praife offered up by a worshipping affembly; which general idea includes all the feveral parts of focial worship, however varied in form. It is now proposed to confider the subject in a more limited, tho' not lefs interefting point of view. chofen you unto falvation, thro' | comprehenfive idea of prayer and fanctification of the fpirit, and belief of the truth." 1 Pet. i. 2. "Elect, according to the foreknowledge of God, the father, through fanctification of the Spirit unto obedience, and fprinkling of the blood of Chrift; grace unto you, and peace be multiplied." 2 Pet. i. 10. "Wherefore the rather brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election fure." If this doctrine, were not a true fcripture doctrine why fhould the apoftle exhort Chriftians, to ufe diligence to make their elec-fic. This he hath appointed as a tion fure to themselves? And how are they to make it fare? Not by looking into the book of God's eternal decrees; but by making it fure to themfelves that they are effectually called; for the elect of God, are fanctified by the Spirit, unto obedience, and do exercife faith in Chrift, and his blood of fprinkling, and atonement; and thofe whom God did foreknow fo as in his everlafting decree, to elect unto eternal life he predeftinated, that they through the fanctification of the Spirit, fhould be conformed to the image of his Son; and when it is fuitably remembered that they are thus called to holiness, and virtue, this doarine may not be confidered, and improved as any wife tending unto licentioufhefs, but to the obedience and comfort, unto which the golpel calls, and invites Chrif tians. PHILALETHES. On the duty and importance of H NUMBER II. In addition to the faculty of fpeech which God hath bestowed on man, as a medium of communion with each other, and with himfelf; he hath even refined upon his own bounty in the gift of Mu mean of the fublimeft exercises of devotion; feemingly with fpecial defign, that the praises of his militant church fhould have the nearest poffible approximation to the fpiritual and refined worship of the Church triumphant. Thro' the influence of mufic our very fenfes become as it were hand maidens to devotion, and affist us in our near approaches to the throne of grace, by preparing our minds for the extatic enjoyment of divine communion. Tho there be in nature, but seven different kinds of founds, yet by the various modulations of these in strains of melody; and the combination of two or more of thefe different, yet concording founds in concert, fo as to conftitute harmony, the mind, thro' the organ of hearing, and the fympathy of the nervous fyftem, receives peculiar pleasure, exquilitely refined fenfations of de light. There appears a a beautiful analo. gy between the feveral parts of nature's plan, and particularly be tween founds and colours. There are alfo in nature but feven different kinds of original colours; and con-philofophers tell us that a combina tion of thefe in equal proportion and degree, forms the most beauti TTITHERTO we have Ifidered the duty or focial worfhip in a general view, under the ful appearance in which we behold | entertain a doubt ?-True, nor do any vifible object, and by which I affect to confider it in any other even the external fplendor of the light. It is not for fpeculative arfaints in glory is reprefented; Igumentation, but for practical immean a pure and perfect white. provement, that I would hold up But it feems, that in point of com- the idea as a fubject of formal treamunicating pleafurable fenfations tife. It is from a defire that this to the mind, the combination of truth may be more deeply realized colours falls fhort of the harmoni- under the folemn impreffion of dious coincidence of founds in mu- vine authority, that our obligation fic; nor can we wonder, when to the duty might be more generally we confider, that the latter is a and fenfibly felt; and the duty it method specially inftituted by God felf attended upon with seriousness himself, to excite the holy affec- and folemnity, in the fear and love tions of his people to the fublimeft of God, with a view to his gloexercises of devotion and praise. ry, from a principle of obedience to his authority, and with a faith in the divine injunction and acceptance of the duty. Without thefe views, all our acts of visible and pretended worship, however devoutly performed, are but will-worfhip; and that folemn queftion from the word of God heard and reali zed by confcience, who hath required this at your hand, must strike How many duties of revealed religion are there, of the moft In this point of view, that folemn injunction of the Apoftle comes very pertinently to our aid. -Be filled with the Spirit; fpeaking to yourselves in Pfalms, and Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, finging and making melody in your hearts to the Lord. (Eph. v. 19, 20.) In further purfuing this fubject, let us take this paffage of infpiration for our guide. In it we find full evi-us dumb in the midst of our predence of the divine inftitution of fumption, and cover us with conPfalmody, or the exercife of vo- fufion and fhame. cal mufic in focial worship intimations refpecting the nature and defign of the duty, with special di-plain and pofitive injunction, which rections for the right performance of it. That Pfalmody, or the public worship of God by vocal mufic is a duty of divine inftitution, and as fuch has been practifed by the people of God in every age of the Church, is a point, I fhall now endeavour to establish. In a In a future number, will be confidered the manner in which the duty is to be performed agreeably to the directions of our facred guide, and the general inftructions of fcripture upon the fubject But why attempt to establish the divine inftitution of Pfalmody, it may perhaps be afked, a point, con. cerning which, the mind of every intelligent fcripture reader, cannot we formally and habitually dif charge without any fenfe of, or refpect to the divine authority! The following questions, put home to our confciences, will help us to a conviction of the truth of this reflection, In all my conduct, do I at from a principle of obedience to God? In whatever a&tion I am now about to engage, am I going to do it, becaufe God commands me to do it? This exercife would be calculated to convince us of our extreme alienation of heart from the life and fervice of God, that we hold the truth in unrighteousness; and that in many, if not in all our religious duties, we have but the form with out the power of godlinefs. And authority of the Old, the whole I am induced to think that there book of Pfalms might be adduced. *"O come let us fing unto the is no one duty of the religious life, Lord, let us make a joyful noise in which mankind, and even christo the rock of our falvation. Let sian profeffors themselves, are fo effentially deficient, which they us come before his presence with perform with fo little confcientiouf- thanksgiving, and make a joyful hefs, and fo feeble a refpect to the noife unto him with pfalms. +Serve divine authority, as the duty of the Lord with gladnefs, come befinging God's praifes in the focial fore his prefence with finging" And in an extacy of devotion the worship of the family, and the conPfalmift celebrates the glorious afWhile our ears are gregation. charmed with the mufic, how of- cenfion of our Redeemer ; + "God ten are our hearts untouched with is gone up with a fhout, the Lord the fentiment, and even frozen with the found of a trumpet. with unbelief? How ftrange, and Sing praifes to God, fing praifes: unaccountable this, if true! That Sing praifes unto our king, fing praifin that exercife of devotion the es, for God is the king of all the nearest akin to the heavenly wor-earth, fing ye praises with underhip, we should be even the most standing." formal and dull! Muft it not be because we are in fo great meafure carnal, and deflitute of the fpirit? Because we have fo little faith in God's word, and fo little heavenly mindednefs in exercife? Is it not highly neceffary therefore, that we affiduously cultivate the impref fions of known duty, and attend earneftly to this inftructive precept of Scripture, Be filled with the Spirit; fpeaking to yourselves in pfalms,andhymns and fpiritual fongs; finging and making melody in your hearts to the Lord. Surely our duty cannot be more explicitly enjoined, nor can we reasonably require a more certain foundation of faith. For a more impreffive conviction of truth, let it be noted that this fcripture paffage, is not a fingle folitary precept, but the fame command is often repcated in the holy fcriptures both of the Old and New-Teftament. Too numerous are they indeed to be cited at large, or even referradio. Asa fpecimen of the New-Teftamed precepts, the one just recited, may fuffice: and in reforting to the concurring David was himself, not only an infpired prophet and teacher, but a divine peet, and an eminent musician. He appears to have been an accomplished performer on all the various mufical inftruments then in ufe, thefe he tuned to the praife of his God. His pfalms were originally written in Hebrew verfe, and feverally fet to mufic. We find them directed to the chief mufician. They were defigned for the ftated ufe of God's people in the worship of the Sanctuary. In them we find that not only the glorious perfections and marvellous works of God are celebrated, interfperfed with prophetic views of the Meffiah and the Gofpel Church, but that the whole fyftem of religious duties--experimental reli gion, and all the various exercifes of the chriftian in his fpiritual warfare thro' life, are made the fubie&ts of facred fong. David, by way of eminence is ftyled the "fweet Pfalmift of Ifrael" as he brought the art of Pfalmody into fyltem. He was the wonder-their harps were ready ftrung, and in notes of sweetest melody warbled that memorable anthem of praife, "Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will towards men." ASAPH. made inftrumental of this important fervice to the Church of furnishing -the pattern and fubject of pfalmody inall after ages. His writings, with all the poetical paraphrafes upon them are distinguished by the title of Pfalms. Other verfifications upon facred fubjects are called •hymns and fpiritual fongs. The ufe of all which is divinely commanded" fpeaking to yourfelves in 1 iii. pfalms, and bymns and Spiritual fongs." God hath ever had a church in the world. And we have reafon (To be continued.) Thoughts fuggested by John' i. 16. "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down bis life for us !" W fage, we are led to inHILE we read this par 1.. What can be meant by God's laying down his life? This cannot mean that Jehovah, the great and independent God ever ceafed to to believe that ever since the commencement of focial worship inquire, What can be meant by God's the world, God's praifes have laying down his life? and fecond, been publicly celebrated in facred What could be the defign of fuch pfalmody. Of this we have cer- a wonderful event? (tain evidence, as far back as from the time of Ifrael's deliverance from Egypt when upon the eaftern fhore of the Red Sea, the whole congregation celebrated, inexift; or that the exercife of his the fong of Mofes, their wonder- divine attributes was ever for a finful deliverance and the deftruction gle moment fufpended. To fup⚫ of their enemies. And perhaps pofe this would be abfurd and blafwe have reafon to believe, notwith-phemous to the highest degree: ftanding the filence of the Scriptures, that even from the time of Jubal the grandfon of Methufacl, who was the firft inventor of mufi⚫cal inftruments, and the father of - all fuch as handle the harp and or· gan, mufic has been cultivated, not only as a polite art, but as a mode of focial worship, In fine, pfalmody is the exercise and worship of Heaven, and there is just fo much of heaven on earth, as there is of the true fpirit of pfalmody. God's works both of creation and redemption, were celebrated with an anthem of heavenly mufic. When man was made in the image of God, "the morning ftars fang together, and all the fons of God fhouted for joy," but when God appeared in fashion as a man, all - Heaven came down to earth to view VOL. II. No. 1. The queftion, now returns, what can be meant by God's laying down his life? Surely, to lay down one's life is to die. This we fhall not difpute; but fhall endeavor to fhow in what fenfe God died. It may be explained by the death of a man. We fay fuch a man died last night, or laft week. Is the man dead? Yes, you fay, the man is dead. But what is a man? All believers in divine revelation are ready to answer--a man is a rational creature, having an immortal foul connected with a mortal body. The foul is by far the moft dignified and important part of the man. "The mind's the ftandard of the man." It is this that raifes him above the beafts, and makes him akin to angels. Yet when you fay of fuch a man, C that he is dead, you do not mean that his immortal, i. e. -1 undying foul is dead-Certainly not; for in fuch a fenfe as this, no man dies. You mean then, when you fay that fuch a man is dead, that he, in his mortal, or dying part, is dead. We say Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob are dead; but Chrift taught us that their fouls were yet alive and in heaven. A man has two natures animal and rational,; yet but one perfon: So that the wholeman is faid to fuffer what is fuffered in either of the natures, of which he is poffeffed. Hence it is that man is, at one time, called mortal, and, at another time, immortal. Man is mortal, because his body dies and moulders to duft-man is immortal because his foul never dies, but will endure forever. with propriety, be faid, that I am dead. Yet when this body, which is perfonally united with my immortal fpirit, dies, I fhall be truly dead. In a high and important fenfe, all things in the universe are God's. All bodies, whether of men or of beasts are hi; yet in a higher and quite different fenfe, the body of Jefus Chrift, was the body of God. All the men and beafts in the world might die ; yet there would be no proiety in faying, that God had laid don bis life. The blood of all the facrifices under the law was nothing more than the lood of bulls and goats; but the blood of the crofs was truly the blood of God; fee Acts xx. 28. We are in the next place led to inquire, what was the defign of This may ferve to help us un- this wonderful affair? Why did derstand what is meant by God's the great Jehovah ever affume a laying down his life. He died as human foul and body into perfonal far as he could die. He died in union with himself—when this was that nature, which was capable of done, why did he bleed and die ? dying. Confidered fimply as a di- To this we reply; he took a huvine being, he could not die, there-man body that he might be in a cafore a body was prepared for him.*pacity to die; and he died for us, He was born of a woman.t "He that he might redeem us from the took upon him the feed of Abra- curfe of the law. By our rebelham"-the nature of man. "God lion, we had caft contempt upon was manifeft in the flefb," in fuch the infinite God--we had violated a way, that it is faid, John i. 14. infinite obligation, and were tru He was made flesh. Divinity was ly deferving of an infinite punishnot turned into humanity, but the ment. Punishment is defigned to divinity was truly joined to human fhow God's oppofition to fin, and nature: So that the body which determination to maintain his holy hung on the cross was the body of law. As the oppofition of God God, in diftinction from all other to a does not imply malevolence bodies, just as this, in diftinction towards the finner, it admits of an from all other bodies, is the body atonement, or vicarious fufferings. which belongs to my foul. I may But nothing could be admitted as an have children-in che fenfe their adequate atonement, which did not bodiesare mine. I my own herds fa exhibit that infinite oppofition, And flocks-in another fente they which there is in the divine mind are mine. But if my children gut fin. From this it is clear, and beafts should all die, it cannot, that no finite facrifice could be accepted. An infinite facrifice muft be made, or finners must perfor + Gal it. 4 |