The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.
But we will bless the Lord.
Living praise
The living God should be adored by a living people. A blessing God should be blessed by a blessing people. When we bless Him we should not rest till others do the same: we should cry to them, “Praise the Lord.” Our example and our persuasion should rouse them to praise.
I. A mournful memory. “The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.” This reminds us--
1. Of silenced voices in the choirs of Zion. Good men and true who neither sing nor speak among us any longer.
2. Of our own speedy silence: so far as this world is concerned we shall soon be among the dead and silent ones.
3. Of the ungodly around us, who are already spiritually dead, and can no more praise the Lord than if they were dumb.
4. Of lost souls in hell. Never will these bless the Lord.
II. A happy resolution. “ But we will bless the Lord.” In heart, song, testimony, action, we are resolved to give the Lord our loving praise; because--
1. We live. Shall we not bless Him who keeps us in being?
2. We live spiritually, and this demands perpetual thanksgiving.
3. We are blessed of the Lord: shall we not bless Him?
4. He will bless us. More and more will He reveal His love to us: let us praise Him more and more. Be this our steadfast vow, that we will bless the Lord, come what may.
III. An appropriate commencement. “We will bless the Lord from this time forth.”
1. When the heathen ask, “Where is now their God?” (verse 2), let us reply courageously to all atheistic questions, and meet infidelity with joyous adoration.
2. When under a sense of mercy, we are led to sing--“The Lord hath been mindful of us” (verse 12), let us then bless Him.
3. When spiritually renewed and comforted. When the four times repeated words, “He will bless,” have come true in our experience, and the Lord has increased us with every personal and family blessing (Psalms 115:12-14), then let all that is within us bless the holy name of the Lord.
4. When led to confess Christ. Then should we begin the never-ending life-psalm. Service and song should go together.
5. When years end and begin--new-years’ days, birthdays, etc., let us bless God for--
(1) Sin of the year forgiven.
(2) Need of the year supplied.
(3) Mercy of the year enjoyed.
(4) Fears of the year removed.
(5) Hopes of the year fulfilled.
IV. An everlasting continuance: “from this time forth and for evermore.”
1. Weariness shall not suspend it. We will renew our strength as we bless the Lord.
2. Final falling shall not end it: the Lord will keep our soul in His way, and make us praise Him all our days.
3. Nor shall death so much as interrupt our songs, but raise them to a purer and fuller strain.
4. Nor shall any supposable calamity deprive the Lord of our gratitude (Job 1:21). (C. H. Spurgeon.)
United and continuous praise
On Thursday evening, March 29, 1883, for above an hour all who had occasion to use the telephone in Chicago found it vibrating to musical tones. Private and public telephones, and even the police and fire-alarm instruments, were alike affected. The source of the music was a mystery until the following day, when it was learned that a telegraph wire, which passes near most of the telephone wires, was connected with the harmonic system, that tunes were being played over it, and that the telephone wires took up the sounds by induction. If one wire carrying sweet sounds from place to place could so affect another wire by simply being near to it, how ought Christians, in communication with their Father in heaven, to affect all with whom they come in contact in the world! The Divine music of love and praise in their lives should be a blessing to society. (Pulpit Treasury.).