(2 Chron.8:14.)

The duty of every day! Truly every day brings its many duties of this life! But there is one often neglected-the sweet service of thanksgiving, praise, and worship. What a depth in the words, "My offering, and My bread.. .shall ye observe to offer unto Me in their due season.. .the one lamb shall thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at even." Both the first thought and the last were to be for the Lord. David the man of God, followed by his son Solomon, sought to respond to the Lord's will in this manner; hence we read of the appointed service "as the duty of every day required."

How often the day is so full of earthly duties as to harass and burden! "How can I find time for more than a prayer and a hurried glance at my Bible? Thanksgiving, praise, and worship I must leave for the time usually appointed." Is this voicing the heart of the reader? Do we not know that the chief duties of every day are thanksgiving, praise, and worship?

It may be helpful to try to define the meaning of these terms. Thanksgiving is understood to be that grateful emotion called from the soul in return for the goodness bestowed upon us, the blessings of life-in whatever measure-and above all, the love of God expressed to all in the gift of His Son. Can we not raise the voice of thanksgiving for these great mercies? Furthermore, the believer can give "thanks unto the Father..who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love." Here is chief employment for one of our little days.

Praise is understood to be that which springs up in the hearts of those who consider the ways the love of God has taken. He has (as often noticed) drained His treasury to bestow His best upon us. Thanksgiving may be expressed in a service of sacrifice; but, "I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness," is of a higher character, as we may gather from:"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise" (Ps. 100:4). The soul is thus conducted through these avenues of goodness and righteousness to the presence of Him who is revealed thus; and the result is worship.

Worship is understood to be the attitude produced, by the manifested presence of God. Worship, the bowing down of self, cannot be regulated by hours ; it is not limited through, or affected by, circumstances. This is an artificial age, and man has invented music and used all his powers to produce what he calls worship. But this is regulated by his efforts and limited to time, hence we have hours of divine worship.

True worship is known to the soul brought by love and righteousness into the presence of God:God fills the vision, the cup is full, and worship ensues. To any who speak of deferring this, we would ask:Is God only good and righteous on special occasions? Are our hearts to be dead with respect to worship till the set times? "The hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth." Places and times of worship have no longer a place in the economy of God:"Neither' in this mountain (Gentile place of worship), nor yet at Jerusalem" (Jewish place of worship). It is the Father (God revealed in love and righteousness) who seeks worshipers in His family.
Shall we not then subjugate the ordinary duties of life to the greater duty? Some may say:"You do not know my troubles!" Perhaps not! But almost all the material of the Tabernacle, a type of Christ, was passed through pressure-"Of beaten work shalt thou make them." That which spoke of Christ came from the people's tents, and passed through pressure ! Now turn to Ps. 4:1, "In pressure Thou hast enlarged me" (New Tram.).

He whose love is eternal knows all about us, and has appointed us to the service of thanksgiving, praise, and worship. With a year of opportunities past and another beginning, let us call each other's attention to the importance of being more at home in that endeared Presence, finding the constant service of thanksgiving, praise, and worship "as the duty of every day requires."

"Eternal love their portion is,
Where love has found its rest;
And, filled with Thee, the constant mind
Eternally is blest."

E. Chas. Taylor