When He Comes in the Clouds

The fifth point of John Wesley's Directions for Congregational Singing states, "Above all, sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing Him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to this, attend strictly to the sense of what you sing; and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve of here, and reward when he cometh in the clouds of heaven."(140)

John Wesley rightly said to "have an eye to God in every word you sing." It is when our focus turns from self to God that we begin to worship God and not self. John Wesley then warns the reader to not allow the music distract you from the purpose of worship. Our triune God needs to always be the center of worship, or we begin to worship other things. Finally, Wesley encourages our hearts that if we worship God in the right way, then our singing will be rewarded "when he cometh in the clouds of heaven."