The Banqueting House, Title page – To the reader
THE Banquetting-House, OR, A Feast of Fat Things: A Divine POEM. Opening many Sacred Scripture Mysteries. Profitable for all who would attain to the Saving Knowledge of GOD and of JESUS CHRIST: AND Sufficient to fill the Soul with Joy, and to Ravish the Hearts of all True Christians.
Written By BENJAMIN KEACH, Author of War with the Devil.
LONDON, Printed by J. A. for H. Barnard at the Bible in the Poultrey, 1692.
TO THE READER.
READER,
IT may not be unnecessary if I acquaint thee with the chief design of my publishing these Sacred Hymns. I have three sorts of Persons in my Eye to whom I recommend them.
First, Such who like and approve of Books in Verse which treat of Divine Things, and would gladly have a little help in order to the understanding of Metaphorical Scripture; who cannot also well spare so much Money as to purchase larger Volumes; the Folio I put forth some years ago, call'd, A Key to open Scripture Metaphors, being near Twenty Shillings price, comes into but a very few Peoples hands: Besides, the Impression will soon be gone (as far as I can gather) and 'tis not like to be reprinted any more. Now in this small Tract I can assure you is contained great part of the principal things under divers Metaphors opened in that Book, though they are there more largely insisted on. I do not judge all those Hymns I have taken from Metaphorical or Tropical Scriptures, are proper to be sung; nor are they here recommended to that end, some of them being Historical, as part of Hymn 92. pag. 129, 130. and some others, containing Matter of Controversie; nor do I think those concerning Hell so suitable to be sung; yet I doubt not but they may be all of use to the Reader, all being congruous with God's Word, and according to the analogy of Faith.
The Second sort are, Parents and Masters of Families, I am perswaded, with the Blessing of God, this Book may prove of great advantage to their Children, who generally are taken with Verse, and are much addicted to learn such Songs and Ballads which generally tend to corrupt Youth; and 'tis a shame to godly Christians they should suffer their Children to learn many of them; but since Singing is God's Ordinance, I mean, to sing Psalms, and Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, 'tis doubtless their duty to instruct them therein, as well as to teach them to read; and by learning Sacred Hymns, they may be taken, before their Parents are aware, with the Matter therein contained (as divers have, through the Blessing of God, as I have been oft inform'd, by reading that small Poem, called War with the Devil,) and some others. Youth are generally inclin'd to Poetry, and as one of the Ancients excellently observes, The Holy Ghost seeing the Souls of Mankind strugling in the way of Godliness, and being inclined to the Delights of this Life, hath mixed the power of his Doctrine with sweet Singing, that whilst the Soul was melted with the sweetness of the Verse, the Divine Word might the better be grafted with profit.
Now these Hymns being short, Children will soon get them by heart, as also full of varieties, and if instructed to sing, they may be the more affected with the matter, and receive the greater advantage.
The Third sort are, those godly Christians who know 'tis their indispensible duty to sing Psalms and Hymns, &c. not only in their Families, but in the publick Congregation, yet do not think divers Psalms do so well suit with Christians under the Gospel, as other Scripture. Hymns do, and divers worthy Ministers of the Baptized-way, thô choice Preachers, and fully satisfied in singing the Praises of God, yet may not have Judgment to compose Hymns, every Man having his particular Gift of God, and therefore have desired divers Scripture-Hymns and select Psalms might be published; and indeed, had I not been put upon this Work, I am perswaded I had not undertook it, or at the least not so soon.
Moreover, many Christians had rather have those Hymns we sing in our publick Assemblies printed, that so they might the better know them, and examine the matter therein contained, to see whether they do agree with the Word of Christ, and likewise the better sing them with understanding. And 'tis not unknown what a multitude of godly Friends have desired to have me write them out several of those Hymns that have upon divers occasions been sung in some particular Congregations. Now to prevent that trouble, and to satisfie them, I promis'd to Print the most of those Hymns, and so have done, as they will find them in the latter part of this Tract. If any desire in such a Book to have no Hymns but such that are proper to be sung in Congregations, in the next Impression, if God spare my Life, I shall endeavour to answer their request.
Had I not wrote so lately in Justification of pre-composed Hymns taken out of God's Word, I should have spoken fully to it here. We are exhorted to sing Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, and since we have none left in Form in the Scripture, it follows, that those who God hath gifted that way, ought to compose them; for a Hymn or Song cannot be without its Form. Certainly God doth not enjoyn a Duty on us, that he hath not left sufficient Rule how to come at it, nor have we any ground to expect the extraordinary Gift any more.
Nor is there, as I have lately shewn, any more reason to object against compiling Sacred Hymns to be sung out of the Word of Christ, than there is to object against pre-compiled Sermons that are to be preached, though I am satisfied the Lord doth enjoyn his Churches to sing the Psalms of David, both in Eph. 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. we reading, of no other Psalms but the Book of Psalms; so by Hymns and Spiritual Songs I see no reason to doubt but he intends all Sacred Hymns, &c. taken out of the holy Scripture by the help of God's Spirit. Mr. Marlow cites a Passage out of Learned Ainsworth, as if he favoured his Notion of Praising God only without Vocal Singing; yet I have lately met with a Book of that worthy Man on the Psalms of David, where I find him speaking thus, These Psalms (saith he) have ever since by the Church of Israel, by Christ and his Apostles, and by the Saints in all Ages, been received and honoured as the Oracles of God, cited for Confirmation of true Religion, and sung in the publsck Assemblies (as in God's Temple) where they sung Praises unto the Lord with the words of David, &c.
'Tis a hard case that any Christian should object against that Duty which Christ and his Apostles, and the Saints in all Ages in their publick Assemblies were found in the practice of; but 'tis no easie thing to break People off of a mistaken Notion, and an old Prejudice taken up against a precious Truth of Christ. The Lord will, I hope, satisfie all his People about this heavenly Ordinance in due time, and they shall not call it a Carnal nor a Formal thing any more, nor cry out, 'Tis as bad as Common-Prayer. I must tell them, if Common-Prayer▪ lay under Sacred Institution in the New Testament, as Singing of Psalms and Hymns doth, I should as freely embrace that: But whereas the one is Humane, so the other is Divine, that is, ordained and commanded of God, as well as practised by Christ and his Disciples, and by the Saints in all Ages.
But not to trouble you any further, if the Lord be pleased to bless the labour and pains I have taken, give him the Glory, and let your poor Brother have a part in your Prayers, who is still
Yours to serve you in the Gospel, B. KEACH.