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their praises, and increased their joy in him. They have found their affections drawn nearer to him, and he has warmed them with a sweet sense of his love. And this has not been a tranfient vifit. It did not ceafe when they had done finging; but the harmony was preserved in a well ordered walk, directed by the faith of the Son of God. They lived their fongs. Peace and love dwelt in their hearts, and their joy abounded in the Lord.

But where is this fort of finging, in what place, or among what people? Who are they that find thofe heavenly affections exercised in it, and thofe happy effects from it? It is much to be lamented, that all finging of pfalms at prefent is not upon the right plan, and does not answer the end of its inftitution. I fpeak not of the contempt, with which it is treated by the age, or of the neglect of it by many profeffors, but of the prevailing abufes of it among them, who would be thought altogether Christians.

CHAP

CHAP. VI.

Thefe abufes I would particularly mention, and bumbly propofe a remedy for each of them.

SOME of thefe may feem not worthy

of notice, they are fuch fmall matters; but I think there is nothing little in divine worship. The majefty of God ennobles, and exalts every part of it. He has commanded us to fing pfalms, and whatever he has been pleased to command, has his authority to enforce it: And whatever he has engaged to blefs, has his promise to make it the means of bleffing. In keeping of it there is at prefent great reward. His prefence will be in it, when it is rightly performed, and he will render it effectual. He will hear, he will accept, he will witnefs his acceptance of the praifes of his people: Therefore every thing relating to them fhould be done decently and in order. We should always fing with a reverence, becoming the greatnefs and goodness of our God, in fuch a manner as may best exprefs our happiness in his love, and as may tend moft to mutual edification.

If these things be confidered, it will not be thought an indifferent matter, whether the pfalms be fung at all, or how they be fung-whether with, or without any heart devotion, with or without any melody of the voice-whether every believer in the congregation fhould fing, or no-whether finging fhould be a trial of skill, who can bawl loudest-whether the posture fhould not be expreffive as well as the voice-whether fuitable portions of the pfalms fhould be chofen, or the person who gives them out should be left to choose them, often without any judgment-whether grace fhould be exercifed in finging, or not-whether we fhould fing in order to increase grace, or not-whether we fhould fing for amufement, or for the glory of God. It is not a trifling matter-how you determine thofe points: They enter deep into an important part of religious worship, yea into a very high act of it, one in which we pay the nobleft service we can upon earth, and indeed the nearest we can come to the fervice of faints and angels. How then can it be an indifferent thing, whether a believer fings pfalms, or not, or whether or no he fings them with melody in his heart unto the Lord? Certainly if he would please God in finging, he should

fhould attend to the fcripture rules before laid down for directing his conduct, which compared with the analogy of faith will regulate every thing relating to the divine ordinance of pfalm finging.

One great abufe is the general ignorance of the fubject of the book of pfalms. No portion of God's word is less known: Many in our congregation very seldom understand what they are finging. They have not Chrift in their eye, nor his glory in their view: Although the defign of all those hymns is to defcribe the love of God to finners in Chrift Jefus. They all treat of him in fome view or other: For there are many extenfive, and all very glorious views, in which his perfon, offices, works and ways may be confidered. Some treat of his high praises as God-man, describing his perfon, as the infinite treafury of grace and glory. Some celebrate the matchlefs deeds of his life, as the Lord our righteousness, and the complete atonement made for fin by the facrifice of himself. Others in language and fentiments truly fublime fing the endless victories of his refurrection, and the prevailing efficacy of his interceffion. Several of them treat of his most bleffed government, when he fets up his throne in the hearts of his willing people, and faves them from fin, and

death,

death, and every enemy: While others foretell the great day of the Lord, when he will come to judge all flefh, will take his redeemed home, and the whole heaven fhall be filled with his glory. Befides, the pfalms treat of this wonderful perfon, not only from the beginning of time, but alfo from the age of eternity: They discover the undertakings of his love before all worlds in the covenant of the Trinity his fulfilling the covenant engagements in time-and his bestowing covenant-bleffings from henceforth and for ever. What an extenfive view do they give us of the loving kindness of Immanuel, reaching from everlasting to everlasting! And in all these refpects the pfalms are of ineftimable value with be lievers: For their use the holy Spirit has recorded them; and herein they learn, what fentiments they are to form of God the Saviour, with what gratitude they fhould speak of him, and with what holy joy they fhould fing the triumphs of redeeming love. The pfalms were fitted for this purpose by infinite wifdom: For holy men of God fpake them as they were moved by the holy Ghoft: And they are bleffed for this purpofe, when with the apoftle any one can fay, "I will fing

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