Breach Repaired in Gods Worship, Treatise 1 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
Shewing what the Matter is the Saints and Churches of Chriſt ſhould ſing i… Goſpel-Times; opening what Pſalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs are.
ONE Objection that is brought againſt Singing, is this, viz. We do not know what we ſhould ſing, and therefore do not ſing in our Congregations. I muſt confeſs, if Singing was practiſed and injoined, and nothing was left in God's Word to ſhew us what it is we are to ſing, it would be ſtrange, and a ſufficient Plea againſt the practice of it; but ſuch a thing could not ſtand conſiſtent with the Wiſdom of the Spirit. But, bleſſed be God 'tis not ſo, as we by his Aſſiſtance ſhall now further make appear: For we have, firſt, our Pattern, which is Chriſt's practice with his Diſciples, in this Caſe as in others. 2dly, The Rule, which are thoſe Precepts laid down in the New Teſtament; Chriſt and his Diſciples ſung an Hymn. And be ſure the Matter of it was Spiritual, it being performed by thoſe Sacred and Holy Perſons, and in the Sacred Worſhip of God, i. e. just as they had celebrated the Holy Supper. But to ſpeak to the Rule; ſee Epheſ. 5. 19. Be ye filled with the Spirit, ſpeaking to your ſelves in Pſalms, and Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, ſinging and making melody in your Hearts to the Lord. So, Col. 3. 16. Let the Word of Chriſt dwell in you richly, in all Wiſdom, teaching and admoniſhing one another in Pſalms, and Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, ſinging with Grace in your Hearts to the Lord.
Here you have ſix Things obſervable, or the words contain ſix parts.
Firſt, The Matter to be ſung in the general, viz. the Word of Chriſt; Let the Word of Chriſt dwell in you richly in all Wiſdom, teaching and admoniſhing one another in Pſalms, &c. ſinging with Grace in your Hearts.
Like as the Word of Chriſt ought to dwell in us richly, that we may meditate thereon, and be able to preach it, hear it, and underſtand it, &c. ſo to ſing it. The Word of Chriſt is therefore poſitively laid down to be the Matter we muſt and ought to ſing in the general; for we are injoined, to have it dwell richly in us in this place, more eſpecially to ſing it, than on any other account.
Secondly, The Singers, that is, the Church, or Churches to whom he wrote, more particularly the Saints and faithful in Chriſt at Epheſus, and at Coloſs, and in them to all other Saints and Churches of Chriſt to the end of the World.
Thirdly, More particularly the Matter to be ſung, viz. Pſalms, and Hymus, and Spiritual Songs.
Fourthly, The Manner, or how it ſhould be performed, i. e. with Melody, or Spiritual Joy in the Heart, or Grace. What he calls Melody in our Heart in one place, he calls Grace in the Heart in the other. The Tongue is the Inſtrument, but it muſt be tun'd with Grace, or the Muſick will not be ſweet in Chriſt's Ears. In Singing of Pſalms, &c. (ſaith one) a gracious Heart takes Wings, and mounts up to God to join with the Celeſtial Quire: It is Grace which fills the Heart for, and ſweetens the Heart in this Duty.
Fifthly, The Maſter of the Chore, the Preceptor, as Mr. Wells ſaith, viz. the Heart; we muſt look to the Heart in Singing, that it is purged by the Spirit. God is the Creator of the whole Man, and therefore will be worſhipped and praiſed with the whole Man. The whole Man is bought with a Price; our Tongues as well as our Spirits are not our own; therefore we ought to glorify God in our Bodies, and in our Spirit, which are the Lords, 1 Cor. 6. 19, 20. My Heart is fixed, O God, my Heart is fixed: I will ſing and give praiſe, Pſal. 57. 7. Awake my Glory, &c. I my ſelf will awake. What was this which David calls his Glory? (all tell you) it was his Tongue; and in Singing and Praiſing of God, the Glory of it much lies, when the Heart is filled and fixed with Grace in the diſcharge of this Duty.
So in Pſal. 108. 1. O God, my Heart is fixed: I will ſing, and give praiſe with my Glory.
Auguſtine ſaith, It is not a muſical String, but a working Heart that is harmonious. Mary ſung with her Tongue, and her Heart was in her magnificent Song. And, as ſaith another Godly Man; When we ſing Pſalms, &c. let us take heed that we have the ſame thing in our Mind, that we warble forth with our Tongues, and that our Song and our Heart do not run ſeveral ways. If (ſaith Mr. Wells) we in Singing only offer the Calves of our Lips, it will too much reſemble the Jewiſh Service. Men may hear, or pray, as well as ſing carnally; therefore we ſhould remember to do as the Apoſtle teaches, to ſing with the Spirit, and with the Vnderſtanding alſo, 1 Cor. 14. 15.
Sixthly, and laſtly, The End, viz. to glorify the Lord, and lift up his Praiſe. God is to be our true and only Scope, i. e. to ſet forth his Glory ought to be our ultimate End, I mean, when we ſing and perform all other Duties of Religion.
Now then, ſince the Word of Chriſt is the Matter in general that ought to be ſung; it appears we are not left without Directions by the Spirit about this Ordinance, (let Men ſay what they pleaſe) for as 'tis Chriſt's Word we ſhould and ought always to preach, and hear, ſo 'tis his Word we ſhould and ought to ſing: And as we are not tied up by the Lord in Preaching, to do no more than barely read the Scripture, or quote one Scripture after another, (which would be rather Reading than Preaching) but may uſe other Words to edify the Church, provided they agree with, or are congruous to the Word of Chriſt, or the Sacred Scripture, (and yet we call that the Word of God which is preached, and ſo indeed it is); ſo when that which we ſing is taken out of God's Word, or is Scripture, abſolutely congruous, truly and exactly agreeing thereunto, it may as truly be called the Word of Chriſt, as our Sermons are, and may be ſo called.
Obj. But you add words to your Hymns that are not in the Text you refer to.
So we do in Preaching; but if thoſe words agree with the Text, 'tis ſtill the ſame Word, and may be opened thereby the better to the underſtandings of the People. Beſides, let it be conſidered, that we have not the Holy Scriptures in thoſe words in which they were written by the Pen-Men of the Scripture, for they wrote the Old Teſtament in Hebrew words, and the New-Teſtament in Greek words. Alſo the Tranſlators differ much in words in giving the true ſenſe of the Original, ſo that this Objection is a mere contentious Cav…. Moreover, there are in our Bibles (all Learned Men know) a multitude of Suppliments, or words added, to make good the ſenſe, the Originals being too ſhort to expreſs it in our Language. Now you may as well, nay, if not with more colour of reaſon ſay, part of the Scripture is Human, and not Divine, as to call our Sacred Hymns ſo: And ſo you may by the ſame Argument call our Sermons likewiſe. 'Tis evident, as Mr. Barton obſerves (in his Epiſtle to his Book of Hymns) That Juſtin Martyr, Tertullian, and many others have ſignified the Primitive Church uſed, not only David's Pſalms, but other Portions of Scripture to put in Songs for edification. Hymns may (as he ſaith) be plainer than Pſalms, and more ſuitable to Goſpel-occaſions, ſuch in which Chriſtians may truly ſay they do teach and admoniſh one another in; ſuch (ſaith he) as inculcate our Duties, and reprove our Vices, out of moſt piercing Paſſages of Holy-Scripture, and ſuch as may anſwer or ſuit with all Sermons, and accommodate all Occurrences, and are no Innovations, but reduction to primitive Uſe and Order.
Remarkable is that paſſage in Euſebius concerning the Chriſtians practice in ſinging of Hymns to Chriſt as to God. Plinius Secundus, to clear the Chriſtians to Trajan, adds this, viz. Only that they held early Aſſemblies in Singing of Hymns to Chriſt, as unto God, Euſeb. lib. 3. cap. 33. Doubtleſs they were compiled by ſome among them out of the New-Teſtament, as the Spirit of God might enable them, in the ſame manner as they did, and we do compile our Sermons: and I ſee no other objection lies here againſt our Hymns, than lies, or may be made againſt our Doctrine.
Thus as to the general Direction the Holy Ghoſt has given about what we ſhould ſing, viz. the Word of Chriſt.
But then, Secondly, we have particular Directions as to the Matter we ought to ſing expreſſed in the Texts, viz. Pſalms, and Hymns, and Spiritual Songs. I know ſome do conclude, that all theſe three allude to the Book of Pſalms, becauſe theſe three are the Titles, they ſay, of Davids Pſalms. Though that were granted, that ſome of David's Pſalms are called Hymns and Songs, yet I ſee no reaſon that all other ſpiritual Hymns and Songs ſhould be excluded.
1. Becauſe we often find in the New-Teſtament the Pſalms of David, or Book of Pſalms mentioned, as comprehending all thoſe Hymns and Songs contained therein, without calling them the Pſalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs of David, ſee Luk. 20. 42. & 24. 44. Act. 1. 20.
Moreover this ſeems to exclude other Scripture-Songs, that they themſelves own may be ſung, as Moſes's, Deborah's, Iſaiah's, Habakk…k's, Simeon's, Zachariah's, Mary's, &c.
However, by Pſalms we are aſſured is intended the Book of Pſalms, or thoſe called the Pſalmes of David, becauſe we read not in all the Scripture of any called Pſalms but them only; ſo that the Form of theſe are contained in God's Word; I hope theſe will not be called Human… ▪ The Holy Ghoſt hath enjoined the Singing of Pſalms particularly, and many of the Pſalms of David, are, 'tis evident, pure Goſpel, i. e. Prophecies and Promiſes that relate or refer wholly unto Goſpel-times; and divers excellent Pſalms there are, that be filled full of the High Praiſes of God for Chriſt, and the Bleſſings and Priviledges Chriſtians receive by him; tho I do not judg all the Pſalms of David are ſo ſutable to our days, nor can be ſo properly ſung as ſome others, to the Edification of the Church. But,
I do not find any Man giving any convincing Argument, that no Hymns that are made out of God's Word, or putting other Scripture-Songs, as the Canticles, &c. into Verſe, or proper Meaſure to be ſung, are excluded in thoſe words, Pſalms, and Hymns and Spiritual Songs. I am of the ſame Mind with thoſe Learned Men that Mr. Wilſon in his Dictionary, and others ſpeak of, that Pſalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs comprehend all kinds of Spiritual Songs, whereby the Faithful ſing to the Glory of God, and the Edification of the Church, provided they are taken out of the Word of Chriſt. Moreover, I have met with a Piece written by a very Learned Man, who after he hath given the Senſe of ſome Men about the Titles of the Pſalms, and various Acceptation of the words, Pſalms, Hymns and ſpiritual Songs, ſpeaks thus, Yet I muſt tell you by the way, that theſe words in the Hebrew do not make ſuch a preciſe difference: For Tehillim is the general Title of all the Pſalms; Miſmor the particular Title of moſt Pſalms, as well as of the Pſalms of Degrees: Nor do the Greek Words make ſuch a diſtinguiſhing difference, for a Pſalm is of foreign to ſing, and a Hymn of foreign, to ſing Praiſe: And … Odo, called a ſpiritual Ode, or Song, by … Tranſlators, is of the word foreign, ſo that it ſeems to me, ſaith he, that the Apoſtle uſeth many words to ſignify that all … Singing ſhould be of Divine Things, (and not vain things) to glorify God, and not to pleaſe our fooliſh Fancies. But whether we diſtinguiſh the one way or the other, … ſee (ſaith he) the Apoſtles preſs the Duty of ſpiritual Singing, whether of this kind or that, (viz. whether Pſalms of David, … other ſpiritual Hymns;) whether called of Men of this Name, or that Name, in which Injunctions the Apoſtles are ſo clear, that very few ſince the coming of Chriſt, that I know of, have made ſcruple of the thing; and if any have of late, they never mention theſe places, as if either they did not remember them, or could not anſwer them.
And to cloſe this Chapter, take what worthy Mr. Wells minds in his late Sermon about ſu… who neglect this Ordinance, either about endleſs Scruples or Objections concerning the matter or manner of Singing. Let us, ſays he▪ not diſturb our ſelves with theſe groundleſs Objections, but let us purſue and imbrace this holy Duty, which is the very Subu…s of Heaven. And obſerve what a Reverend Perſon notes upon this occaſion; I obſerve, ſaith he, they never thrive well who neglect or ſcruple ſinging of Pſalms; they commonly begin at this Omiſſion, but they do not end there, but at laſt come to be above all Ordinances, and ſo indeed without them, whoſe Condition is not ſufficiently to be deplored. Suppl. to Morning Exerciſ. p. 189.
To which let me add my Thoughts without offence; I am perſwaded, for ſeveral reaſons, ſince this is ſo clear an Ordinance in God's Word, that the Baptized Churches, who lie ſhort of the Practice of ſinging Pſalms, &c. will never thrive to ſuch a degree as our Souls long to ſee them, to the Honour of the Holy God, and Credit of our ſacred Profeſſion, and Joy and Comfort of thoſe who are truly ſpiritual among us: for tho many things, as the Cauſes of our ſad witherings, have been inquired into; yet I fear this, and the neglect of the Miniſtry, are the two chief, which are both holy Ordinances of Jeſus Chriſt; and yet our People, (that is, ſome of them) do not love to hear of either of them.