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where it is faid, "they food at the eaft "end of the altar:" And we are certain that all the congregation of Ifrael food at the fame time: for it is exprefsly mentioned. When the royal prophet is encouraging the priests and people in the heavenly work of praife, he thus addreffes. the priests, Pfal. cxxxiv. "Behold, bless

ye the Lord, all ye fervants of the Lord, "who by night stand in the house of the "Lord: Lift up your hands in the fancཝམ་ tuary and blefs the Lord. The Lord "that made heaven and earth bless thee "out of Sion." So again fpeaking to priefts and people, Pfal. cxxxv. "Praife

ye the Lord, praife ye the name of the

Lord, praise him, O'ye fervants of the "Lord: Ye that stand in the house of "the Lord, in the courts of the house of "our God, praise ye the Lord, for the «Lord is good: Sing praifes unto his "name for it is pleasant.' "Standing to fing is recommended in those scriptures, and was accordingly practifed both by clergy and laity: When they thanked the Lord morning and evening in the words. of David the man of God, they fung his praifes ftanding. It is a decent pofture. People of fashion think it fo: For they ftand up even in the play-houfe, at the Hallelujahs in the oratorio of the Meffiah.. Our very good church people think fo:

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For if they fit down at the pfalm, they are fure to ftand up at the gloria patri. It is indeed highly becoming the majesty of the great king of heaven and earth, and it is also expreffive of our readiness to join our brethren in praifing his holy name. As fuch I would recommend it. The venerable practice of antiquity has fomething more to enforce it, than mere propriety: At least it calls upon me to try to keep up an uniformity with the church of Chrift in this particular. But if you think otherwise, and prefer fitting, lolling, or any lazy indolent pofture, I will not unchriftian you. We may dif fer, and not quarrel: Nay, I will not quarrel with you, if you will but let me obferve, when I fee any perfon irreverently fitting down, after he has been -called upon to fing to the praise and glory of God, and after a fuitable pfalm has been given out, it feems to me, as if he faid-Indeed his behaviour fpeaks. louder than any words can-" You may fing, but I wont-I will exercise no "grace-I want no more grace-I have no melody in my heart, and therefore "I will make none with my mouth→→ "I'll take myself away while you are finging, and I'll fit down to fhew that "I have no part with you in this ordi"nance."

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The abuses here complained of are not to be easily remedied. I know they are not; but I have done my duty. Some of them are of long standing, not foon to be rooted out. Some are the confequences of mere profeffion, which renders all or-. dinances ineffectual: for they are only bleffed to any one, as he obferves them in true faith. Others are not looked upon to be prophanations of the ordinance, but refinements of it; against fuch I only deliver my fentiments, not from the chair, as a pope; but I beg leave to give my opinion, and if I could, I would do it without offence. If any one be offended, I am forry for it. 1 would not hurt a worm. However, we are all agreed I hope in one thing, and let us improve that. It is our joint defire to please God in finging his praises. If this be pursued, it will tend to reform every abufe relating to this ordinance. His glory fhould be aimed at with a fingle eye. When this is the ruling principle, the heart would enter into the fervice, and then it would foon influence the outward man. There would be no neglect, no contempt, no mifbehaviour, if gratitude to God in Christ inspired our fongs. We fhould love to prefent fuch praises and in fuch a manner, as would beft exprefs our thankfulness, and we should study to avoid

every thing which would render them unprofitable to ourfelves or others, or difhonorable to him.

Let me intreat you, men and brethren, never to forget this point. Set God always before you, whenever you are going. to fing pfalms. Do it as in his prefence and to his glory. If you think it your bounden duty to fing with your voices to be heard of one another, take heed that you fing with your hearts unto the Lord. Let it be the fervice of every faculty, and each exerted to the utmost. Praife your bleffed Immanuel with your warmeft gratitude. Give him the best you have. He richly deferves it. And remember you thereby pay him nothing again: You only give him his own. Your gratitude is the gift of his grace, and by it you only make acknowlegement of your vast obligations to him. O beg of him then to enable you to praise him with a growing fenfe of your debt, and of his increafing favors. And may you so praise him, as to find fresh reason to continue your praises from day to day, and for evermore.

Whoever is in this humble happy frame will be kept from a temptation, into which most of our hymn-fingers have fallen. I have heard feveral of them, who would by no means be thought common rate understandings, object to Sternhold

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and Hopkins. They wonder I would make use of this verfion, which they think is poor flat ftuff, the poetry is miferable, and the language low and base. To which I answer:

1. Such as it is, I find it in ufe, which is to me at this time of the day a great recommendation. I do not defire to fee any innovation in our public worship. This is no favorable feafon for it. The friends of Chrift can expect no good from any change. It is better now to yield to any cuftom, which is not contrary to fcripture, especially if it come to us,

2. Under the fanction of antiquity, and be established by venerable authority. I pay great reverence to the first reformers. Thefe men of God were raised up for fingular service in the church. The Lord endued them with wisdom from above, and accompanied their labors with abundant bleffings. They were led to put high honor upon the word of God. They made it the only rule of their faith and practice. They read it constantly, preached it faithfully, and fung it joyfully. They fhewed their great value for the pfalms by bringing them into daily use in the church fervice. At the reformation they were put into metre in feveral languages for the benefit of the congregation: And the fame was done in England

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