Gospel Music, Part 4
4. The neceſſarineſſe of Singing with other Ordinances.
The Churches well knew, that ſome ordinances are maimed without the connexion of this Goſpel Muſick with them; if we follow the Scriptures, and example of Chriſt and the Apoſtles. How doe we celebrate a day of praiſe for deliverance, according to the Scriptures, unleſſe we have Pſalmes and Hymnes of praiſe, as Moſes had, Exod. 15. Deborah had, Judg. 5. David had, 2 Sam. 22.2?See alſo Junius on Judg. 5.2. which Pſalmes all Iſrael ſang, Exod. 15.1. Pſal. 18. How doe we receive the communion after the example of Chriſt (which we juſtly urge for ſitting at the Communion,) if after the adminiſtration thereof we doe not ſing an Hymne or Pſalme? When are we Chriſtian-like merry, if not for receivall of mercies from the hand of God? And how are we merry according to the preſcript, of Scriptures, Jam. 5. if we ſing not? Saints glory in tribulation oft-times, Rom. 5.2. ſo that Paul and Silas ſing Pſalmes in the priſon, yea in the ſtocks. What kind of Chriſtians then are we, that will not ſing at all? Seaſon no duties with ſinging? Whereas the Churches in the primitive times, in the ten perſecutions, ſugared and ſweetned their meetings and duties with ſinging of Pſalmes afore they parted, as we heard before. The truth is, devout ſinging of Pſalmes is a ſavourie ſauce to reliſh every condition and ordinance, that is an iterated ordinance. For Baptiſme after once adminiſtration, is never to be repeated. Before Sermon the Churches ſing, to quicken their hearts to prayer. After the communion they ſing, to raiſe them up in praiſe. Yea I may ſay, this ſpirituall ſauce is meat it ſelfe. In ſinging we pray, we praiſe, we confeſſe, we petition, we exhort, we meditate, we beleeve, we joy, we mourn. Singing is praiſing, Epheſ. 5.19.20. Speaking to your ſelves in Pſalmes and giving thankes alwayes. It is joying; In the ſame place, Making melody in your hearts. Pſal. 38. ritle, or firſt verſ. So in Hebr. So Gr. foreign.It is meditating. In the ſame place, Speaking to your ſelves. As David entitles one of his Pſalmes, A Pſalme to bring to remembrance. It is teaching; Exhorting and admoniſting our owne ſouls, Coloſſ. 3.16. Teaching and admoniſhing your ſelves in Pſalms, &c. It is mourning. See Davids many Penitentiall Pſalms. And that 102. Pſalme, whoſe title, or firſt verſe (ſo in the Hebrew) is, A prayer of the afflicted when he is over-whelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the Lord. When we will be merry in the Lord, we muſt ſing, Jam. 5.13. But he doth not ſay, but that when we are ſad before the Lord, we may ſing; as the Saints have done, as we ſee in the inſtances we have given. To which adde the ſad ſong of the Lamentations of Jeremiah for the afflictions of the Church, and made in curious meetre with great varietie (as they that know the Hebrew can ſee) which the Jewes ſung for many yeares, 2 Chron. 35.24, 25. And all Judah and Jeruſalem mourned for Joſiah (for his death was the beginning of the ruine of the Church) and Jeremiah lamented for Joſiah, For 22 yeares at leaſt, till the captivity in Zedechia his time.and all the ſinging men, and ſinging women ſpake of Joſiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Iſrael, and behold they are written in the Lamentations. By that we have ſaid of mourning in ſinging, it is evident that it is neither incongruous to Scripture, nor to the practice of the Churches, nor to the naturall affections and conditions of men to ſing Pſalmes upon a day of humiliation. It is moſt certain alſo, upon exceeding good experience, that ſinging of Pſalmes hath mightily humbled the ſoule even to teares. The Pſalme after a Sermon ſometimes hath done that which the Sermon alone could not doe. The Sermon as it were turned the wind into a warme quarter to begin to thaw the ſoule; and then the Pſalm hath been as the breaking out of the Sun-beames, to make the heart run with melting. As for petitions, confeſſions of ſinnes, confeſſion of confidence in God, they are the common language of Pſalms. See the whole Book of Pſalmes.