THE LORD's NAME IS TO BE PRAISED

"From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, the LORD’s name is to be praised." -Psalm 113:3 [KJV]

Praise is the incessant employ of glorified saints in heaven. There they fully see and eternally sing of the electing, redeeming, sanctifying, glorifying love of the blessed Trinity. May our souls catch some of the heavenly flame of love, and imitate them in our praise to-night. This is the work of an humble heart. Pride is the parent of murmuring and discontent. A sense of the blessings of the Lord, and a sight of our unworthiness of them, excite praises in the heart. This is the language of a praising soul, Why me, Lord? 

Why am I singled out from the ruins of a fallen race, to partake of Thy special grace, peculiar love, and precious salvation? Am I better than others? Have I done more to deserve Thy mercies than others? Have I a greater right to challenge Thy favour than others? O, Lord! why me? Thus, while the soul sinks in humility, it rises in praise. David describes saints, with the “highest praises of God in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand” (Psalm 149:6.) What for? to execute vengeance upon their heathen notions, of sacrificing any praise to themselves, or ascribing any thing to their own deserts. 

These are special marks of a regenerate person. (1st.) His heart is formed for, and his soul delights to praise the Lord at all times. For he sees himself infinitely and entirely indebted to the grace of God, for all he is, all he enjoys, and all he hopes for. (2d.) It is his grief, that he cannot praise the Lord as he would, without intermission, “From the rising of the sun, to the going down of the same.” For worthy is the Lord of unceasing praise. His mercies are renewed every morning, continued unto evening, and repeated in the night season. But here is a precious word in this Psalm, that endears the Lord to us, and excites praise from us. “Who is like unto the Lord our God, Who dwellest on high! Who humbleth Himself”—pause, O my soul! at that astonishing word. How did the most high God humble himself? to the most low and abject state. 

Made Himself of no reputation; took on Him the form of a servant; a mean man: yea, more, became obedient to the most ignominious death, even the cursed death of the cross (Philippians 2:8.) O, my soul, though vile in thine own eyes, though of no repute in the world, consider this. Thou canst never want an inexhaustible fund of comfort, and a never-failing source for praise. “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name.” -Psalm 103:1. 

 

Each risen sun that I behold, 

Calls for my daily praise: 

Thy mercies, Lord, can ne’er be told, 

How rich! how free Thy grace! 

The shades of each revolving night 

Proclaim Thy grace to me: 

O, joyful hope! O prospect bright! 

In heav’n I shall praise Thee.

 

-preacher Wm. Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

JESUS - Rock of Ages

Jesus remains the same in all ages. He is the One who is constant when everything and everyone else fails. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever; the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He is our R ock [I SAMUEL 2:2 ] . In the Old Testament, in Exodus 33, Jesus is pictured as the Cleft Rock. In that chapter, verse 18 and following, Moses desired to see the glory of the Lord, but was told, "You cannot see My face; for there shall no man see My face and live.” And the Lord said, “There is a place by Me, and you shalt stand upon a rock: and it shall come to pass, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by." Notice that as Moses stood upon the rock, the Lord hid him in the cleft. This wonderfully applies to us today! Believers are both standing on and hidden in Christ [COLOSSIANS 3:3 ] . We are both in and on the Rock. As life with its many bitter events presses upon us, ...
Read more

CHRIST OUR ONLY AND PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS

" The flesh lusteth against the Spirit." —Galatians 5:17 [KJV] Christian experience fully proves this apostolic truth. Hence the children of God cannot do the things that they would: nor have we any authority from God's word to conclude this lusting ever ceased in any of the saints till they got to glory; none are delivered from it while in the flesh. For, as the renewed soul or spirit loves to enjoy spiritual and heavenly objects, so the flesh, or unrenewed part, lusts after those objects it is naturally conversant with, and from which it derives its happiness.  Here is thy conflict, O Christian. Hence the necessity of thy Lord's command, "Watch always." This is the use of the doctrine. What woeful effects have fulfilling the lusts or desires of the flesh produced in eminent saints! Thou standest by faith, be not high-minded, but fear. The conceptions of lust are the productions of sin.— see James 1:15 . The commission of sin contracts fresh s...
Read more

GLORY ALONE IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

" Lest Israel vaunt themselves against Me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me." -Judges 7:2 [KJV] Thus the Lord reasoned with Gideon. He knows what is in man. He sees the pride of the human heart: how prone we all are to boast in an arm of flesh. The Lord is jealous of His own glory. Gideon’s army of two and thirty thousand, is brought down to three hundred. By this handful of men, and no more, did Gideon gain the victory of the Midianites. The Lord’s wisdom in this was, “Lest Israel should vaunt themselves, and say, Mine own hand hath saved me.”   But I have not transcribed the text right. There are two little words of great import, which I have omitted. Mind then, O Christian— against Me. Now remember, whenever thou dost boast of thy power, thy free-will, thy human goodness, thy works, ditties, conditions, and performances in order to be saved, thou art then, as it were, two and thirty thousand strong. Thou vauntest thyself against the Lord . Thou art gloryi...
Read more