Good Mr. Philip Henry used to say, that the singing of God's people, at Family-Worship, was a way to hold forth godliness to such as pass by their windows, like Rahab's scarlet thread. Sacred song is an instituted means of giving expression to every high religious emotion. It has been adopted for this purpose in every form of religion known among men. Concerning its fitness for this end, in the great assembly, there has been no controversy in the church. Never was the glory of divine song more exalted, than in the ancient temple service. It was at once admitted into the primitive assemblies, and has prevailed in all Christian churches. "In singing the praises of God," says the Directory for Worship, "we are to sing with the spirit, and with the understanding also; making melody in our hearts unto the Lord. It is also proper that we cultivate some knowledge of the rules of music, that we may praise God in a becoming manner with our voices, as well as with our hearts." There has been no difference of judgment on this point, in any of the reformed churches. But we ask attention to the assertion, that there is no argument for sacred music in the church, which does not hold equally good in the family. Though this part of the service has fallen out of the practice of many households, and (strangely enough) extensively in those regions where scientific music has been most boastfully cultivated, the judgment of our church on this subject is explicit: "It is the duty of Christians to praise God, by singing psalms or hymns, publicly in the church, as also privately in the family." There is no reason for one which is not a reason for the other. If a congregation has its joys and other elevated emotions, so has a family. If a congregation has cause to give utterance to these with "the voice of melody," so has a family. If a congregation has voices which are fitted for this work, so has a family. In truth, what is a family but a domestic congregation, or "church in the house?"

Domestic psalmody is promotive of devotion. It is an exercise in which the voices of all join in the expression of sentiments which should be experienced by all. We trust we shall not be called upon to prove that the singing of God's praise is eminently conducive to the awakening and maintenance of holy affections, and that it has been in every age employed by the Holy Spirit, for this purpose. But we beg consideration of the statement, that this is as true of the family as of the church. The peculiar exercises of soul which belong to families, as such, find expression in sacred song, no less than those which belong to public assemblies. The godly sorrow, the trust, the adoration, the thanks, of a household, seem to require this channel for their flow.

Psalmody is a means of Christian instruction. In the early church, many of the hymns were compendious formulas of doctrine; and such has been the case in every succeeding age. "Let the word or Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another, in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." (Col. 3:16) In this view, it is wise to seize upon sacred poetry as a means of fastening truth on the infant mind; and the daily practice of the family will, beyond any thing else, familiarize the young with the choicest spiritual songs. In order that this may take place most fully, the selection should be careful, and the number of hymns so used should not be too large. Where so much depends on repetition, there may be an inordinate passion for variety. A small circle of well adapted psalms and hymns is better than a great multitude, and the suggestion derives new importance from the extraordinary augmentation of our stock of religious compositions in verse.

The happy influence of spiritual songs is illustrated in the early churches of Germany. Luther was himself a poet and a musician, and he bestowed on his country many of her noblest hymns, and some of her finest melodies. In his writings he often alludes to this as one of the chosen agencies in the work of Reformation; and this not merely in the church, but by the wayside, and at home. He relates that, in the earlier part of his labours, he was moved to tears by hearing a wandering beggar, under his window, sing a hymn, which has since become famous, but which Luther had never before heard. The remarkable cultivation of music among the United Brethren, is only the extension, by Zinzendorf, of this attachment to sacred song, which was encouraged by Luther. The impress still remains. Wherever you meet the German Christian, you find him charged with those noble and evangelical compositions. Even the emigrant, in his blouse, is sure, if a disciple, to carry across the sea in his wallet, the black-covered hymn-book.

The same thing is observable among our Presbyterian forefathers, and their descendants in Scotland and Ireland. They praised God in their families. Usually having the metrical psalms at the end of their pocket-bibles, they were familiar with them from youth; and they held them in more reverence as conceiving them to be a literal version of the word of God. While we condemn the narrowness of that prejudice which would debar the Church of God from naming the name of Christ in public praise, and which would reject all New Testament hymns, we cannot shut our eyes to the singular influence of that ancient version; though written by an Englishman, Francis Rouse or Rous, it has become almost the peculiar treasure of the Scots, and is still used in the Kirk of Scotland, and the Secession bodies of Britain and America.

The use of psalmody in Family-Worship we believe to have been almost universal in the old Presbyterian church of Scotland, as it has been laudably kept up till this day. That it tended, in a high degree, to increase the interest of all concerned in the service, and to promote Christian knowledge and sound piety, we cannot for a moment doubt. The homely old version, with a small number of ancient airs, of great plainness, severity, and sweetness, some of which still linger in our churches, was familiar to every man, woman, and child. The favourite poet of Scotland has not failed to seize on this trait in the family picture, to which, therefore, we once more call attention:

"They chant their artless notes in simple guise,
They tune their hearts, by far their noblest aim,
Perhaps Dundee's wild warbling measures rise,
Or plaintive Martyrs, worthy of the name,
Or noble Elgin beats the heavenward flame,
The sweetest far of Scotia's holy lays.
Compared with these Italian trills are tame;
The tickled ears no heartfelt raptures raise,
Nae unison hae they with our Creator's praise."

The Wesleyans in Great Britain, and their Methodist brethren in America, have beyond all others done justice to the animating power of sacred song, in public and in the house, and we may learn a lesson from them. Differing from them as we do, in several important points, we shall, nevertheless, always hold ourselves ready to give them just praise for the Christian vivacity of their services; and we hazard whatever may be at stake of reputation for taste, when we say, that, after some opportunities of listening to what is regarded as the choicest music which has come to us from abroad, we have felt more of the genuine power of harmonious sounds, when the voices of "the great congregation" have united in sending up a volume of song, than from orchestral clangour, or the artistic combinations of "stringed instruments and organs."

It is a remarkable fact, that in those circles of the religious world which consider themselves the most accomplished, there are many families where sacred music receives no separate attention. We enter the saloons of wealth, professedly consecrated to God, and our eyes are greeted by the piano-forte, the guitar, the organ, or the harp, and by piles of complicated and fashionable music. But when the hour of Family-Worship arrives, no hymn of praise ascends to God. Those cultivated voices, so cunning in solfeggio and "Italian trills," are dumb for all but this world's song. Our Christian daughters, practising for hours a day under great masters of singing, are sometimes unwilling to lend their aid even in the house of God. We solemnly commend this subject to those who preside over the education of youth.

Some are ready to say that psalmody cannot be maintained with ease in domestic worship, because in many instances a majority of those present are children. It is strange that this objection should arise at the very period in which, above all that have preceded, juvenile instruction in music has been pursued with success. The concurrent testimony of all who have most largely examined and experimented on the matter, is, that no child has been found, (unless in case of organic defect,) which could not be taught to sing. No school, of the higher class, ventures to exclude vocal music from its course of study. Not a word need be said, concerning this, to such as are familiar with the extraordinary labours of Mr. Hastings, or have attended the public exhibitions of Mr. Bradbury and others, in some of which no less than five hundred children have appeared at once, in the admirable performance of the most celebrated compositions of the great masters. A much simpler cultivation would suffice for all that we require.

Family-Worship affords the most happy means of bringing forward infant voices in the praise of God. We have known children who joined, without false intonation, in the family psalm, before they could distinctly articulate a word. It is almost always an attractive and delightful part of the worship, to youthful minds, and hence contributes to endear the household-meeting, and the circle of home. Above all, it makes this early impression, that the voice is to be trained for the glory of God, as its best and happiest office.

The use of psalmody in domestic worship, tends to the improvement of this part of divine service in public. We may push the art and exquisite harmony of choirs, or select companies, to any degree of advancement, however high, yet the great end will not be attained, until we secure the united voices of the whole congregation. Every method which discourages or postpones this, however agreeable to human taste, is a snare, which should be deprecated. So long as great numbers, in the body of a church, feel at liberty to depute this part of religion to others, the worship of God is abridged of its rightful claim. We believe that the revival of psalmody in the house, would contribute to train voices for the sanctuary. In order to have this effect, it should not be left to take care of itself, or be executed in a careless, random way. Some pains should be taken to select suitable tunes, and to make every member of the household familiar with them. This might be done by means of an occasional hour of musical instruction, such as is implied in the injunction which we have already cited from our Directory. But the daily exercise itself is a school of music; and we have never known a family in which it was common, that did not attain to some excellence in this department.

Conscientious regard to the spiritual aspect of divine praise, will lead him who presides in Family-Worship, to look upon the selection of appropriate psalms and hymns, as a matter of great importance. He will not leave it to accident, but from the ample stores which we possess, will endeavour to choose such as may both be level to the capacity of his little flock, and suited to carry up their hearts directly to God. These sacred compositions, we hope, will rest in the memory of our children when we shall be no more with them. No evil can arise from often recurring to the same hymns, if these are in themselves excellent. The best hymns are those which are oftenest sung, and which every one knows by heart; and those will have the largest stock in remembrance who have praised God all their lives at home. We do not understand the feelings of that man, who can ever weary of such compositions as those which begin thus: "My God, my life, my love," "Alas! and did my Saviour bleed," "Not all the blood of beasts," "Come we, who love the Lord," "My God, the spring of all my joys," "When I can read my title clear," "There is a land of pure delight," "Plunged in a gulf of dark despair," "The Lord my Shepherd is," "Teach me the measure of my days," "When overwhelmed with grief'," "Lord of the worlds above," "Sweet is the work, my God, my King." Such psalms and hymns, so far from losing by repetition, gain new associations day by day: and we venture to assert, that they are sung by none in the house of God, with so much real delight, as by the aged man who lays aside his spectacles, because the psalm has been known to him for forty years.

No religious duty can be conducted aright unless the heart be in it; and there are special reasons why the thoughts and affections should be tempted to wander in the singing of God's praise. How few, even in the largest worshipping assemblies, show, by their demeanour, that the words which are on their lips, or on the lips of their substitutes in the work of praise, are addressed to the present, and heart-searching Jehovah! The soul may be entirely taken up in the secular and musical part of the psalmody. No pains can be too great, which may result in the awakening of solemn consideration in the minds of those who join, in singing praise. Every symptom of levity should be repressed. An occasional remark, if solemnly and appropriately thrown in, before engaging in this duty, might often have a good effect. It is an offence against God, to address him in words of high moment, while, perhaps, we have no thought of their meaning, still less any sympathy with their sentiment. Each of us should learn to say with sincerity, "I will sing with the spirit, I will sing with the understanding also." (1Cor. 14:15)

It would be a peculiar pleasure to the writer of these lines, if he could know that he had succeeded in bringing the vocal praise of God into the daily worship of even a single household. Those who make the experiment, will find a new spring of delight gushing out under the domestic vine and fig-tree. They will rejoice in a fresh sweetener of their toils and anxieties, and a powerful instrument for quieting and training the souls of their children. It is mournful to think, that a service which was so precious to our ancestors, and which they made sacrifices to enjoy, even when under the sword of persecution, should die out of many Christian families in these days of peace, when there is no lack of worldly rejoicings, "and the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts." There may be days in which we have scarcely the heart to sing, by reason of deep anguish, but such are not the days of most. "Is any merry? let him sing psalms." (Jas. 5:13) Before we totally hush the voice of thanksgiving in our tabernacle, let us break or banish the instruments of worldly music. No law can be laid down for those who have not the control of their own time, or those who, after every effort, are convinced that it is impossible for them to sing; but we would advise a shortening of the other services, rather than the total omission of this. Such as have abundance of leisure should honour God by the psalm, and "make the voice of his praise to be heard. "

Comments and suggestions are welcome!