N04004:229
Some thoughts concerning the present revival of religion in New-England, and the way in…
Some thoughts concerning the present revival of religion in New-England, and the way in which it ought to be acknowledged and promoted, humbly offered to the public, in a treatise on that subject. : In five parts; Part I. Showing that the work that has of late been going on in this land, is a glorious work of God. Part II. Showing the obligations that all are under, to acknowledge [sic], rejoice in and promote this work, and the great danger of the contrary. Part III. Showing in many instances, wherein the subjects, or zealous promoters, of this work have been injuriously blamed. Part IV. Showing what things are to be corrected or avoided, in promoting this work, or in our behaviour under it. Part V. showing positively what ought to be done to promote this work. / By Jonathan Edwards, A.M. Pastor of the Church of Christ at Northampton. ; [Two lines from Isaiah]Some thoughts concerning the present revival of religion in New-England, and the way in which it ought to be acknowledged and promoted, humbly offered to the publick, in a treatise on that subject. : In five parts; Part I. Shewing that the work that has of late been going on in this land, is a glorious work of God. Part II. Shewing the obligations that all are under, to acknowlege [sic], rejoice in and promote this work, and the great danger of the contrary. Part III. Shewing in many instances, wherein the subjects, or zealous promoters, of this work have been injuriously blamed. Part IV. Shewing what things are to be corrected or avoided, in promoting this work, or in our behaviour under it. Part V. shewing positively what ought to be done to promote this work. / By Jonathan Edwards, A.M. Pastor of the Church of Christ at Northampton. ; [Two lines from Isaiah]
Boston: printed by S. Kneeland and T. Green, 1742
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.
There are many Things in Scripture, that seem to intimate that praising GOD, both in Speeches and Songs, will be what the Church of GOD will very much abound in, in the approaching glorious Day. So on the seventh Day of compassing the Walls of Jericho, when the Priests blew with the Trumpets, in an extraordinary Manner, the People shouted with a great Shout, and the Wall of the City fell down flat. So the Ark was brought back from its Banishment, with extraordinary shouting and singing of the whole Congregation of Israel. And the Places in the Prophecies of Scripture, that signify that the Church of GOD, in that glorious Jubilee that is foretold, shall greatly abound in singing & shouting forth the Praises of GOD, are too many to be mentioned. And there will be Cause enough for it: I believe it will be a Time wherein both Heaven ⟨p. 184⟩and Earth, will be much more full of Joy and Praise, than ever they were before.
But what is more especially found Fault with in the singing that is now practised, is making use of Hymns of humane Composure. And I am far from thinking that the Book of Psalms should be thrown by in our public Worship, but that it should always be used in the Christian Church, to the End of the World: But I know of no Obligation we are under to confine our selves to it. I can find no Command or Rule of GOD's Word, that does any more confine us to the Words of the Scripture in our singing, than it does in our praying; we speak to GOD in both: and I can see no Reason why we should limit our selves to such particular Forms of Words, that we find in the Bible, in speaking to him by Way of Praise, in Metre, and with Music, than when we speak to him in Prose, by Way of Prayer and Supplication. And 'tis really needful that we should have some other Songs besides the Psalms of David: 'Tis unreasonable to suppose that the Christian Church, should for ever, and even in Times of her greatest Light in her Praises of GOD & the Lamb, be confined only to the Words of the old Testament, wherein all the greatest and most glorious Things of the Gospel, that are infinitely the greatest Subjects of her Praise, are spoken of under a Veil, and not so much as the Name of our glorious Redeemer, ever mentioned, but in some dark Figure, or as hid under the Name of some Type. And as to our making use of the Words of others, and not those that are conceived by