The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 2 — Section 288

best to unitr "all the earth" in this song. 6. It is to be g1·ateful, "Bless his Name." ,~'hRt ithundant reason there is for such gratitude I Happy they who thus sing unto the Lord! II._ :--rn:r,roNs. These also are called for-fervent, holy speech for God. Not necessarily set d1~~0ur,:es such as we understand by sermons. These, but not these alone, nor these nt all, 1f G~ has not given us the needed capacity; but God-prompted, loving words spoken (or h1m-:-these all can speak, an~ should do so as opportunity is given. Such s1wech 1s described, as was the song, m a threefold way. 1, Showing fortll God's salmtion. And this from day to day. This can be done, and perhaps best done, by what we nre and do- by our life as well as by our lips; yet let not the latter be silent as they too often are, to our own and others' great loss. 2. Declaring his qlory among the heathen. There is no need to go far away to find these heathen, They are all around us. Tell them of the glory of his character, his Word, his service, hiR Spirit dwelling wit.hi11, his eternal rest by-and-by. 3. His wonders among all people. Not the good people only-it is easy to talk before them; but among the unsaved, tell them what a wonderful Saviour Jesus is.-S. C. Yer. 3.-The spirit of missionary work. Amongst the brighter signs of the times in which we live must be reckoned the universal anxiety, now in so many ways mani- fested, on the part of Christian people for the spread of the message of Christ's salva- tion both at home and abroad. The whole psalm overflows with thankfulness and delight, and in it is found this summons to missionary work. Now, in a human com- position we should say that it was unskilled and lacking in true art if there were introduced an idea which marred the unity of the whole, which was out of harmony with its spirit and incongruous with its main intent. But in an inspired composition like this psalm we can be quite sure that there would be no such incongruity. But then it follows that this summons to missionary service must be in keeping with the spirit of this psalm, or it would not be found where it is. Therefore we note- I. THE SPIRIT OF SONG IS IN HARMONY WITH MISSIONARY SERVICE, For think of "l>hat this sen-ice is. lt is: 1. To preach. Not to amuse by gaudy ceremonial. Men are not so won to Christ. And not to conjure as by mystic sacramental grace. But to preach. This is what Christ commanded, what the text bids, what such as Paul gloried in, what God ever blesses. And it is a joyful service. 'l'rue preachers own this as they feel that those to whom they speak are moved and touched, and are c~'!l,cious in their own souls of the inspiration of their theme-a theme with which 11one other can compare, For: 2. It is to preach God's salvation. That which the text calls" his glory," "his wonders." Now, we know how pleasant it is to be the bearer of happy tidings--say, to a distressed household, a heart trembling with fear. And such is the work of the preacher of the salvation of God. He goes to the consciously guilty, and tells them of free forgiveness in Christ; to the sin-enslaved, and tells them of complete deliverance from the accursed tyranny under which they groan; to the sorrow-stricken, and tells them of him who shall wipe away all tears; to the dying, and tells them of him who, when he had overcome the sharpness of death, opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. Such is the missionary's joyous task. • 3• .And to preach this to all. None are to be left out. One who had been the means of rescuing many from a watery grave through the breaking of a sheet of ice on which they had been joyously skating, tells how all his joy was marred by the fact that he had been compelled to leave many unsaved. So if we were limited, and not suffered to go to all with the glad tidings of God's salvation, we should feel our joy marred indeed. But because it is for all, therefore is our joy great. 4. Thus he is a co-worker with Ghrist. In fellowship with him. This is an enhancement of the gladness of the work. A re"iment 0 is honoured by distinction won by one of its soldiers; a whole family, if one mcmber wins high place. How much more the missionary when Christ is co-worker with him I And : 5. It is a work which has not been in vain. What glorious results have been achieved! what trophies won I 'l'herefore we say this service is in l,armony with glad song. 11. AND THIS SPIBlT OF GLAD SONG IS NEEDED FOR BUCH SERVICE. For : 1. Men will not care for that which, so far as they can see, doea y()'IJ, little or no good• . llµt when they see that the faith of Ohri$t is the sunshine of our lives, then they will be PB. XCVI, 1-13.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 323