mon of his, an ineftimable treasury of his fcripture learning, in which he quotes feveral pfalms, and directly applies them to Chrift, as he alfo does in his other writings. His epistle to the Hebrews abounds with references, twenty nine at leaft. The iiid and ivth chapters are a comment on the xcvth pfalm: As the viith chapter is on the cxth: And the xth is on the xlth. Whoever will attend to the manner in which the apoftle reafons upon these paffages, will readily perceive, that he does not enter upon any formal proof of the defign of the book of pfalms, or of Chrift's being the fubject of them. He does not aim at any fuch thing; but takes it for granted, and argues upon it as an established truth. Indeed it was at that time the belief of the whole church. There was then no doubt but all fcripture treated of him"To him give ALL the prophets wit"nefs"-He was their one fubject. But more especially in the pfalms he was fet forth, and was to be highly exalted, with all the powers of poetry, and with the fweetest founds of inftruments and voices. These hymns were infpired to celebrate his matchlefs fame and renown; that whenever believers felt themselves happy in the knowlege and love of Jefus, here

they might find proper matter and suitable words to raise their gratitude, as high as it can be on this fide of heaven. We have alfo the apoftle's practice and experience to recommend his use of the pfalms. He fung them with delight, as well as quoted them with propriety. His love to Jefus run as high, as love ever will upon earth. He speaks He speaks of him continually as the perfect delight of his foul, on whom he had placed all his affections, and whom he found every day worthy of more love, than his narrow heart could contain. O how precious was his Saviour, when he could fay"What things were gain to me, thofe I "counted lofs for Chrift: Yea doubtlefs, " and I do count all things but lofs for "the excellency of the knowlege of "Chrift Jefus my Lord, for whom I "have fuffered the lofs of all things,

and I do count them but dung, that I "may win Chrift." Happy Paul! what muft he have seen in Jefus, who could account it an honor to fuffer fhame for his name, and an infinite gain to win Christ, though with the lofs of all things? O happy, thrice happy man, who could carry the cross of Chrift, and esteem it as his crown. God forbid, fays he, that I fhould glory in any thing, except in

the crofs of our Lord Jefus Chrift: For I count not my life dear to myself, fo as I may but live and die fulfilling his will. And this was not a flight of fancy, or a mere rant of enthufiafm, but it was cool fober love, and arofe from real experience of the pretioufnefs of Jesus to his heart. This heavenly lover was the fubject of his fongs in the worst house of his painful pilgrimage. He was fo truly in body foul and Ipirit devoted to his Jefus, that how much foever he suffered, yet he could rejoice in the Lord. O what a proof did he give of it!-fufficient to shame our higheft profeffions of attachment to the dear Redeemer. When he had been beaten with many and cruel ftripes, put into a difmal dungeon, and even there with his feet in the ftocks, his heart was then full of gratitude, and in tune to make delightful melody unto the Lord, yea brake out into pfalms of praise-“ At midnight Paul and Silas

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prayed, and fang praifes unto God,” with a loud voice: for the prisoners heard them. O for more faith in Jefus to fill us more with this thankful and praifing fpirit. Lord, pour it out abundantly for thy mercies fake upon all thofe, who believe in thy holy name:

Let

Let us make our boast of thee all the day long, and praise thy name for ever.

From these inftances it is evident, that the new teftament church understood the pfalms in the fame light, as the old. Believers always fung them with the fame view, with hearts and voices making melody unto the Lord Chrift. He himfelf confirmed this use of them: For he joined in this part of religious worship. The apostles quoted the pfalms, and directly applied them to their bleffed Lord. Yea, when the church met together in one place, the pfalms were not only read and fung, but fome abufes in finging them are corrected, which will lead me to confider

4

CHAP. V.

Rules laid down in fcripture for finging them aright.

SIN

INGING of pfalms is a divine ordinance, and has an inward and an outward fervice. The inward confifts in the proper frame and affection of the renewed and fpiritual mind: For no man can use the pfalms as an ordinance of God, who has not received the Spirit of God: Without him we can do nothing, being dead

in trefpaffes and fins. And after he is received, he is the continual breath of fpiritual life, yea as much as the air we breathe is of natural life. Every fpiritual fenfation of peace, comfort, and joy in God the Father is from the divine agency of the Lord the Spirit. Every act of religious worship is performed acceptably by his ftrengthening us mightily in the inner man, and giving us the will and the power. If we pray aright, it is in the holy Ghoft. If we hear aright, it is by his bleffing on the word preached. If we fing aright, it is by the fame Spirit: And therefore we are not only commanded to feek his affiftance in all we do, but also a growing and increasing measure of his graces and gifts. Thus the apostle directs the Ephefians in their finging of pfalms, "Be ye filled with "the Spirit, fpeaking to yourfelves in "pfalms," &c. This is not meant of receiving him at firft: For it is spoken to believers, who had the Spirit, but it relates to their thirsting after more, how much foever they had attained, ftill more of the Spirit's fulness, it being in him infinite, and always in us finite. We never have fo much, but we may have more; and when we have the most, our thirst is then the greatest. This is an holy thirst, to which there is a divine invitation" Ho, every

one