A47407:77
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.
Singing of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, an Holy Ordinance of… › Chapter 1
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.
5. A singing Voice. And all these distinct from each other.
Moses could readily resolve the Doubt that was upon Joshua, when he lent his Ear to hearken to the Noise of the People. Truly I am almost ashamed I have this occasion to speak, and to be so large upon it; but knowing what I have met withal, from some poor, weak, and doubting Christians, who stumble at Noonday about the very Act of Singing, not knowing what it is, or at least raise such Objections against it, I have thought good to begin here, and if this may but satisfy them, I shall bless God for what I have said in all plainness; and do know it makes an easy Passage to the next Chapter, wherein I shall, by God's Assistance, prove Singing (yea such a Singing, there being no other known to Mankind) an Holy Ordinance of God, and to be practised in the Congregation of Christians, and in Private also; only let me conclude this Chapter with two Inferences.
1. If this be so; then we may naturally infer from hence, that all such who never sing the Praises of God with a Vocal Melody, notwithstanding all those sweet Rejoicings they may have in the Spirit at any time, never sing ⟨p. 21⟩at all. And if Singing be that which the Great God looks for from, and enjoins upon his People, and every one of them, that then they lie short of their Duty, and want an Ordinance. Moreover, if it be our Duty, and that which belongs to God, it is to take away one great part of his glorious Praise, yea, the highest manner of performance of it we are capable of; and so it is a robbing of the Holy God, as well as it deprives their own Souls, and the Souls of others of much sweet and Heavenly Joy and Refreshment.