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the melody of the heart to the Lord, as at the fame time to confult each other's profit, that while the Lord was glorified the church might receive edifying. Here is a full authority for the ufe of pfalms in the church, and a very clear direction how to fing them, and as following this direction was the divine means of making the word of Chrift to dwell richly in believers, how poorly must it dwell in them, who flight and defpife the command, yea fo far as never to fing any pfalms at all?

If any real chriftian would attend to this reafoning, how can he oppose it? Here is a collection of hymns appointed to be fung in the church by divine authority; but the authority is defpifed, and the collection is thrown afide. It comes from the infpiration of the Almighty, but the church entirely refuses to use it; is not this doing defpite unto the Spirit of grace? The collection is large and very particular in fetting forth the praises of the adoreable Immanuel; is it not a grofs affront to him to fing none of the praises in the words which the holy Ghost teacheth, as if any praifes were good enough for him, or as if he could be praised better in the words, which mans wisdom teacheth. Men and brethren, confider whether

whether this be not a very grofs affront to the word of God, to the Spirit of God, and to the Son of God. Confider it well, and the Lord give you a right understanding in this matter.

Secondly, The finging of mens poems in the church and fetting afide the pfalms given by inspiration of God is contrary to the prophecies of the old teftament, and is an attempt to defeat them. They describe the state of the gospel church, and declare there fhould be great joy and gladness found in it; particularly they mention finging of pfalms, as the outward expreffion of their inward joy in the Lord. Thus we read Chron. xvi. 23, 24.

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Sing unto the Lord all the earth, fhew "forth from day to day his falvation: "Declare his glory among the heathen, "his marvellous works among all the na❝tions:" Of the fame thing speaketh the prophet Ifa. lvi. 6, 7. " Alfo the fons "of the ftranger that join themselves to "the Lord to serve him, and to love the "name of the Lord, to be his fervants, " even every one that keepeth the fab"bath from polluting it, and taketh hold "of my covenant, even them will I "bring to my holy mountain, and make "them joyful in mine house of prayer; "their burnt offerings and their facri

"fices fhall be accepted upon mine altar: "For mine house fhall be called an house *of prayer for all people." How this joy was to be expreffed is mentioned in pfalm xcv. The prophet fhews how believers fhould ftir up one another to rejoice in finging pfalms: And St. Paul fays this was written of the new testament church. According to his explanation of the pfalm given in the 3d and 4th chapters of the Hebrews, the holy Ghost here calls for the folemn worship of our Saviour, and requires him to be praised with pfalms: He preffes this duty together with public prayer, ver. 6, 7. and then demands obedient attention to the word of God, against which no man fhould harden his heart through unbelief: From whence it appears, that praising God folemnly, with finging pfalms, with public prayer, and with hearing the word are ftill the ordinances of Chrift, and are to continue to day, even while it is called to day, unto the end of the world. These prophecies have been fulfilled. The bleffed gospel has brought joy and gladness into heathen lands, and this very day pfalms have been sung, and a pure offering of praise has been prefented unto the Lord, and it will be presented unto him so long as there is a true church upon earth. What then fhall we think of

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those pretended reformers, who have turned the pfalms out of the church, and who are acting as if they would try to defeat thefe prophecies? I wish they may not be found fighting against God: For they cannot stop their accomplishment. His word cannot be broken. As long as the earth fhall continue, pfalms fhall be fung in the church of Chrift: In it there will always be found thankfgiving and the voice of melody, and thefe will be expreffed in God's own way, in the matter and words and form of God's own appointment.

Confider this, ye who believe the scriptures to be the word of God: If you obey from the heart the form of doctrine therein delivered, you will begin to reafon thus, yea methinks I hear one of you fay -Since God by his fovereign grace has put a new fong in my mouth, it adds to my joy, that he has revealed the very words in which he would have me to praife him. He has foretold that the gofpel fhould be received among the heathen, and that it should produce fuch effects as I now experience. Glory be to him, he has made me happy in Jefus, and my happiness is not only kept up, but I find it increafes, by finging the infpired pfalms of the holy Ghost. Whoever leaves off the finging of pfalms, God forbid I should

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be of that number. I hope never to act fo contrary to the honor of God, and to the profit of mine own foul.

Thirdly, Of the fame fentiments has been the church of Chrift in all ages: Which is a strong argument in favor of pfalm finging. We know from very clear teftimony, that the pfalms were fung in the temple until its final deftruction. We are certain, that Chrift made ufe of the pfalms. His apoftles followed his example. The churches of Corinth, and Ephefus, and Colofs, made the finging of pfalms part of their public worship. Such of the twelve tribes as were fcattered abroad, being perfecuted for Christ's fake, did fing pfalms when they were in an happy frame: For they were commanded to do it by the apostle James.

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church history affords abundant evidence of the use of the pfalms in every country converted to the faith,. and of their being fung in the church, as a part of public worship. This has been the cafe in every age without interruption. The primitive chriftians fung in all their church-meetings. Eufebius fays, in the fecond century, they fung pfalms in praife of Chrift and his deity. In the time of Juftin Martyr inftrumental mufic was abolished, and he highly commends finging with the voice, because

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