Singing At Work

T. Spurgeon.

Hosea 2:14-15

Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably to her.…

Those who have sailed on the sea in sailing ships remember how the sailors accustom themselves to sing while they work. It is a happy memory to me to record an incident on a vessel on which I was a passenger. The mainyard came to some sort of grief, and then followed the tremendous task of raising it to its former position, for there was no steam gear on board. The passengers and crew all set to work to hoist the mainyard to its place. I think the tune the sailors set was the famous one of "John Brown's Body," but with it they sang as the chorus, "Glory, glory, hallelujah!" I am not sure they were impressed with the solemnity of these words, but I think some were who assisted to haul; and up went the mast twice as quickly as if the sailors had not sung their song.. When you have a specially tough job on hand, let your heart go up to God in song, and you will find the difficulty go sooner than you expect.

(T. Spurgeon.)