A Guide to Godliness, Book 3 · Chapter 17
CAP. XVII.
Of ſinging Pſalmes, and reading the Scriptures in the family.
§. Sect. 1 That ſinging of Pſalmes is inioyned in the Scriptures, and practiſed by the faithfull.
VNtoUnto prayer we adioyne that holy exerciſe of ſinging Pſalmes in the family, which though it bee not in practice next in order, according to ordinary vſe, yet I would not ſeuer it from the former, ſeeing it is a religious duty, and like vntounto it, being a notable meanes whereby wee praiſe God, and render vntounto him thankes for all his benefits. And though it be not tyed vntounto any part of the day; nor yet eueryevery day to bee neceſſarily performed; and though in no family it be alwayes alike ſeaſonable, as in the time of mourning for ſome priuate or publike calamity, but in the time of reioycing, when we hauehave occaſion to praiſe Gods holy name for his gifts and bleſſings conferred on vsus, according to the Apoſtles rule, Is any man among Iam. 5. 13.you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him ſing Pſalmes. And though in ſome families it can ſeldome be done for want of leaſure and opportunity, vnleſſe it be on the Sabbath, and in ſome places not then, for want of conuenient company to ioyne together; yet where it may conueniently be performed in reſpect of company, leaſure, and other occaſions, it is an excellent duty, which is no wayes to be neglected. For firſt it is inioyned in the Scriptures. The Prophet Dauid in many places exhorteth to it, O come (ſaith he) let vsus ſing vntounto the Lord; let vsus make a ioyfull noiſe to the Pſal. 95, 1, 2.Rocke of our ſaluation. Let vsus come before his preſence with thankſgiuing, and Pſal. 100. 1, 2.make a ioyfull noiſe vntounto him with Pſalmes. Make a ioyfull noiſe vntounto the Lord, all ye lands, ſerue the Lord with gladneſſe, come before his preſence with ſinging. Sing aloud vntounto God our ſtrength, make a ioyfull noiſe vntounto the God of Iacob, &c. Pſal. 81. 3. & 47. 6. & 68. 4. Eſa. 42. 10.Sing vntounto him a new ſong, play skilfully with a lowd noiſe. So the Prophet Eſay, Sing vntounto the Lord a new ſong, and his praiſe from the end of the earth. And Ieremy, Sing ye vntounto the Lord, praiſe ye the Lord, for he hath deliuered the Ier. 20. 13.ſoule of the poore out of the hands of euill doers. The Apoſtle Paul likewiſe exhorteth vsus, to ſpeake vntounto the Lord in Pſalmes, and Hymnes, and ſpirituall Eph. 5. 19. Iam. 5. 13.Songs, ſinging and making melody in our hearts to the Lord. Of which, wee hauehave the Saints of God in all ages examples for our imitation, in the time both of the Law and the Goſpell, and in the pureſt ages of the primitiue Church, who were complained on to the perſecuting Emperours, for their diligent performance of this duty day and night. Yea, our Sauiour Chriſt himſelfe at the celebration of his laſt Supper, is ſayd with his Diſciples to hauehave concluded that holy action, with ſinging of a Pſalme. Which examples, that we may imitate, let vsus further conſider in the next place, that it is a notable meanes to rowze vp our drowzie and dead hearts, and by the ſweete melody affecting our outward ſenſe, to rauiſh them with ioyfull delight, and make them cheerefull in Gods ſeruice, which was the cauſe why Elizeus being to prophecie, and finding his Spirit dulled with the vnpleaſing preſence of the idolatrous King, who together 2. King. 3. 15.with Iehoſaphat was to hauehave the benefit of his good indeuours, deſireth a Muſician to play before him, to ſtirre vp his heart vntounto the more cheerefull performance of this duty. Secondly, it is an acceptable ſeruice vntounto God, as being a ſingular meanes to glorifie him, when as our hearts are filled with thankfulneſſe, and our mouthes with his praiſes; according to that of the Pſalmiſt, Whoſo offereth praiſe, glorifieth me; the which, in the Pſal. 50. 23.ſame Pſalme he preferreth before oblations and burnt ſacrifices. Finally, Verſ. 13. 14. Apoc. 5. 9. & 14. 3.it is an heauenly exerciſe of the glorified Saints, which we ſhall performe with them in that place of ioy and happineſſe, if wee take delight in it whilſt we liue in the earth.
§. Sect. 2 How we may ſing Pſalmes in a right maner.
Now if we would performe this in an acceptable maner, our care muſt be that it be done with our ſoules as wel as our tongue and lips. And firſt with our minds, both vnderſtanding what we ſing, ſo as we may ſay with the Apoſtle; I will ſing with the Spirit, and I will ſing with the vnderſtanding alſo; and applying our minds vntounto it with due attention, & not ſuffering them to be carried with wandring thoughts. Secondly, we muſt ſing with our hearts alſo, according to that of the Apoſtle; Speake to your ſelues in Pſalmes, ſinging Eph. 5. 19.and making melody in your heart vntounto the Lord; which elſewhere he calleth, ſinging with grace in our hearts to the Lord; the which Dauid practiſed; Col. 3. 16.I will praiſe thee (ſaith he) with my whole heart. And this we ſhall doe, if we Pſal. 138.doe apply and fit them to the matter of the Pſalme, and put on the ſame affection which Dauid had in penning them; as humility in the confeſſion of ſinne, feruencie of deſire in petitions and ſuites; alacrity and cheerefulneſſe in prayſes and thankſgiuings; aſſent and beliefe in prophecies and predictions; teachableneſſe and willingneſſe to learne in doctrines and inſtructions; readineſſe to obey in commandements and exhortations, &c. and at all times and in all things, reuerence of Gods maieſty, in whoſe preſence we performe this duty. In the meane time we muſt take heed, that we doe not apply his imprecations, which were vttered by a propheticall ſpirit againſt thoſe who were deſperate enemies to God as well as Dauid, againſt our priuate enemies, with a reuengefull deſire, that thoſe euils may befall them, ſeeing our Sauiour hath taught vsus to pray for them. But wee muſt either make vſe of them for doctrine and inſtruction, or if we apply them, it muſt not be againſt particular perſons, but againſt all thoſe whatſoeuer whom the Lord in his wiſedome knoweth to be deſperate enemies vntounto him and his Church. Secondly, our care muſt bee that we doe not make it a bodily exerciſe, ſinging Pſalmes for recreation only, and as wee doe other ſongs, for meere pleaſure and ſenſuall delight, but we muſt performe it as a religious duty of Gods ſeruice, and ſtriue in it to pleaſe him rather then our ſelues. We muſt not ſeeke to delight the eare, and affect the heart with the ayre, muſicke and ſweetneſſe of the tune, but that there being an harmony betweene it and the voyce, we make ſweete melody in Gods eares; which if it be wanting, our beſt muſicke (as one ſaith) is no Aug. Confeſſ. lib. 10. cap 33.more acceptable to God, then the barking of Dogs, the lowing of Oxen, or the grunting of Hogs. Yea, as the ſame Author ſaith, If I be delighted more with the muſicke then with the matter, in ſtead of ſeruing God, I fearefully ſinne. And therefore diuiſion and fraction of voyce, broken repetitions and reports, which take away the ſenſe, hinder the vnderſtanding, both of the ſinger and hearer, and tend onelyonly to affect the eare with the melody, and not the heart with the matter, are not to be vſed in this holy exerciſe. For this is to ſing, not like men indued with reaſon, but rather Aug. enarrat. in Pſal. 18.like birds, which are ſenſible onelyonly of the tune, but hauehave no vnderſtanding of the matter and ditty.
§. Sect. 3 That we muſt diligently reade the Scriptures, and the great profit of this exerciſe.
VntoUnto prayer and prayſing of God by ſinging of Pſalmes, we are to adioyne another religious exerciſe, which is reading of the Scriptures and other holy writings; of which we will onelyonly heere ſpeake, as it is a daily duty to bee performed of vsus, referring the more full handling of it vntounto another place, when we are to intreate of the meanes whereby we may be inabled to leade a godly life. Here let it ſuffice to ſhew, that it is a duty no day to bee neglected, if wee can borrow any time from other neceſſary imploiments, and find any conuenient leyſure and fit opportunity to performe it. For wheras we ſhould labor after a daily increaſe in ſpiritual graces, there is ſcarce any meanes more effectuall for this purpoſe; ſeeing it is a notable helpe for the inlightning of our mindes in the knowledge of God and his will, according vntounto which we are to frame our liues; for the Word of God is a lampe vntounto our eyes, and a light vntounto our paths; it inlighteneth the Pſal. 119. 105. Pſal. 19. 7, 8. Pro. 1. 4.eyes, and giueth vnderſtanding vntounto the ſimple. It giueth wiſedome to the ignorant, and to the young man knowledge and diſcretion. It is a ſingular helpe for the ſtrengthening of our faith, when as we hauehave daily before our eyes the couenant of grace, and the ſweete promiſes of the Goſpell made vntounto vsus in Ieſus Chriſt; and obſerue the infinite mercies of God extended to all, without reſpect of perſons who hauehave beleeued and truſted in him. It much inflameth our louelove towards God, when in reading of them we obſerue his louelove towards vsus; and maketh vsus zealous of his glory, when we take notice of the infinite bounty of our Lord and Maſter, and what a rich rewarder he is of our poore and imperfect ſeruice. It will ſerue for a looking-glaſſe, wherein we may ſee our ſpots and ſpirituall deformities, and bee directed alſo by it to reforme and amend them. It is a fit guide in the time of proſperity, which will teach vsus to vſe Gods bleſſings aright, ſo as they may be, not onelyonly truely comfortable in themſelues, but alſo as they are pledges of Gods louelove, and earneſt pennies of our ſaluation. It will be our comforter in our aduerſitie, whilſt it teacheth vsus ſo to profit by them, as that they may be ſignes of our adoption, and notable meanes to aſſure vsus of Gods louelove and our owne ſaluation. It containeth in it the euidences of our heauenly inheritance, and teacheth vsus how to get them into our owne keeping without feare of loſing them; and who cannot daily with much comfort ſpend ſome time in peruſing theſe aſſurances, wherein ſo rich and glorious a Kingdome is ratified vntounto him? It is a diuine treaſury of all ſpirituall and heauenly riches; and who is ſo vnwiſely moderate in his ſpirituall deſires, as not once in a day to pleaſe his eye with the ſight of theſe treaſures? Finally, it is our ſpirituall armorie, in which is munition of all kinds, and all ſorts of weapons, fit to defend our ſelues, and offend our enemies; and therefore ſeeing we are daily in the Chriſtian warfare, and continually aſſaulted by the enemies of our ſaluation, why ſhould we not alſo daily goe into this armory to fit our ſelues with ſpirituall armour, and to take out of it the moſt preuailing weapons? Now for the time of the day when this duty muſt bee performed; in reſpect of priuate reading it cannot bee limited, but muſt bee left to bee preſcribed by mens leaſure and opportunity. And for that which is vſed as a family-exerciſe, it is moſt ſeaſonable, as I take it, before prayer, either morning or euening, becauſe then they are aſſembled together, and multitudes of occaſions will hardly admit of often meetings.