Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life by William Law

Author:William Law
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Religion, General, Christian Life, Christian Theology, Devotional
ISBN: 9781475035070
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: 2012-04-22T22:00:00+00:00

NOTES

36. Meats: foods, generally.

37. Parts: wits, intellectual ability.

38. That you love to read a man? How comes it] the and ed. omits.

Chapter XV

Of chanting or singing of Psalms in our private devotions. Of the excellency and benefit of this kind of devotion. Of the great effects in bath upon our hearts. Of the means of performing it in the best manner. You have seen in the foregoing chapter what means and methods you are to use to raise and improve your devotion, how early you are to begin your prayers and what is to be the subject of your first devotions in the morning.

There is one thing still remaining that you must be required to observe not only as fit and proper to be dome, but as such as cannot be neglected without great prejudice to your devotions. And that is to begin all your prayers with a Psalm.

This is so right, is so beneficial to devotion, has so much effect upon our hearts, that it may be insisted upon as a common rule for all persons.

I don't mean that you should read over a Psalm, but that you should chant or sing one of those Psalms which we commonly call the reading Psalms. For singing is as much the proper use of a Psalm as devout supplication is the proper use of a form of prayer. And a psalm only read is very much like a prayer that is only looked over.

Now the method of chanting a Psalm such as is used in the colleges in the universities and in some churches is such as all persons are capable of. The change of the voice in thus chanting of a Psalm is so small and natural that everybody is able to do it, and yet sufficient to raise and keep up the gladness of our hearts.

You are therefore to consider this chanting of a Psalm as a necessary beginning of your devotions, as something that is to awaken all that is good and holy within you, that is to call your spirits to their proper duty, to set you in your best posture toward heaven, and tune all the powers of your soul to worship and adoration.

For there is nothing that so clears a way for your prayers, nothing that so disperses dullness of heart, nothing that so Purifies the soul from poor and little passions, nothing that so opens heaven or carries your heart so near it as these songs of praise.

They create a sense and delight in God, they awaken holy desires, they teach you how to ask, and they prevail with God to give. They kindle a holy flame, they turn your heart into an altar, your prayers into incense, and carry them as a sweet-smelling savor to the throne of grace.

The difference between singing and reading a Psalm will easily be understood if you consider the difference between reading and singing a common song that you like. Whilst you only read it, you only like

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