them in the fong, fince they had a fhare in the common deliverance. The pfalmift David, declared it as his refolution, and, no doubt but it was his practice, when he had opportunity, to fing the praises of God among the heathens. Therefore, fays he, will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and fing praises unto thy name. I will praife thee, O Lord, among the people, I will fing unto thee among the nations. The church, in Solomon's fong, is represented, not only as taking her part in the fong in the midst of, but as joining with the daughters of Jerufalem, though they were ignorant of Chrift her beloved. It is evident, that the church at Corinth fung pfalms in the presence of unbelievers, as well as performed other parts of public worship; which was one reason that made the apostle fo defirous of rectifying the irregularities in this, as in the reft; that fo unbelievers, who came in among them, might be convinced and obliged to own, that God was in them of a truth. Moreover, inafmuch as unbelievers are admitted to public prayers, and to join with you in them, why not to public finging? especially, fince some ends of this ordinance cannot be answered without their presence; which are to declare the Lord's doings among the people, and make known his wonders and his glory among the heathen: To add no more, This ordinance has been an ordinance for converfion; I have known it to be fo, and so have others besides me; and a good reason this is why it should be continued publicly in our churches, and unbelievers be admitted to an attendance on it.

V. I come now to confider the manner in which this ordinance fhould be performed, which I fhall do very briefly, and fhall chiefly regard what is expreffed in my text, in which the apoftle is defirous that he might, and determined to, fing with the Spirit, and with the understanding alfo.

1. With the Spirit. By which may be meant, either the extraordinary gift of the Spirit, by which the apoftle was capable of delivering out a pfalm or hymn extempore, and that in an unknown tongue; though he was determined to make use of this gift in such a way, as to be understood by others, that fo they might receive fome profit and edification by it; or else, by the Spirit, may be defigned the Spirit of God, who is abfolutely neceffary to the fpiritual performance of this duty. Believers in the difcharge of this work, stand in great need of him to excite their attention, affift their meditations, enlighten their understandings, raise their affections, ftrengthen their faith, and make a comfortable application of what is fung to themselves; or, by finging

finging with the spirit, may be meant, finging with his own fpirit; and indeed, believers should be fervent in fpirit, whilst they are ferving the Lord in any ordinance: As God is a Spirit, he must be worshipped in fpirit, or with our fpirits, that is, with our hearts, engaged in the work we are concerned in; and then may we be faid to fing with the fpirit, when we fing with grace in our hearts, or in the lively exercife of faith, and hope, and love; for to the due performance of this ordinance in a fpiritual way, are required a large measure of grace, a good deal of spiritual light, knowledge, experience and judgment; for we should fing,

2. With the understanding alfo; that is, either in a language that is to be understood, or with the understanding of what is fung; fing ye praises with underStanding; or to the understanding of others; for one end of this duty is, to teach and admonish others as well as ourselves; and perhaps, the apostle may have fome regard here to one of the titles of David's pfalms, namely, bown mafchil, which fignifies a pfalm, giving inftruction, or caufing to understand. Unless we fing in all these senses with understanding, we fing with little advantage, either to ourselves or others. In a word, befides our mutual edification, we should have in our view the glory of God; we are to fing unto the Lord, not to ourselves, or to raise our natural affections, or to gain applaufe from others, by the fineness of our voice, and exact conformity to the tune; but to the glory of Father, Son and Spirit, who are that one God, who condescends to inhabit the praises of Ifrael.

Having now confidered the feveral things I propofed, relating to the ordinance of finging, I fhall fubjoin a fhort account of the faith and practice of the faints in the first three centuries of Christianity, with respect either to finging alone, or in the family, or in the churches; which, added to the scriptural account of this duty, may ferve the more to confirm us in the practice of it.

If the Therapeutæ, a set of religious perfons mentioned by Philo the Jew, who was cotemporary with the apostles, were Christians, as Eufebius" thinks, then we have a proof, befides the fcripture ones, of the Chriftians finging of pfalms and hymns in the times of the apostles; for of these Philo fays, "That they not only gave themselves up to a contemplative life, but com"posed songs and hymns to God,. in various kinds of metre and verse; and which they wrote as was neceffary in graver rhyme, and which they not VOL. III. 4 H

"only

only compofed but fung"" though perhaps he may intend the Effenes, of whom Porphyry fays, that " They kept the feventh day of the week in "hymns to God, and in reft." There are fome, indeed, who think they were neither, but a fect of Jewish philofophers: However this be, it is certain,

That there is now extant an epiftle of Pliny to Trajan the emperor; in which he tells him, that one part of the charge against the Chriftians was, "That they used to meet together at a ftated time, before it was light, and

fing a hymn among themselves, to Chrift, as to a god." Turtullian refers to this letter, and expreffes the charge in it thus; "That they had their "meetings before it was day, to fing to Christ and to God." Eufebins cites the fame, and observes, that " Pliny declared that he found nothing impious "in them, nothing done by them contrary to the laws, except that rifing early "together, they fung an hymn to Chrift after the manner of a god b." Now this letter was written in the latter end of the first century, or at the beginning of the fecond, and, as some think, while the apostle John was yet living. Justin Martyr, Anno 150, in his epiftle to Zena and Serenus, if it will be allowed to be genuine, fpeaks of the finging of pfalms, hymns and songs; and directs to the ufe of pfalmody, in fuch a manner, as not to grieve our neighbours.

Athenogenes, a martyr, in the fecond century, as he was going to the fire, delivered an hymn to those that stood by, in which he celebrated the Deity of the bleffed Spirit'.

Clemens Alexandrinus, Anno 190, or 200, speaking of a good man, fays, "His whole life is a continual holy day; his facrifices are prayer and praife; the " scriptures

* Ωστ' ο θεωρησι μόνον, αλλά και ποιεσιν ασματα και ύμνος εις θεον δια παντοίων μέτρων και μελων, τ ρυθμοις σεμνότερους αναγκαίως χαρατίεσι. Philo de vita contempliva, p. 893. edit. Paris. Εila άδεσι πεποιημένος εις τον Θεον ύμνες πολλοις μέτροις καὶ μελεστ. Ibid. p. 902.

* Τη εβδομαδα μη δείθαι κενώσεως, ην τηρειν ειώθασιν εις τες υμνος τω Θεώ, και εις αναπαυσιν. Ρorphyr. de Abftinent. l. 4. §. 13. p. 162. y Vid. Vales. not. in Euseb. p. 34, 35.

* Affirmabant autem, hanc fuiffe fummam vel culpæ fuæ vel erroris, quod effent foliti ftato die, ante lucem convenire: Carmenque Chrifto quafi Deo, dicere fecum invicem, Plin. Ep. 1. 10. ep. 97. p. 278. edit. Londin. 1722.

* Nihil aliud fe de facramentis comperiffe, quam cœtus antelucanos ad canendum Chrifto & Deo. Tertull, Apolog. c. 2. p. 3.

• Μηδεν ανόσιον, μη d. παρα τις νομός παραπλειν αυλές καλαλειφεναι, πλην το γε αμα της και διεγειρία

μενος, τον χρισον Θεε δικην υμνειν. Eufeb. Eccl. Hist. 1. 3. c. 33. P. 105.

Ο Ύμνος τε κή ψαλμες και είδας και αινον ρηΐεον, μη δια ψαλμωδίας τον πλησίον λυπείν Juftin, ad Zenam. p. 509. edit. Paris.

Vid. Fabricii Biblioth. Græc. vol. 5. c. I. §. 24. p. 195.

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scriptures are read before eating of food; and, whilst eating, pfalms and hymns are fung; and, at night, before he goes to bed, prayer is per"formed again." And, in another place, he observes, that " a man's love, "friendship, and good-will to God, fhould be fhewn by thanksgiving and " finging of pfalms ;" and he himself compofed an hymn to Christ, which is ftill extant at the end of his Pædagogue.

Tertullian, who lived about the fame time, has many things in his writings, which fhew that finging of pfalms, both publicly and privately, was prac ticed in his day; in one place he fays, "After washing of hands, and lighting up of candles, (meaning at their Chriftian meetings, and lovefeafts) every one might come forth, and fing to God, either out of the "holy fcriptures, or what was of their own compofing." And, elsewhere", among the arguments he makes ufe of to prevail on Chriftians to marry among themselves, this is one; "Pfalms and hymns, fays he, are harmoni

oufly fung between the happy pair; and they provoke each other to fing. "the better to their God:" And in another place he speaks," of the "reading of the fcriptures, finging of pfalms, preaching fermons, and of "prayer," as the feveral parts of public worship. And to add no more, in another book he makes this to be one part of the happiness of a chafte and continent man, that "If he prays to the Lord, he is near to heaven; if "he studies the scriptures, he is wholly there; if he fings a pfalm, he pleases. "himself."

Origen, Anno 226, or 230, speaking of the need of the Spirit of God in prayer, adds, “ Even as no man can fing a pfalm or hymn to the Father in "Chrift, in good rhyme, proper verse and metre, and in concert, except the Spirit, who fearcheth all things, even the deep things of God, first searches,, “and,

4 H 2

• Απας δε ο βια αυτά πανήγυρις αγίας αυλικα θύσιας μεν αυτω, ευχαι τη κι αινοι, κι αι προ της αξιο άσεως εντέυξεις των γραφων ψαλμοι δε και υμνοι παρα την εσίασιν. Προ τε της κοίλης, αλλά, και νυκίωρο. Clement. Alex. Stromat. l. 7. p. 728. edit. Paris.

ευχαι παλιν.

f Πρότερα μεν η εις Θεόν δι ευχαρισίας καὶ ψαλμωδίας γενέσθω φιλοφροσύνη, Id. Pedagog. 1. 2. c. 4ο p. 165.

8 Poft aquam manualem & lumina, ut quifque de fcripturis fan&tis, vel de proprio ingenio poteft, provocatur in medium. Deo canere. Tertull. Apolog. c. 39. p. 36.

h Sonant inter duos pfalmi & hymni, & mutuo provocant, quis melius Deo fuo cantes. Ibid. ad uxorem, 1. 2. c. 8. p. 191.

i

1 Jam vero pro ut fcripturas leguntur, aut pfalmi canuntur, aut adlocutiones proferuntur, aut petitiones delegantur, ita inde materiæ vifionibus fubminiftrantur. Ibid. de anima, c. 9. p. 311. * Si orationem facit ad dominum, prope eft Colo. Scripturis incumbit, totus illic eft. Si pfalmum canit, placet fibi. Ibid. de Exhort. Caftitat. c. 10. p. 670.

and, as much as can be, comprehends the deep things of the mind, with fongs of praife and hymns'."

Cyprian, Anno 246, exhorted Donatus to the practice of finging of pfalms, in an epistle to him; "Let a pfalm, fays he, be fung at a feaft, kept with. "moderation; and that thou mayeft have a retentive memory, let thy voice "be melodious. Begin this work after the ufual manner "."

Nepos, an Egyptian bishop, Anno 260, is greatly commended by Eufebius, not only for his faithfulness, labour, and diligence in the fcriptures, but for his pfalmody; which was very grateful to many of the brethren at that pre

fent time".

I might go on to produce teftimonies, proving pfalmody to be in use in the churches in the times of Conftantine, not far from the third century, which, as Eufebius, who was on the fpot, relates, was performed with a very decent and agreeable modulation of the voice. As alfo, in the churches at Alexandria and Milan', when Athanafius was bishop of the one, and Ambrofe of the other, who both lived in the fourth century. I might also obferve, what spiritual delight and comfort the great Austin found in attending on this ordinance; but I choose to go no further than the three first centuries, which were the pureft and most uncorrupt ages of Christianity.

Paulus Samofatenus, who denied the divinity of Chrift, is the only perfon I have met with in this period of time, that objected to the pfalms and fongs being fung in the churches, which he condemned as novel compofitions' and yet provided women to fing in the church concerning himself: His reafon for it seems to be, because the divinity of Chrift was in an excellent manner fet forth in the old fongs and pfalms; as appears from a paffage in Eusebius, mentioned to confront Artemon and Theodotus, who had reprefented Chrift's divinity

1

Ωσπερ εδε ψαλκι και ευρυθμως και εμμελως και εμμέτρως και συμφώνως ύμνησαι τον Πατέρα εν Χρισώ, αν μη το Πνεύμα παντα ερευνών, και τα βάθη τε Θεό, πρότερον αινέσει και υμνήσει το να τα βάθη πρεύνηκε, και ως εξίσχυσε κατειληφεν. Origen Περι ευχης. edit. Oxon. 1686.

" Sonet pfalmos (vel pfalmus) convivium fobrium: Et ut tibi tenax memoria eft, vox canora; aggredere hoc munus ex more. Cyprian. ad Donat. p. 10. edit. Oxon. 1682.

* Εν άλλοις μεν πολλοις αποδέχομαι και αγαπω Νεπωλα, της τε πίσεως και της φιλοπονίας και της εκ ταις γραφαις διατρίβης, και της πολλής ψαλμωδίας, η μέχρι νυν πολλοι των αδελφων ευθυμανίαι. Eufeb. Eccl. Hift. 1. 7. c. 24 p. 271.

• Ibid. 1. 2. c. 17. P 57. & l. 10. c. 3. p. 371.

Auguft. Confess. 1. 9. C 6. §. 2. & 7.1. & l. 10. c. 33. §. 2.

Ibid. 1,9 c. 6. §. 2. & l. 10. c. 33. §. 3.

Eufeb. Eccl Hift. 1. 7. c. 30. p. 281.