That all devotions in which others are to join with the perfon, who utters them, even in a private family, are better pre-compofed than fpoken extempore, feems to me very clear. There are extremely few, even among men of the best abilities, who are capable of uttering fluently, and without hesitation, tautology, or fome kind of impropriety, an unstudied speech of any length. And that a speech made in public to God himfelf should be ill digefted, must be owned to be very grofs. For it is evident, that in fuch a case, the speaker, instead of leading along with him the devotion of his hearers, muft confound and diftract it. And it feems enough in any reafon, that the speaker have the manner, and delivery to attend to, without his being obliged at the fame time to ftudy the matter.

The fupplication of a single person by himself, is, in my opinion, more properly presented in his own thoughts or words, than in thofe of any other; Though the reading of books of devotion are useful helps to those whofe thoughts want to be helped out.

What can be more rational, more fublime, or more delightful, than for a dependent creature to raise his thoughts to his Creator; to fill his mind with a sense of the present Divinity; to pour forth his foul before Him who made it? What fo great honour can an humble mortal enjoy, as to be allowed to speak to God? What exercise can the rational foul engage in, fo worthy the exer

tion of its nobleft powers and faculties, as addreffing the Majefty of heaven? How can it, in this present state, approach fo near to the Author of its being, or rife to an enjoyment fo much refembling the beatific vision, as by this fublime converse with the omniprefent Deity? To fwell the thought with the infinite greatness of the Object of worship; to confider one's self as addreffing that tremendous Power, whose word produced the univerfe; to think that one is going to proftrate his foul before Him who formed it, who is to be its judge, and has the power of dif poling of it for eternity! What can be conceived fo wonderfully awful and striking? But to reflect, that the glorious Object of worship, tho' infinitely exalted above the adoration of angels. and archangels, is yet ready to hear, and bestow happiness upon the meaneft of his rational creatures; to think that the humble petition of the fincere penitent will not be rejected; that the poor and needy are no more beneath his notice, or out of the reach of his goodness, than the rich and the mighty; what can be more comfortable? If God is the awful judge of mankind, he is alfo the merciful Father of mankind. If his eye is too pure to behold prefumptuous vice without abhorrence, and too piercing to be deceived by the most artful hypocrify; it is also open to look with pity upon the proftrate mourner, and his goodness ready to forgive the humble penitent what he cannot forgive himself.

Be

Be no longer, unthinking mortal, fo much thy own enemy, as to exclude thyself from the higheft honour thy nature is capable of. Aspire to the fublime happiness of converfing with thy Maker. Enlarge thy narrow mind to take in the thought of him for whom thou art made. Call forth all that is within thee to magnify and praise Him. Humble thyfelf to the duft, in the contemplation of his unequalled Majefty. Open the inmoft receffes of thy foul to Him who gave it being. Expofe to Him, who knows thy frame, thy weakneffes and thy faults. Think not to conceal or palliate them before that eye which is not to be deceived. Haft thou offended? Make no delay to confefs before thy Creator and thy Judge, what he already knows. 'Tho' he already knows thy folly, he expects thy own confeffion of it, and that thou deprecate his vengeance. Though he may already have thoughts of mercy for thee, it is only on condition that thou humbly implore it, and by repentance and amendment fhew thyself worthy of it. Art thou weak and helpless? If thou knowest thyself, thou feeleft it. Addrefs thyfelf then to Him who is almighty, that his power may fupport thee. Art thou ignorant and fhort-fighted? If thou doft not think thyself so, thou art blind indeed. Apply then to Him, whofe knowledge is infinite, that thou mayst be wife in his wisdom. Art thou in. want of all things? If thou thinkest otherwise, thou art wretched indeed. Have recourse then

to Him who is the Lord of all things, and is poffeffed of inexhauftible riches. If thou haft a just sense of thy own ftate, if thou haft proper conceptions of thy Creator and Judge, or if thou hast a foul capable of any thought worthy the dignity of a reasonable immortal nature, thou wilt make it thy greateft delight to worship and adore Him, whom to ferve is the glory of the brightest seraph in the celeftial regions.

A numerous affembly of people, celebrating with grateful hearts the praifes of their almighty Creator and bountiful Benefactor, may be, for any thing we can conceive, one of the best emblems of fome part of the future employment and happiness of immortal fpirits, which the present state can exhibit. It were well, if we could, by the mere force of cool reafon, fo elevate our conceptions of the Divinity, as worthily to magnify him in our public affemblies. But fo long as we continue the mechanical beings we are, we must be willing to ufe all poffible helps for working ourselves up to what our imperfect faculties of themfelves are not generally speaking equal to, or however are not at all times in a condition for. Whoever understands human nature, knows, of what confequence affociations are. And it is wholly owing to the infirmities of our nature and prefent ftate, that a due regard to decency and folemnity in public worship, is of fuch importance towards our moral improvement. Confidering these things, it is with concern I must VOL. II.

S

obferve

obferve upon the manner of performing the fo lemn office of praifing God in our public affemblies, that it very much wants reformation. I know of no application of mufic to this fublime ufe, that is not fadly deficient, except what is compofed in the manner of anthems. For as in every piece of facred poefy, there are various and very different taftes, and ftrains, it is evident, that to apply the fame returning fett of notes to all alike is incontent, and not expreffive of the fenfe and spirit of the piece, The eighteenth Plalm, for example, is one of the nobleft hymns in Holy Scripture. From the beginning to the fourth verse, the royal author expreffes his, or the Meffiah's joy and gratitude for his deliverance from his enemies. It is evident, that the mufic, which is to accompany this part of the piece, ought to be boid, cheerful, and triumphant. Elfe it will disguise and mifrepresent the thoughts, instead of expreffing them. The fourth and fifth verfes exprefs the pfalmift's, or Meffiah's, dreadful diftrefs, by the cruelty of wicked men, or evil fpirits. It is plain, that the triumphant strains of mufic, which fuited the former part, are not at allproper to exprefs this; but that on the contrary, it requires a fett of the most dreary and horrid founds which mufic can utter. The fixth verse represents the facred writer's, or Meffiah's, complaint in his great diftrefs. To express this fuitably, neither of the former fpecies of melody is proper; but a fett of melancholy and plain