As to the Church, this prophecy anticipates the Apostle's teaching that
the whole divine work of Redemption, from its fore-ordination before
the foundation of the world, to its application to each sinful soul, is
'to the end that we should be unto the praise of His glory' or, as he
elsewhere expands and enriches the expression, 'to the praise of the
glory of His grace.'
We are 'secretaries of His praise.' A gate is that by which the safe
inhabitants go out into the region beyond, and the outgoings of the
active life of every Christian should be such as to make manifest the
blessings that he enjoys within the shelter of the city's walls. Only
if our hidden life is blessed with a begun salvation will our outward
life be vocal with the music of praise. The gate will be praise if, and
only if, the wall is salvation.
And praise is the gate by which we should go out into the world, even
when the world into which we go is dark and the ways rough and hard. If
we have the warm glow of a realised salvation in our hearts, sorrows
that are but for a moment will not silence the voice of praise, though
they may cast it into a minor key. The praise that rises from a sad
heart is yet more melodious in God's ear than that which carols when
all things go well. The bird that sings in a darkened cage makes music
to its owner. 'Songs in the night' have a singular pathos and thrill
the listeners. When we 'take the cup of salvation' and call on the name
of the Lord, we shall offer to Him the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
though He may recall some of the precious gifts that He gave. For He
never takes away the wall of salvation which He has built around us,
and as long as that wall stands, its gates will be praise. Submission,
recognition of His will, and even 'silence because Thou didst it,' are
praise to His ear.