'Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the

Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,

singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord; giving thanks

always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord

Jesus Christ' (Eph. 5:18 -20).

Many of the Psalms rise above dispensational limitations; they express the

worship and feeling of the redeemed of all ages, and it would be a narrow

view of truth indeed that entertained any conscientious objection to joining

in the metrical version of Psalm 23.  This however does not mean that

indiscriminate Psalm singing is a fit accompaniment

of the worship offered by members of the One Body.  Objection has been made

to the singing of any hymn that is made to Christ, maintaining that as with

prayers, hymns should be addressed only to the Father.  Yet, when we read in

Ephesians 5 of singing 'to the Lord', it is difficult to forget that the

title is used consistently throughout Ephesians of the Saviour, or to

understand why the apostle should have said 'to the Lord' if he meant to

exclude the Son of God.  Further, Paul said, 'I will sing with the spirit,

and I will sing with the understanding also' (1 Cor. 14:15).  The need for

care in the selection of hymns is not only that we should offer our praises

in the language of truth to be acceptable, but because hymns are so easily

remembered and can influence the theology of those who sing them.  We early

felt that much of the distinctive teaching for which An Alphabetical Analysis

had been instituted was in danger of being neutralized by the use of popular

hymn books, so that we made a collection of our own, using old -established

hymns where we could, and calling upon those who rejoiced in Ephesian truth

to rise to the occasion and contribute new ones.  Hence the book Hymns of

Praise that is listed among our publications.  Here is a verse taken from

hymn No. 45 of which no congregation need be ashamed, which was contributed

by a friend:

'Sing of the love that surpasseth, the love that will ever unfold,

Its breadth and its length are unbounded, its depth and its height are

Oh! fathomless, boundless, measureless love of the Lord,

We would know more of its fulness now in our hearts shed abroad'.

The controversy that once raged over the question of whether a musical

instrument should or should not be used, no longer holds the place it did in

the last century.  In many places, the age of the worshippers, together with

many other causes of weakness, call for the aid and unifying ministry of an

organ.  The only objection to the use of a musical instrument would be if it

were allowed to leave the lowly place of a servant, and assume a leading role

in worship.

The Reading of the Scriptures

'Till I come, give attendance to (The) Reading' (1 Tim. 4:13),

wrote the apostle to his ministering son in the faith, Timothy.  'Give

attendance' is the translation of prosecho, and is in strong contrast with

the usage of the word in Hebrews, where it speaks of priestly attendance and

an altar (Heb. 7:13).  Levitical worship centred round the altar; now, with

the one Sacrifice for ever offered, our worship gathers rather around the