FROM THE LIBRARY OF REV. LOUIS FITZGERALD BENSON. D. D. BEQUEATHED BY HIM TO THE LIBRARY OF INCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY v^CL^C^i^ ^^^^ / PSALMQ R.ecommet^Jpin a SERMON PreachM to the COMPANY O F Parifh -Clerks^ At St. Alban's Woodflreet, NOVEMBER 17. At St. Giles\ in the Vields, NoVEHBERia, 1712. AND Now Publifli'd at ihe Defire of the HEARERS. ^4 1936 ©y Luke Milbourne, A freshytir of the Church of England. LONDON'^ Printed and Sold by J. Dowrjif7g in Bartho- lomew Clofe near Wefl-SmithHeld^ 171 3- T O The Worthy and Juftly Efteem'd GENTLEMEN t F T H E SOCIETY FOR Vromoting Chriflian Knowledge la and about The City of LONDON. Gentlemen, TH E Sermon here put under your* Protection, was preach'd Novem^ her the I'Jth^ 171 2. at the Church of S^. Alban Woadjlreety to the Com- pany of Parifh-Clerks, an ancient Body, A 7, and ii 77;t^ Epi/lle Dedicatory. and ftill an infcricur Branch of the Clergv of theEftablHLM Church of £;^^/^W, and ' who therefore, while thej^ keep within the Bounds of their own Office^ ought to be fupported and encouraged by their Superi- ors. I could not but lay hold on fuch an Occafion, to recommend Pfalmodj^ a great Part of the Bufinefs of Parifh-Clerks^ and in w^hich they are Guides to our worfhip- plrig Con'gregatloRs ; and what our Pare- 'e^Ul Clergy Ought to proniote', and to talte particular Care of; that as Pfalmody is an important Part o^ Divine Puhlick Service^ fo it may be performM in a pertinent, fe- rious, reverent, and agreeable Manner : Otherwife the Remifnefs of the Priejl may make the Clerk, for want of Afliftlnce and Favour, do his Office carelefly, and bring that facred Employment intoDifefteem, as ibme of our juperiotdr Clergy, while they (cldom or never read the Prayers of the Church in their own. Perfons, but leave them to their Curates, whofe Salary is oft fo mean and fcandalous, that Men oi Worth will not accept it, render the moft heavenly and compleat Devotions in the Chriftian World, vile and contemptible to ^^/?^//?i", Scbijmaticks, and the uKcJjcermng Part of the Common People. When The Epljlle Dedicatory. iii When I preach'd to the Parifh-Clerks^ I told them particulary of their Duty^ with that Plainnefs, Impartiahty, and Authority, which becomes every lawful Ambaflador of Jefus Chrift : My Bufinefs is not to flatter, or let Men alone in their Mtfcarrhges or Mi- flakes^ I leave that to others. He who would have the Waters of the Sanftuary run clear, muft endeavour to cleanfe all the Channels through which they pafs : The Body to whom I then preached, are too wife, and too honeft to fancy themfelves liable to no Errors : All Politick Bodies are obnoxi- ous to Corruption ; yet, it may be, their Errors may lie chiefly at the Door of their Mafters, (I mean, not the Pari/Jj^ but the Farifh'Priefis^ who, too often, think them- felves unconcernM in that Duty, which yet our Bleffed Majiery and his Jpofiles^ fan- ilifyM by their own Authentick Examples. I, for my part, value P/almody at the high- eft Rate, and therefore cannot but refpect and efteem thofe Officers, whofe proper Work it is to carry it on ; and he who wipes off the Dufl:, concludes the Plate w^ill always appear the brighter. What I had preached to thefe^ I was defirM to preach again at St, Giles'^s in the Fields^ on the Saturday following, A Reve- verend Perfon, who had engaged to preach A 3 there iv The Ej^lflle Vedkatory. there on that Day, having been taken with a fudden and very dangerous Sicknefs, to the no fmall Lofs and Difappointmeiit of the Congregation : I could not refufe thofe who proposM it to me ; but what I had faid to the PariJIj-Clerksy being wholly impertinent there, I added fome- thing, in lieu of that, with Refpeft to Pfalmody in general^ as more fuitable to that numerous Congregation. What was faid at both Places, I here lay before you, not doubting but that, as you would gladly have the Abujes of Mufick Reformed, fo you wouM have Divine Mufick^ and Pfalrnody in particular^ Promoted and En- couraged : Mufick- is a heavenly Art, and fure it's Pity it fliould ever be debauched, to alienate any from the Service of their Maker. As it's your Defign to Promote Chrifiian Kjjowledge in and about this great City, we cannot doubt but that your pious En- deavours here will have a good Influence upon the Country at a diftance. They have drawn too many Corruptions from hence ; Who knows but God may touch their Hearts at laft, and make them ra- ther Imitators of the Virtues^ than the Vices of the City ? That Pfalrnody is a Di- vine Ordinance^ among others, and that it ought The Epijlle "Dedicatory. v \)ught to be carefully encouraged, and reverently perform'd, is what too many, both here and elfewhere, are ignorant of: This Ignorance has exposM both the Ordi- nance it felf, and the Friends of it, to Con- tempt, even among fome otherwife well- meaning Men ; but fo the whining, cant- ing, Ex'tempore M2in 'y the dully impertinent^ and ajfeiled Preacher ; the flovcnly and />- reverent Difpenfer of our Chriftian Sacra- ments, reader Sacraments, Preaching, and Praying, defpicable among the pretended Wits, and the undijlinguifhing Multi- tude, There lies indeed fomething of an Object- on againft our Ffalmody^ viz. That the Verfion^ commonly us^d^ is mean^ full of antiquated Words and Phrafesy See It's true, our Language is fo much changed fince the Days in which that Ver[ion was made, that even that of the ex- cellent Sir PhiL Sidney^ elaborate as it is, would appear yet more uncouth and dif- agreeable, than that of Sternhold and Hop- kinsy if it were to be us'd now : Yet none can queftion Sir PhiL Sidney^s Learnings or 5^'/// in Poetry, but one who wants both thofe Qualifications himfelf. That a New and better Verfion fhould be fubftituted in the Room of the Oldy is what every good Man would wifh, and that Vni- vi The Epifile Dedicatory. Vniformity might be kept up i» Singing of Pfalms^ as well as in other Parts of Divine Worfhip ; for it looks odly that the Sons of Harmony fliould be the Fathers of Difcord in our pubhck Service. The providing pf fuch, belongs only to a National Synod^ or Convocation : The Old Verfwn was allow'd of by Edward VI. when the Book of Common Frayer was firft publifh'd. I have fome- where feen a Form of Thankfgjiving, on fome extraordinary Occafion, in Qiieen Eli- z.abeth\ Days, it may be for the Viftory in 88, in \Y\{\c\\tivo St an za^s of the Old Verfwn are printed at length, as to be fung by the whole Congregation : And I have by me a Ffalm Book of the Year 1582, with that Queen's Arms on the Back of the Tttle-Fagej and printed, Cnm Privilegio Regi^ Majeflatts ; and even Dr. Watfon intimates, that the Convocation in 61 thought fit to give a ta- cit Allowance to the Ufe of it, which, we may fuppofe, they did rather for thQ fake jof Pfalmody^ than out of any Fondnefs of that fuferanriuated Verfwn, But thefe Cir- cumftances add Weight to that Authority, by which they were us'd ; and fuch a com- plicated Authority propofing a New Verfion^ made and examined by Learned Men^ skill d in the Original Language^ in Poetrj^ and in Mtifick^ or a thorough Correction of the OW, would, The Epi/lle Dedicatory^ vii would, doubtlefs, be thankfully receivM by all the Lovers of Pfalmody ; and I make no doubt but, if that which letteth were taken awajj our frefent^ or the next Convocation^ upon your Interceflion, Gentlemen, would, in due Time, take Care of that Matter. As you are Gentlemen of great Reputation, and engaged in an excellent De^gny your perfonal Joining in this fa- cred Duty, would have a confiderable Influ- ence upon your own Parochial AfTemblies : And the Improvement of Chrijiian Kj^owledge muft certainly be the Improvement of Chri- Jiian Piety and Devotion, and Pfalmody would appear like it felf, a Piece of that heavenly Devotion, if thofe who kneel at Prayers^ where conveniently they can, and Jland at the Reading PjalmSy which every humble Chriftian, unlefs providentially dis- abled, would be afhamM not to do : If fuch Pcrfons would but pay fo much Ho- nour to God, and fo much Refpe£l to a divine Inftitution, as to Jland too, when the Congregation are (inging aloud the Praifes of their Maker', Heathens would never believe We were in an J^ of- Divine Worfhip, fhould they fee us in the lazy fitting Po- fiure, when we pretended to it. The Jews tfeould fcorn us, and the Primitive Chrijli-- ans viii The Epi/lle Dedicatory, ans wonld fcarce take us for fqrious Pro* feflbrs of the fame Faith, and Worfhip- pers of the fame Jefus with them, were they to look down upon us in that /Vre^/^- rent Pofture. Our Chorijlers ftand up in Cathedrals, when they fing the Anthem^ and fo does every one there prefent, who has either Devotion or good Manners : Thofe who fing before Princes and great Men, on folemn Occafions, do the fame; and he who fhould fit at an Anthem in the Royal Chappel, efpecially the QJVEEN being prefent, would be foon turned out of that facred Place ; and fhall not we, when we fing Praifes to Him, who isKjng of Kjngs^ and Lord of Lordsj in his Own Houfe^ where He himfelf is in the midjl of every Ttvo or Three^ who are lawfully gathered together in his Name ; and where holy Angels are always obferving both our Behaviour and Expret fions ; Shall not we, in fuch a Prefence^ ex- prefs more awful Apprehenfions of his infi- nite Majeflry, than of that of any mortal Prince or Potentate ? Reafon and good Breeding teach us Humility and Reverence on fuch Occafions ; but I never heard that Sitting was a Pofl:ure, which exprefsM either of thofe heavenly Graces. But T^Eptfik Vedifatory. ix But I conclude^at the greateft Num- ber of thofe who do otherwife, have not thought much upon this Matter; And thofe who fhould have been their Monitors^ have been as thoughtlefs as themfelves ; by which Means they may indeed be excus'd X Tanto^ but not a Toto. I have often been much edify 'd, when I have feen the Con- gregation of the Ute Bi/hop of St. Afaph, in St. Peter'^s Cornhil^ all unanimoufly finnding up upon the Calling of the Pfalm : That great Man's InfiruElhn and Example brought his People, without much DiflS- eulty, to that decent Pofture ; and the Mufick it felf carry'd an Air of more di- vine Grandeur with it, when fo perform- ed, than it would otherwife have done ; And, no doubt, but if all others^ who have the Care of Soulsj would tread in the Steps of that Learned Man, every worfhipping Congregation of the Church of England would, in that Point, be either Reform^d^ or Inexcufabie. Here I, and every Lovet of Pfalmody, beg your Alliftance, the Af- fiftance of all the Reverend Clergy of our Church, and of all fuch as fincerely de- fire, that every Thing in our Puhlick Jf- femhlies may be done Decently^ in ^^ood Or^ dery and to Edification. To this End the follo\ying Difcourfe was firft Preach'd, and X The Eptflle Dedicatory. and is now made Publick at the Defir^ of the Hearers, and is Prefented to you by, GENTLEMEN, Tour Faithful Servant In our Common Maflevy Luke Milbourne. 2 ChRO^^, (I ) ^ Chron. XXIX. JO. Moreover^ Hezekiah the KJng^ and the Prin- ces^ commanded the Levites to fing Praifes unto the Lord^ rrith the iVords of David, and of Afaph the Seer \ and they fang Praifes with Gladnefs^ ojrd they boived their Heads and worfhipped. TH E Words are Part of that Hiflory, which leads us to the Revival of the Feafl: of the Paflbver, which feems to have been intermitted in Iprael now for feveral Years. Hez^eklahy the fious Son of a tvichd Father, being come to the Throne of Ji'- dah, as the bell Mean of procuring a Bleffing on his Government, begins it with the Reflauration of Eeligion. Ahaz, his Father, had filled "Jerw falem with Idols, and, in Defiance of the true God, had fhut up the Gates of his Temple j had, in a Manner, vacated the Offices of the Priefts and Levites ^ and, by a long Difufe of it,^ had defiled that glorious Houfe, which Salomon had built to the Name of God, with Filthinefs and Ruines. But fo foon as Hezekiah reign'd, he reflored the Priefls, order'd the Levites to fandlify themfelves ^ and then, as he had ope-ad and repair d the Gates, he commanded them to cleanfe the Body of the Temple. This done, Fie appoints the Priefts to prepare, and kill, and of- fer the ufual Sacrifice to God. Fie renev/s the folemn Service and Worlhip of God there, and then, fo foon as the Time would permit, pro- claims the Paifover. Of all this, we have a juit Account in this, and the following Chapter. Among other Circumftances rekting to the Renewal of this facred Worfhip, we are told, B that that When the Burnt'Ojferlngy and the Sin- Offer ing were made for all Ifrael ^ then Hezekiah the Khfgy fet the Levites in the Houfe of the Lordy with Cymbals^ Pfalteries, and with Harvs : And the Levites flood up with the Inflruments of David, and the Priefls with the Trumpets. And Hezekiah commanded to offer the Burnt -Of erin(T upon the Altar : and wli'en the Burnt-Offer tng be- gan^ the Smg of the Lord began alfo with Trum- pets^ and with the Inflruments ordained by Davad King of Ifrael > And all the Congregation wor^ JJjtppedy and the Singers fang^ and the Trumpets founded : and all this conninued until the Burnt- Offering was finifjcd. By all which we fee, how great an Inrereft Divine Mufick had, at this Time, in the Celebration of God's piiblick and folemn Service. And when all this Solemnity was o* ver, then the King^ and all fuch as were prefent with him, bowed themfelves, and worfhipped. And moreover, as in the Text, Hezekiah the King^ and the Princes^ commanded the Levites to fmg Prai- fes unto the Lord, with the Words of David, and of Afaph the Seer : and they fang Praifes with GLidnefsj and they bow^. their Heads and worfljip- fed, is^ow the Words of this Text intimate to us, not only the prefent Adlion of the King, the Priefrs, and the People, upon this extraordinary Occafion, but their whole Religious Conflitution, or that fettled Ride, according to which the Service of God ought at all Times to have been per- formed. In which too, we fee how much Con- cern the King, and his Princes, or his Nobility, both Ecclefiaftical and Civil, and his Minilfers of State, had in the Rcftauration and Settlement of God's publick Worfhip : How^ careful they were that it (hould be decently performed, and how ready all thofe, who were to minifter a- bout (?) bout the AfFairs of Religion, were to do their Duties. In difcourling upon which Matters, we may conlider, I. How great a Share finglng of Pfatms^ and Hymns^ and fpiritud Hymns, had in the IVorfbip of God among the Jews, and in the Fatriarchd Church before them. II. Whoy in the particular Jewifh Churchy were the principal Managers of this Tart of Divine War pup. III. In what Manner^ and by what Rules they performed it: Andy IV. How far the whole is applicable to that Di- vine Worjljipy now offered to God in the Chriftian Church. I. We are to confider, How great a Share finging of PfalmSy HymnSy and. fpiritual SongSy had in the fuhlick folemn Worflnp and Service of God among the Jews, and in the Patriarchal Church before them, I mention the Publick Service of God among the Jews more particularly-, becaufe we have the rulleft Account of that, in the Book of God : But I cannot fpeak of that, without looking back to an earlier Original, or to the frjl: Pat- terns of fuch folemn Wcrflr.py which are record- ed there, either exp elly, or by Intimation. 'Tis not a meer poetical Fancy, but it is a feri* ous Truth, ^ that, " All we know at prefent of " the blefled Angels, or of the Souls of juit " Men made pcrfed, and what their Employ- *' ment is, and ever fhall be, is only that they " fmg incefiant Praifes to their Maker and Re- ^^ deemer, and live in perpetual Love and Cha- *^ rity with one another." This Em. ploy ment of the holy Angels is of the firft x^ntiquity, when, upon God's laving the Foundations of the B 2 Earthy (4) Earth, the Morning Stars fang together^ and all the Sons of God fhouted for Joy, Job XXXVIII. 7. aS God himfelf exprefTes it. And this Was not for that Time only, but the Prophet Ifaiah in his Vifion, ifa» VI. 3. faw them ftill engaged in the fame Work, where the glorious Seraphim — Cry'^d, or fung aloud to one another^ in the Preience of their Lord, — Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of Hofis, the whole Earth is filed with his Glory. And that this will be the Bufinefs of all Eter- nally happy Spirits, is fairly Ihadowed out to us by St. John, Revel lV*^y 10. where, under the Reprefentation of Four Beafts, the Four Evan- ^elifis ', and under that of Four and Twenty El- ders, the Profhets of the old Tefiament, are de- fcrib'd doing Honour to Him who fat upon tlK Throne *, the Beafts — faying, or fnging incejfantly Day and Night, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. And the Four and Twenty Elders finging as a Chorus to them j — Thou art worthy, Lord, tu receive Glory, and Honour, and Power ', for Thou haft created all Things, and for thy Pleafure they are, and were created. Now all this Mufick was facred :, all thefe Expreflions of Joy and Thankf- giving were highly due to Him, to whom they were paid : And fince fmging Hymns of Praife to God^ is of fo unqueftionable Antiqui- ty, it's a plain Proof that God looks upon the Capacity of fmging Praife to himfelf, as a Gift of his own, mofl fenfible to all the rational World ', and that neither Men nor An?els can ever praife their Maker in a more acceptable Manner, than when each, in their Way, make ¥t joyful Nsife unto God', when they fing to the Ho* nour of his Name^ and make his Praife to be glo* r.lous. Wc (5) We cannot wfth any Reafon doubt but thai:^ as God appointed, and their own original Na' ture direded the Hofls of bleiTed Angels to iing unceafing Praifes to himfelf, on Account of both his Goodnefs and his Power in creatin'£ them at firft, and then freferving tliem from tKe Rebellion of their Brethren :; and upon Account of all his wondrous Ads of fovereign Power, in forming the Univerfe out of nothing, and proteding it when formed in all its Parts ; we cannot doubt after this, but that, To foon as he had made Man-, he laid the fame Duty upon him, and infpir'd hira with Abilities to per- form it : And he who had fo ex ten five a Gor vernment conferr'd upon him at the very firft^ and had Wifdom enough, given him to manage- it, (for God never puts Power into the Hands of Fools, but with a Defign to punifhthem, oi: their Subjeds) when he looked about him, and faw the Beauties of the Mew-made World, a thoufand Effefts of immenfe Power and Good- nefs, and had no Notion of Evily which might ■difturb or cloud his Thoughts, when he had. this admirable Profped^ he could not but break out into Songs of Praife, and the loudefl: Thankfgivi-ngs to his Maker. And could v;e but believe that the Obfervation of the Sabbath was ordained in Paradife, as fome imagine, the Infcription put in the Head of the Ninety fecond Ffalm^ by the Chaldce Paraphraft, i,7>. j}. Pfalm Jung by the firft Man in Paradife^ at the opening of the Sahbathy would be a very clear Demonftration, in what Manner, that great Parent of Mankind, began his Cciirfe of life. And, fince every Day he fpent in that delight- ful Place, furnifhed him with new Matter of Fraife and Admiration , his Souly which W£:s B 3 then tlien all Innoeenf^ holy^ and he-avenly^ would ex- prefs it felf agreeably : Nor was the Bufinefs of his Governnrent fo great/ nor drelTing the Garden of God fo laborious, but that, in the" midft of all his Employments, he might — Give Thanh^ unto the Lord^ and fing Pralfes unto the ^Jprcirions of the holy Penman^ it's evident, that ringing was the moft foleran publick Way of thanking God for his Bleffings : And that other Kations making every one their falfe Gods the Subjects of their Songs •, Jfrael^ in Acknowledgment of him who- was their Gody and the God of their Father Sj would make his Kame, and hisGoodnefs their Song, in Oppo- lition to the falfe Devotion of the Heathens. So again, when God brought his People in the Wildernefs to the Well of Beer^ which had been flopped thro' long Negleft before, but was to be opened now again, for the Ufe of the Jfradhes. — Then Ifrael fang this Song ^ — Spring upy O Well, Sing ye unto it ! 'The Princes digged the Well: The Nobles of the People digged it^ by the DlreEhion of the Lawgiver^ with their Staves, Kumb. XXV. 17, 18. And that k might at once appear a Cufiom of the Ger-ailes^ and fuch an one as Ifrael could not be without '^ they could not forbear finging to their Golden Calf*, and Mofes fufpcfted what they had been about, when, uponjofhua's telling him, on Account of that extraordinary Noife they heard from B 4 thence. (8) thence, — There was a Noife of War in the Camp* M 'e:^ who nnderllood the Matter better, rc- ply'd, — h is not the Voice of them who fliout for the Mafiery'y neither is it the Voice of fuch as cry out for beln'r overcome \ hut the Noife of thofe •w^o fmg, do I hear, Exod. XXXII. i8. Mofes knew t'hat fnch Singing imply'd fome part lew Inr Ath of Divine Wurfhiv, fuch as us'd to be at thelnRitution of a RelTgioiis Feafl, and fuch as, at other Times, they themfelves us'd to the Honour of their owji God. To fhew at once both the Excellence and Vfefulnefs of fo hea- venly a Pradice. When his own Death drew near, Afofes taught Ifrael both their pafs'd xMif- carriages, and their future Duties, in that un- paralltTd Song which we have at length, Deut, XXXI. And of the fame Nature we have that fung by Deborah and Barah, as a Thank fgiving to God for the Deliverance of Jfra^l, by their Bands, from the cruel Tyranny of Jabin and Slfera, Judges V. Whether there were any Levites appointed particularly for carrying on the Work of fiKg- ii-ig Pfalms, or Hymns in the frAnnn Service of the Af^ and 'Tizbcrr.rxlc, during Jfrdel's Wandrings in the Wildcrncfs, or while the Tabernacle v/as in Shiloh, the Scriptures have not e.^predy de- termined, rho' that is very probable too. But fo fbon as ever David had but deiign'd to build a more magnificent Houfe to the Naine of God, he prefcnrly appointed confiderable Num- bers of that confecratcd Tribe to fo holy a Worki for whatever might appear fuitable to the S'^ate of a Church nor yet throughly fettled, ?.s indeed that oi Ifrael was not, till their Tem- j !: was raifed, as anpeas by God's permitting *chc very Frophets thcmfelves, fuch as Samuel j nay. (9) nay, and David too, and Sdomon afterwards, to facrifice in High Place Sj and vouch fafing them bis Vifions, and his Anfwers there ^ which Pra(flice was wholly condemned as foon as ever the Temple was built, dedicated, and furnifh- ed with all Things necefTary for Divine Wor^ fhip: Whatever was agreeable to the State of the Jewi^o Chm-ch before, yet when that Settlement was perfectly made, the Church be^ ing then in a kind of triumphant St^^je, all the Demonftrations of Cheerfulnefs and Gratitude were to be made to that God, who had brought them out of a State of Fupilase, and cloath'd his Israel with Honour, and had made Jerufdem the Joy of the whole Earth. Then the proper Jntroite into that glcrious Koufe at all Times was, come^ let us fwg unto the Lord ! Let us heartily rejoice in- the Strength of our Salvation I Let us come before his Fre fence withThankfgivinff^ and fherv our [elves glad in hlra with Vfalrns. And then let us wnfnf^ and fall dovon^ and kneel before the Lord our Maker^ Ffal. XCV. I, 2,6. And now vjq find Singing of Pfalms and Hymns to Gody incorporated into the Temple S^rvicey and look'd upon as fo neceifary a Part of it, that a great Number of the Levites were employed in it :, that their particular Courfes were ap- pointed, and a re:uliar Portion allotted them for their comfortable, nay, and honourable Subtift- ence. P fa 1ms and Hymns were composM for their continual Ufe, by infpir'd Men ^ fuch as Davidy who from thence, as well as from bis admirable Performance, wascclVd, — The fxveet Tfalmlft of Ifrael, — and Afaph^ and Hlman^ and Ethan y and I'eduthun^ aiid others: And al- moH: the whole Book of Tfalms is a Coileci: 'on of fiich Song: of Fraifc^ calling every where up- on ( 10) on all Men ; nay, all Creatures wliatfoever, in their Way, to fing aloud to their Creator and Proteftor's Honour : With a ^reat Number of Forms, in and by which pious Souls might cffedually excite one another to Thankfulnefs, and to make the Name of the true God vene- rable to all the World. It was in this Way of Hymns or Anthems, that David prais'dGod al- ways, and more particularly, in the Day when the Lord h^d delivered him from the Hands of all his Enemies^ and from the H.tnd of Saul, PfaL XVIII. In this Manner he deplored the Great- nefs of his Sin, in the Matter of Urijah, TfaL LI. In this Manner Jehofiaphat glorified God, for the Deliverance of himfelf, and his People, from the invading Moahites^ Ammonites^ 'and their Confederates^ 2 Chron. XX. 26. And thus Hezekiahy when God- had given him Health, with an additional Grant of Fifteen Years to his Life, exrrefs'd his Gratitude to him in a Pfalm, Jfa. XXXVIII. 9. And fo, in mournful Streins, the Prophet Jeremiah lamented over the Ruines of JerufaUm^ and the dreadful Defola- tions of his dear Native Country, Lamentat. And the Prophet HabbaJduk^ Habbak. III. is the lafl: of this harmonious Company, whofe Songs are recorded in the Old Teflament. Now the Book of Pfalms is fo compleat a Treafury of ConfeJfionSy InterceJfionSj Deprecntlons^ Prayers^ Praifesy Thankfgivings^ and whatever is expected in the moll devout and religions Worfhip, that, in all probability, and, according to the Opi- nion of the Jews themifelves, there were very few Prayers but thofe, made ufe of in the Pub- lick Service, either of the Synagogue, or the Temple : In finging of Pfalms they fpent their N'ehrs, as well as Days:, . — Beheld^ hlefsj or praife praife y^ the Lord, all ye Servants of the Lord Te roho by Ni^ht fiand in the Houfe of the Loru, Pfal. CXXXIV. I. Praife ye the Lord! Praife the N^me of the Lord! Praife htm^ O ye Servants ef the Lord ! Te who fiatid in the Houfe of the Lordy in the Courts of the Houfe of our God! Pfalm CXXXV. I, 2. That this Singing Pfalms all Kight, was the Pradice of the Effenes, a Sed among the "Jewsj appears by that admirable Defcription Philo gives of them, in his Dif- courfe of t\\Q Contemplative Life \ That they, and the Generality of the Jews, did fo on their Fe- flivals, and did well in fo doing, is evident from the Pradice of our Saviour, who, ,^frer his laft Supper, fung a Hy;mn with his DlfclpleSy, before he went out with them to the Mnunt of Olives, Matth. XXVI. 30. And fo much may ferve for the fir It Thing proposed to our Con- fideration, viz,* What :!>hare lineing of Hymns had in the Patriarchal and Jewljh publick Wor- ihip. ir. We are to confider, Who were the chief JUanagers and Performers in this Part of publid. Divine Workup. And here, ro (hew in what Veneration God would have th's Ordinance to be among his People^ he, by his Word to h-is Prophets, confecrared a confiderable Number' of his own Tribe, the Tribe of Levi, to this hea- venly Work : He inilituted this, as a Mean of Union between Angels and Me^?, the C.tmal and the Spiritual^ the Militant and the TrlumDhanf Church, that they might praife the Lord toge- ther, and publiih his unbounded Goodnefs and Glory through the Woild. And iince Men were to be joined in Coafort v/ith Angels^ as cMofes composed Hymns for the Ufe of the If- raclircsy ( 12 ) ^^^elkcsy and Jaron regulated the Divine Service ; ^o Miriam^ a Frophetefs^ and their Sifter, was Leader of the facred Chorus ^ fo was Deborahy A Tro^hett(i too, and conftituted by God him- felf a Judge in //r^^/, when fhe and Boirak not only composed, but fung that noble Hymn, ;y«^- gtsV. And the Daughter of Jephthah, th^t hhh- ful Judge and Captain of God's People, led up a Company of Virgins, to meet her viftorious Father, in the Bead of his Troops, finging with inflru mental Mufick too, and dancing to the Honour of that God, who had happily taught her Father's Hands to war^ and his Fin- gers to fight. But when David the King became a ISIurfir.g Father to the Church of Ifrael^ then he himfelf was the great Mafter of the Choyusy till fuch Time as he bad regulated tho^e Matters inorc exadly, as when he and his People brought lip the Jrk of God from Kirjeath Jearim^ i Chron. XJII. 8. And again, when -he brought it up from the Houfe of oied Edom^ and fix"d it in Zioft^ 2 Chron. XV. 1 7. Kor was ever any Age blefled with more compleat Mafter s of Aduftckj thali that which was nrade happy by the Government of David and Sdomon. To fhew that inCpir'd Prince's great Regard to this Divine Mufick, (for with that pervert- ed by vain Men to vainer Purpofes, neither David nor we have any Thing to do) and his Care of the performing of it, we find, He di- vided them to the Kumber of Two Hundred and Fourfcore and Eigky all M afters of Song, and fit to lead and inftrucl others, \\-\loTwenty Four Courfes ^ each Courfe to ofticiate according to their Lots, in the fame Manner as the Friefts themfelves were order d : And to add yet to die Honoiir of their Charafter, the Friefts them^ themfelves were appointed to join with them in that facrcd Ordinance-, and over each Courfe of thofe Singers one prefided, who was extra- ordinarily qualified to compofe and begin the Pfalm or Anthem, while the reft join'd in the harmonious Confort with all their Might. For we don't find any where, that thefe pious Muficians were afraid, or afham'd to have their Voices heard *, but — 77:?^^ fuvn^ aloud unto God their Strength^ and made a joyful Nolfe unto the God of Jacob, TfaL LXXXL i. And this they 'did, to fhew their Heartinefs in the Work*, and that they defired that all the World, if pofTible, fhould hear them praife their God. The Orders prefcribed in the Cafe by Bavid and Salomon^ pious Jehojljafhat reviv'd after a long and me- lancholick IntermifTion, and devout Hez.ekiarely vrith Trumpets *, and the Levitesy and the Sons of Afaph, -with Cymbals to praife the Lord^ After the Ordinance of David King of Ifrael; And they f^ng together by Coicrfey in Praife s^ md in giving Thanh ^v the Lord ^ becaufe he is Good, and his Mercy endureth for ever toward Ifrael^. Ezra III. ?o, T I. — For in the Days of David, and of Afaph of 01 dy there were Chiefs of the Stnn-e/s AVtd Songs of Praife and Thankfgiz'in^ unto the Lnrd l^^ehem. XIL ^6, The publicK Mailers then of facrcd ( M) facred Song, were all of the Tribe of Levl^ well governed, well refpeded, and well provided for. III. We muft confider, in what Manner^ and by what Rules^ thrfe divine Muficians performed their Duties : And here we find that they were of fnch Eminency, that the Kings of Ifrael and Judah thought fit themfelves to be their Law- givers and Diredors, though not without the ad- ditional Authority and Aflifl:ance of the High- Fricft J for the Hi^h Priejfs Judgment j in all ' Cafes, whether Civil or Ecclefiaflical, was of as great Weight as that of the Sovereign himfelfy and that by God's own Appointment ^ tho' that Co-ordinacy in Judgment did not make the Bigh-Prielt co-ordinate v/ith him in the Sove- reignty : So that tho' the Prince could not va- cate the fichlick Determinations of the High-Prieft, yet he might lawfully treat him as a Subjed, and either banifh him, or put him to Death, if he were a State Criminal. Neither did thefe Princes of the Houfe of David difdain to confult with their Seers^ Men favoured with divine Infpi- ration, and a kind ot Hou^:old Chaplains to their Princes, or their private Confcffors^ .to whom the greatell Monarchs laid open their fpiritual Conditions, and on vvhofe Counfel in fpiritual jMatters they generally depended •, whence Gad^ and Nathan-, and Jddo^ and others, were particu- larly confulted in fettling the fingingLevites in that Order, in which Davldy and Jehopaphat^ and Hez^eki^ah, and other Princes, maintain'd them. But the Levites and the PrieHs, in Confort with them, n«t only lifted up their P^okes in praifing God, but they made ufe of Jeveral Inftru- mcnts of Mufick-i the better to aflifl: and enliven their their Voices in Divine Service- We are told that Jubalj of the Race of Cairj^ was the Fathery or the firlt of them^ who handled the Harp and the Organy Genef. IV. 21. The ouQafiring'dy the other a wind Inflrument^ each the Principal in its kind ; and from which, and with a Defign of imitating the humane Voice the more eafily, all other Inflru' ments have taken their Original. Now, though Cain himfelf was a wicked Wretch, a cruel and unnatural Murderer of his innocent Brother, and that becaufe his Brother'' s Works were gocdy and his own were evilj John III. 1 2. yet it follows not that Cain\ Pofterity ihonld all be as wicked as their Father. Adam was flill living, and to be furc fo exemplary a Penitent, that all fuch of his Defcendants as lived within reach of him, and who had obferved that Mifery, which curfed Cain had brought upon his own Head, could not but have fome Defires to reconcile thcmfelves to their Maker. Sin and Mifery encrealing every Day, had made many fad Hearts, and languifhing Spirits, which Adam^ not fo much deprived of his original Sagacity^ as his unhappy SuccejTors endea- vour'd to revive-, and fo by the Inftigation of Heaven, and the concurring Influence of the Holy Spirit, he ftirred up this Juhd to frame fuch' Injtruments of Muftcky by the Concert of which, with their natural Voices, they might di- vert prevailing Melancholy, quicken the faint- ing Spirits of fuch as mourned under the Burthen of Sin, and m^ight render them more cheerful in the Service of their God. And here we may obferve the Diifei*ence between what has been invented of later Years, and y/hat proceeded from immediate In jpir at ions* Our Moderns have, from mean Beginnings^ vnadQ gradual Improvements^ and thofe often flow enough j Jubal began with the ( i6 ) the nobleft Inflriiments of all, which, he having fuch Inflruclors, was no Wonder at all : The following Ages, till fuch Men as Mofes, and Da- vid^ and his Contemporaries, were reinfpir'd, as Jubal had been, had declined very much in their mufical Skill ^ which made David fet himfelf, not only to revive the Art, but to invent more Jnftruments^ as Helps to the Vorce, and which might render Divine Harmory yet more grateful to curious Ears, and might afFecl: the PalTions fcveral Ways, and give them a fweet, and every way charming Employment, in Meditations hea- venlv as their Mufick. Thefe Inflruments, however aped or abufed af- terward*i,weredefign'd originally only forfraifin£ God^ and cheering the Hearts of otherwife drooling Sinners, They were employed altogether in the Wor^vf of the Supreme Being \ and were fo far from dipleafing him, that his Prophets made it their great Bufinefs to promote Pfdmody : They found the wonderful Effedls of that Angelick Melody, how it compos'd the Mind, and made it fit to receive Divine Impreflions. So when David play'd on his Harp, and fung to it, pro- bably one of his own Pfalms, the evil Spirit de* farted from Saul, i Sam. XVIII. 25. and all the Tumults of his fermenting Spirits were, for that Tim.e, happily allay'd ^ fo when the Sight of Je- horam^ that idolatrous King of Ifrael^ in the Companvof Jehofloaphat^ King of Judah^ and the King of Edom^ their Confederate, had extreme- ly ruffled Elijah's Spirit, he calFd prefently for a Mufician, and, when he play'd, the Prophet's Mind refettled. and then the Hand of the Lord came ufon hirn^ 2 Kings III. 15. And the Ufe of thefe Inflruments in Divine Service was not Legale or Typical only *, for we find that Miriam ufed them before (17) before the Law vras given; and it was not the Fancy of one M^n only to ufe Infirumental A'fujick in God's Worfhip, but — Hez,eki^.h fet the Le- "uhes in the Houfe of the Lord XQith Cymbals ^ with TfdterieSy and with Harps^ according to the Com- mandment of David, of Gad the King's Seer^ and Kathan the Profhet *, for fo was the Commandment vf God by his Proj)hetSy 2 Chron. XXIX. 25. And the Children of Ifrael kept the Feafl of the Tajfover ^r Jerufalem, with great Gladnefs^ and with great Acceptance from God ; and the Levltcs and the Trlefis praised the Lord Day by Day^ ftngrng with loud Inftruments unto the Lord^ 2 Chron. XXX.ir. Thm' Hez^ekiahj that excellent Monarch, and the Princes^ the firfl and chief of which Vv'as the High-Prieft^ commanded the Priells and Levites to do \ and, that there might be no Ground of Sufpicion, that this Practice v/as to expire. v/ith the Law of Mo fes, St» John^ Revel. XIV. 2, 3. has reprefented the Church triumphant in Keavcii praifing God, fb as "Their Voices were Hie the Voice vf many Waters^ and the Voice of a great 'thun- der ; and he heard, the Voice of Harpers harping with their Harps^ and they fang as it were a New- Songy and no Man could learn that Song^ but the Hundred Fourty Four Thoufand^ a glorious Cho- rus indeed, who were redeemed from the Lanh. With thefe Inftruments then the iinging Le- vites, and the Priefts fang Praifes to the Lcrd with Gladnefsy and when they did fo, they how'^d their He ads y and wor flipped *, they fang to God with Fear and Reverence indeed ; they did iiDt (it and pralfe Gody as the uninflrucledy or indevout Crew do now a-days^ but we find them, and all humble Worfhippers of the Divine Majefty, al- ways ficinding up ; whether they v/ere Kings j or Princesy or Priefls^ or Lsvitesy they always' fijjd C 7C9. (i8) ttp to pralfe him in his own Houfe : And for any to fit in that holy Ordinance, was what the Chriftian World never faw for many Ages in their publick Congregations ; the Jews^ the Chri- filansy when they fang to God in Publick, did it ftill in a Pofture of Adoration^ fo the blelTed Angels do, and fo Men of holy and humbleHearts ought to do 9 fo, of old, they how^d and worjhi^^ fed* And though fome Greek Heathens might worjhlj the Works of their own Hands fittings the great, the tri^'e, the holy God, merits and ex- pefts more Reverence at our Hands. And fmce thofe Pfalms dnd Hymns made ufe of in the Tem- ple, and in the Church, confifl: of Trayers^ and Supplications^ and InterceJfionSy and Confejfions, all intermingled with their Pralfes, what devout or humble Soul can prcfume to pray to God for Mercies, to confefs his Sins to him, to intercede with him, or- to give him Thanh for BlefOngs bellowed upon himfelf, or others, in foch a rude and unmannerly Fofturey as fets him upon the Level with his Maker? Or who, expedling to be.lieard when he prays, would not exprefs the pefires of his Heart by the OeJJrure of his Body^ and kneel, or bow, or ftand in the Prefence and in the Praifes of his God ? Ignorance naay be fome Exc life in the Cafe, but thofe who know their Duty, can never be happy but in doing it. IV. We come now in the laft Place to confider. How far what has been fald is applicable to that Divine Worfnip which we offer to God in the Chri^ ftian Church, And here we are in the firll Place to allure our felves, that whatever the Patriarchs took up by immediate Diredion from Heaven^ and what God himfelf taught the Jfraelltes to do as decent, and inftruftive in their publick Wor- (hip. ihip, and what blejfed Saints and Angels ate al- ways employ'd in in Heaven, that can never be vacated by that Religion, which was inftituted by him, who beft knew what would pleafe his and our Father*^ and who himfelf once bore a fart in fmgin^ Hymns to him, which he would never have done, when his Soul began to he exceed^ ing forrowful even unto Deathy if the fame Exer- cife had not been always comfortable to pious Souls, and decent and acceptable in all folemn jifproaches to God. The God of Adam^ Sheth^ and Noah *, the God of Abraham^ Ifaac^ and Ja-^ cob\ the God of Jfrael according to the Flefli^ and the God of Ifrael according to the Sprite was One and the fame God, the fame fupreme Beings and what was pleafing to him before the Law, and under the Law, could never be difpleallng to him under the Gofpel. And fince a Chorus of joyful Angels welcomed the Nati- vity of the blefled Jefus, with heavenly Har- mony, and with as heavenly Words •, — Glory he to Cod on Highy on Earth Peace^ gocd Will to* Tvard Meny Luke IL 14. Since the blejfed rirgih celebrated the Goodnefs of God to her, in mak- ing her the Mother of her Lord'^ Zecharias, that facred Honour conferr'd upon his Son, in his being made the Profhet of the Highefly and the Perfon fent to prepare his IVay before htm i and Simeon^ when he had the glorious Infant in his Arms, as having with his own Eyes fcen God's Salvation^ all in Songs of Praife and Thankfgiv- ing ^ fmce thefe Things were fo, Who can ima- gine, that either Vocal or Jnftrumental Mufick Ihould ever be banilhed out of Chriftian Aifem- blies ? - C% W€ (20) We do not find any Command either in the Gofpels or j4poflolical EfiflleSy that Chrlfiian Con- gregmions (Iwuld rr>orPnp God by fing'wg Ffalms \ hut we find the Difcil^les joining with their Matter in One \ and St. faul^ reproving fome Diforders in the Corinthian IVorjljlpplng-yijfemblieSy fpeaks of — Every one having a Pfalmy i Coy. XIV. 26. u €' either having composed fome pious Hymn for publick Ufe, which they offer'd un- feafonably \ or, being as Clerks In the Congrega-- tlon^ ready, out of Time, to lead that Tune which the reft were to follow ^ in exercifmg ei- ther of which Faculties, be required that they fiiould act more orderly, and to Edification : And the Jpoftle declai*es that, on fuoh Occafions, — He vooidd fing with the Spirit^ i. e. according to the immediate Diftates of the Spirit, who then frequently infpired thofc Guides of the Church ^ — And I will fmg with the Vnderfiand^ rng alfoy and fo prove efFedually that — The Spirit of the true Prophet Is always [uhjeB to that Prophet. It was one Reafbn among others, why fome Learned Men have fancy'd Phlloh Therapeu^^ tx, or Ejfenesy were really Chrifilans^hQcauih they had their noHumal Meetings for finglng of Pralfes to God, as the Chriftians had ^ and that becaufe in Times of Perfecution they could not meet for that Purpofe in the Day-tlmey without expofing themfelves needlelly to their cruel Enemies. But thQiY fingl'ng Pfalms was ib Hated a Piece of their Divine Service, that the Heathens could not but take Notice of it ; whence Pliny informs the Emperour Trajan^ That the ChrlfilanSy in his Time, us^d to meet together ^ among other Thl-agSy to fmg Hymns before It was Light to Chrlfi as God. And the Author of Phllofiratus^ among Luclans Worh^ and as antieat as he, reflefts upon the Chri- ( 21 ) Chrifbians, as watching all Night to fmg their [acred Hymns or Tfalms : And Ammuinus Mar* cellinus^ one of Julian the j4pofiate^s Military Of- ficers, gives the fame Account of them after- ward. So that if the Matter of FaB could yet be doubted of, the Teftimonies of Jvflin Martyr in that mifcall'd his Second Ai^dogy^ in his Epifile to Zenas, and in the Beginning of his Conference with Trypho the Jew *, of Clemens oi Aiexandrla, Origen^ Tert2dllan^ Cyprian^ Mlnutlus FeltXy Ar- nobiusj and others, Would put an End to the Difpute, and are too many for me at prefent to take Notice of. We may then be fatisfy'd, that Pfalmody was a confiant Part of their Fuhlick Ser» vice in the frimittve Chrifttan Church. As for its private Vfe, we find Paul and Silas finging Pfalms in Prifon, and that fo powerfully, as to break open the Prifon Doors, to loole their Fetters, and to bring their before unm.erciful Gaoler to Faith and Repentance. St. Paul exhorts his £- fhefianSj Eph. V. ip. to f^eak to^ or among one ano- ther^ in Pfalmsj and HymnSy and fpiritual SongSy f'liging and making Melody in their Hearts to the LordT — . So again he perfuades the Colojfians, Col. III. 1 6. That the Word of God might dwell in them richly^ with all Wifdom *, and that they fhould teach and admonifl) one another in Pfalmsy and Hymns ^ and fpiritual Srngs^ 7^^^'Xf^ ^^'^^ Grace to God in their Hearts. And St. James^ Jam. III. I 5. udviles in fhort, // any he merry y let him fmg Pfalms. Thus, to fpeak with the Author of the Wifdom of Salomon, Wifd. XVIII. 9. in Times of Danger, • — The righteous Children of good Men did facrifice fecretly *, and with one Conjent made a holy Lawj That the Saints fliould be alike Partakers of Good and Evily the Fathers now finging out their Songs of Praife. C 3 Bu| (22) But here, becaufe ComQ fullett way-ward Perfonsj who yet call themfelves Chrifiiansy are mighty Enemies to the Ufe of Inftrumental Mufick in Churches^ we may briefly enquire, Whether the Z/fe of fuch Mufick be Lawful, or of any confi- derahle Antiquity in the Chrifiian Churchy or not ? That it was always agreeable to God's Will in the FatrMrchdl and Mofaick Age, and therefore Good in tt felf, I have demonftrated already. How it fhould come to lofe its Nature under the Gof^el, will be very hard for any Man living to Ihew. The Spirits of finning Chriflians, as fuch, might be as defpondent as theirs before them ^ their Sorrows, and their Joys and Gratitude might be as iignal •, why then fhould it be of- fenfive to make ufe of the fame Means to exprefs their Thankfulnefs, to alia 7 their Sorrows, or to cheer their Spirits in the Worfhip of God, as baints and pious Men of old did? If finging Praifes to God with tunahle Voices, be heavenly Mufick, as indeed it is, will the Addition of In^ Jlruments to Voices any way pall the Harmony ? Do Organs, well play'd on, make the Mufick of the worftiipping Congregation the more difa- greeable? We'll grant that, during the Times of Perfecution, the Church mjght be content with vocal Mufick only, as lefs invidious, and !:fs defign'd for Pomp and Grandeur^ they would only have exposed themfeh^es as a Prey to their Enemies by fuch expenfive Conforts : But when thofe Storms were once blown over, it was not fit the Chrifiian Church, in a fiOurifh- ing and peaceful State, Ihould be more Melan- cholick, or any Way inferiour to the Temfle, or the Synagogue i That David's Tfalms were fung in the Church, is fufficiently proved^ but if a Pfalm be well denned hy Gregory Nypn ^ a Re- gulation. ( 2? ) gulatlon of the Voice by a mufical Inflrument , or by St. Bafily a mufical Way of freaking to an Or- gan well played on^ accord wg to the Rules of Har^ mony ^ though we take a Pfalm there in a ge- neral Senfe^ yet that will take in the Ecclefiaftical too, and will, without afcribing the Invention to any Biflwp of Rome^ prove that Jnf^rumentd Mufick e?Jtered very early into the Churchm And though, as the Author of the Que- fiions to the Orthodox among Jufiin Queft. 107. Martyrs Works, infinuates \ Plain Songy without InftrumentSy was ufed in the Church of oldy hecaufe of the Vnskllfulnefs of many Chrifii- ans in Pfalmody\ yet th^t Art arifing to greater Perfedion afterward, that Reafon ceafing, the Fradice gradually came to an End too in the greater Churches-, where, that Pfalmody might be carry'd on without Difcord or Indecency ^ Smg- trs were made one of the infer iour Orders in the Churchy and not incapable, as fuch, of rifing to a higher Degree. As for their Or- dinationy it might be performed by ViJ. Bing- ^ a meer Presbyter ; the Form of it ^am'j Ann- was in chefe Words ^ — See that y*.''!'' '^^^'' thou believe in thy Heart what thou \ ^'^ * fingeft with thy Mouthy and approve in B^nn^C^rdirt. thy Works what thou believefi: in thy de Pfalmod. Hearts The Church of Rome has found its Account in keeping up this Order ftill ', and the Charms of their Vocd and Jnflrumental Muftck in their Churches are fb bewitching, that, for their fake?, I\Ien of Apprehenfions otherwife fharp enough, can overlook all their other monftrous Errors. How that Order came to be laid afide in many of the Reformed Churches, unce their Reforma- tign was carry'd on in mofl Places in %very tu- C 4 liiul- (24) multuous and diforderly Manner, we need not wonder- But in this Kation, where Matters were managed with more Calmnefs, and by bet- ter Authority, moft of onr Cathedral and Collegiate Churches had their Divine Service^ their Pfalms in Profe, and their Anthems fung ftill by their Ca- rjonsy petit Canons^ and other Lay-Chorifl-erSj both Aien and Boys, the Bij^jo^s^ Deans, and Prebenda' rles, if able, joining with them; where, when they are well order'd by their Superiours, Men of fine ere Piety and elevated Devotion may have their very Souls ravifh'd v\uth that celeftial Har- mony they meet with there. And however de- ficient fome Foreign Churches may be in this par- ticular, yet it mufb be confefs'd to their Honour, that both the High and Loro Dutch, and French^ have taken more Care of their ordinary Pfalmody than we have done. Among them you may hear crouded Congregations fwglng really roith all their Might, and finglng skilfully too with a loud Noife, without one difcordant Voice in the whole Confort. Among them we may hear little Children in their Schools^ whither they are fent very early, fuch as can icarce fpeak plain, yet finging PfalmiS under the Diredion of their School-Mirbvefs ;, and well-grown Lads under that of their School-Mafters -, by which they arc all fitted to fmg Pfalms to their Org,ans, on Sundays efpecially, with fo agreeable an Harmony, as can- non but take much wi"h thofe, who come thi- ther with a Delign to do Honour to their Ma- ker. And I have been iaform'd, that in moll of our Free-Schools there were Su] -dries originally fettled, not only for Writing ar>d Grammar Ma- fters, bi^t f^r M^^fiers of Aiaficli too, to irfvrvll younT^ Scholars in the Art of Singing; by v/Iiich they 'learnt iof^eak well, with an agrceableAccent, # V ■ ■■ and (25) and a good Command of their Voices, and to flead handfomely at the Bar, and to fpeak with a good Gract arid a due Pathos from the Pulpit, when they happen'd to be call'd to thofe Em- ployments in their maturer Years ^ and they were by that Care, well prepared to fing his Praifes, whofe Providence had allotted them fo happy an Education, in the publick Aflemblies of the Church. And I find Queen Ellz^aheth^ in her hjunElionsj taking Notice that, — ' In feme Parifh-Churches here- InjunB. 49. * tofore, there had been Livings ap- *- pointed for the Maintenance of Men and Chil- * dren, to ufe finging in the Church \ by means ' of which, the laudable Service of Mullck had *• been had in Eftimation, and preferved in * Knowledge. The Alienation of which Livings^ fhe then piouflv endeavour'd to prevent^ and perhaps if due Enquiry were made after Lands given in this Kingdom, to fuch truly Cyarhahle Vfes^ many facrifegious Embezlemenvs might be difcovered, and the Revenues happily re- turned to their original Purpofes. Pfalm.ody, and that in Parifli-Churches efpeci- ally, has been by fome very Learned Men, but for very infufficient Reafons^ much difcouraged among us ^ and when all Manner of Mufick be- fide has been fo much improved, when our C^- thedralsy and Royalj and College'Cha^^els hnv-e been wonderfully advanced both in Vocal and hflrv mental Harmo-ny^ Parochial Mufick has hem fb flighted in many Places, that the Cl^rhs could fcarce pretend to {'ing to':thc Praife and GLry of God, when fo very few were able, " or vv'ibn;.', to join in Confort with them. Some tr:ij,r?7o- Teachers indeed of late Years have Dv->' o'^ young xMcn in fome Country Parlfhes to ^ lerably. lerablyl The Pfalm-Tuncs, though antient, arc not fo contemptible Pieces of Mufick, as fomc would reprefent them •, but our Gentlemen and great Men are generally above fuch humble Dif- jenfations^ and the Mufick of the Theatre is more grateful to their Ears, where all the loofer PafTions are indulged, than that of an Affembly of Chriftian PcopUy in grave Tunes fraifmg the Lord for his Goodnejs^ and declaring the Wonders he does for the Children of Men ^ and many are willing to gratify an Eunuch Tinging in an O^era^ in a much more liberal Manner than a Teacher of Pfalmodyy (though they too meet with noble Encouragement from fuch whofe Hearts God has touch'^d) for inflru6:ing Children, otherwife loft in Ignorance and Vice, in the Principles of Re- ligion, Pfalmody, and other neceflary Learning. And, inflead of helping to mend our Parifli- Mufick, fuch Gentlemen are apt to pleafe them- felves with the Blunders of the Performers, and to defpife and laugh at the whole Ordinance for their Miftakes. Yet certainly, if the Mufick of the Church be compared with that of the The- atre^ the Advantage muft lie wholly on the Side of the former. Ko Heart can be fo warm'd with jacred Enthufiafm by any Solo or Sonata^ as by a pious Hymn or Anthem well composed, and well perform'd, or by a ];Uin Pfalm skilfully fung, with clear and tunable Voices, in a grand Confort in the Eoufe of God. The Mufick of thofe light and airy Sonnets may tickle the Ear withPleafure for a whiles the fober Harmony of a Pfalm or Anthem affeds the Soul, makes lifting Impreflions upon the Mind, and infpires the generous Breafl; with truly great and glori- ous Thoughts, enflames the Spirits for the no- bkft Undertakings, fuch as are the Works of Lovcy (27) Love\ Mercy ^ J^fi^c^y Charkyy and every Thing which tends to God's Honour, and his Country and his Neighbour's Welfare. ^ This kind of Harmony would lay the bluftring Humours of the cowardly Heftor, the malicious Anger of the Alan of pretended Honour, the fiery Temper of the feditious Malecontent, the brutifh Incli- nations of the Slaves of Luft ^ and pious Words fet to a lively and majeftick Tune, v;ith the Concert of good Voices and Inftruments, would give the witty Atheift an Idea of fomething fo truly Divine, as would melt down his other- wife ftubb®rn Heart, into the Acknowledgment of a Deity. But to expatiate in Commendation of that which makes the very Fiends of Hell fubmit •, to lay together the Teftimonies of ho- ly Men of old, concerning the Force and Influ- ence of Pfalmodyy would be endlefs as well as needlefs. It's that without which the publick Worfhip of God can never be compleat •, which nothing but Extremity of Perfecutiou can li- lencc^ and the want of which, in fuch Circum- ftances, all the faithful People of God mud heartily deplore. It's the Food of humble and devout Souls, the Joy of Angels, the Foretaft of Heaven, and the Delight of that God, who is worthy to be praised, and accepts of Praifes as an Acknowledgment of that Honour due to his holy Name. Kings then and Princes^ Great Meriy and tne Judges of the Earth •, young Men and Malds^ old Men and Children^ ought in this Manner to mag' nify their great Creator ;, happy are thofe whom their blefTed Mafter, when he comes, Oiall find fo doing! Happy are they who can io raife their grovelling Thoughts from Earth, and all its tranlient Enjoyments ! Happy are thofe who lend ( 28 ) ^end their helping Hand to raife the Poor, the Deftitnte, the Orphan, the whole perilhing Tribe, from the Dunghil, and tune their pleafant youthful Voices to Gratitude to God above, and to their Bene faBors here below! How acceptable muft fo pious a Profulion be, which fpends it felf to re- fcue, otberwife helplefs Souls, from Hell, and to bring them Home to that Son of God, who laid down his own precious Life to redeem the Souls of the Poor^ and fuch as are cajt out^ as well as thofe of the Rich and Great, from the Pains of eter- nal Death ! If it were* a good Evidence of the bleffed Jefus's being the long expeded Mefiasy that by and through him the Gofpei was f reached to the Poor^ it will be an infallible Evidence, that thofe are the fmcerc Servants of Gud^ and fuch whofe Worfhip he delights in, through whole generous AlTiftance, the Mouths 'of the Poor are fiil'd with the Praifes of God, and the facred Choir fiU'd «p with fuch as otherwife might have howl'd in eternal Torments. By this Chriftian Care, we hope, through God's Bleffing, for a tnore effeBud Reformation of Man^ nersy than any other Method has yet produced. We hope to fee God^s IVorjhip perform'd more exaBly every Day, Pfalmody^ even in Country Churches^ gradually advanced to the higheft Per- fe(f^ion, till all Perfons of Wealth grow afham'd of not putting their helping Hands to the Chri- llian Education of the Poor and Ignorant^ till Men of the highesl: Quality be afliam'd to fit 11- lent, when ali'the Congregation, of which they are Members, are, with a loud Voice and ear- ned Devotion, finging Praifes to their Maker ^ till all the meaner fort of Chriftlans fhall unauN monfly tune their Voices to his Honour •, and till our hapfily Reformed Britifi Church appear in the Pre- (29) Prefence of her Eternal Head, with all the glo- rious Ornaments of the King of Heaven, and be yet more glorious within^ and be in every Re- fpedl, fair as the Moon^ bright as the Surty and yety to all her Enemies^ terrible as an Army with Ban- ners* And nothing can tend to this defirable End more effedually, at prefent, than a juft Encou- ragement of thofe Officers, whofe Bufinefs it is ta lead the Pfalm in our Parilh-Churches. What the Quire are in our Cathedrals, that they are in our Parochial Churches. The Order of the Singers in the primitive Church were the Original of thefe, as well as of the others *, the Name of Clerk fignifies their Relation to the Clergy ftill, thp' they are not ftill formally ordained \ and that of Tarifli Clerk determines the Places ia which they are to exercife their Faculty •, and thefe, as the others had been in the Primitive Church, were firft inftituted to regulate and en- courage Tfalmody^ in the fublick Ajfemhlies of the Reformation : and thefe too, upon their apparent Fitnefs, maybe admitted, on Occafion, to the Office and Order of Deacon or Priell, as of old : Their Bufinefs in our Church is to attend on the Bifhopy Priefi, or Deacon, in the Perfor- mance of fuch Offices as belong to their feveral Orders ^ to take Care of fuch Books as are in Ufe in the Church -^ to alfift at making Colle^ions on publick Occafions, efpecially on Sacrament-^ Days*, to have the Fefiments of the officiating Clergy, and the V ten fits of the Fefiiary and the Holy 'Table always in Readinefs ^ to give Kotice to the Varifli Priefi or Curate of the Sick, or fuch as defire any private Converfe with their Pa- fiors, for Satishdion in Matters of Doubt or Ignorance, and for h^Jkw the whole Con?rcT.^.tion in ( to ) In ftnging of PfalmSy and a kind of Dire(?^ors or Monitors to them, what Tune they are to fing, and in what Key. Whence it's requir'd, " That " the Clerk of a Parifh, who is Canon 91. " to be chofen, fhould be of Twen- " ty Years of Age at leafl, and '* known to the Parfon or Vicar to be of honeft " Converfation, and fnfficient for his Reading, " Writing, and competent Skill in Singing, if it " may be. And that he may be the more cer- tainly fo qualified, the Canon determines that, , " Ko Parifh Clerk, upon any Vacation, fhall be " chofen within the City of C. de ^ditius. " London, or elfewhere within ^' the Province of Canterbury^ '^ but by the Parfon or Vicar •, or, where there *' is none, by the Minifter of the Place for the " Tim.e being. This Choice the Reformation of Ecclefiaflical Laws^ compos'd by Commiffioners m the Time of King Edward VI. would have fet- tled in the Curate and Church-Wardens *, but that proving an abortive Piece, the Law has fettled it as before : And how fome Parifhes have ufurp'd ijpon their Curates, and are always ftruggling with them for the Choice of their Parifh Clerks in this City, and elfewhere, would not perhaps be very hard to find out. As for the Incorp^ ration of them into a Company, it's purely a Civil Privilege '-i it adds nothing to their Charafter, nor alters the Karure of their Employment, tho' fbme fpiritual Advantages may be made from that too. You then, my Brethren, are to remember, that you are Servants in the Church, not Makers \ not inferiour to the Body of the Levites under the old Law, nor equal with the Priefts : But you are to acl in your proper Stations under their their Guidance, by a due Submiflion to them ^ you are in a good Meafure fafe from all Tem- ptations to Irregularity, Lazinefs, or Prefum- ption. You are, as the Singers were of old, both un- der the Law and the Gofpel, to be humble^ frw denty traUMe^ diligent in your Places, and to be devout y fiouSy innocent^ And exemplary in your Lives and ConverffUions. I have known fome of thole difaffeEied to our Churchy and fome who fit very loofe to all Religion^ contend with their Triefl^ m hopes to thru ft a lewd uneatable Wretch into the Desk, and fo to eafe the Parifh of a Charge, at the Price of affronting God and his Minifters^ and throwing Dirt upon all the Duties of Reli- gion. You are to attend upon the officiating Clergy in all God's folemn fublick Ordinances^ and Men of Senfe will conclude, that you ought al- ways to be upon your Guard, to be habitually fober^ and ready to fing to God with Grace in your Hearts^ and to be always fit to communicate at Cod's holy Table : Your Body is ftill a Part of the Clergy y and your ill Behaviour will bring a Scan^ dal upon the Churchy as well as that of your Su- periours : And as our Ecclefiaflical Laws punifh the Vices of the Clergy^ when flagrant, by Suf- fenftony Excommunicationy and J)eprivationy as Oc- casion requires^ fo you, as an Incorporation^ ought to admit none to be Members of your Bo- dy, whofe Lives and Difabilities make them a Difgrace to you, and to cafi them outy if they fall into grofs Errors and Mifdemeanours y that fuch as are unfit for thofe of the Churchy may have no Interefl; in your Civil Privileges. The Church has apointed Tfalms for every Day of every Monthy by following her Choice you can never bs guilty of any grest Abfurdity -y but leaviit(^' leaving outy or putting trij or shipping from F'erfi to Ferfey on Pretence of making the Pfalm more pertinent to the Occafion \ by which Means the Congregation are at a Lofs to find out what they are to ling ^ or the Inconvenience muft be prevented by that unharmonious and undecenf way of Reading every Line before it is fung, by which Means the Remedy becomes as bad as the Difeafe. To do this, or to be wifer than the Church in her Appointments, belongs neither to you, nor to the Parifh Prieft, but only to the Governours of the Churchy and her Reprefentathes convened lawfully in a National Synod. I The Choice of Pfalms on partieuV^r Days, if needful, belongs to the Incumbent : If he leaves it to your Difcretion, a modeft Difcretion would yet confult him, who, as he's the proper Judge of what is fittefi to preach *, fo he's the proper Judge of what is fittefi to fingy for the Edificati- on of the People. The Meafures in Which the Jewipi and Chrifli- m Churches fung their Pfalms y were not like ours, though the Hebrew Original he fometlmes Rhythmey but their Numbers little undcrftood : Our vulgar Frofe comes neareft to them, and the nobUfi Jnthems avQ drawn from thence. But iince fuch Pfalmody is above the Attainments of our ordinary Congregations, all the Reformed Churches fmg their Pfalms and Hymns In Rhythme, tliat rendrfng them more pleafant to the Ear, more eafy to the Memory, and allowing them more of Breath at the End of juft fo many Syl- lables, than the profaick Compofitions ufually do. The Reform d Churches have always been very fiiy oi Alter at Ions y for fear of diiturbing the M'.nds of well-meaningy but perhaps not over- critlcaly Chriltians ; Our Church has long ufed the . ( 13 ) the fame Way ; and as I am fatisfied, that Men may fi?7g Tfdms in Rhythme with iis quiet and peaceable Minds^ as they can fing or [ay thofc in Trofey whatever a Learned Man may have infinuated to Dr. Rich, Watfon. the contrary *, fo I cannot think our Chnrch did amifs, when fhe retain'd the old Trofe Verfwn in her Daily Service^ notwith- Handing the Accuracy of the lafl; Tranflation in the Body of our Bibles : That old Tranflation has been unanfwerably vindicated by the Learned Dr. Hammondy and others *, and our hefi Compofers of Church Mufick have fo generally chofen that old Tranflation for their Hymns and Anthems, that I cannot, on that Reafon, but have a great Regard to our old Rhythming Verfion of the Pfalms •, and mult, in my own Judgment, con- clude all Innovations dangerous ^ till fuch Time as a National Synod (hall lay one more corrcdt be- fore the Three Efiates in Parliament •, which hav- ing the Royal San^ion added to it, would really oblige all the good Members of the Church of Eng- land, and be receiv'd, and made ufe of every where with Than kfulnefs. You, my Brethren^ are Mailers of 02ir Parochial Mufick, efpecially where an Organ is wanting : And it's yourBufinefs and Interefl not to con- found, but to promote Harmony, and that doubtlefs is the Aim of every worthy Member of your Society : But to read every Line by one aloricy confounds all •, it breaks the Senfe of every Period;, it breaks the Sweetnefs of every Ca- dence*, it's a Practice therefore admitted of in no ToeH-orderd Church, that of North-Britain only excepted, and it was brought firfl into England by them in the Head of thofe Rebellious Arms^ which they raised againji the hefi of Churches^ and D ths. ( ?4 ) . the hefi of Kin^s. And certainly it's now Time to be afhamed of fuch an immufical Contri- vance. If this undecent Tr^Eiice were entirely banifh'd, all fuch as could re^td^ and defir'd to fmgj would bring their Books with them •, fuch as could not, would endeavour to get them by Heart : The primitive Chriftims had them all fo ^ very many in the Foreign Reformed Churches have been as induflrious, and fo would great Num- hers of our cwn^ if that abfurd Cullom did not indulge their Lazinefs. As you are a Corporation^ befide your Power to caft out unworthy Members, you have ex- cellent Opportunities, at your weekly Meetings^ to improve your felves in your Bufinefs ^ and you may fettle fuch Meafures among your felves, if you are but true to your ownlnterefts, as may advance Pfalmody, in and about this City, to a yet greater Perfection : You'll advance it efpeci- ally by performing it in your own Per fans ^ re- verently, devoutly, earneilly, as if you your felves believ'd Pfdmody to be a Divine Ordinance* The Behaviour of the M;if\;trs of the Muficky and of the Afafters of the AffembHeSj has ufually a good Influence upon the whole Confort. I have often w^onder'd to fee many of our Clerp fo ve- ry carelefs in the Matter ^ It may be many have not confider'd the Matter, and fo have in- dulged them felves in fitting at the fijging, tho' they have flood uf at the reading Pjalms'^ for what Reafons, they themi felves knov/ befl : I am fure they'll find it difncult to fhew me either the Priffts or Levites under the Law, or the BlfhofSy Priefisy crDeacoKs^ or Singers j under the Gofpel,^f- ting \\ hile they fung the Praifes of their God ^ or ^•^v devour or humble Chriftian, fitting at an An- r-- :r:u in cu; Rujal Cha^^els or Cathedrals. Thofe who (35) . who reverence one Ordinance^ will behave them- felves reverently at all *, and Irreverence at one^ may have a fatal Influence on Men in all the reft. Singing to God is one part of the Bemty of Holinefs \ but it's miferably tarnifh'd by an indecent Behaviour in his own Houfe. Finally, Let not any of that Skill in Mufich, which God has blefs'd any of you with, be e- ver defiled by mingling with what's profane and irreligious. You too are God's Mlniftersy and tho' it may be of feveral Profefhons, yet all pe- culiarly devoted to his Service \ Let therefore no- thing that is fcandalous or offenfive to chart: or modeft: Ears, ever proceed out of your Mouths: What Communication has Light with Darknefs? What Communion has God with Belial ? Thus the Levites^ thus the Singers were taught of old. Let but thefe Advices prevail with you, and then you and I, and all the whole Ifrael of God, when we come in due Time to be tranflated to the Church triamfhant, to the jijfembly of the Firft-^ Borny we Ihall there with Angels and Arch- An- gelsy and all holy glorified Soulsy fing eternal Hal- lelujahs to the Head of the Church, the Son of Godj our Saviour and Redeemer. To Whom, with Thee O Father, and Thee O Holy Ghoft, Three Perfons, but One Infinite and Eternal GOD, be given, as is moft due, all Honour, Glory, Praife, Power, Might, Ma- jefty, and Dominion, now, henceforth, and for evermore. Amen, Amen* FINIS. BOOKS Printed ; And are to be Sold ^ J. Downing/ Bartholomew-Clofe/?^4rWeft-SmithfieI( TH E Principles and Duties of the Chrifti Religion, confiderM and exphin'd j in 6 dcr to retrieve and jpromote the Chriftis Life, or that Holinels, without which 1 Man fliall fee the Lord Divided into XXVI Cha ters. One whereof being read every Lord's-Day ai Holy-day, the whole will be read over thrice in t Year. With a Colle&ion of fuitable Devotions, 6 for feveral Occafions. By jf. Maphtoft, D. D. T Second Edrtion correfted and enlarged. The Divine Original and Incomparable Excellen( of the Chriftian Religion, as founded on the Ho Scriptures, aflerted and vindicated in VIII Sermoi preach'd at the Lefture founded by the Honourab Robert Boyle Efq; in the Year of our Lord 17 jo. Joftah Woodward, D D. Juft Meafures of the pious Inftitution of Yout according to the plain Maxims of the Gofpel. Co taining the great and fundamental Duties of the Ch itian Religion. In 3 PiTts.idEdit By George Monro yM. The Advices of a Father to his Children on t Subieft of Religion ; wherein the Principal Tr of Chriftianity are eftablilh'd, and its pru^cipal tics enforced. With Ihort fuitable Prayers to ea Head of Difcourfe. In Two Parts. By 7. Spavan^ M. TheHiftory of Churches m'Zngland: Wherein fhewn, the Time, Means, and Manner of Foundir Building and Endowing of Churches, both Cathed and Rural, with their Furniture and Appendages. Ihom/u S^W^'Efq; late of the Inner-Temple. The Praftlce of true Devotion, in Relation to t End, as well as the Means of Religion. The Devout Pfalmodiji : Two Sermons. I Conccrnii Tinging Pfalms with Devotion and Melody. II She ing the Indecency and Irreverence of fitting at t fniging folemn Praifes to God. In Two Parts. ^okn Burroughs, Rc9:or ©f Trujham in Devon. Prife^d ;?, yu * /^/Kx^,^ ♦^^^^ f-^f /. -/.//C ^l^/J I- ^. . 74.4- '^ n. ,'^L 'h^ b MILBOURNE (Luke), Psalmody recommended m a Sermon preach'd to the Company of Parish -Clerks, at St. Alban's, Wood-Street, Nov. 17 : at St. Gile s's in the Fields, Nov. 22, 1712. London, 1713. Sm. 8vo, —*^^^^^^^ 12s. 6d. V?''V' ?^