The breach repaired in God's worship, or, Singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,…

Now then, since the Word of Christ is the Matter in general that ought to be sung; it appears we are not left without Directions by the Spirit about this Ordinance, (let Men say what they please) for as 'tis Christ's Word we should and ought always to preach, and hear, so 'tis his Word we should and ought to sing: And as we are not tied up by the Lord in ⟨p. 94⟩Preaching, to do no more than barely read the Scripture, or quote one Scripture after another, (which would be rather Reading than Preaching) but may use other Words to edify the Church, provided they agree with, or are congruous to the Word of Christ, or the Sacred Scripture, (and yet we call that the Word of God which is preached, and so indeed it is); so when that which we sing is taken out of God's Word, or is Scripture, absolutely congruous, truly and exactly agreeing thereunto, it may as truly be called the Word of Christ, as our Sermons are, and may be so called.

Obj. But you add words to your Hymns that are not in the Text you refer to.

So we do in Preaching; but if those words agree with the Text, 'tis still the same Word, and may be opened thereby the better to the understandings of the People. Besides, let it be considered, that we have not the Holy Scriptures in those words in which they were written by the Pen-Men of the Scripture, for they wrote the Old Testament in Hebrew words, and the New-Testament in Greek words. Also the Translators differ much in words in giving the true sense of the Original, so that this Objection is a mere contentious Cav••. Moreover, there are in our Bibles (all Learned Men know) a multitude of Supplements, or words added, to make good the sense, the Originals being too short to express it in our Language. Now you may as well, nay, if not with more colour of reason say, part of