A27939:17
Mr. Richard Baxter's paraphrase on the Psalms of David in metre with other hymns…
Mr. Richard Baxter's paraphrase on the Psalms of David in metre with other hymns / left fitted for the press by his own hand.
London: printed for Thomas Parkhurst, 1692
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
§ 3. Some stumble at the singing of David's Psalms, because there are many words not suited to their case. But, 1. May they not as well scruple reading or saying them in Prose? Singing them in Metre, is no more an owning of all we say, as our case, than saying or reading them is. And by that reason they must not say, the Songs of Moses, the Book of Job, Canticles, Lamentations, or the Gospel-Hymns, or Scripture-Prayers. 2. That may be recited as the common case of the Church, yea, or as a Narration of his case that wrote them, which is not spoken as of our selves. 3. And if this satisfy not, such may choose at home Psalms suitable to them, and in the Church be silent at the words which they dare not speak.
§ 3. Some stumble at the singing of David's Psalms, because there are many words not suited to their case. But, 1. May they not as well scruple reading or saying them in Prose? Singing them in Metre, is no more an owning of all we say, as our case, than saying or reading them is. And by that reason they must not say, the Songs of Moses, the Book of Job, Canticles, Lamentations, or the Gospel-Hymns, or Scripture-Prayers. 2. That may be recited as the common case of the Church, yea, or as a Narration of his case that wrote them, which is not spoken as of our selves. 3. And if this satisfie not, such may choose at home Psalms suitable to them, and in the Church be silent at the words which they dare not speak.
§ 4. Some are stumbled that David's Psalms have so little about the Life to come, and speak with so great concernedness about Prosperity and Adversity here, and especially that he saith so much through almost all the Book against his Enemies, and the Oppression and Cruelties of wicked men, and his great danger of them, and sufferings by them, even cursing them and their Posterity.
Answ. As to this, it must be considered, 1. That it is most certain that not only David, but the Jews generally, except the Sadducees, believed the Immortality of the Soul, and the Rewards and Punishments of the other Life: And many passages in the Psalms prove it. And so do the Histories of Enoch and Elijah, and Saul's seeking to dead Samuel, and the raising of divers dead men; and Herod thought that John was risen, and others that Christ was one of the old Prophets. All which had been impossible, had not the soul survived. He that asked Christ, what he should do to inherit eternal Life spake but on the Principle of the Jews Faith.