As you sing behave yourselves in comely reverence as in the sight of God, singing to God in God’s own words; but be sure that the matter make more melody in your hearts (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16) than the music in your ear. For the singing with grace in our hearts is that which the Lord is delighted withal.… Read More The Manner of Psalm Singing
Robert Lathan, D.D. History of the Associate Reformed Synod of the South pp. 218-220 With respect to the version or “imitation” [of the Psalms], as it is rightly called, of Watts, it may be said that it is so named from its author. Dr. Isaac Watts was a Dissenting minister of England, born in 1674,… Read More Isaac Watts’ “Psalm” Imitations
Plain Reasons Why neither Dr. Watts’ Imitations of the Psalms, nor his other Poems, nor any other human composition, ought to be used in the Praises of the Great God our Savior But, that A Metrical Version of the Book of Psalms, examined, with wise and critical care, by pious and learned divines, and found… Read More Plain Reasons For Exclusive Psalmody
This article assumes the Regulative Principle of Worship (RPW), which is the biblical doctrine that everything of religious significance in worship must be prescribed in holy Scripture, either explicitly or by good and necessary consequence, such that “whatever is beside the Word of God is against the Word of God.” [1] Given the RPW, the… Read More A Concise Case For Exclusive Psalmody
Objection: Scripture repeatedly speaks of singing a “new song” (Psa. 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Isa. 42:10). The four beasts and 24 elders sang a “new song” (Rev. 5:9), the 144,000 followers of the Lamb who had gotten victory over the beast also sang a “new song” (Rev. 14:3). Therefore, we may (or should) compose… Read More Psalmody Objections Answered: “New Song”
Preface to the Bay Psalm Book (1640) A discourse declaring not only the lawfulness, but also the necessity of the heavenly ordinance of singing Scripture Psalms in the churches of God. The singing of Psalms, though it breathe forth nothing but holy harmony, and melody: yet such is the subtlety of the enemy, and enmity… Read More The Necessity of Singing the Psalms
There is no doubt that Calvin pioneered psalm singing for his generation and that the Reformed churches quickly became known for their psalm singing. It is more difficult to prove that Calvin and the various churches of the evolving Reformed tradition of that time were Exclusive Psalmodist (EP) in the sense we understand it today… Read More Was John Calvin an Exclusive Psalmodist?
From the Preface to the Bay Psalm Book (1640). As for the scruple that some take at the translation of the Book of Psalms into metre, because David’s psalms were sung in his own words without metre, we answer: First, there are many verses together in several psalms of David which run in rhythms (as… Read More Psalmody Objections Answered: Meter
“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” (Colossians 3:16; cf. Ephesians 5:19). This post will briefly demonstrate that “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” refers to the Book of Psalms.… Read More Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs
Ten Helps on the Imprecatory Psalms by David Murray Sing a New Song: Recovering Psalm Singing for the Twenty-First Century 1. In the first gospel promise (Gen 3.14-15), God promises a curse on the serpent and his seed. Prayers in the psalms for God to curse are really a prayer for that first gospel promise to… Read More Ten Helps on the Impreccatory Psalms | David Murray
Purely Presbyterian 