Glory! Glory! Glory!

T. Spurgeon.

Psalm 29:9

The voice of the LORD makes the hinds to calve, and discovers the forests: and in his temple does every one speak of his glory.

I. The statement of this verse holds good when we consider THE TEMPLE OF THE UNIVERSE. In it everything says, Glory! The whole universe is, to the devout mind, as one huge sanctuary in which all things show forth the praise of their Creator. Incline your ears to listen, open your hearts to catch the sweet sounds, as flowers, and clouds, and beasts, and birds, rocks, hills and trees, declare that God is worthy to be praised! We must not let them sing alone. We'll take our key from them, and say, Glory, too.

II. IN THE TEMPLE AT JERUSALEM everything saith, Glory. I know that when this psalm was written the wondrous pile on Zion's hill had not been commenced. But it was already in David's heart to build it, and, for aught I know, some of the plans of the sacred premises were by this time in his hands. With a prophet's eye he foresaw the building of that holy Temple — its grace, and its grandeur. As Abraham saw Christ's day and was glad, so David, with a seer's vision, perceived the temple crowning Mount Moriah, and said of it, "In His temple everything saith, Glory."

III. We may refer this also to OUR BLESSED SAVIOUR, for Jesus called His body the Temple of God. I sometimes think that David, who already foresaw his greater Son, may have thought of Jesus when he said, "Everything in His Temple saith, Glory." A greater than the temple is here. Study Christ's life, and you will find that He lived to God's glory from first to last. At His birth the angels sang, "Glory to God in the highest." In His boyhood He must be about His Father's business, and all through life He did always the things that pleased Him. Everything about Christ, God's Temple, said, Glory: every word was to the praise of the Father, every work glorified Him upon the earth, every grace and characteristic reflected the glory of God the Father, for Christ was the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His Person. "Twas when He came to die that His body, broken for our sakes, said, Glory! loudest and most emphatically.

IV. Is CHRIST'S CHURCH EVERYTHING SAYS, GLORY. Oh, to get out of the set-Hess of our proprieties. "Everything in His temple saith, Glory."

V. This brings me to a still more personal matter, viz. THE TEMPLES OF OUR PERSONS. "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost?" Does everything in the temple say, Glory? Are all your powers devoted to the service of God? Are all the wondrous influences that you exercise employed to the praise of Jesus? Is the royal standard flying over every gate of Mansoul? Does it float above the citadel? Do our highest faculties of thought, and memory, and affection, and imagination, pay to God the homage that is due unto His Name? "The chief end of man is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him for ever." Oh, for this full consecration, this entire surrender.

VI. Let me remind you of THE HEAVENLY TEMPLE to which, as the years fly past, we are hastening on. Oh, for a peep into the land of light. John helps us, for it was his privilege to gaze right into the Glory. There His servants serve Him day and night in His Temple. There the hearts of the redeemed sing out His praise, like the voice of many waters.

(T. Spurgeon.)