St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-07-23

f~@lEA c Che sHns OF s,oe oa
~ E@m&$ ence which W,
- ElYRS&S$SM learned SO Ions
Is;sSlzsSssaS&Y ago? Would tn.
sweet prattle O
your baby grow wearisome were it t.
continue five, ten years from now
when the baby form should have de.
veioped into the robust child and /,
should have learned a new and highe,
expression than mere baby gurgles and
cooings? Do you grow weary of the
stereotyped testimony and prayer III
prayer meeting of that brother or SIS
ter who. ten, 20, 30 years ago had q
Christian experience, and has never
outsroWn the swaddling clothes of its
nrst babe-in-C Christ expressions? And
think you that God cares not when
children fail to grow and develop and
learn new songs out of lifes expert
ences to pour into His ear? That
which was once sweet music to His
ear has long since lost it's melody, be-
cause 1t is no longer expressive of life
and growth. We all need to learn new
songs to. sing unto the Lord. The
Psalmist is not giving expression to a
poetical and sentimental nothingness,
but is speaking words which contain
vital and important truth The adj
monition is important, it is needful,
and 1t is as pertinent to this day as it
was to the day when the deyout singer
drew from the busy hum OF active,
rushing, throbbing life, the sweet,
helpful, wholesome strains of experience
and wOve them into the sacred songs
we love to read. Every experience issued
in new song to his Lord, whether it
was tending his flock out on the lonely
hillside. or serving the king within pal
ace walls; whether winning mighty VIC
tories over the giant enemies of the
Lord, or fleeing for his life from the re-
jected Saul; whether ruling in right
eousness over the nation after the Lord
had triumphed over all his enemies,
or falling into grievous and awful sin
during an unguarded moment. And he
who was constantly singing new songs
to the Lord says to you and to me:
AOh, sing unto the Lord q new song"
THE Bible offers us many examples
i of those who out of the ripe, full
experiences of life have sung new songs
to the Lord. When the children of
Israel had escaped the pursuing enemy
and the perils of the Red sea, Moses
and his people sang that wonderful
song Of victory and deliyerance. When
Moses mission with Gods people was
ended he sang his farewell song. and
then his song of blessing upon them
When victory over Canaan crowned
the efforts of the heroic Deborah she
broke into song. When David laid
low the blatant and blasphemous giant
and gave Israel victory over the Phil
istines the nation found theme for a
new song and the women sang of Da-
vid who had killed his tens Of thou
sands. Solomon, Scripture declares,
wrote 1,O05 songs. King Hezekiah upon
his recovery from nearly fatal illness
sang of Gods mercy and blessing. And
when Jesus came into the world the
angels sang their wonderful song of
hope and speace and glory. 1t was a
new experience for the world. and
Heaven burst forth into glad song be-
cause of Its marvellous meaning. See
how the experiences which surrounded
the advent OF Christ into the world
found expression in song. Mary's
heart burst forth into song when she
visited her cousin Elizabeth, Zacharias
was dumb until the remarkable events
connected with the naming OF his son
l6osed his tongue, and he sang the song
Of q new experience and hope. Anna
and Simeon in the temple sang their |
song when they came into the expert
ence Of that which they had long hoped |
for, and the disciples took up the song !
and the story and out of every trial
and conflict and experience they learn |
song unto the Lord.
THE new song is essential to every |
i Christian life. 1t is indicative Of |
growth Godward. It Is the response
of the soul to the touch ofSGod. There
are no new songs IN the hearts and |
mouths Of some people because no ex-
perience in life Is ever allowed to
teach its rich spiritual truth and make
the soul cling in closer faith and fell
lowship to its Lord. The look is ever
downward and inward. II the world |
gives to the pleasure and qualification
OF the flesh and the natural man, there
Is satisfaction, and agreeable compla-
cency. but no new song that reaches up
to God. II life brings its hardships and
trials. its privations and sufterings. its
and misfortunes, there
Is grim, cherries endurance, but no
new song that reads in the experience
some new thought Of God, some virtue,
some grace. The most untoward cir
cumstances, the deepest bereavement
NAV give birth to the sweetest song.
How much of the beautiful expressions
In David,s Psalms. suppose you. we
owe to the afliction. and peril and pri-
walton and failures through which he
nassed? How much we would have
inst OF Paul's writings II he had not
realized that t'all things work together
for GOOD to them that love Cod" and
was not constantly looking for inspira-
tion for the new song to sing. The
world sings when the sky is blue
and the sun is bright and everything
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