Calvin believed that there was something unique about the Psalms. He observes, “The other parts of Scripture contain the commandments which God enjoined his servants to announce to us. But here [in the Psalms] the prophets themselves, seeing they are exhibited to us as speaking to God, and laying open all their inmost thoughts and affections, call, or rather draw, each of us to [participate]….” Calvin also believed that corporate singing subdued the fallen heart and restrained wayward affections in the way of piety. Like preaching and the sacraments, psalm singing disciplines the heart’s affections in the school of faith, lifting the believer to God. It also amplifies the effect of the Word on the heart, multiplying the church’s spiritual energy. “The Psalms can stimulate us to raise our hearts to God and arouse us to an ardor in invoking as well as in exalting with praises the glory of his name,” Calvin writes. In short, with the Spirit’s guidance, psalm singing tunes believers’ hearts for glory.

“PSALM SINGING IN CALVIN AND THE PURITANS” BY JOEL R. BEEKE IN SING A NEW SONG: RECOVERING PSALM SINGING FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY, LOC. 496.

Most of Calvin’s sermons preached on the Lord’s Day from the Old Testament were based on the Psalms. His New Testament commentaries abound with references to the Psalms. Calvin tells us in an autobiographical note prefaced to his Commentary on Psalms that the Psalter had comforted him in a major way during years of trial (1549–1554).

“Psalm Singing in Calvin and the Puritans” by Joel R. Beeke in Sing a New Song: Recovering Psalm Singing for the Twenty-First Century, Loc. 425.

Recovering the singing of psalms in Christian worship remains one of the highest hurdles to reestablishing authentic Protestant worship in the twenty-first century.

“From Cassian to Cranmer: Singing the Psalms from Ancient Times until the Dawning of the Reformation” by Hughes Oliphant Old and Robert Cathcart in Sing a New Song: Recovering Psalm Singing for the Twenty-First Century, Loc. 106.

Surviving census declarations show that individuals were recorded on a household by household (kat’ oikian in Greek) basis — a single census declaration related to all members of a given household. Luke uses the verb [ἀπογράφω] for the census and, in another place, the noun [ἀπογραφή]. [ἀπογράφω] does not mean “to count” however, but “to write down.” The census involved far more than simply counting the population: large quantities of personal data spanning a consideration range of categories were written down. The Roman Egyptian census declarations contain correspondingly detailed data on parameters including age, sex, occupation, place of residence, familial relationships, number of children, possessions [cf. Census return of five brothers residing together in the city of Arsinoe: SB 10. 10759 dated 35 CE]. Census declarations were archived by officials, compiled into lists by the administrators . . . and used in the computation of taxes. We currently have information on about 400 households in Roman Egypt and on the approximately 1,500 people who lived in those households, and, as excavations in Egypt proceed, new declarations are still being found, edited, and published every year.

Sabine R. Huebner, Papyri ad the Social World of the New Testament, 37.

Arrianus’ knowledge of the nomen sacrum notation [in Letter from Christian Arrianus to his brother Paulus, dated to the 230s CE. Ed.pr. P.Bas. I.16; new edition: P. Bas. 2.43.] can only be attributed to an independent reading of Holy Scriptures. The earliest examples with nomina sacra contractions are found in Christian literary papyri such as copies of the Gospel of John, which are dated tentatively to the late second century. Our author must therefore have had these Gospels to hand and read them, as just having heard them would not have imparted knowledge of the abbreviations.

Sabine R. Huebner, Papyri and the Social World of the New Testament, 22.

If any one ask, Ought we to pray for kings, from whom we obtain none of these advantages? I answer, the object of our prayer is, that, guided by the Spirit of God, they may begin to impart to us those benefits of which they formerly deprived us. It is our duty, therefore, not only to pray for those who are already worthy, but we must pray to God that he may make bad men good. We must always hold by this principle, that magistrates were appointed by God for the protection of religion, as well as of the peace and decency of society, in exactly the same manner that the earth is appointed to produce food. Accordingly, in like manner as, when we pray to God for our daily bread, we ask him to make the earth fertile by his blessing; so in those benefits of which we have already spoken, we ought to consider the ordinary means which he has appointed by his providence for bestowing them.

To this must be added, that, if we are deprived of those benefits the communication of which Paul assigns to magistrates, that is through our own fault. It is the wrath of God that renders magistrates useless to us, in the same manner that it renders the earth barren; and, therefore, we ought to pray for the removal of those chastisements which have been brought upon us by our sins.

John Calvin, on 1 Timothy 2:2, in Commentaries XXI, 52-53.

Human church-authorities, it has been said, can judge only of the credibility of your profession of faith. But there is a secret matter between God and your own soul, which must now engage your most solicitous attention. Every thing in this ordinance implies the presence of gracious affection. Even if you should escape the higher condemnation of the sacrilegious, you cannot partake of spiritual food, in an unregenerate state. Hence the manifest importance of an immediate and thorough inquiry into your condition, as a condemned or a justified soul. “Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of this bread and drink of this cup” [1 Cor. 11:28].

JAMES W. ALEXANDER, PLAIN WORDS TO A YOUNG COMMUNICANT, 28-29.

But of all means of grace, there is none which is more valuable than PRAYER; comprehending the several parts of adoration, thanksgiving, confession, supplication, and intercession. Upon your knees and looking up into the compassionate face of your Heavenly Father, you are in the posture of all others most suited to the exercise of faith, hope, love, and every Christian grace. If you decline, the declension will commence just here. The maxim is true: “Apostasy begins at the closet.” Let no slight reason satisfy you for having omitted your devotions; even as you are not content with excuses for having omitted your necessary repasts. The evils to be avoided are forgetfulness, infrequency, irregularity, formality, wandering of mind, undue brevity, irreverence, coldness, and unbelief. Question yourself as to each of these points in particular. Beware of confining yourself to mental prayer, but in your regular devotions employ audible utterance; for great is the reflex influence of the voice upon the feelings. Have stated times, at least every morning and evening; and if possible a stated place. In pursuance of the admonition, “Pray without ceasing,” let your thoughts during the employments of the day often go up in ejaculatory prayer; which is so called, because such aspirations are like arrows shot up towards heaven; and “blessed is he that hath his quiver full of them.”

James W. Alexander, Plain Words to a Young Communicant, 81-82.

So when any evil is forbidden, not only the outward gross acts, but all inward acts and degrees thereof are forbidden likewise: as under killing, provoking terms, wrath, anger (Matt. 5:21-22), under adultery, wanton looks, lustful thoughts, etc. (Matt. 5:27-30). Now, all things comprehended in a command (though not expressed) are jure divino.

JUS DIVINUM REGIMINIS ECCLESIASTICI, 81.

Comprehensively many things are contained in a command that are not expressed in the very letter of the command. Thus, orthodox expounders of the Decalogue generally do confess that all the precepts of the Decalogue are synecdochical, and God wills many things by them, more than the bare words signify.

JUS DIVINUM REGIMINIS ECCLESIASTICI, 80.