“It is in the process of being worshipped that God communicates His presence to men.  It is not of course the only way.  But for many people at many times the ‘fair beauty of the LORD’ is revealed chiefly or only while they worship Him together.  Even in Judaism, the essence of the sacrifice was not really that men gave bulls and goats to God, but that by their doing God gave Himself to men” (Reflections on the Psalms, p. 93).

“I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise.  The world rings with praise—lovers praising their mistresses, readers their favorite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favorite game—praise of weather, wines, dishes, actors, motors, horses, colleges, countries, historical personages, children, flowers, mountains, rare stamps, rare beetles, even sometimes politicians or scholars.  I had not noticed how the humblest and at the same time most balanced and capacious minds, praised most, while the cranks, misfits, and malcontents praised least.  The good critics found something to praise in many imperfect works; the bad ones continually narrowed the list of books we might be allowed to read.”

“Except where intolerably adverse circumstances interfere, praise almost seems to be inner health made audible.”

“I had not noticed either that just as men spontaneously praise whatever they value, so they spontaneously urge us to join them in praising it:  ‘Isn’t she lovely?  Wasn’t it glorious?  Don’t you think the game was awesome?'”

“The Psalmists in telling everyone to praise God are doing what all men do when they speak of what they care about…I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation.” (p. 95).

“Heaven is a state in which angels now, and men hereafter, are perpetually employed in praising God.”