Donald McLaren, The Only Songs of Zion

“In singing praise to the Lord, previously prepared forms of praise are necessary. He did not leave his favored Zion destitute of set forms of praise. He did more than to command them to be prepared – he prepared them himself. If the use of them is to be...

Calvin on the book of Job; 73rd sermon

“When we see men so malicious and wicked as to lift themselves up against God and to seek all means possible to pervert and corrupt the truth, is it fitting for us to be slothful then? No. We see today how the Pope has many seducers which seek nothing but to...

Louis Benson on the Psalter

“The singing of Psalms became the Reformed cultus [worship], the characteristic note distinguishing its worship from that of the Roman Catholic Church,” and, “The family in the home, men and women at their daily tasks, were recognized as Huguenots [Reformed Christians...

Michael Bushell writes:

“The law of the Lord, we are told, is perfect. It is sure. It is right. It is pure. It is true. It is sweeter than honey and more to be desired than gold. When we read this magnificent Psalm we should do so with the understanding that the Psalter is in these...

Imitation of David’s Psalms

‘I must say that I imitated David’s Psalms, not as the fittest book that could be made for Christian worship, but as the best which the churches would yet hearken to,’ (Isaac Watts, cited in R.M. Stevenson, Patterns of Protestant Church Music, p....