August 30

1 Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.

2 Let Israel rejoice in him that made him; let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.

3 Let them praise his name in the dance; let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.

4 For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people; he will beautify the meek with salvation.

5 Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud upon their beds.

6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand;

7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;

8 To send their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron.

9 To execute upon them the judgment written, this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.

"This is 'a new song,' evidently intended for the new creation, and the men who are of new heart. It is such a song as may be sung at the coming of the Lord, when the new dispensation shall bring overthrow to the wicked and honor to all the saints."—C. H. Spurgeon.

"Give us, oh, give us the man who sings at his work! Be his occupation what it may, he is equal to any of those who follow the same pursuit in silent sullenness. He will do more in the same time—he will do it better—he will persevere longer. One is scarcely sensible of fatigue whilst he marches to music. The very stars are said to make harmony as they revolve in their spheres. Wondrous is the strength of cheerfulness, altogether past calculation its powers of endurance. Efforts to be permanently useful must be uniformly joyous—a spiritual sunshine—graceful from very gladness—beautiful because bright."—Thomas Carlyle.

David saith, "Let the saints sing aloud upon their beds." If confined by sickness, let them joy in God. In the night watches let them not lie awake and weep, but like nightingales let them charm the midnight hours. What a blessing to have our beds made into thrones, and our retirements turned into triumphs!

"This verse has been fulfilled in solemn crises of saintly life. On beds of death, and at the scaffold and the stake, joy and glory have been kindled in the hearts of Christ's faithful witnesses."—Thomas Le Blanc.

Closet Promise.—Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.—Psalm lxxiii. 24.

Grief is strong, but joy is stronger; Night is long, but day is longer. When life's a little solvers and clears, And the angels in our ears Whisper the sweet answer low (Amvert full of love and blessing), How our wonderment will grow At the blindness of our guessing; All the hard things we recall Made so easy—after all!

Earth is sweet, but heaven is sweeter; Love complete, but faith complete. Close beside our wandering ways, Through dark nights and weary days, Stand the angels with bright eyes; And the shadow of the cross

Falls upon and sanctifies All our pain and all our loss. Though we stumble, though we fall, God is helping—after all!

Sigh then, soul, but sing in sighing To the happier things replying; Dry the tears that dim thy seeing, Give glad thoughts for life and being; Time is our little entry To eternity's large dwelling, And the heavenly guar is keep sentry, Urging, guiding, half compelling, Till the puzzling way quite past, Thou shalt enter in—at last! —Susan Coolidge.