reading and following even if you do have a high view of public worship.

Clarkson lived before the live-streaming of worship services. What would he say about them? From what I gather, he would reluctantly accept them for those who have serious reasons why they cannot attend the public worship of God, but he would rather that you do all you can to be there in person.

The second sermon, “Profiting from Public Worship,” is a very practical message on what we should do to get the most out of the public worship of God, as well as what must be avoided if you want the benefits of our public worship to last.

In the third sermon, “Hearing the Word,” Clarkson lays out the importance of hearing the Word, and hearing the Word well, as well as pointing out what can cause us not to hear the Word well and what we need to do in order to hear the Word well. Again, we have a very practical message on one of the most important duties that we have – the hearing of the Word of God well. 

The message of this book is clear and very readable. It is a book that will be of great use in preparing for the public worship of God and in the proper hearing of the Word of God. It is a book that does not cost much, but spiritually it is worth its weight in gold.