“What Can Miserable Christians Sing?â€� « Backwoods Presbyterian

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Benjamin P. Glaser
Pittsburgh, PA,
Fairmount ARP Church
Candidate Under Care Pittsburgh Theological Seminary & Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary
"The benefit of deliverance becomes the more precious in the same proportion in which we are brought to apprehend the magnitude of the evil from which we have been rescued"
-- Zacharias Ursinus, Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism

How true, Benjamin. I once heard a Pastor giving a lesson on the 6th Psalm, and when he said that he didn't think it was normal for us today to "water our couches with tears" like David did, I thought, "Man, something must be wrong with me!". Seems like I've been doing that for most of my life.

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Brad
PCA Member
Virginia

Pro 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.

Isa 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

Hmmm...interesting thread.

Usually reformed folks diss the modern church for being too emotional, not just emotional in a lop-sided way.

Excellent post and very thought-provoking observations.

No probs with being emotonal in worship - just make sure the emotions match Scripture. And, as the post says, if this were so, wouldn't there be more weeping?

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Pergamum


"If a commission by an earthly king is considered a honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?"
-- David Livingstone

Well that is a side reason for the promotion of Psalm-singing. That they, unlike our Hymnbooks, force us to sing about all the travails of life, both victory and destruction, unrelenting sadness and unstoppable joy, etc...

And all without ever mentioning the name of Jesus.....

Great article! I know that only the psalms could have been a comfort to me the last two weeks. Happy pappy songs just don't comfort a Christian who is experiencing affliction and the chastening rod of God. There just is no substitute for the psalms. Even the great old hymns don't come close to psalm 38 in describing the highs and lows of the Christian walk.

Psalm 38
A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance.

1 In thy great indignation,

O Lord, rebuke me not;

Nor on me lay thy chast’ning hand,

in thy displeasure hot.

2 For in me fast thine arrows stick,

thine hand doth press me sore:

3 And in my flesh there is no health,

nor soundness any more.

This grief I have, because thy wrath

is forth against me gone;

And in my bones there is no rest,

for sin that I have done.

4 Because gone up above mine head

my great transgressions be;

And, as a weighty burden, they

too heavy are for me.

5 My wounds do stink, and are corrupt;

my folly makes it so.

6 I troubled am, and much bow’d down;

all day I mourning go.

7 For a disease that loathsome is

so fills my loins with pain,

That in my weak and weary flesh

no soundness doth remain.

8 So feeble and infirm am I,

and broken am so sore,

That, through disquiet of my heart,

I have been made to roar.

9 O Lord, all that I do desire

is still before thine eye;

And of my heart the secret groans

not hidden are from thee.

10 My heart doth pant incessantly,

my strength doth quite decay;

As for mine eyes, their wonted light

is from me gone away.

11 My lovers and my friends do stand

at distance from my sore;

And those do stand aloof that were

kinsmen and kind before.

12 Yea, they that seek my life lay snares:

who seek to do me wrong

Speak things mischievous, and deceits

imagine all day long.

13 But, as one deaf, that heareth not,

I suffer’d all to pass;

I as a dumb man did become,

whose mouth not open’d was:

14 As one that hears not, in whose mouth

are no reproofs at all.

15 For, Lord, I hope in thee; my God,

thou’lt hear me when I call.

16 For I said, Hear me, lest they should

rejoice o’er me with pride;

And o’er me magnify themselves,

when as my foot doth slide.

17 For I am near to halt, my grief

is still before mine eye:

18 For I’ll declare my sin, and grieve

for mine iniquity.

19 But yet mine en’mies lively are,

and strong are they beside;

And they that hate me wrongfully

are greatly multiply’d.

20 And they for good that render ill,

as en’mies me withstood;

Yea, ev’n for this, because that I

do follow what is good.

21 Forsake me not, O Lord; my God,

far from me never be.

22 O Lord, thou my salvation art,

haste to give help to me.

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Traci
Lynnwood OPC
Psalm 52:8-9
8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.
9 I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.