I will extol Thee, my God, O King.
The Kinghood of God, and the glory of His providence: -
I. The Kinghood of God (Psalms 145:1-13).
1. Absolutely incomparable.
(1) Majesty incomprehensible.
(2) Reign perpetual.
(3) Power tremendous.
2. Supremely praiseworthy.
(1) By all.
(2) At all times.
(3) For ever.
II. The glory of His providence (Psalms 145:14-21). His kindness to--
1. Fallen man.
2. Universal life. The--
(1) extent;
(2) seasonableness;
(3) readiness;
(4) completeness of His providential care. Whatever the wants--corporeal, intellectual, moral, social--He satisfies all.
3. His kindness to the genuinely pious.
(1) Its spiritual activity.
(2) Its transcendent privilege.
(a) Nearness to God.
(b) Satisfaction of desires.
(c) Salvation from all evil.
(3) Its worshipping spirit. (David Thomas, D. D.)
The happy duty of daily praise
If I were to put to you the question, “Do you pray?” the answer would be very quickly given by every Christian person, “Of course I do, and every day, and often in the day.” But let me change the inquiry, and say, “Do you bless God every day?” I am not sure the answer would be quite so certain, so general, so prompt. Praise is certainly not so common in family prayer as other forms of worship. Be this our resolve: “I will extol Thee,” etc. We ought to do this, for it is due to God, and praise is pre-eminently characteristic of the true child of God. It is singularly beneficial to ourselves; if we had more of it we should be greatly blest. Besides, unless we praise God here how are we preparing for our eternal home? Now to help in this joyful duty of praise let us turn to our text and see in it--
I. The resolve of personal loyalty.
1. He pays homage to God as his King.
2. He personally appropriates God to himself by faith. “My God.” That word “my” is a drop of honey, nay, like Jonathan’s word, it is full of honey. And--
3. He is firmly resolved to praise God. My text has four “I wills” in it. And--
4. He himself will do this. No matter what other people do. Let none of us lose our own personality in the multitude, saying, “Things will go on very well without me.” Each one of us must praise God.
5. And he will be always doing this In the second clause of our text we have--
II. The conclusion of as intelligent appreciation. “And I will bless,” etc.
1. He presents the worship of inward administration. Therefore he blesses the Divine name.
2. And he meant that he wished well to the Lord. To bless a person means to do that person good. If we cannot give anything to God, we can desire that He may be known, loved and honoured by all men. It seems that David studied the character and doings of God, so that he found nothing in God which he could not praise. And he is very intense over this. “For ever and ever.” The words run parallel with Addison’s verse which tells that “Eternity’s too short to utter all Thy praise.” Somebody cavilled at that once, and said, “Eternity cannot be too short.” But in poetry and in praise “the letter killeth.” Language is poor when the soul is on fire.
III. There is also the pledge of daily remembrnace. “Every day will I,” etc. For the greatness of gifts we have already received demands it. To-day it becomes us to sing of the mercies of yesterday. Each day has its mercy, and should render its praise. If we cannot praise God on any one day for what we have had that day let us praise Him for to-morrow. There is a seasonableness about the praising of God every day. For the praise of God is always in season. The last sentence tells--
IV. The hope of eternal adoration David believed, therefore, that God was unchangeable, and in the immortality of the soul. And his resolve was that while here he would ever praise. But yonder we will praise him better. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
God’s chosen people extolling their Sovereign King
I. The sovereignty here asserted.
1. In the heart.
2. In the Church.
3. Over all things--in heaven, earth, hell.
II. The experience claimed. “My God.” He is my Father, and has made me an heir of His kingdom.
III. The vow recorded. “I will extol Thee.”
1. With the praises of the lips.
2. With the vigour of the new and inner man.
3. With the valour of faith. (R. C. Dillon, D. D.)
Christ the King of saints
Rev. Thomas Spurgeon, preaching on “Ecee Rex,” tells the story of a soldier’s death. He was wasted with disease and just about to pass into the unseen world and answer to the muster-roll above. Despite his weakness he sat himself upright in bed, lifted his hand to his forehead in a military salute, and said, “The King,” and so died.