to be heard. The fcripture has taken notice of it—" They all gave one found.” Why should not we do the fame? Nay, is it not the practice of the people of the world? Will they fuffer discords in any of their concerts? A public performer would only rife in repute with them, as he plays or fings well. Chriftian, con fider this. Shall they for their mere amusement study to have their music free from every thing offenfive to the ear? And fhall not we be equally careful? More efpecially as we fing to the honor of God and to the edifying of the brethren. We have a most noble fubject-divine matter -divine words: We fing of one Lord with one faithO for harmony in fome: measure suitable! It is much to be wished. I hope it will be attained. Let me

earneftly recommend it to every one to fing, and to all who do fing, to learn to fing well; and till you do, endeavor to a void another matter of offence.

There are many in our congregations, who feem to think they fing beft, when they fing loudeft. You may fee them often strain themselves with shouting, till their faces are as red as fcarlet. The worst fingers commonly offend this way.. A bad, coarfe voice, quite out of tune is to be heard above all, and will take the

lead

lead in the congregation: And whenever a number of fuch meet together in their fhouting humor, they put all into confufion. They diforder thofe, who would fing with feeling and affection. They. drown the musical voices of good fingers. They offend the outward people. And they do no good to themselves: So they entirely defeat the end of finging. If these lines fhould fall into the hands of any, who are fenfible they have offended in this way, I would beg of them to reform this abuse. Examine your motive -Why would you be uppermoft in the congregation ? Is your voice the beft Do you think fo? Afk one, who is a judge? Perhaps he may perfuade you, I wish I could prevail with you, to fing lower. Indeed if you once come to feel what you fing, you will reform yourself. A great part of your finging will then be between God and your own foul; you will try to keep up melody in your heart, and that will mend both your voice and judgment. However it will certainly pue you upon trying to please both God and man in finging.w2 hash olge la

There is another very great and com mon abuse, which confifts in the choice of improper portions. The perfon, th whofe judgment this is left, is not always.

one

one of the wifeft in the congregation. He may not understand the pfalms. He may mifapply and prophane them. It is not a rare thing for him to make them perfonal, and to apply the glorious things Spoken of Chrift to trifling parifh business. I have heard the quarrels among neighbors fung over on fundays. The clerk has chofen fome paffage, applicable en tirely to the enemies of the Lord and his Christ, and has moft grofly perverted it. The congregation had nothing to do with the difpute, and yet it was brought before them, and they were called upon in an ordinance to intereft themselves in it. No doubt, this and fuch like abuses are a very great infult upon God's word and ordinance, and ought to be reformed. The people should understand the psalm, which they are going to fing, and thould be well acquainted with its relation to Jefus Chrift. They are all required to join; and therefore fuitable portions should be chofen, in which all or the greatest part of them are interested. They should fing with one mind, and one heart, as well as in one tune: For which end the knowlege of the pfalm, and of whom and of what it treats are abfolutely neceffary. How can any one fing aright unto the Lord with grace in his heart, unless he understands,

understands, whether the pfalm relates to prayer or thankfgiving, to asking mercies of God, or prailing him for them, what grace was to be exercised in finging, faith or hope, or love, and what bleffing was to be expected from it? These things. fhould be well known, that finging may be a reasonable fervice, and the means of grace. And to render it fuch I have col lected portions fuitable to moft cafes of a christian's experience, and have also prefixed the fubject of each. I have alfo pointed out to the believer with what frame of mind to fing, and what benefit to look for from the word of promife in finging. I wifh the attempt may help to make the ordinance better obferved, and then I am fure it will be more bleffed.

There is another thing relating to the pfalms, i cannot call it an abufe: For it is a total neglect of them. They are quite rejected in many congregations, as if there were no fuch hymns given by the infpiration of God, and as if they were not left for the ufe of the church and to be. fung in the congregation. Human.compofitions are preferred to divine. Man's poetry is exalted above the poetry of the holy Ghoft. Is this right? The hymns, which he revealed for the ufe of the church, that we might have words fuit

able

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able to the praises of Immanuel, are quite fet afide: By which means the word of man has got a preference in the church: above the word of God, yea fo far as to exclude it entirely from public worship. It is not difficult to account for this ftrange practice. Our people had loft fight of the meaning of the pfalms. They did not fee their relation to Jefus Chrift. This happened when vital religion began to decay among us, more than a century ago. It was a gradual decay, and went on, till ar laft there was a general complaint against Sternhold and Hopkins. Their tranflation was treated, as poor flat stuff.. The wits ridiculed it. The prophaneblafphemed it. Good men did not de-" fend it. Then it fell into fuch contempt, that people were ready to receive any thing in its room, which looked rational and was poetical. In this fituation the hymnmakers find the church, and they are fuffered to thruft qut the pfalms to make way for their own compofitions: of which they have fupplied us with a vaft variety, collection upon collection, and in use too, new hymns ftarting up daily-appendix added to appendix-fung in many congre gations, yea admired by very high profeffors to fuch a degree, that the pfalms are become quite obfolete, and the fing