Page images
PDF
EPUB

"will manifest myself unto him. Let your light "so shine before men, that they may see your

[ocr errors]

66

good works, and glorify your Father which is "in heaven." Let us "walk in love, as Christ " also hath loved us, and given himself for us ;" the period is fast approaching when he "will come again and receive all his unto himself, "that where he is there they may be also;" his commandment is life everlasting: " in his pre"sence there is fulness of joy, at his right hand "there are pleasures for evermore: wherefore, "my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovea"ble, always abounding in the work of the Lord, "forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not " in vain in the Lord,"

219

SERMON XXIX.

PSALM Ciii. 1-5.

Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies;

Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

ON THE DUTY OF PRAISE.

THERE is hardly a case or circumstance that

can occur in life to which we will not find something adapted in this book of psalms. Here we are taught how to rejoice, and how to mourn, how to address God in prayer, and how to praise, how to perform the public, and how the private duties of religion. Here, as examples of, and incentives to devotion, we are presented with the divine breathings, the heartfelt emotions of a few of the most shining Old Testament worthies, in

all the variety of circumstances they experienced under the light of God's countenance, and the hidings of his face; under prosperity and adversity, under distress of body, and anguish of mind; in the exercise of hope and fear, joy and grief, confidence and despondency. But of all the exercises becoming a creature and child of God, there is none which has a greater share in these writings, as indeed there is none we have greater occasion to be employed in, than that of praise and thanksgiving. This is, indeed, “our rea"sonable service;" and if we reflect that this duty, above all others, is the employment of angels in heaven, and of " the spirits of just men "made perfect," and will be our own to all eternity, if ever we are made "partakers of the in"heritance of the saints in light," it will appear most natural and most reasonable that we should be much engaged in it while on earth; for though it were not our bounden duty, the joy and delight which results from it is a motive sufficient to engage us to a practice so agreeable-let me add, that in the exercise of this duty above all others, our natural inclinations are most gratified. We all wish to appear before God with something of our own. There is nothing which he expects of us, nothing he will accept from us, but humble gratitude, but a heart that receives

his gifts with thankfulness. Let us proceed, then, to illustrate this great and necessary duty, by considering the obligations we are under to it, taking the psalmist for our guide. "Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me "bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my "soul, and forget not all his benefits."

[ocr errors]

This duty is by no means a piece of external form, does by no means consist in the expression of certain words, or in the agitation and posture of certain parts of the body-no, any person, and at any time, may perform all the outward acts of devotion without a single spark of the real fervor of it: accordingly we find a heavy charge to this purpose against the people of the Jews: "This people draw near me with their "mouth, and with their lips do honour me; "but have removed their heart far from me." But thanksgiving is an act of the soul, it is the overflowing of a heart pierced with a deep and grateful sense of benefits received, diffusing itself over all the powers and faculties both of body and mind, communicating itself to the voice and features by means of that wonderful sympathy which subsists between the corporeal and spiritual parts of man, whereby they are mutually af fested with each others feelings, enjoying and

suffering in concert. Not but that this divine exercise is frequently performed, and no less agreeably to him who is the object of it, in the still raptures of silent gratitude. The soul is not always able to express what it feels, nor indeed is there occasion for words to him " who seeth "the heart, who knoweth the thoughts afar off;" who is not to be imposed upon by false appearances, but can easily distinguish between the empty noisy shew of hypocrisy, and the unaffected simplicity of true religion. There has been an objection raised against the reasonableness both of this duty and that of prayer, from the consideration of God's immutability, and the infinite distance there is between us and him. For what purpose, it has been said, should we pray to God, as if he would alter what he has absolutely decreed, for any thing we can say? and to what purpose praise him; as if a few words pronounced by us, by creatures so infinitely below him, could add any thing to his glory? but this is the most frivolous way of arguing that can be imagined. We pray to God, not that we expect our prayers should prevail upon him to alter the word that he hath spoken; but in the first place, because he has expressly commanded us so to do, then, as it is a testimony of our submission to him; and dependance upon him; and lastly, as this duty

« PreviousContinue »