The Happiness of a pious Life, and the Misery of a bad One II. Admonitions to Holiness, and Cautions against Sin. III. Profeffions of our difpofitions to Vertue, and refolutions of leading a pious Life. IV. Confeffion of Sin, and begging Pardon for it. VI. Acts of Faith, and reliance on God's Providence. bis Church. VIII, Prophecies of the Meffias. IX. Complaints of the Malice of wicked Men againf the Church, X. Imprecations against fuch Men. 2. For the Works of Providence, efpecially in deliver- 3. For the Benefit of his Word, and the knowledge of his Truth. 1. Ifirft mention the Happiness of a pious Life, and the mifery of a wicked one; not only because there is a 'great deal faid in the Pfalms to this purpofe, and the Objections against this Doctrine are particularly anfwer'd, (Pfal. xxxvii. and lxxiii.) and the very firft Pfalm is wholly on this Subject; but because I think that one of the greatest Advantages, that is to be gained by the conftant and hearty ufe of the Pfalter, is the fettling in our Minds this great and weighty Truth, that there is no real and lafting Happinefs, but what proceeds from the Practice of Religion; and therefore thefe parts of the Pfalter fhould beread or fung with a ferious, and attentive Thoughtfulness, fulness, and with a Heart freed from those Prejudices, which the Devil and wicked Men have rais'd againft Religion. II. Admonitions to Holiness, and cautions against fin will frequently be met with in rehearsing the Pfalter: And this is what we all ftand in need of, and if we come to this pious Exercife with a fuitable difpofition of Mind, this will prepare us for the receiv ing that good Advice which we find mingled with our Devotion. And if you do yourself join in with the Congregation in finging, or reading this good Counfel, which the Pfalms afford, it will be, as it were, a Sermon preached to you by God from your own Lips, and fo in all likelyhood make the greater impreffion. Many a good Sermon is loft upon the Hearers, by reafon of the Prejudice they have against him that preaches it: but one would think, that if any Advice have its effect upon us, if there be any Admonitions againft which there can no Objections be made, they must be fuch as God gives us by our own Mouths: and this I fuppofe is what the Apoftle means, when he bids us fpeak to our felves in Pfalms and Hymns, Eph. v. 19. and admonishing our felves in Pfalms and Hymns, Col. iii, 16. for 'tis in the Greek savle's your felves, or, our felves] in both Texts. III. There are in the Pfalms frequent profeffions of our own virtuous Difpofitions, and Refolutions, as, [Lord, what love have I unto thy law! 'I have done after thy Commandments. I will wash my bands in Innocency, and a great deal more to the fame purpose. There are fome indeed, would perfwade us to renounce our own Righteoufhefs, but David knew better: and St. Paul never renounced any Righteousness, but [that of the law] of Mofes, Phil. ii. 9. which confifted in mere external things, as going to the Temple at Jerufalem, offering Sacrifice, wafhing, purifying, &c. He was fo far from renouncing, [that Righteoufnefs which is of God God in Chrift, which confifts in believing, and o beying his Gofpel, that he tells us, 2 Cor. i. 12. [this was his rejoycing, or boafting, the Teftimony of his Confcience, that in fimplicity, and godly fincerity he had had his converfation in the World.] 'Tis indeed impoffible for a Man that is fincerely good, not to know that he is fo; and if he do, and muft know it, why may not he praife God for it? or rather, is it not his duty to do it? for if we ought to give God thanks for all his Mercies, why not especially for that which is the greatest? it is certain, that they who do it not, make an appearance of Humility a pretence for their Ingratitude; and how good foever they may be in other refpects, yet in this particular they are very defective. Further, it may fometimes be abfolutely neceffary for the most modeft Man to profefs his own Innocency, and Integrity, and even commemorate his Vertues, as when one is falfely accufed of any Crime, or when ones Credit and Reputation is afperfed by envious, or malicious Spirits, which was the Cafe of David and St. Paul. For fure, no confidering Man will blame another for telling the Truth in his own defence, and appealing to God, the Searcher of Hearts, and the Patron of oppreffed Innocency, and injur'd Vertue. But here it may be objected, that it cannot reafonably be fuppofed, that all the Members of mixt Congregations can be fit to use fome Expreffions in the Pfalms, fo as to make them their own Words: because very few have attain'd to fuch a degree of Piety and Goodness, as David and the other Pfalmifts make profeffion of. For with what face can a careless, or indifferent Chriftian fay, Thy teftimonies are the very joy of my heart. I was uncorrupt before God. I have let God always before me, &c. To which I anfwer, That fo long as Men continue in a wicked courfe of Life, they are not only unfit for the ufe of the Devotions contained in the Pfalter, but but of any other, They are not only uncapable of applying thefe Paffages in the Pfalms to their own Perfons, but they cannot fo much as repeat a Penitential Pfalm, or even the Confeffion of fins, in the Liturgy in a proper and agreeable manner; for he that does this, as he ought, muft do it with refolution of Amendment: Nor do I know how any good Pray ers can be fitted for the Mouths of wicked Men, as long as they refolve to continue fo. As for thofe, who have fincerely repented, and in earneft begun a vertuous courfe of Life, I fee no reafon, why they may not unite their Hearts and Voices with the Church, in rehearfing thefe Pfalms. For we may very aptly take a great part of the Pfalter as the addrefs of the whole Church to Almighty God; and then, no doubt, but every honeft Member of this Body may perform his part in this pious Confort: Every true Chriftian may, and muft fay, that the true Church, whereof he profeffes himself a Member, is all glorious within,] that is, adorned with all manner of inward Graces, and Excellencies; and yet, where is that humble, hearty Chriftian that will prefume to fay fo of himself? Perhaps the very beft Men can fcarce think fuch elevated Expreffions fit to be apply'd to their fingle felves, or to their perfonal Performances; but any fincere Chriftian may very well join in the publick ufe of thefe parts of the Pfalter, when he confiders that what he fays, or fings, is the Voice of the Church Univerfal, and that as his Tongue is but one, among thofe innumerable Choirs of Chriftians throughout the World, fo he has but a small fhare of thofe Vertues, and Perfections, which are the Ornament of the Church, the body of Christ. And there is no reafon to doubt, as fhall hereafter be fhew'd, but that David did in fome Pfalms fpeak as the Reprefentative of the Church, as in others he expreffes himself in the Perfon of Chrift, as is generally allowed. And the Magnificat, or long Song of the Bleffed Virgin,cannot more aptly beufed by way of Devotion, than in the manner I am now Speaking of, that is, as the addrefs of the Church' Univerfal (the Spouse, the Hand-maid, the Virgin) to Almighty God: But I would not have any one from hence conclude, that a devout Man may not ufe this Hymn, or thefe Pfalms, in his Closet, as well as in the Church: for he may in his own thoughts confider himself as one of that large and vaft Body, who serve and worship according to thefe Forms. Night and Day. IV. Some Pfalms containConfeffion of fins, and earneft prayer for Pardon; and thefe must be rehearfed with a heart as full of grief, and concern, and hearty defire of forgiveness, as poffible; if we have no fresh, grofs fins to repent of, yet we may call to mind onr paft Errors, the fins of our youth, or the loofer part of our Lives. If we have by a vertuous Education, and an extraordinary degree of God's Grace, been preferv'd from fuch fins as David was guilty of, or if our forrow for our own fins don't fwell fo high as the words of fome of the Pfalms feem to import, we may fympathize with them, who are in the ftate of Penitence, who are ready to fall into Defpair by reafon of the exquifite, and piercing fence they have of their fins: For true Charity will teach us, [to bear their burdens, and to remember them who are in the bonds of Iniquity, as bound together with them.] V. There is a vein of very affectionate Devotion, and Prayer, which spreads itself through very many of the Pfalms: we fhall find in them Petitions for moft of our Wants, whether of Soul or Body, but efpecially for Divine Grace, to enable us to perform our Duty. Now as thefe Paffages fhould teach us to raise our Defires, and Endeavours after those Graces and Bleffings, which we ftand in need of; fo they Thould be a warning to us to rehearse the Pfalms ftanding, that fo, whenever we meet with these Prayers, We |