Hchre"·s cxprnssed joy by great shouts, loud blast..q, and noisy clangings. Whe.t we may properly learn is that the elements of joy and gladness, which find their easiest and best expression in music and song, are the proper accompaniment of all worship olfered to God. It has been pointed out that" thanksgiving and praise are the higher elements of worship, and so ~he essence of the worship of heaven; confession and prayer belong to the imperfection of earth. I. GLADNESS IN THE SERVICE OF Goo's BOUSE IS BECOMING, In view of God's gracious ways with us. They who receive gifts from friends e.re cheered and gladden eel by the gift~; and we are receiving fresh gifts from our heavenly Friend continually. Dulness and sadness would say that God's favours are little valued. As the thing that is. ~tting, becoming, God's people should nourish a bright, cheery, hopeful, happy spmt. II. GLAD:!,."'ESS IN THE SERVICE OF Goo's HOUSE IS HONOURING, Note that it has ever been this feature that has made Divine service attractive. And the supreme anxiety of each generation has beeu to get brightness into its service that will make it attractive. So joy in God's house honours God by winning men to him. III. GLADNESS IN THE SERVICE OF Goo's BOUSE IS INSPffiING. we are consciously helped by sunny cheerful services. Nothing carries away our cares, doubts, fears, like joining together in holy song. "The joy of the Lord is our strength."-R. T. Ver. 3.-17re sovereign rights of God our Maker. "It is he that hath made us," This might truly enough be the exclamation of an indioidual; but it is a public psalm, sun_g at public worship, and it is the expression of a nation. Special interest attaches to it as the language of a restored nation, one that has begun again its national career. It must be associated with the circumstances of the returned exiles, and it is their rejoicing in their new national relations with God. We may cover the entire subject suggested if we take- I. Gon AS THE MAKER OF THE INDIVIDUAL. 1. It is true that God made man. The design, the capacities, the possibilities, and the relations of man, are all and wholly the Divine idea and the Divine handiwork. It is well to see clearly that man's own creative power stops short at life. Man can make forms; he can quicken no forms into life. But we want to see more impressively the truth that God made each man. However the individuality of men may surprise us, we may be sure that we never can get an individuality which was not the Divine thought. Man makes neither himself nor his peculiarity. Then God, as our Maker, has first claims on those he has made. II. Goo .AS THE MAKER, OB FoUNDEB, OF THE NATION. Take" nation" as type of all kinds of ways in which men combine together. What is true of the nation is true of the family and of the Church ; we are to recognize God as the Arranger of, and Presider over, all forms of hum.an combination. Illustrate from the way in which God created the nation of Israel. Note that the creation of a nation is no simple and sudden act; it is a long process, a shaping and using of various agencies. God selected the nation's beginning, disciplined a set of tribes through long generations, provided a location for it, etc. The fact of the making of a nation being a prolonged work should not prevent our seeing that it is God'R work. Illustrate by the 'Making of England.' So God, as the Nation-maker, has the first claim on the nations he has made. III. Gon IS THE MAKER, IN THE BENSE OP REMAKEB, OF THE NATION, For nations seem at times to break up, and require remaking. Illustrate by Israel's experiences in the days of the Captivity, and our England's in the days of the Stuarts. In this remaking we too easily overvalue the human agents. God alone can remake; end the agents are his agents to do his work.-R. T.
Ver. 4.-Bl,essing the Divine Name. "Bless his Name." The name stands for the Being named. It does but gather up and focus his most glorious and gracious attributes. The distinction on which we may dwell is this-It is fitting that we render thanks to God, in our loving recognition of what he has done for us. It is fitting that we should bless his Name as we recognize what he must be, who has done for us such good and gracious things. Possibly a distinction may be made between thanlcing God, as a duty which every one who receives his bounties ought to perform; and blessing God, which is the expression of that personal feeling towards God which only his own PB. O. 1-5.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 369
redeemed people can cherish, We thank those who do us a kindness; we bless those who evidently show their personal love to us in the kindness they do us. I. RE0OGNlTION OF THE DIVINE DEALINGS WHICH CALLS FOR THANKSGIVING. See in. li_fe the: 1. Divine providings. We have wanted no good thing. 2. Divine gu1drngs. Bo thnt we can say, "It has been a good way wherein the Lord our God has led us." 3. Divine overrulings. We can in some measure already see that "all things do work together for good." Since God" giveth us all things richly to enjoy," what should we do hut be thankful? Illustrate by Moses calling upon the people to review their wilderness-life for forty years, in order that, in renewed thankfulness and trust, they might bind themselves for ever to God's service (see Deut. viii.). !I. RECOGNITION OF THE DIVINE LOVE IN THE DIVINE DEALDrGB WHICH CA.LLB FOR BLEBSmG. 'l'bis requires the opened, quickened, spiritual vision. Character is shown in all action, but only the thoughtful minds watch for it, and find pleasure in dwelling on it. .And so many are quite satisfied with the things God does, and do not concern themselves with the revelations in them of the character of the Doer. So they cannot rise up to the height of "blessing his holy Name." But to the spiritually quickened, the reading concerning God himself in his doings is the unceasing delight; nod in the revelations of his love made to them they learn to" bless bis Name."-R. T.