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because says he, pfalms with organs and cymbals are fitter to please children, than to inftruct the church. In the third century we read much of pfalm finging. Arius was complained of as a perverter of this . ordinance. St. Auguftine makes it an high crime in certain heretics, that they fung hymns compofed by human wit. The fenfe, in which the church of Chrift understood this fubject, has been, till of late years, always one and uniform. Now we leave the antient beaten path. But why? Have we found a better? How came we to be wifer, than the prophets, than Chrift, than his apoftles, and the primitive christians, yea than the whole church of God? They with one confent have fung pfalms in every age.

Here I leave the reader to his own reflections. There is one plain inference to be made from hence, none can easily mistake it: May he fee it in his judgment, and follow it in his practice.

Fourthly, Singing of pfalms in the church is an ordinance, commanded of God, prophecied of in the old testament, and hitherto fulfilled in the new. That pfalm finging is one of the means of grace has been fhewn before. It is part of public worship, enjoined of God, and to which he has promised his bleffing. Now

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when you lay afide pfalms in the church, you at the fame time caft out the ordinance: For they are infeparably one. The pfalm is the ordinance. Your practice fpeaks, as if you faid-" We will neglect "the means of increafing our joy in God: "For we want no growing love to him, "nor fresh communications of his love

to us." Surely this is the language of thofe perfons, who live in the conftant neglect of one of the divine ordinances. God appointed it in vain as to them. They make no more ufe of the palms, than if there were no fuch hymns in being. And is not this oppofing his authority? Is it not ungrateful to throw away his appointed means, and to think you can please him better, with finging your own poetry, than his? Is it not hurtful to yourselves? For in seeking the promised bleffing in the way of will-worship, you certainly cannot find it. Because

Fifthly, The bleffing is promised to the ordinance. You cannot have the end without the means. The pfalms were revealed, that we might in finging them express our joy in God, and thereby improve it. They were for the exercise of grace, and for the increase of grace; that we might fing with grace in our hearts, and make one anothers hearts warmer by

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finging. The word is one of the means of grace: By hearing it faith cometh; by constant hearing faith is established. If the word was never heard, how could faith come? If the word be entirely neglected, how can faith grow? Prayer is one of the means of grace: It is appointed in order to keep up communion with God, and to bring down daily fupplies of mercies from him: Could thefe be had without asking? Certainly they could not. Singing of pfalms is alfo one of the means of grace, how can the blefling promifed to the means be received, if no pfalms be fung? What fort of a church would it be, in which the word was never read, nor prayers, nor finging of pfalms, nor any means of grace ufed? It could not be a church of Chrift: Becaufe his prefence with, and his bleffings to his people are promised to them in the ufe of the means.. The bleffing accompanies the ordinance, and is promifed unto it; God has joined them together, and they must not be put afunder. He will give honor, he does give honor to his own means. He makes them answer the end of their inftitution. When the pfalms are fung in faith, they do rejoice the heart. holy Spirit bleffes the finging, and causès mutual joy to abound, which is

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Sixthly,

Sixthly, Another reafon for preferring divine pfalms to man's poems. The pfalms were for church fervice. When the members met, we read of their finging together both in the old teftament and in the new. It was their joint offering of praise. The pfalms were appointed to be fung in the congregation, that one might admonish another, which we do, by joining with them, by making the word of Chrift dwell more richly in them, and by exercifing their graces with ours. Thus we fhew our fellowship in the gofpel. When we all fing the fame pfalm, it is as if the church had but one mouth to glorify God. And we never enjoy more of the prefence of God, than while we are thus praifing him! together with thankful hearts. The Lord, who inftituted the ordinance, promifed this bleffing to it: He would have believers to teach and to exhort one another, but it was in finging his own pfalms: And when they do, he has met them and bleffed them, and always will: He has lifted up the light of his loving countenance upon them, and has refreshed their hearts with the joy of his falvation.

Perhaps these fentiments may arife from my great attachment to the word of God, with which others may not be affected as I am For I am perfuaded it is not poffi

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ble for me to fet too high a value upon the holy scriptures-as the revelation of the will of God, I want words to exprefs my refpect for them-as the revelation of his good will in Jefus, I reverence them next to himself. What more precious! What more delightful! They are indeed more precious than gold, yea than much fine gold: And the pfalms are sweeter than honey, yea than the honey dropping from the comb. I find them fo. are my daily study and daily delight. I do not boast, but praife. The more I read, the more I admire them. The defcription of Jefus in them is fweet: The meditation of him is fweeter than all other fweets. It often taftes so much of heaven, that it seems to me I cannot poffibly beftow fo much admiration upon the pfalms, as they deserve. If you have not fuch exalted fentiments of the pfalms, I heartily with you may: For the glory of God in the person of Jefus Christ shines no where brighter than in them. The Lord the Spirit enable you to fee it, that you may fing the high praifes of Jefus with growing affection, and may become every day more enamored with his infinite lovelinefs.

If any one be offended at my freedom of speech, I am forry for it. I thought

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