Praising God at All Times

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I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.[Psalm 34:1]

Alas! what a vow is this that David makes here, a vow which he is sure beforehand he cannot keep; for is it possible for any man to bless God at all times? Is there not a time of pain and misery, in which Job's wife persuaded him to curse God and die? And can cursing of God stand with blessing of God?…
Is it not pain, it is not misery, it is not extremity of pain or misery that shall make me break my vow in blessing God; but if it be thought so great a matter to bless God in misery, I will stretch my vow yet further, for I will bless Him for misery; and I may truly say, if it were not for pain and misery, I should want one special motive for blessing God…
What does blessing God truly mean? Is it only in thought, or only in good intention? No, my soul; His praise shall continually be in my mouth; for though the heart indeed be the fountain of blessing Him, yet out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. Therefore it shall not be cloistered up in the cells of silence, but it shall have vent, and be brought into the light, that if it not be said that men seeing my good works, it may at least be said that men hearing my good words, may glorify our Father which is in heaven…
When I make this vow to bless God at all times, I make it not presuming upon any ability in myself… My confidence is that He who hath give me the resolution to will it, will give me also the power to perform it.
–Sir Richard Baker, Meditations and Disquisitions pp 359-61

 

 

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