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the congregation again petition him, in the same words as before; (only changing one for another, still more pathetic;) that he would arise, help and deliver them for the honour of his name: not for our merits, but his own glorious perfections, and the instruction of his creatures; that we and all men may learn to love and praise and serve him. Yet to this we are indispensably bound, even while the painfullest view of our sorrows and wants is before our eyes and therefore in the midst of our supplications we proceed immediately to ascribe that glory to the sacred Three, which ever hath been, is, and will be, their due; whether infinite wisdom allots to us prosperity or adversity. Nor is the mixture of doxologies with complaints less common in acts of worship, than it is reasonable. The Book of Psalms uses it frequently: the old Latin and Greek liturgies use it on this very occasion: and surely in our private devotions, even when most afflicted, we still give praise to God.

But though we own it our duty to glorify him in the severest sufferings, if it be his will that we should undergo them: yet conscious of our weakness, we go on to beg his protection against them, or deliverance of us from them, in mutual ejaculations of the utmost warmth: not that moving expressions will any otherwise incline him to grant mercy, than as they fit us to receive it, by imprinting on us a just sense of our dependence; which, if used with sincerity, they naturally do.

Then we close this part of the Litany with a more continued form of address to our merciful Father; composed originally above 1100 years ago; corrupted indeed afterwards, by intreating God to turn from us all evils for the sake of the intercession of his Saints;

but reformed in our liturgy, not only by leaving out that addition, but by inserting for completer security a new clause: Grant, that in all our troubles we may put our whole trust and confidence in thy mercy. And thus it is, that we borrow from the Church of Rome. By this prayer, so amended, we humbly confess our infirmities and unworthiness: yet beg, that notwithstanding both, we may, if God sees it proper, escape the afflictions, which we fear: but if not, that being still assured of his goodness to us, we may, with Job, though he slay us, trust in him*: and that for proof of this, we may as faithfully do our duty under the heaviest pressures, as the highest exaltation; and evermore serve him in holiness and pureness of living, to his honour and glory; saying with Job again, shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.

What remains of the Litany is the same with the conclusion of the morning and evening prayer: and therefore needs no separate explanation. May God give us grace to use these and all our devotions in so right a manner, that from praying to him amidst the troubles and sorrows of this world, we may be taken, in his good time, to praise him for ever amidst the joys of the next, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

*Job xiii. 15.

+ Job ii. 10.

# Job i. 21.

SERMON XXIX.

1 COR. XIV. 15.

-I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.

ONCE more I entreat your attention to the subject, on which I have so often discoursed from these words. The part of it, which remains, is the Communion Service. But as that service is almost every where separated, and very properly, from the preceding one, by the singing of a Psalm, I would first say a little concerning that much disregarded branch of worship.

As singing is capable of expressing strongly every state, in which the mind can be towards every object; so there never was perhaps any one nation upon earth, civilized or barbarous, that did not make this a part of the honour paid by them to the God, whom they adored. We find in the Old Testament, it was practised by the Jews, before the law was given, as well as after *. The book of Psalms consists wholly of religious songs: and directs the Saints of the Lord, to sing unto him, and give thanks for a remembrance of his holiness: to sing unto the honour of his name, and make his praise glorious; to sing praises unto our God, while we have our being §. The Prophets foretel, that, in the Gospel times, men shall sing for

• Exod. xv. 1, &c.
Psalm lxvi. 2.

+ Psalm xxx. 4.
¡§ Psalm cxlvi. 2.

the majesty of the Lord: and, which brings the prediction home to us, they shall cry aloud, and glorify God, in the Isles of the sea*. Accordingly St. Paul, not only himself with Silas, even in prison, sang praises unto Godt; but appoints, that all Christians should speak to themselves, and admonish one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual songs, making melody with grace in their hearts to the Lord. And St. James prescribes, Is any one merry? in a joyful frame on account of blessings received, (for the word, mirth, comprehended anciently the most serious kind of gladness,) let him sing Psalms §.

In pursuance of these rules, the first Christians made singing a constant part of their worship: as, besides the Ecclesiastical writers, even a heathen informs us. And the whole congregation joined in it. Afterwards indeed the singers by profession, who had been prudently appointed to lead and direct them, by degrees usurped the whole performance ¶. But at the Reformation the people were restored to their rights: and it made a much quicker progress for the pleasure and comfort, which they found in this practice: a circumstance, that ought to endear it to considerate persons not a little. And as the only way of singing known in common parochial churches is by the metre Psalms; unless we join in that, we intirely omit this branch of our duty.

It is very true, the verse translation of the Psalms, generally used, is void of ornament: and hath expressions, often low and flat, sometimes obsolete. And I wish a better were substituted in its place.

*Isaiah xxiv. 14, 15.
Eph. v. 19. Col. iii. 16.
Plin. 1. x. Ep. 27.

Acts xvi. 23, 24, 25.

§ James v. 18.

Bingham iii. 7. 2.

But still in many other cases, ancient solemn forms of words are thought venerable, when they are far from elegant: not to say, that the language of our forefathers, even where it may seem very uncouth at present, had in its time frequently full as much propriety and beauty, as ours. And several words of it have been, for that reason, revived by some of our best modern authors. But at least, the matter, comprised in the words, of which I am speaking, is so highly respectable, that the mind, which is affected only by the phrase, and not by the sense, must be a light one indeed.

Again, it is true also, that the tunes, to which the Psalms are sung, are most of them plain and slow; and the voices of many in the assembly unharmonious and apt to be ill-managed. But tunes, designed for the multitude to join in, who have never been regularly instructed, must be plain and slow, and such as they have been accustomed to: for which purpose the number should be moderate. Ours are many of them recommended, and as it were consecrated, by long usage. Confessors for the Protestant cause have composed them. Martyrs for it have yielded up their dying breath in them. And several of them are thought, by competent judges, no way deficient in real melody. Amongst a variety of people, part of them with bad ears, and most of them with untaught voices, there will be some, that had better totally abstain; only attending to the sense, as well as the sound, of what is uttered by the rest and others, that should moderate themselves to a prudent degree of lowness, till they have learnt how to exert themselves more properly. But all who are, or can be qualified, and there are few, who cannot, should bear such a part as they are able. It may be done, withH h

VOL. III.

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