it as sweet.

"Praise the Lord with harps. Sing unto him with the psaltery and an
instrument of ten strings. Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully
with a loud noise." [9]

Are you not glad of that word "skilfully"? You see you may cultivate
your talent to the last point, and may have any amount of new music.
The Lord's people are not meant to be bunglers, in any line. And yet
some seem to think it is no matter how they sing holy words! This "new
song" may perhaps be what David speaks of in another place:

"He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God." [10]

For as "his mercies are new every morning," [11] so should also our
praises be; new, fresh, vigorous; not always the same old words to the
same old tune. "The songs of Zion," so sung, are wondrously sweet;
even the poor captives in Babylon were called upon to sing them for the
pleasure of their heathen captors.

"The songs of Zion." Many of you imagine they are all pretty much
alike; all solemn and tedious and slow. But listen.

"I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me."
[12]

Can anything be gayer than that? Or anything sweeter than this:

"My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give
praise." [13]

Or where will you find richer chords that this:

"I will sing of thy power, yea, I will sing of thy mercy in the
morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my
trouble." [14]

New, skilful, and then comes in another requirement; songs should be
sensible.

"I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding
also." [15]

Know what you sing. Does this keep out all _but_ sacred music? I
should not think that. But it _does_ forbid singing you know not what
in a foreign tongue, or mere dead nonsense in your own. I cannot see,
for my part, why it is much better to sing "idle words" than to say
them. How vapid, how senseless, is many a song one hears from a pretty
mouth and a sweet voice. And in music as elsewhere, there is no middle
ground: whatever does not edify--build up--pulls down.

"It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear
the song of fools." [16]

How run the directions?

"Singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord." [17]

Can you do that? If not, music is no true recreation to you. Whatever
chills your feeling for eternal things, making them seem dull and far
away, is no breath of life-ref