30 ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF PSALMODY. breathe out their devotion in the songs of the Lamb as well as i n the songof Moses. Thus far have we proceeded in a way of argument drawn from scripture and the reason of things. Many objections have been prevented, or sufficient hints given for the removal of them. Those that remain and seem to have any considerable strength, shall be proposed with an attempt to answer them; for I would not have christians venture upon the practice of any thing in di- vine worship without due knowledge and conviction. Object. 1. The directions given for psalmody in some parts of the Old 'testament, lead us to the use of those songs which are inspired ; Dent. xxxi. 16, 19, &c. " And the Lord said unto Moses, write ye this song for you, and teach it the children of Israel, put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel; for when I shall have brought them into the land which I aware unto their fathers, which floweth with milk and honey, &c, then they will turn unto other gods." And in I's. lxxxi. 1, 2, 3, 4. where we are re- quired to worship God by singing, we are not commanded to make a new Psalm, but to take one that is already made, for the words run thus, " Sing aloud unto God our strength, make a joyful noise to the God of Jacob ; take a Psalm, and bring hither the tumbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery, blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast -day, for this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob." Ans. 1. I have cited these texts at large wherein the objec- tion lies, that an answer might appear plain in the texts to every reader. How peculiarly do these commands refer to the Iraelites ? The very words of the precept confine it to the Jews, to the men that dwelt in Canaan, to the worship that is paid with tim- brels and trumpets, to the days of the new moon, and solemn Jewish festivals ? and if we will insist upon these scriptures as precise rules of our present duty and worship, the men that use musical instruments in a christian church, will take the same liberty of returning to Jewish ordinances, and use the same text to defend them. Ans. 2. Bot if we should grant ourselves under the gospel still obliged by these commauds, yet they do, not bind us up en- tirely to inspired forms of singing, since the same sort of ex- pression is used concerning prayer ; Ios. xiv. 2. "'take with you words, and say unto the Lord, take, away all iniquity, and receive us graciously, &c." Now who is there that esteems him- self confined to use no other prayer but scriptural forms ? In other places, where these duties are enjoined, we are bid to pray, or to praise, or to sing ; and why should we not be as much at liberty to suit the words and the sense to our present cir-
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