The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1949-09-22

shouts, and 1t always sings.
It is true to say ''The provi-
DENTAL oversight Of the Creator
is continuous and unremitting;"
but II is more effective to say,
1.-THE Lord Is my shepherd" 1t
would be true to say, "The EVIL
dences Of creative and bene-
ficent purpose can be seen
throughout all the orders Of ma
ture;" but how much more
vivid Is the 148th Psalm, call
ing ON hail and fire, sun and
moon and stars Of light. to
praise the Lord!
Another secret Of poetry's power
Is that 1t Is the language OF emo
ton. Professors and theologians
may be saying the same things as
the poet, and maybe even saying
them more completely and accu'
rately; but what they say Is less
easy to remember.
So these emotional Psalms will
always appeal, ever to the profess
sor when off duty, because they
make us, feel religion and not mere
ly think 1t.
Pictures of God
co 1T IS no wonder the Psalms
~ have been loved and sung all
over the world. We are perhaps the
only religion that has made so
much use Of another religions
hymn book. Different though our
faiths may be, Jews and Christians
can sing from the Psa1ter with one
voice and heart.
For centuries it was the
hymnal of the Christian church.
Indeed, up to recent years
some large denominations
would allow in public worship
the singing of no other songs
than the Psalms.
Many of our best hymns and pop
ular gospel songs, as we have al
ready seen, are based on Psalms.
"Rock of Ages, cleft for me-" "A
Shelter in the Time of Storm"
.Hiding in Thee" - they all 60
back to the Psalmist's picture OF
God as a Rock Cps. 42:9). The
Psalmist was not thinking Of a
little rock in a cornfield. He was
thinking Of some tall crag in the
fierce hot landscape Of his coun'
try.
A rock there is a landmark, 1t Is
a shelter against the blazing sun,
people could live under its over
hanging height.
So God is the landmark Of
life, he gives direction to u
WAYS: he is the shelter on life's
weary journey, he is u safe
dwelling.
So with the many other pictures
of God in the Psalms-he is light,
he is shade, he is the guard on
duty at night watching over the
sleeping city CPS. 121); he is q
shepherd. he is water for the thirst
ing soul Cps. Az
A Model Hymnal
TT is true that few Christians to
i day can use in worship all o.
the Psalms, without omissions OF
changes. II is also true that prac'
tically all Christian churches fine
that the Psalms, by themselves,
are inadequate to express all there
is in Christian experience, faith and
ideals.
The Christian hymn, entirely in
dependent of the Psalms, has Ions
since come into its own. And ye'
the Psalms remain the model hymn
nal. For in them beauty and truth
are blended.
This should be the ideal Of all
Christian hymn and song books.
Some of our modern hymns"
as well as some older ones,
are bad because they are no
better than jingles, -~doggerel,
not poetry, and often sung to
tunes better suited to a juke
box; and some are bad because
they convey either nonsense or
downright falsehood.
But the great hymns, and tn,
best hymnals. are those which lik,
the Psalms of old, combine pro
found truths about God and man
duty and destiny, with stately, stir
ring and singable music, aglow witt
the beauty and power of words.
downright by the international Cout
I'll OF Religious Education on behalf a
10 Protestant denominations. Release
oy WNU Features.