AND Spiritual Songs. In THREE BOOKS. I. Collected from the Scriptures. By 1. WATT S, D. D. And they fung a new Song, faying, Thou art worthy, Soliti effent (i. e. Chriftiani) convenire, carmenque LOND O. N: Printed, in the Year 1779 W HILE we fing the Praifes of our GOD in his Church, we are employed in that Part of Worship which of all others is the nearest akin to Heaven; and it is Pity that this of all others fhould be performed the worst upon Earth. The Gofpel brings us nearer to the heavenly State than all the former Difpenfations of GoD amongst Men: And in thefe laft Days of the Gofpel we are brought almost within fight of the Kingdom of our LORD; yet we are very much unacquainted with the SONGS of the New Jerufalem, and unpractifed in the Work of Praife. To fee the dull Indifference, the negligent and the thoughtless Air, that fits upon the Faces of a whole Affembly, while the Pfalm is on their Lips, might tempt even a charitable Obferver to fufpect the Fervency of inward Religion; and it is much to be feared, that the Minds of most of the Worshippers are abfent or unconcerned. Perhaps the Modes of Preaching in the beft Churches, ftill want fome degrees of Reformation; nor are the Methods of Prayer fo perfect, as to ftand in need of no Correction or Improvement: But of all our Religious Solemnities, Pfalmody is the most unhappily managed: That very Action which fhould elevate us to the most delightful and divine Senfations, doth not only flatten our Devotion, but too often awakes our Regret, and touches all the Springs of Uneafinefs within us. I have been long convinced, that one great Occafion of this Evil arifes from the Matter and Words to which we confine all our Songs. Some of them are almoft oppofite to the Spirit of the Gofpel: Many of them foreign to the State of the New Teftament. and widely different from the prefent Circumftances of Chriftians. Hence it comes to pafs, that when fpiritual Affections are excited within us, and our Souls are raifed a little above this Earth in the beginning of a Pfalm, we are checked on a fudden in our Afcent toward Heaven, by fome Expreffions that are most fuitable to the Days of Carnal Ordinances, and fit only to be fung in the Worldly Sauctuary. When we are juft entering into an Evangelic Frame, by fome of the Glories of the Gospel prefented in the brightest Figures of Judaifm, yet the very next Line perhaps which the Clerk parcels out unto us, hath fomething in it fo extremely Jewish and cloudy that it darkens our Sight of GOD the SAVIOUR. Thus, by keeping too clofe to David in the Houfe of GoD, the Vail of Mofes is thrown over our Hearts. While we are kindling into divine Love by the Meditations of the Loving kindness of God, and the Multitude of his tender Mercies; within a few Verfes, fome dreadful Curfe against Men is propofed to our Lips, that God would add Iniquity unto their Iniquity, nor let them come into his Righteousness, but blot bem out of the Book of the Living, Pial, Ixix. 26. |
