fong in my mouth, even praise unto "our God." None can learn this new fong, except he be redeemed from the earth-a faved finner, delivered from the pit of corruption, and finding his feet fet faft upon the rock of falvation fings it from experience. He feels what he fings. His heart and mouth go together in bleffing the Lord his God. Now he wants no comment upon the pfalms of praise. He is taught them by the holy Spirit, and can fing them with delight. A grateful fenfe of the divine favors freely conferred upon him keeps him in tune, humble and thankful. And this is the right frame of mind to offer up the facrifice of praise, with which God is well pleased. He accepts it from faints and angels round the throne, and he accepts it alfo from us, when we present it in their spirit. The humbleft upon earth pay him the highest fervice, as he declares" Whofo offer"eth praife glorifieth me."

Reader, is this thine experience? Doft thou fing pfalms, and didst thou learn to fing them in this way? Waft thou enabled by faith to love God in Christ, and art thou now bleffing him with a rejoicing heart? Is his glory the end and aim of all thy fervices? If it be, (but beware of

mistakes)

mistakes) then thou art accepted in Jefus, and fo are thy fongs. May thy delight in finging them increafe. I wish to be a helper of thy joy, and to that end let us take a fhort review of the fubject. Thou wilt fee the graces needful for finging of pfalms, and if thou findeft God has beftowed them upon thee, then make use of them: Offer up through Jesus Christ thy facrifice of praife to God continually, that is the fruit of thy lips, giving thanks to his name.

1. Doft thou understand the subject of the book of pfalms, and enter into it in finging? Doft thou fee the praises of Immanuel celebrated throughout, and canft thou take up the words and fing them with melody in thy heart? Being one with Jefus by faith, and a partaker of his fulnefs, thou wilt fee a new glory in the pfalms; for thou wilt read thine own intereft in all that Chrift is and has, and wilt make use of it too, receiving from him grace for grace. This will infpire thy foul with warm devotion to the Lord Christ, and will lead thee greatly to prize this bleffed book. Thou wilt delight to

2. Study the fcripture names of it. Doft thou attend to them? Have they their proper weight with thee, fo as to G 3

convince

convince thee thoroughly, that the Saviour in his feveral offices and works is the perfon treated of in the book of pfalms? The different names are only to defcribe him in different views as the giver of every bleffing in earth and heaven, hymns to celebrate his praises, fpiritual fongs to fet forth the glory of his kingdom, and the happiness of his fubjects, pfalms and hymns and fpiritual fongs altogether intended to raise the affections of the foul to as high a pitch of love to Immanuel, as we are capable of, while in. the body.

3. When thou art reading the old teftament.or the new, and obferving the paffages, in which the pfalms are mentioned, do they farther confirm thee in the belief. of their being written concerning Chrift?And mixing faith with them do they warm thy heart with gratitude to Jefus, and ftir thee up to fing his praises with increafing delight? But above all, confi-. der

4. How thou fingeft the pfalms. Examine. Art thou made a new creature in Chrift Jefus, and a partaker of his Spirit? Doft thou then fing with thine understanding, and with thy heart, finging pfalms as an ordinance of God to exercise

ercife grace, and to increase the grace, which he has given? And doft thou indeed find it profitable to thyself, and edifying to others?

5. Doft thou keep up the harmony in thy life? Is thy walk in concord with thy pfalms? Art thou fhewing forth the praises of Jefus in thy converfation? What is all confiftent and of a piece? Are thy heart and voice and life in tune to thank the Lord for his goodness, and to declare the wonders which he hath done for thy foul? Othis is heavenly mufic. Happy man, to whom it is given thus to live the christian. May there be no difcord in thy tempers and walk, but may all within and without thee confpire in fweet concert to bless thy Lord and thy God.

6. If the Lord has thus enabled thee to fing, and to love his praises, then art thou humble enough to ftudy to please others as well as thyfelf in finging, that they may be edified? If there has been any abuse in this ordinance, doft thou ftand corrected, and art willing to reform? Is it thy defire in public finging to give no offence to outward people, but above all to give none to the church of God? This is the chriftian temper. Shew it. Let it appear that the mind is in thee,

which was alfo in Chrift Jefus. Aim in finging at the profit of others. Look not to thyfelf alone, that thou bearest thy part, with thine understanding, heart and voice, but endeavor alfo to edify the church. See thy neighbor be benefited according to the command-"Teach "and admonish one another in pfalms," &c. Let this, and all other things in the congregation be done to edifying.

If upon careful enquiry thou doft understand thofe truths, doft thou expe rience the power and comfort of them? Art thou indeed a living chriftian, capable of finging them with melody in thy heart unto the Lord? If this be thy hap-py cafe, then accept this collection of pfalms, which I here present to thee, not in preference to any of thofe here omitted, or to exclude any of them, but only as a fufficient number for our regular fervice. Go, and make use of them, and the Lord be with thee. May he render them profitable to thine own foul, and edifying to his body the church. Pray for grace to glorify him more in this ordinance. It will foon be thy whole employment. Yet a very little while, and thou wilt have nothing to do, but to en-joy and to praise Immanuel for evermore.

May

1