The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Chronicles — Section 440

to the Divine Personag:e, is a picked, choice, word of the spiritual vocabulary that is open to e. creature e.pproe.ching the Creator. It is the word of highest and most refined effort. Human exclamation has done its best, has touched its highest note, when, having passed through thanks, gratitude, praise, glorifying, magnifying, e.nd, if there be any other, it soars on this note, and rests and poises itself as it were on this note: "lilessed be thou, Lord God." 'l'he soul that has striven to give his due to the Lord God, yet striven too anxiously in vain, flings it.self on that one remaining word, and, lost in admiration, it breathes the simplicity and sincerity of an impas.•ioned genuine fervour into it, e.nd must be content. 'l'his word" hlessed," when applied to the Divine Being, is confessedly a familiar one to our ear, to our lip; but, if estimated by the freight it contained now, has contained times without number, and may this day contain, it is one owning to priceless sacredness and beauty. And it is this, not ro much for what it speaks, but for the fact that when first speech most fails, it comeR the only volunteer to bear Heavenward what we mean. Note, again, the telling accompaniments of this ascription in the time-view of it. 1. It stretches backward to the birth of the favoured and now enrapt people," Lord God of Israel our Father." 2. It stretches forward, far, for further, " For ever and ever." II. hs ADORING ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF GoD'S SOVEREIGN, tnfIVERSAL PROPRI.ETOR- BHIP. To give to God his own even in language is a thing often forgotten. Thought is careless to do it. Faith is sleepy to do it. Aspiration's effort is weak on wing to try it. Men grovel in the use of even the infinitesimally small, and forsake the mighty inspiration of the mere attempt at a survey of all. But what source of comfort and of nndelusive strength it should be for the creature to rehearse to himself the infinite fulness, the glorious riches of bis Maker, Father, God I That the contrast should seem appalling, great even to overwhelming, is not the just and legitimate result of the meditation and acknowledgment. To be timid, anxious, uncertain, is the portion for those who know not on w.hat they have to depend, or who do know that he on whom they depend has himself but impoverished means! But the weakest creature is strong, comforted, blessed, whose eye of faith surveys this wealth of possession, these boundless surroundings of the supreme Being. Yes; we leave unssid, nnthought, the exalting sovereign truth now (as fully as it is simply) recited by David and his people. "Thine, 0 Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, a.nd the majesty: all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, 0 Lord, and thou art exalted as head above a.II. Both riches and honour come <>f thee, and thou reignest over all; ... and in thine hand it is to make ~reat, and to give strength unto e.11." We may distinguish in the beautiful riches of this descriptive and this mnjestice.lly pic- turesque sketch of the infinite Being : 1. The intrinsic attributes given to him. 2. The absolute universal possession perceived in him. 3. His position a.ad consequent active rule. 4. His bestowments of such things as "riches and honour." 5. His bestowrnents of such other more intrinsic vital gifts, as-.." to make great" and "to give strength." There are gifts for the hand, but there are other gifts for the very spricgs of one's own lffe. These assimilate, as it were, with our spontaneous force, and the human then sllows more or less Divine. God owns all; and great is the all which he owns. .And lie gives. He is not more adorable for tile e.11 that he has than he is for the nil that he gives. An,I it is very interesting to observe, as by the help of this passage, how difficult is it to divorce the possessing of God from bis bestowing-all creation itself, the over- flowing of his fulness. III. !Ts SIMPLEST PRONOUNCED THANKSGIVING AND PRAISE. When the ndoring ecstasy is pa1,sed, then reason and justice, though on the humblest scnle, are to resume their place, and the creature-debt of thanks and praise is to be paid, sacredly, simply po.id, with the lip. To this David leads his people with himself: "Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious Name." IV. !TB UNQUALIFIED DISCf,AIMER OF ALL MERIT ON THE PART OF KING ANP PEOPLE. To uot a rag of self-righteousness will David permit the whole gathering of his nation to lay claim. He.ve they given? they have given what was first given tc, themselves. Have they given heartily? they have given to the Giver himself. There bas been no merit in their doings. No; nor con there be any meritoriousness about themselves. For what a.re they? There is not the substance in them of which merit could be made, nor tho root to tb~m of which It could grow, nor t.he continuauc:EI  'I'lIE rmsT BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. [tit. XXIJ:. 1-30.