erson is disqualified from
ministering in the service of song in God's house. Scripturally this
seems incontestable; and as to the teaching of experience, we should
hardly know how to name any custom which has brought a sorer blight
upon the life of the church, or a heavier repression upon its spiritual
energy, than the habit, now so general, of introducing unsanctified,
unconverted, and even notoriously worldly persons into the choirs of
the churches.

Now the teaching of the text just cited is decisive, not only against
such performers in choirs, but against the choirs themselves, if by the
latter term is meant certain ones employed to dispense music for the
delectation of the congregation. For observe how distinctly the mutual
and inter-congregational character of Christian singing is here pointed
out: "Speaking _to one another_ in psalms and hymns and spiritual
songs." The one feature of the worship of the church, which
distinguishes it radically and totally from that of the {155} temple,
is that it is mutual. Under the law there were priests and Levites to
minister and people to be ministered to; under the gospel there is a
universal spiritual priesthood, in which all minister and all are
ministered to. Every act of service belonging to the Christian church
is so described. There must be prayer, and the exhortation is, "Pray
_one for another_" (James 5: 16). There must be confession, and the
injunction is: "Confess your sins _one to another_" (James 5: 16, R.
V.). There must be exhortation, and the command is: "Exhort one
another" (Heb. 3: 13). There must be love, and we are enjoined to
"love _one another_" (1 Peter 1: 22). There must be burden-bearing,
and the exhortation is: "Bear ye _one another's_ burdens" (Gal. 6: 2).
There must be comforting, and the command is: "Wherefore comfort _one
another_" (1 Thess. 4: 18). So with the worship of song. Its
reciprocal character is emphasized, not only in the passage just
quoted, but also in the Epistle to the Colossians: "Teaching and
admonishing _one another_ in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs"
(Col. 3: 16). This is according to the clearly defined method of the
Spirit in this dispensation. He establishes our fellowship with the
Head of the church, and through him with one another. All blessing in
the body is mutual, and the worship which is ordained to maintain and
increase that blessing is likewise mutual.

{156}

As now the Spirit is the inspi