Praise ye the Lord.
I will praise the Lord with my whole heart.
The highest work of mankind--praising God
I. A noble resolution for this highest work.
1. Thoroughness. “With my whole heart.”
(1) Without this thoroughness it would be unacceptable to God. “He abhors the sacrifice where not the heart is found.”
(2) Without this thoroughness it will yield no happiness to ourselves.
(3) Without this thoroughness it will not be continuous, but broken, desultory, and worthless.
2. Publicity. Man has to do with society, he lives in society, and by it; and if he is thorough, worship will come out in every conversation, in every act, in the sublimity of the look, in the dignity of gait.
II. A mighty argument for this highest work. Founded upon--
1. The works of God.
(1) They are here spoken of generally. His works, whether of creation, government, or redemption, whether in connection with matter or mind, are in every sense great, infinitely great in number, variety, and perfection. It is here implied, however, that their greatness is only seen by those who search for them, “sought out.” Their greatness is not in their bulk, their form, their colour, but in their essence, their plan, their uses, their relations, their bearings, etc. That those only search into them who have pleasure in them. A man must be interested in the works of God before he will study them. And to be interested in them he must love their Author. Hence piety is the spring of true philosophy.
(2) They are spoken of specifically. His works are grand. Whatever He does in nature is worthy of Himself, who Himself is “clothed with honour and majesty” (Psalms 104:1). Wonderful. Can the greatest created intellect in the universe comprehend all concerning what appears to be the most insignificant work of God? Memorable. Can anything impress the human soul like the worlds of God? Beneficent (verse 5). Truthful (verse 7).
2. The character of God.
(1) His rectitude (verse 3).
(2) His mercifulness (verse 4).
(3) His faithfulness (verses 5, 7).
III. An essential qualification for this highest work (verse 10).
1. This “fear of the Lord,” or piety, is the commencement of wisdom. He who has not a reverential love for God has not learnt the first lessons of true wisdom. True philosophy begins in piety.
2. The “fear of the Lord,” or piety, secures a sound understanding. (Homilist.)
Hallelujah
“Praise ye the Lord.” Just as though the psalmist would say, “Whether you will or no, I will; I will praise Him, if I am alone in doing so; I will praise Him with my whole heart--with all the fervour, spirituality, and sincerity with which I am endowed; I will praise the Lord with all my heart; and, in order that I may not be alone in praising Him, I will get into ‘the assembly of the upright,’ and probably some of my rustic notes will induce them to praise Him also; and Jehovah shall have the entire revenue of praise and glory that can be sounded forth from all the ransomed souls on earth, and all the ransomed souls in heaven.”
I. An exhortation. “Praise ye the Lord.”
1. This exhortation is addressed to those who possess a capacity to praise God--a heaven-born life--a quickened nature. It must be the praise of the soul, called into exercise under the immediate operation of the graces of the Holy Spirit.
2. Those persons who have a spiritual capacity--who have been born from above--have many reasons for praising God. Has this mighty God, to whom we sound our hosannahs, put forth His operations of grace, touched your proud, rebellious heart, nay, created a spiritual capacity in you, implanted all His own graces, opened your eyes to your own ruin and the law’s terrors, and then opened them to see the light of the glorious Gospel? If so, can you cease to praise the Lord?
II. A vow. “I will praise the Lord.” I verily believe that we have not paid attention enough to the act of praise, as going forth from the inmost soul. We may have paid more attention to the act of prayer, we may have paid more attention to the act of believing; we may have paid more attention to the act of humiliation before God in deep repentance; all these are very important; but shall we forget to praise Him? shall we forget to acknowledge the infinite debt of gratitude we owe to Him? What should we think of creatures who did this towards each other? How many thousands of providences, of a most momentous description, has He overruled for us, and not received any return of praise? How many thousands of prayers has He answered, and we not given a single tribute of praise?
III. Experimental godliness. “With my whole heart.” This includes spirituality, simplicity, and earnestness. There seems something of emulation in this expression--“with my whole heart”; and sure I am, that when the Holy Ghost enables us to move upwards in the spirit of praise, troubles, difficulties, temptations, snares, enemies, afflictions, sorrows, death itself, have no power to harm us; the spirit of praise bears us above all, carries us within celestial regions, where we seem to mingle our praises with the hallelujahs of glorified spirits around the throne. “With my whole heart.”
IV. The relative position. “In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.” Where am I to find “the assembly of the upright”? The man that is upright before God has owned or confessed the worst he knows of his case before the footstool of Divine mercy, he has thrown open his books, he has declared his insolvency to the law and justice of God, he adopts the very language of the psalmist, “I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid”; and instead of offering any compromise or making any specious promises, he betakes himself to the Divine Surety, of whom he obtains by faith a perfect obedience, a full satisfaction, a perfect righteousness, and presents them before God as His own. Thus he is accepted before the throne as an upright character. His condemnation is removed--his justification proclaimed--his absolution is enjoyed (without the interference of infidel priests)--his sanctification is given to him, and his glorification waits for him. (J. Irons.)
Whole-hearted praise
I. Without whole-heartedness our praise is not acceptable to God. He requires us, not ours. “He abhors the sacrifice where not the heart is found.”
II. Without whole-heartedness it will yield no happiness to ourselves. There is no true enjoyment in any service not rendered with the whole soul. No man is ever happy in any enterprise into which he cannot throw his whole being.
III. Without this whole-heartedness it will not be continuous. (Homiletic Review.)