Sermon Tone Analysis

Rules for Singing

II.

Sing them exactly as they are printed here, without altering or mending them at all; and if you have learned to sing them otherwise, unlearn it as soon as you can.

II.

Sing them exactly as they are printed here, without altering or mending them at all; and if you have learned to sing them otherwise, unlearn it as soon as you can.

III.

Sing all.

See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can.

Let not a slight degree of weakness or weariness hinder you.

If it is a cross to you, take it up, and you will find it a blessing.

III.

Sing all.

See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can.

Let not a slight degree of weakness or weariness hinder you.

If it is a cross to you, take it up, and you will find it a blessing.

III.

Sing all.

See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can.

Let not a slight degree of weakness or weariness hinder you.

If it is a cross to you, take it up, and you will find it a blessing.

IV.

Sing lustily and with a good courage.

Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength.

Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, than when you sung the songs of Satan.

IV.

Sing lustily and with a good courage.

Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength.

Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, than when you sung the songs of Satan.

V. Sing modestly...strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound.

VI.

Sing in time.

Whatever time is sung be sure to keep with it.

Do not run before nor stay behind it; but attend close to the leading voices and take care not to sing too slow.

VII.

Above all sing spiritually.

Have an eye to God in every word you sing.

Aim at pleasing Him more than yourself, or any other creature.

In order to do this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve here.

V. Sing modestly.

Do not bawl, so as to be heard above or distinct from the rest of the congregation, that you may not destroy the harmony; but strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound.

VI.

Sing in time.

Whatever time is sung be sure to keep with it.

Do not run before nor stay behind it; but attend close to the leading voices, and move therewith as exactly as you can; and take care not to sing too slow.

This drawling way naturally steals on all who are lazy; and it is high time to drive it out from us, and sing all our tunes just as quick as we did at first.

Sermon Introduction

VII.

Above all sing spiritually.

Have an eye to God in every word you sing.

Aim at pleasing Him more than yourself, or any other creature.

In order to do this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve here, and reward you when he cometh in the clouds of heaven.

Last week when we were finishing our sermon series on Abraham, I talked about our Christian testimonies - our stories.

Our being able to look at how Jesus Christ has changed our lives.

Some people can tell a story of how they once lived a life of sin, rebellion and crime.

They can talk about the hurt they’ve experienced or the hurt they have caused others.

Then they can talk about how Christ miraculously turned all of that around.

Jesus forgave them, delivered them and gave them a mission.

Their lives are completely transformed.

Stories like that inspire me: they affirm something that I already believe: Nothing is too impossible for God.

But that is not the only type of testimony.

I’ve heard testimonies about people being raised in the church and gradually growing in their own faith.

There was no instant moment of salvation.

But there is even another type of testimony that I’ve heard many times.

If you were to hear this kind of testimony, you might wonder, “Is this really your Christian testimony?”

The people telling these stories might not consider their stories to be Christian testimonies.

I’ve met people who have professed a faith in Christ, but struggle with mental illness, or lingering guilt or grief.

I’ve met people who believe that Jesus rose from the dead and will return one day in glory, but have been diagnosed with depression.

I’ve met people that believe in the power of prayer, but have also been prone to suicidal tendencies.

And Christians are not immune to to drug addiction - we know that.

In a moment we’re going to sing a song that was written by William Cowper in 1771: There is a Fountain Filled with Blood.

It’s an old song.

The lyrics are powerful.

They speak truth.

They give us an opportunity to sing the good news of Jesus Christ.

But what makes the song so amazing, is that William Cowper was first inspired to write this song while in a mental institution,.

He made several trips to mental institutions, and yet he also continued to write hymns and Christian poetry.

Cowper’s testimony was not the sort of story that would get him invited church revivals, conferences and conventions.

For him, depression despair and suicidal thoughts were not a thing of the past, but an ongoing struggle for much of his life.

In his journals, he wrote about his battles of the mind, but he also described in details the battle of his soul.

He lived through the American and French revolutions.

His poetry was known by Benjamin Franklin who gave Cowper’s first volume a good review

From the standpoint of adventure or politics or public engagement his life was utterly uneventful.

Cowper’s testimony was not the sort of story that would get him invited church revivals, conferences and conventions.

For him, depression despair and suicidal thoughts were not a thing of the past, but an ongoing struggle for much of his life.

His battles over his soul were of epic proportions.

His parents were churchgoing people.

His mother died when he was six and his father sent him to boarding school soon after that.

So at an early age he was without a mother, and for all practical purposes without a father.

He never stopped grieving the loss of his mother, and he never had a relationship with his father.

He remembers a time in boarding school when his father gave him an essay about the merits of suicide - his father agreed with the author’s argument.

When he was in his twenties he had a romantic relationship over a period of 7 years.

He desperately wanted to marry her, but her parents wouldn’t allow it.