a mighty eong of praise went up on the Red Soo shore; in remembrance of which, in St. John's visions of the heavenly glory, he beard the ransomed in the be1wenly temple sing" the song of Moses the servant of God" as well as" the sona of the Lo.rob' (Rev. xv. 3). There have been times in which the voice of holy sona~t o.11 events, of congregational psalmody-has fallen silent, or nearly so. But thes: have not been times of flourishing life, of growing piety. Times of grel\t spiritual revival have commonly been associated with a great outburst of praiseful song. "It is a good thing to give thanks and to sing praises." I. First, because THIS PART OF WORSHrP MOST DIREC'fLY SEEKS GoD's GLORY, rrayer glorifies God i11directly in acknowledging our dependence ou him, our sin and unworthi- ness, our faith in his promises, and desire to serve him; glorifies Christ, as our Mediator, Sacrifice, Hedeemer, Master, "the Light of the world; " glorifies the Holy Spirit, by whom alone we can pray aright So, again, the reading of Scriptures as God's Word; the preaching of the gospel as God's message; and devout hearing, all glorify God. But praise glorifies God directly as its sole purpose. We ourselves fade out of view, or at least fall into the background. God fills our whole prospect, absorbs our thoughts. V~ e praise him, not only because "he is our God," "the Father of spirits," bnt "for his excellent greatness "-for what God is in himself. We praise the Son, not only as our own Saviour, but as "the Brightness of the Father's glory, and the express Image of his Person." We praise the Spirit as " the Lord and Giver of life." Praise is therefore the highest exercise of our powers; the sublimest attitude of a created spirit. II. The singing of praise is POTTING TO THE BEST USE ONE OF OUR NOBLEST FA.CUL• TIES. God might have given us hearing without any sense of melody and harmony; speech without song. Dy the wonderful structure of our organs of speech and bearing, and the capacity of harmonious vibrations bestowed on air and other substances, God has prepared an inexhaustible store of music, a whole world of delight, of which-we might have been left without the slightest conception. And he has so tuned our nature that joyous or pathetic emotions naturally break into song. "Is any merry ? let him sing psalms" (Jas. v. 13). Ill PRAISE IS MEANT .A.lID FITTED (FITTED, .AND THEREFORE DESIGNED) TO BE THE llOBT DELIGHTFUL PA.BT OF WORSHIP. In prayer we gird on onr armour, lay bare our weakness, take hold on God's strength to save us. The Word read and preached gives us manna from the skies, water from the rock; but also smites with the "two-edged sword," and at times lays us in the dust. But praise gives us wings; lifts us into the sunshine of God's countenance, within sight of the pearly gates and jasper walls, within hearing of the" new song before the throne." It is that part of earthly worship in which we come nearest to the worship of heaven. IV. Lastly, Pll.AISE IS .A RICH MEANS OF GRACE, CAP.ABLE OF .A POWERFUL REFLEX ACTION ON OUR OWN SOULS; helping to fill us with "love, joy, peace." Paul and Silas felt this when in the dungeon they not only prayed, but "sang praises to G,:,d." CoNCLUSION. Enforce the duty of cultivating musical gifts and consecrating them; and of taki □g earnest pa.rt in Church psalmody,
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers.1-15.-T/,e eye-sal,ve of praise. In this psalm we have- L THE SPIRIT OF GLADSOME PRAISE. (Vera. 1--4.) 'l'he writer had evidently tried what praise could do, and the result of his testing it was this _joyful out.burst of praise concerning praise. He tells of its essenc~-giviug_tbank~; o~ its expr~ss1on- singing; its object..--the Lord; its seasons-mornmg and night; its a1ds-mus10 of all kinds; its inspira.tion-the gladness that came to him _through the wor~ of the ~or~. IL A DARK PROBLEM. (Ver. 7.) The see!Iling _tr!umph o! ungodlrness. Thi~ 1s a problem which has baffled many, and the pam of 1t 1s beard III many a lamentat1on, expostulation, and prayer. For good men have trembled lest it should be believed that God was on the side of the ungodly. III. THAT PROBLEM BEEN THB.ouon by help of the spirit of praise. 1. It i~ seen through. The psalmist has no doubt of what is the meaning of all that prosperity of PB. XCII. 1-16.] TH:m BOOK OF PSALMS. 285