vaas.q. .An Expojiti1n, with Not11 CHAP.). men, and other times. I anfwer, ~ris a folly to think, that what ever we !ing, mull: exprdly fuit with our cafe; y·ou may as well fay,chat what ever we read iliould fo fuit: We are to meditate up– on the Pfalm which is fung, that we may receive comfort ~tnd hope from it, as from other Scriptures, Rom. t 5·4• I confefs there mufi be always application. Some Pfalms have direfullmp-rec~tions : We are not fo to fort them to our cafe, as to wifu the like Judgw mems on our private adverfaries, but to think of the horrible Judg– mmts ofGod on Unbelievers,&c. Other Pfalms contain (ad N ar– rt~tivf.f of the fufferings of the Church or of Chrifl, which, though we fing them, cannot be conceived as Remonfirances ofour parti– cular cafe and fiate to God, but we are to ufe them as an occa!ion – ro awaken Meditations on the affiitl:ed fiate of the Church, or the Agonies which Chrifi endured for our fakes. .. But this fcruple is of the lefs weighr, becaufe the Ffalms do mofi commonly contain mat– ter of fuch general and comprehenfive concernment, that they readi– ly offer matter to us to prefent our own cafe to God. Some fcruple finging with company,of whofe gracious efiate they can have no affurance,rather threwd prefumptions to the contrary.! confefs praile u comelyfor the upright,·J>fa.3 ;.r. but yet •cis obli– gatory to all mankind.Wicked men are bound;and you have no rea– fan to difcominue your own aC\:s of obedience, becaufe they are in fame fort mindful of theirs : You may as well refufe to hear with them,or pray with them ; !inging being apart offuch kind of wor– fuip as is not peculiar to aChurch as aChurch:Yea upon this ground the Saints may refufe to blefs God, becaufe all the creatures joyn in conforc with them ; Andall huWork.! praife him, Pj~tl.145•.ro. Lafily, Some fcrnple tbe prefent Tranflation of the Book of Pfalms, the Meerer being fo low and Aar, and coming fo far fuort of Davids Original. l confefs this is a defed: that needeth publiquc Redrefs and Reformation : But 'tis good to make ufe of prefent means, though weak, when we have no better • as the Martyrs did of the firfi Tranflations of the Bible, which in many places were faulty and defective: At leafi ' cis far more fafe to fing the Pfalms as now tranflated, then to joyn in the ra~, paffiopate and rc:Tenge· ful erutlations of our modern Pfalmifl:s. Befides, for ~hofe that confcienrioufly and modefily fcruple this, · the Lord bath provided · fome help by the m.ore excellent Tranfiations of Sands, Rous,Bar· ton, and others. thus 1have thewed how many ways the Devil .. · - ' - fceketh
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