therefore it became the wisdom and Goodness of God to reveal these Mysteries of Salvation to us Especially if we add to this That the lapsed state of Humane Nature makes Supernatural Knowledge necessary Natural Knowledge we grant was sufficient for a state of Nature though no man would have had reason to complain had God in a state of Innocence by a more familiar intercourse with Man or by the frequent Conversation of Angels improved his Knowledge beyond the meer attainments of his Natural Faculties and it is not improbable but this might have been I am sure there is an impatient thirst after knowledge in Humane Nature and such a great curiosity for secret and hidden Mysteries that it looks very unnatural for Men to complain that God reveals more to them than Nature teaches But yet I say Natural Knowledge must be allowed sufficient to all the ends of Humane Life while Man continued Innocent for that is the Original state of Human Nature as all men must grant who believe that Man was made by God But when man sinned he forfeited the Favour of God and a natural Immortality and whether he should be restored or not and by what means he should be restored depended wholly on the Sovereign Will and Pleasure of God And therefore the Light of Nature though it could direct an Innocent Man how to Please and Worship God and to preserve himself Immortal it could not teach Sinners how to make attonement for Sin nor give them any certain hopes that God would forgive Sins and bestow immortal Life on them which makes it necessary that the Religion of a Sinner be a revealed Religion And if God in infinite Goodness is not only pleased to restore Sinners to Grace and Favour but to advance them to a supernatural state of Perfection and Happiness both of Soul and Body in the next World this must be done by supernatural Means and therefore requires a supernatural Knowledge for the Light of Nature can neither raise us above Nature nor discover supernatural Truths to us and this makes it necessary to know and believe such things as we have no natural Notion or Idea of Such things as neither eye hath seen nor ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive If Nature can't save us it can't discover to us the way of Salvation neither and if we must be saved by a supernatural Grace and Power it must be supernaturally revealed and what is Supernatural is the Object of Faith not of natural Knowledge This seems to me to give a plain account why God thinks fit to reveal such Mysteries to us as Nature cannot teach and as we have no natural Notion of because our lapsed state has made such Supernatural Revelations necessary to the recovery of Mankind and when we are fallen below the relief of Nature and of Natural Knowledge we ought to be very thankful to our good God for Supernatural Knowledge and supernatural Means of Salvation To God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost Three Persons one Eternal God be Honour Glory and Power now and for ever Amen SERMON XI THE Folly and Unreasonableness OF DEISM Preach'd before the King at Hampton-Court Iune 16. 1700 John xiv 1. Ye believe in God believe also in me I Shall not consider these Words as they relate to what follows but only observe in them that our Saâ—…iour not only requires his Disciples to â—…elieve in God but that they should believe also in him that is to believe that he came from God and hath revealed his Will to the World And from hence I shall take occasion to consider the Case of Deists who pretend to own that there is a God and to pay such Worship to him and to obey such Laws as meer Nature teaches but reject all Revealed Religions even the Gospel of Christ it self as no better than Cheats and Impostors This Profession of Deism is grown very fashionable among our great Pretenders to Wit and Philosophy and I am very glad that such Men are ashamed of the Name of Atheists and hope that a serious Consideration of the Folly and Unreasonableness of Deism that is to believe a God and to deny all Revealed Religion may dispose them to an impartial Inquiry into the Grounds and Reasons of the Christian Faith I. The Folly of Deism I will begin with this to make Men consider a little what they intend by it or what wise End it will serve Every one sees what Men intend by Atheism to deliver themselves from the Fears of invisible Powers that they may follow their own Inclinations and do what they like best themselves without any Awe of God or Reproofs and Terrors of Conscience or the dismal Apprehensions of unknown and endless Punishments in the next World And this is the wisest Course Men can take who resolve to be wicked that they may sin with Ease and Pleasure without the bitter Allays of Shame and Fear But now if a Deist really is what he pretends to be that is if he does really believe that there is a God and that the Soul is Immortal and that Good Men shall be rewarded and Bad Men punished in the next World he believes a great deal too much to sin with Security and a great deal too little to have any comfortable Hopes of a better Life That this is certainly the most hopeless State that a Man can be in in this World it has all the Restraints and Fears of Religion but none of the Supports and Comforts of it As to shew this briefly 1. He who does heartily believe that there is a God who will punish Men for their Sins not only in this World but in the next believes too much to sin with Security though he believes nothing at all of Revelation For if Nature as they grant teaches Men that there is a Holy and Just Governour of the World who observes what we do and will punish Wickedness Natural Conscience also will accuse and terrifie and condemn wicked Men. Thus St. Paul assures us it was with the Heathen World before they had any Revelation of God's Will For when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by Nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto themselves which shew the Work of the Law written in their Hearts their Consciences also bearing witness and their Thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another 2 Rom. 14 15. And the same is attested by all the Heathen Orators Philosophers and Poets And those natural Terrors of Conscience and Fears of Vengeance were in those Days before Men had ever heard of the Gospel of our Saviour so very unsupportable to bad Men that they took Refuge in Atheism against them as Lucretius does very honestly confess and admires his Master Epicurus for his brave and bold Attempt in delivering the World from the Fears of God and of Religion So that whoever believe a
is the surest side to believe or to disbelieve Christianity and a future State If Christianity be true and there be an Eternal State of Rewards and Punishments in the next Life if we disbelieve it we are miserable for ever but if we do believe it and it should not prove true we loose nothing by it but the transient Pleasures of Sin and instead of them have all the present Ease and Satisfaction of Vertue and great Hopes and those who have tried both will tell you that the Pleasures of Virtue far exceed the Pleasures of Sin and that the Hope and Expectation of Immortal Life does more ravish and transport than the Possession of this World can do The truth is the Eternal Miseries of the next World are so very terrible that no wise Man would run the least Hazard of them but instead of demanding a demonstrative Certainty that there is such a Place of Torment would demand a demonstrative Certainty that there is not before he would venture And the Happiness of the other World so exceeds all our Imaginations that a very little Evidence would perswade a wise Man to venture any thing to be happy for ever The Sum of what I have said in short is this To despise all Faith is to ridicule Human Nature and Human Conversation for God has made us such Creatures that three Parts of our Lives must be governed by Faith and if Faith be a foolish absurd unsafe Principle of Action I 'm sure Man is a very wretched and contemptible Creature for Man must live by Faith We cannot see each others Hearts and Thoughts and I believe no man desires that other Men should see his Heart how much soever he may desire to see theirs and then we cannot converse with each other with any Pleasure and Security without believing We are finite Creatures our Lives are short and we can be but in one Place at a time and if we must believe nothing but what we our selves see what a narrow contemptible thing is human Knowledge and therefore we must allow of the Testimony of Eye and Ear Witnesses and of credible Histories which is the Evidence of Faith and furnishes us with the best as well as with the largest Part of our Knowledge and with the wisest Rules and Examples of Life And though we may be and often are mistaken this only makes Men more prudent and cautious not Infidels But a Divine Faith gives us a much more infallible Assurance than Human Faith can do for we know God cannot deceive us as Men may and then if we have as great nay much greater Evidence for a Divine Revelation than we have for any other matters of Fact at such a distance we have all the Evidence of the most certain Human Faith and the infallible certainty of a Divine Faith Nay if they will but allow which no considering Man can deny that we have as good Evidence for the History of the Gospel as they have for any other History which they most firmly believe it will be impossible for them to give a wise Reason why they do not believe the Gospel Nay were there less Evidence than there is the vast Importance of it which is no less than Eternal Life and Death is reason enough to a wise Man to chuse the surest side and to live by the Faith of another World 2. Let us now consider the Reason and the Wisdom of this Choice We look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal The difference between Temporal and Eternal is so demonstrative a Reason why we should prefer Eternal unseen things before temporal seen things that it is hard to add any thing to give a new Strength to it if Men do but understand what these Words Time and Eternity signifie Suppose you should ask any Man whether he would chuse to live threescore or fourscore years or to live for ever he would certainly wonder at your Question and think it an Affront since Nature teaches all Men to answer it without the least dispute or consideration about it All Men love Life and above all things desire to live for ever which is so strong a Passion that I doubt not at all but the generality of Mankind supposing no other Life after this would rather chuse to be Immortal Beggars than Mortal Princes or at least would content themselves with a very mean Station in this World and to take their Chance as to the Sufferings of it rather than not to be For Life is sweet and it is a pleasant thing to the Eye to behold the Sun And if Men who know no better would be contented to take their Fortune in this World and to venture an Eternal Round of uncertain and changeable Scenes and prefer this before fourscore or a hundred Years of the greatest Prosperity and Glory one would think there should be no Comparison between the most prosperous State of this Life and the eternal unchangeable Happiness of the next And yet we find by Experience that though most Men are desirous to live as long as they can in this World and would submit to any Conditions which would make them Immortal here they think the Case very much altered when you promise them Immortal Life in the next World as is very evident from this that they will not submit to such a State of Discipline and Mortification to save their Souls as they chearfully submit to to save their Lives Skin for Skin and all that a Man hath will he give for his Life but they will not part with all they have to save their Souls nay will venture their Souls to get or to save an Estate or a very little part of it And yet which makes it more wonderful there are great numbers of such Men who profess to believe that there is another World and that they must be happy or miserable for ever This is very unaccountable that all Men should agree that what is eternal ought to be preferred before what is temporal and yet that the Generality of Mankind should prefer temporal Things before the Things which are Eternal What is to be said to these Men Will you prove that Eternity is to be preferred before Time This is lost labour for they all own it and have a Natural Sense of it which is more powerful than any other Arguments Will you then perswade them to prefer Eternal before Temporal Things but by what Arguments will you perswade if Eternity it self cannot perswade In such Cases where there is no need of disputing no need to convince Mens Reasons I know nothing left but to paint and represent to draw such lively Images and Pictures as may move Mens Passions and give them a feeling Sense of the difference between Time and Eternity And to do this to as great Advantage as I can I shall 1st consider the
bear this when so dear an Interest is concerned as the Salvation of their Souls And the truth is that Forbearance St. Paul so often mentions was to preserve Men of different attainments and different apprehensions in the Unity of the Church not to countenance their Schisms and Separations But yet since we are fallen into such unhappy Circumstances that a great many Men whom we have reason to hope are in other respects very good Christians and such as our common Saviour will receive with all their Infirmities are involved in a Schism let us still treat them as Christian Brethren pay all that Kindness and Respect to them which is due to the Members of Christ to the Children of the same Father and the Heirs of the same Promises The good Order and Government and the wholesome Laws and Constitutions of a Church must not be presently Sacrificed to the Scruples of every good but it may be ignorant and indiscreet Christian but yet in our Treatment of them we must consider whether we have not reason to think that Christ will own them with all their Faults and if we have reason to believe that Christ will own them we ought also to own them and pay such Kindness to them as is due to all sincere Christians tho under some Mistakes Now I am very confident after all the Heats that have been between the Church of England and Dissenters neither of them will Damn each other upon account of such Differences as are between them no Church of England-man will say that to Pray Extempore to Baptize without the Sign of the Cross to Officiate without a Surplice to Receive the Sacrament Sitting are damning Sins and I believe there are very few if any of our Dissenters that will say That the contrary Practise is Damning and then there may be good Christians on both sides and those who are so ought to love one another as Members of the same Body of CHRIST though divided in their external Communion by some unhappy Differences Schism indeed we do say is a damning Sin but there may be Divisions where there is not always the guilt and formality of Schism and we hope this is the Case of all good Men who separate from the Church through some invincible Prejudices and Prepossessions This shews what great reason we have to love one another notwithstanding such dividing Disputes but if we would practise this true Christian Charity we must take care that these Differences do not grow up into personal Hatreds and Animosities Mens Opinions and Practices may differ and while they dispute fairly they may be Friends still but when Self-love Honour Reputation and Interest is engaged in the Quarrel this makes the Enmity mortal and they must Ruin one another though they both fall together This I am sure is not the Zeal which descends from above which is pure and peaceable gentle and easy to been treated 2. The Peace of the Church signifies its Preservation from the Oppression and Persecution of its Enemies For the Church never wants Enemies though their Power be not always equal and this I presume I need not perswade you to Pray for for you are all sensible what an advantage this is There is none of you would choose Racks and Tortures a Gibbet or a Stake these are grievous things to Flesh and Blood the very thoughts of which make us tremble though immortal Life and the Joys and Pleasures of GOD's Presence are an abundant Recompence for the loss of this present Life and all the Sufferings of this World yet it is a very difficult Tryal even to the best Men who when they see it a coming cannot but Pray with the Importunity of an Agony as our SAVIOUR did Lord let this Cup pass from me Though good Men prefer their future Hopes before all present Things yet their Life their Ease their Liberties their Estates are valuable things too and all Men would be glad to get to Heaven without meeting with such a Storm by the way Especially if it be such a Storm as threatens the very Ruin of the Church and of the true Religion to subvert the Faith of many professed Christians to entail Ignorance Infidelity or monstrous Errors on our Posterity in such a case the love of our Religion of our Country of our Posterity will make us raise our Hearts and our Voices to Heaven in our fervent and passionate Prayers for the peace of Ierusalem And if we do heartily Pray for the peace of Ierusalem methinks we should not Sacrifice our Religion to private Animosities GOD forbid were it in my power and had I never so little kindness for Dissenters that I should ever embrace any Proposals which would Ruin all the Dissenters in England and the Protestant Religion into the bargain and I doubt they are no Protestant Dissenters who would be contented to Ruin the CHURCH of ENGLAND though they introduce Popery and set up the Church of Rome in its stead Thus I have shewn you what that Peace is which we must Pray for and I need not add many words in the second place to shew you how necessary Prayer is to obtain these Blessings for not to insist now on those common Topicks of the necessity of Prayer in general and its Power and Efficacy to obtain our Requests of GOD I shall desire you only to consider that this Peace is such a Blessing as none but GOD can bestow and therefore we ought to pray for it 1. As for Unity and Peace among our selves this Saint Paul expresly prays for 15 Rom. 5 6. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one towards another according to Christ Iesus that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God even the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ for it is God that maketh men to be of a mind Whoever considers the unruly passions of men their different capacities and understandings and different interests will not wonder that the best Arguments and the most obliging Arts do not always prevail but God can still our passions enlighten our minds over-rule our interests remove our prejudices and unite and reconcile the most distant persons and not to take notice now of that power he has over our Wills and his immediate applications to our Minds and Spirits he many times effects this by some external and visible Providences The Gaol and the Stake presently reconciled the Differences between those two excellent Bishops and Martyrs RIDLEY and HOOPER who before disputed fiercely about some Ceremonies as we have done and I pray God grant us so much Christian prudence and temper that we may not need such means to reconcile us and we have great reason to hope this since the Divine Providence has in a great measure already removed the Prejudices on both sides and convinc'd us that we are not at such a distance from each other as our Enemies would have us and as it may be we thought
Courtships of the World cannot defend us from our selves we cannot stop our ears against 〈◊〉 we cannot harden our selves against â—…s Terrors it is a domestick Fury â—…hich when it is provoked and awakenâ—…d will be heard and will make us â—…emble will make us judge and conâ—…emn our selves and begin our own â—…orments in frightful Horrors and Agoâ—…es of Mind 2dly Whereas Reason can fortify the â—…ind against all external Calamities â—…hen our Spirits are wounded that â—…ttle Reason we have left proves our â—…ormentor When we are under the â—…ransports of violent and disorderly â—…assions Reason can't be heard or is â—…ibed by Passion to justify its own Exâ—…esses Wise Counsels are lost on such â—…en as much as a Lecture of Philoâ—…phy would be in the Noise and Diâ—…raction of an Alarm or Battel What a sullen and obstinate thing is â—…rief how does it pore on its own â—…isfortune nourish its Disease and â—…espise all Arts of Diversion that it is â—…ommonly above the cure of any thing â—…ut Time which weakens the Impresâ—…on or tires men with their own Comâ—…laints When our Consciences are wounded with Guilt this arms all the Reason we have against us for Reason in such Cases can never be on our side then Reason discovers our Shame and Danger aggravates our Sins and many times drives such awaken'd Sinners into the very Horrors of Dispair disputes against the possibility of their Pardon and blots their Names out of all the Promises of the Gospel how large and universal soever they be The Guides of Souls who are always consulted upon such Occasions how much soever they are despised at other times could tell a great many sad Stories of thiâ—… kind enow to convince Sinners that even Wit and Reason is a very dangerous Enemy when a guilty Conscience turns the edge of it against our selves 3dly When there is no Ease and Comfort within there is no other Remedy but to seek for Support and Comfort from abroad and there are a great many pretty Diversions in the World to entertain Men who are at leisure to attend them but these are no Entertainments to a wounded Spirit When men are galled by their own Passions by Fear Emulation Jealousy Discontent in the very midst of laughter â—…e heart is sorrowful As great as Haâ—…n was all his Riches and Power â—…ailed him nothing while he saw â—…ordecai the Iew sitting at the King 's â—…ate 5. Esth. 13. The good things of this World are â—…ry considerable when there is an eaâ—… and cheerful mind to enjoy them â—…t they cannot make a man easy and â—…ppy whose Mind is disturbed they â—…ay entertain an easy Mind but canâ—…t quiet the Tumults and Disorders of â—…ssions nor give any Ease to a woundâ—… Spirit Much less can external things apâ—…ase the Horrors of a guilty Consciâ—…ce Away all ye vain Delights will â—…ch a man say what have I to do with â—…easure when Torments everlasting â—…orments must be my Portion Why â—…o you tell me of Riches and Honours â—…hen the great God is my Enemy â—…hen I am despised and abhorred of my â—…aker and am thought worthy of no â—…etter Portion than Eternal Flames 〈◊〉 am not at leisure to attend the Flatâ—…ering Courtships of this World my Thoughts are taken up with a more â—…readful Prospect of things to come O Eternity Eternity the never-dying Worm the never-dying Death 4thly Nor can a wounded Spiâ—… find any Support from the Considerations of Religion unless it find its Câ—… there If the Belief of a Divine Providence and another World can cure oâ—… Love to present things it will give uâ—… quiet and easy Passions too but without this a wounded and distemper'â—… Spirit will reproach God as well aâ—… Men and rage against Heaven it self â—… like that wicked King This evil is 〈◊〉 the Lord why should I wait on the Lâ—… any longer As Solomon observes Tâ—… foolishness of Man perverteth his waâ—… and his heart fretteth against the Lord. If the Fear of God and of thoâ—… Punishments He has threatned agaiâ—… Sin makes us true and sincere Peâ—…tents conquers our vicious Habiâ—… and reforms our Lives this is such 〈◊〉 wounded Spirit as God will bind up again such a broken and contrite heaâ—… as God will not despise but the Thoughâ—… of God and of a future Judgment aâ—… very terrible to Impenitent Sinners It is a dreadful Prospect to look intâ—… the other World and to see those Lakes of Fire and Brimstone prepared for the Devil and his Angels And this 〈◊〉 all that Bad men can see in the next â—…orld Thus we see how supportable all â—…ternal Evils and Calamities are how â—…supportable a wounded Spirit is and â—…e comparing these two Cases will â—…ggest some very useful Thoughts to â—…s As First This is a great Vindicatiâ—… of the Providence of God with â—…spect to those Evils and Calamities â—…at are in the World Sufferings are â—…ery necessary in this corrupt and deâ—…enerate State of Mankind but though â—…od sees it necessary to punish Sinners â—…et he has made abundant Provision to â—…pport us under all external Sufferâ—…gs He inflicts nothing on us but â—…hat the Spirit of a Man can sustain â—…d support it self under but our â—…reatest Sufferings are owing to our â—…elves and no more chargeable on the â—…rovidence of God than our Sins are â—…othing that is external can hurt us â—…hile our minds are sound and healthâ—…l but it is only a disordered or guilty â—…ind which gives a Sting to Afflictiâ—…ns God corrects in measure as we â—…re able to bear but we our selves tye the Knots or add the Scorpions to thâ—… Scourge Secondly This greatly recommendâ—… the Divine Wisdom in that Provisioâ—… God has made for our Support undâ—… Sufferings As â—…t Since the generality oâ—… Mankind were not likely to prove anyâ—… great Philosophers GOD hath bestowed on them such a measure of Naturâ—… Courage as will bear Afflictions betteâ—… than the Reason and Philosophy 〈◊〉 more thinking men and we may generally observe that those who maâ—… the least use of their Reason and haâ—… the least share of External Comforâ—… have the greatest Portion of this â—…taught Courage because they need 〈◊〉 most 2. God has provided the greatâ—… Supports for the best men Thoâ—… who use their Reason and examine thâ—… nature of things will more easily beâ—… Poverty and Disgrace and such otheâ—… Evils than men who judge by Opinion and popular Mistakes Those who live by Reason and govern their sensual Appetites and Inclinations and use the things of this World so as not to be mastered by them retain that Courage and Strength of Mind which is lost by softness and Effeminacy But a truly devout man who beâ—…ieves the Wisdom and Goodness of Providence and the Rewards of the next Life has the greatest Support of all Whereas an impenitent Sinner who wounds his Conscience with Guilt and an Atheist who believes neither a God nor a Providence have nothing but Sottishness and Stupidity to support them and
but to perswade and direct you to turn the Delights and Charms of Musick into the Raptures of Devotion which would the most effectually silence all the Enemies of Church-Musick and Cathedral-Worship while as a divine Poet of our own Sings This would visibly turn Delight into a Sacrifice Now since Musick what ever it be and how well soever performed is of no use or value in Religion but as it serves the true ends of Devotion we must enquire What that Harmony and Melody is which is so acceptable to God How fit External and Sensible Melody is to promote this and how it may and ought to be improved to that purpose 1. As for the first I need not tell any Man who understands the Nature of Christian Worship that it is only they Melody of the Heart as St. Paul speakes that pleaseth God All true Christian Worship whatever the externals of it are is the Worship of the Mind and Spirit This alone is that Worship which it becomes a reasonable Creature to pay to his Maker his Sovereign Lord and Saviour as the Blessed Virgin sang My Soul doth magnifie the Lord and my Spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour For it is the Mind only that can praise God though the tongue must sing his Praises The best composed Hymns the most Musical Instruments the most Charming Voices are but lifeless Mechanical Sounds till they are Animated and Inspired by the Devotion of the Heart and God takes no more pleasure in the best Voices than in bodily strength or beauty Now the Melody of the Heart is the Consent and Harmony of all the Powers and Passions of our Souls in the Praises of God When Love and Joy and Admiration and the profoundest Reverence bear their several Parts and offer up our whole Souls as a Living Vocal Hymn of Praise Then we sing aloud in our Hearts to God when we feel the greatest Transports and Extasies of these Divine Passions which swallow us up in God and unite us to the Heavenly Quire Then we sing with true Melody in our Hearts to God when these Divine Passions which are Essential to Praise and Thanksgiving charm all our earthly Passions into a Calm quiet all their Storms and Tumults leave no jarring Discords no Discontents no Sollicitous Cares no Jealousies no Envyings to discompose the Harmony of our Souls which must be all Peace all Love all Joy to sing with a true Divine Melody the Praises of God This and nothing else is the true Praise of God when our minds are filled with such bright Ideas of his Glory and Perfections with such a lively Sense of his Majesty Wisdom Goodness Power discover'd in his great and wonderful Works of Creation Providence and the Redemption of the World by our Lord Jesus Christ as transport us with Love Admiration and Joy A Heart thus full of God will break forth into Songs of Praise When the Fire is kindled within as the Psalmist observes from his own Experience we shall then speak with our Tongues Here our Praises ought to begin to be sure here they must always end in the Heat and fervour of our Affections and an inward feeling of the Divine Praises if we would have them an acceptable Worship of God As far as the Harmony of Voices or Musical Instruments serve this End they are excellent Helps to Devotion but it is only their Subserviency to the Devotion of the Mind which gives them any Value or allows them any Place in Religious Worship 2dly Let us then consider of what Use Musick is to excite and quicken our Affections and to give a new Life and Spirit to Devotion Man is not all Soul and Spirit but a compound Creature consisting of Soul and Body and while our Souls are vitally united to Bodies they receive most of their Passions from them at least feel the most strong and vigorous Motions from those Impressions which our Senses make and Sight it self does not more variously affect our Minds than Hearing does Words and Sounds have very powerful Charms and give as quick a Turn to our Thoughts and Passions as Sight it self and not only Words but even a diversity of Sounds are fitted by Nature to express and to excite very different Passions Love Joy Admiration Desire Fear Sorrow Indignation Revenge give some distinguishing Notes and Accents to the very Voice which no Art but Nature teaches and which betrays the Passion without speaking a Word And such different Notes will also as forcibly imprint such Passions on our Minds as they naturally represent and that many times whether we will or no which is a great Secret in Nature and shews an unaccountable Sympathy between Sounds and Passions which are by turns the Natural effects and causes of each other and there needs no other proof what the natural power of Musick must be to raise and to calm our Passions and the Experience of all Mankind tells us that thus it is when the Composer knows how to fit Notes to Passions which the Knowledge of Humane Nature not the meer proportion of Sounds must teach him Without this a fine piece of Musick is like a company of fine Words put together without any great Sense or Meaning they make a fine Sound and that is all Now if there be a Natural Sympathy and mutual Causality between Sounds and Passions there is no doubt but true Devotional Musick will Excite or Heighten our Devotional Passions as we daily see and complain that wanton and amorous Airs are apt to kindle wanton Fires for Nature will act like it self whether you apply it to good or to bad purposes If there be no force in Musick to give a good or bad tincture to the Mind why do any Men complain of wanton Songs They may then blame the Poet but neither the Composer nor Singer for the Musick it seems does no hurt if there be Why do they condemn Church-Musick which will have as good an Influence upon a devout Mind as the other has a bad One Why then should any Man think Musick improper for the worship of God It is a Natural Power though improved by Art as most other natural Powers are and all Natural Powers are made for the Worship and Service of God as far as they are capable of serving him which Musick is in a very high Degree if it have such a Natural Power over our Passions as to Increase and Actuate though it can't create Devotion Both Poetry and Musick were originally used to celebrate the Praises of God lost their Glory when they descended to meaner Subjects but were prophaned by a prostitution to men's Lusts and Vices The first account we have of singing is the Song of Moses Exod. 15. when God had made the Children of Israel to pass through the Red-Sea on dry ground and had drowned the Aegyptians and we can't have a more ancient Account than this which is the most ancient History in the World And throughout the Old Testament both