SINGING PRAISES by Charles P. Whitford

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Nov 1, 1905

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 31, No. 44.

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SINGING PRAISES.

By Charles P. Whitford

BY CHARLES P. WHITFORD.

1. WHO should be the object of all praise and adoration in our singing?

"For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised." 1 Chron. 16:25.

2. In what spirit should hymns of praise to God be rendered?

"I will pray with the Spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also; I will sing with the Spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also." 1 Cor. 14:15.

It is not pleasing to God to sing the words of a hymn in a careless and irreverent manner.

"Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Cor. 10:31.

The true motive of singing is expressed in Ps. 21:13:

"Be Thou exalted, Lord, in Thine own strength; so will we sing and praise Thy power."

Too often we sing to praise our own power,—to show the range and compass of the voice, and thus gain the applause of our fellows. Singing is only another way of preaching. When good words are set to pleasing melodies, and sung "in the spirit," they become a means of instruction in spiritual things.

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." Col. 3:16.

I am afraid we do not always heed this admonition,—"singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." Too often we sing with love of self in our hearts, and court the favor of those who do not love sacred song. The tendency of Christian people today is to sing to please the world and worldly people, rather than to preach the truth of God to them in song, and thus glorify God who gave us our musical talents and voices that we might glorify Him.

Singing is an appropriate way of expressing thanksgiving for blessings received. "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise Him." Ps. 28:7.

Let us resolve to sing as did David, "I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live."