You see tbat God, the great physician, be is good at all diseases. He is never set at anything, for be can create helps and remedies, of nothing. If there be none in nature, he can create peace to tbe soul. In the midst of trouble of conscience, God can make things out of nothing, nay, out of contraries. You see here wbat this great phj'sician bath- done. He fetched them ' from tbe gates of death, wben their soul abhorred all manner of meat ;' and what dotb he require for all this great cure ? Surely the text tells us be looks for nothing but praise.
' Ob tbat men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness,' &c.
In which words you have these circumstances considerable, together with the substance of the duty :
First, Tbe persons who must praise God : ' Ob that men would praise tbe Lord.'
And then the duty tbey are to perform : ' to praise God,' to ' sacrifice to God,' to ' declare bis works ' — one main duty expressed by three terms.
Tbe third is for what tbey should praise bim : ' for bis goodness.' It is tbe spring of all, for all particular actions do come from bis nature. His nature is goodness itself, and indeed all other attributes are founded on goodness. Why is he gracious, and merciful, and long-suflering ? Because he is good. This is the primitive attribute.
And then another thing for which we must praise him : * for bis wondrous works for tbe children of men.'
Fourthly, Tbe manner how this should be done : * witb rejoicing and singing,' as the word signifies [e), 'declare his works witb rejoicing.' For as all holy actions must be done joyfully and cheerfully, so especially praise : ' God lovetb a cheerful giver,' 2 Cor. ix 7, much more a cheerful thanksgiver, for cheerfulness is the very nature of thanksgiving. It is a dead sacrifice, of thanksgiving, it is a dead sacrifice else. These are the many tbings considerable in these words.
First of all, of the jJersons.
' Ob tbat men would praise the Lord.'
The blessed psalmist, whosoever he were, directed by the Spirit of God,
150 A RESCUE FROM DEATH,
he would have all men to praise God ; not only tbose that participate and Lave interest in the favour, but the beholders also of the goodness of God to others. For here he that was not interested in these favours for bis own particular, j-et be praiseth God for the blessings to others; and he wisbeth that God might have praise from them.
For we are all of one society, of one family, we are all brethren ; there- fore we must praise God for bis blessings and benefits on others: and not only for ourselves, but we must wish that all would do so ; and specially we must ' praise God ' for ourselves, when we have part of the benefit. For shall others 'praise God' for us, and shall not we for ourselves? Shall the churches of God abroad ' praise God' for bis great deliverance of this city — as there is no church in the world that hears of it but is thankful for it — and shall not we for ourselves ? Shall the angels in heaven ' praise God,' and sing for the redemption of the church by the blood of Christ, ' Glory to God on high, peace on earth, good will to men?' Luke ii. 13, 14; and shall not we, that have interest in the work of redemption ? for Christ is not a mediator of redemption to angels. He hath relation to them in another respect. Yet they out of love to God and the church, and a desire to glorify God, they 'praise God' for this; and shall not we much more for ourselves ? "We must praise God ourselves, and desire that all would do so, as he saith here, ' Oh that men would praise the Lord,' &c. ; and in some other psalms be stirs up all the creatures, ' hail, and snow, and wind,' and all to praise God.
How can these ' praise God' ? . ' They do it by our mouths, by giving us occasion to praise him. And they ' praise him' in themselves; for as the creature groaneth, Rom. viii. 23, that none knows but God and itself; they groan for the corruption and abuse that they are subject unto, and God knows those groans. So the creature hath a kind of voice likewise in praising of God. They declare in their nature the goodness of God, and minister occasion to us to praise God. Therefore the psalmist being desirous that God might be praised for his ' goodness and mercy,' he stirs up every creature, Ps. ciii. 20, seq., even the very angels, insinuating that it is a work fit for angels.
The children of God have such a love and zeal to the glory of God, that they are not content only to praise God themselves, but they stir up all. They need not to wish angels to do it, but only to shew their desire. Oh the blessed disposition of tbose that love God in Christ !
What shall we think then of those wretched persons that grieve that the ' word of God should run and have free passage, and be glorious,' 2 Thes. iii. 1, and that there should be a free use of the sacraments and the blessed means of salvation ? They envy the glory of God, and the salvation of people's souls. What shall we say to those that desire to hear God dis- honoured, that perhaps swear and blaspheme, themselves, or if they do not, yet they are not touched in their hearts for tbe dishonour of God by others ? This is far from the disposition of a Christian. He desires that all creatures may trumpet out tbe praise of God, from the highest angel to the lowest creature, from tbe sun and stars to the meanest shrub ; only devilish- spirited carnal men take delight to blaspheme God, that can strike them with his word and send them to their own place, to bell, without repentance, and can hear him dishonoured without any touch of spirit. A child of God desires God to be glorified from his very heart-root, and is grieved when God is dishonoured any kind of way. So much briefly for the first.