comprehenfive idea of prayer and 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' 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 fure? 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 Christ, 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 fandification 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 doctrine may not be confidered, and improved as any wife tending unto licentioufnefs, but to the obedience and comfort, unto which the gofpel calls, and invites Chrif In addition to the faculty of fpeech which God hath beftowed 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 special defign, that the praises of his militant church should 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 affift 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 feven different kinds of founds, yet by the various modulations ofthese in strains of melody; and the combination of two or more of these 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, exquifitely refined fenfations of delight. There appears a beautiful analogy between the feveral parts of nature's plan, and particularly between founds and colours. There are alfo in nature but feven different kinds of original colours; and philofophers tell us that a combination of these in equal proportion and degree, forms the most beauti 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; I gumentation, but for practical im mean 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 itmethod 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 gloexercifes of devotion and praife. 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 de fhip; and that foleman queftion from In this point of view, that folemn injunction of the Apoftle comes very pertinently to our aid. -Be filled with the Spirit; fpeaking to yourfelves in Pfalms, and Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, fing-voutly performed, are but will-woring and making melody in your hearts to the Lord. (Eph. v. 19, 20.) In further pursuing this fubject, let us take this paffage of infpiration for our guide. In it we find full evidence of the divine inftitution of Pfalmody, or the exercife of vocal mufic in focial worship; intimations refpecting the nature and defign of the duty, with fpecial directions 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 shall now endeavour to establish. 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 asked,a point, concorning which, the mind of every intelligent fcripture reader, cannot How many duties of revealed religion are there, of the moft plain and pofitive injunction, which 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 act from a principle of obedience to God? In whatever action I am now about to engage, am I going to do it, because 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 unrighteoufnefs; and that in many, if not in all our religious duties, we have but the form with Let 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. is no one duty of the religious life," O come let us fing unto the in which mankind, and even chrif- Lord, let us make a joyful noife tian profeffors themfelves, are fo to the rock of our falvation. effentially deficient, which they us come before his prefence with perform with fo little confcientiouf- thanksgiving, and make a joyful nefs, 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." worship of the family, and the con- And in an extacy of devotion the gregation. While our ears are Pfalmift celebrates the glorious afcharmed 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 anbelief? How ftrange, and Sing praifes to God, fing praifes: unaccountable this, if true! That Sing praifes unto our king, fing praif es, for God is the king of all the earth, fing ye praises with understanding.' in that exercife of devotion the nearest akin to the heavenly worfhip, we should be even the most formal and dull! Muft it not be -because we are in fo great measure carnal, and deftitute 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 Speaking to yourfelves in pfalms,and hymns and fpiritual fongs; finging and making melody in your bearts to the Lord. Surely our duty cannot be more explicitly enjoined, nor can we reafonably require a more certain foundation of faith. For a more impreffive conviction of truth, let it be noted that this feripture paffage, is not a fingle folitary precept, but the fame command is often repeated in the holy fcriptures both of the Old and New-Teftament. Too numerous are they indeed to be cited at large, or even referred to. Asa fpecimen of the New-Teftament precepts, the one just recited, may fuffice : and in reforting to the concurring وو David was himself, not only an infpired prophet and teacher, but a divine poet, and an eminent mufician. He appears to have been an accomplished performer on all the various musical 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 flated 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 Mefliahand the Gofpel Church, but that the whole fyftem of religious duties--experimental religion, and all the various exercifes of the chriftian in his fpiritual warfare thro' life, are made the fubjects of facred fong. David, by way of eminence is ftyled the "fweet Pfalmift of Ifrael;" as he brought the art of Pfalmody into fyftem. He was * Pfalm xev. c. ‡xlvii, 5, 6, 7. God hath ever had a church in the world. And we have reafon the wonder-their harps were ready ftrung, and in notes of fweeteft melody warbled that memorable anthem of praife, "Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will towards men." ASAPH. (To be continued.) Thoughts fuggefted by 1 John iii. 16. "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us !" WHILE we read this paf fage, we are led to in quire, What can be meant by God's laying down his life? and fecond, What could be the defign of fuch a wonderful event? to believe that ever fince the commencement of focial worship in the world, God's praifes have been publicly celebrated in facred pfalmody. Of this we have certain evidence, as far back as from 1. What can be meantby God's the time of Ifrael's deliverance laying down his life? This cannot from Egypt-when upon the east- mean that Jehovah, the great and ern fhore of the Red Sea, the independent God ever ceafed to whole congregation celebrated, in exift; or that the exercife of his the fong of Mofes, their wonder- divine attributes was ever for å finful deliverance and the deftruction gle moment fufpended. To fupof their enemies. And perhaps pofe this would be abfurd and blaf we 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 Methufael, who was the first inventor of mufical inftruments, and the father of all fuch as handle the harp and organ, 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 so 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 shall 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 rev elation 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 standard of the man." It is this that raifes him above the beasts, 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. undying foul is dead-Certainly not; for in fuch a fenfe as this, no man dies. You mean then, when you fay that fach a man is dead, that he, in his mortal, or dying part, is dead. We fay Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob are dead; but Christ 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 whole man is faid to fuffer what is suffered 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 im mortal 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 beafts are his; yet in a higher and quite different sense, 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 propriety in fay ing, that God had laid down his life. The blood of all the facrifices under the law was nothing more than the blood of bulls and goats; but the blood of the cross 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 derftand 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 himfelf-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 took upon him the feed of Abraham" the nature of man. "God was manifeft in the fefb," in fuch a way, that it is faid, John i. 14. He was made flesh. Divinity was not turned into humanity, but the divinity was truly joined to human nature: So that the body which hung on the cross was the body of God, in diftinction from all other bodies, just as this, in diftinction from all other bodies, is the body which belongs to my foul. I may have children--in one fenfe their bodies are mine. I may own herds and flocks in another fenfe they are mine. But if my children and beafts fhould all die, it cannot, Heb. x. 5. + Gal. iv. 4. tru that he might redeem us from the |