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True Education
The Power of Song
The history of the songs of the Bible is full of suggestion re-
garding the uses and benefits of music and song. Music is often
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perverted to serve purposes of evil, and it thus becomes one of the
most alluring agencies of temptation. But, rightly employed, it is
a precious gift of God, designed to uplift the thoughts to high and
noble themes, to inspire and elevate the soul.
As the children of Israel, journeying through the wilderness,
cheered their way by the music of sacred song, so God wants His
children today to gladden their pilgrim life. There are few means
more effective for fixing His words in the memory than repeating
them in song. And such song has wonderful power. It has power to
subdue rude and uncultivated natures, power to quicken thought and
awaken sympathy, power to promote harmony of action and banish
the gloom and foreboding that destroy courage and weaken effort.
It is one of the most effective means of impressing the heart with
spiritual truth.
The value of song as a means of education should never be lost
sight of. If songs are sung in the home—songs that are sweet and
pure—there will be fewer words of censure and more of cheerfulness,
hope, and joy. If there is singing in the school, the students will be
drawn closer to God, to their teachers, and to one another.
As a part of religious service, singing is as much an act of wor-
ship as is prayer. Indeed, many a song is prayer. If children are
taught to realize this, they will think more of the meaning of the
words they sing and will be more susceptible to their power.
As our Redeemer leads us to the threshold of the Infinite, flushed
with the glory of God, we may catch the themes of praise and
thanksgiving from the heavenly choir around the throne; and as the
echo of the angels’ song is awakened in our earthly homes, hearts
will be drawn closer to the heavenly singers. Heaven’s communion
begins on earth. We learn here the keynote of its praise.
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