xxviii. 17.

the fame State of Mind, that the de- SERM. vout Patriarch was, when he awoke IX. from his holy Dream; and ready with him to say to our felves: Surely the Gen. Lord is in this Place, and I knew it not. How dreadful is this Place! This is none other but the House of God, and this is the Gate of Heaven.

Further, the Availableness of Harmony to promote a pious Difpofition of Mind will appear, from the great Influence it naturally has on the Passions, which when well directed, and rightly applied, are the Wings and Sails of the Mind, that speed its Paffage to Perfection, and are of particular and remarkable Use in the Offices of Devotion: For Devotion confifts in an Ascent of the Mind towards God, attended with holy Breathings of Soul, and a divine Exercise of all the Paffions and Powers of the Mind. Thefe Paffions the Melody of Sounds ferves only to guide, and elevate towards their pro. per Object: Thefe it first calls forth, and encourages, and then gradually raifes R 4

and

SERM. and inflames. This it does to all of IX. them, as the Matter of the Hymns fung gives an Occafion for the employing them; but the Power of it is chiefly feen in advancing that most heavenly Paffion of Love, which reigns always in pious Breasts, and is the fureft and most infeparable Mark of true Devotion; which recommends what we do in Vertue of it to God, and makes it relifhing to our felves; and without which, all our fpiritual Offerings, our Prayers and our Praises, are both infipid and unacceptable. At this our Religion begins, and at this it ends; it is the fweetcft Companion and Improvement of it here upon Earth, and the very Earnest and Foretafte of Heaven: Of the Pleasures of which nothing further is revealed to us, than that they consist in the Practice of Holy Mufick, and Holy Love; the joint Enjoyment of which (we are told) is to be the happy Lot of all pious Souls to endless Ages. And obfervable therefore it is, that that Apostle, in whose Breast this divine Quali

ty

ty seems most to have abounded, has SERM. also spoken the most advantageoufly IX. of Vocal and Inftrumental Harmony, and afforded us the beft Argument for the lawful Ufe of it: For fuch I account the Description which he has given us of the Devotions of Angels and blessed Spirits, perform'd by Harps and Hymns in the Apocalypfe. A Defcription which, whether real, or metaphorical, yet, belonging to the evangelical State, certainly implies thus much, that whatever is there faid to be made use of, may now under the Gospel be warrantably, and laudably employed.

And in his Steps trod the holy Martyr Ignatius, who probably faw St. John in the Flesh, and learnt that Lesson of divine Love from him, which, after his Example, he inculcated every where in his Epiftles; and together with it inftils into the Churches he writes to a Love of Holy Harmony, by frequent Allufions and Comparisons drawn from that Science; which recur oftner in his Writings,

SERM. Writings, than in those of any other IX. Ancient whatever, and seem to inti

mate to us, that the Devotions of the Church were set off with some kind of Melody, even in thofe early Times, notwithstanding we usually place the Rise of the Inftitution much lower.

Would we then have Love at these Affemblies? Would we have our Spirit softened and enlarged, and made fit for the Illapfes of the divine Spirit? Let us as often as we can, call in to our Aid the Affiftances of Mufick, to work us up into this heavenly Temper. All Selfishness and Narrowness of Mind, all Rancor and Peevishness vanish from the Heart, where the Love of divine Harmony dwells; as the evil Spirit of Saul retir'd before the Harp of David. 1 Sam. xvi. The devotional, as well as the active Part of Religion is we know founded in good Nature and one of the best Signs and Causes of good Nature is, I am fure, to delight in fuch pious Entertainments.

23.

And now it naturally follows from hence, (which was the laft Advantage,

from whence I proposed to recommend SER M. the Ufe of Church Mufick) that it makes IX, our Duty, a Pleasure, and enables us, by that Means, to perform it, with the utmost Vigour and Chearfulness. It is certain, that the more pleafing an Action is to us, the more keenly and eagerly are we us'd to employ our felves in it, the lefs liable are we, while it is going forward, to tire, and droop, and be dispirited. So that whatever contributes to make our Devotion taking (within fuch a Degree as not at the fame Time to diffipate and distract it) does, for that very Reason, contribute to our Attention and holy Warmth of Mind in performing it. What we take delight in, we no longer look upon as a Task, but return to always with Defire, dwell upon with Satisfaction, and quit with Uneasiness. And this it was which made holy David exprefs himself in fo pathetical a Manner concerning the Service of the Sanctuary. As the Hart panteth after Pfal. xlii. the Water-Brooks (fays he) so panteth my

Soul

I, 2.