1342 has a popular type of melody, and I have been in meetings where it «has been urgently called for. The message of th e song bids you view the things of this life in a false light. It says th a t every thing will look rig h t and th a t th ere is no bad in th e world, providing you view it in the rig h t way. I t is a deceptive song and is an example of a modern Gospel song th a t is w rong doctrinally. Publisher’s Motives “Do you ever pray and ask God for guidance when you are about to buy some Gospel songs?” The answer was simply a look of surprise. This question was pu t to a well-known publisher by a world-renowned ^Gospel song w riter who contended th a t unless a Gospel song was born and perfected in prayer and unless th e sole object of w riting and publishing th a t song was to glorify God th e F ath er, and th e Lord Jesus Christ, the motive behind th e song was wrong in th a t it exhibited a desire for personal glory and gain. This leads me to say th a t though I am in thorough sympathy w ith those who live by th e publication of songs and song books, yet th e re are some people in the business whose object is simply to make a business success of th e ven tu re— they are out to make money. True, th e Lord says th a t we are privi leged to live by th e Gospel, bu t woe unto th e persons or companies who make a convenience of it. Those who thu s make a cat’s-paw out of th e Gospel will some day feel the sharpness of its claws. Some Gospel songs seem to be val ued simply for th eir melody. In hearing a song for th e first tim e the average persons will say, “P lay th a t song over.” They will not ask you to read it. If it goes w ith a swing and has a little jazz the verdict will be, “T h at’s g reat,” and they will say, “We’ll have th a t for our meeting tonight, w h at’s th e num ber?” (Not w h at’s the nam e?) This is dan- WHICH SHALL IT BE?
THE K I NG ' S B U S I N E S S gerous, as one has already seen, for a catchy melody does not guarantee a correct hymn, nor does it go to say th ere is some definite sp iritu al message in th a t song. The message of th e song is in the poem, so be careful to read it and see th a t th a t message is a tru e and helpful one. song leader working w ith a party; in tabernacle campaigns, w riting to me of a certain song th a t he was seeking to introduce, said, “My song is a hummer, it catches on like wild-fire, it has the punch and everybody sings it.” He mentioned th e name of his song, b u t I have very little idea of its message, for to speak of th a t seemed to b e the last thing th a t entered his mind. Jazz in Gospel Songs The world of jazz is creeping into our Gospel song life. It is dragging pure motive from the throne, although per haps w riters are no t aware of it. Once in control, as it is in many cases, it will ch e at-'th e young people of our churches out of th e train ing righ tly due them, and they will grow up w ith a light, and cheap conception of “Psalms and 'hym n s and sp iritual songs.” God has honored Christian music by using it m ightily in His service, but let us beware, for as in th e days of e a rly 1 music secular and vulgar melodies crept into the church, which melodies in tim e had to be ejected forcibly, so in these days we are in g reat danger of having Gospel song tain ted in like manner. A Gospel song is a song th a t is born of sp iritual inspiration. F irst, a poem is generally w ritten under sp iritual in spiration, th e resu lt of some h eartfelt Christian experience. The climax of the poem is generally reached in th e last stanza, while the summ ary of it is por trayed in th e chorus. Second, the poem is set to music by a Christian musician who, afte r studying it in prayer, seeks to catch the inspiration and th rill of WOOD—HAY—STUBBLE or
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