Serm. I. in the Day of Judgment to him who taketh no pleafure in Fools. Let us have an eye to the Recompence of Reward, as those who believe that the Care and Pains we take in the lowest Inftance of Duty, fhall in no wife lofe its Reward. Let us think with our felves, that while we are confcientioufly finging the Praifes of God in his Church below, we are training, up for that better World, where everlasting Joy fhall be upon our Heads, and our Mouths eternally fill'd with the high Praifes of our God; and not forget to confider what a dreadful thing it will be, to have our Crys and Wailings in Hell receive a higher Accent from our Hypocritical Songs of Praife on Earth. Let us alfo fee to it, that we fing the Praifes of God in the Exercife of. Holy Love, that every Breath be warm'd with that holy Flame, and a devout Afpiration attend every Word we utter. Thus David be-· gins that lofty Song of Praife, Pfal. XVHI. Ini love thee, O Lord, my Strength and fo fhould every Pfalm of Praife we fing, deferve the the Title of a Song of Loves. Thus Serm. I. will the Imployment be delightful Pfal.XLV. to our felves, and grateful to God; Chear the Heart both of God and Man. Finally, Let us join Humility to the other Graces, remembring what a Majefty we approach, what unworthy Creatures we are, and how forry things our Offerings be. Herein imitating thofe glorious Creatures, with whom we one day hope to join in eternal Hallelujahs; who cover their Faces and Feet, Ila.VI.2,3. when they cry, Holy, Holy, Holy. Lord God, &c. And this Humility will make us come in the Name of Jefus, under a fenfe of our own Unworthiness, and a Perfuafion that the Holy God can accept of nothing from the hands of fuch abominable Wretches as we are, but thro the Merits and Interceffion of him, whom the Father heareth always. 4. From what has been faid of the End, we may infer our Obligation to aim at the Glory of God in this Duty; that we do it to the Lord That we defpife and abhor Serm. I. abhor the Thoughts of driving on any bafe or mean Defigns under the cover of the choicest Devotion: That we don't for a pretence multiply our Songs of Praife, as the Pharifees lengthen'd out their Prayers, left we receive, as they, greater Damnation. And feeing mutual Edification. is another End we are to aim at, I fhall here take leave to advise. that our Singing be with a diftinct and audible Voice, without which it should feem that End can't be anfwer'd. How can Men be affected with an indif tina Murmur, or how fhall they know we do really join in prai-, fing God, while we fpeak only to our felves? Indeed the Heart may be right, and God principally regards its Melody: but unless we fing (as far as the Nature of the thing will bear) fo as to be understood by others, or to have them fatisfy'd that we go along with them; I may justly apply what the Apoftle fpeaks against praying in an unCor.XIV.known Tongue, We Speak into 16, 17. the the Air Our Spirit indeed fings, Serm. I. but our Understanding is unfruitful. We fhould therefore fing with the Spirit, and fing with Understanding; i.e. fo as to be understood by others. And therefore as we should be cautious not to confound others by an unfeemly Noifinefs, fo we fhould extend our Voice to the most convenient degree we are able; and not under a Pretence of Modesty baulk the great End of the Inftitution. The Levites prais'd Chron. the Lord, the God of Ifrael, with XX. 19. a loud Voice on high; and Paul and Silas fung fo loud, that the Pri- A&ts XVI. foners heard 'em. 5. To conclude: If God in this, as well as other Ordinances, looks fo much to the Heart, and expects to be worship'd in Spirit and in Truth, what need have we to watch our own Spirits, and pray for his? We had need take all the Pains, and ufe all the Application poffible; and finding all that infufficient, we must have recourse to a better Strength than our own, praying that our Hearts may 25. |