V ER.19. Epktefanr,Chap. 5. The ¡aft thing to be marked , Thatin flingingire 7041411 not bringour voyce alone, but our heartto God. tJtly foule'ham,ignife the Lord, nay f yirit /hall rejoysein godmy Saviour. omy fettle praife the Lard.He that will fing aright, muff withthe ufe of his Pfalme joyne fenfe, under (fand it, with fenfe,affcftion; (get ti elpirit ofDavid to fing a Pfalme of David) with affeétion, exultation with that gravity, left our mirth favour oflightne(fe. Get the fpirit , till we play on this Organ, there is no mufick in Gods Bare. Therefore the Eafferne and Wefterne Churches ufeda kinde of finging, not muchdifferent from reading, it may be our Colledgekindeof finging is a remainder of their anci- ent cutome : Theymore cared tobring the cry of the heart, then confort ofvoice. Againe, on the other fide, Heretiques haverefined theirfong, as the Arians in Chryföflomes time , and the Donatifts in Aaguflins time. Let us not ftand fo much upon the melodie of voice, as on the harmony ofholy affctions. Gad is aSpirit, and he will be worfhipped in (pint. Againe, the Lord detefterbemplie founds: It is odious tohis care tohearethe din ofthem. Take thouaway from me thenoyfeofthy fangs, for I willnot heare the melodie ofthy Viods. Efay 29.13. It is occurfcd todraw neere with the tongue, c. Which doth rebuke many who never looke to their hearts in per- formance ofthefe duties ; Let us further looke to our hearts that they fpeake;Ashe that will make mufick, muff tune his inftrument : So we mufftune our hearts,a kindof inftrument that is ftrungwith affeEtions, or all will bee but an unpleafant difeord in thecare of God. Now ifyou would underftand how your heartsfhould fing, I will tell you: God. The matter we fingBoth refpedf His people. Or theenemies ofhis Church. Now that we fing ofGod is of hisproperties, or worker. If I fing ofhis goodneffe, I muff finde my heart enflamed with love to him; if ofhis wifdome, or power, I muff have a holy admirationofthem; if ofhis works ofmcrcy to the Saints, I muff congratulate in it; ifofhis j udgements, I muff feare. For our felves, we fing for the molt part of things we want and would have, of things we have received , of evils which dwell with us, from which wewould be delivered. Now in the fìrff, I muff labour tohave a delireofthofe things. In the men- tioning the fecond, labour for thankfulneffe ; In the third , for feare, igriefe,lowlineffe. When we fing ofwicked mens wayes, wee muff have hatred, zeale, compalfion,&c. Now before we leave this place, I will point at the confiderations in it which doe overthrow all their abut-es, the rather becaufe they are not afhamed to bring this and col.3r16. to juftifie their caufe. « a. Paul fpeakethnot to the Quireoffinging men,but to all corn- " mon Chriffians that were able, exhorting them to this duty ; which « doth teach,That lay Chriflians haveright to joyain thispart ofChurch «ftrvice, in the Pfaltnodieof the Church. Tertullian faith, the Chrifti- it ans 635 Doti. Amos 5.23.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=