Singing of Psalms a Gospel Ordinance, Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Propounding, and clearing the third Proofe, for singing Psalmes with a lively voyce.
A Third proofe of this truth, is taken from the Prophecies of the old Testament, foretelling and perswading such a duty in the New, Isa. 52.8. with the voyce together shall they sing. And that is foretold of the times, when the feet of the Messengers of glad tydings shal be beautiful, who shall say unto Zion, Thy God reigneth. Which Paul explaineth of the times of the Gospel, Rom. 10.14. Psal. 100.1. Make a joyfull noyse unto the Lord all yee Lands: and vers. 2. Come before his presence with singing. All yee lands, implieth the Nations of the Gentiles, as well as of the Jewes; which pertaineth to the times of the New Testament; So that now all are exhorted to sing before the presence of God, with a lowd noyse or voyce.
So Psal. 95.1. O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyfull noyse to the rock of our salvation. And ver. 2. Let us make a joyfull noyse unto him with Psalmes. Which Psalm the Apostle himself interpreteth to be meant of the times of the Gospel. Which is the more to be observed, because the Psalmist, exhorting to the holy and reverent performance of the ordinary duties of the Sabbath▪ he mentioneth first thankesgiving in singing of Psalmes with a loud voyce, and the Reasons thereof, vers. 1. to 5. And then solemne Prayer with the reasons thereof, vers. 6, 7. and then faithfull attention to the preaching of the Word on that day, not hardning their hearts against it, through unbeliefe, in the end of ver. 7. and vers. 8. to 11. To day if yee will heare his voyce harden not your hearts. And this day, the Apostle interpreteth to be meant not of the 7.th day of rest from the Creation; nor of the day of rest, wherein Joshua gave the people inheritance and rest in Canaan; but of the day of rest in the New Testament, Heb. 4.3, to 9. Whence the Apostle inferreth, That there is remaining to us another Sabbatisme, or day of rest, now in the dayes of the Gospel, different from the seventh day of rest, kept in regard of Gods rest from the Creation, and different from the day of rest in Joshuahs time: but the day of rest remaining to us, he declareth to be that day wherein the Lord Jesus entred into his rest. And that was our Lords day, which David (so long before) foretold should be celebrated with solemne Prayer, preaching and hearing the Word, and singing of Psalmes, and that with a joyfull noyse.
Object. 1. Though David exhorteth all Lands to sing to the Lord with a loud noyse, it doth not appeare wee should make such a manner of loud noyse, as our forme of singing is, no more then such a loud noyse, as was made in Davids dayes, with ten stringed Instruments; for so the Lord was to be praised. I doe acknowledge from these Texts, That it is the duty of all those who are called to the knowledge of the Truth, when they doe come before the Lord, not to come before him with sorrow and sadnesse, and with a dejected spirit, but with a singing; or else, they dishonour the Lord Jesus, the spirituall chiefe singer, author of their new Song. But although this prophecy doth foretell of the joyfull approaching of the spirituall worshippers before the Lord; yet it bindeth them no more to make such a noyse, as the singing booke teacheth, then the trees are to clap their hands, as Isaiah prophecieth; or as the new Converts are bound to come with externall singing, when they come to joyn themselves with the Church, Isai. 51.11. And as for such a manner of noyse, as is made in our mixed Assemblies, the Psalme speaketh nothing to it.
Answ. The manner of noyse which is made by singing in our Assemblies, it pertaineth not to the present Question in hand: and therefore we referre it to the sequell. The Question now is, whether in the dayes of the New Testament, we are to sing the praises of God, with a loud voyse, or noyce. And for this we alledge, beside the Text in Isaiah, the Prophecies of David, who foretelleth, and exhorteth all Lands (at least the Churches and people of God in all lands) To make a joyfull noyse unto the Lord, to make a joyfull noyse unto him with Psalmes, to come before his presence with singing▪ Psal. 100.1, 2. & Psal. 95.1, 2.
Yea but this bindeth us no more to make such a manner of loud noyse, as our forme of singing is, then to make such a loud noyse, as was made in Davids dayes, with ten stringed Instruments; for so the Lord was to be praised.
Answ. So the Lord was to be praised? Praised with ten stringed Instruments: When was he so to be praised? In Davids dayes? True: And therefore it was the dutie of all the people in any land, that became Proselytes to the Church of Israel in the dayes of David, and during all the time of the Temple worship, to come before the Lord, not onelyonly with the loud noyse of singing Psalmes, but of playing with Instruments. But after the dayes, not onelyonly of David, but of the Temple, and that worship be past, in the day when our Jehovah (the Lord Jesus) hath entred into his rest, in the day of our Lord, when he commandeth us not to harden our hearts, but to heare his voyce, to fall downe and worship before him in prayer, (both which are to be performed every Lords day) he then commandeth us to come and sing unto the Lord, to make a joyfull noyse to the rock of our salvation, and to make a joyfull noyse unto him with Psalmes, Psal. 95.1, 2. Here is now no mention of making a joyfull noyse with Instruments, but with Psalmes. And therefore the making a joyfull noyse with Psalmes doth still continue, even on our Lords dayes: when making a joyfull noyse with Instruments continueth not, but is laid downe in silence: save onelyonly so farre as it is kept alive in the antitype, the affections of our hearts (our Praecordia) making melody with the songs and professions of our lips, and with the gracious and peaceable conversation of our lives.
When you acknowledge it to be the dutie of such as are called to the knowledge of the Truth, to come before the Lord, not with sorrow and sadnesse, and with a dejected spirit, but with singing.
What singing doe you meane? If you meane onelyonly the gracious rejoycing of the heart, that indeed, though it be requisite to avoyd hypocrisie, yet it is not compleate to reach the full extent of the dutie, the dutie of making a joyfull noyse with Psalmes. Our chiefe Singer (of whom you speake,) when he set the Lord, and his own death and resurrection before his, face, (which he was to undergoe for our sakes) he was not onelyonly glad in his heart, but his glory also (that is, his tongue) rejoyced in singing a Psalme at his last Supper, Psal. 16.8, 9. with Math. 26.30. And therefore it will be a discord from the practise of our chiefe Singer, and so a dishonour to him, if our hearts sing with joy, but our glory (to wit, our tongues) be mute with silence. Say not then, as you doe;
We are no more bound to make a loud noyse with our voyces, then the trees are to clap their hands, (as Isaiah prophecieth) or then the new Converts were to come with externall singing of Psalmes Isai. 51.11.
For in so saying, you will not avoyde the authoritie of the Commandement, nor the necessitie of that dutie of singing. For when God redeemed his people out of the Captivitie of Babel, not onelyonly their hearts (the hearts of them who were returning to Zion) were filled with rejoycing, but even their tongues also with singing, Psal. 126.1, 2. And though the Trees cannot be said in proper speech to clap their hands, (for they have no hands to clap) yet common sense will easily tell you, that there is a Mataphor either in clapping of hands, or in the trees. If trees be taken properly, then clapping of hands is put (by a Metaphor) for the flourishing fruitfulnesse of the trees of the field, which (by the blessing of God) is wont to follow the prosperitie of the Church, in such aboundance, that their boughes and branches shall clap and dash themselves and their fruite one upon another, whereby (as by hands) they reach forth refreshing and food to the children of the Church. But if Trees be put by a Metaphor for trees of righteousnesse, (as the Saints are so called, Isa. 61, 3.) then they shall clap their hands, and shout for joy▪ and sing aloud, (expressing externall signes of comfort) to behold and consider the wonderfull goodnesse of the Lord, to themselves and their brethren. And so in the same verse, Isai. 55.12. when the Mountaines and hills are said to break forth before the Saints into singing, if there be not a Metaphor in singing then Mountaines and hills are put (by a Metaphor) for Princes and men of high degree, (as Psal. 72.3.) which shall give example to others in holy rejoycing, and particularly in singing praises to the Lord. So that these Texts in Isaiah, which you thought might excuse you from singing with the voyce, (which David exhorted to be done with a loud voyce) they will not exempt you at all from this duty, but rather bind you the stronger to it. And therefore looke as when David saith; I cryed to the Lord with my voyce, (Psal. 3, 4. & 77.1.) a man shall detract from his meaning, that shall say, he cryed onelyonly to God with his heart: So when David exhorteth the Gentile Churches to make a joyfull noyse unto God with Psalmes; you doe detract in like sort from his meaning, when you make his meaning to be, not that wee should sing unto God with our voyces, but that we should onelyonly make melody to him, with grace in our hearts. Such detracting from the Word is alike disallowed, and accursed of God, as is adding to the Word.
Object. 2. Singing of Psalmes with the voyce, is but a type of singing Psalmes with grace in the heart.
Answ. 1. No Scripture speaketh of it as a type: nor doth any evidence of reason so declare it.
2. You might as well say, that Praying with the voyce was a type of praying with the heart, and so is now abolished.
3, If singing of Psalmes with a loud noyse, had been a typicall worship, David would not have exhorted us to the practise of it on the Lords day of the New Testament, Psal. 95.1, 2.7.
4. Christ and his Apostles would not have used it in the Lords Supper, which is a feast of the New Testament, Mat. 26.30. nor would Paul and Silas have used it in prison among the Gentiles, Acts 16.25.
5. The light of Nature, which is never wont to teach us types and shadows, doth as well teach us to praise God in singing with our tongues, in times of our rejoycing, as to cry to God with our voyces in times of our distresses.