A47407:399
The breach repaired in God's worship, or, Singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,…
The breach repaired in God's worship, or, Singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, proved to be an holy ordinance of Jesus Christ with an answer to all objections : as also, an examination of Mr. Isaac Marlow's two papers, one called, A discourse against singing, &c., the other, An appendix : wherein his arguments and cavils are detected and refuted / by Benjamin Keach ...
London: printed for Author, 1691
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.
2. He must bring forth and preach it by the help and assistance of the Spirit also, or else it may still be Human, no Divine Sermon.
So, and in like manner in compiling of an Hymn, it must be as to the matter, the Word of Christ; Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all Wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms, Hymns, and spiritual Songs, singing, &c. Col. 3. 19. See here the Direction for the matter of an Hymn or spiritual Song, it must be in general the Word of Christ; (as it must be the Word of Christ that is to be preached.) Even so also a• Hymn, &c. must be (we say) compiled out of the Word of Christ, and in singing of it there must be the assistance of the holy Spirit. But now will you say we have not the Spirit of Christ in composing the Hymn which is part of Christ's Word? Take heed! you are too full of hard Words and Censures; another may, ⟨p. 137⟩nay, and some do say so too, we have no Rule to compose a Sermon; and I will say and testify, I know no more Rule for a precomposed Sermon to be preached, than for a precomposed Hymn that is to be sung, and I am satisfied I have equally in them both the like assistance of the Spirit. Your speaking here of the Spiritualness of the Gospel above the Law, doth nothing in your case. We grant it, and say, Our Singing differs now under the Gospel as to the Spirituality of it to that under the Law, as much as my other Gospel-Service or Worship doth.
Our Sermons are no more made for us in God's Word than our Hymns are, and we have equal Direction in both these weighty ••ses; and I must tell you, this way of […] you use is enough, if People did observe it, to overthrow all visible Worship and Ordinances, unless we could make it appear, […] we had the immediate and extraordinary help of the Spirit in the discharge of them. Away, ith one, with your carnal and human preaching, 'tis a Form invented and done by Art, will you call this Gospel-preaching? The Apostles […] as they were moved by a mighty Spirit within them; you must preach by immediate inspiration and not precomposed Sermons, or else your Sermons are formal. Thus you open a Door for Quakerism, and throw Stbling-blocks before the weak: I entreat you to consider of it.