the Lord Jesus Christ Obj. But they take no notice of it they go on and sing a Psalm and so think they have done God good service Sol. It may be so So it is in hearing of Sermons no question many are little affected with what is delivered though the Minister presse it home upon their consciences and deal never so plainly and powerfully yet I hope you will not say but the Word of God preached hath this end viz. Conviction or Admonition So it is in singing of Psalmes wicked men are made judges of their own wickednesse by the Word of God in their own mouthes Obj. Again Whereas it is urged by some That they are very much scandalized to hear profane men professe a lie in singing the 119 Psalme and the like touching their love to and delight in the law of God and other such expressions which David uses in those Psalmes Sol. We answer True it is a matter of scandall but how farre forth we shall consider anon He that sings David's Psalmes and not with a sanctified heart as David did he lies in his heart and in his throat too But suppose such a one should say David's Psalmes or pray David's Psalmes or read them out of a Book or joyn with the Minister in prayer where he is the mouth for the rest that do joyn with him Doth he not professe the like then When the Minister who is the peoples mouth to speak to God declares the experiences that he and others have had of Gods goodnesse and the work of grace upon their soules when he professeth or expresseth godly sorrow for sin laments their infirmities indisposednesse untowardnesse and frowardnesse of heart and further blesseth God for spirituall graces and the evidences of Gods love c. When I say the Minister doth thus in the Congregation and profane men are there and pretend to go along with him in thâ—…s do they not lie in prayer since they never had experience of Gods goodnesse and the work of God upon their soules they never had any evidences of Gods love to them in all their lives And why are we not as much scandalized at their praying as at their singing For though they make not such a noise with their mouths in prayer yet they do lie and profane the Name of God as much in the one as they do in the other Therefore if any be scandalized by them in the one why not also in the other Surely by this reason we must not only forbear singing but praying with them Nay by the same reason we may not hear the Word of God with them for a profane wretch doth even in that also take the Name of God in vain and if he be not powerfully convicted by the Word of God he shall be one day made to know what a sad thing it is to take the Name of God in his mouth when he hated to be reformed Unto the wicked God saith What hast thou to do to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behinde thee This Argument is that which is urged for separation and if it hold good for separating in one it may as well hold for ought I see for separation in all duties whatsoever and so in hearing the Word of God also For hearing the Word is an act of spiritual communion as well as prayer or singing I say there is communion with God in hearing as well as in praying In prayer we speak to God and in hearing God speaks to us In prayer we profess our selves to be the Lords people to have all our delight in him and all our expectations from him and in hearing we come to sit before him as his people to ask Counsell of God and to know his will and there professe whatsoever the Lord shall command us that we will do Thus there is spirituall communion with God in hearing the Word as well as in praying and singing of Psalmes So then if we may not sing nor pray neither may we hear with mixt company and if it be thus the people of God are in a very sad condition I say again If the presence of wicked men shall hinder their acceptation and communion with God in those duties which they notwithstanding do in the sincerity and uprightnesse of their hearts out of all question the people of God are in a very sad condition because they can hardly assemble without great hazard of having one devil or other among them what then will become of them Nay I would fain know with whom they shall joyn for our Saviour himself had a select company but twelve in all and one of them was a devil And so when you have done what you can and made choice of your company if there be not a black devil a prophane wicked man yet there may be a white devil an hypocrite which is bad and as abominable to God as the other I have heard that some have forborne prayers in their families with their children and servants because they thought them not good enough to pray withall I desire these to consider what Paul did in the Ship before the company he sailed with He was not so scrupulous but gave thanks to God even before profest Infidels and Heathens Acts 27. 35. He took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all because he knew it was a duty which all men are bound to do and though they did not nor could not do it as they should yet it was their duty and therefore Paul praises God even in the presence of those wicked men So may we do the like though wicked men be by and joyn in the duty what 's that to us Oh! But it much troubles and distracts them when they see men of profane spirits joyn with them and blaspheme as they say the Name of God Alas for them that they are so tender of Gods honour But is it so indeed or is not this another lie 'T is notoriously known there are many great and horrid blasphemies against Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost and the Scriptures c. and yet I hear not much of their being scandalized at these But they are mightily scandalized to hear wicked men sing Psalmes But methinks if they be indeed scandalized at this they should be more scandalized at those other blasphemies and truly let me tell them their not being scandalized at those horrid blasphemies indeed before spoken of is a very great scandall to many that are truly godly Oh that there were no other Blasphemies in England than singing of Psalmes by wicked men and that one day in a week But doth not the Land mourn because of oaths and are not many wicked ones all the week long blaspheming the living God Yet some of these men who make this Objection have not shewed at any time that we have seen so much dislike of these blasphemies If you be troubled at
He calls for the heart My son give me thy heart So Chrysostome upon this Text Attending with understanding The meaning of the Apostle is clear and unquestionable That our singing of Psalmes must not be a lip-labour an outward bodily exercise it must not be the pleasing our selves or others with the tune of a Psalm that is not it which God looks for at our hands but we must sing as Mary did Luke 1. 46. My soul doth magnifie the Lord my spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour And as David in the 103 Psalm Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name This is that which the Apostle here calls for and it implies these two particulars 1. A sense and understanding of that which is sung I will sing with understanding saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 14 15. that is so as I would be understood by others therefore by himself much more Sing ye praises with understanding Psal. 47. 7. a blinde Sacrifice was an abomination to the Lord 2. It must be an inward feeling and affection of the heart and spirit So David in Psalm 57. 7. My heart is fixed my heart is fixed or my heart is prepared or my heart is disposed When a man's heart is filled with the Spirit as the Apostle speaks when a mans heart is full of holy and heavenly thoughts affections and meditations and so out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks when the frame of a man's heart is suteable to the holy and spirituall matter that is sung this is singing in the heart or with grace in the heart to the Lord who looks at the heart and how a man is affected within Certainly as one sayes grace in the heart is the best tune to any Psalm and without this the sweetest best tun'd voice is but howling and bawling in the ears of the Almighty Yet do we not exclude the voice in singing David used it I will sing and give praise even with my glory awake psaltery and harp I my self will awake early Psal. 57. 8. and 108. 2. Awake up my glory sayes David that was his tongue called his glory because his tongue in singing was an excellent instrument of glorifying God Nor do we exclude all modulation or tuning of the voice according to the lawes of Musick provided there be no affectation of it so as our hearts be wholly taken up with it Provided also there be no empty tautologies or chanting over and over the same things tossing of the Word of God like a tennis-ball from one to the other like that Cathedrall musick intended onely to please the care and no way ordered to the use of edifying in grace and knowledg But for the voyce in singing we plead and also for singing with tunes All the Psalmes were penned in Hebrew meeter with the exactest Art that might be They were penned saith one with exactness and variety of Meeter 1. In such verses as are sutable to the Poetry of the Hebrew Language and not in the stile of such other books of the Old Testament as are not poeticall 2. Many verses together in severall of the Psalmes do also run in rimes as those know that understand the Hebrew and as Buxtorph shews The sau p. 629. But though we plead for singing with the voice yet our chiefest respect in that singing must be unto the heart and spirit to the understanding and to the Affection and inward feeling of what is sung for this is to sing with grace in the heart Hence it follows that none can sing a Psalm as he ought but he that hath grace in his heart and is renewed in the spirit of his minde None could learn that Song Rev. 14. 3. but the hundred fourty and four thousand which were redeemed from the earth which was onely the people of God who stood in opposition to Antichrist and by their singing there is meant all spirituall Worship performed by Gods people to him It is said there No man could learn that Song but those that were redeemed from the earth the Antichristian earthly generation had no skill on the spirituall Worship and Service offered to God in the true Christian Church Therefore the Psalmist saith Psal. 33. 1. speaking of this duty Rejoyce in the Lord O ye righteous for praise is comely for the upright it is impossible for others to rejoyce in the Lord Onely Gods own people have an inward experimentall knowledg of the glorious Excellencies and Attributes of God viz. his Power Wisdome goodness c. they onely have tasted how sweet the Lord is in his promises and Providences They know and none but they what the Offices of Christ are in the power fruit and benefit of them They know what it is to be redeemed from the earth and from death and from the nethermost hell They onely have experience of the mercy and loving kindeness of the Lord supporting supplying them and ordering all for good to them And they alone have a lively feeling of their infirmities sigh and groan under the burden of their corruptions are troubled for the indisposition and â—…towardness of their hearts These and such as these who are so inspired and affected can sing David's Psalmes with David's spirit Others may sing more pleasingly to the ear but these alone make melody in the eares of the Lord who looks at the heart Q. That 's it we desire to be satisfied in How we may sing Davids Psalmes with Davids spirit A. It is commonly truly and piously said We must sing Davids Psalmes with Davids spirit though there is no Text in the Bible to my remembrance that hath those very words but some speak somewhat to this effect as Col. 3. 16. we must sing with grace in our hearts that is as much as if he should have said Sing Davids Psalmes with Davids spirit 2. We grant it is impossible for any to sing Psalmes so but one that is a new creature renewed in the spirit of his minde as David was 3. We say in the general to sing Davids Psalmes with Davids spirit or to sing with grace in our hearts unto the Lord there must be not onely an habituall but an actuall disposedness as when a man sets upon any duty he must stir up the grace that is in him so it is not enough in singing Psalmes to have an habit of grace but we must stir up and act the gifts and graces of God within us Here then this shall be the great question How our spirits ought to be disposed when we are to sing that we may so do it as to give God the glory and gain benefit to our own soules Or which is all own how we may sing David's Psalmes with David's spirit Or how we may sing with grace in our hearts unto the Lord which is the Doctrine in the Text Now here I meet with that which is a very great scruple and I beleeve hath taken and kept off many from singing of
which inclines us to them and not onely to pray against great transgressions and presumptuous sinnes but against the least motions and workings of sin whether in word or thought The Twentieth Psalme teacheth the duty of people towards their godly lawfull Magistrates and Governours and though it were penned upon a particular occasion probably when David went forth against the Ammonites 2 Sam. 10. yet it hath this Doctrine of generall concernment viz. That Godly Christian Rulers who are nursing fathers to the Church of God ought to be remembred in our prayers for a blessing upon their designes and endeavours for Gods people and against his and their enemies It teacheth likewise that it is Gods blessing alone that keeps the City as we have it in another Psalme Psal. 127. The 21. Psalme shews likewise that the safety of the Church and of all Christian States depends on God alone and gives us also occasion of admiring the glory of Christs Kingdome which is so great through Gods salvation seing David in his kingdome over Israel was a Type of Christ reigning in his Church and so also the passages in David's Psalmes that respect his rule and government have an aim at somewhat answerable to the Kingdome of Christ What more comfortable Consideration can any poor soul have than the subject matter of the 24th Psalm wherein the Question is resolved Whether God have any peculiar company divided from the rest of the world of which he is more especialiy tender and carefull and where this company is and what manner of men they are who as I may say are the fellows of this society Here we may learn that God hath a Church on earth call'd out of the world and distinguished from it that not hypocrites and formall Professors but hearty and upright Christians onely communicate in the spirituall and everlasting blessings which God poureth upon the Church and that all even the greatest are invited and called upon to enter into this societie of Gods people out of which there is no salvation The 25th Psalme was penned when David was in great distress and is an eminent testimony of his faith in God which he expresseth in his earnest prayer unto which he encourageth himself by the consideration of Gods faithfulness in his Promises and in all his wayes of Providence more especially in that he manifests himself to his people in the guidance and goverment of his good Spirit that they may not mistake and so miscarry in their Christian race Now what can be more sweet to any pious soul than the serious consideration of such gracious and mercifull dealing of God with his people Or how can such a soul chuse but be much inlarged towards the Lord when it meditates as it ought upon such things as these Would a Christian express his integritie and innocency and resolution to cleave close to God in wayes of holiness righteousness however he be defamed in the world or whatever else befalls him how pertinent is the 26th Psalme The 27th Psalme teacheth us wherein lieth a Christians safetie peace comfort and all viz. in Gods protection and gracious Providence over him It teacheth also what must be a Christians chiefest care in all estates and conditions viz. that he may continue and abide in the sincere Profession of the truth and the faithfull service of God according to his will and so to comfort himself and encourage his heart till God be pleased to come in with deliverance The 28th Psalme to say no more of it may teach us That God alone is to be prayed unto in all dangers and he alone to be praised for all deliverances And also that in all our addresses to God we are more especially to commend unto him the safetie and enlargement of his Church May we not sing the 29th Psalme with much comfort and spirituall benefit if we set our selves to meditate on the matter scope and drift of it which is to invite all to lay aside carnall confidence in wealth strength wisdome or any such like things and to submit themselves to the rule and government of God Almighty who doth wonderfull things in the world shews his glory in the thunder of his power to make all creatures even the dead and dumbe in a manner to stand in awe of him and by all these terrible doings of his teaches his own people the more to trust him who is so able to preserve them and destroy all his and their enemies with the least blast of the breath of his nostrills If we sing the Thirtieth Psalme we may see the frame of our own spirits in that of David's who was as much cast down in adversity as he was before lifted up in prosperity and how easie a matter it is for God to make sudden changes as to our outward estates so to our inward also and that whatsoever changes pass upon Gods people he can easily and suddenly change all their mourning into mirth and so give them matter of rejoycing in his salvation In the One and Thirtieth Psalme David teacheth us from his own experience that there is an inexhaustible store of all good laid up with God for all that trust in him yea and that notwithstanding our infirmitie and diffidence God of his meer faithfulness will deliver us in his appointed time There also we may learn that though Gods people be many times low in their own apprehensions by reason of many and great dangers yet so long as their eyes and their hearts are towards the Lord as David's were they may comfortably exspect a good issue at last and thereupon are to encourage themselves and pluck up their spirits as they are exhorted to do in the last Verse of that Psalme The 32d Psalme teacheth us wherein lieth true blessedness viz. in the pardon of sin and that we can never attain to assurance of that pardon and peace arising from it till we come freely off from sin and so are farre from guile in our spirits as David was at last after much adoe It teacheth us also in what way we must come to God and that is in a way of true humiliation and hearty confession of sin and that all such humble penitents have matter of rejoycing when impenitent and hardened rebells shall have sorrow enough How can we admire Gods gracious dispensations towards his Israel better than by an affectionate singing the Thirty third Thirty forth and Thirty seventh Psalmes which set forth in most ample manner the goodness of God towards his own and his just indignation against all his and their enemies though for the present it is not easie for us to apprehend the righteousness of God in his dealings with the one and the other And have not Gods people alwaies occasion from Gods dayly Providences to sing such Psalmes as those that so they may confirm their hearts in confidence on God and comfortable exspectations from him though for the present they are in heaviness through manifold temptations Thou mayest
SINGING OF PSALMES THE Duty of Christians Under the NEW TESTAMENT OR A VINDICATION OF THAT Gospel-Ordinance IN V. SERMONS Upon EPHESIANS 5. 19. Wherein are Asserted and cleared 1. That 2. What 3. How 4. Why we must SING The second Edition with many Additions By Tho. Ford Minister of the Gospell in EXON. Jam. 5. 13. Is any merry Let him sing Psalmes London Printed by W. B. for F. Eaglesfield and are to be sold at the Marygold in St. Pauls Church-yard 1659. An Advertisement Concerning this Second Edition of these SERMONS SInce there are many that scruple the singing of David's Psalmes because they deem them not proper or pertinent to their particular occasions and conditions here are severall instances added to those already mentioned in the foregoing Sermons to shew them their mistake and to perswade them if the Lord be pleased to set all home upon their hearts that they may improve all and every of those Psalmes as occasion serves by sweeâ—… meditation and stirring up godly affections accordingly for singular advantage and spirituall edification in grace and glorious practice Most of those Additions are to be found by themselves towards the end of the book beginning with the word Suppose in Page 137. which was judged the most convenient place for them TO THE READER READER IT is confest and cannot be denied that as there are already but too many Books in the world so there are enough written in the Vindication of this Gospel-Ordinance if men would heed and read them as they ought to do And this consideration besides others so swayed the Author as no importunity could prevail with him to publish these Sermons till hee was inforc't to it beyond and against his own opinion and inclination by others threatning to Print the Notes which some had taken in short-hand though very imperfect Therefore it is desired if any fault be the blame may light on those who are most guilty the Author at worst being but an accessary When these Sermons were Preach't it was his desire and prayer to God that they might be imprinted on the hearts of these that heard them and it pleased the Lord let him have all the glory to second his Desires and Endeavours with a blessing so farre as some who have neglected Singing were convinced others that were wavering were câ—…firmed and many better informed in the Nature Fâ—…d and Use of that Duty which formerly they little uâ—…derstood or heâ—…ded They were principally intended for the more ignorant such as the most are who question or deny the Singing of Davidsâ—…lme and therefore contriv'd and fram'd with the greatest plainness so as they might best serve to give understanding unto the simple 'T is desired and hoped that the wiser and more uâ—…derstanding Reader will take no offence at that plainness which was affected and studied for the benefit and edification of popular Auditory Truth is never the lâ—…sse comely when she walks abroad in a plain and homely dress But there needs no Apology since plain dealing we use to say is aâ—…waies best There are three sorts unto whom these Sermons are more especially directed or if you will havâ—… it so dedicated First such as deny singing of Davids Psalms to be a Duty Secondly Such as neglect that Duty very much especially in private Thirdly Such as do it both in publick aâ—…d private yet know not how to carry themselves in it as becometh Christians Now it is earnestly desired that all and every of these will be pleased to read them over and when they have so done if they find nothing either to convince them of the Duty or quicken them to it or direct them in it I shall willingly yield they have lost their labour for once hoping they will as freely acknowledge that it is not the first time they have done so I say again search and see and when you have prov'd all hold fast that which is good and I do the rather press and perswade to it because as I conceive Singing of Psalms is of greater concernment than most men are aware of We use it as a part of that Religious worship which we ow and yield to the only living and true God and therefore had need as of a good Warrant for doing it so of a good understanding and frame of spirit so to do it as therein to please God and benefit our own souls If there be no Ordinance of God for it we cannot in reason expect a blessing from God in it nay we had need be humbled for our former using it If it appear to bee a duty which I hope these plain Sermons do in some sort demonstrate let us be humbled for our former carelesness and endeavour henceforward to reap more benefit by it For this I dare say That of all Religious exercises there is none wherein God hath been less honoured or men less edified then in this of singing Davids Psalms If that which is here presented may be of any use either to perswade such as are otherwise minded or to confirm such as are already perswaded and direct them how to wait upon God as they ought for a blessing in this duty Let the God of all grace have the glory Which is the Joint desire of him that preach't and them that publisht these Sermons Farewell Singing of PSALMES the Duty of Christians under the New Testament The first SERMON Ephes. 5. 19. Speaking to your selves in Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord THe subject matter of this Text is singing of Psalmes a duty which many continue to do but few understand the nature end and use of it Others not a few do not sing at all yea deny it to be a duty For conviction of the one and direction of the other I shall so handle the words read as attending these two things especially viz. the lawfulness of singing Davids Psalmes usefulness The Doctrinall part of this Epistle you have in the three first Chapters The use begins with the fourth Chapter where the Apostle applies the Doctrine of the rich and free Grace of God exhorting them to walk worthy of that Vocation wherewith they were called doing all duties both such as concern them as Christians in common and such as belong to them respectively in particular relations as Husbands Wives Parents c. Not to hold you long about the Order and Connexion of these generall Precepts verse 18. the Apostle admonishes them not to be drunk with wine as being most contrary to that accurate and circumspect walking required and expected of Christians ver. 15. and then enforces his admonition by an argument drawn from the inconvenience or mischief of so foul and beastly a sin there 's excess in it excess in expences opposite to srugality and excess in delights opposite to temperance or as some understand it mores dissoluti inordinate behaviour enormeous lusts D. Hammonds note on Eph. 5. all manner of loosnesse and
wicked lewdness follow it or all kinde of riot and lasciviousness go along with it It follows ver. 19. But be filled with the Spirit As if he should say I will shew another and a better way of good fellowship wherein you may drink your fill health it and pledge one another in that which is wholsome and usefull and delightfull too Be ye filled with the Spirit The Spirit is opposed to wine and filling with the Spirit to excessive pouring in of wine or strong drink The Spirit is not only water to cleanse and wash but wine to chear and refresh labour you to be filled with the Spirit or to be full of goodness Ro. 14. 15. In this nineteenth verse he shews what are the effects of the Spirit when men are fill'd with it and that in way of allusion to the manner of men when they are in their cups then their tongues walk they talk and sing and say they know not what Now saith the Apostle Be ye but filled with the spirit and that will make you merry and wise too Merry in a good and godly sort it will make you talk and sing and rejoyce in a spirituall manner so as to glorifie God edifie your selves and one another In a word the Apostle here teaches Christians how to be merry in the Lord and how to express their rejoycing in God and that is in singing of Psalms Particulars in the words observable are these 1. He exhorts to singing of Psalmes 2. He advises what Psalmes are to be sung 3. He directs how to sing those Psalmes Or these That we must sing What How Why 1. For the Duty it self We must sing 2. For the Matter we must sing Psalmes and spirituall Songs 3. For the Manner we must sing in or with the heart 4. For the End we must sing unto the Lord I shall lay down onely one generall Doctrine in handling of which I shall take into consideration all the aforesaid particulars Doct. That singing of Psalmes is a duty of Christians under the New Testament That it was the duty of Gods people under the old Testament and that they did well in it having a warrant for it I presume no sober man will question All the doubt is concerning the times of the New Testament and yet not so much whether Psalmes are now to be sung as what Psalmes we are to sing and what manner of singing there ought to be That which I intend and shall endeavour to prove is That it is the duty of Christians under the new Testament to sing David's Psalmes and to this end I shall first make use of and urge the strength and force of my Text and that other parallel place Col. 3. 16. clearing them from the exceptions which lie against them and then answer other objections made against the Psalmes which we sing and our manner of singing them First 'T is clear and unquestionable that the Apostle in both places calls for singing of Psalmes as a Duty to be done by all Christians In this Chapter v. 4. He allows no foolish talking or jeasting ver. 18. He allows no excessive drinking or tipling which prophane men account and call merry-making yet he requires and calls for singing of Psalms and such like spirituall rejoycing in God Secondly There is no more reason to exclude singing of Psalmes from being part of a Christians duty than redeeming them or being wise to know the will of God or teaching and admonishing one another since the Apostle enjoynes them all alike He that sayes Walk circumspectly saith also Sing and mâ—…ke melodie in your hearts to the Lord Thirdly In the Epistle to the Colossions he cries down all legall Ceremonies and yet notwithstanding calls for singing of Psalmes Whence 't is clear and undeniable that there must be singing of Psalmes there being as expresse and peremptory Scripture-commands for this as for Prayer or any other Duty This I thought good to clear in the first place because I fear there are some who may look upon singing as a legall Ceremony and so expir'd with the rest of the Jewish Worship I proceed to prove that there must be audible singing with the voice and that of Christians together though I deny not but if a man have no company he may being disposed as James saith Jam. 5. 13. Sing as well as pray alone Object 1. 'T is objected by some that the Apostle here calls for speaking in Psalmes and Col. 3. 16. for teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and for singing in the heart but not for singing with the voice Sol. This is to wrest and rack the Scripture that so it may speak what men have a mind to And this will appear if we consider 1. That though the Apostle exhorts to speaking in Psalmes c. yet he explains himself in the following words singing and making melody c. 2. There was this reason why the Apostle exhorteth them to speak to themselves in Psalmes c. He would not have them walk as other Gentiles who in their cups and merry meetings talk they know not what or else after their heathenish custome sang Songs to the praise of their Idols Now saith the Apostle it must not be so with you Christians But when you meet and will be merry speak to one another in Psalmes c. Davenant 3. Some and those very learned and judicious think there is no necessity of carrying these words viz. teaching and admonishing and speaking Col. 3. 16. to that which follows and the Originall seems much to favour their conceit besides the drift and scope of the Apostle if it be considered seems also to make much for them for he exhorts Christians to let the Word of Christ dwell richly or plentifully in them i. e. to be throughly furnished with a sound and saving knowledge of the doctrine of the Gospel and then shews them the use and benefit of Scripture so studied and understood The first use is that Christians may thereby instruct one another in the doctrine of Faith The second is to admonish one another concerning a godly life The third is to rejoyce together and refresh one another by singing such spirituall Songs as are recorded in Scripture for that end 4. But if this satisfie not I say further That these words Speaking to your selves and teaching one another cannot admit of such a sense as some put upon them viz. Teaching one another out of the Psalmes since teaching in Psalmes is one thing and teaching out of the Psalmes is another Davids Psalmes are a part and a choice part of Scripture and Christians may and must teach one another out of them as well as out of other Scriptures since they are all written for our learning Rom. 15. 4. So Acts 28. 23. Paul perswaded the Jewes that Jesus was the Christ out of the law of Moses and out of the Prophets Had the Apostle intended the same thing in these places why had he not used the
same expression viz. Speaking to your selves out of the Psalmes which yet we see he doth not and therefore I conclude that he intends somewhat else than these men would have him And that which â—…e intends is this that Christians in singing of Psalmes together should teach and admonish one another and speak to one another for mutual edifying as they do by joyning in prayer or the like duties So when Paul and Silas sung together Act. 16. 25. they thereby spake to themselves or amongst themselves for their mutuall encouragement and comfort methinks it is an excellent way of speaking to themselves or one another when Christians sing a Psalme together 5. 'T is clear to any that reads the Texts without prejudice that speaking in Psalmes must be by singing of them If he had said only speaking teaching and admonishing then those mens gloss might have had some colour of truth in it Buâ—… since the Apostle adds singing and making melody 't is clear he requires the singing of Psalms which is the thing we contend for As to the latter part of the objection viz That the Apostle calls for singing in the heart but not for singing with the voice I answer That though we must sing with the heart it will never follow That therefore we must not sing with the voice for then it would follow too that we must not pray with the voice because we are to pray with the heart Now what an argument is this I must hear the word with my heart and receive it into my heart therefore I must not hear it with my ears I grant we must sing with the heart and with grace in the heart i. e. with a holy and gracious frame of spirit sutable to the matter that we sing or with thankfulnesse as some interpret or in sincerity and uprightnesse of heart from our very fouls as David said With my whole heart will I praise thee Psal. 9. 7. and Psal. 103 Blesse the Lord O my soul c. For if our singing or any other Religious service be not with and from the heart God will have no regard to it and therefore 't is no marvell that the Apostle calls for singing in and with the heart Nature Art Parts and common gifts may enable a man to the outside form or bodily exercise either in singing or praying c but the bodily exercise profiteth little God is a Spirit and will be worshipped in Spirit and therefore requires us to sing and pray and perform all religious services in and with the heart i. e. sincerely and from our very souls Besides let it be considered that the Apostle here speaks in opposition to the prophane guise of Heathens singing to the praise of their Idols or of drunkards in their cups singing and saying they know not what and only making a noise that they may be heard Now he would have Christians sing praises to the living God after another manner viz. With grace in their hearts understanding what and considering how they sing Besides the Apostle considered how apt men are as Austin saith of himself to be taken more with musicall accents then the heavenly matter and therefore gives a special caution for singing with the heart it being a matter more then ordinary for men to keep their hearts in order when they are singing of Psalmes but never intended we should not sing with the voice but only he would have men with their minds as well as with their mouths to glorifie God Paul and Silas sang praises unto God so as the prisoners heard them Act. 16. 25. they sang with their voices as well as in their hearts to the Lord Having thus cleared it from the text That we must sing with an audible voice I come in the second place to shew What we must sing and this is also in the Text Speaking to your selves in Psalmes c. We must sing nothing but spirituall songs to the Lord But what these Psalmes and hymns and spirituall songs are is another question The greatest difference I find amongst Interpreters is the difference between these it being a matter of some difficulty to distinguish them so as to determine precisely what are psalmes what Hymns and what Spiritual Songs Many and various conceits of men I meet with which I shall not trouble you withall being the most of them very groundlesse I know nothing more probable than this viz. That Psalmes and Hymns and spirituall Songs do answer to Mizmorim Tehillim and Shirim which are the Hebrew names of David's Psalmes All the Psalms together are called Tehillim i. e. Praises or songs of praise Mizmor and Shir are in the Titles of many Psalmes sometimes one and sometimes the other and sometimes both joyn'd together as they know well who can read the Originall Now the Apostle calling them by the same names by which the Greek Translation which the New Testament so much follows renders the Hebrew is an argument that he means no other than David's Psalms Besides when ever the New Testament quotes the Psalmes it means those of David and so the Apostle speaks as taking it for granted that they to whom he wrote knew what Psalmes he meant Sure I am that David's Psalmes are spirituall Songs if ever there were any spiritual Songs in the world Obj. Yea but some will object that the Apostle means not David's Psalmes but such spirituall Songs as shall be upon occasion composed by some Officer or Member of the Church 1 Cor. 14. 26. for as in the primitive times there were some who had a gift of Psalmes so now also there are that have if not the same yet the like gift and such new Songs they grant may be sung but not any other Sol. 1. In answer to this I say first That in the primitive Churches some had a Psalm or spiritual Song dictated and inspired by the holy Ghost though I dare not determine any thing peremptorily concerning their manner of singing those Psalmes in the Church 2. I say If any have the same fgi now they may do well to shew and use it for the benefit and edification of themselves and others But I suppose no sober man will now pretend to any such extraordinary gift which ceast in the Church long since as the gift of Tongues and other effects of the Spirit extraordinary If any shall pretend to such an extraordinary Spirit I desire to know of them how others shall sing with them for if they sing only their sudden raptures 't is impossible others should joyn because their meditations will differ and so will their meeter too and such singing will be nothing but a sacrifice of fools and the confusion at Babel If it be said Not so But one to sing in the spirit and the rest to say Amen I say as before no man now hath such a Spirit as some had then There are indeed some that pretend much to the Spirit in these daies who if they would be
pleased to shew their raptures in singing as they do many times in speaking no question there would be as good rythme in the one as there is reason in the other If we must not sing but what 's indited by an extraordinary Spirit and no man have such a Spirit it will follow that there must be no singing at all and then how do Christians fulfill this law of Christ commanding them to speak to one another in Psalmes c. which I have formerly proved to be a duty as much as redeeming the time walking circumspectly c. I believe that they who had a Psalm in the Church of Corinth had it by an extraordinary gift How that Psalm was sang I cannot say but this is clear and certain that David's Psalmes which were ordinarily used in the Temple though they were compos'd yet they were not sung by an extraordinary Spirit For when the Levites Christ and his Disciples Paâ—…l and Silas sung those Psalmes must be such as were well known beforehand to the companies that sang them else how could they sing together Obj. But here I meet with an objection that must be answered before I proceed and 't is this viz. That Christ and his Disciples did not sing but only gave thanks and that the Originall word imports no more but as it were saying Grace after meat We deny not but the Originall notes praise but let all that understand the Originall speak whether it doth not signifie to praise with singing Austin on Psalm 52. Hymni sunt laudes Dei cum cantico si sit laus non sit Dei non est Hymnus si sit laus Dei laus non cantetur non est Hymnus oportet ergo ut si sit Hymnus habeat haec tria laudem Dei cantico Hymns are the praises of God with a song If it be praise and not the praise of God 't is not a Hymn if it be the praise of God and not with a song neither is it a Hymn which must have these three in it viz. Praise the praising of God and that with a song or in singing Questionlesse the Original signifies to praise whether God or men in songs But what need we go any further than my Text the word here put in the middle between Psalmes and Songs sufficienâ—…ly shevvs vvhat manner of praising God that vvas Besides the constant vote of all the Learned that Christ did sing afâ—…er his last supper according to the custome of the Jews whose practice it was after the Cup of salvation or thanksgiving to sing some of David's Psalmes which solemn Hymn they call to this day the Great Hallelujah That Christ prayed and praysed God otherwise than in singing we grant But that he also sang is clear and if he had sung a new song composed on the sudden probably one of the Evangelists would have recorded that song as well as John hath set down our Saviours prayer John 17. So Paul and Silas Act. 16. 25. prayed and sang praises aloud so as the prisoners heard them which argues more than probably a more than ordinary lifting up of their voices But if we yield that neither Christ and his Disciples did sing nor Paul and Silas yet my Text with Col. 3. 16. James 5. 13. do clearly evince that Christians must sing which is the thing we plead for But I return to answer the former objection concerning singing of Psalmes composed by an ordinary and common gift as God in his providence gives occasion And to this I say that I am not so much against composing as imposing when men set up their own new songs and shut out David's Psalms Suppose it lawfull for men of spirituall mindes to endite a Psalm and then commend it to others and sing it yet it will not follow that therefore we must not sing the Psalmes of David Obj. But here again 't is objected That we conceive Prayers and therefore may as well conceive Psalmes too for praising God upon occasion Sol. I will not say it is unlawfull to conceive and compose a Psalm upon occasion But I say again there is no reason that our conceived Psalmes should shut out David's and I desire it may be considered First That a man may conceive a Prayer on the sudden and put it up to God so as others may joyn with him But a man cannot so conceive and sing a Psalm it being impossible at once to contrive the Matter and meeter and be devout too Obj. But here it will be replied That such a conceiving of Psalmes is not intended but that some one first compose and bring a spirituall Song and then commend it to be sung by others Sol. But why should any man preferr his Composures before David's Psalmes is it because they are more excellent Obj. No it will be said We do not compare with David Onely our composed Psalmes are more suitable to the present occasions of Gods people we conceive Prayers as occasion is offered and so we would have Psalmes conceived and composed too Sol. 1. God himself hath made and given us a Psalm-book But I know of no such Prayer-book that he hath left us 2. There can be no composures of men that will suit the occasions necessities afflictions or affections of God's people as the Psalmes of David concerning which we may say what the Jews said of Manna They have a taste and relish according to every ones Palate Let it once be granted that we must sing Psalmes I 'le warrant you Davids Psalmes shall carry it there being no art or spirit of man now that can come near that of David What though they were penn'd upon occasion and according to the necessities of Gods people then so were the other Scriptures and yet they concern us as much now as they did the people of God then Besides we read that in Hezekiah's time the Levites were to praise God with the words of David 2 Chron. 29. 30. which shews that the Psalmes were for the use of Gods people in after-ages upon all occasions and I would fain know what occasions Gods people now or at any time either have or can have which David's Psalmes may not sute with and better than any Songs composed by an ordinary gift What glorious things are spoken of Christ his Kingdome and the great work of Redemption by him Who can admire and adore the infinite excellencies of God in better phrases and formes â—…han the spirit hath dictated to us in David's Psalmes If we would chear our spirits or compose them for hearing or other duties what more heavenly Meditations If we would commend and magnifie the Power Wisdome and goodness of God in any mercy how can we do it better than in the words of David It would become these that quarrell at our singing of David's Psalmes to give us better in the room of them or else to consider how they fulfill the Law of Christ when they sing
neither those nor any other And whereas occasionall composures aâ—…e so much cried up by many I ask them what poor soules shall do that cannot compose Psalmes neither have any to do it for them Certainly it is a duty as hath been proved that lies upon all Gods people and to whom shall many of them go for a Psalme if not to David They that pen psalmes better or at least fitter as they think do it for their particular respective Congregations In the mean time what shall others do unless the same men will undertake to furnish all the Churches of God in the Land and the world too with a better Psalm book than that of David If it be said that some Officer or member in every Congregation may do as much upon occasion I answer perhaps not nay without all peradventure the gift will not be found at all or in any tolerable measure amongst many Christians and then when they meet and would be merry in the Lord poor soules they shall have never a Psalm to sing as James requires James 5. 13. Nor shall we upon this account have very much singing in private families of which there are thousands in England that will not yield one who can endite or compose a Psalm fit for the occasions of Gods people Therefore if these mâ—…n will not give us another Psalm-book in stead of David's we shall have little singing in Congregations and less in private families But I shall argue this no further onely I add that 't is not enough for them to say that David's Psalmes must give place to their new Songs especially since the former can plead prescription for so many ages but they must prove it and that strongly too that we must not sing David's Psalmes For the accommodation of David's Psalmes to the present particular occasions of Gods people I shall speak more hereafter all I shall say for present is this That if we cannot accommodate them or any passages in them the fault is our own There are many I fear who cannot accommodate many passages in David's Psalmes as when he professes his zeal for God love to God his Word and Ordinances and wayes of Worship his integrity humility heavenly-mindedness c. But that 's because they have not such a heart as was in David and it may be their consciences cannot well broâ—…k such a word of admonition and conviction as they meet withall in many places and passages of David's Psalmes But if we sing David's Psalmes let us sing them in David's tunes and not in such Meetre as men have devised Sol. This reasoning will prove as well that we shall not read David's Psalmes for may not a man as well say Why should we read them in any Language but that wherein they were written and so farewell singing and reading Psalmes too and if you say but as much of all the other parts of Scripture farewell all preaching of gifted men for they will have never a Text nor Bible left them But if we think our selve bound to read the Psalmes in our own Tongue why may we not as well sing them in our own Tunes If you say there is a necessity of reading I grant it and say There is a necessity of singing them also there being as expresse precepts in Scripture for the one as for the other When any man shall give us as a good reason against reading in our own Tongue we will give over singing Psalmes in our own Tunes till then we believe there is the like necessity of the one and the other or else we are come to a good passe indeed that we must neither sing nor say My answer then is in a word this That there being a necessity of singing as well as of reading we may do the one in our own Tunes as well as the other in our own Tongue There is yet one objection more against singing of David's Psalmes which was not thought on at the preaching of these Sermons and it is this Obj. As the Scripture commands us to pray but prescribes us no set forms of Prayer which we are bound to use and no other so when it commands us to sing Psalmes it doth not tie us to any forme but leaves us to our liberty For if we are not tied to a form in praying why should we be tied up to any form in singing I dare not say as some do that all formes of Prayer are forbidden by the second Commandment nor yet that they wholly stint and quench the Spirit But to let that pass I answer Sol. 1. The Apostle hath prescribed us what to sing viz. Psalmes and Hymnes and spiritual Songs which are the express Titles of David's Psalmes as was shewed before 2. There is a difference in this that the Lord did not prescribe unto his people set formes of Prayer as he prescrib'd set formes of Psalmes 2 Chron. 29. 30 They were to sing in the words of David and Asaph but we read not that they were to pray in any such set form God gave them a Psalm book but not a Prayer-book as was said before 3. When the Psalmes of David and Asaph were ordinarily sung in the Temple dare any man say that the Spirit either in the Levites or others was stinted or quenched and why should it be stinted now more than it was then Since we have the same formes which God himself appointed why may we not expect the same enlargement of heart as the people of God had then 4. We must sing in a forme or not at all as I shewed formerly though we may very well pray without it Since therefore we must have a form why should we not prefer such as God hath appointed before any other SERMON II. Ephes. 5. 19. Speaking to your selves in Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs Singing c. THE Apostle calls upon the people of God to edifie themselves in singing of Psalmes This we have proved to be the duty of Christians and answered some Objections made against it Obj. But how can Christians do this in a mixt Congregation will some say where there is a multitude that joyn in the duty who yet God knowes are no way able to do it in such a manner as may be either pleasing to God or profitabie to their own soules They cannot sing in their heart nor to the Lord And hence some complain they are much scandalized to hear profane and ungodly men in their singing of Psalmes profeâ—…s their Repentance the integriâ—…y and uprightness of their hearts when God knows there is no such thing in them Therefore say they What do such men in singing but sound out so many lies yea and blaspheme the holy Name and Truths of God in doing of that duty and this so troubles and distracts them that they cannot finde in their hearts to joyn in the duty with such profane people This is I conceive the main thing that troubles the most and therefore though there is but
blasphemies be troubled at all blasphemies If it be blasphemy for wicked men to sing Psalmes sure there be other as great blasphemies in England as this and I wish that some had not blasphemed the Name of God in another manner that have given over singing of Psalmes We grant That wicked men cannot do this or any duty as they should they lie dishonour God and take his name in vain And it is a grief to every godly man whose righteous soul is sadded within him when he hears or sees that God hath not that honour given him which is due unto his Name Yea it grieves all godly men that others are not as they are They are of Moses his spirit They would all the Lords people were Prophets They would that all could hear and pray and read and sing Psalmes as they themselves can But be it so that they cannot sing Psalmes as they should do it and it is thy grief yet why shouldst thou neglect thy duty and not do that which God calls thee to If he that sits next to thee lie unto God in professing his sincerity and integrity of heart when there is no such thing yet let me tell thee thou mayest be accepted of God in what thou doest if thou do that in sincerity which another doth in hypocrisie And take this from me you that are so scandalized at the hypocrisie and prophanenesse of others look well to your selves sweep before your own doors and see that your own hearts be right and if they be I will warrant you the wickednesse of another mans heart shall never hurt you or hinder your acceptance with God Thou prayest out of sincerity thou prayest out of experience thou prayest from thy heart and another man that joyns with thee doth none of these things and doth not God therefore accept thee thinkest thou Yes God will hear the bleatings of one sheep though he were in the midst of a thousand wolves It iâ—… were not so Gods people were in a sad condition and for ought I know must go out of this world to finde those whom they may joyn withall in prayer or praise or any other duty Therefore I say Is it thy duty to praise God in a Psalme or is it not If it be not thy duty then do it no where but if it be then thou mayst do it in any company that will joyn with thee But the truth is many of those that do not sing believe it not to be a duty and upon that ground wholly neglect it If it be thy duty thou art bound to do it in the best manner thou canst and thou art never the worse though others that joyn with thee do it not as they ought and so instead of a blessing bring a curse upon themselves for God I tell thee doth not accept of thee according to thy company but according to thy integrity If thou dost well saies God to Cain shalt thou not be accepted So if thou seckest God in sincerity from thy very soul shalt thou not be accepted Questionless thou shalt Can God reject a sacrifice offered to him from a poor contrite broken heart because that some wicked men are present If Cain and Abel offered sacrifice at one and the same time and upon the same Altar as for some reasons and by some circumstances in the Text it is conjectured they might did not God accept the sacrifice of Abel because that Cain was present Sure we are that Christ offered in the Temple when not onely many of the people but the Priests also were most ungodly wretches If singing of Psalmes be a duty thou hast more need be troubled at thy sinfull neglect than at anothers sinfull doing of it and truly it is strange to me that for Fear of participating in others sins men should commit sins of their own as bad or worse Here I might shew how the sinnes of some might lie upon others But I shall not go so farre out of my way I shall onely adde When some will come to an Ordinance of God to which they have no right and thou canst not hinder them Or when they will do any duty which they ought but cannot do as it should be done do thou blesse God that hath given thee an heart to do thy duty and pitty those poor soules who cannot do it as well as thou canst. Singing of Psalmes is a duty wherein there is a word of Admonition and Instruction to wicked men and it is a morall duty which every man is bound to do To praise the great God that made heaven and earth That they cannot do it as they ought is their sin and misery and will be our sin as much or more if we do it not at all And now I shall intreat all godly and sober-minded Christians that they will not be frighted from doing that which is their duty by such a scar-crow as this If wicked men joyn with them and multiply transgression by offering the sacrifice of fools they are to be pittied and prayed for But 't is a senselesse conâ—…eit that therefore such as are godly shall neglect their duty Now I am sure It is the duty of all men in the world to praise God Wicked men are bound to praise God in a Psalm it is their sin and misery they cannot do it as they ought but they are bound to do it in a Psalm as much as they are bound to pray to hear the Word or do any other duty Nay I say more it is some glory to God when prophane persons do sing David's Psalmes to their own conviction The Minister glorifies God in the speaking of his Word although many in the Church should laugh and scoff at it because the Word of God hath its end either to convert or to confound So when a Psalm is sung it is the Word of God although it be sung by a wicked man and it is a word of conviction and a word of instruction to him It is the Word of God I say in his mouth and herein God is glorified that a wicked man is made with his own mouth to condemn himself and his own wickednesse What scruples yet remain I hope shall be resolved when I come to the directive part which I promised For the Objections that are commonly made arise from ignorance of the Nature End and Use of the duty I shall now close all at this time with these Considerations The Question is Whether we should sing Psalmes Now to confirme us a little That this pâ—…actice of singing Psalmes in the Church of God is not so groundlesse as some men imagine 1. First of all consider this Scripture-ground That God calls his people to spiritual rejoycing in him Philip 4. 4. Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes and again I say rejoyce Gods people have alwayes matter of rejoycing Sometimes God calls to mourning and girding with sackcloth to fasting and prayer but alwayes God calls his people to rejoyce 1 Thes. 5. 16. Rejoice
Psalmes They know not how to accommodate passages in them either those passages are no way sutable to their conditions or their affections many times are not sutable to those passages and hence they conclude they cannot sing them so as to praise or please God in them and therefore resolve not to sing at all Further when they say we must sing David's Psalmes with David's spirit if I mistake not their meaning is we must be in every respect like David and in the very same case that he was when he sung these Psalmes to the Lord As for instance the sixth Psalme was penned by David when he was or had been sick therefore we cannot sing this Psalme when we are well and in good health So we cannot sing the fifty one psalme because as we hope many of us have not committed such soul sinnes as David had viz. Adultery and murder So many of us have not had occasion to fly out of our Country as David had upon which occasion he penned some of his psalmes as Psal. 52. 54. 55. 56. 57. 120. c. So many of us have not a house to dedicate or purifie as David had when he penned the thirtieth Psalme and therefore we may not sing that Psalm To conclude we must be in the same condition in every respect as David was when he penned those Psalmes or else it is impossible to sing them as David did that is to sing Davids Psalmes with Davids spirit This is that which many object and scruple much at it and yet it is nothing but a gross mistake of the Nature Use and End of this Duty of singing Psalmes therefore to rectifie it I shall not onely shew you What 〈◊〉 Nature End and Use of singing Psalmes but I shall give you some directions whereby you may see how all and every of those Psalmes and the severall passages in them may be applied to us for our use and how we may sing them so as to glorifie God and to edifie our own soules alwayes provided that we have grace in our hearts and that we stir up the grace of God that is in us The Psalmes of David Asaph c. were written as far as I understand for a threefold end or use viz. 1. For Instruction 2. For Admonition 3. For Praise and Thanksgiving Which you may if you please reduce to these two viz. Glorifying God Edifying our selves First Instruction or Teaching Secondly Admonition or Reproof Thirdly Thanksgiving and praising the Lord Look into Col. 3. 16. Teaching and admonishing your selves in Psalmes c. there you have the ends of singing of Psalmes and speaking to your selves in Psalmes c. as the words are in the Text And though these three ends be distinct yet I would not have you understand me so as if they were alwayes divided For even those Psalmes that are for Instruction and Admonition are also for Praise and Thanksgiving Praising God or giving thanks unto the Lord and the glorifying of Gods great Name is the end of all singing as it is the end of all Duties And though we distinguish praising of God from petitioning yet I hope you think that even our petitioning and begging of God those things we need is a glorifying God and a praising his Name because therein we acknowledge God is the God of all our mercies and comforts with whom is the well of life and from whom is all our expectation So when we pray to God we do praise him so when we hear the Word we do praise and glorifie God because therein we acknowledge God onely to be our King our Judge and Law-giver profess our selves his servants and whatsoever he commands us we will do and thus in all duties we praise and glorifie God For all the duties we do are paying of our Homage or acknowledging of our Fealty to God And those that know not this know not what they do when they go about any Duty Therefore I say if a Psalm be for Instruction or Admonition yet notwithstanding it is to praise the Lord with So we suppose there be some Psalmes that are Psalmes meerly for Instruction Doctrinall Psalmes yet we may sing them and others not onely for our Admonition and Instruction but to praise the Lord as in Psal. 106. 12. Israel it is said sang his praise These things premised we shall now resolve the Case in hand 1. First then I say one main End of singing Psalmes is our Instruction and Admonition when we in singing have sweet meditations upon that heavenly matter that is sung That is I say again one main end of singing Psalmes viz. Teaching and admonishing our selves in Psalmes Col. 3. 16. For when we are singing a Psalm of Instruction we are thereby admonished of our evills and also taught what is our duty Besides which place I urge the Title of some of David's Psalmes Maschil of David Psal. 142 60. 32 42 45 53 55 56 74. c. That is A Psalm of David to give Instruction So Junius and Tremellius do alwayes if I do not wrong them render it A song to teach They are Psalmes especially to teach and to give Instruction But further if there were nothing else yet this also were an argument sufficient to shew that teaching and admonishing is one end of our singing Psalmes namely that some Psalmes are meerly Doctrinall and you have not any formal expression of prayer or praise in them in many of the Psalmes indeed there be most heavenly patheticall formes of praise and prayer but some Psalmes are meerly Doctrinall as the first Psalm there is no one form of prayer or of praise in it but the whole Psalm if you mark it is nothing else but a doctrinall description of the different and contrary estate of the godly and wicked in this life and in the life to come as ver. 1. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seat of the scornefull but his delight is in the â—…aw of the Lord c. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of waters his leaf shall not wither and whatsoever he doth shall prosper But the ungodly are not so but are like chaff c. the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment and the way of the ungodly shall perish c. Here is no formall expression of praise or prayer though the Prophet penned and sung it to the praise of God So the second Psalm is a Psalm of Instruction and Admonition but there are no formes of prayer or praise unless you reckon that for one viz. Ask of me and I shall give thee the heathen for thine Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession Now the doctrine of that Psalm is briefly this The peremptory decree and purpose of God to set up the Kingdome of Christ in spite of the world the vanity of all mens devices in opposition to it the
miserable confusion of all Christs enemies and opposers and the blessed condition of such as submit themselves to him Now these Psalmes being merely doctrinall and having nothing but Instruction and Admonition in them and being sung as well as others to the ptaise of God hence I say one end of our singing them is to learn the Doctrine of them that it may be imprinted upon our spirits or a sweet meditation in our hearts upon that heavenly doctrine contained in those Psalmes to imprint it upon our mindes and memories that we may be the more affected with it Some Psalmes are mixed and but in part doctrinall as Psal. 33. and 34. The Angell of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him The Lions shall lack and suffer hunger but those that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing c. These are doctrines of Gods providence â—…d care over his people and one main work of our hearts and spirits in singing these and such like passages is to meditate upon those Doctrines and in so doing we give glory to God teaching and admonishing our selves in a Psalm Col. 3. 16. Object But we may as well read them and so meditate on them for our Instruction Therefore there is no necessity that we should sing Psalmes for that reason Sol. I deny not but we ought to read the Psalmes as any other Scriptures and in and after our reading to meditate upon them In commending of singing I do not cry down reading one good duty should not shut out another So because we read the Psalmes and meditate on them it doth not follow that therefore we should not sing the Psalmes and meditate on them 2. In singing there is a more distinct settled and fixed meditation of the heart than there can be in reading therefore David in the 104 Psalme insisting upon the power and Providences of God in making and governing the world he draws to a close of it in the 34 Verse professing his joy in the Lord from the consideration of Gods power and providence I will sing unto praise to my God while I have my being the Lord as long as I live I will sing Why Unto God that made me that made all the world that maintains my soul in life And then he adds My meditation of him shall be sweet and I will be glad in the Lord David would not onely speak of the works of Gods power and Providence but he would sing of them that his meditations might be sweet Therefore though we read the Psalmes yet we ought also to sing them sometimes because there is more sweetness of meditation in singing than in reading or the bare reciting of them In singing there is a dilating of the sound and a drawing out of the voice which gives us more time for the fixing of our hearts upon that which is sung in a more sweet meditation of the goodness or power of God or whatsoever the matter be Therefore the Mercies of the Lord and the great things that God hath done in the world have been commemorated with singing The people of God did not think it enough to say what God had done for them but they did sing it that they might meditate the more upon the goodness of God and be the more affected with it 3. It is not enough for us to meditate as David intimates in that place but we must have sweet meditations of him that we may be glad in the Lord I will be glad in the Lord When we sing there is a more than ordinary raising or lifting up of our soules and so farre more sweetness in meditation on what is sung than what is barely said The soule I say in singing is as it were elevated and raised and so comes to be more ravisht with admiration of what God hath done Let them who have had experience of communion with God in this duty speak whether they have not found a great raising of their hearts in it whether they have not been rapt and ravished as it were with the consideration of Gods goodness in his Promises and the works of his spirituall and gracious Providences I say not that meditation is all the end of singing Psalmes but this is one chief end Obj. Therefore if you say why may we not read and meditate without more ado Ans. I answer we may and must read But why not the other also since it is more usefull and helps to more sweetness in meditation A man may pray in his heart without moving his lips as Hanna did but thou shalt finde it a quickening in prayer if thou use thy tongue also the voice is a great matter to quicken us in prayer and to keep our hearts in order Therefore as I would have men pray in secret so were I to advise them I would have them use their voice too provided alwayes it be not to be heard of men onely So here also whereas men say we may read a Psalme as well as sing it I answer Singing will affect us more than reading as praying with the voice doth affect us more than when we pray and do not use our tongues you shall finde your hearts will be more apt to wander if you do not use your voice than they will be if you do Therefore as we should use our voice to help us in prayer so why should we not lift up the voyce in singing that we may be helped also in our meditation even with enlargement and ravishment of spirit Questionless the lifting up of the voyce is a great help to inlarge the heart when it is well affected Now when people complain and say their hearts are not suteable to such and such passages in the Psalmes nor those passages to their hearts I say That there is no passage in all David's Psalmes but thou mayest accommodate it if no otherwise yet in this way viz. by a sweet meditation upon it And I would fain know where that passage is that a gracious spirit may not have sweet meditation upon it surely thou hast a very ungracious heart if thou canst not do this If there be such a Psalm or such passage of a Psalm as thou thinkest thou canst no way bring it to thy condition yet I say thou maiest bring thy heart to that Psalm or to that passage by a sweet meditation upon it And I would fain know where that good Christian is that will deny it to be his duty to have sweet meditations upon David's Psalmes or any passage in them Is there think you any passage in David's Psalmes that a Christian may not meditate upon and so take comfort in God and his word And so you may be satisfied about the Historical Psalmes and those passages in them that have respect to other men and other times As near as I can I shall instance in some of all kindes some Psalmes are onely Doctrinall some are onely Historicall as the 78 Psalm the 105 and 106 Psalm c.
these dayes as when they were made Sure if it be a sufficient ground to reject singing of David's Psalmes that they were penned for the use of Gods people in former ages I know no reason but that we may for the same reason take no notice of the other Scriptures and say What do they concern us but I rather think that there is no estate or condition wherein the people of God either are or can be but the holy Ghost foreseeing the same hath prepared and recorded some Scripture-Psalmes suteable thereunto And those Psalmes being chosen out according to the new occasions of Gods people sung by them with new hearts will ever be found new Songs Words of eternall truth as one faith are ever new and never old Dayly and hourly mercies are new mercies to renewed hearts Lament 3. 23. His mercies are new every morning and when they praise the Lord for those mercies there 's a new song of praise put into their mouthes And when God hath furnisht us with Psalmes and Songs fram'd by his own Spirit to the purpose nothing for ought I know but wretched ignorance and prophaneness will neglect to use them The objection of singing Psalmes composed by our selves and others I have already answered and shewed the absurdity of such a practice unless we had any of an extraordinary spirit which if there be let us once sec it and I make no question but we shall willingly acknowledg the gift of God in them A third use of singing Davids Psalmes is a joyfull praising of God or expressing our joy in the Lord when a man is merry naturally and of course as we say he will laugh leap sing and dance as when a man is sorry contrariwise he is sullen sits still hangs the head and saith nothing Psal. 126. 2. Then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with singing Exod. 15. 1. Then sang Moses and the children of Israel So Mary and Zachary and Simon Luke 1. 2. brake forth into Songs upon the apprehension of Gods wonderfull goodness Obj. That was because the Spirit of God came upon them in an extraordinary manner Sol. We deny not but the Spirit of God was upon some of them in a more than ordinary manner but yet it was not so upon them all all the children of Israel that sang with Moses had not an extraordinary spirit onely they were for the time much affected with the Work of God in their deliverance and the destruction of the Egyptians 2 Chro. 20. 27 28. So Jehoshaphat and the men of Judah came to Jerusalem with Psalteries and Harps and Trumpets unto the house of the Lord no question but there was singing also when the Lord had made them to rejoice over there enemies and yet no more extraordinary spirit on them than on Gods people now upon the like occasion Their practice was a precedent for Gods people in all ages to do the like when ever their hearts are inlarged in the apprehension of Gods goodness to break forth into singing and an holy rejoycing before the Lord How do we answer the goodness of God unto us if there be not affections and expressions suteable to his dispensations We all allow shooting off great gunns ringing of bells c. and why not as well singing of Psalmes When we come to the Congregation one end of our singing is to express our joy in the Lord for such mercies as his Word and Sacraments and means of Grace and that God hath given us his Sabbath and such solemn times and therefore we come before him with singing that so we may praise the Lord with gladness of heart The 100 Psalm is called a Psalm of praise and the 95 Psalm begins thus O come let us sing unto the Lord c. If you read the 96 97 and 98. you will finde many expressions to the same purpose Whatever were the occasion of penning those Psalmes it is clear that the holy Ghost in them had respect to the Gospell-times when all the ends of the earth should see the salvation of God Psal. 98. 3. Heb. 4. The Apostle shews it plainly of the 95th Psalm that the Holy Ghost in it speaks of the times after Christ was come in the flesh Now if the promise and their exspectation of those glorious Gospel-dayes did so rejoyce their hearts how much more should we be affected so as to sing and rejoyce at a higher rate than they did How comely and pleasant a thing is it to sing a Psalm as Christ and his disciples did after our receiving the Sacrament when God hath honoured us so much as to admit us unto his Table and given in the tokens and pledges of his love to our soules And after Sermon too why should we not sing and rejoyce when we have understood the good word of God declared to us by his messengers Nehem. 8. 12. Nehemiah and Ezra and the Levites willed the people to rejoyce upon such an occasion and good reason since the Word of God is sweet to every soul that savours it and so our Sabbaths are speciall times of rejoycing in God because the opportunities of publick Ordinances are renewed upon us Object But you sing all dayes alike fasting and feasting dayes without any difference Sol. For answer to this question which some think unanswerable I acknowledge that singing is a most proper expression of joy Jam. 5. 13. Is any merry let him sing But it will never follow from that place that we must not sing when we are sorry for then it will as well follow that when we are not afflicted we must not pray That place I say will infer the one as well as the other I do not say that all Psalmes are fit for all occasions but there must be a choice made and to make that choice there is some understanding more than ordinary required in him that appoints the Psalmes to be sung 3. As singing is proper in times of mirth so it is not altogether improper in times of mourning and though this may seem strange yet it is most true and I prove it thus Because Gods people were wont to lament themselves and others in Songs so Jeremy lamented the sad estate of Judah David's Psalmes were penned in times of great distress and danger as appears by the many dolefull complaints in them The 102d Psalm is entituled A prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed c. and 130 Psalm begins Out of the depths have I cried unto thee O Lord To clear it yet further give me leave a little to discourse the nature of Musick which is somewhat strange in this respect That it will sute with different yea contrary affections Some Philosophers conceited the soul to be an Harmony once the soul of the world is a symmetry of all the parts made in number weight and measure Certainly of all sensible things there is none so much affects the soul as melodious sounds I say nothing
affects the soul so much be a man merry or sorry If he be merry it will provoke him to more mirth raise rouze his spirits more than they were before Therefore singing is very proper when we are joyed would praise the Lord with gladness of heart If a man be sad musick will set it on and make him more Melancholique than he was before so some understand Prov. 25. 20. As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather and as vinegar upon nitre so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart I conceive the meaning to be this If when a man is in heaviness one should come to him in a lightsome gamesome manner as if Job's friends had brought minstrells and Musick with them he would vex and distemper and increase his grief the more Certainly Musick as it may be ordered will provoke mourning hence the custome grew of solemnizing Funeralls with Musick So when the Rulers daughter was dead there were Minstrells among others and if any say That was to allay and not to increase their grief I desire them to look Jer. 9. 17 18. and there they may see that there were cunning women who profest an art of mournfull Ditties and were hired on purpose to enhance affections of that kinde in others So 2 Chron. 35. 25. The singing-men and women spoke of Josiah in their lamentations For certain a dolefull sad Ditty sadly sung will never make any laugh unless it be an errant fool So a fit Psalm a penitentiall Psalm you may call it if you please sung to a sad tune is as apt to melt and move our hearts upon a day of humiliation as any exercise we can use and an apt expression also of such affections as should be in us upon such an occasion Some have sung for sorrow as David penn'd and sang many Psalmes when his heart was as full of grief and anguish as it could hold and so he eas'd and breath'd his heart by pouring it out before the Lord in a dolefull Song lamenting his sad condition And why may not we as well lament our own and others sad conditions in singing of David's Psalmes some of which you know are sad complaints of his miseries and sufferings mixt with earnest prayers for deliverance Sure David was not very merry when he sang many of his Psalmes whence I gather we may sing even when we are sorry and so lament and bemoan our selves before the Lord Besides if our hearts be very sad indeed singing may revive them since all utterance is an ease to any grief So some conceive that Christ chose to sing a Psalm after supper thereby to chear up his own heart and his Disciples also Musick certainly will allay passions 1 Sam. 16. v. 14. An evil spirit from the Lord troubled Saul ver. 20. And when David plaid on his harp the evil spirit departed from him Not that there is any efficacy in Musick to drive away devils but because in a naturall way it disposed and settled Saul for ease by raising up his heart and spirit out of his melancholy dumps tempering his rage and moderating his griefs and discontents by which the Devil took advantage to drive him into frenzy fits and furies If by spirit in that place we understand as some onely that which is called Motus animorum as a spirit of fear a spirit of jealousie c. then questionless the Musick had a naturall efficacy to recover Saul out of his melancholy moods 2 King 3. 15. The Prophet Elisha finding some distemper in his spirit occasioned by the presence of an idolatrous King and the present distress of Gods people called for a musician to chear and compose his spirits that he might be the better fitted for prophesie Some have conceived and said that the spirit of prophesie never came upon a sad soul How true that is I leave others to judge Nor shall I contend if any say there was somewhat extraordinary and supernaturall in those cases However this I think may be gathered from them That musick hath a vertue in it to compose and quiet and refresh and chear the spirit of a man when he is overgone with melancholy So Gods people in times of distress and danger when they feel themselves too much dejected and sadded may chear themselves up by singing a Psalm together As for our singing on fasting dayes which some are offended at we say as before 't is not so much to make our selves merry as to move and melt our hearts 'T is no absurdity nor impossibility neither for Christians to sing with tears in their eyes When a day of thanksgiving comes we sing to another tune in way of rejoicing exalting and triumphing in God our Saviour On Sabbath and Lecture dayes we sing partly to express our joy in God for giving us such opportunities and seasons of spirituall edification by the use of his Ordinances and partly to compose our spirits and so fit them for hearing the Word preached And this I conceive to be the reason why commonly we sing a Psalm before Sermon SERMON V. Ephes. 5. 19. Speaking to your selves in Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs Singing c. ONe end among others of our singing of Psalmes is as I shewed formerly a joyfull praising of God or expressing of our joy in the Lord as Gods servants were wont to do when God in his Providence gave them occasion and matter of rejoycing by deliverances victories or any other mercies I shall now adde to what hath been said That it becomes Gods people when they come before him in publick to serve the Lord with joy and an holy rejoycing and for this end they must sing Psalmes there being no exercise more proper to express our joy in the Lord God calls his people to rejoyce evermore 1 Thessalon 5. 16. and Phil. 4. 4. to rejoyce alway but more especially when they come before him in the use of his Ordinances Psal. 105. 3. Glory ye in his holy Name let the heart of them rejoyce that seek the Lord Deut. 12. 12. Ye shall rejoyce before the Lord c. Deut. 14. 26. Thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God and thou shalt rejoyce Deut. 16. 10 11. Thou shalt keep the feast of weeks i. e. Pentecost with a tribute of a sree-will offering of thine hands and thou shalt rejoyce before the Lord thy God c. And Deut. 28. 47. there is a threatning of judgement for this that they served not the Lord with joyfulness and gladness of heart c. Not a filthy on fleshly rejoycing according to the â—…ourse of this world but an holy and heaâ—…enly such as when the very heart and soul is ravisht with a sense of Gods goodness And this as it doth very much help us in the duties we have to do so it is expresly required Psal. 100. 2. Serve the Lord with gladness come before his preseâ—…ce with singing Psa. 92. which is as the Title shews a Psalm for the
Sabbath the Prophet gives this as a reason of that joyfull solemnity ver. 4. For thou Lord hast made me glad through thy work I will triumph in the works of thy hands The great work and business of the Sabbath is to magnifie God in regard of his great works viz. Creation and Providence but especially the great work of reconciling the world and Redeeming sinners from death and hell by Jesus Christ This great Work was compleated on the day of Christs resurrection which was the beginning of his exaltation and then it becomes us to rejoyce in the Kingdome Power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ singing to the Lord because he hath done marvellous things and saying This is the day which the Lord hath made let us rejoyce and be glad in it I say 't is suteable and seasonable â—…o rejoyce and be merry on the Lords day and therefore to sing and so express our joy in the Lord who hath made us to rejoyce in his salvation God loves not to see us lumpish and melancholy but chearfull and joyfull in his service Let us therefore sing and say The Lord reigneth One gives this as one end and use of our singing of Psalmes viz. That the Spirit dwelling in us may be as it were excited and stirred up to put forth his power more effectually and plentifully and grounds it upon my Text which saith he imports two things First that singing is an effect of the Spirit And secondly That the Spirit is stirred up in us by singing That which he saith to my thinking hath much reason in it For why may not singing excite and stirr up the spirit and the graces of it in Christians as well as the performance of other duties They that have grace therefore do duty that by exercising their graces they may improve them Now let such as have any grace of God in them consider how in doing this duty as it ought to be done the graces of God specially faith and hope may be set on work whilst we seriously meditate on the promises and other passages of David's Psalmes Once more a Psalm is good sometimes to comfort our hearts when we are under affliction as I hinted before how Paul and Silas sang when they were under extream sufferings and Luther would encourage himself and others when he heard any bad news of any attempts against the Gospell and such as profest it saying Let us sing the 46th Psalm and let them do their worst Indeed that 's a Psalm will chear a mans spirits if he can sing it with understanding and grace in his heart So did the Primitive Christians comfort themselves in prison by singing of Psalmes Lastly singing of Psalmes is an excellent way to praise God and speak good of his Name Many Psalmes you know are full of Gods praises and set forth the wondrous works that he hath done so as he may have the glory of them To praise God and bless his Name is the highest and most excellent service we can do on earth it comes nearest to the exercise of the Saints in heaven who are alwayes praising God in the admiration of his infinite and incomprehensible Glory Now singing of Psalmes is an excellent way of praising God One saith that in singing there is a more copious and ample profession of piety Not as if God who is a Spirit were delighted with any sensible thing as Musick or melodious tunes But yet God is as I may say more delighted when we are more ample and patheticall in pouring out our soules to him in praise 2 Sam. 6. David it is said danced before the Lord with all his might and then Michol scorned and flouted him as some do us now adayes for our singing of Psalmes which yet is but a praising the Lord with all our might And indeed to speak as the thing is the glory of God is held forth more illustriously in singing of Psalmes as one observes because the praises of God are celebrated with greater attention and affection than if they were barely recited with a lower voice Wherefore the Levites upon all occasions sung the praises of the Lord and so did all Gods people also No Prince as he saith or great Commander but thinks himself more honoured if the great things they have done be commemorated and set forth in a Song 1 Sam. 18. 6 7. So the women went out to meet Saul with singing and with Instruments of Musick Now our great Champion and Captain Generall hath conquered sin and Satan and all our spiritual enemies we give him not the glory due unto his name unless we celebrate the victory with Songs of deliverance That none of old sung but such as had an extraordinary spirit is false as I shewed formerly Exod. 15. All the children of Israel had not such a spirit though Moses and Miriam had In Hezekiah's time the Levites sung praises to the Lord with the words of David and Asaph the Seer and so no question they did in Jehoshaphat's time also As for the gift of Psalmes in the Primitive Churches it went with the gift of tongues and both are long since ceased so as we may argue as well that we must not say because we have not the gift of Tongues as that we must not sing because we have not the gift of Psalmes Besides we finde no mention in Scripture of any Church-Officer for compiling of Psalmes as for the Ministry of the Word and prayer Nor hath God inspired any with a gift of Psalmistry to sute the occasions of the Churches from Sabbath to Sabbath We finde neither Ordinance appointing nor Providence granting it nor any reason to silence David's Psalmes that others may be attended We know who indited them and we know too which I wish may be duely considered that some of them are proper to Gospell times If any question it let them read the 98th Psalm and see whether it be not more proper for Gods people now than in the times of the old Testament Quaest. But how may we sing David's Psalmes so as to attain those ends Sol. First We must have grace in our hearts or a gracious frame of spirit such as David had Singing praise to God is an exercise becoming Saints who alone can do it so as to please God and profit themselves in it as was shewed before 2. Secondly Sing none but spirituall Songs such as David's Psalmes are and others composed by holy men of God who spake as they were inspired by the Holy Ghost These are altogether spirituall for the Authour for the Matter and for the End and Use of them Quest May we not sing any other Song composed by a common gift so long as it is spirituall for the Matter Ans. It may be of ill consequence many wayes to shut out David's Psalmes and take in our own as First We may mistake even in the Matter whereas we are sure there is no such mistake in David's Psalmes Secondly Some
perhaps may not like so well of other Composures whereas none but an Athiest will finde fault with the Psalmes that were penned by the Spirit of God that I say not what was said formerly No mans Composures can be answerable to those of Gods Spirit I rather think that such Psalmes if any have them should be fitter for their own private use than for the Churches of God though for my part I do not incourage any to the private use of them with a neglect of David's Psalmes but rather disswade them from it For other Songs alwayes supposed that there be no vanity nor filthiness nor scurrility nor reflectings upon other mens good name which all Christians must be farre from they may be for honest delight and recreation for ought I know even as a man may play a lesson on a Lute or other Instrument to refresh his Spirits Thirdly Christians had need to watch their hearts exceedingly more than ordinarily when they are singing a Psalm It requires a good measure of the Word and Spirit to pray in the Spirit but more to sing in the Spirit because as one saith our senses being delighted with the Melody are apt to steal away our hearts from spiritual fervency For certainly we are exceeding apt to be taken with the melody and in the interim neglect our hearts so as our spirits shall not work and be doing when our tongues are a singing To remedy this le ts sing with understanding and attention of minde in order to which it were a great happiness and help to devotion if we knew the minde and meaning of the holy Ghost in all that we sing Object What if a man understand not the meaning of what he sings Sol. He cannot then sing in every respect as he should do But yet I shall offer this to your consideration not peremptorily asserting it to the prejudice of any that may be otherwise minded We all grant reading of the Scriptures and hearing them read to be an holy exercise and that which God hath enjoyned us Yet when we read the Scriptures I suppose we many times meet with that which we do not so well understand shall we not therefore read them at all Or may we not for all this read them with profit whilest we understand many things which we read and by reading them again and again come to more understanding of the minde of God in them And why may we not sing Psalmes for instruction and admonition that we may understand them If thou medâ—…tate seriously God may enlighten thee in the very singing We reade and hear to get more understanding though sometimes we read and hear what for the present we understand not and so for ought I know we may sing also Some I am confident have found by experience that in singing of Psalmes they have come to more understanding of some passages than ever they had before But what Psalm is there that any understanding Christian knows not the main scope and sense of it though he understand not every particular passage and expression in it Certainly he that hath a gracious heart cannot be ignorant of the main drift and and scope of any of David's Psalmes As we must sing with understanding so must we sing with affection also acting and exercising the grace of God that is in us according as the matter that is sung gives us occasion Sometimes we are to act faith and hope in God sometimes holy desires after God sometimes holy rejoycing in God and sometimes holy fear and trembling before God 'T is not enough that we have grace but we must act it As for instance when we sing that passsage Psalm 119. 5. O that my waye were dâ—…ed to keep thy sâ—…atutes The â—…esires of our soules should be such as David's were to obey God in every thing to the utmost when we sing O how I love thy Law c. Our soules should be even ravisht with holy affections towards the Word and if we finde not such ardent motions in our spirits there 's a word of admonition to minde us what we should be Psal. 73. 1. Yet God is good to Israel c. In singing this we learn to act faith as the Psalmist did and stir up our selves to lay hold on God especially when we have any temptation to distrust As in prayer and praise we act faith and other graces express and shew forth good desires and other holy affections so let us in singing of Psalmes For questionless in this duty we have occasions enough of so doing whilest such heavenly matter is suggested to us for sweet meditation and solacing our selves in God and his Word Quaest. Some may ask Whether it be not good when we are at our work to sing a Psalm and so to exercise our hearts in meditation on heavenly things Ans. Though I had rather men should sing a Psalm than do worse yet I dare not commend such a practice nor advise to it for this reason viz. To sing a Psalm as it ought to be done is work enough so as a man need to do nothing else and if it be said That this will help us to meditate on something that is good I answer That if meditation on some good matter were all the end of singing this were somewhat but there is more in the matter and to say truth singing a Psalm is such a duty as will require the whole man there being no good exercise wherein our hearts are more apt to miscarry than in this Again thou must observe and watch in this duty as in prayer what answers God gives in to thee and how thy spirit closes with the heavenly matter that is sung so as thou art raised comforted cheared confirmed or humbled As there is a return of prayers so of praises too and in every Duty and Ordinance there is marrow and fatness if our soules are well disposed to relish and receive it In one word This is an excellent service and therefore the more difficult so as thou hast need to keep thy heart with a bridle as David resolved to keep his mouth Psal. 39. 1. or otherwise thou wilt hardly rule it when thou art in this duty In order to singing with understanding and good affection I advise all you that can to look on when you sing Our practice is you know for one to read a line and then all to sing it which some quarrell at and I for my part wish we had no need so to do for questionless it were farre better if all had books and could read or else had learnt the Psalmes by heart But if singing be a duty and we cannot do it without this help I know no reason we have to reject it They that cannot read themselves may and ought to hear others read Nor is this reading the Psalm an unwarrantable invention of men brought into the Worship of God as some have said but onely a necessary help to it as Pulpits are
bewail their sinnes and to beg pardoning and purging grace as David did of God in the One and fiftieth Psalm and although every ones case be not the same in every respect as David's was yet he is very much a stranger to his own heart and spirituall estate that doth not see cause enough to apply unto himself every passage of that Psalme For the Two and fiftieth Psalme although it were penned upon occasion of Doeg's malicious and murderous practices yet it ministers matter for our faith to work upon so as we may take comfort in God when we are in any trouble and perill upon the same grounds as David there doth viz. because the goodness of God endureth for ever and all the people of God shall flourish and grow fresh again when all the ungodly shall perish The Fifty fourth Psalme penned upon occasion of some danger that David was in as the Title of it shews teacheth us whether to fly for help in time of need and what an happy issue we may exspect whilest we can live by faith in God as David did even in the midst of troubles The Fifty fifth Psalme shews the necessities and distresses that Gods servants are many times brought into patrly by the falsehood of seeming friends and partly by the cruelty of enraged enemies and how notwithstanding the one and the other they may by the prayer of faith prevail with God both for their enemies destruction and their own deliverance None therefore need to scruple the singing of this Psalme but such as fear not God because they have not changes ver. 19. Sure the matter of it will sute with the necessities and occasions of Gods people for the most part of them and at most times I should quite tire the Readers patience to run through every particular Psalme I have instanced in so many as by them whoever is willing and hath any understanding may judge of all the rest how properly and pertinently any of them may be sung specially if there be as there ought a wise accommodation of them unto the severall respective occasions and conditions of the Church and people of God I shall adde this one word more That singing of Psalmes is in order to our edification and furtherance in grace and gracious practice as all other duties of Gods worship are That we may know more of the minde of God be more inclined to do his will and act faith and all other graces with more vigor and life and faithfulness fervency of spirit Now if hearing reading praying communicating at the Lords Table be usefull for those ends why not also singing of Psalmes specially since in that duty done as it ought to be there is so great an advantage by serious meditation on those precious truths to act our graces to admonish our selves of our duties to encourage our selves against all dangers and difficulties and to express those high thoughts we are to have of God according to his infinite excellencies Surely then if ever are the high praises of God in the mouths of his Saints when their tongues are singing and sounding out those great and glorious things which God hath both spoken and done in order to their salvation Wherefore I am bold to conclude that the duty is most usefull and excellent and no Christ an hath any cause to complain except of his own unaptness and inability to do it as it ought to be done And now I do again most earnestly and heartily beseech and exhort all sober and godly Christians to consider seriously and sadly of the Premisses Is it nothing to neglect a duty so plainly and so particularly injoyned and prescribed as this is Yea to persist in that neglect and justifie it Consider I beseech you who they were that first began to question and decrie this Christian exercise Consider too how far many of them are since fallen not onely from this but from all other duties of Religious Worship Had they ended where they began you might haply have had some more probable pretence for the neglect of this duty whilest their constancy in other duties of Gods worship and service had pleaded for them that they intended and desired to lay aside onely what was at least more questionable But they have proceeded you know to lay down all hearing and praying and all outward acts of worship as well as singing of Psalmes I say not that all and every one have done so already but many 't is sad to think how many have renounced all Ordinances and wayes of Worship wherein Gods people were wont to wait upon God and pretend to no way of knowing Gods minde but that of immediate and extraordinary Revelation And not so content they labour what in them lieth to perswade others to the same course with themselves I shewed formerly why they began here Now I intreat you to consider that they who began here knew not where to end till they came to a professed rejection of all Ordinances By this you may see if there were nothing else what manner of men they were that first perswaded to a neglect of this duty Surely they that set them on work were such as liked not the wayes of worship wherein we had walked with God since he was pleased to take off from our necks the yoke of Romish Superstition and Idolatry Need we question it when so many printed Pamphlets have flown abroad to possess the people that our Churches Ministers are all false yea that our Worship used in our assemblies is all false What is the meaning think you of this Can it be any other than to insinuate that we have been a long while out of the right way and that now and not before for these many yeares is brought to light the onely true way of worshipping God And what must this more excellent way be but that which Gods people formerly departed from when they made a separation from Rome I commend their wit they play their game very handsomely But I hope such as have grace will be wiser than to hearken to such charmers which have already enchanted so many unlearned and unstable soules to an utter forsaking of our Assemblies and casting off all Duties and Ordinances though as I said they began at first with slighting that most excellent duty of singing David's Psalmes And now Christian Reader thou art desired to trouble thy thoughts no more whether thou shalt sing But rather to set thy self to a serious and sincere performance of this duty And that for this reason because there is ground enough of fear least as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so thy minde should by little and little be corrupted to cast away all the Ordinances which Jesus Christ hath instituted for this end that by the use of them thou mayest be edified in grace and gracious practice And what if God should so farre leave thee as he hath left some Know that men who dwell in fleshly Tabernacles cannot hold
little strength in the Argument yet since it is that which swayes with so many I shall be the larger in clearing it They say many profane wretches sing Psalmes and sing lies and therefore they do not they cannot sing Sol. I wish that some of these who make this Objection do not say lies for that many who do not sing Psalmes and give this for a reason do lie I shall make it appear thus They say they do not sing because of the mixt multitude with whom they cannot joyn Then how comes it to pass That Psalmes are forborn not onely in the Congregation but in their own houses also Therefore there is some deceit in this argument I do heartily wish such as these before they charge lying upon others in singing to forbear lying themselves for they do not sing in their families nor in their closets neither alone nor with others Therefore this is not the thing there is somewhat else in their hearts But I will answer the Argument otherwise though I do premise this in the first place That if they will not sing in the Congregation because of the mixt multitude yet let them sing in their own families If they say There is a mixt company in their families also I ask Whose fault is that I should be loth to keep them in my family with whom I cannot pray and praise God But if so yet why do they not sing by themselves for a man may as well sing alone as pray alone if none other be good enough to sing with them let them sing by themselves But it seems they do not think themselves good enough to sing withall 1. To gratifie them in what we can I grant that there are too many such who cannot sing with grace in their hearts and this we acknowledg to be both their sin and misery But yet withall we think though there be thousands that cannot sing a Psalme as they ought to do with grace in their hearts to the Lord yet it is the duty of those men to do it and because they cannot do it as they should it will never follow that therefore they are not bound to do it or that they do not sin if they do neglect it It is certain a profane spirit is no more able to pray than he is able to sing praises to God But I hope you will not say that therefore a profane person ought not to pray or that it is not his duty to pray or that he doth not sin if he neglect to pray Act. 8. 22. Peter exhorts Simon Magus to pray though he were a wicked man Obj. But he bids him first to repent Sol. True he doth so and there was a good reason for it Peter would have him to pray so as his prayer might be heard and accepted with God which he knew could not be without repentance For God heareth not sinners John 9. 31. If I regard wickednesse in my heart saith David Psa 66. 18. the Lord will not hear my prayer But if a wicked man will humble himself and pray he hath Gods promise to be accepted If he repent not God hath no regard either to his prayer or his person yet still it is his duty to pray and his sin that he doth it not and therefore I may perswade and exhort him to do it I would have men sing with the heart so as to please God in it But if they cannot do it and do it they cannot so long as they hold fast deceit yet it is their duty to do it Else wicked men have a fair excuse for not doing that duty which lieth upon them by vertue of Gods commandment To pray without faith is a great sin and I think not to pray at all is in some sense a greater sin He that prayes without faith and grace is an hypocrite and he that prayes not at all is an Atheist So to sing without grace in the heart is hypocrisie and I think not to sing at all not to performe that duty and worship we owe unto the living God is a kinde of Atheisme A wicked man after a sort profanes and pollutes every Ordinance he takes in hand but it will not hence follow therefore it is not his duty to wait upon God in Ordinances Secondly It is true a wicked man is not worthy to take the name of God in his mouth and when he doth he doth in some sort blaspheme God in abusing his word But though he be not worthy yet as one saith Gods Word is worthy to come into his minde and into his mouth too to convince him of his wickedness And here is a very great mistake of these men that thus urge and argue and they bewray a great deal of ignorance about the nature end and use of this duty for one great and main end of singing Psalmes is Instruction A Psalm of David for Instruction is the Title of many of the Psalmes that is one end of singing of Psalmes Therefore I say though they be not worthy to take the Name of God into their mouthes yet the Word of God is worthy to come into their mouths and mindes for their instruction and admonition Deut. 32. Moses penned a Psalme and Deut. 31. 19. there is a command of God that it should be penned and for what end was it namely to convince the wicked Israelies of their apostacy from and rebellion against the Lord And certainly when ever a Psalm is sung be they never so bad that sing it there is a Word of God in it to reprove and condemn their sin And doth not the Apostle say Col. 3 16. Teaching and admonishing one another in Psalmes In every Psalm of Instruction I say there is a word to convince the ungodly of their ungodlinesse As for example Psal. I. I. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsell of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seat of the scornefull But his delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate day and night he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water his leaf shall not wither and what soever he doth shall prosper The ungodly are not so but are like the chaff which the winde driveth away Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement nor sinners in the Congregation of the righteous The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous But the way of the ungodly shall perish When this is said there is a conviction and when this is sung there is a greater conviction because there is more time and space to meditate on those holy truths of God Doth not God here as it were judge him out of his own mouth and he himself pronounce the sentence That he is one of those ungodly ones of whom the Psalmist speaks by the spirit in that Psalm So Psal. 2. there is an admonition to those that do not kiss the Son and submit to the scepter of