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making melody in your heart to the Lord. Col.3.16. Let the Word of Chrift dwell in you richly, in all wifdome, teaching and admonish. ing one another in Pfalms, and Hymns, and Spirituall Songs, finging with Grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Jam.5.13. Is any among you afflicted? let him pray, is Any merry? let him sing Pfalms.

'Tis spoken generally: Is any merry? let him fing, &c. not that it is unlawful to fing at other times (for then it might be argued as well, that 'tis not lawful to pray, but when fad) but as prayer is the best remedie for forrowes, fo thanksgiv ing or finging to Gods praife, is the proper duty in the time of Mercies and Comforts. In Mifery, the proper duty is prayer; In Profperity, giving thanks.

4. We have Directions and Rules given us how to fing in a right manuer. Namely, with Grace in our hearts unto the Lord: Which directions were needleffe, if finging of Pfalms were not a duty under the Gospel.

5. We find it practifed by our blessed Savionr and his Difciples, Mat.26.30. And when they had fung an Hymn, they went out into the Mount of olives. And by Paul and Silas, Acts 16.25. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and fang praifes unto God: and the prifoners heard them. 6. In the primitive times it was frequently

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practifed; infomuch that the Heathens took nótice of this ufe and custome among the Chriftians. Pliny writing to Trajan the Emperor, tels him of the Chriftians morning Hymns or Pfalms to Chrift and God, as an ufual practife in their folemn Worship.

I come now to the Second thing; That 'tis lawful and warrantable to fing Davids Pfalins.

1. Because no compofures can be equal to i thofe of Gods Spirit. If any Pfalms therefore are to be fung, then furely fuch as are given by Di vine inspiration, as Davids were. Those excel·lent compofures being part of the Word of God, and full of Heavenly matter tending to inftruction and confolation; and being configned to the ufe of the Church, ought to be preferr'd before the compofures of private perfons, ordinarily gifted, and not infallibly affifted: Obferve that,2 Chron. 29.30. Moreover Hezekiah the King, and the Princes commanded the Levites tofing praife unto the Lord with the words of David, and Afaph the Seer, and they fang praifes with gladneß. As for that extraordinary gift of compofing Palms by the fudden fuggeftion of the holy Ghoft (which was given to iome of the members of the Church of Corinth, 1 Cor.14.) it is now ceafed,with other extraordinary gifts, as that of Tongues, and Healing, &c.

2. The Apoftle in those two places before mentioned, Eph.j.19. & Col.3.16. by using those

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three words, Pfalms, Hymns, and Spiritual S does feem plainly to point at Davids Pfalmi they answer exactly to those three Hebrewar Shirim, Tehillim, Mizmorim, whereby Dr Pfalms were called, divided, and difting ed.

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3. 'Twas the custome of the Fewes to? · fome of Davids Pfalms in the night of the f over (as Scalliger, Buxtorfius, and others, in their customes, inform us) Those P were thofe fix from the 13th to the which were call'd the great Hallelujah. An more than probable, Chrift with his followed their custome herein, becauf things he observed their ufual Paffeoveries, I come now to the Third thing; the objections ufually made against this is obj.1. Some fcruple to fing in a mixt gation, where wicked men joyn, that pric God in a right manner.

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Anf. To render praifes is a duty all mea to God. David cals on all creatures to praifes to God. Ifal.145. And all the domes of the Earth are bidden to praebe. Lord, Pfal.68.32. Though therefore n men do not praise God as they should, ye fin more in not doing it at all, then in not a in a right manner.

2. In Exod. 15. We find Mofes and Children of Ifrael fang praises to God toge

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And yet furely there were fome wicked perfons among them. Paul in the ship, Acts 27.35. gave thanks to God before Infidels, and profeffed Heathens. If the prefence of wicked men should hinder the acceptation of those that are fincere, the people of God were in a most fad condition, being never certain but fome fecret Hypocrite may be in the most pick'd Aßembly. But the best is, God will accept us according to our integrity, noc our company. God will hear the bleating of one fheep, though in the midst of a thousand wolves. Ifthe wicked take the Name of God in vain, fin lies at their own doors. We warn them against it: If they do not their duties as they should, muft we therefore neglect ours?

obj.2. Why fhould we fing Pfalms? Cannot we read them for our inftruction?

Anf. Singing will affect, and raife, and quick en the heart to praife God, more than reading. The voice is a great matter to quicken our hearts both in prayer and finging. The people of God formerly did not think it enough to say what God had done for them, but they did fing it, that their hearts might be more affected, warmed, raised, enlivened, and lifted up in the praises of God.

obj.3. Some are offended we fing on daies of fafting and humiliation.

Anf. All Pfalms are not fit for all occafions.There ought to be a wife choice made: Many of the Pfalmes David pean'd, and fung, when his

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Chap.6. mind was full of anguish and grief, and fo he cafed his heart, by lamenting his fad condition before the Lord. Obferve the Title of Pfalm 102: A prayer of the aflicted, when he is overwhelmed and poureth out his complaint before the Lord. Therefore our finging on fafling daies, is not to make us merry; but to affect and melt our hearts with a deep fenfe of our fins. Penitential Pfalms provoke to fadneffe, as Euchariftical, to joy and rejoycing.

Obj 4. Davids Palms do not fuit our conditions. Is it not abfurd to give people Davids Conditions to fing, and for them to tell God it is fo with them, as it was with David, when poffibly 'cis nothing fo?

Anf.. All Scripture is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, inftruction, &c. 2 Tim. 3.16. And written for our learning and comfort, Rom. 15.4. And therefore the Pfalms alfo.

2. The Pfams feem principally written for a threefold ufe.

1. For Inftruction and admonition.
2. For Confolation.

3. For Praife and Thanksgiving.

Now what paßage is there in Davids Pfalms, but thou maift accomodate to thy felf one of thefe waies? Suppole David faid, I am not puft in mind, Pfal.131. And thou findeft thy heart prone to pride; here is a word of admonition to thee. So that whilft thou art reciting and declaring

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