The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 539

Ver. 4.-God •worthy to be :praised. The conjunction of ideas here is a little singular, " I will pray to the Lord, who iR worthy to be praised." It may originate in the feel• ing that it is fitting that, when we seek new blessings from God, we should not be unmi!ldfal of those which he has already bestowed. Praise should accompany prayer (see Phil. iv. 6, "prayer ... with thanksi:iving "). Add that the subjects of praise are encouragements to prayer. In the act of praising him we are reminding ourselves of the strong Teasons we have for hopefully seeking further mercies from him. - I. Gon 1s WOBTBY TO BE PRAISED. Not merely to be feared, entreated, strictly obeyed, and submitted to. He is worthy of thankful and rejoicing obedience and submission. It is not fitting that he should be served sullenly or silently; or that prayer to him should be as a cry of a slave to his master, or of one oppressed to his oppressor, or as a request for help addressed to a stranger. We should speak to hill!- with the ooufidence and love which hie relation to us and past goodness are fitted to inspire. One way of ensuring this is to blend praise with prayer. II. WHAT IT rs THAT BE-NDERS llIH WORTHY TO BE PR&lBED. Some obtain praise who are not worthy of it in any measure; others, much more than they deserve, But God ie worthy of and "exalted above all blessing and praise" (Neh. ix. 5). Whether we consider his nature, his regard for his creatures, his works or his gifts, we must feel that it is impossible to render him praiE:e worthy of him. But to the utmost of our power we should praise him for: 1. His glorious perfections. Especially hie infinite moral excellences-his truth, holiness, righteousness, and love. 2. 1Ji11 wonderful worl.·s. In creation, providence, and grace. 3. Specially, his redeeminq mercy. His kindness to us in Christ. 'l'he display of his perfections in the gift, the Person, and·the work of our Lord and Saviour. 'l'he mercy he exercises in the forgiveness of sin, the admission of sinners into hie family, and all the operations by which he brings his "many sons [and daughters] unto glory." (Heb. ii.10). The gift of the Holy Spirit for this purpose. 'l'he final bliss and glory. 4. The goodness of God to ourselves. Not forgetting that he is" worthy to be praised" for the commonest blessings we enjoy, ae well as those distinguishing blessings which we receive as his children through faith in Christ. And not only for the blessings which give us pleasure, but for those which give us pain, but are bestowed that we may become in a greater measure "partakers of his holiness " (Heb. xii. 10). ' III. BY WHOH HE OUGHT 'l'O BE PRAISED. 1. By all his creatures according to their capacity. All his inanimate a~d. irrational creatui:es do ~raise him. Their existence: qualities, order, and (as to the livmg creatures) tb_e,r happrness "show forth the excel- lences" of their Creator. •• All thy works shall praise thee, 0 Lord" (Ps. <:xiv, 10; comp. Ps. cxlviii.; xix. 1---4). All intelligent beings ought to praise him; all the right• minded of them do. Those who enjoy least of his bounty have much to thank him for, e.nd often praise him more than those who enjoy most. We do not say that those who are suffering in hell the penalty due to their sine can be expected to praise· him whose wrath abides so terribly 11pon them; although, if a somewhat fashionable doctrine CH, XXII, 1-61.] THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL. 555