AND His Old English Translators CLEAR'D. CONTAINING, I. Directions for the more Devout Ufe of the Pfalms, and a fhort Hiftorical Account of the Tranflation and Translators. II. The Pfalter or Pfalms of David, after the Tranflation of the Great Bible; Pointed as they are to be Sung or Said in Churches: With large Explanatory Notes. III. A General Defence of this Old Translation, in answer to all the Objections and Cavils that have been rais'd against it. I will pray with the fpirit, and I will pray with the understanding alfo: I will fing with the spirits and I will fing with the understanding alfo, 1 Cor.xiv.1. Nec verbum verbo curabis reddere, Horat. de Art. Poet. LONDON: Printed by W. D. for R. KNAPLOCK, at the PREFACE, -moo,puolusiboM viel bar To those who Worship God according to the Liturgy of the Church of England. Jou an enloqing aidh hot mudah vnom do dnoW per odi bas „cobif M Y defign is to render that Tranflation of the Pfalms, which makes fo confiderable a part of our Publick Worship, more fullyn anfwer the ends for which it was intended, namely, the Devotion, and Edification of the People: To which purpofa, Lhave put fome Notes, and Paraphrafes im the Margent; by which I endeavour to explain thofe Words, and Sentences, which may not fo readily be understood by every Reader without fome fuch help. And further, I have anfwerldthofer Objections, to which this Franflation has been thought liable by fome; Indoing which, my intention was not only to vindicate it from the Cavils of our Adverfaries, but to make it better efteem'd by thofe of our own Communion: For it is to be fear'd, that our Pfalter may not be ufed with fo much Zeal and Devotion as it ought, while many have entertain'd too mean an Opinion of the Tranflation. What I have faid by way of Defence is put all together at the end of the Book, to avoid confufion: I fhall at prefent crave my Readers patience to fay fomething of I. The Pfalms themselves. III. What is here offer'd by way of Explanation. r. The Book of Pfalms, is a Collection of Forms of Prayer, and Praife, and Holy Meditations, compofed by David, and other Divine Writers, for the Exercife of the Devotion of God's People, efpecially in publick. There can be no room to doubt, that they were fo ufed by the Jewish Church, and David who Compofed the greatest part of them, did himself design them for this purpose, as appears not only from the Titles, and the very Words of many of them; but from the care he took that several of the Families of the Levites fhould wholly, or chiefly apply themselves to this part of Divine Worfhip, 1 Chron. vi. 31, 32. in which he was afterwards followed by his Son Solomon, 2 Chron. V. II, 12. as likewife by Ezra, when he undertook to regulate the Worship of God, after the return of the People from the Babylonifh Captivity, Ezra iii. 10, 11. Our Saviour, who never fhew'd any inclination to alter, where the reafon was not very apparent, was fo far from intimating any diflike of this Practice, that he, with his Apoftles, concluded the Solemnity of the Paffover, and the Sacrament of his Body, and Blood, with a Hymn, Matt. xxvi. 30. that is, with the cxiii, cxiv, cxv, cxvi, cxvii, cxviii, Pfalms, which were called by the Jews. Hallel, or, Hymn, and ufed at all their great Feafts. Nay, tho' he had the Spirit without measure, yet he chofe to perform his laft Devotions on the Crofs in the words of David, rather than his own: For he cried out in his utmost extremity, [My God, My God, why hast thou forfaken me,] Mat. xxvii. 46. which are the first words of the xxii Pfalm. Dr.Hammond fuppofes, with great probability,that he did not ftop here, but rehearfed à good part |