WE do not (I think) meet in the whole Book of God, with a more Signal In­stance of his favourable Acceptance, of that [Page 2] Devout Employment in which we are now Conversant, (our praising him, and giving him Thanks, with Voices and Instruments of Mu­sick) than we have in those words which I have now read to you, and which I have cho­sen for the Subject of my following Discourse; where we find it makes up a very considerable part, of one of the most Eminent Solemnities of Religion, that we ever heard of under the Legal Dispensation: A Solemnity Regulated by the Wisest amongst Men; and in which we can­not suppose anything to have been allowed of, but what was suitable to the Gravity and Ma­jesty of the occasion: It was Solomon's Dedica­ting that Glorious Temple, which was justly Reputed the Noblest Structure in the World; and his Solliciting the Almighty, that he would Arise into his Resting-place, He and the Ark of his Strength To set off a performance so Re­markable as this, with all the Characters of a becoming Grandour, he Summons the Elders and Heads of Tribes, and even all the Men of Israel, to attend him at Jerusalem▪ where ha­ving offered up Sheep and Oxen without num­ber, they accompanyed the Priests who bore the [Page 3] Ark of the Covenant, and conducted it with Reverence into the most Holy place; whilst to add to the Magnificence of the Ceremony, the Levites which were the Singers, having Cym­bals and Psalteries and Harps, stood at the East end of the Brazen Altar, and with them a hun­dred and twenty Priests Sounding with Trum­pets; as you may read in the Verses just pre­ceding my Text. And certainly, if an incre­dible Multitude of Spectators and Assistants, if the quality as well as number of the Persons Assembled, if the Stateliness and Beauty of the Scene and Action, if a pompous expence of al­most innumerable Sacrifices, and a Delightful Variety of all sorts of Musick, can give Life and Quickness, Majesty and Splendour to any per­formance; the Religious Festival which this Chapter gives an account of, may justly chal­lenge the preference above all others, that ever occurred throughout the whole Jewish Oecono­my: And therefore we find, that according to God's method of proceeding with that People, whose more eminent Acts of Piety he usually Honoured, with some Sensible Demonstration of his favour, he Manifested his Approval of [Page 4] this Devout Solemnity, by filling the Temple with his Glory, and giving visible Tokens of of his more immediate Presence. But if amongst all those Religious performances, which were severally exercised upon this Solemn occasion, we may be allowed to Conjecture or Deter­mine, which was most valuable in the sight of God; we may (I believe) very safely conclude, that it was not the bare Assembling themselves together, nor the Costly Pageantry of their Nu­merous Oblations; since these were but so ma­ny dumb shews of Religion, and a compliance only with the dead Letter of the Law;) But it was that Lively Sacrifice of Praises and Thanks­giving; that agreeable Melody, and Harmoni­ous Consort of many Hearts and Voices, and Instruments as one; that drew down upon the devout performers, an unquestionable evidence of his Approbation; to this it was, that he set his own Seal, and made it (as it were) the Sig­nal of his extraordinary Appearance: For we are not told, that he took any publick no­tice of all the foregoing Exercises of Devoti­on; But (says the Text) it came even to pass, as the Trumpeters and Singers were as One, to make [Page 5] one Sound to be heard in Praising and Thanking the Lord; and when they lift up their Voice with the Trumpets and Cymbals and Instruments of Musick, and praised the Lord; saying, For he is good, for his Mercy endureth for ever; that then, (and not before) the House was filled with a Cloud, even the House of the Lord; So that the Priests could not stand to Minister, by reason of the Cloud; For the Glory of the Lord had filled the House of God. Such an Authentick Testi­mony of his favourably accepting, that Religi­ous Entertainment which employ [...] us at the pre­sent; as may justly encourage us to Repeat the Practice frequently, and may stop the Mouths of all Gainsayers. I shall therefore single out in my following Discourse, from the great va­riety of Matter with which my Tent abounds, some few instructive and useful Observations, which may be proper to the occasion of our pre­sent meeting together. And▪

1 st. We may from hence observe, that Mu­sick whether Vocal or Instrumental, may both innocently and profitably be made use of in the publick Service and Worship of God.

[Page 6] 2dly. We may observe yet farther, that the proper Office of Musick in the Service of God, is to praise him, and give him thanks, because he is good; and because his Mercy endureth for ever.

3 dly. We may observe in the last place, how Signal an evidence God has been pleased to give of his avow'd allowance and approbation, of this use of Musick in his Service.

1 st. Then we may observe from the words of my Text, that Musick whether Vocal or In­strumental, may both innocently and profitably be made use of in the Publick Service and Worship of God.

Religion, however mistaken or misrepresen­ted by some, is the most entertaining thing in Nature, attended by a good Conscience, which is a continual Refreshment; and Supported by the Assurance of God's Favour and Protection, which is the most certain Fund of Comfort and Satisfaction; if we take her portraiture from [Page 7] the Life, she will appear as bright and beautiful as an Angel; set off with all those Charms and and raising Attractions, which may most power­fully Recommend her to our Affections; allow­ing and encouraging the truest chearfulness, and not clashing with, or condemning any Innocent Delights: And therefore nothing has done her a greater prejudice, nothing has more hindered her Diffusiveness and Efficacy, than the false Draughts made of her by some sort of People, who would have her to consist in Moroseness and Austerity: They dress her up like a Fiend or a Fury, they arm her with Snakes and Whips, and Firebrands; and having thus made her an Ob­ject of Loathing and Aversion, they pretend to recommend her under so frightful an Appearance; It is through their means, who limn her after this hideous manner, that Musick her obsequious and useful Handmaid, has run the hazard of be­ing Discarded from her Service; as if she were an Attendant too light and airy, to comport with the gravity of so reserved a Mistress. But in this they deal with her, as they did with the other, and represent her much different from what she really is; making that lightness essen­tial [Page 8] to her, which is purely accidental; and de­crying that as her inseparable habit, which is only a loose Garment that the sometimes wears abroad, but which the always drops before her entrance into the Church. There the puts on such a Composedness and Solidity, a [...] is suitable to the Sacred Offices in which she is employed, and may qualifie her to be made use of both, with Innocence and Advantage. And

1 st. As to the Innocence of this Usage. It would be wholy unnecessary to insist upon this Topick; were there not a party of Men so un­accountably scrupulous, as to censure the Har­mony, which is made use of in our Churches, as a sort of proceeding extremely culpable▪ These then are the Persons whom I would desire to consider, that that which has been the custom of good Men in all Ages, without any mark of God's disapproval; that which is so often re­commended to our practice, by those who have been commissionated to convey his Order to us; that which is the Entertainment of the Blest a­bove, in their perfect State of Purity and Felici­ty; that (I say) cannot be supposed with any shadow of Reason, to contract any guilt, or be [Page 9] liable to any just censure: But this (we find) was a devout Emyloyment, in which the best of Men have been exercis'd frequently; wit­ness the Songs of Moses and Deborah, before the whole Congregation of the People of Is­rael: Witness the Divine and Musical Compo­sitions of David, Solomon, and others, for the Service of the Temple: Witness the Hymn that our Saviour sung with his Apostles who were then the Abridgment of the Christian Church, and those that were afterwards, in their solemn Assemblies, made use of by the Disciples and Followers of our Lord. This also we find re­commended to our Practice, by those who re­vealed unto us the will of God; such as the Royal Psalmist, almost in every page; Isaiah and Jeremiah in several places of their Prophe­sies; St. Paul in his Writings to the Ephesians and Colossions, and St. James in his Epistle to the Church in general; in all which we have frequent Exhortations to this Duty, as a po­sitive part of our Religious Wo [...]ship. In this we are assured that the Heavenly Host are al­ways happily employed, where Cherubim and Serayhim continually resound, Holy, Holy, Holy, [Page 10] Lord God of Sabbath: Where the Four and twenty [...] that attend about the Throne, in­c [...]ssantly chant out their Allelujahs; and where those who have gotten the Victory over the Beast, unanimously joyn in singing the Sorg of the Lamb: Unless therefore we will un­reasonably imagine, that God would be so far wanting to his best beloved Servants, as to suf­fer them to go on in a sinful course, without giving them any notice of the E [...]rour they lay under; unless we will Blasphemously suppose him so unfaithful to us, as to suffer us to be deluded by those who come to u [...] in his Name, and who bring his own Credentials along with them; unless we will entertain absurd Noti­ons of him, that he is inconsistent with him­self, and admits of that in his Heavenly Pa­la [...]e, which is offensive to him upon his Earth­ly Footstool; we cannot conceive that this de­cent usage, which has so many Testimonials of his Favour, can be otherwise than highly Inno­cent in its self. It is true indeed, this Heaven­ly Art, has been sometimes abused, to the in­couragement of Debauchery; and as the best things corrupted, contract the greatest illness, [Page 11] so has this been made an instrument of loos­ness and sensuality; but if this were sufficient to exclude it from the Temple, when purified from that Allay which debated it's value; Po­etry as well as Musick, must be banished from our Churches, and the Psalms as well as Harp of David, must be forbidden to us; since the two Sacred Sisters have been equal Sufferers, having both been prostituted to the most scan­dalous Employments. Let us rather endeavour to snatch what we can of it out of the Hands of the prophane; to rescue this Virgin, out the power of her Ravishers; and to present her unblemished at the Altar of our God, where we may joyn Devotions with her, not only with Innocence, but with Advantage also. In order to which end, let us consider in the next place; what profit may redound to us from such a practice. Nothing is so proper or so available as this for composing our minds, and setling them in a Sedate and quiet posture; for reducing our straggling thoughts, and fixing them to their Duty; for calming and allaying our disorderly passions, or for lifting up the Soul in a devout Contemplation: When we [Page 12] are thus entertained with the employment of Angels, our thoughts naturally ascend unto those Mansions of Joy; we have an enter­course, as it were with those Heavenly Inha­bitants, and our Conversation seems to be al­together above: There is in Musick [...], something of Divinity, which Captivates the Affections, and Regulates them at it's Will; it acts upon the Soul with such a sweet Vi­olence, as is almost insensible, but irresistible too; and I have heard many testifie from their own experience, and I question not, but we have many present witnesses of the truth of it, that whenever they have been present at the performance of this nature, they have felt their zeal grow warm, if it were not kindled before, and encrease considerably if it were. Is the Spirit of the Lord to descend upon Elisha, and that upon an occasion, more extraordinary than usual? A Minstrel must be brought to play before him, and to make his Soul susceptible of the Divine Inspiration. Is Saul's Melancholy and Despair to be driven a­way, and his mind to be set in order, for the discharging his great Office? The Harp of Da­vid [Page 13] must apply the Medicine, and chase away his gloomy imaginations: Such was the power of that Sacred [...]yre, when tuned to the Voice of the Sweet-Singer of Israel; and such would the effect of it remain to this day, if it were still touch'd by the same inimitable hand; but the unskilfulness of those that have played upon it since, has destroyed in a great measure the Melody of the Instrument; and it's Efficacy has lessened▪ as it's Harmony has been impaired. This Divine Art has such an admirable Secret of uniting Earth and Heaven together, that the Scale of Musick appears to me, to be the exact counterpart of Jacobs Ladder; with one end resting upon the Earth, in the material Organs that compose it, and the other end reaching up to Heaven, in the Life and Spirit of it's perfor­mances; upon the several Degrees of this, are the Holy Angels, those Celestial Choristers, per­petually Ascending and Descending; and the Lord himself stands at the top of it, to counte­nance and encourage the devout employment: Who then can with-hold at such an Heavenly Entertainment, where Devotion embraces De­light, and pleasure seems to be Spiritualized, [Page 14] from breaking out with the Patriarch into his Rapturous Exclamation? Surely the Lord is in this place! This is none other than the House of God! And this is the Gate of Heaven! For indeed what Idea can we form to our selves, of those happy Regions of Joy and Tranquility, of which this will not be a most lively Transcript? What is Heaven, but an Assembly of Saints and Bles­sed Spirits, in the immediate presence of their Almighty Creatour, Rejoycing in the Service of so bountiful a Master, and celebrating his prai­ses with their Voices and their Instruments? And such an imitation of them here, will qualisie us for their Society he easter, when we with Angels and Archangels, and with all the company and Host of Heaven, shall land and magnifie his Holy Name, and this leads me to the

2 d, Observation, which may be drawn from the words of my Text, namely, That the pro­per Office of Musick in the Service of God, is to praise him, and give him thanks, because he is good, and because his Mercy endureth for ever.

The earliest instance which we have of Sa­cred Musick, are certain Songs of Triumph which were composed, to celebrate some Great and [Page 15] Signal Deliverances; such as those already men­tioned of Moses and Deborah: It's first Introdu­ction into the Jewish Church, was by the grate­ful piety of King David; who appointed cer­tain Levites to thank and praise God, in a form which he borrowed from one of his own Psalms, and which are the very words recorded in my Text; pursuant also to this, the Apostle advi­ses us, that when we are merry, we should sing Psalms, for Musick being the most chearful way of exercising our Devotion, should therefore be appropriated to the most Delightful Act of Pi­ety; and that is praising God for the mani­fold expressions, of his Goodness and Mercy towards the Sons of Men. All other Duties of Religion, seem to carry some sort of un­easiness along with them; for they either put us in mind of our igno [...]ance and forgetfull­ness, as in hearing the Word; or of our wants and necessities, as in Prayer; or of our Sins and Infirmities, as in Repentance; but Praise is such a Duty, as is entertaining in it's Nature, and car­ries no allay with it to damp our satisfaction: To Reflect upon the goodness of our God, and the many Signal Evidences which we have had [Page 16] of his loving kindness; to thank him for those Mercies which we have already received, and thereby put our selves in a condition to expect fresh Blessings; this is nothing else but the per­fection of Delight, and an employment the most desirable, and most Ravishing of any; it is a good thing to sing praises unto our God, yea, a joyful and pleasant thing it is to be thankful: And therefore this is the Religious Worship which is practised by the Church Trium­phant in Heaven, as being not at all incon­sistent with our conveniency of the most con­summate Happiness. Indeed in our times of Hu­miliation, in the Acts of Mortisication and Self­denial, when we afflict our Souls, and keep our Bodies under; Musick which is apt to elevate the Spirits, and Recreate the Senses, would appear as improper as Mirth at Funerals; but the Church has it's Festivals as well as Vigils; and where the occasions of [...] toge­ther are of a more chearful nature, this de­lightful expression of our Gratitude is as Decent, as a becoming Dress, a Sprightly Air, or a Look that declares our inward Satisfaction. And certainly, if ever any People had just Reason [Page 17] to join together their Voices and their Instru­ments, and to give the greater Evidences of a Devout Thankfullness; We of this Kingdom are most eminently obliged to it, upon the ac­count of those Blessings which we have so late­ly experienced; when in stead of the Cala­mities of a dismal War, we find our Souls re­fresht with the abundance of Peace; and with his safe Arrival and long wished for presence, to whom we stand indebted for so precious a Trea­sure: Peace then is restored to us within our Walls, Peace that Banisher of Discord, that Mother of Harmony, that Band of Union to consenting Minds, that Nurse and Patroness of useful Arts and Sciences: This our long absent guest, condescends to visit us again; Let us re­ceive her with Hearts overflowing with Gra­titude; with a joy as great, as the Advanta­ges she imparts; as Universal, as the Blessings she dispences. And O! That all the several par­ties in this Kingdom, however formerly divi­ded by interest or design, would Resemble the Trumpeters and Singers in the Text! That they were as one! That they would make one Sound to be heard, in Praising and Thanking the [Page 18] Lord! That they would lift up their Hearts and their Voices together, with Trumpets and Cym­bals, and Instruments of Musick; and with Joint consent would praise the Lord saying, For he is good, for his Mercy endureth for e­ver! How delightful a Melody, would this Consort of Brethren that dwell together in Uni­ty, make in the Ears of God our common Fa­ther! How certainly would he testifie his Ap­probation of this Harmony, by filling the whole Nation with his Glory! Which brings me to the

3 d. And last Observation, which may be de­duced from the words of my Text; Namely, how Signal an Evidence God has been plea­sed to give us, of his avow'd Allowance and Approbation, of this use of Musick in his Ser­vice.

You may remember that I hinted to you in the beginning of this Discourse, after how in­dulgent and engaging a manner, God was wont to proceed with the People of the Jews, in Relation to their Acts of more Solemn Devo­tion; Such of these as were more Eminent and Remarkable, he frequently testified his Accep­tance of, by some visible and extraordinary To­ken [Page 19] of his Favour; which was usually done, either by the Fire of God descending from Hea­ven, and Consuming their Sacrifices and Obla­tions, as in the great Contest between Elijah and the Priests of Baal; or else filling the place of Worship with a Cloud, and with his Glory, as in the instance that is now before us. And to whatsoever Religious performances, we find these marks affixed of the Divine Approbati­on; we may very safely conclude of them, that not only the Scope of the Action in gene­ral, but every particular Circumstance and Ceremony of it, was agreeable to his Will, and well▪pleasing in his Sight; For had there been a failure in any one part, God would never have set his own stamp upon it, to war­rant it's currancy and perfection. And there­fore it was not barely Solomon's Dedication of the Temple, and his bringing the Ark into the Holiest of Holies; but the Method and Manner also of his proceedings in it, his Assembling the Congregation, his offering up Sacrifices, his Prai­ses and Thanksgivings, his Voices and his Instru­ments, whose▪ usage was confirmed, and whose practice was approved of by God's Vouchsafe­ment [Page 20] of the Schekinah, or Divine Presence. Let us not then question at any time, (when we exercise this Duty after this Solemn manner, in which we find it was Discharged upon this Eminent Occasion) but that God will counte­nance and encourage our performance, as a most acceptable part of Religious Worship: But if we expect to have it equally approved of, our management of it must be with equal Decency: We must banish from it all Disor­der and Confusion, For the Trumpeters and Singers were as one, we must take the Subject of our Entertainment from the Oracles of God, and not dare to introduce into his Church, any such composures as are not Sacred and Solemn: For they lift up their Voices, and praised God, saying, in the words of the Royal Prophet, For he is good, for his Mercy endureth for ever: Nor must those who are conversant in this Heavenly Employment, Dishonour God with their Actions, whilst they Honour him with their Voices; for they were the Levites and the Priests, Persons Dedicated to his immedi­ate Service, to whom this part of his Wor­ship was intrusted: And I would to God, [Page 21] that all those who are constantly attendant upon this most Solemn Office of Religion, would consider the Honour and Gravity of their Calling; would look upon themselves, as enter'd into a lower sort of Holy Orders, be­ing appointed to Minister to God in his Tem­ple, and would never derogate from the Sa­credness of their Employment, by an irregu­lar Life, or an indecent Behaviour. Then would God declare his acceptance of this Ser­vice, by inward assurances of his favour; as he formerly testified his Approbation of it, by outward Evidences of his Presence. For though the Jewish Sacrifices are swallowed up, in that great Oblation which Christ offer­ed once for all; though the Temple which was Dedicated, and the Ark which was pla­ced in it, are both Superseded by the Temple of his Body, which was the true Ark of the Covenant of God; Yet Praises and Thanks­giving to our Almighty Benefactour; and this Delightful way of tendring them, with the joynt Melody of Voices and Instruments of Musick; has continued ever since in the Church of God; will (I doubt not) remain in it [Page 22] unto the end of the World; and will after­wards attend it into the Mansions of Eter­nity; and make a considerable part of it's infinite Felicity. And this seems to me to be a Substantial Reason, why God here Di­stinguish'd it above the other Acts of De­votion, by vouchsasing his Presence at that particular juncture, because this was to out­last all the other Ceremonies; and to be a standing Duty in the Service of his Church, when the rest should vanish and be done a­way.

And now I have gone through with the Method I proposed; I have vindicated the innocence and usefullness of Church Musick; I have shew'd upon what occasion it is most sitly employed, and have examined that Te­stimony of the Divine Allowance, which it has so eminently in the words of my Text. And tho' it might perhaps be expected upon this occasion, that I should say something of Musick in General, of its Antiquity and Excellency, it's force and energy, of that unaccountable Acti­vity and surprizing Subtilness, by which it insinu­ates it self into our Veins, mixes with our Blood, [Page 23] and mingles with our Spirits; altering of a sud­den the whole inward Frame, and leading our In­clinations whether soever it pleases, but I shall think my self excusable, if I wave all this, since my Subject confines me wholy to Church Musick; and I have endeavoured to Accommo­date my Discourse to my Subject; by rather chu­sing to err upon the side of Gravity, than run­ning any hazard of bordering upon Lightness And I shall now add no more to detain you from the Employment which I have been recommend­ing, but only bewail the condition of those, whose unhappy Aversion to Divine Harmony, renders them unlike to the Saints and Blessed Spirits, which are continually busied in that Employment; and congratulate the Happiness of their Circumstances, who by their Affection to this Sacred Art, are qualified to joyn with in­effable Raptures, in the Song of the ten Thousand times, ten Thousands of Angels; Blessing and Honour, and Glory and Power, be unto him that sit­teth on the Throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.