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are her meditation all the day. "The statutes of the Lord are right, and rejoice her heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, and giveth light unto her eyes." She lifteth up her voice, and is not afraid of the enemy, because great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of her. She would not act in her true character, were she to sit down like a widow, and close her lips in silence. She looks for the Lord Jesus, who shall change the body of her humiliation, and fashion it like unto his own glorious body; and therefore she rejoices and sings on the returning days of the Son of man, and celebrates her Redeemer's praises in words of his own inditing. Like the smoke of the incense from the censer of Aaron, on the great day of atonement, her eucharistie incense of praise ascends up before God, in the words of the cherubic hymn; and in the words of the Gloria in Excelsis, the oblation of praise is finished, and rendered acceptable to the TRIUNE MAJESTY, through the ever grateful savour of the incense of "the oblation of the body of Christ."

Such is the religious joy that maketh glad the city of the living God; that voice of praise and thanksgiving, which it well becomes the just to lift up unto God in the beauty of holiness. Such was the mirth of tabrets and of trumpets, and

* Psalm xix. 8.*

the voices of the choirs of the ancient Jewish Church; such is the mirth of organs and of voices praising God in the Church militant; and such is the joy and exultation of harpers harping with their harps, of cherubim and seraphim, and of the innumerable choirs of the redeemed of the Lord, in the Church triumphant.

Suffer me, reader, to present you with a por trait of this mirth. Behold her appearance and her attire.

Her countenance is animated with the hope of a glorious immortality; and no wrinkle of melancholy, or frown of discontent, is to be seen on her forehead. On her eye-brows sit tranquillity and peace; and their bending arches jointly represent the celestial arch, the emblem and pledge of divine mercy. Her eyes are illuminated with a radiance reflected from the glory of God in the face of the Saviour Jesus; and her mouth is lovely in chanting forth the most worthy praises" of the heavenly King. complexion and colour are the sure tokens of inward peace and spiritual health; for sickness and mortality have no claim upon her immaculate nature. She is decked in the robes of primeval innocence, and her jewels are those of meekness, gentleness, and purity. In her hand she holdeth an harp ever in unison with the harp of David; her voice is ever attuned to the songs of Zion, and on her head is a crown of glory, the inesti

Her

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mable gift of the Virgin's Son. Graceful in all her steps, she walketh to and fro in the courts of the eternal King, or taketh her station as directress of the grand chorus around the throne of the Ancient of days. On earth, she continually magnifieth the Lord, and rejoiceth in God her Saviour. She enters the courts of the Lord with a song, and inspires the faithful to sing psalms unto the honour of his name. In the days of sickness and distress she teacheth the daughters of Zion to shake their head at the adversary; and in the morning of the resurrection she causeth the voice of melody to be heard through all the chambers of the grave. She accompanies all the children of the resurrection to the rest prepared for them; and teacheth them to sing the song of Moses and the Lamb. With her jubilant voice she exhilarates the abodes of bliss, and makes the lofty arch of heaven to ring with incessant hallelujahs.*

Who then is not in love with religious mirth? Who would not court her with her numerous graces and endowments, conferred upon her by HIM, who hath created her for his glory, and the felicity of his chosen, and hath honoured her with such distinguishing marks of his favour?

If, readers, you desire to admit this heavenly guest into your company, and to give her an upper

This portrait of religious mirth is an imitation of a portrait of Patience drawn by Bishop Horne, from an original by Tertullian.

room in your hearts, see that they be made pure, as she is pure; see that your affections be duly prepared for becoming her hand-maids. Be assured that she will not associate with impure thoughts, and unhallowed desires. She will keep no company with wrath, anger, clamour, evil surmisings, backbitings, or revenge. The company in which she delights, is faith, hope, and charity; truth, sincerity, and honesty; with patience, meekness, chastity, gentleness, and mutual forbearance. These are her intimate companions, her chosen friends, the society in which her soul delighteth. With these, as her beloved choristers, religious mirth sings; "O come, let us sing unto the Lord, and show ourselves glad in him with Psalms. We praise thee, O God; Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth. O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord, praise him and magnify him for ever. O be joyful in the Lord, all ye lands; serve the Lord with gladness, and come before his presence with a song. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people. Show yourselves joyful unto the Lord, all ye lands; for thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy works, and I will rejoice in giving praise for the operations of thy hands. Let the people praise thec, O God, yea, let all the people praise thee. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, praise his holy name. With angels and

For

archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious name. thou only art holy, thou only art the Lord; thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most High in the glory of God the Father. Amen. Salvation to our God, who sitteth upon the throne; and unto the Lamb. Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen."

OBJECTION XIII.

"It is inexpedient to use chanting, as there is no internal evidence in the prosaic subjects themselves, that they ought to be sung."

REPLY.

Let the objector think of the musical establishment of the temple for the express purpose of celebrating Jehovah's praise in prosaic forms of the practice of our Lord in countenancing that establishment, and approbating its performLet him also consider that all the New Testament hymns are in prose, and that these, with the Bible psalms, were chanted to airs derived from the Temple service, by the Apostles

ances.

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