that mufical Sacrifice and Adoration has claimed a Place in the Laws and Customs of the moft different Nations; As the Grecians and Romans of the prophane, the Jews and Chriftians of the facred World did as unanimoufly agree in this, as they difagreed in all other Parts of their OEconomy. 6 I know there are not wanting fome who are of Opinion that the pompous kind of Mufick which is in Ufe in foreign Churches is the most excellent, as it most affects our Senfes. But I am fwayed by my Judgment to the Modefty which is obferved in the mufical Part of our Devotions. Methinks there is fomething very laudable in the Custom of a Voluntary before the firft Leffon; by this we are fuppofed to be prepared for the Admiffion of thofe divine Truths, which we are fhortly to receive.. We are then to caft all Worldly Regards from off our Hearts, all Tumults within are then becalmed, and there fhould be nothing near the Soul but Peace and Tranquility. So that in this fhort Office of Praise, the Man is raifed above himself, and is almoft loft already a midft the Joys of Futurity I have heard fome nice Obfervers frequently commend the Policy of our Church in this Particular, that it leads us on by fuch eafy and regular Methods; that we are perfectly deceived into Piety. When the Spirits begin to languifh (as they too often do) with a conftant Series of Petitions, fhe takes Care to allow them a pious Refpite, and relieves them with the Raptures of an Anthem. Nor can we doubt that the fublimeft Poetry, foftned in the most moving Strains ⚫ of Mufick, can never fail of humbling or exalting the Soul to any Pitch of Devotion. Who can hear the • Terrors of the Lord of Hofts defcribed in the most • expreffive Melody, without being awed into a Vene⚫ration? Or who can hear the kind and endearing Attributes of a merciful Father, and not be foftned into • Iove towards him! As the rifing and finking of the Paffions, the cafting foft or noble Hints into the Soul, is the natural Privilege of Mufick in general, fo more particu larly 6 265 larly of that kind which is employed at the Altar Thofe Impreffions which it leaves upon the Spiri are more deep and lasting, as the Grounds from which it receives its Authority are founded more upon Reafon. It diffufes a Calmnefs all around us, it makes us drop all thofe vain or immodeft Thoughts which "would be an hindrance to us in the Performance of that great Duty of Thanksgiving, which, as we are informed by our Almighty Benefactor, is the most ac ceptable Return which can be made for those infinite • Stores of Bleffings which he daily condefcends to pour down his Creatures. When we make use of this pathetical Method of addreffing our felves to him, we can fearce contain from Raptures! The Heart is warmed with a Sublimity of Goodness! We are all Piety and all Love! ! 6 upon How do the bleffed Spirits rejoice and wonder to behold unthinking Man proftrating his Soul to his dread Sovereign in fuch a Warmth of Piety as they themselves might not be ashamed of! I fhall close these Reflections with a Paffage taken out of the Third Book of Milton's Paradife Loft, where thofe harmonious Beings are thus nobly defcribed. Then Crown'd again, their Gold'n Harps they took, Mr. SPECTATOR, T HE Town cannot be unacquainted, that in divers Parts of it there are vociferous Sets of • Men who are called Rattling Clubs; but what shocks s me moft is, they have now the Front to invade the • Church and institute these Societies there, as a Clan of them have in late times done, to fuch a Degree of Infolence, as has given the Partition where they ⚫ refide in a Church near one of the City Gates, the 6 Deno Denomination of the Rattling Pew. Thefe gay Fellows, from humble Lay-Profeffions, fet up for Criticks without any Tincture of Letters or Reading, and have the Vanity to think they can lay hold of fomething from the Parfon, which may be formed into Ridicule. IT is needlefs to observe, that the Gentlemen who every Sunday have the hard Province of inftructing these Wretches in a Way they are in no present Difpofition to take, have a fixt Character for Learning and Eloquence, not to be tainted by the weak Efforts of this contemptible Part of their Audiences. Whether the Pulpit is ta ken by these Gentlemen, or any Strangers their Friends, the way of the Club is this: If any Sentiments are delivered too Sublime for their Conception; if any uncommon Topick is entered on, or one in ufe new modified with the fineft Judgment and Dexterity; or any • controverted Point be never fo elegantly handled; In fhort whatever furpaffes the narrow Limits of their Theology, or is not fuited to their Tafte, they are all immediately upon their Watch, fixing their Eyes upon • each other, with as much Warmth as our Gladiators of Hockley in the Hole, and waiting like them for a Hit; if one touches, all take Fire, and their Noddles inftantly meet in the Centre of the Pew; then, as by beat of Drum, with exact Discipline, they rear up ' into a full length of Stature, and with odd Looks and Gefticulations confer together in fo loud and clamorous a Manner, continued to the close of the Discourse, and during the after-Pfalm, as is not to be filenced but by the Bells. Nor does this fuffice them, without aiming to propagate their Noife through all the Church, by Signals given to the adjoining Seats, where others defigned for this Fraternity are fometimes placed upon Tryal to receive them. 6 6 THE Folly as well as Rudeness of this Practice is in nothing more confpicuous than this, that all that follows in the Sermon is loft; for whenever our Sparks take alarm, they blaze out and grow fo Tumultuous that no After- Explanation can avail, it being impoffible for themselves or any near them to give an • Account Account thereof. If any Thing really Novel is advanced, how averfe foever it may be to their way of thinking, to fay nothing of Duty, Men of lefs Levity than these would be led by a natural Curiofity to hear the whole.. LAUGHTER, where Things Sacred are tranfacted, is far lefs pardonable than whining at a Conventicle; the laft has at least a Semblance of Grace, and where the Affectation is unfeen may poffible imprint wholesome Leffons on the Sincere; but the first has no Excufe, breaking through all the Rules of Order and Decency, and manifefting a Remiffness of Mind in thofe important Matters, which require the strictest Compofure and Steadiness of Thought; A Proof of the greatest Folly in the World. I fhall not here enter upon the Veneration due to the Sanctity of the Place, the Reverence owing the Minifter, or the Refpect that fo great an Affembly as a ⚫ whole Parish may juftly claim. I fhall only tell them, that as the Spanish Cobler, to reclaim a profligate Son, bid him have fome regard to the Dignity of his Family, fo they as Gentlemen (for we Citizens affume to be fuch one Day in a. Week) are bound for the future to repent of, and abstain from the grofs Abuses here mentioned, whereof they have been guilty in Contempt of Heaven and Earth, and contrary to the Laws in this Cafe made and provided. 6 I am, SIR, Your very humble Servant, R. M. Friday, ඊට රම් එම ඒව එට එම දම ඒම ඒම ඒම ට ඒම ඒට ඒම No. 631. Friday, December 10. Simplex Munditiis Hor. I Had Occafion to go a few Miles out of Town, fome Days fince, in a Stage-Coach, where I had for my Fellow-Travellers a dirty Beau, and a pretty young Quaker-Woman. Having no Having no Inclination to talk much at that Time, I placed my felf backward, with a Defign to furvey them, and pick a Speculation out of my two Companions. Their different Figures were fufficient of themselves to draw my Attention. The Gentleman was dressed ina Suit, theGround whereof had been black, as I perceived from fome few Spaces, that had efcaped the Powder, which was incorporated with the greatest Part of his Coat: His Perriwig, which coft no fmall Sum, was after fo flovenly a manner cast over his Shoulders, that it feemed not to have been combed fince the Year 1712; his Linen, which was not much concealed, was daubed with plain Spanish from the Chin to the lowest Button, and the Diamond upon his Finger (which naturally dreaded the Water) put me in mind how it fparkled amidft the Rubbish of the Mine, where it was firft difcovered. On the other Hand, the pretty Quaker appeared in all the Elegance of Cleannefs. Not a Speck was to be found on her. A clear, clean oval Face, juft edged about with little thin Plaits of the pureft Cambrick, received great Advantages from the Shade of her black. Hood; as did the Whitenefs of her Arms from that fobercoloured Stuff, in which fhe had cloathed herself. The Plainnefs of her Drefs was very well fuited to the Simplicity of her Phrafes; all which put together, though they could not give me a great Opinion of her Religion, they did of her Innocence. a 1 |