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Accordingly the Apostle St. Paul, not only himself with Silas, under affliction and in prison, 'sang praises unto God'," but made it a part of his instruction to Christians, that they should exercise themselves in similar acts of religious worship: directing the Ephesians, as we have seen, to speak to themselves," or to one another, that is, to encourage one another, either by uniting in singing at the same time, or by singing in alternate portions," psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in their heart to the Lord;" and the Colossians, to "teach and admonish one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in their hearts to the Lord." And another Apostle, St. James, prescribes in his general epistle, "Is any among you merry?" or in a joyful frame of mind on account of blessings received, for the words "mirth" and " merry" comprehended formerly the most solemn and sacred kinds of gladness, "Let him sing psalms"."

In pursuance of these rules, the primitive Christians appear to have made singing a constant part of their religious worship. It is a remarkable fact, that a heathen writer, Pliny, at an early period after the first promulgation of Christianity, describes the Christians by their characteristick of

meeting together on a stated day, and singing hymns to Christ as God. This particular in their worship is transmitted to us likewise by the writers of the Church, and in the remains of ancient liturgies; the psalms, the doxology or hymn of glory, and the Hallelujah, being among the most ordinary forms, in which they expressed their joy and thankfulness, and magnified the God of their salvation.

In this department of religious worship, the whole congregation in the early ages of the Gospel were privileged to unite. In process of time, however, singers by profession, who had been appointed, prudently at first, to lead and direct the assembly, by degrees usurped the whole performance. But at the Reformation the people were restored to their spiritual privilege, in this as in many other particulars: the singing of psalms was permitted in connexion with the prescribed Common Prayers of the Church: and a metrical Version of the Psalms, commonly called by us "the Old Version," was set forth and allowed to be sung in all churches of all the people together." Similar permission and allowance was afterwards given for the New Version. And thus, under the sanction and regulation of lawful authority, psalmody again became a part of the general service of the congregation.

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The practice of singing, thus introduced and

perpetuated among the parts of Divine worship, still continues to hold its place among our religious services. In observing the practice we act agreeably to the precepts of Apostles, and to the example of the general Church of God on earth: if we need a further argument to inforce it, we may refer to the example of the Church of God in heaven: for there, that two or three examples may be cited out of many, as Isaiah records his vision, "I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphim: ... And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory" or, as St. John describes the like scene, "They rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come";" and, again, "They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy3."

II. We have thus seen the sanction which psalmody, or the celebration of God's praise in

1 Isa. vi. 1, 2, 3.

3 Rev. xv. 3.

2

Rev. iv. 8.

sacred songs, derives from holy Scripture as a part of religious worship. I would now proceed to bring under your consideration some remarks on the proper mode of performing it.

1. First, then, it is a service, in which as all the members of a congregation have the privilege, so also it behoves them all, to bear a part, both in heart and in voice, with one mind and one mouth: at least in heart and mind, but in voice also and with their mouths, so far as they have ability. This is agreeable to the Apostle's injunction, "speaking to yourselves," or to one another; "teaching and admonishing one another, in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with grace in your hearts to the Lord:" expressions these, which indicate a general co-operation in the assembly, whether by way of united or of alternate recitation; the latter, namely, that of alternate recitation, being the manner in which the prose version of the psalms and hymns is "said or sung,' that is, is read or chanted in our churches, by alternation between the minister and the people in common parochial congregations, or between the two sides of the choir successively in our cathedral and collegiate churches; the former, or the mode of united recitation, being that in which the metrical versions of the psalms are sung by our congregations in general, more especially in our parish churches.

And as this mutual co-operation is conformable to the Apostolical rule, so is it agreeable to nume-> rous Scriptural examples, and consistent withal with reason and propriety; for what can be more fit and reasonable, than that the song of praise and thankfulness for blessings, of which all parti-m cipate, should be uttered unanimously and sym-: phoniously by all? How becoming, and at the same time how noble and impressive, was that union of heart and voice in the first psalm of religious thanksgiving upon record, when Moses and the children of Israel sang this song unto the Lord, "I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea;" and Miriam, the prophetess, with all the women of Israel, "answered them, Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea." Thus in after times, in conjunction with "the house of Aaron and the house of Levi," or the ministers in particular of the Jewish church, "the house of Israel" at large, and all "they that feared the Lord," or the members of the Church in general, were called upon to "praise the Lord 2." Thus at the dedication of Solomon's temple, "all the children of Israel bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is 2 Ps. cxxxv. 19, 20, 21.

1 Exod. xv. 1. 20.