Selected quad for the lemma: word_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	psalm_n	sing_v	song_n	3,893	5	9.5719	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A38686	The usefulness of church-musick a sermon preach'd at Christ-Church, Novemb. 27, 1696, upon occasion of the anniversary-meeting of the lovers of musick, on St. Cæcilia's Day / by S. Estwick ...	Estwick, Sampson, d. 1739.	1696 (1696)	Wing E3363; ESTC R13553	10,099	30

Encouragement of Musick not thinking themselves secure in their Governments till by its Charms they had Temper'd and Smooth'd their unpolish'd Subjects or at least by this pleasant Vehicle allur'd 'em to submit to their harsher Constitutions How much Learning owes to Poetry and Musick may appear from this That the first Seeds of it were scatter'd in Number and Measure and what the Celebrated Poets sung and many of the Philosophers taught gain'd a more easie passage into Mens Minds by the agreeable mixture of well regulated Sounds Hence it was that the various Motions of the Planets the Arcanas of Nature and the Causes of her seeming Irregularties were first deliver'd in Verse And Atlas is presum'd by Virgil to frame and Jopas to sing the lofty Song on that Subject If the Universe it self was thought to be Compos'd by Harmony it 's the less to be wonder'd that those Philosophers that embrac'd this Opinion should act agreeably to it whilst Pythagoras fram'd his Works as near as he could to this Model and apply'd himself to Musick as a means to brighten his Morning and compose his Evening Thoughts 'T is the less remarkable that Socrates should divert the taedium of his Age by a late application to Musick and that Plato and Aristotle should advance it so high as that the Speculations of the former could not be throughly understood without it and that both allow it to be a necessary Ingredient to the Education of Youth and tending much to the Formation of Vertue and good Manners In pursuance of these high Encomiums given by the greatest Masters of Learning and the Experience of its usefulness the World became soon acquainted with the happy influences of it beholding with pleasure how much it serv'd to quiet and calm the unruly Passions of Men to alleviate the Troubles of Life to ease its Labours to abate the Rigours of Adversity and heighten the Enjoyments of Prosperity It beheld with Pleasure how much it advanced the Honours of the Military Life whilst their Heroes were animated with their Martial Sounds and in some measure rewarded too by the grateful acknowledgment of Triumphant Songs How much also were the Affairs of the Civil Life bettered by it when as Plutarch tells us their Entertainments were season'd with wholesom Admonitions and their Musicians encourag'd Temperance and Moderation at that very time they stood in need of such faithful and pleasant Monitors Thus this excellent gift of Heaven when exercised in its Primitive Purity and Simplicity tended much to the bettering and improving Mankind and 't is the less to be wonder'd that this common Blessing that serv'd for so many excellent purposes should be enclos'd and appropriated to the Service of God's Worship and the Uses of Religion That Mens Tongues and Voices should be Consecrated to enlarge upon the Noble Themes of God's Power Wisdom and Goodness and thereby to make his Praise Glorious make him Admir'd of all his Saints and Reverenc'd of all that are round about him For seeing the Great End of Man's Creation was to set forth the Praises of his Creator and he alone of all the Creatures of this Sublunary World was indu'd with Faculties to qualifie him for this Noble Employment it is but reasonable that he should do his utmost for that utmost will come far short of it to extol the Praises of God to the highest pitch he is capable of to Glorifie his Maker with his Body and Spirit with his Voice as well as Understanding A second Consideration that serves to recommend to us our Apostle's Injunction is the Practise of the Jewish Church as to the use of Vocal and Instrumental Musick both which kinds were introduc'd in the latter end of David's Reign when the Ark had rest and that by the Command of God 1 Cor. 11. 31 'T is true Ezra calls this the Ordinance of David King of Israel and if he appointed these Usages as a King and not as a Prophet we 're assured that these Commands were however confirm'd by other Contemporary Prophets For thus we read 2 Chron. 29. 25. the Levites were set in the House of God with Cymbals with Psalteries and with Harps according to the Commandment of David and of Gad the King's Seer and of Nathan the Prophet for so was the Command of God by his Prophets From which Passage it is evident that these Institutions proceeded from God and that this and no other is the Critical Season from whence they are to bear Date Now this was long after the delivery of Moses's Law and the Sealing up of the Ceremonial Canon and consequently cannot be reckon'd a part of that nor indeed any violation of that Law It cannot be reckon'd a part of it because that Law mentions nothing belonging to Vocal or Instrumental Musick in the Worship of God We find indeed some Commands relating to the Priests Trumpets but these were appointed for Civil Uses viz the Calling of Assemblies the Removal of their Camps the Proclaiming War and giving notice of their Festivals as we find by the 10th of Numbers These Usages were no Violation of that Law because the appointment of Vocal and Instrumental Musick was no essential Change and Alteration of it It was only an additional Ornament intended to help and raise Devotion and for its Natural fitness and congruity to that End Commanded and so Receiv'd into the House of God A third Consideration that enforces our Apostle's Exhortation and Recommends the Use of Divine Musick in the Worship of God is the Exercise of it in the Christian Church from the first Foundations of it We find in a particular manner our B. Lord's approving it by singing a Hymn In like manner Paul and Silas followed this Pattern and all faithful People throughout all Ages of the Church imitated their Practice herein 'T is true the first Age of the Christian Church was distinguish'd from the following upon this as well as other accounts here therefore I shall briefly inform you what the learned Commentators understand by the several Terms mentioned by the Apostles and first they tell us that the Psalm is such a Divine Song that is either design'd or actually sung to some Musical Instrument and this is Mr. Calvin's Sense of this word in his Comment upon this Text The Hymn is made to Celebrate the Praises of God and as such does not extend so far as the Psalm because the Matter of the Psalm may take in Petition of Blessings and Confession of Sins and Deprecation of Evil as is usual in many of the Psalms of David As for the third sort viz. Spiritual Songs we are to understand by them such Songs as were indited by the Holy Ghost in the Praise of God the Father and our Redeemer and utter'd by Virtue of a peculiar Gift which was Communicated to some Believers and frequently found in the Apostolical Age. Some indeed are of Opinion that these Spiritual Songs are to be understood in opposition to those Lewd Songs

The Vsefulness of Church-Musick A SERMON Preach'd at CHRIST-CHVRCH Novemb. 27. 1696. Upon Occasion of the Anniversary-Meeting OF THE Lovers of Musick On St. Coecilia's Day By S. ESTWICK B. D. and Chaplain of Christ-Church in Oxford Published at the Request of the Stewards LONDON Printed for Tho. Bennet at the Half-Moon in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1696. TO THE Stewards of St. Coecilia's Feast The Right Honourable the Lord Dunluce Sir John Smith Baronet John Hill Esq Colonel Henry Holt. Colonel Nathan Blackiston John Cary Merchant Moses Snow B. M. Nicola Matteis Gent. GENTLEMEN YOV desir'd me first to Preach and then to Print this Sermon I have Obey'd You in Both as being willing to do whatever lay in my Power to keep up a due Esteem of Church-Musick in an Age that seems hastning on apace to a neglect if not a disuse of it If this Discourse may contribute any ways towards so good an end and withal serve to express the Respect I have for You I have the double aim I propos'd to my self in Preaching and Publishing it For I am a true Lover of Musick especially when it is imploy'd to so excellent a purpose as that of composing our Attention and raising our Affections in Divine Worship and a true Honourer of all those who favour and encourage it After which I need not tell either You or the World how much I am Gentlemen Your Obedient and Humble Servant S. ESTWICK A SERMON Preach'd at Christ-Church Nov. 27. 1696. upon Occasion of the Anniversary Meeting of the Lovers of Musick on St. Cecilia's Day Col. 3. 16. The latter Part Teaching and Admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs Singing with Grace in your Hearts to the Lord. THE Design of this great Assembly's meeting together being to celebrate the Praises of our God with exalted Hearts and Voices I hope each one has acquitted himself in a suitable manner and duly observ'd the most concerning part of this Exhortation contain'd in the latter branch of these Words It may be needless to tell you we have all been pleas'd if not transported whilst the Skilful Performers with laudable Emulations have endeavour'd to raise and extol God's Goodness to the utmost pitch our impair'd Faculties will allow of in this imperfect State By the Frame of our Nature we may perceive our selves fitted and prepar'd for the Reception of Harmonious Sounds as we are fenc'd about with Nerves we find our selves ready strung and most of us tun'd for this Heavenly Entertainment By a kind of Sympathy sometimes we tremble we are generally pleas'd when a fitting Subject is well painted by the Composer and well breath'd and set off by the several Performers If any one should be found so hardy or as some think so ill-natur'd as to oppose himself to the General Consent of Mankind and to deny the Pow'r of Harmony for his Satisfaction we might have wish'd him here where he might have had the best sort of Argument for his Conviction viz the Testimony of his own Sense and if after this he had remain'd unaffected with the gentle Insinuations of our softer Strains and unmov'd with the more forcible Impressions of our louder Acclamations you are all ready to pity the Fate of this Unhappy Temper and to pronounce him such a sort of an Infidel that is uncapable if not unworthy of a farther Conviction To say we are pleas'd with Harmonious Sounds is to say very little in comparison of what our Apostle has suggested to us who carries this Matter much higher and teaches us the true use and benefit of Divine Musick in the Worship of God He is chiefly concern'd for that Spiritual Advantage that may result from this Sensible Pleasure and intimates to every Good Christian that at the same time he is gratify'd and delighted he may be better'd and improv'd by it in Holy and Vertuous Living By Teaching and Admonishing one another in Psalms c. we are assur'd of the fitness of this Divine Exercise to promote the Spiritual Interests of Faithful People of its suitableness to help 'em forward as well as refresh 'em in their Passage towards their Heavenly Canaan and in a word to farther and advance their Spiritual Good and Edification How this is done by this Divine Exercise will be more fully made out in this ensuing Discourse in the mean time it ought not to be forgot that in a large sense we may be said to be taught and admonish'd by whatever renews revives and calls to remembrance former Thoughts and Idea's we certainly may be admonish'd of what we knew before and I think may not improperly be said to be Taught and Instructed by whatever excites and enlarges our Desires of Goodness by whatever enflames in our Hearts the Love of God and our Neighbour and whatsoever Instruction serves to confirm our Faith to enliven our Hope and quicken our Graces and to render our Souls more Humble more Holy and more like to God than they were before may in a large Sence be deem'd Teaching tho' all this while we gain no fresh Supplies of new Idea's but having an Occasion offer'd us of reviving those old ones that before lay dormant we are thereby enabled to turn 'em to a better use and to reduce our Knowledge to Practice This being the Sense of our Apostle's Teaching and Admonishing in this Place give me your Attention whilst I lay before you some Considerations that may serve to enforce the Injunction and shew the Usefulness of Divine Musick in the Worship of God and the Advantages that may be reap'd by it in Particular by every one that attends to it in due Manner First I desire to offer to your Consideration that this Method our Apostle has made choice of as a help to our Spiritual Improvements was the old way of Teaching the World much applauded by the Wise Ancients and in their Esteem a very effectual means of inculcating Wisdom and making Men more Tractable by fixing in their Minds the Principles of Natural and Moral Philosophy As for its Antiquity Timagenes as Quintilian observes allows Musick to be the eldest of the Learned Studies And a greater than him tells us that about the same time that Tents Husbandry and Working in Brass and Iron were found out by their several Authors Jubal lessen'd their Cares by the addition of Musical Instruments which being handled down to After-Ages and serving to cover the Nakedness of Vocal Sounds were embrac'd and cherish'd by Legislators and Philosophers who found the Aptness Musick had to Civilize the ruder part of Mankind the Advantages it had in gently insinuating Mysterious Truths Upon which accounts Poetry and Musick may well be esteem'd the Nurses of Infant Common-wealths the School-Mistresses of Learning from whose fruitful Breasts stream'd such a kindly Nourishment as made Empires swell out to that extent of Grandure as to attract the Eyes of their Neighbours to behold and dread their Power Lycurgus and Numa enacted Laws for the