"to bear them meekly, to triumph over them; affuring the heart, that nothing is but by the "difpofal of God's providence, who is infinitely "wife, and merciful, and faithful. "In regard of fpiritual life, both for our own "juftification, that we may not expect it from our 66 own fervices or graces; not having our own righteousness, but that which is through the faith "of Chrift, the righteousness which is of God by "faith. And fo for the life of fanctification; that "we may not live unto ourselves, but unto him who "died for us, and rofe again that our converfation 66 may be as becometh the Gospel of Chrift, ftanding faft in one fpirit, with one mind, ftriving together "for the faith of the Gospel. Always remembering "that we are not our own, but bought with a "price, and therefore should make it our business "to glorify Christ with our bodies and Spirits, "which are his. "That he would work in us a lively faith, as may make us rich in good works, that we may "demean ourselves as becomes our profeffed fub"jection to the Gospel of Chrift; walking worthy of " that vocation wherewith we are called, as becomes "children of light-Being holy in all manner of con"verfation-putting on the Lord Jefus Chrift; ex"ercifing ourselves unto godliness-Walking up"rightly, according to the truth of the Gospel, dili gently following every good work-Shewing, out "of a good converfation, our works, with meekness "and wisdom-That we may adorn the doctrine of "God our Saviour in all things-Confidering that "we are created in Chrift Jefus unto good works, "that ave fhould walk in them-Having our converfation in Heaven; walking worthy of the Lord, " unto all pleafing, being fruitful in all good works. "That every one of us who professeth the name of "Chrift may depart from iniquity-Because for "this reafon was the Gospel preached to those that "are dead in fin, that they may live according to God " in Spirit. That we may give all diligence, to add to our faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and "to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, "patience; and to patience, godlinefs; and to "godlinefs, brotherly kindnefs; and to brotherly "kindness, charity; that these things being in ❝us, and abounding, we may not be barren or "unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jefus "Chrift, but may hereby clear up unto ourselves "the evidences of our calling and election. "That we may deny all ungodliness and worldly "lufts, living foberly, righteously, and godly, in this "prefent world, looking for that blessed hope, and "that glorious appearing of the great God, and our "Saviour Jefus Chrift, who gave himself for us, "that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and "purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of "good works-confidering that he shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, to take vengeance on those who obey not his "Gofpel, who shall be punished with everlasting de"fruction, from the prefence of the Lord, and from "the glory of his power, when he shall come to be "glorified in his faints, and to be admired of all them "that believe in that day-For if he that defpifed "Mofes's law, died without mercy, under two or "three witnesses, of how much forer punishment shall "he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot "the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the "covenant an unholy thing; and hath done defpite "to the Spirit of grace. That the God of all grace, "who hath called us into his eternal glory by Chrift "Jefus, would make us perfect, establish, frengthen, "fettle us-That we may continue in the faith, "grounded and fettled, and not be moved away from "the hope of the Gospel, being rooted and built up, "and established in the faith-Laying afide every weight, and the fin that does fo easily befet us: and "running, with patience, the race that is fet before "us-Holding faft our profeffion, without wavering; "that we may abide in Chrift, and his words may "abide in us-Continuing in the things which we "have learned-Being faithful unto the death, that "he may bestow upon us a crown of life. "That the word of Chrift may dwell in us richly, "in all wisdom-that we may grow in grace, and "in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jefus "Chrift-Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, "which are by Jefus Chrift; unto the glory and "praife of God-That we may be ftrong in the "grace that is in Chrift Jefus. "That having fought a good fight, and finished 66 our course, and kept the faith, we may receive the "crown of righteousness, which, at the laft day, the "Lord, the righteous Judge, will bestow upon all "those that love his appearing-That he would "carry us, through faith, unto falvation. "And becaufe, when we have reckoned all the "duties we can, we fhall leave out many parti"culars, therefore, for the fupply of thofe which "Heb. x. 28. "Heb. xii. 1, 2. "Rev ii. 10. 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8. 1 Pet. v. 10. Heb. x. 23. Col i. 23. Ib. ii. 7. 2 Tim. iii. 14. Phil. i. 11. 66 we "we cannot spécify, we may use some general "form answerable to that exhortation of the "apostle-That whatsoever things are true, "whatsoever things are honeft, whatsoever things are juft, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever "things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good "report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any "praife, that we may think of and do these things. Being blameless and harmless, the fons of God, "without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and per"verse generation, among whom we may shine as "lights in the world." No. III. ΩΔΑΙ ΠΝΕΥΜΑΤΙΚΑΙ.-Songs dictated or infpired by the Holy Spirit. EPH. V. 19. HE neglect of PSALMODY, in the congregations That large, has contributed very much to damp the ardour of devotion, and, confequently, to cause an indifference to the Christian religion. Lefs of inftrumental, and more of vocal music, (in which all the people fhould unite with heart and voice,) would conduce greatly to the revival of decayed piety. It would render our religious affemblies interefting, where they are now cold, and merely formal. Pfalmody, it is well known, is confined, in the greater part of country churches, to a few, and is become a matter of mere amusement, both to the hearers and performers. To many, it is tedious and disgustful. The whole congregation, women and children, as well as men, should fing fimple tunes, fuch as are easily learned, and, at the fame time, deeply affect the heart, while they please the ear. The inftrument fhould not be fo loud as to drown the voices. An organ, under the hands of an ambitious player, ufually overcomes the melody of the voice, and grates difcord on the ear of piety. When all join, to the best of their power, in finging well-compofed hymns, all must be affected; and pfalmody will, like prayer, become a powerful means of grace. As it is now conducted, religion feems to have little or no concern with it. Some of the congregation fit with indifference or impatience; others divert themselves, as well as they can, with obferving the grimaces of the fingers; while one or two, amateurs and practitioners of mufic, lend an ear, as critics on the skill of the performers. The foft and fweet melody, in fome of the places of religious worship frequented by various diffenting congregations in London, is delightful to an uncorrupted ear, while it warms the heart with devotion, meliorates the difpofition, and leaves the mind full of pious fentiments to God, and charitable affections to man. As far as I am able to judge, pfalmody, in the church of England, requires a complete and immediate reformation. The apostle fays, "Let the word of Chrift "dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching "and admonishing one another in pfalms, and "hymns, and fpiritual fongs, finging with GRACE "" in your hearts to the Lord *." Is this addreffed only to ten or twelve perfons in every congregation? Certainly it is addreffed to all Chriftians; and there is no doubt but that * Col. iii. 16. Christianity |