THE Churches which have adopted in these latter times the newer views of Christianity have their own worldly wise ideas as to how religious work should be carried on, and what means should be adopted to secure success. They generally proceed on the unsound and dangerous principle that whatever is not forbidden in Holy Scripture may be introduced into the service of the Church. This was the idea which regulated the Episcopalians at the Reformation, with the pernicious result that many unscriptural ceremonies and forms of worship were retained in the Church. On the other hand, true Presbyterians past and present have laid down the sound principle that the Church was only at liberty to introduce what was commanded or prescribed by the Word of God. The former principle leaves open a wide door for human invention, while the latter provides for absolute subjection to the rules of God’s infallible Word—a subjection which is the best and truest liberty. We believe that it has been by the want of jealous care on this subject that even good men have admitted into divine worship things not warranted by the divine Word.
The use of uninspired hymns in the worship of God is one of the things which faithful Presbyterians protest against. Their use in Scotland has been chiefly due to the influence and efforts of men of distinctly Arminian views and tendencies. The Psalms were too spiritual and holy in their nature and teaching for fleshly tastes, and so they have been largely ejected from the worship of God in favour of hymns, not a few of which were composed by Romanists, Ritualists, and other erroneous authors. It has been frequently asserted that uninspired hymns are more suitable than the Psalms for revival or Foreign Mission work. The assertion only exhibits the spiritual ignorance of those who make it. The greatest spiritual awakenings the world ever saw were associated with the use of the divinely-inspired Psalms only. Witness the day of Pentecost and Reformation times.
It is refreshing, however, to turn from the shallow notions and doubtful practices of down-grade religionists to contemplate the fact that there are still some Churches in the world to-day which faithfully adhere to the use of the inspired book of praise, both in their missions abroad and in their congregations at home. This interesting feature is brought out in the volume recently published, which gives an account of the Psalm-Singers’ Conference held last year in Belfast, and which was already briefly noticed in these columns. The papers reported are in general very instructive on the whole subject of Psalms and Uninspired Hymns. In the present article we simply call attention, at some more length than was already done, to the interesting subject of the use of the Psalms in Foreign Missions.
Several papers were read at the Conference by foreign missionaries of the United Presbyterian Church of America. This is the largest Church in the world which uses the Psalms exclusively in public worship. It consists of upwards of 1000 congregations. Whether it is equally satisfactory on other points we do not know, but this adherence to the Psalms is itself an admirable feature of the Church. It has an extensive and vigorous mission in Egypt, which consists of 58 organised congregations and 173 other stations, and which employs throughout the Psalms only in divine worship. It is also very interesting to learn that there is a native Evangelical Church in Egypt, consisting of 50 organised congregations and 215 stations, where the Psalms only are sung. Dr. Martin, of the Reformed Presbyterian Mission at Antioch, Syria, read a vigorous paper on the exclusive use of the Psalms, while impressive testimonies were also given on the same theme by missionaries engaged in the Punjab and Gujranvale, India, as well as by a missionary labouring among the North American Indians. No doubt the universal suitability of the Psalms is easily understood by those who have a right perception of their intrinsic value and divine authority, but it is very encouraging and confirming to get clear and decided practical testimonies in their favour from men and women in the mission field who have had to face all the difficulties connected with the spiritual instruction of heathen and half-civilised peoples.
Some of the points these missionaries bring out are worthy of careful notice. One of these is the usefulness of the Psalms among the Mohammedans. The followers of the false prophet are false in most things, but it appears that they regard the Old Testament as an inspired book. Thus it turns out that one way of reaching their hearts is through the singing of the Psalms in worship. No doubt this circumstance has largely contributed to the success of the missions along the Nile in Egypt. A metrical version of the Psalms, which has been composed in Arabic, is regarded as one of the gems of Arabic literature, and has passed through several editions. It is not unsafe to say that the winning of the vast millions of the Mohammedan world to Christ is along the line of
the Book of Psalms and the precious truths it contains. A second point is the attraction of the Jews to Christianity through the Psalms. The Jews have always recognised the Old Testament as God’s inspired Word, and the Psalms are their sole manual of praise. The conversion of the Jews to Christ will yet be the occasion of a glorious diffusion of true Christianity throughout the world. The Apostle Paul clearly intimates this in his Epistle to the Romans. The fall of the Jews was overruled for the salvation of the Gentiles, but “what shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead?” (Rom. xi. 11-15.) The restoration of the Jews to the Church of God and His Christ will be a marvellous resurrection of the cause of the once crucified but now risen and exalted Redeemer. Thus it is clearly seen that those Churches which loyally adhere to the Psalms in the propagation of Christianity are moving onwards towards the final victory of Christ’s cause in the world. The battle is the Lord’s, and He will vindicate His own truth and His own methods before the whole earth. A third thing that is emphasised is the fact that the Psalms in their very language and imagery strongly appeal to Eastern nations. The natives of India, as well as of Syria, appreciate them highly in this respect. A fourth and very important aspect of the matter that is impressively handled is the efficiency of the Psalms in laying low idolatry in all its forms, in giving exalted views of God in His majesty and glory, in exposing and condemning sin with all due severity, exhibiting richly Christ and His salvation, and expressing all the varied emotions of sorrow and joy that thrill the fibres of the living soul, wherever taught by the Spirit of God. All these features point to the marvellous suitability of the Psalms for the extension of Christianity among heathen as well as civilised nations.
It is thus quite evident that believers in the exclusive use of God’s manual of praise in worship have no reason to be ashamed of the faith that is in them. Many in these days of false religion and false charity may count them narrow and bigoted. But it is better to be on the narrow way with Christ than on the broad way with the devil. Not that we count for a moment all who use uninspired hymns as persons on the broad way to destruction; some of the excellent of the earth—in England, for example—have used and still use them. But the example of the best of men is only to be followed in so far as it agrees with God’s infallible Word; and so the example of good men goes for little here, far less the example of men whose piety is of a very doubtful character indeed. Let Psalm singers, therefore, encourage themselves in the thought that the Church’s best ages of the past are theirs, and that theirs are also the Church’s best ages of the future. When the Lord shall arise to build again Zion, so that His glory shall fill the whole earth, He will, among other things, rectify what is amiss in the worship of any part of His visible Church, and will adorn her throughout with all the beauty and order which He has already shown in the pattern presented in His Word.