PREFACE.

WHILE HILE We sing the praises of our God in his church we are employed in that part of worship which of all others is the nearest akin to heaven, and it is pity, that this of all others should be performed the worst upon earth. The gospel brings us nearer to the heavenly state than all the former dispensations of God amongst men; and in these last days of the gospel we are brought almost within sight of the kingdom of our Lord, yet we are very much unacquainted with the songs of the new Jerusalem, and unpractised in the work of praise. To see the dull indifference, the negligent and the thoughtless air, that sits upon the faces of a whole assembly while the psalm is on their lips might tempt even a charitable observer to suspect the fervency of inward religion, and it is much to be feared that the minds of most of the worshippers are absent or unconcerned. Perhaps the modes of preaching in the best churches still want some degrees of reforma

tion, nor are the methods of prayer so perfect as to stand in need of no correction or improvement; but of all our religious solemnities psalmody is the most unhappily managed, that every action which should elevate us to the most delightful and divine sensations doth not only flat our devotion but too often awaken our regret, and touches all the springs of uneasiness within us.

I have been long convinced that one great occasion of this evil arises from the matter and words to which we confine all our songs: some of them are almost opposite to the spirit of the gospel, many of them fofeign to the state of the New Testament, and widely different from the present circumstances of Christians: hence it comes to pass that when spiritual affections are excited within us, and our souls are raised a little above this earth, in the beginning of a psalm wè arề checked on a sudden in our ascent toward heaven by some expressions that are most suited to the days of cărnal ordinances, and fit only to be sung in the worldly Sanctuary. When we are just entering into an evangelic frame by some of the glories of the gospel presented in the brightest figures of Judaism, yet the very next line perhaps which the Clerk parcels out unto us hath something in it so extremely Jewish and cloudy that darkens our sight of God the Saviour. Thus by keeping too close to David in the house of God the

veil of Moses is thrown over our hearts. While we are kindling into divine love by the meditations of the lovingkindness of God, and the multitude of his tender mercies, within a few verses some dreadful curse against men is proposed to our lips, that God would add iniquity unto their iniquity, nor let them come into his righteousness, but blot them out of the book of the living, Psal. Ixix. 26, 27, 28. which is so contrary to the new commandment of loving our enemies, and even under the Old Testament is best accounted for by referring it to the spirit of prophetic vengeance. Some sentences of the Psalmist that are expressive of the temper of our own hearts and the circumstances of our lives may compose our spirits to seriousness, and allure us to a sweet retirement within ourselves; but we meet with a following line which so peculiarly belongs but to one action or hour of the life of David or of Asaph that breaks off our song in the midst; our consciences are affrighted least we should speak a falsehood unto God. Thus the powers of our souls are shocked on a sudden, and our spirits ruffled before we have time to reflect that thus may be sung only as a history of ancient saints; and perhaps in some instances that salyo is hardly sufficient neither; besides, it almost always spoils the devotion by breaking the uniform thread af it; for while our lips and cur hearts run on sweetly

together, applying the words to our own case, there is something of divine light in it; but at once we arè forced to turn off the application abruptly, and our lips speak nothing but the heart of David. Thus our own hearts are as it were forbid the pursuit of the song, and then the harmony and the worship grow dull of mere necessity.

Many ministers and many private Christians have long groaned under this inconvenience, and have wished rather than attempted a reformation. At their importunate and repeated requests I have for some years past devoted many hours of leisure to this service. Far be it from my thoughts to lay aside the book of Psalms in public worship; few can pretend so great a value for them as myself: it is the most artful, most devotional, and divine collection of poesy, and nothing can be supposed more proper to raise a pious soul to heaven than some parts of that book! never was a piece of experimental divinity so nobly written and so justly reverenced and admired: but it must be acknowledged still that there are a thousand lines in it which were not made for a church in our days to assume as its own: there are also many deficiencies of light and glory which our Lord Jesus and his apostles have supplied in the writings of the New Testament; and with this advantage I have composed these Spiritual Songs which are now presented to the

World: nor is the attempt vainglorious or presuming; for in respect of clear evangelical knowledge "The "least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than all "the Jewish propbets," Mat. xi. 11.

-Now let me give a short account of the following Composures.

The greatest part of them are suited to the general state of the gospel and the most common' affairs of Christians. I hope there will be very few found but what may properly be used in a religious assembly, and not one of them but may well be adopted to some seasons either of private or of public worship. The most frequent tempers and changes of our spirit and cor.ditious of our life are here copied, and the breathings of our piety expressed according to the variety of our passions, our love, our fear, our hope, our desire, our sorrow, our wonder, and our joy, as they are refined into devotion, and act under the influence and conduct of the blessed Spirit, all conversing with God the Father by the new and living way of access to the throne, even the person and mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ. To him also, even to the Lamb that was slain and now lives, I have addressed many a song ; for thus doth the holy scripture instruct and teach us to worship in the various short patterns of Christian Psalmody described in the Revelation. I have avoided the more obscure and controverted points of ChrisVolume 111.

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