Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-11-27

songs of perpetual praise thrills with
new joy with every note it sounds.
The best possible way to increase our
joy and gratitude, is to give frequent
expression to that which we already
experience, for as another has said,
eff we will only stop to count our
mercies, we will always find mercies
to counts" and as long as the appre-
Ciative soul finds mercies it will feel
gratitude. If then, wewill only give
our gratitude achance togrow, it will
increase continually, for every mo-
ment viii add some new mercy to
innumerable mercies gone before, un-
til the heart will well nigh burst with
rapture almost divine.
But the act praise will not only
develop the graces of joy and graft
tude, it will also cause the whole soul
to expand with holy emotions, and
will foster and develop every other
christian grace, just as the sunshine
brings out the beauty of the flowers;
and as the natural flowers cannot
| flourish in the dark, neither can the
christian graces flourish amid the
blighting shadows of dependency
and gloom. But on the other hand,
the light of joy and gladness causes
them to grow, until they perfume the
heart with the sweet fragrance of a
benign influence, and fill the life with
rich clusters of lucious fruit, thus con-
firming the testimony of the inspired
writer, that "the joy of the Lord is
mans strength )" not only for doing
good, but for being good.
Praise thus expands the capacities
Of the soul, and lifts it to a higher
plane of christian experience it pro-
notes deeper love for God, upon
the eXcellencies of whose character it
delights to dwell; an humber view
of self, by contrasting its poor attain
ments with the Divine PROJECTIONS; a
more ardent zeal for the advance
ment of religion, that it may spread
abroad the honors of the SOULS Bene-
factor, and in fact has tendency to
strengthen and develop every noble
impulse and good disposition of mans
nature.
But it is not only privilege to
praise God because ofthe benefits to
be derived from it; it is equally so
because of the pleasure to be expert
enced in it. David exhorts men to
"praise God for it is pleasant. He
hadfOund it so in his own experience,
and thousands of happy hearts today
unite toconfirm histestimony. Again
he says, "It is good thing to give
thanks unto the Lord, and to sing
praises unto his name, for it is pleas
ant, and praise is comely." 1t is real.
ly the most pleasant of all the acts OF
worship, for it must necessarily
, spring from a bright, cheerful frame
of mind, and its natural effect is to
fill the soul with peace and quiet.
Nothing delights the heart more than
the sweet symphonies of song, but
f song is the natural language and
= chosen vehicle of praise.
{ Prayer is the language of guilt and
want, but praise is theunwritten poe
I try of a happy heart. 1t is the in.
stinctive and irrepressible outgush Of
: love and gratitude, but love is the
} motive power of all pleasure, which
gives color and character to every
, other feeling or impulse that delights
the soul, and thankfulness is but the
} lingering fragrance of vanished joys
S the echo of merry music, which still
: resounds through memory's halls; sc
that praise, springing from such I
parentage, cannot be otherwise thar
delightful. 1t is not only the prod
/ uct of a joyful heart, but is brings JOY
: to the heart, and warns and gladdens,
! and soothes the mind, lifting it above
: the world and fixing it upon things
eternal and divine. 1t thus Sheds
: upon the soul the sweet influence o
f peace, and strengthens it with the
q strong arm of trust.
If 1T be true them as some writers
affirm, that the laws of mans being
u and the exigencies of his nature are
: such, that if forbidden to pray, HI
t would still be compelled to do so by
! an instructive and irrepressible i'm
pulse, so also the laws of his being
. would doubtless force him to offe
e praise to God.
K 1t is perhaps impossible for man t
It consider Gods mercies without ex
q periencing a feeling of gratitude, an(
equally impossible to feel it withou
u manifesting it, for according to Solo
/ mons testimony, "a merry hear
J. maketh a cheerful countenance." /
. then, the soul were forbidden to ex
press:its gratitude, and at the sam,
> time were permitted to experience i
}. as ever-multiplying mercies increas
~ | oil tbot csrotitI,do n would noY,cn fhi