AN ESSAY. 9 proper for his own- time, without some expressions that lend to accommodate or apply it, But there are a multitude of examples amongst all the scriptural songs, that introduce the affairs of pre- ceding ages in the method I have described. Ps. xliv. 1, &c. When'David is recounting the wonders of God in planting the children of Israel in the land of Canaan, he begins his song thus, " We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us what works thou didst in their days, in times of old, how thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantest them, how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out." Ps. lxxviii. 2, &c. 00 I will open my mouth in a parable, I will utter dark sayings of old which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us ; we will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord." So lie relates the converse and covenant of God with Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, as a narration of former próvidences and ex- periences ; Ps. cv. 8, 9, 10, &c. So in theVirgin Mary's song, and the song of, Zechariah, And Í know not any thing can be objected here, but that a prophet perhaps in some instances may assume the words of Christ or the saints in following ages ; but it should be observed that this is almost always in such respects wherein persons or circumstances present were typical of what is future, and so their cases become parallel. By these considerations we are easily led into the true me- thod of translating ancient songs into christian worship. Psalms that are purely doctrinal, or merely historical, are subjects for our meditation, and may be translated for our present use with no variation, if it were possible ; and in general, all those songs of scripture which the saints of following ages may assume for their own : Such are the ist, the viiith, the xixth, and many others. Some psalms may be applied to our use by'the alteration of a pronoun, putting they in the place of we, and changing some expressions which are not suited to our case into a narration or rehearsal of God's dealings with others ; There are other divine songs which cannot properly be accommodated to our use, and much less be assumed as our own without very great alterations, namely, Such as are filled with some very particular troubles or enemies of a person, some places of journeying or residence, some uncommon circumstances of a society, to which there is scarce any thing parallel in our day or case : Such are many of the songs of David, whose persecutions and deliverances were very extraordinary : Again, such as express the worship paid unto God by carnal ordinances and utensils of the tabernacle and temple. Now if these be converted into christian songs in our nation, I think the names of Ammon and Moab may be as pro- perly changed into the names of the chief enemies of the gospel
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