Praise.
"Praise ye the Lord." It may be interesting to inquire what "praise" is; and what are the proper forms and features of human praise as offered to God. What praise does God reasonably demand? And what praise is man, at his best, able to offer? But those considerations may lead us into somewhat familiar lines. There may be some freshness in considering what the response to this call, what the offering of this praise, is to men. It is a glorifying of God; but it is also a benediction of men. We may not offer our praise for the sake of getting the benediction; we may only offer the praise for the glorifying of God. But we may keep the comforting assurance in our hearts, that God does make it return upon us in benedictions.
I. PRAISE AS BOASTING. Boasting is a part of the human character. It is the natural expression of the energetic, confident, and hopeful disposition. Boasting is a good thing as well as a bad. He is but a poor soul who does not beast, or cannot. The question is—Does the boasting concern self, or some one else? Boasting about self is offensive; boasting about some one else may be most noble. And praise is that noble and ennobling thing—boasting about God. That lifts us wholly away from self.
II. PRAISE AS MINISTRY. A man never offers praise to God without morally and spiritually helping some one beside him. That praise declares his faith in God; his sense of the claims of God; and his experience of the mercies of God. So praising is not our duty, it is part of our service. This is too often lost sight of, and then public praise is easily neglected.
III. PRAISE AS RELAXATION. The religious life is no continuous strain of wearisome duties that must be done. It is full of relief-times. And the praise-times of religious life are precisely similar to those resting and refreshing times which we all value so much as relief from business strain. Therefore the praise-feature of all religious services should have the most careful attention, that full efficiency may be secured.
IV. PRAISE AS CULTURE. By "culture" we mean the complete and harmonious development of all a man's bodily and mental powers. When used in relation to religion, it means the complete and harmonious development of all a man's spiritual powers. There is a praise-side to every man's religious nature, and that can only be cultured by fitting and continuous exercise. So man is blessed, and God is glorified, by the offering of praise.—R.T.
Psalms
Psalms 117 - psalms-117 - worlddic.com