A47407:505
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.
Obj. But we are commanded to pray always, and that is a very convenient time when the Word of God is preached; every thing is sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer.
Answ. So we are commanded to rejoice evermore, 1 Thess. 5. 16. and in every thing to give thanks to God, Phil. 4. 4, 6. And to sing his ⟨p. 174⟩Praises, is the highest way or manner of rejoicing and giving Thanks to God we are capable of attaining to, as it appears in all the Scripture; And also by the example of the Holy Angels, who this way rejoice and give Thanks to God. Besides, the Preacher may pray before he comes out of his Closet, or secretly in his Heart when in the Pulpit, and answer those general Precepts: so that you may see what such kind of Cavillings will bring us to. 'Tis evident we read of several Sermons the Apostle Peter preached, and Paul too, and some of them in Church-Assemblies, but no more mention is made of praying before or after their Sermons, than is of their Singing. And is it not as convenient a time when we hear the Excellencies of Jesus Christ, and the infinite Love of God, and the Happiness of Believers opened, then to sing and praise God, as it is a proper Season to pray to God for a Blessing upon the Word? there is the like parity of Reason for the one as there is for the other. If any has the advantage, 'tis the Ordinance of Singing, for two Reasons; the one is a Precept, the other a Precedent. The Precept is given us by David, containing a Prophecy of the Gospel-days, and Gospel-Church. Psal. 100. 1. Make a joyful Noise unto the Lord, all ye Lands: Come before his presence with Singing. So Psal. 95. O Come let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful Noise to the Rock of our Salvation. And, vers. 2. Let us make a joyful Noise unto him with Psalms. This all