ed unto the Lord, and it will be prefented unto him so long as there is a true church upon earth. What then fhall we think of those pretended reformers, who have turned the pfalms out of the church, and who are acting as if they would try to defeat these 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 thanksgiving 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 fcriptures 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 praise him. He has foretold that the gofpel fhould be received among the heathen, and that it fhould 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

increases

increases by finging the inspired pfalms of the holy Ghost. Whoever leaves off the finging of pfalms, God forbid I should 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 destruction. We are certain, that Chrift made use of the pfalms. His apostles 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 scattered abroad being perfecuted for Chrift's fake did fing pfalms when they were in an happy frame: For they were commanded. to do it by the apoftle James. church hiftory 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 christians fung in all their church meetings.. Eufebius fays, in the second century, they fung pfalms in praife of Chrift and his.

The

deity.

deity. In the time of Justin Martyr inftrumental mufic was abolished, and he highly commends finging with the voice, because fays 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. Bur why? Have we found a better? How came we to be wifer, than the prophets, than Christ, than his apoftles, and the primitive chriftians, 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 teftament, and hitherto fulfilled in the new. That pfalm finging is one of the means of grace

has

has been shewn before. It is part of public worship, enjoined of God, and to which he has promised his bleffing. Now 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 those 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 pfalms, 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 feeking 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 exprefs our joy in God, and thereby improve it. They were for the exercise of

grace,

grace, and for the increase of grace; that we might fing with grace in our hearts, and make one anothers hearts warmer by 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 afking? Certainly they could not. Singing of palms is alfo one of the means of grace, how can the bleffing 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: Because 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. makes them answer the end of their infti

He

tution. When the pfalms are fung in