23. CHAPTER IV - THE SACRIFICE OF PRAISE
CHAPTER IV THE SACRIFICE OF PRAISE THE SECRET OF HIS POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MAN
Whoso offereth praise glorifieth Me : and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I skew the salvation of Gad.
—Pslams 1. 23. By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name.
—Hebrews xiii. 15.
MR. HYDE had a wonderful experience to which he owed, I believe, his power with God, and therefore with man. He used to speak of it as one of the most direct and solemn lessons God had ever taught him. He was up in the hills resting for a short time. He had been burdened about the spiritual condition of a certain Pastor, and he resolved to spend time in definite intercession for him. Entering into his inner chamber’ he began pouring out his heart to his Heavenly Father concerning that brother somewhat as follows :-
0 God! Thou knowest that brother how’ —(’ cold ’ he was going to say) when suddenly a Hand seemed to be laid on his lips, and a voice said to him in stern reproach. He that toucheth him, toucheth the apple of mine eye.’ A great horror came over him. He had been guilty before God of ’ accusing the brethren.’
He had been judging’ his brother. He felt rebuked and humbled before God. It was he himself who first needed putting right. He confessed this sin. He claimed the precious blood of Christ that cleanseth from all sin Whatsoever things are lovely . . . if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on "these things."’ Then he cried out, Father, show me what things are lovely and of good report in my brother’s life.’ Like a flash he remembered how that brother had given up all for Christ, enduring much suffering from relations whom he had given up ! He was reminded of his years of hard work, of the tact with which he managed his difficult congregation, of the many quarrels he had healed, of what a model husband he was. One thing after another rose up before him and so all his prayer season was spent in praise for his brother instead of in prayer.
He could not recall a single petition, nothing but thanksgiving ! God was opening his servant’s eyes to the highest of ministries, that of praise.
Mark the result also on that brother’s life ! When Mr. Hyde went down to the plains, he found that just then the brother had received a. great spiritual uplift. While he was praising, God was blessing. A wonderful Divine Law, the law of a Father’s Love. While we bless God for any child of His, He delights to bless that one This was the secret of John Hyde’s power with God. He saw the good in God’s little ones, and so was able to appreciate God’s work of grace in that heart. Hence he supplied the heavenly atmosphere of praise in which God’s love was free to work in all its fulness. This too was what gave him power with men. We are attracted to those who appreciate us. All our powers expand in their presence and we are with them at our best. Hence they call out all that is good in us and we feel uplifted when with them. To such souls we turn as naturally as the flowers to the sun and our hearts expand and bloom out with a fragrance that surprises even ourselves.
Now this is a law that holds good especially with children, and with those who are yet young in the Christian life. The more mature God’s people are the less they depend on man’s approbation or censure, but not so when they are children. Remember, too, our Lord’s solemn warning against casting a stumbling-block in the way of any of His little ones ! When we look at their faults, we shrivel up their energies, they are at their worst. In a word, we encourage their faults by thinking about them.
Let us remember above all else that God’s people on this earth are in the making. This is His workshop and souls are being fashioned and formed in it. The final polishing touches we will not receive in the present life, but when this body of our humiliation has been transformed. Suppose you go into a carpenter’s shop and begin to find fault with his unfinished chairs and tables ! You say, How rough this is ! What an ugly corner that is ! ’ The carpenter will doubtless get angry and say, ’ Bear in mind that I am still making these things. They are not yet finished. Come and see the Pattern after which they are being fashioned. See this is what they will yet be like when I have done with them.’ He shows you beautiful chairs and tables—shining, perfectly formed, polished to perfection ! Is the carpenter not right ? Is the critic not in the wrong ? The one looks at the things that are lovely and eternal. The other at those which are unlovely and, thank God, fleeting. Would you have power with God and man for the upbuilding of the Indian Church—of any Church ? Follow the method of the Carpenter of Nazareth who never broke the bruised reed, who never quenched the smoking wick, no matter how much smoke it was giving out. He turned His eyes to the light of God, there burning dimly, and by so doing blew it into a flame till erring disciples became the Light of the World. This is the way of Love and of Eternal Hope. The other is the way of sense and of present fact and failure—all of which are fleeting—none of which is the Eternal Truth in Eternal Love.
I never met any man, whose very presence seemed to help the weak to become strong, the sinful to repent, the erring to walk aright so much as John Hyde. The secret of his success in building up the people of God lay in this method of looking for all the good in men and making it so to expand that the evil was driven out for want of room ! Then should we shut our eyes to the faults of all ? Should we never reprove sin ? Turn to our Lord. Did He not do so at times ? Yes to the impenitent—to those who opposed Him and would not come to Him :for help. Just because He was in the habit: of looking at all that was good—for that very reason He was able to reprove with all the greater power. No one could do so more severely than our Lord just because He loved ;much and sympathized so much with all that was good in men To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty or ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness ; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified !
—Isaiah lxi. 3.
Then he said unto them, ’ Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared or this day is holy unto our Lord : neither be ye sorry ; for the Joy of the lord is your strength !
—Nehemiah viii.
Perfect obedience would be perfect happiness, if only we
had perfect confidence in the power we were obeying.
—Anou.
Spiritual joy is not a thing, not a lump of joy, so to speak, stored away ice one’s heart o be looked al and rejoiced over. Joy is only the gladness that comes from the possession of something good, or the knowledge of something pleasant. And the Christian’s joy is simply his gladness in knowing Christ, and in his possession of such a God and Saviour. We do not on an earthly plane rejoice in our joy, but in the thing that causes our joy. And on the heavenly plane it is the same. We are to rejoice,’ not in oar joy, but ’ in the Lord, and joy in the God of our salvation ’ and this joy no man nor devil can take from us, and na earthly sorrows can ouch.
—MRS. PEARSALL SHIM.