crhoades
Puritan Board Graduate
Ran across this the other day...Has anyone read it?
http://www.pap.com.au/ford/tf_psa00.htm
SINGING OF PSALMS
THE DUTY OF CHRISTIANS
UNDER THE NEW TESTAMENT
THOMAS FORD
Publisher's Preface
Thomas Ford (1598-1674) was minister of the Gospel at Exeter, and member of the Westminster Assembly of Divines.
Singing of Psalms the Duty of Christians was originally a series of sermons which the author preached to his congregation at a time when religion in England was splintering under the weight of sectarianism. Besides the infiltration of many strange doctrines at that time, numerous foreign worship practices were being introduced into England. Amongst those practices which pertained to the singing of praise, some were for excluding singing altogether, except under the influence of an extraordinary gift of the Spirit; while others were for composing new songs, to replace the inspired Psalms of David.
In this situation, Mr. Ford called upon his hearers to adhere to the ancient, approved, and appointed practice of singing the Psalms of David in the public worship of God. He shows, from Ephesians 5:19,
1. The duty itself: we must sing.
2. For the matter: we must sing Psalms.
3. For the manner: we must sing with the heart.
4. For the end: we must sing unto the Lord.
Because this work was the product of the author's pulpit ministrations, it would be inappropriate to class this book as a systematic, scholarly defence of Psalm-singing. Exact arrangment, and the usual references to numerous authorities, which would be expected in a scholarly work, are lacking. But as a more popular treatment of the subject, designed to be more poignant than stringent, the book presents the major arguments on behalf of Psalm singing in a striking manner, while being simple enough for most minds to follow.
One of the practical features of this work is the manner in which the author stresses the suitability of the Psalms as a means of instruction and admonition in the Christian life. He often pauses to reflect on the message of individual Psalms, and to show how they may be sung with heartfelt conviction by those who are exercised in spiritual things. Thus the book serves not only to point out the Christian's duty of singing Psalms, but also provides practical help towards fulfilling that duty.
Thomas Ford's book should also be of historical interest to those who have made Puritanism in general, and the Westminster Assembly of divines in particular, an area of study. Besides incidental statements regarding the cessation of extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, the Messianic interpretation of the Psalms, and contemporary allusions to the practice of Psalm-singing; there is, here, an undoubted example of using the word "Psalms," to refer exclusively to the Psalms of David, which sheds light on the original intent of the framers of the Westminster Confession of Faith, when they state in chapter 21, section 5, that "singing of psalms with grace in the heart" is a part of "the ordinary religious worship of God."
Yours in the Lord's service,
M. E. Winzer.
http://www.pap.com.au/ford/tf_psa00.htm
SINGING OF PSALMS
THE DUTY OF CHRISTIANS
UNDER THE NEW TESTAMENT
THOMAS FORD
Publisher's Preface
Thomas Ford (1598-1674) was minister of the Gospel at Exeter, and member of the Westminster Assembly of Divines.
Singing of Psalms the Duty of Christians was originally a series of sermons which the author preached to his congregation at a time when religion in England was splintering under the weight of sectarianism. Besides the infiltration of many strange doctrines at that time, numerous foreign worship practices were being introduced into England. Amongst those practices which pertained to the singing of praise, some were for excluding singing altogether, except under the influence of an extraordinary gift of the Spirit; while others were for composing new songs, to replace the inspired Psalms of David.
In this situation, Mr. Ford called upon his hearers to adhere to the ancient, approved, and appointed practice of singing the Psalms of David in the public worship of God. He shows, from Ephesians 5:19,
1. The duty itself: we must sing.
2. For the matter: we must sing Psalms.
3. For the manner: we must sing with the heart.
4. For the end: we must sing unto the Lord.
Because this work was the product of the author's pulpit ministrations, it would be inappropriate to class this book as a systematic, scholarly defence of Psalm-singing. Exact arrangment, and the usual references to numerous authorities, which would be expected in a scholarly work, are lacking. But as a more popular treatment of the subject, designed to be more poignant than stringent, the book presents the major arguments on behalf of Psalm singing in a striking manner, while being simple enough for most minds to follow.
One of the practical features of this work is the manner in which the author stresses the suitability of the Psalms as a means of instruction and admonition in the Christian life. He often pauses to reflect on the message of individual Psalms, and to show how they may be sung with heartfelt conviction by those who are exercised in spiritual things. Thus the book serves not only to point out the Christian's duty of singing Psalms, but also provides practical help towards fulfilling that duty.
Thomas Ford's book should also be of historical interest to those who have made Puritanism in general, and the Westminster Assembly of divines in particular, an area of study. Besides incidental statements regarding the cessation of extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, the Messianic interpretation of the Psalms, and contemporary allusions to the practice of Psalm-singing; there is, here, an undoubted example of using the word "Psalms," to refer exclusively to the Psalms of David, which sheds light on the original intent of the framers of the Westminster Confession of Faith, when they state in chapter 21, section 5, that "singing of psalms with grace in the heart" is a part of "the ordinary religious worship of God."
Yours in the Lord's service,
M. E. Winzer.