HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-3.-(First sermon.) Spiritual worship. "Rejoice," etc. Worship is worth- less if it be not spiritual. "God is a Spirit," etc. (John iv. 24). But worship simply spiritual, with no outward expression, no material symbol, would not suffice man's nature. Man is not spirit only; he is also flesh. His eye, ear, voice, nerves, brain, are as much God's work as his spirit. The worship he owes to God is that of his whole nature-body, soul, and spirit. Spiritual life cannot live on public worship only. 'I'here are chambers in the temple of the soul which are secret from every eye but God's. "Thou, when thou prayest," etc. (Matt. vi. 6). But if public worship alone will not satisfy our religious need, neither will secret worship. Man's nature is social. Even in sorrow, though we may shrink from company, we like sympathy to follow us into our solitude. But joy naturally seeks partners, longs to express itself, is sociable, outspoken, and sympathetic. Hence public worship is not an artificial contrivance, such as warm, vigorous piety can afford to dispense with or despise; it is the natural and fitting outcome of spiritual life, and one of the most powerful means for its nourishment. It is indispensable, and the fnll, complete exercise of Christian fellowship. Let us speak of the reasons and motives which make praise alike a duty and a privilege. I. THE GOODNESS A.liD FAITHFULNESS OF GoD. (Vere. 4, 5.) Characteristic of Bible to place moral attributes in the foreground, as chief reason for "rejoicing in the Lord." A poet would have put first (what here comes second) the splendour and variety of God's works. A philosopher, the infinity, eternity, absolute existence of God. Scrip- ture puts that first which at once concerns us most, and is God's highest glory-his character. II. GLORY OF Goo IN CREATION. His all-wise design and all-powerful will-both included in "the word of the Lord" (vers. 6-9). III. Goo's ALL-EMllBACING PROVIDENCE. Controlling all human affairs; baffling and making void, when he sees fit, all human counsels; creating, reading, ruling the minds of men (vers. 10-15). IV. Go1J'B SPECIAL CABE AND MERCY TOWARDS HIS PEOPLE. Those who love and trust him (vers. 16-22). '!'his is contrasted with the vanity of earthly power (vers. 16, 17). Yet, in this boundless prospect, the highest, deepe~t, s_trongest reason for praise is not included. To the Old 'l'cstament saints the veil still hung before the holy of holies. The Holy Spirit gave them the hope and promise of things as yet hid in mystery (Matt. xiii. 16, 17; Eph. iii. 5; 1 John iv. 10). 'l'hie is the main theme of the worship of heaven (Rev. v. 9, 12). Only as we have received Christ into our hearts c:m we" rejoice in the Lord" as our God and Father. Only thus is our worship a preparation for heaven.
Vers. 1-3.-(Second sermon.) Methods of worship. The forms of temple-worship to which this psalm refers were unsuited to the Christian Church, because the gospel leaves no room for a central holy place on earth. The heavenly sanctuary is open to faith, and the whole world haa become like the court of God's temple (Heb. ix. 8, 24; John iv. 21, 23). Ilut as our reasons for praising God are not less, but infinitely wore, than the Old 'l'estament saints knew, so Christian worship should not fall below, re. XXXIll, 1-22,] THE BOOK OF PSALM8. 249
but rise above theirs. Here are three characters which it should possess: (1) outward as well as spiritual; (2) hearty and joyful; (3.) collective and public, I. OUTWARD AS WELL AS SPIRITUAL, All strong emotion seeks and prompts utter- ance. For grief, because it is often solitary and epeechlee.s, God bas provided the silent language of tears (sometimes, too, for joy, when too big for words). But the impulse of joy is to shout and sing. Examples: A troop of children when school is over; victors in a race or game; multitude welcoming a sovereign. From the begin- ning of the gospel, vocal praise, the worship of song, has had a place of honour in the Christian Church (Eph. v. 19; Col. iii. 16; Acts xvi. 25). What would heaven be without it (Rev. xiv. 2; xv. 3)? God might have given language without song; voice and hearing without music. Man alone of living creatures can produce music (for the song of birds is not music. That some birds can be taught tunes proves that they can perceive music, but they have no power to produce it). It is one of God'~ choicest gifts, and its highest use is in his praise. II. HEARTY AND JOYFUL. " With a loud noise." The word here used is elsewhere translated" shout n (Numb. xxiii. 21). .Also used for the sound of the trumpet (comp. Ps. xcviii. 4-6). Does the value of our praise, then, depend on its noisings? Is God pleased, or man made devout, by noise and shouting? Certainly not. What these passages teach is heartiness in praise. We should throw our soul as well as our voice into it. Drawling languor, indolent affectation, mumbling negligence, should be utterly banished. 'l'o be silent, except from infirmity (as lack of ear or voice), in God's praise, should be held a disgrace. If" do it heartily " (Col. iii. 23) applies to any duty, surely to this. III. CoLLECTIVE AND PUBLIC. When the Apostles Peter and John returned "to their own company," after their noble testimony before the Sanhedrin, we read that "they lifted up their voice to God with one accord" (Acts iv. 24). Not "their voices," but "their voice," which must mean either that one spoke for the rest, or that they joined in holy song; for in music many voices become one. Accordingly, what follows may well be regarded as a psalm of praise and prayer, in which one prophet led and the rest joined in chorus. It is a very significant fact, that neither in the Jewish temple nor in ancient heathen temples was there liarmony in our sense of the word. The full, rich blending of the four kinds of voice, each in its part, is an a.rt for which the world mRy thank the Church. The duty and privilege of praise is one chief lesson of the whole Book of Psalms. It draws to a close, as if with the unrisen sunlight of the new covenant shining on it, with exhortations to universal praise (Pss. cxlviii. 12; cl. 6). This part of public worship, therefore-praise-as one of the noblest duties and highest privileges of Christiane, is the concern of the whole Church; not to be left to a handful of choristers or a specially excellent voice here and there. Preparation intelligently and harmoni- .ously to join in psalmody should be part. of Christian education. Hearty, skilful, ioyful, sympathetic psalmody is no mean part of our education for heaven.