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EXCELLENCE OF CHURCH MUSIC.

The Rev. William Jones, of Nayland, (above referred to) in his noble sermon on The Nature and Excellence of Music, writes:-"Let all the admirers of the musical art stop awhile to reflect with gratitude and devotion, that the invention of choral harmony in parts, arose from the Trinitarian worship of the Christian church. It is certain, we have no music of that form extant in the world, but such as is Christian; nor do we read of any and had it not been for the schools of music, established and maintained by the church, I will venture to say, there had, at this day, been none of that excellent music with which all of us are now charmed, and, I hope, many of us edified. Look out of Christendom into the kingdoms of China, Tartary, Turkey, and the regions of the southern world; and you will discover no music but what is beggarly and barbarous, fit only to amuse the ears of children or savages. Every thing that is great and excellent in this way, hath come down to us from the Christian church. O holy and blessed society, which hath thus introduced us to all that we can know and feel of heaven itself! How shall we celebrate thee? how shall we cultivate and adorn thee, according to what we have derived from thee? Let others be cold and indifferent, if they will, to our forms of worship; but upon musicians, if they know themselves, religion hath a particular demand; for they would never have been what they are, if God, in His infinite goodness, had not brought us to the improvements of the Gospel."

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Again, after complaining justly of the usual bands of the singers in country churches, who have not skill to distinguish what kind of melody is proper for the church, and what for the theatre, he writes this needed counsel. "If music is a gift of God to us for our good, it ought to be used as such, for the improvement of our understanding, and the advancement of devotion. Services, anthems, and psalms, should be introduced as lessons of purity in life and manners. Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous," saith the Psalmist; "for it becometh well the just to be thankful." What shall we praise God with our lips, while we blaspheme Him with our lives? Praise to the Lord is proper to those only who derive blessings from the Lord; it is impertinent and false when it comes from those who are never the better for Him. "O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;" but let not them say so, who have given themselves up to a state of captivity under sin and folly. Some there are, who are very loud and forward in singing, while they are insensible of the greatness and the value of those subjects which our music celebrates: like the sounding brass of a trumpet, which makes a great noise, but feels nothing. It must be our own fault, if our music does not contribute to our reformation; and we may have it to answer for, in common with the other means of improvement which we have abused."

And this good pastor concludes:-"When that heavenly scenery is described to us in the Revelation, I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and

as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him:' who can read these words without a desire to add his own voice to that multitude; and to sing as a member of that kingdom in which the Lord God omnipotent reigneth? How must the soul be filled with that immense chorus of men and angels, to which the loudest and mightiest thunder shall add dignity without terror, and be reduced to the temper of an accompaniment!"

God, of His infinite mercy, give us grace so to pray, and so to sing, and so to live, that we may be admitted into the celestial choir, where with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we may laud and magnify the adorable name of God; ascribing to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, all honour, glory, might, majesty, and dominion, for ever and ever. Amen.

J. Rider, Printer, 14, Bartholomew Close, London.

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into the fulness of joy. Even the souls of the saints that were slain for the testimony of the truth, are represented as under the altar, waiting for their perfect consummation and bliss.—(Rev. vi. 9.)

At the return of Christ, however, when the end is come, then the dead in Christ will rise first; and those which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. Then will death and

hell be destroyed. Then will the graves give up their dead. Then will the gracious voice be heard, saying, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world." It is not until Christ who is our life shall appear, that those who are His shall appear with Him in glory.—(Col. iii. 4.)

Then will be fulfilled, in their highest sense, the glowing words of the prophet, "The redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion: and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.”—(Isa.li. 11.) Then thy brother, thy friend, thy child, thy husband, shall rise again. Then every thing that offends shall be removed from the church. Every murmur will be hushed, and no sigh will be heard joy will dwell in every heart, and praises will proceed from every tongue. The time of fear and trouble will be past. The trials of the

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