All You have made will give You thanks, O LORD, and Your saints will bless You. Sermons
I. THE OUTER CIRCLE OF THE CHOIR. It is very large; for it includes all God's works. 1. Such as are inanimate - the outspread earth, the mighty mountain masses, the great and wide sea, the heavens, and all the stars of light. 2. And such as have life. From its lowest vegetable forms up to the most lofty of all the creatures of God; from the meanest insect that for one brief summer day flies through the air, up to man made in the very image and likeness of God. 3. And such as have intelligence and will and a moral nature capable of knowing good and evil; for these also are among the works of God, though at the head of them all. And they all praise him in so far as they are his works. This cannot be said of our works. Too many of them discredit and disgrace us, and the less seen or said of them the better. But of God we can say, "All thy works praise thee." Examine them how we will, subject them to the severest scrutiny, and the verdict of the psalmist will remain unchallenged. The power, the wisdom, the skill, the goodness of God, are evident in them all. And this not alone in the greater works of God, but in those that are less known and are on a smaller scale. Most of them have no power or choice in the matter, others act on the impulses of mere animal instinct, and yet others who have intelligence and will, but, alas! a corrupt heart likewise, even they, in those regions of their nature where their evil will has no power, are compelled to render their tribute of praise. As it has been said, the ungodly are creatures of God, even if they be not of his new creation; and all that is in them that is of God in the structure of their body, mind, and will, unites, and cannot but unite, in the universal chorus with which all God's works praise him. It matters not whether we survey his works in nature, in providence, or in grace. Of them all, when rightly understood, the same may be said - they all praise him. But all these - magnificent as so many of them are, and radiant with beauty and with ever manifold proof of the power, the wisdom, and goodness of God - these are yet but the outer circle. Consider, then - II. THE INNER CIRCLE OF THIS GLORIOUS CHOIR, who ever worship God. This consists of the saints of God. "Thy saints shall bless thee." But: 1. Who are God's saints? The name has fallen into ill repute. It is a term of scorn, of contempt, of dislike, in the mouths of not a few. They hold and affirm that if a man is called a saint, it is because he is either a hypocrite or a fool. It is because the world has seen too many sham saints, that it thus speaks of all saints. Hence no one now would dare to say of himself, however much he might hope it in his heart, that he was one of God's saints. The Church of Rome professes to be able to make saints. Her canonization is held to entitle any deceased individual to a right to a place amongst God's saints. But will any one take upon himself to show that the saints of the Roman calendar are all of them thus entitled? We hope they are; but we cannot say there is no room for doubt. Man-made saints are ever of a questionable kind. Nor is it essential to be numbered amongst God's saints that we should no longer live here upon earth. Those of whom the psalmist speaks were not dead, but living people. They might be poor, tried, troubled, tempted; but amid all such circumstances they lived here on earth as God's saints. Nor were they absolutely Perfect. Some of them were very far from that; and we do not know where to find any such now. There have been self-deluded, though well-meaning people, who have professed perfection; but to other eyes their perfection has not been evident. They have been good, devout, kind-hearted, and truly religious people; but flawless, faultless, they have not been. And where are there any such? But if the name of saint belongs only to such, then there are no saints, and there never have been. But they are those of whom it may be said that the whole trend and aim of their lives is to do God's will. They trust him, they love him, they worship him, they seek ever to obey him. It is the steady aim and honest endeavor of their lives, and in the main and increasingly they do walk with God and are well-pleasing in his sight. And, blessed be God! there have been, and there are, many such - the good Lord make all of us such! - and these are the saints of God. Not flawless, immaculate, perfect People, but those who come nearest to it of all people living. They are the salt of the earth, the light of the world, the elect Church, God's best gift to our world. They are found in every Church, they are confined to none. No Church is without them; none has them all. 2. These form the inner circle of God's worshippers. Their prerogative and privilege the highest of all. For they are more than others. God has not dealt with any others as he has with them. To them he has opened the treasure-store of his grace, and blessed installments of what shall be fully theirs one day, they both here and now enjoy. They are the temples of the Holy Ghost; they are inheritors of eternal life. And they glorify God more than others. It is the aim and bent of their lives. Through them many other precious jewels of God are taken up out of the mire of sin, in which they have been long lying, and they witness for God amid the world of the ungodly. God is their exceeding Joy, and they are his beloved. For them God orders his providential government. They are as the apple of his eye, and for them God's well-beloved Son was given up to die, and the Holy Ghost was sent and yet abides in the world. "And it doth not appear what they shall be." 3. And they render special worship. The other works of God praise him, but his saints bless him. That is more than praise; for though we praise that which excites our admiration - as do skill, genius, wisdom, power - yet we only bless where our love is stirred. Admiration is good, but love is that in which God delights, and only his saints can render him that. Admiration, that which excites our praise, may leave our heart cold and uncheered; but love enkindles a blessed inward fire, which illuminates and cheers the heart wherein it burns. Those who bless the Lord are blessed of him, and blessed they are. III. THE TRANSITION FROM ONE TO THE OTHER. From the outer circle to the inner. 1. For men it is possible. For it has often been accomplished. Every regenerated heart has been translated from the one to the other, and the transition is ever taking place. And the whole Bible is full of declarations and directions on the matter. To bring it about is the aim of all God's dealings with us. 2. And the means are plainly shown. Let there be the desire to enter into this inner circle, then the steps are the renunciation of all known sin; for it is sin alone that keeps us back. Then the surrender of the will to God, that which he means when he says, "Give me thine heart." This will involve obedience to God's commands, and then, for the maintenance of all this, and for the full entrance into the state of grace, let there be continual trust in God to do his work in your soul. 3. And how infinitely desirable all this is! For our own sake, for that of others, and for the honor of Christ. - S.C.
All Thy works shall praise Thee, O Lord; : —I. GOD'S WORKS. 1. They reveal Him — as the building the architect, or the book the author. 2. They obey Him — never transgress His orders, or neglect His behests. II. GOD'S CHILDREN. 1. They reveal Him more fully. There is more of God seen in the rays of reason, the sparks of fancy, the sensibility of conscience, the volitions of will, of one soul than in all the beauty of the landscape, or the brightness of the heavens. 2. They obey Him more loftily. (1) (2) (3) (4) (D. Thomas, D. D.) I. GOD HAS A PEOPLE WHOM HE CALLS HIS SAINTS. Who are they? Are they all dead? It is supposed so, for it is the usage of the Popery around us to call men saints who have been long in their graves. Somebody wrote me the other day about his "sainted mother." What did he mean? Had the Pope canonized her? Or did she become a saint by dying? When Paul wrote to the Churches he called the members of them saints. They were living men and women of whom he thus spake. They were like ourselves, and often inferior to ourselves. I believe that the Church of God to-day, as a whole, is better than the Church of Corinth. What is it to be a saint? Some people do not want to "know, for with them it is a term of contempt. They say, "Oh, he is one of your saints!" They lay emphasis on the word "saints"; as if it were something disgraceful or at least hypocritical. Whenever I have that said to me (and it has happened more than once), I take my hat off out of respect for the title. I had rather be a saint than a Knight of the Garter. I have sometimes heard of the "latter day saints." I do not know much about them, but I greatly prefer the "every day saints." Holiness must be a part of ourselves; it must be our nature to be saintly. Saints are not perfect people. Some will say of themselves that they are free from sin. But I have never met with such. A certain great painter had been accustomed to perform great feats with his brush; but one day, having finished a picture, he laid down his palette, and said to his wife, "My power to paint is gone! Oh," said she, "how is that? Well," he answered, "up to this day I have always been dissatisfied with my productions; but the last picture I have painted perfectly satisfied me, and therefore I am certain I shall never be able to paint anything worth looking at again." To be dissatisfied with oneself is to be capable of higher things, but to be satisfied is to have lost the very faculty of progress. We cannot, therefore, be satisfied with ourselves; still we know, also, that sin has not dominion over us, and in this we do and will rejoice. But saints are — 1. Those whom God hath set apart for Himself. 2. Called effectually by His grace. And they are to be known — 1. By their holy life. "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord." A man is described in Scripture, not by his infirmities, but by the general run and current of his life. We say of a river that it runs to the south, although there may be eddies along the banks which run in an opposite direction. Still, these are an inconsiderable matter. The main stream of the Thames, wind as it may, runs ever towards the sea. And the main stream and current of the saint's life is Godward. "But," says one, "holiness is imputed." It cannot be imputed. The righteousness of Christ is, but holiness is quite another term, and God's Word never speaks of the imputation of holiness. Where shall we find these saints? "Nowhere," says slander, but that is not true; there are many. of them, the ornaments of our households, the pillars of our Churches, the delights of our communion and the glory of Christ. And they are God's saints; "Thy salts shall," etc. The devil has his saints, and Rome hers, and self-righteousness and ceremonialism theirs; but God has His own. II. THEY ARE PLACED IN THE FIRST RANK. All God's works shall praise Him, but His saints shall bless Him, because they are in a peculiar manner God's works. He has twice created them: they stand in a covenant relation with Him. None but Christ's own people can be said to be interested in the covenant of grace. "I pray for them," said our Lord; "I pray not for the world." God's tenderest consideration is given to them. He cares for all His works, but His children, what care He gives to them. No farmer has as much care for his barn-door chickens as he has for his own little chicks indoors. "Like as a father pitieth his children, so," etc. How God has loved us, and does so, even when we have forgotten Him. One said to me the other day, "What will become of Gordon?" I answered, "He is safe enough, I believe; for he has given himself into the band of God, and He will take care of him." To this the questioner replied, somewhat flippantly, "It may be so; but, you see, he is so dashing that he gives God a great deal to think of and to do." I did not like the expression, but still it is true of us all. The office of "Preserver of men" is no sinecure in the hands of God. And how God visits us. He visits the earth and waters it, but how He comes to His people. And at the end they shall be crowned with glory and honour. III. THEY RENDER A SPECIAL HOMAGE. God's works "praise," but His saints "bless" Him. Praise has not in it those elements of warmth which belong to blessing God. You can praise a man and yet have no kind regard for him. No doubt after Waterloo the French soldiers praised Wellington, but none of them blessed him. They would say, "He must be a marvellous warrior to have overcome Napoleon," but they could have no love for him. Praising God is good, but blessing him is better. The lily lifts itself upon its slender stem and displays its golden petals and its glittering ivory leaves; and so it praises God. And the sea, and the birds. But they cannot bless Him. Only His saints do that. Let us do so more and more. ( C. H. Spurgeon.) People David, PsalmistPlaces JerusalemTopics Bless, Blessing, Confess, Extol, Godly, Hands, O, Ones, Praise, Saints, Thanks, WorksOutline 1. David praises God for his fame8. For his goodness 11. For his kingdom 14. For his providence 17. For his justice, holiness, and savings mercy Dictionary of Bible Themes Psalm 145:1-13Library June 17 EveningAll thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee.--PSA. 145:10. Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.--I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.--Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift … Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path The Satisfier of all Desires Christian Conversation How I Know God Answers Prayer Exhortations to those who are Called God, My King, Thy Might Confessing Free Grace Prayer Out of the Deep. The Life, as Amplified by Mediaeval Biographers. I Will Pray with the Spirit and with the Understanding Also- Second Great Group of Parables. The Knowledge of God Conspicuous in the Creation, and Continual Government of the World. The Holiness of God Covenant Duties. The Mercy of God The Intercession of Christ Psalms Links Psalm 145:10 NIVPsalm 145:10 NLT Psalm 145:10 ESV Psalm 145:10 NASB Psalm 145:10 KJV Psalm 145:10 Bible Apps Psalm 145:10 Parallel Psalm 145:10 Biblia Paralela Psalm 145:10 Chinese Bible Psalm 145:10 French Bible Psalm 145:10 German Bible Psalm 145:10 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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