The Historical Development of the Book of Church Order

Chapter 63 : Christian Life in the Home

Paragraph 2 : Aspects of Private Worship

63-2. Secret worship is most plainly enjoined by our Lord. In this duty everyone, apart, should spend some time in prayer, reading the Scriptures, holy meditation, and serious self-examination. The many advantages arising from a conscientious performance of these duties are best known to those who are found in the faithful discharge of them.

DIGEST: The current text remains unchanged from the first approved PCUS edition in 1894 and remains almost identically that of the 1789 PCUSA edition.

BACKGROUND & COMPARISON:
PCA 1973, Adopted text, DfW 17-2 [M1GA, Appendix, p. 161]
Continuing Presbyterian Church 1973, Proposed text
PCUS 1933, XVII, §381.
PCUS 1929, XVI-2
and
PCUS 1894, DfW XVI-2 [first approved PCUS edition]
Secret worship is most plainly enjoined by our Lord. In this duty every one, apart, is to spend some time in prayer, reading the Scriptures, holy meditation, and serious self-examination. The many advantages arising from a conscientious performance of these duties are best known to those who are found in the faithful discharge of them.

PCUSA 1789, XV-2
Secret worship is most plainly enjoined by our Lord. In this duty every one, apart by himself, is to spend some time in prayer, reading the Scriptures, holy meditation, and serious self-examination. The many advantages arising from a conscientious performance of these duties, are best known to those who are found in the faithful discharge of them.