Man is by nature a creature of innovation. In the days of King Uzziah, “cunning men” were inspired by the reign of a godly king to use their genius to invent engines of war for the cause of the kingdom. Similarly, over the centuries, the Lord has been pleased to raise up a host of gifted saints to advance the cause of Christ’s kingdom around the world with the invention of tools and technologies for God’s glory.

However, throughout the Old Testament, there was one area where innovation was strictly forbidden—namely, the worship of God. Uzziah, who led the kingdom to flourish with innovation, tragically ended his reign under God’s judgment as a leper when he attempted to worship God in a manner of his own inventing. Today, we are witnessing an explosion of innovation in the worship of God which, undoubtedly, may be well-intentioned to “improve” the worship service. Nevertheless, it is hard to imagine anything more powerful and God-honoring—no matter its beauty or sincerity—than God’s own words.

Psalm 138:2 states, “thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.” Therefore, God-honoring worship should have at its foundation the preaching of the Word, prayer based on the Word, and praise from the Word.

The 1650 Scottish Psalter is a poetic, scholarly, and devotional masterpiece that was produced by an assembly of some of the most godly Puritan ministers in church history. It is our desire that the Foundations Psalter be used to help reintroduce this treasure of Scripture-based praise back into the worship of God among His people.