e was charg'd to _give Attendance to Reading, to
Exhortation, to Doctrine, to meditate upon these things, to give
himself wholly to them, that his profiting might appear unto all_, 1
Tim. 4, 14, 15. And it is granted by all, that the Ministers of the
Gospel in our Day are to acquire and improve the Gifts of Knowledge,
Prayer and Preaching, by Reading, Meditation and frequent Exercise,
together with earnest Requests to God for the ordinary Assistance of
his Spirit, and, a Blessing on their Studies; Why then should it be
esteem'd sinful, to acquire a Capacity of composing a spiritual Song?
Or why is it unlawful to put this Gift in Excercise, for the Use of
Singing in the Christian Church, since 'tis one of those three standing
Parts of Worship which were at first practis'd and confirm'd by
Inspiration and Miracle?

Some may object here, that the words _psallo_ and _Psalmos_, which
the Apostle useth in this Chapter, intend the Psalms of _David_, and
not any new Song: But if we consult the whole Frame and Design of
that Chapter, it appears that their worship was all performed by
extraordinary Gifts: Now, 'twas no very, extraordinary thing to bring
forth, one of _David_'s Psalms; nor would it have been proper to have
hindered the inspsired Worship with such an Interposition of the
ordinary Service of an antient _Jewish_ Song; 'tis very credible
therefore that the Word _Psalm_ in this Place signifies a new spiritual
Song, and 'tis so used frequently in the Writings of the Primitive
Fathers, as appears in the Citations, _pag_. 274.

To close this Rank of Arguments, I might mention the Divine Delight
that many pious Souls have found in the Use of spiritual, Songs, suited
to their {266} own Circumstances, and to, the Revelations of the New
Testament. If the spiritual Joy and Consolation that particular Persons
have tasted in the general Duty or Singing, be esteem'd a tolerable
Argument to encourage the Duty and confirm the Institution, I am well
assured that the Argument would grow strong apace, and seal this
Ordinance beyond Contradiction, if we would but stand fast in the
Liberty of the Gospel, and not tie our Consciences up to meer Forms of
the Old Testament. The Faith, the Hope, the Love, and the heavenly
Pleasure that many Christians have profess'd while they have been
singing evangelical Hymns; would probably be multiply'd and diffus'd
amongst the Churches, if they would but breath out their Devotion in
the Songs of the