[681.
and fear and evil habits : it is impossible you should. But, if once you obtain reconciliation with God, and, " by a spirit of adoption, are enabled to call him Father," then will your mouth be opened to sing his praise ; and you will desire that every child of man should join with you in that blest employment.]
2. Those who have been brought into " the liberty of the children of God" —
[To you this song of praise is nothing more than the prevailing expression of your feelings before God. To bless and magnify your God, is the joy of your soul : and you are ready to obey the call, when God's ministers invite you to unite in that holy exercise. Behold, then, I now say, " Blessed be the Lord God of Israel ! and let every one of you say, Amen." Say it, then ; say it cordially ; say it devoutly. We are told, that when the Christians of the primitive Churches said Amen, so general and so earnest was the utterance given to that word, that the sound was like thunder. I will not pretend to say what their circumstances might call for ; nor will I sit in judgment upon those of whom I know so little. But at this day, I confess, I should prefer a more quiet expression of our feelings and our desires. I am not fond of vociferation in prayer ; nor do I like a noisy piety. I prefer what is intimated in that delicate expression of the Psalmist : " Praise is silent before thee, O Lorde." But let God hear " your breathing and your cryf:" and doubt not but that He will accept it at your hands ; and, by the efforts which you make to praise him now, will he prepare you to join in everlasting " Hallelujahs" in the realms above.]
e Ps. lxv. 1. The Hebrew, as mentioned in the margin. f Lam. iii. 5G.