Selected quad for the lemma: land_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
land_n	lord_n	sing_v	song_n	1,893	5	9.6892	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47361	An answer to Mr. Marlow's Appendix Wherein his arguments to prove that singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, was performed in the primitive church by a special or an extraordinary gift, and therefore not to be practised in these days, are examined, and clearly detected. Also some reflections on what he speaks on the word hymnos, hymnos: and on his undue quotations of divers learned men. By a learned hand. By B. Keach.	Keach, Benjamin, 1640-1704.	1691 (1691)	Wing K43A; ESTC R223737	27,870	57

in answer to what we say That our Psalms and Hymns are Spiritual though precomposed you say 1. That such Forms are not Spiritual Worship because Singing in the Primitive Gospel-Times was from the special Gift of the Spirit 2. Though say you the Matter of precomposed Forms of Singing be Spiritual yet the Heart must be Spiritual too or Grace and Melody must be in exercise in performing of them The Grace of Joy must be raised in the Soul to the heighth of Melody and so break forth Or to that purpose you speak pag. 44 45. Answ 1. We need no more the special Gift in Singing to render our Singing Spiritual than those special Gifts in Preaching to render our Sermons Spiritual 2. As to have Grace in our Hearts not only in the Habit but also in the Exercise in Singing we acknowledg it is necessary to a right performance of it And so 't is in Prayer Preaching and all other Spiritual Duties of Religion And let me tell you we need no greater assistance of the Spirit in Singing than in Praying or Rejoicing therefore what signifies that which you say pag. 45. Viz. The least exercise of true Grace in our Hearts in Prayer gives Essence or Being to Prayer so the least exercise of gracious melodious Joy gives Essence to inward Singing And say you as we ought not vocally to pray in the Publick Worship of God in the Church without a sufficient Gift of the Spirit so also we ought not vocally to sing in the Church unless it be by a sufficient Gift of the Spirit And seeing we have not such a Gift we are not capable of vocal Spiritual Singing And so we must be contented as you intimate in pag. 46. with the Essence of it in our Spirits only Answ By this way of arguing you may lay Godly Christians under Temptations about Prayer especially in the Church because they may plead they have not the Gift whereas the Grace of Prayer viz. a broken Heart is that which God chiefly looks at and so should we too This makes no more against Singing than it doth against Praying And thus I must argue upon you If I have not the special Gift of Singing I must content my self with the Essence of it in my Heart and yet as I have shewed the essence of it is not in the Heart as it is in the Voice and so since if I have not the special Gift of Prayer I must be contented with the Essence of Prayer only Heart-Prayer and not pray vocally at all But you intimate that none ought to sing but such who are in the full assurance of the Love of God But you might as well say none ought to rejoice in the Lord nor to praise him but such only as well as to say what you do here against their Singing who want that assurance But you hint in pag. 46. as if we must be satisfied with your Essence of Singing viz. inward joy in the Heart till we come to the primitive perfection of Divine Worship c. Answ We doubt not through Grace but we are come to such perfection of Divine Worship as to know what Gospel-Worship is and also that we ought not to neglect one Ordinance more than another because we are not arrived to the height of Perfection I am sure the way you would lead poor Souls in is not to bring them forward towards perfection in Worship but to keep them back and hinder them in pressing on to that which some have not yet attained unto Moreover your folly appears too much in calling our Singing an Irregular way of Worship unless you had more strength of Argument to convince your Reader what you say is true May be if you had Truth on your side you might have answered like a Man But I am satisfied all wise Men will say there appears nothing less than Argument In both parts of your Book there are many words indeed but little else as I can see If what I have said have no more strength of Argument and Scripture and good Sense in it for Singing of Psalms c. than appears in your Book against it I do intreat my Reader to reject what I have said and esteem it as worth nothing but if it be otherwise viz. upright even words of Truth O then ye Saints receive this Ordinance and let what I have said by the assistance of God's Spirit be as Goards and as Nails fastened by the Master of Assemblies which are given from one Shepherd Prov. 12. 10 13. One word more to those Texts in Paul's Epistles Ephes 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. where he enjoins those Churches to admonish one another in Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs c. Can any Man suppose in these words the Apostle exhorts Ministers to preach and so sing in Preaching or to admonish one another to pray and so to sing in Prayer How absurd would it be to affirm either Why then say I he can mean nothing else but this Ordinance of Singing c. Object But say some Did not the Lord's People of Old in their Captivity say How can we sing one of the Lord's Songs in a strange Land Psal 137. 4. Answ 1. Under that Dispensation the Lord's People had a special and peculiar Right to Temporal Blessings and when they were deprived of them and in Exile they might not see they had that cause to sing the Praises of God But our Promises and Privileges are better and more inward and Spiritual And therefore under the Gospel-Days we find the Saints sung in the midst of their greatest Sufferings for as our Sufferings do abound in us so our Consolation also aboundeth by Christ 2 Cor. 1. 5. 2. I know not but we nevertheless might see cause to refuse as they did to sing the Lord's Song at the taunting and reproachful Requests of an insulting Enemy the Lord's People are not to do the Lord's Work at the Devil's Instigation 3. But blessed be God we are not in Exile we are delivered like Men that dreamed our Liberty and Mercies are great if we do not sin them away In the last place consider how acceptable and well-pleasing to God his Praises are in a Song read Psal 69. 30. I will praise the Name of God with a Song and will magnify him with Thanksgiving Vers 31. This also shall please the Lord better than an Ox or Bullock that hath Horns and Hoofs Two things you may observe from hence 1. That to sing God's Praises is acceptable to him 2. That 't is no Ceremonial Rite but in it self a Moral Duty Sacrifices appertained to the Ceremonial Law and though acceptable to God in their Nature and Design yet Moral Duties have always had the preference He hath shewed thee O Man what is good i. e. that excells that which God most delights in to do justly love Mercy c. Mic. 6. 8. And this of praising God in a Song seems from hence to be a Duty of the same Nature