riHB ■ K»V> ■ HI ■ FROM THE LIBRARY OF REV. LOUIS FITZGERALD BENSON, D. D. BEQUEATHED BY HIM TO THE LIBRARY OF PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY m S^ Cburch-Mujick Vindicated. K ■ •» SERMON PREAC WD At St 'Bride** Church, on Monday D^pyember 21. 1697. B E I N G S' CMC I LI As Day, The Anniverfary Feaft of the Lovers of Mufick. By Nicholas Brady, M.A. Minifter of Richmond in Surry, and Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majefty. Ftbliflxd-at tie reqaeftof the STE WARDS. LONDON, Printed for Jofeph Wilde at the Elephant at Charing-Crofs, 1 6 % 7, To the Stewards f g t# Cgp~ cilia's Feaft Hugh Colvill Efq\ Capt. Tho. Newnam Orlando Bridgman Efq Theophilus Butler Ejf Leonard WeflelE/f* Paris Slaughter Ef when that which was fpoken from the One, is no longer Jupported by what was a&ed in the Other ; 1 have juji reafon to fear , that it will but indifferently anfwer , either either the prepeffejfed Opinion of thofe wL& heard it , or the expectation of thoft that did not. Kotwithfl^nding this, fince only I am to be the Sufferer, and not the Cai.Tc ; ( which ba& Been already too well defended by Abler Pens , to undergo any prejudice by the veaknefs of mine j) I ft all gladly run that hazaid in Com- pliance with your defire 5, and [ball not d/fpute giving even this Dangerous Tcftimoiiy , of that fin cere Refpect trhijch ft all be always paid' GENTLEMEN,, Your Obliged, Hiimblc Servant,, N.BRADr. The Author bein| in the Country wheu this Sermon v as Pri ucd, tome Errors efcaped the Prcfs, which the Reader isdeficed t % *DAc% 2. L'm^i. for Grardcur r. Grandeur, p 5.1. 17, * Ut Tent r. Text* p. 7. L 3 for Rufag r. Rkvifbtng % p. 10 1, r. foi Sabbath x.Stbaoth, p 12.!. 15. for the r. a, p r 6. 1. 12. for Convenient j r. Conceptions, p. 17. i. 2. tor greater x. great eft, p. 22 J. 20. for tho r. #, p.?///.l.iO e dele ^W, SERMON Preached on St. Ctcilias Day. 2 Chron. 5th Ch. 13th, & i^eh, Verfcs. 12. It came even to paff, as the Trumpeter sand Sivgrs were as one, to mahg one Sound to be beard in Praififfg and Thanking the Lord\ And when they lift up their Voice, rvitb the Trumpets and Cymbals, and Inflruments of Mitjickp and fraijed the Lord^ faying, For he is goods for his Mercy endureth for even TtJat tben the Houfe w*$ filed with a Cloud, even the Houfe of the Lord ; 14.. So that the Priefts could not ft and to Mi~ nifler by reafon of the Cloud \ For the Glory cf the Lord had filed the Houfe of God. WE do not ( I think ) meet in the whole Book of Cod , with a more Signal Ir> ftance of his favourable Acceptance , of that A Devout A Serwon FreacUd on Devout Employment iii which we are now Conversant, (our praiilng him, and giving him Thanks, wich Voices and h jlnunents of M& ficK) than we have in thole words which I have now read to you, and which I have cho- len for the Subject of my following Difcourfe ; where we Had it makes up a vciy cor.fiderable part, of one of the moft Eminent Solemnities of Religion, that we ever heard of under the Legal Difpmfation : A Solemnity Regulated by the Wifeft amongft Mc:.i ; and in which we can- not fuppofe anything to have been allowed of, but what was fuitablc to the Gravity and Ma- jefty of the occafion : Ic was Solomons Dedica- ting that Glorious Temple, which was juftly Reputed the Nobleft Structure in the World ; and his Sollicking the Almighty, that he would Jrife into his Rcjiing-place, He and the Ark of his Strength To let oft" a performance fo Re- markable as this, with all the Characters oi a becoming Grandeur, he Summons the Elders and Heads of ^tribes, and even all the Men of Jfrael) to attend him at Jernfalems where ha- ving offered up Sheep and Oxen nithout num- ber ^ theyaccompanyed the Priefts who bore the Ar\ St. CxcWias Day. jich^ of the Covenant, and conduced it with Reverence into the moft Holy place j whilffc to add to the Magnificence of the Ceremony y the Lev ites which were the Singers, having Cyw- balr and Pfalteries and Harps, jiood at the Eafi end of the Brazen Ahar, and with them a hun- dred and twenty Priefis Sounding with Irum- pets 5 as you mjy read in the Vcrfes juft pre- ceding my Text* And certainly, if an incre- dible Multitude ot Spectators and Aftiftants, if the quality as well as number of the Pcrfons AfTembled, if the Statelinefs and Beauty of the Scene and Aftion, if a pompous expenceof al- moft innumerable Sacrifices, and a Delightful Variety of all forts of Muficl^ can give Life and Quicknels, Majefty and Splendour to any per- formance ; the Religious Feftival which this Chapter gives an accounted may juftly chal- lenge the preference above all others, that ever occurred throughout the whole Jewiflj Oecono- r,i) : And therefore we find, that according to God's method of proceeding with that People, whofe more eminent AQs of Piety he ufually Honoured, with fome Senfible Demonfrration of his favour, he Manifefted his Approval of A 2 this A Sermon Vreactid on this Devout Solemnity, by tilling the Temple tvith his Glory, and giving vifiblc Tokens of of his more immediate Pretence. But if amongft all thofe Religious performances, which were fevcrally exercifed upon this Solemn occafion y we may be allowed to Conjecture or Deter- mine, which was moft valuable in the light of God '<> we may (I believe) very faftly conclude, that it- was not the bare Aflembling themfelves together,.nor the Coftly Pageantry of their Nu- merous Oblations; fince thefe were but fo ma- ny dumb (hews- of Religion, and a compliance only with the dead Letter of the Law j ) Bur it was that Lively Sacrifice of Fraijes and Ihavlf- giving! that agreeable Melody, and Harmoni- ous Contort of many. Hearts and Voices, and Inftrumeiits as on*\ that drew down upon the devout performers, an anqweffionable evidence of his Approbation ; to this it was, that he fct his own Seal, and made it ( as it were ) the Sig- nal of his extraordinary Appearance: Fd we are not told, that he took any publicly no- tice of all the foregoing Exercifes of Devoti- on ; But ( fays the Text ) it came even to pafs, & the 7ruMpeters and Singers nsre $$Qnefo make cne 6>. CaeciliaV Day. 5 one Sound to be heard in ¥ raiding and Thanking the lord; and when they lift tip their Voice with the Trumpets and Cymbals and Injiruments cf Muficl^ and praifed the Lord', faying, For l*e ts good^ for his Mtr^cy endurelh for ever . that the?;, (and not before ) the Houfe rv and Supported by the Affurance of God's Favour and Protection, which is the moft certain Fund of Comfort and Satisfaction ..} if we take her portraiture from the St. CarciliaV Day, 7 the Life, The will appear as bright and beautiirJ as an Aygd\ fetoff wirhall thofe Charms and and raifmg Attractions, which may moft power- fully Recommend her to our Affc&iors \ allow- ing and encouraging the trncft chcarfuhiefc, and not chilling with, or condemning any Innocent Delights : And therelore nothing has done her a greater prejudice, nothing has more hindered her Diftuilvcnefs and Efficacy, than the falfe Draught-made of her by fomc fort of People^ who would have her toconfift inMorolenefsar.d Aufteriry : Theydrefs her up like a Fiend or a Fury, they arm her wirh Snakes and Whips, and Firebrands ; and having thus made her an Ob- ject of Loathing and Averfion, they pretend to recommend her under fo frightful anAppeafance; It is through their means, who limn her after this hideous manner-, that Mupck her obfequious and afefttl Handmaid, has iun the hazard of be- ing Difcarded from her Service ; as if fhe were an Attendant too light and airy, to comport with rhe gravity of fo referved a Miftrcf?. But in this they deal with her, as they din with the other, and represent her much different from what {he really is, making that lightnefs effen- tial 8 A Sermon F read/ don rial to her, which is purely accidental , and de- crying ihar as her infeparable habir, which is only a loofc Garment that (lie fometimes wears abroad, but which flie always drops before her cnrrar.ee into the Clmrch. There The purs on fuch a Compoiednefs and Solidity, a* isfuitablc to the Sacred Offices in which file is enip!oyed > and may qualifie her to be made ufe of both, with Innocence and Advantage. And lji. As to the b:ncce;:ce of this Ufege. It would be wholy unnecellary to infift upon this Topic ^ were there not a pai t) of Men fa un- accountably fcrupulous, as to cenlure the Har- wony y which is made ufe of in otir Churches, as a fort of proceeding extreme [y culpable : Thcfe then are the Perfons whom I would define to confider, that that.which has been the civftom of good Men in all Ages, without ary mark of 'God's dfapproval; Jthat which is fo often re- commended to our practice, by thofc who have been commifllonated to. convey his Order to us • that which is the Entertainment of the Blcft a- beve, in their. perfe& State of Purity and Fclici- fy } that (I fay ) cannot be fuppoled with any lhadow of Reafon, xo contract any guilty or be liable A Sermon Y reach" don liable to any jult ceniure : But this (\\t find J was a devout Employment, in which the belt of Men have been exrrcis'd frequently ; wit- nefs the Songs of Mcf:s and Deborah, before the whole Congregation of the People of If* rael: Witnefs the Divine 2nd Mafic al Compo- sitions oiDavicly Solomon^ and others, for the Service of the Temple : Witnefs the Hymn that our Saviour fung with his Apoftles who were then the Abridgment of the Chriftian Church, and thofe that were afterwards, in their folemn AlTemblies, made u[c of by the Difciples and Followers of our Lord. This alio we find re- commended to our Pra&ice, by thofe who re- vealed unto us the will of God ; fuch as the Royal Pfalmift, almoft in every page 5 Ifaiab and Jeremiah in feveral places of their Prophe- iles ; St. Paul in his Writings to the Ephefranf and Colojpons, and St. James in his Epiftle to the Church in general ; in all which we have frequent Exhortations to this Duty, as a po- iltive part of our Religious Worfhip. In this we are allured that the Heavenly Hoft are al- ways happily employed, where Cherubim and Serayhim continually rcfound, lloly^ Holy> Holy, B Lvrd i o St. CgeciliaV Day. Lord God of Sabbath: Where the tour and tirenty Elders that atrend- about the Throne, in- cef antly chant out their Allehtjahs \ and where thofe who have gotten the Vitlory over the Beatt, unanimoufly joyn in finging the Song of riie Lamb : Unlefs therefore we will un- reafonably imagine, that God would be fo far wanting to his beft beloved Servants, as to fuf- fer them to go on in a finful courfe, without giving them any notice of the Errour they lay - under ; unlefs we will Blafphcmoufly fuppoie him fo unfaithful to iis ? as to fuffer us to be deluded by thofe who come to us in his Name, and who bring his own Credentials along with them; unlefs we will entertain abfurd Noti- ons of him, that he is inconfiftcnt with him- felf , and admits of that in his Heavenly Pa- lace, which is offenfive to him upon his Earth- ly FootJiooTj we cannot conceive that this de- cent ufage, W'hichhas fomany Teftimonials of his Favour, can be otherwifethan highly Inno- cent in its fclf. It is true indeed, this Heaven- ly Art, has been fometimes abufed, to the in- couragement of Debauchery ; and as the beft things corrupted, contrail: the greateft illnefs, fo A Strmon Prjacf/d on r i fo has this been made an iniirument of loof - nefs and fenfuality ; but if this were fuffiaect to exclude it from the Temple, when purified from that Allay which debated it's value 5 Po- etry as well as }Aufii\, muft be banidied from cur Churches, and the Pfalms as well as Harp of David, muft be forbidden to us ; fince the two Sacred Sifters have been equal Sufferers , having both been proftituted to the moft fcan- dalous Employments. Let us rather endeavour to fnatch what we can of ic out of the Hands of the prophane; ro refcue this Virgin, out the power of her Ravifliers ; and to prefent her unblemifhed at the Alrar of our God , where we may joyn Devotions with her, not only vvich Innocence, but with Advantage alia. In order to which end, let us confider in the next place*, what profit may redound to us from fuch a practice. Nothing is fo proper or fo available as this for compofing our minds, and fctling them in a Sedate and quiet pofture; for reducing our ftraggling thoughts,and fixing them to their Duty; for calming and allaying our disorderly paOIons, or for lifting up the Soul in a devout Contemplation; When we B 2 are i 2 St. CxciliaV Pay. are thus entertained with the employment of jlngels, our thoughts naturally afcend unto thoic Manilons oi Joy \ we have an enter- • courfe, as it were with thofe Heavenly Inha- bitants, arid our Convcrfation fcems to be al- together above : There is in Muficl^ Geio y rt f fonlething of Divinity, which Captivates the Affe&ions, and Regulates them at it's Will ; it ach upon the Soul with fuch a (Weet Vi- olence, as is almoft infenilble, but irrefiftible too ; and I have heard many teftifie from their own experience, and I queftion not, but we have many present witneiicsof the truth of it, that whenever they have been prefent at the performance of this nature, they have telt their 2eal grow warm 5 if it were rot kindled before , and encrcafe confiderably if it were. Is the Spirit of the Lord to defcend upon EtifbS) and that upon an occasion, more extraordinary than ufual ? A Minftrel muft be brought to play before him, and to make his Soul fufceptible of the Divine Infpiration. Is Saul's Melancholy and Dcfpair to be driven a- way, and his mind to be fet in order, for the difcharging his great Office ? The Harp of Pa- vid A Sermon treat if don 3 *vid nuift apply the Medicine, ar d chaie away his gloomy imaginations : Such was the power of that Sacred Lyre, when tuned ro the Voice of the Sweet-Singer ot Ijrad ; and fuch would the efteft of ir rexiiatti to this ctay., if ft were flill touch'd by the fame inimitable hand; but the unskilful nefs of thole that have played upon itfince, has deftroyed in a great meafure the Melody of the Inftrument ; and it's Efficacy has Idlened . as it's Harmony has been impaired. This Divine Art has fuch an admirable Secret of uniting Earth and Heaven together, that the Scale of Mtifkh^ appears to me, to be the exaft counterpart of Jacobs Ladder ; with one end refting upon the Earthy in the material Organs that compofe it, and the other end reaching up to Heaven, in the Life and Spirit of it's perfor- mances ; upon the fevera! Degrees of this, are the Holy An? eh, thofe CelefiiaJ Ch or i tiers, per- petually Afcending and Defcending \ and the Lord hintfelf flands at the top of it, to counte- nance and encourage the devout employment : Who then can with-hold at fuch an Heavcrly Entertainment, where Devotion embraces De- light, and pleafure feems to be Spiritua!i7ed , from j 4 St. CaciliaV Day. from breaking out with the Patriarch into his Rapturous Exclamation ? Surely the Lord ts in this place ! This is none other than the lionfe of Cod\ And this is the GaU of Heaven ! For indeed what Idea can we form to our fclves, of thofc happy Regions of Joy and Tranquility ,of which this will not be a moft lively Tranfcript ? What is Heaven, but an Allembly of Saints and Blef- {ed Spirits, in the immediate prefence of their Almighty Creatour, Rejoycing in the Setvice of fo bountiful a Mafter, and celebrating his prai- fes with their Voices and their Inftruments ? And fuch an imitation cf them here, will qualifie us for their Society hereafter, when 7ve ni:h Angels and Archangels^ and with all the company and Hoji of Heaven, frail laud and magnijie his Holy Name, and this leads me to the idy Obfervation, which may be drawn from the words ot my Text, namely, That the pro- per Office of Mnfic\ in the Service of God, is to praife him, and give himthanhj, becaufe hi is good, and becaufe his Mercy endureth for ever. The earlieft infbnce which we have of Sa- cred Mufickj are certain Songs-of Triumph which were compofed, to celebrate fome Great and Signal A Sifnton Preach 9 d on \ cj Signal Deliverances ; Rich as thofe already men- tioned of MofeszVid Deborah : It's firft Introdu- ction into the JeiPi/l Church, was by the gra re- fill piety of King David* who appointed cer- tain Le^'/V?/ to thank and praife God, in a form which he borrowed from one of his owwpfalms^ and which are the very words recorded in my Text j purfuant alio to this, the Apoftle advr fes us, that when -we are merry, wt fhould Ting Tfalms, for Ma/Jr/^ being themoft chearfu! way of exercifing our Devotion, fhould therefore be appropriated to themoft Delightful A8c of Pi- ety ; and that is praifing God for the mani- fold expredlons, of his GoodneG and Mercy towards the Sons of Men. All other /duties of Religion, feem to carry feme fort of un- eafinefs along with them ; for they either put us in mind of our igno r ance and forgetiull- ncfe^ as in hearing the Word • or of our wants and necefllties, as in Prayer j or of our Sins and lnfirmities,asin Pvepentance ;, but Vraife is fuch a Duty, as is entertaining in it's Nature, and car- ries no allay with it ta damp our fatisfa ly experienced ; when in ftead of the Cala- mities of a difhial War, we find our Souls re- frclht with the abundance of Peace ; and with his fafe Arrival and long wifhed for presence, t j whom we ftand indebred for fo precious a Trea- fure: Peace then is re ftored to us within our Walls, Peace that Baniftier of Difcord , that Mother of Harmony^ that Band of Union to contenting Minds, that Nurfe and Patronefs of ufeful Arts and Sciences : This our long abfent gucft, condefcends to vifit us again j Let us re- ceive her with Hearts overflowing wich Gra- Utud: ; with a joy as great, as the Advanta- ges {he imparts i as Univerfal, as the Bleffings The difpences. And O ! That all the feveral par- ties in this Kingdom, however formerly divi- ded by intereft or defign, would Refemble the trumpeters and Singers in the Text! that they were as one ! That they would wah$ one Sound to he heard , in Praifmg and Thanking the ,1 C Lord! 8 St. Cecilia V Day. Lord ! That they would I. ft up their Hearts and their Voices together, with Trumpets andC)m+ bahy and hjiruments of Mhfic\\ ai;d with Joint confent would p'aife the Lord faying , For he k good, for his Mercy endureth for e- re\hren\hat dwell together in Mr u ty, make in the Ears of God our common Fa- ther ! How certainly would he tcftifie his Ap- probation of this Harmony, by filling the whole Nation with hk Glory ! Which brings me to the %d. And laft Obfervation, which may be de- duced from the words of my Text; Narreiy, how Signal an Evidence God has been plea- fed to give us, of his avow'd Allowance and Approbation^ of this ufe of Mufickjn his Ser- vice. You may remember that I hipted to you in the beginning of this Difcourfe, after how in- dulgent and engaging a manner, God was wont to proceed with the People of the Jews, in Relatiou to their A£ta of more Solemn Devo- tion i Such of thefe as were more Eminent and Remarkable, he frequently teftified his Accept tance of, by fbme vifible and extraordinary To- ken A Sermon t* reach' d on ip hpn of his Favour ; which was ufually done > cither by the Fire of God descending from Hea- ven, and Consuming their Sacrifices and Obla- tions, as in the great Conteft between Elijah and thePriefts of Baal', or clfe filing the place of W or flip with a Cloud, and with his Glory, as in the inftance that is now before us. And to whatfoever Religious periormances,we find thefe marks affixed of the Divine Approbati- on ', we may very iafcly conclude of them , that not only the Scope of the A£Hon in gene* ral , but every particular Circumftance and Ceremony of it, was agreeable to his Will , and well pleafing in his Sight; For had there been a failure in any one part* God would never have fet his own ftamp upon it, to war- rant ic's currancy and perfe&ion. And there- fore it was not barely Solomons Dedication of theTemple, and his bringing the Ar\ into the Holicft of Holies -, bnt the Method and Manner alfo of his proceedings in it, his Afiembling the Congregation,his offering up Sacrifices, his Prai- fes and Thankfgi virigs, his Voices and his Inftru- ments^ whofe ufage was confirmed, and whofe pra&ice was approved of by God's Vouchfafe- C 2 ment 20 St. CaeciliaV Day ment of the Schekinah^ or Divine Prcfcnce. Lee us not then queftion at any time, ( when we exercife this Duty after this Solemn manner , in which w r e find it was Difchargcd upon this Eminent ©ccailon ) but that God will counte- nance and encourage our performance , as a moft acceptable part of Eleligious Woriliip : But if we cxptft to have it equally approved of, our management of it muft be with equal Decency: We muftbanith from it all Diibr- der and Confufion , For the Pmmpeiers and Singers were as one , w r emuftcake the Sub/e& of our Entertainment from the Or acles of God.and not dare to introduce into his Church, any fuch compofures as are not Sacred and Solemn: For they lift up their J'oices , and praifed Cod ^ faying, in the words of the Royal Prophet, For he is good) for his Mercy endureth for ever : Nor muft thofe who are converfant in this Heavenly Employment, Dishonour God with their Actions , whilft they Honour him with- their Voices ; for they were the Lev ties and the Triejis, Perfons Dedicated to his immedi- ate Service, to whom this part of his Wor- £hip was intrufted : And I would to God y that A Sermon Preach' don a i that all thofe who are confrantly attendant upon this moft Solemn Office of Religion , would confider the Honour and Gravity of their Calling; would look upon themfelves, as enter'd into a lower fort of Holy Orders, be- ing appointed to Miniftrr to Cod inhisT?///* fie 5 and would never derogate from the Sa* crednefs of their Employment, by an irregu- lar Life, or an indecent Behaviour. Then would God declare his acceptance of this Ser- vice, by inward affuranccs of his favour ; as he formerly teftified his Approbation of it, by outward Evidences of his Prefence. For though the Jervrfh Sacrifices are fwallowed up, in that great Oblation which Chrijl offer- ed once for all ; though the lemfle which was Dedicated, and the Ar\ which w r as pla- ced in ir, are both Superfeded by the Temple of his Body, which was the true ArJ^of the Covenant of God ; Yet Praifes and Thanks- giving to our Almighty Benefa&our ; and this Delightful way of tendring them, with the joynt Melody of Voices and lnftriiments of Mufif\% f .6 continued ever fince in the Church of God; will ( I doubt not ) remain in it unto 22 St. Caecilia 9 s Day unto the. end of the World 5 and will atter- wards attend it into the Manfions of Eter- nity ; and make a considerable part of it's infinite Felicity. And this fecms to me to be a Subftantial Reafon, why God here Di- (Vmguifh'd it above the other A&s of De- votion, by vouchfafing his Pfefence at that particular yun&ure, becaufe this was to out- Jaft all the other Ceremonies ; and to be a Handing Duty in the Service cf his Church, when the reft fhould vaniih and be done a- way. And now I have gone through with the Merhod I propoled ; I have vindicated the innocence and ufefulhejs of Church Mufick h I have lhew'd upon what occafion itismofi: fitly employed, and have examined that Te- ftimony of the Divine Allowance , w r hich ic has fo eminently in the words of my Text. And tho'* irmight perhaps be expe&ed upon this occafion, thatl ihould fay fomething of Mufich^ in General, of its Antiquity and Excellency, it's force and energy, of that unaccountable Acti- vity and furprizing Subtilnefs,by which it infinu- atcs it felf into our Veins, mixes with our Blood, and A Sermon Fr cacti d on 2 2 and mingles with -our Spirits ; altering of a fud- den the whole inwardFrame y and leading our In- clinations whether focver itpleafes, but I fhall think my felf excufable , if I wave all this, fince my Sub;e& confines me wholy to Church JMufick ; a.v.d I have endeavoured to Accommo- date my Difcoiide to my Sub;e&; by rather cha- fing to err upon the fide of Gravity y than run- ning any hazard ot bordering upon Light nefs Ai*d I (lull now add no more to detain you from the Employment which I have been. recommend- ing , but only bewail the condition of thoie, whole unhappy Averflon toDiVine Harmony y renders them unlike to the Saints and Elejfed Spirits,, which are continually bulled in that Employment; and congratulate the Happinds of their Circumftances,who by their Affection to this Sacred Art^ arc qualified to joyn with in- effable Raptures,in the Song of the ten Thoufand times, ten Thoufands of Angels , Biffing and Honour \and Glory and Foiver, he unto him that fit- teth on the^throm^andunto the Lamb j or ever and ever, FINIS. KrcW&35ra m fro m wm m^i Wk ftg&S m raft