16 - /
He therefore that saith he wants a voice, or an ear, to sing aPsalm, mistakes the case; he wants that spirit that really rejoices in God; the dulness is in his heart, and not in his ear; and when his heart feels a true joy in God, when it has a full relish of what is expressed in the Psalms, he will find it very pleasant, a Devout and Holy Life. to make the motions of his voice express the motions of his heart.
18 - /
Thus if you can find a man, whose ruling temper is devotion, whose heart is full of God, his voice will rejoice in those songs of praise, which glorify that God who is the joy of his heart, though he has neither voice nor ear for other music. Would you therefore delightfully perform this part of devotion, it is not so necessary to learn a tune, or practise upon notes, as to prepare your heart; for as our blessed Lord saith, out of the heart proceedevil thoughts, murders, &c., so it is equally true, that out of the heart proceed holy joys, thanksgiving and praise. If you can once say with David, ‘My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed;’ it will be very easy and natural to add, as he did, ‘I will sing and give praise,’ &c.
19 - /
So that if we barely consider human nature, we shall find, that singing or chanting the Psalms, is as proper and necessary to raise our hearts to a delight in God, as prayer is proper and necessary to excite in us the spirit of devotion. Every reason for one, is in all respects as strong a reason for the other.
20 - /
If therefore you would know the reason and necessity of singing Psalms, you must consider the reason and necessity of praising and rejoicing in God; because singing of Psalms is as much the true exercise and support of this spirit of thanksgiving, as prayer is the true exercise and support of the spirit of devotion. And you may as well think, that you can be devout as you ought, without the use of prayer, as that you can rejoice in God as you ought, without the practice of singing Psalms. Because this singing is as much the natural lauguage of praise and thanksgiving, as prayer is the natural language of devotion.
21 - /
If therefore you would know the reason and necessity of singing Psalms, you must consider the reason and necessity of praising and rejoicing in God; because singing of Psalms is as much the true exercise and support of this spirit of thanksgiving, as prayer is the true exercise and support of the spirit of devotion. And you may as well think, that you can be devout as you ought, without the use of prayer, as that you can rejoice in God as you ought, without the practice of singing Psalms. Because this singing is as much the natural lauguage of praise and thanksgiving, as prayer is the natural language of devotion.
22 - /
If therefore you would know the reason and necessity of singing Psalms, you must consider the reason and necessity of praising and rejoicing in God; because singing of Psalms is as much the true exercise and support of this spirit of thanksgiving, as prayer is the true exercise and support of the spirit of devotion. And you may as well think, that you can be devout as you ought, without the use of prayer, as that you can rejoice in God as you ought, without the practice of singing Psalms. Because this singing is as much the natural lauguage of praise and thanksgiving, as prayer is the natural language of devotion.
23 - /
Now from this you may also see the necessity and benefit of singing Psalms, and of all the outward acts of Religion? for if the body has so much power over the soul, it is certain that all such bodily actions as affect the soul, are of great weight in Religion. Not as if there were any true worship, or piety in the actions themselves, but because they are proper to raise and support that spirit, which is the true worship of God.
25 - /
Now this is very much the case as to singing of Psalms; people often sing without finding any inward joy suitable to the words which they speak; therefore they are careless of it, or wholly neglect it; not considering, that they act as absurdly, as he that should neglect prayer, because his heart was not enough affected with it. For it is certain, that this singing is as much the natural means of raising motions of joy in the mind, as prayer is the natural means of raising devotion.
26 - /
You need not therefore now wonder, that I lay so much stress upon singing a Psalm at all your devotions, since you see it is to form your spirit to such joy and thankfulness to God, as is the highest perfection of a divine and holy life.
28 - /
In all these cases therefore, where such relations sometimes pray together in private, and sometimes apart by themselves, the chanting of a Psalm can have nothing objected against it.
30 - /
Another great part of the world must, and ought to have witnesses of several of their devotions; let them therefore not neglect the use of a Psalm at such times as it ought to be known to those with whom they live, that they do not neglect their prayers. For surely there can be no harm in being known to besinging a Psalm, at such times as it ought to be known that you are at your prayers.