Lord, open Thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth Thy praise

’ 0 Lord, open Thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth Thy praise.’ — Yer. 15.

A2s CE again the promise to celebrate God’s praise is repeated, preceded, however, by the prayer that grace itself would give strength for the fulfillment of it. We have already seen how self-evident it is that the full and living experience of God’s salvation will agree to praise God: just as, on the other hand, this tribute is, without the experience, an impossibility. We see here further, however, that this is also a gift which must be asked from grace in prayer, and will then be certainly obtained.

This petition reminds us of the natural reluctance and inability of man to speak of God and to witness of His grace. The experience of almost every believer may serve as a confirmation of this truth. How much is there indeed to shut the mouth, even when the soul enjoys the grace of God, and is eagerly desirous to work for Him. At one time, for instance, it is the fear of man which turns back before the

HAVE MEECY UPOK ME.

possibility of mockery and contempt. At another it is unbelief, which, under the sense of its own unfitness, or the remembrance how often the most earnest endeavors are fruitless, take away all courage and delight in the work. Then, again, there is that hidden self-interestedness which finds an excuse in its own poverty, and the need of working in its own soul. And yet, once more, there is that show of humility which is afraid of doing injury to God’s name by confessing Him now, and then presently becoming disloyal and unfaithful, and which also learns to say that one can often do more by silence than by speech. Alas! many a believer could tell us of a time when he desired to work for the Lord, of months and years spent in wishing and longing, of brief endeavors and swift disappointments, until the shut lips became fixed into a habit, and the conscience, by all sorts of excuses, had brought itself into a state of entire passivity. Would that they had only understood what the true middle way is betwixt sinful silence and precipitate and fruitless speech. Would that they had but understood that, along with the forgiveness of sins and the renewal of the life, grace will also give the opening of the lips; and that the continued prayer: ‘Have mercy upon me, O God, open my lips, will obtain a sure and blessed hearing.

This prayer, then, recorded here by the Spirit of God, assures us that the Lord can and will open the lips. He who sincerely desires to believe that has only to reflect on what stands recorded in the word of God on this point. Read the history of Moses, and let the wonderful arguments by which God showed him His power to bestow upon him a speaking mouth, sink deep into your soul (Ex. iv. 10-12). Every one who will humbly and earnestly listen to the divine words of encouragement will be strengthened in this confidence. Read also the story of the calling of Jeremiah (Jer. i. 7-9) and of the other prophets, and see how fully He presents the power to speak as one of His gifts. Consider the promises of the Old Testament about the gift of the Spirit, and observe how it is coupled with the power to speak. Mark also the predictions of the Lord Jesus concerning witnessing for Him as the fruit of the gift of the Spirit (John xv. 26, 27; Acts i. 8). Remember how, on the day of Pentecost, the first manifestation of the power of the exalted Christ was to fill the mouth with God’s praise; and you will understand what a high place, what a divine certitude, is attached to the opening of the lips as a gift of grace, which truly belongs to us. God can give it. He has done so in the case of thousands. God will give it; it is necessary for the accomplishment of His glorious work of grace. God shall give it. His promises are faithful. 4 Lord, open my lips ‘: to this prayer we have as much right as to the other: ‘Have mercy upon me, O God.’ The one is heard as certainly as the other.

David’s prayer teaches us the way to obtain this gift. Whenever we mention a speaking mouth, many a one thinks of natural gifts; and if he has it not, then he imagines that all that has been said has no application to his case. He will endeavor to serve God in other ways. He will thank God with his money, his influence, his example. This is all well enough, but it will not serve to liberate any one from the holy obligation of fulfilling his glorious calling to bring to God also the sacrifice of the lips. It was one of the tokens of the coming of the kingdom of God, that not only did the blind see, but also 6 the dumb spake, and praised God.’ The grace of God not only takes the darkness from the eyes so as to make the soul know Him, but also opens the mouth to praise Him. ‘Not only is many an unclean spirit cast out, but also the demon that was dumb. To ail the disciples there was given, along with the Holy Spirit, the mouth to praise God. In heaven there are no dumb men: every tongue there praises God. And the Christian, in whom the loosened, liberated tongue is not heard, is defective: he is lacking in one of the most glorious capabilities of the new man. There is no question here as to whether you have a natural gift for speaking; many a one who speaks little and that feebly receives from grace the capacity for achieving great results with that small and feeble gift. It is not beauty of language, it is power of life and spirit that the blessing depends on. Only let your desire to become partaker of this grace also become stronger, under a sense of your solemn obligation to praise God and make Him known; only let every experience of infirmity and inability urge you anew to confidence in the power and promise of God; and out of such a desire and confidence let the prayer rise on high: 4 Lord, open Thou my lips; and my mouth shall showT forth Thy praise ‘; and the answer shall not remain afar off. This course may indeed cost you much conflict and perseverance. This rich petition is not learned in one day; the riches of grace are not exhausted in one day; yet he that has the will shall obtain the blessing. Therefore, every time we use the prayer: ‘Have mercy upon me, O God,’ let it also be with us a fixed rale, a holy habit, to add the petition; ‘Lord, open Thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth Thy praise.’