Author Thread: There must be life, in order to praise. For how can the dead speak?
dljrn04

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There must be life, in order to praise. For how can the dead speak?
Posted : 26 Sep, 2013 02:31 AM

Psalm 119:175 Let my soul live, and it shall praise You; and let Your judgments help me.





There must be life, in order to praise. For how can the dead

speak? Yet is it as natural for the living soul to praise, as for

the living man to speak. And is not the life that the Psalmist is

now praying for, the salvation for which he was longing? The

taste that he has received makes him hunger for a higher and

continued enjoyment; not for any selfish gratification, but that

he might employ himself in the praise of His God. Indeed, the

close of this Psalm exhibits that pervading character of praise

which has been generally remarked in the concluding Psalms

of this sacred book. Yet he alone is fitted for this heavenly

exercise, of whom it has been said-"This my son was dead,

and is alive again." And how will he, who has "looked to the

hole of the pit whence he was dug," who has been awakened

to a sight of that tremendous gulf, from which he is but

"scarcely saved," long to give utterance to the effusions of a

praising heart! How will he cry for the quickening influence of

"the Lord and Giver of life," to stir him up to this delightful

privilege! Praise springs from prayer-Let my soul live, and it

shall praise You. When the breathing of life into our souls

enlivens our services, we become, in the noblest sense,

"living souls."

Too often, however, the consciousness of inconsistency,

carelessness, and unspirituality, damps our song. But let

every recollection of our sin be accompanied with an humble yet assured confidence in the Lord's pardoning grace. The

abominations of a desperately wicked and unsearchably

deceitful heart may well lead us to "abhor ourselves in dust

and ashes." Yet in the lowest depths of abasement, the

Savior's blood, applied to the conscience, "cleanses from all

sin." He who once "passed by us, and saw us polluted in our

blood, and said unto us, when we were in our blood, Live"-still

"holds our souls in life;" covering our daily infirmities, and

maintaining our everlasting acceptance before God.

But while the song of praise dwells on our lips for life thus

freely given, let us guard against all hindrance to its growth

and influence. For if the life within waxes low, praise will be

dull and heartless. But when the assured believer cries with

acceptance-Let my soul live, and it shall praise You-see how

his spirit kindles with holy fire-"Blessed be the God and Father

of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant

mercy has begotten us again unto a lively hope by the

resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead!" The work of

praise is now his nature, his element, his delight. No wonder,

then, that he continues his cry for the daily renewal of his

spiritual life, that he may return to this sweet foretaste of

heaven-Let my soul live. And, indeed, this life-the more it is

known, the more will it form the constant matter for prayer. For

what besides makes existence tolerable to a child of God?

The mere actings of a sickly pulsation can never satisfy him.

Considering how much nearer he might live to God than he

has yet known, he longs for more vigorous influence of the

Divine principle. In his most active enjoyments, his

insufficiency for this sacred work presses upon him, and stirs

up petition for help-Let Your judgments help me. Give me

such an enlightened apprehension of Your word, of Your

character, and of Your perfections as the God of my salvation,

as may furnish abundant matter of unceasing praise; so that

my daily exercise may be-"Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus

Christ."



by

Charles Bridges

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DontHitThatMark

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There must be life, in order to praise. For how can the dead speak?
Posted : 26 Sep, 2013 10:28 AM

Romans 7

9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.

11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.

12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.



:peace::peace:

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