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
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
in the Lord alwayes Rejoyce evermore Gods people have alwayes matter of rejoycing Though they have matter of mourning one way yet they have matter of rejoycing another way 1 Pet. 1. 6. Wherein ye greatly rejoyce saith the Apostle Though now for a season you be in heaviness through manifold tribulations Still they have matter of joy even in the midst of tribulations Secondly It is clear That as God requires such a holy affection in his people so he doth require some expressions suteable to that affection Therefore we must not onely rejoyce with our hearts but with our tongues also with all that is within us with all that is without us with all that is about us As therefore it is a truth That in a sense Gods people should be praying alwayes to wit in their hearts with ejaculatory prayers lifting up their souls unto the Lord wheresoever they go and it is as true also That God requires his people should pray unto him with their mouthes at some times more especially Even so it is here in the duty of praise God requires us to rejoyce alwayes and alwayes as it were to be praising of him in our hearts But he requires us at some times to praise him with our mouthes also when God gives occasion of so doing As Gods people of old did sing praises ordinarily on the Sabbath and other solemn times and extraordinarily when God gave them occasion by some deliverance victory or other mercy In Psalm 126. 2. Their mouthes were filled with laughter and their tongues with singing And so Judges 5. Deborah sung a song And so Acts 16. Paul and Silas having joy in God exprest it in singing of a Psalm So it is said of the people of God Revelat. 15. 3. They shall sing the song of Moses that is as Moses and the people of Israel sung that song Exod. 15. for their deliverance from Pharaohs tyranny and their slavery in Egypt so shall the people of God sing a song for their deliverance from their slavery under Antichrist So the Twenty four Elders fell down and worshipped and sung a new song unto the Lord God Almighty Revel 5. 8 9. which is to be understood of all Gods worship as some learned men conceive And Rev. 14. 3. It is said the people of God there should sing a song that no man else could sing A Learned Interpreter upon that place conceives all Gospel-worship to be meant Now if singing were such an abomination as some would have it in the Church of Christ I wonder why the holy Ghost should use that expression in that place and fet sorth all Gospel-worship under singing a new song Psalm 126. When Gods peoples hearts were enlarged with spiritual joy within they did open their mouthes wide to shew forth the praises of the Lord And if God give us more than ordinary joy why should not we now make more than ordinary expression of it There are many exhortations in the Psalmes to sing and shout and clap hands and make a joyfull noise Now these signes of spiritual rejoycing in God were no legall Ceremonies but such as godly Christians may use now as well as they did then so David sung and danced before the Ark with all his might being so transported with holy joy that he could not forbear And why are men so much against singing of Psalmes When there is good news and matter of great joy we ring out our bells and shoot off the great gunns shout and make a noise otherwayes and why not as well make a joyfull noise in singing of Psalmes I hear no man finde fault with the former viz. Ringing or shooting and joyfull acclamations And is not singing of Psalmes as fit and proper an expression of our rejoycing in God as any of those If a company of godly Christians then will go by themselves take some choice parts of Davids Psalmes and sing them I would know if this would not make as good a noise in the ears of the Lord as shooting of gunns or ringing of bells The Apostle sayes upon this very account Is any merry let him sing Psalmes James 5. 13. Nay I had almost said is not singing of Psalmes as good an exercise and becoming Christians as playing at Cards or Tables I wonder how some that quarrell so much at singing of Psalmes are yet so devout at these exercises For my part I am of the minde That singing of Psalmes as much as some slight it now adayes is as innocent and honest and usefull an exercise as playing at Cards And why may we not sing a Psalme as well as make vain and foolish pastimes or use antick and apish toyings which would offend any sober and grave man to behold Surely if singing of Psalmes be once out of fashion I hope none of the other will be used amongst us for these certainly are as good as the other if I should say no more of them What doth God never give us occasion to sing a Psalm of praise or have we never any hearts to do it If so we are the saddest Christians that ever were and I am confident God never had such servants in former ages as we are It is well known what Plinius Secundus wrote unto Trajan concerning Christians singing of Psalmes in those dayes as also what Tertullian in his Apology saith of their frugall supper and solacing themselves with Psalmes We all know what James saith James 5. 13. Is any afflicted let him pray Is any merry let him sing Psalmes Therefore say I let us sing Psalmes when we are merry as well as pray when we are sorry Sing somewhere at some times by our selves or with others performe the duty except we will lay aside praying also I shall leave that text of James with you and intreat you seriously to consider whether if we must pray we must not sing also SERMON III. Ephes. 5. 19. Speaking to your selves in Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs Singing c. IN these words there are two main things considerable viz. the lawfulness and the usefulness of singing Psalmes We have done with the former and now come to the later viz. the usefulness of singing This I call the directive part or Directory and in it we shall inquire into these two particulars viz. how we must sing and why we must sing the Apostle shews both We must sing with the heart or with grace in the heart and we must sing to the Lord Singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord that is say some to the Lord Jesus Christ or to the Lord Jehovah i. e. to his praise and glory as it is said of the Israelites Psalm 106. 12. They sang his praises Now this the A postle calls for here if we would sing a Psalm as we ought to the praise of the Lord to the glory of his great Name we must do it in or with the heart God is a Spirit and will be worshipped in spirit John 4. 24.
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
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
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