TO SING AND TO PRAISE

CHARLES A. GRIFFITH

In both sacred and secular history we find almost innumerable accounts of people coming together to sing praises to God for benefits bestowed, for victories won; and this is well, for of all mortal shortcomings few are more unworthy than ingratitude. It is well to know and acknowledge that it is God "from whom all blessings flow," and to be grateful for those blessings.

It is not so frequently, however, that we find any record of people coming together to sing and to praise God for blessings not as yet made manifest, victories not yet won. Communities, states, and nations, in anticipation of impending calamity, sometimes seek the Lord in prayer, imploring Him, the unchangeable God, to change His plans and avert their doom; but at a time when complete annihilation seems inevitable, to sing and to praise would seem to many no doubt like the very height of folly. It is true, nevertheless, that such events have happened, and in them there was no semblance of folly.

During the reign of King Jehoshaphat the Moabites and the Ammonites and others joined in an effort to drive the Israelites out of the promised land. In numbers as well as military strength the heathen hordes had every advantage; apparently the Isrealites were completely outclassed. To add to the seeming hopelessness of their case, the inhabitants of Mount Seir also appeared against them. The prayer of Jehoshaphat at this time, as recorded in the twentieth chapter of II Chronicles, when to human wisdom escape seemed impossible, is worthy the most careful study. We may well note its simplicity and observe the absolute dependence upon God, as indicated by the closing words: "For we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do; but our eyes are upon thee."

Then upon Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah, "came the Spirit of the Lord" and he commanded what to do. He said: "Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's. ... Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord." Then Jehoshaphat, after consultation with his people, "appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness." We then read that when they began to sing and to praise, the Moabites, the Ammonites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir began to fight among themselves and with one another, until all were destroyed. The spiritual significance of this historic event is clear. In our effort to make our demonstration do we not sometimes overlook this part of our work and fail to "praise the beauty of holiness"? Mrs. Eddy says in Science and Health (p. 249): "Let us rejoice that we are subject to the divine 'powers that be.'" There is no suggestion here that we wait until our demonstration is made manifest before we rejoice. Jesus set us a most worthy example when at the grave of Lazarus he gave utterance to that wonderful prayer of thanksgiving, "Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me."

Just here it may be well to add a word of caution as to what actually constitutes true praise. The perfect rendering of a beautiful anthem by a trained choir may be, as it is commonly called, praise; then again it may not. It may be simply an effort on the part of the individual members of the choir to do their part or to elicit the praise of the congregation for their own musical ability. The only real praise or worship is the endeavor to understand and to do the will of Truth. Such praise will manifest itself in countless ways of helpfulness and beauty. When fear and doubt are completely overcome, then praise is natural, spontaneous, and genuine, and we may with assurance leave the results in the keeping of divine Love, remembering that the battle is not ours, but God's; that we have but to stand still "and see the salvation of the Lord."

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