There was a Wesleyan preacher in England named Peter Mackenzie, full of humor, a most godly man. He was once preaching from the text: “And They Sang a New Song,” and he said,
“Yes, there will be singing in heaven, and when I get there I will want to have David with his harp, and Paul, and Peter and other saints gather around for a sing. And I will announce a hymn from the Wesleyan Hymnal. ‘Let us sing hymn No. 749 — ’
My God, my Father, while I stray —
“But someone will say, ‘That won’t do. You are in heaven, Peter; there’s no straying here.’ And I will say, ‘Yes, that’s so. Let us sing No. 651 —
Though waves and storms go o’er my head,
Though friends be gone and hopes be dead — ’
“But another saint will interrupt, ‘Peter, you forget you are in heaven now; there are no storms here.’
“‘Well, I will try again, No. 536 — ’
“Into a world of ruffians sent —
“‘Peter! Peter!’ someone will say. ‘We will toss you out unless you stop giving out inappropriate hymns!’
“I will ask — ‘What can we sing?’ And they will all say:
“‘Sing the new song, the song of Moses and the Lamb.’”