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David sounds the tuningfork with this clear note — "Bless the Lord, O nay soul."

I. THE BLESSED OCCUPATION. How, then, can we bless God?

1. God blesses us by thinking well of us, and we bless God by thinking well of Him. Think deeply of what the Lord has done. Do not pass His mercies over superficially, but look into them. Do not cease to think of the covenant of electing love, of everlasting faithfulness, of redeeming blood, of pardoning grace, and all the ways in which eternal love has shown itself.

2. We also bless God when we wish Him well. Sit down and wish that all men knew God, that all men worshipped Him; and let your wishes blaze up into prayers. Wish that all idols were abolished, and that Jehovah's name would be sung through every land by every tongue. Wish well to His Church, His cause, His people, and all that concerns His glory.

3. You can bless God by speaking well of Him. Have you said anything to praise God to-day?

4. Bless His name by acts and deeds of holy service and consecration Do it with hand, and purse, and substance, and sacrifice.

II. THE COMMENDABLE MANNER mentioned. Half the virtue of a thing lies in the way in which it is done. Now, in the service of God, it is net only what you bring, but in what spirit you bring it.

1. That mode of blessing God to which we are called is very spiritual — a matter of soul and spirit. The music of the soul is that which pleases the ear of God: the great spirit is delighted with that which comes from our spirit. A heart that praises Him has within itself all the harmonies that He delights in. The sigh of love is to Him a lyric, the sob of repentance is melody, the inward cries of His own children are an oratorio, and their heart-songs are true hallelujahs.

2. When we bless God, the sacred exercise should be intense. Let every part of your manhood be aroused, and so aroused as to be in fine form. Give me a man on fire when God is to be praised. Let "all that is within me bless His holy name." A whole God, and a holy God, should have the whole of our powers engaged in blessing His holy name."

3. The text seems to remind me that we ought to do this repeatedly, because in my text the word "bless" occurs twice. "Bless the Lord, O my soul: bless His holy name." And in the next verse there is "bless the Lord" again. He is a triune God: render Him triune praise.

III. THE SACRED OBJECT OF THIS BLESSING — JEHOVAH. I adore the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God that made the heavens and the earth. I worship the God that cut Rahab, and wounded the crocodile at the Red Sea, the God that led His people through the wilderness, the God that gave them the land of Canaan for a heritage. "This God is our God for ever and ever. He shall be our guide, even unto death." "Bless Jehovah, O my soul." Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, we worship Thee; we bless Thee! Do you love a holy God? While you bless Him for His mercy, do you equally bless Him for His holiness? You bless Him for His bounty, but do you feel that you could not thus bless Him if you were not fully aware that He is perfectly righteous? "Bless His holy name." Aye, when that holiness burns like fire, and threatens to devour the guilty, let us still bless His holy name! When we see His holiness consuming the great Sacrifice, we bow before the Lord in deep dread of soul, but we still bless His holy name. An unholy God! It were absurd to think of such a thing; but a thrice-holy God — let us bless and praise Him.

IV. THE SUITABLE MONITOR. Who is it that says to David, "Bless the Lord, O my soul"? Why, it is David talking to David. The man speaks to himself.

( C. H. Spurgeon.)

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KJV: {A Psalm of David.} Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

WEB: Praise Yahweh, my soul! All that is within me, praise his holy name!