A47407:497
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.
But the Truth is, if there was no more to be said against using those Forms of Prayer (that some contend for) than what you have said, they might be lawful too. Therefore I shall trouble the Reader with a recital of what you say to this Objection against precomposed Forms of Prayer, and Singing; and what you say for Forms of precomposed Sermons, since you seem to be for one, and against the other.
I do acknowledge (say you) and assert, that we should not neglect Prayer, till we have an Extraordinary Gift or Impulse of Spirit unto Prayer; but we should constantly go to God as we can, not only for continuance of those Mercies we have, but for further supplies of our inward and outward Wants, which are the chiefest part of Prayer. But Singing proceeds from a fullness of enjoyment, and is called a Breaking forth, and therefore requires a greater Measure of the Holy Spirit; for we can pray for what we have not, but we should break forth into Singing for what we have, otherwise we mock God, and draw nigh unto ⟨p. 170⟩him with our Mouths, and honour him with […] Lips, when our Hearts are far from him, and our fear towards him taught by the Precepts of Men; and therefore when I consider the present State and Frame of the Churches of Jesus Christ, I wonder that so many should be for Singing, when their Hearts are so much below Prayer; for if we should go from Saint to Saint, we should find that this is the general Cry, I have a dead and stony Heart—I can't pray, I want the Spirit.— Now if thus it be, then where is the Spirit of Singing? Will you lie, and express that with your Lips to God, which you have not in your Hearts? Pag. 46, 47.
I do acknowledg (say you) and assert, that we should not neglect Prayer, till we have an Extraordinary Gift or Impulse of Spirit unto Prayer; but we should constantly go to God as we can, not only for continuance of those Mercies we have, but for further supplies of our inward and outward Wants, which are the chiefest part of Prayer. But Singing proceeds from a fulness of enjoyment, and is called a Breaking forth, and therefore requires a greater Measure of the Holy Spirit; for we can pray for what we have not, but we should break forth into Singing for what we have, therwise we mock God, and draw nigh unto