above themselves by the Holy Ghost and cannot erre and so was David and Asaph 4. Though the words of Christ be the Gospel yet the words of David are not to be shut out of the Gospel for the Gospel was preached to Israel when David and the other Prophets were preached yea and some parts of Moses also Heb. 4.2 Joh. 5.46 Object 3. But if the Apostle had intended to commend to the Churches the singing of the Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs of David and Asaph what need was there for him to exhort either the Ephesians to be filled with the Spirit or the Colossians to have the word of Christ dwell richly in them for such a service For any small measure of the Spirit and of the Word will suffice to sing the Psalmes of David and Asaph in their words and in the meeter and tunes accustomed But to invent new spirituall Songs fit to teach and admonish the Church would require a full measure of the Spirit and a rich treasure of the word to dwell in us And therefore Paul biddeth the Ephesians to be filled with the Spirit in singing the spirituall songs of the New Testament as drunkards are filled with wine and in the strength and spirits of their wine invent and sing their wanton Sonnets Answ. 1. Paul did exhort them to be filled with the Spirit as drunkards be with wine not that they might invent and sing spirituall Songs as drunkards doe wanton Sonnets for neither doe drunkards filled with wine usually invent Sonnets but sing such as they learned before when they were sober nor doth the Apostle speake of inventing Songs at all either wanton Songs by drunkards or spirituall Songs by the faithfull but onely to be filled with the Spirit as drunkards be with wine that so they might avoyd the riotous and excessive mirth of Drunkards and employ and improve their holy mirth and joy to the singing Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs for their own mutuall edification and consolation and for holy thankesgiving and praise unto the Lord Answ. 2. Though it doe not require such a full measure of the Spirit nor rich portion of the Word dwelling in us to sing a Psalme invented and penned to our hands yet a full and rich measure of the Word and Spirit will be needfull to performe all those duties which the Apostle in those Texts calleth for For the Apostle calleth to the improvement as of the whole word of Christ unto the teaching and admonishing of one another so of the Psalmes not onely unto those two heads but also besides those unto a further third end to wit unto the singing of them unto Gods praise Now to be able to improve the whole word of God to these two spirituall ends and the Psalmes to all those three spirituall ends doth require a full and rich measure both of Spirit and Word to dwell in us Answ. 3. It will require a full and rich measure both of Word and Spirit to dwell in us to direct and appoint a fit Psalme out of the Booke of Psalmes suitable to the present occasions of singing to Gods praise and to the instruction and admonition of the Church according to the present estate of their affections or afflictions their consolation or conversation in hand Answ. 4. It will require a fuller and richer measure of the Word and Spirit to dwell in us then a carnall heart would imagine even to utter a Song with such grace in the heart as might make melody to the Lord It requires a good measure of the indwelling Spirit and word of God to pray in the Spirit but much more to sing in the Spirit wherein our senses delighted with the melody are apt to steale away our hearts from spirituall fervency Deborah found her heart dull to be awakened so much as to utter the song which shee had prepared by the Spirit for her and Barak to sing together Judg. 5.12 Awake Awake saith shee Awake Awake Deborah utter a song that fourefold ingemination Awake Awake Awake Awake utter a song argueth in the best of Gods servants a deepe drowsinesse of spirit when wee should come to utter a spirituall Song spiritually like as that fourfold ingemination to the Church of Hierusalem to Returne Returne Returne Returne Cant. 6.13 argueth a deepe and strong aversenesse of the Spirit of the Jewes unto Conversion and returning to the Lord Object 4. The Apostle calleth the whole word of Christ dwelling in us Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs neither doth he limit us to one Prophet more then to another unlesse you will say that the words of Christ in the Gospel or which was prophecied by the rest of the Prophets were not spirituall songs But the Apostle calleth them all Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs as well as Davids if they dwell in the heart For the words of Christ there to wit in the heart are songs for the Spirit or else they are no songs to any man Therefore as yet to sing the Prophecies of David after our common manner is no worship commanded or taught us in holy Writ Answ. 1. It is a groundlesse Assertion to say that Paul calleth the whole word of God dwelling in us Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs For why then should the Holy Ghost give that style and Title of Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs onely to the Booke of Psalmes and to none else of all of the Bookes of the Prophets or Apostles Againe if Paul called the words of all the Prophets Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs why then did not the Prophets in their own language pen them with musicall accents as well as the Psalmes of David and Asaph Besides if the words of all the Prophets were spirituall Songs why then did the Prophets themselves finde the Bookes of their own Prophecies bitter in their bellies Rev. 10.10 There be many words of the Prophets that are more fit matter for humiliation and mourning before the Lord then fit to be sung as spirituall songsâ—nto the Lord But suppose there be many words of Christ and of his Prophets that are fit matter for spirituall reâ—oycing as indeed all the Doctrines and promises of Grace be yet what warrant have wee to sing them as in some Cathedrall Churches and Colledges the Bible-Clerks doe sing their Chapters out of the old and New Testament Answ. 2. Whether the words of Christ in the Gospel or in the Prophets be spirituall Songs or no yet if the Psalmes of David be also the words of Christ if they likewise dwell in our hearts and if they be spirituall Songs too then it will unavoydably follow That the same word of the Apostle that commandeth us to sing Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs commandeth us also to sing the Psalmes of David and Asaph unto the Lord unlesse you will say that the Psalmes of David and Asaph though dwelling in the heart are neither Psalmes nor Hymnes nor spirituall Songs howsoever the Holy Ghost
whether the Psalmes of David and Asaph and such other Hymnes and spirituall Songs endited by the Prophets and recorded in Scripture be appointed by God to be ordinarily sung in Christian Churches or whether laying aside Scripture-Songs we are to sing onely such spirituall Songs as shall be endited by the personall but ordinary gifts of any ordinary Officer or member of the Church The former wee hold to be the Truth others the latter The Reasons of our Faith and Practise are these 1. Taken from the Commandement or exhortation of the Apostle Ephes. 5.19 Be you filled with the Spirit saith he speaking to your selves that is one to another in Psalmes and Hymnes and spiritual Songs singing and making melody in your harts to the Lord To the like purpose is his CoÌ„mandement and exhortation to the Colossians Chap. 3. ver. 16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdome teaching and admonishing one another in Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord In both which places as the Apostle exhorteth us to singing so he instructeth us what the matter of our Song should be to wit Psalmes Hymnes and spirituall Songs Now those three be the very Titles of the Songs of David as they are delivered to us by the Holy Ghost himselfe some of them are called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that is Psalmes some {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that is Hymnes some {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that is Songs spirituall â—ongs Now what reason can be given why the Apostle should direct us in our singing to the very titles of Davids Psalmes if it were not his meaning that we should sing them Yea either we must exclude the Psalmes of David from the name of Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs or else we must be forced to acknowledge that we are exhorted to sing them as well as any other CHAP. V. BEfore we proceed to any further Reasons of the point let us first by the helpe of Christ cleare the Objections against this The Objections are many and some of them seeme more weighty and some more light let us unpartially and evenly by the Lords guidance weigh them all in the Ballance of the Sanctuary Object 1. If Paul had meant Davids Psalmes or Scripture-songs it had been an easie matter to have named Davids Psalmes or Scripture-songs as David himselfe named his songs the Psalmes or Songs of David when he delivered them to the chiefe Musitian and to his company to be sung Answ. 1. It may as justly be said if Paul had meant to exclude Davids Psalmes or Scripture-songs it had been as easie to have excluded them by name and to have limited them onely to such Psalmes and Songs as the Spirit should suggest unto their hearts Answ. 2. The Apostle expresly nameth Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs and they three are the very expresse Titles of the Psalmes in the Psalme-Booke Now why he should direct them to the very Titles of Davids Psalmes yet not meane the Psalmes that beare those Titles can a good conscience give a good reason for it Answ. 2. When David gave his Psalmes and Songs to the Musitians in Israel it was meete he should set his name to them or by some other marke make it appeare that the Psalmes were inspired and delivered by a Prophet of God But after the Book of Psalmes was generally knowne and received to be of divine inspiration as other Oracles of God the Psalmes are as usually alledged in the New Testament without the name of David as with it Luk. 24 44. Asts 13.33 Object 2. The Psalmes here committed to the spirituall Singers to be sung are the words of Christ which are to dwell richly in us Col. 3.16 But the Psalmes dedicated to the sonnes of Corah were the words of David and Asaph And so the Holy Ghost calleth them Not but that the words spoken by the mouth of David and Asaph where the words of Christ but that the words which are to be the spirituall songs of the Saints wherein they are to teach one another and to sing unto God they are words spoken to the heart by the voyce of the Spirit of Christ Besides the word of Christ is properly the Gospel by way of eminency in way of opposition to the Law given by Moses Answ. 1. The words of David and Asaph as they were the words of Chtist in the mouth of David and Asaph so they were the words of Christ also in the mouths of the sonnes of Corah or any other Singers in the Temple If any of them did not sing them with the Spirit of Christ as well as David and Asaph spake and penned them by the Spirit of Christ it was a sinfull defect in them but not in the word it selfe nor in the godly Singers of the Temple such as Heman and Jeduthun and others who were spirituall and holy men and sang them with melody in their hearts as well as in their voyces And it will be alike sinfull defect in the New Testament in such as sing the Psalmes of David to sing them without some measure of the Spirit of David For the Apostle expresly requireth that wee should sing with grace in our hearts But if the words of David and Asaph be the words of Christ and be sung of the Church with grace in the heart wee demand whether this act of the Church be not an act of Faith and of the obedeince of Faith to the word of Christ in that Text of the Appostle Answ. 2. It is an unsafe and unsavoury expression to speake of the words of David and Asaph as if they were onely the words of Christ in the mouths of spirituall Singers For if they were not the words of Christ in the mouths of carnall Singers also then the holy Scriptures were not the word of Christ if they be read by a carnall reader So the unbeliefe of man shâ—ll make the faith of God of none effect yea the word of God not to be the word of God Answ. 3. Let it be considered in the feare of God whether the words of David and Asaph sung with grace in the heart unto God be not as truly and properly in the Apostles sence the word of Christ as any Song endited by the private gift of any Saint of God now living If so then the Apostle encourageth us to sing the Psalmes of David and Asaph with their Spirit If not then there be Christians now that are carried by a more infallible Spirit then the Prophets were in old time And yet Paul speaketh of the Saints now as led by the Spirt of God Rom. 8.14 But Peter speaketh of the Prophets then as carried {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 Which putteth this difference that such as are led by the Spirit may erre but such as are carried by the Spirit are carried and lifted
of new Apostles to be raised up in every age the Holy Ghost telleth us the Church of the Jewes at their last conversion shall be built upon the foundation of the Lambes twelve Apostles Rev. 21.14 The twelve Apostles of the Lambe shall have a fundamentall influence in the rearing and building of the Church of the Jewes not by their resurrection to life againe in those dayes but by the power of the Spirit breathing in their gifts and writings And as Abel being dead yet speaketh Heb. 11.4 and that to edification So the Apostles though dead speake also and David being dead speaketh and singeth likewise to the edification of the body of Christ till we come to sing Hallelujahs in heavenly glory Say not these writings of the Apostles and Evangelists of David and the Prophets doe not speake to the edification of the Church but as they are expounded and applyed by the spirituall gifts of the Ministers and people of God in each age For the very reading of them is an Ordinance of God and no Ordinance of God is empty and beggarly and destitute of the Spirit which is the vanitie of mens traditions and may not be imputed to any of Gods Ordinances Neither ought you to say That in singing the Psalmes of David there is no more personall gift manifested then there is in reading a stinted forme of Prayer For 1. in reading a stinted forme of prayer there is no gift of the Spirit at all manifested but rather as I conceive a manifest breach of the second Commandement of God which is a grieving of the Spirit But in singing of the Psalmes of David there is a gift of the Spirit manifested even the gift of obedience to the command of the Apostle And that is the personall gift of him that singeth And secondly all the treasures of the gifts of the Spirit breathing in the Psalmes of David are likewise manifested in the reverent and holy singing of them You might more truly have said there is no more personall gift of the Spirit manifested in singing the Psalmes of David then in reading the Psalmes of David because either of both those duties are alike acts of obedience to Gods Commandement But if you had so said your objection had answered it selfe Object 9. Many of Gods people now have gifts to compose spirituall Songs as well as carnall Poets to make carnall Sonnets or as drunkards that make Songs of Gods people Now every one that hath a gift is to administer it by Christs Command 1 Pet. 4.10 And if any for want of experience of such a gift in themselves should question it they may consider the promise of powring out the Spirit in a more plentifull measure now in the dayes of the New Testament then in the old Answ. 1. Though many of Gods people have gifts to compose spirituall Songs as well as carnall Poets carnall Sonnets and Drunkards prophane Sonnets yet that will not argue that the spirituall Songs which many of Gods people have gifts to compose are fit to be sung in the publique holy Assemblies of the Saints no more then the carnall and prophane Sonnets of drunken Poets are fit to be sung in civill Assemblies Let drunken carnall Poets sing their carnall Sonnets in their Tavernes and Ale-houses and such of Gods people as have received a gift to compose a spirituall Song fit for their private solace sing it in their private houses But every spirituall Song fit for private solace is not fit to be sung in the solemne Assemblies of the Church for publique edification no more then it is fit for every private Christian who hath a gift to compose a spirituall prayer to utter and powre forth the same in the publique Congregation of the Church Answ. 2. It is more then probable that many of the people of God in the old Testament had gifts to compose spirituall Songs besides David and Asaph and yet unlesse their gift were carried along by an infallible Spirit they were not received among the Songs of the Temple Answ. 3. Suppose that spirituall Songs composed by an ordinary gift might be received among the publique Songs of the Congregation yet will it thence follow that the Church shall be bound to sing onely such Songs and deprive themselves of the Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs of David and Asaph which were composed with a farre larger measure and power of the Holy Ghost Answ. 4. It is readily granted that as every man hath received a gift so let him administer and dispense it according to the Text alledged 1 Pet. 4.10 But yet in Christs way every private gift is not fit for publique Administration nor every publique gift fit to be administred to the shouldring out of a greater gift then it selfe Answ. 5. If such as want the experience of such a gift of spirituall Poetry in themselves should be encouraged to expect it from the promise of powring out the Spirit on all flesh in the dayes of the Gospel Acts 2.17 they might as well looke for the gifts of tongues and healing and miracles For it is the same Spirit though not the same measure which is there promised to be powred out upon all flesh Let every man administer the gifts of the Spirit according to the measure which he hath received within his own line Object 10. But the Lord is as full of the Spirit now to helpe us to endite Psalmes as in the dayes of David and Asaph And it seemeth a dishonour to Christ to dispense his word by reading and singing without the exercise of the glorious and various Administrations of the spirituall gifts of the New Testament Answ. 1. The Lord is as full of the Spirit now and as able to furnish us with a Propheticall Spirit now to endite Propheticall Scriptures as he did furnish the Prophets in the old Testament But yet God thought it no dishonour to Christ to leave us the Scriptures of the old Prophets for our edification in the New Testament as well as in the old It is the same Spirit of the same Christ that spake by the Prophets of the old Testament and speaketh in the Saints of the New And it is no dishonour to Christ to dispense his word and to guide the body of his Church as well by the unity of the same Spirit as by the variety of the divers gifts of the Spirit now And though we doe not exercise the glorious and various Administrations of the spirituall gifts of the New Testament in the enditing of New Psalmes no more then in the enditing of new Scriptures Yet wee can neither sing the old Psalmes of David nor read the old Scriptures of the Prophets acceptably to God nor comfortably to our selves without the exercise of the gracious and various spirituall gifts of the New Testament Object 11. Wee have examples in the New Testament of exercising personall gifts as well in singing as in praying and Prophecying 1 Cor. 14. Which Epistle is directed to all