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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
March, 1934
melody, using one vowel sound in an ever-increasing vol ume until it ends in a burst o f unadulterated praise. Thus was born the gospel in song, coming out o f the church for the church. It was the Spirit-inspired desire for expression, as redeemed souls praised their Redeemer. The example o f the old Hebrew melody, illustrated in this ar ticle, expresses a mixture o f hopeful joy and sorrow, but is stamped through with the ominous shadow o f the law and failure to keep the law. This song from the period on the Old Testament side o f the resurrection o f the Lord, con trasted with the illustration o f the gospel in song contained in the score o f “ God’s Grace,” is intended to show that the former suggests mystery and incompleteness, while the lat ter portrays the happy individual realizing the riches o f the free gift o f the grace o f God. Thank God for the dawn, the resurrection dawn o f a new song experience that comes from the re-created heart o f the individual! c After the “Dawn^ A fter the first burst o f unrestrained melody,, the music o f the church changed as the centuries progressed. Scien tific discoveries brought the various arts into prominence, and these in turn had a technical influence, upon music. The early church, which for some centuries enjoyed congrega tional singing, soon found herself robbed of this freedom. Selected groups of singers, and later ecclesiastical digni ties-, completely controlled church music, until the voice of the congregation was hushed. And with that silencing of free utterance died that spontaneity o f song expression that Dear Miss Scott: I have been greatly helped by reading your answers to girls’ problems, yet no one has seemed to have a problem similar to mine. It is this: I do not seem to fit into the life o f the church to which I have always belonged. The young people are worldly and seem to resent any attempt to show them a ■better way. They will not cooperate in trying to do anything worth while. Whether it is that they feel rebuked because o f the lives they live, or what it is, I do not know, but they appear to be resentful toward any one who is trying to live a surrendered life, and they are always ready to ridicule and to say things that cut and hurt. I haye about decided it is not worth while to try any longer to help them, and that it would be better to seek another church home where I could serve my Lord with greater freedom. What do you advise?—J. Dear J. : “ Not worth while to try. any longer” ! It is so much worth while that you cannot afford to throw up your hands and to acknowledge defeat. How pleasing that would be to the enemy o f your soul ! My dear, there are many times when it would seem easier to run away from a difficult situation than to face it and win the victory by God’s grace and power. If you avoid such warfare, even in the thing that is entirely too hard for you, you will never know the song o f deliverance that He wants to put into your heart, nor will you have the joy o f seeing God work when you come to the “ Red Sea” place in your life and j n C o n d u c t e d b y ¡fe
is absolutely necessary to whole-hearted congregational worship. This condition could not continue because the very na ture o f the soul’s re-creation and its demand for a new expression cannot be completely subdued. With the great Reformation period came the revival o f psalm singing, and in time, these long psalms were paraphrased to bring in the elements o f rhyme and rhythm. This period lasted long enough to serve its purpose, and just as the people were becoming tired o f chant-like melodies and the crude paraphrases o f that day, the free hymns o f Isaac Watts and Charles Wesley burst upon Christendom with a warmth o f life that again set the church singing. These hymns are lyrics, and the melodies written by various church musicians met a timely need, giving fresh inspira tion to the church. Congregational singing in its fullness came to stay. Song leaders arose all over the world and led the singing church onward and upward. Ira D. Sankey, Charles M. Alexander, and others like them, helped to unite believers in the spontaneous expression o f praise to God. Thus the Christian church is enjoying a freedom of song which the birth and the resurrection o f Christ our Saviour made possible. The music warms our hearts, fills our souls, and inspires our lives as we live and move and have our being in Him. Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below ; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host, Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Çirls’ QUERY CORNER
Questions for answer in this corner should b e se n t to M iss Scott, 8 96 1 D ic k s Street,W. Hollywood, California. No name will be p u b lis h e d .
E. S c o t t
M y r t l e
are hemmed in and helpless to do anything yourself. In your case, there may be some things you could and should do to prepare the way for God to work. First o f all, ask the Father to keep you sweet and loving, no matter what others may say or do. Avoid anything that would Warrant those you desire to win in thinking that you feel you are better than they, or that you are trying to “ preach” to them. Remember,, you cannot drive young people to God; you must win them.. Cultivate friendships for God as carefully and as graciously as worldly people cultivate friendships among themselves. I knew a girl who waited for months to find an opportunity to win the friendship o f a fellow student, that she might speak to her o f Christ. At 'last it was a small bottle o f camphor, presented one day when the girl had a toothache, that opened the way, and in ¡a few weeks she was won for Christ. It pays to take time and patience to win friends for Him. In spite o f all the tact and loving wisdom you can exer cise, you may still face an antagonistic spirit on the part o f some. I f so, commit this to the Lord and let Him work it out for you. Remember, you are a soldier for Jesus Christ, and the enemy will not fail to engage you in some kind of warfare, but what a privilege it is to bear scars for Christ’s sake! Oh, that we might cry, in the spirit of Caleb, “ Give me this mountain” ! Caleb had had experiences with the giants of that mountain country, but he had also experienced the great deliverances o f his mighty God and was eager to press on into the hard places to greater vic tories. Your mountain is before you. Claim it for God. Your. God is able.
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