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Davids humble frame and condition, thou oughtcft to lift up thy heart to God, that he would work the like frame in thee. Lord, thy Servant David could truly fay, I am not puft in mind: Good Lord grant me this Grace alfo. Suppose thou canst not find in thy felf fuch a love to Gods Law, as was in David, Pfal.119. Then there is a word of Inftruction to thee, teaching thee what thou shouldft do. Thou oughtest to pray, to have fuch a Divine Affection to the Law of God kindled in thee. So that we fing Pfalms as we read them, for the benefit and good ufe we may make of them. 'Tis therefore no more a lie to fing them, than to read them. By finging, as by reading them, we recite and repeat what God has revealed in his Word for our admonition and inftruction. And though we cannot make fome paßages our own, by using them for our felves, and in our own nam: (as David did) yet we may make them our own by afweet meditation on them, for our benefit and edification.

I come to the Fourth thing, to give fome Rules and Directions how Chriftians should practife this duty aright.

Í. Sing with understanding and attention of mind to the matter fung. Labour to understand the mind and meaning of the holy Ghost, in the Pfalm you fing, Pfal.47.7. Sing ye praifes with understanding.

II. Labour to fing with Grace in the heart,i. e.
A a 3

with

with a gracious frame of spirit. Our finging must not be a lip labour, an outward bodily exercife only, pleafing our felves or others with the tune of a Pfalm: But we should look to it that our hearts be well tuned, as Maries was, Luke 1.46. My foul doth magnifie the Lord, Sc.

III. Labour to exercise and act thofe peculiar Graces, which the matter fang requires and gives occafion to. God looks at the heart, and how a man is affected within.

1. Some Pfalms are laudatory, and fet forth the high praifes of God, from the confideration of his glorious Nature, Attributes, and Works. In finging thefe, we fhould ftir up our hearts to love God, to fear him, to trust in him, and our hearts fhould prompt our tongues to found forth his praifes.

2. Some are petitionary, containing fupplica tions for fpirituall bleffings, such as pardon, Grace, the favour of God; or temporall, fuch as direction, protection, provifion, &c. Here we should look up to God, as the only author of these maercies, and humbly pray to him for them.

3. Some are Euchariftical, containing thankf givings to God for mercies received, private or publick, fpiritual or temporal,

4. Some contain precepts and inftructions, co fear God, to love him, to walk in his waies, being backed with promifes to encourage us thereunto, Some declare the evil waies of finners,

and

and the judgments of God that attend them, to deter us there-from.

5. Some contain imprecations and prayers for judgments on enemies. Here we are not to pray for, or wish the fame judgments on our private enemies. But,

1. We may meditate on the fearful judgments of God that hang over the heads of all wicked and impenitent tranfgrefours; that fo we may fear to be like them.

2. We may pray for the like judgments on all the implacable and incurable enemies of Christ, and his Kingdome.

6. Some contain the fad complaints of the Church, under afflictions. Here thou maist meditate on the fufferings of the Saints, and lift up thy heart to God to give thee alfo fuffering

Graces.

IV. Let there be a wife choice made of Pfalms to be fung according as our prefent neceffities and occafions do require.

V. Let thy end in finging be, that God may be honoured, thy felf and others edified; that the Graces of Gods Spirit may be excited and exercised in thy felf and others.

4. Religious Conference.

'Tis the duty of all true and fincere Christians to labour to further one another Heaven ward A 2 4

And

And furely religious conference rightly mannaged is a great means of increafing knowledge and Grace among Chriftians. Communion of Saints is an Article of our Faith, The Apostle tels us, Rom. 12.5. We being many, are one body in Chrift, and every one members one of another. Such a body true believers are by their union with Chrift, and ought to be by communion and fellowship one with another, for their mutual edification. There ought to be a mutual ferviceableneffe among Chriftians, and helping one another on in graci. ous courfes.

I fhall therefore,

1. Give fome Arguments, to perfwade to it.
2. Some Directions about it.

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1. We have many exhortations to it in the Scriptures, 1 Thef. 5.11. Wherefore comfort your felves together, and edific one another, even as alfo ye do, Heb.10.24. And let us confider one another, to provoke unto love, and to good works. v.25. Not forfaking the affembling of our felves together, as "the manner of fome is, but exhorting one another, and fo much the more, as ye fee the day approaching. Heb, 3.13. But exhort one another daily, while it is called to day, left any of you be hardened through the deceitfulneffe of fin.

2. We find this practifed by the primitive Saints, Acts 2.42. And they continued stedfastly in the Apoflles doctrine and fellowship, and break. ing bread, and in prayers.

3. To this end God hath given feveral Gifts and Graces to his people, 1 Pet.4.10. As every man hath received the gift, even fo minifter the Jame one to another, as good stewards of the manifold Grace of God. 1 Cor. 12. 7. But the mani=feftation of the Spirit is given to every man to pro· =fit withal.

4. Where Chriftians are most frequent, and molt faithful in this duty, there ufually they are in a most thriving condition, both as to knowledge and holineffe: As Countreys that maintain a trade and commerce together, do inrich each other.

5. 'Tis a good way to prevent feduction into errour. Chriftians are better able to refift errours by their united forces, and mutual counfels, than fingly and alone. The Church is faid, Gant 6.10. to be terrible as an Army with banners. But ftrag lers, and fuch as go alone are often fnatcht up. How eafte is it to pervert and draw one fingle perfon into any dangerous errour, who neglects the benefit of other Chriftians advice and counfel?

6. It will be a good means to increase love in the hearts of Chriftians one towards another; And Love is Chrift's Livery, John 13.35. By this Shall all men know that ye are my Difciples, if ye have love one to another.

Thus much of the Arguments to perfwde to this duty: The Directions follow.

I. Let Chriftians in their Religious Confevences have this principally in their aim, to edifie

one

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