authorship of the music of this psalm just where he found it. There is no difficulty in supposing that a simple tune may suit the accents of four lines of verse, though not composed for them; and Luther may have not only composed, but harmonised this tune, though other harmony may have been afterwards put to it by Dowland.

In Scotland, as in England, metrical psalmody was introduced at the time of the Reformation; and the psalm-tunes, sung by the congregation without the accompaniment of an organ or any other instrument, form the only music admitted either into the service of the established church of that country, or into the places of worship of the dissenters who have seceded from it. The psalms are generally sung in unison, or, to speak more accurately, in unisons and octaves; but in congregations, among whom there is some musical knowledge, an imperfect harmony is produced by the bass and other parts being sung by such individuals as are capable of doing so. In Edinburgh, and the other principal towns, the clergymen pay considerable attention to the improvement of psalmody, by forming little choirs of trained singers to lead the congregation, and by promoting among their parishioners the cultivation of singing in parts.

Since the old collections already mentioned, many books of psalmody have been, and still continue to be, published. They are, indeed, by far too numerous; and a great portion of them being produced by very incompetent persons, are filled with mean and vulgar tunes, and crude and incorrect harmonies. The circulation of so many books of this description has tended very much to injure parochial singing; though the evil could easily be remedied by the clergymen and other persons in authority taking care that no books of psalmody were used in places of worship but such as are of known and established character.

Dr. Burney entertained very erroneous opinions as to metrical psalmody, and almost every thing he says regarding it is tinged with prejudice. The following remarkable passage may be cited as containing a summary of his sentiments on the subject:-"The Puritans, who, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, had devoted our cathedral service to destruction, and who seemed to wish not only to hear the psalms, but the whole Scriptures, syllabically sung in metre, assigned, as a reason for such an abuse of words, as well as annihilation of poetry and music, the absolute necessity of such a simple kind of music as would suit the whole congregation. But why is the whole congregation to sing, any more than preach or read prayers? Indeed, it seems to have been the wish of illiterate and furious reformers, that all religious offices should be performed by field-preachers and street-singers; but it is well known by all who read the Scriptures, or hear them read, that both singing-men and singingwomen were appointed to perform distinct parts of religious rites among the ancient Hebrews, as well as Christians; and it does not appear by any passages in the Bible, by any thing which the most ancient and learned commentators have urged concerning the performance of the psalms, or by Rabbinical traditions, that they were all originally intended to be sung by the multitude, or whole congregation, indiscriminately. Singing implies not only a tuneable voice, but skill in music; for music either is or is not an art, or something which nature and instinct do not supply; if it be allowed that title, then study, practice, and experience may at least be as necessary to its attainment as to that of a mechanical trade or calling. Every member of a conventicle, however it may abound with cordwainers and tailors, would not pretend to make a shoe or a suit of clothes; and yet in our churches all are to sing. Such singing as is customary in our parochial service gives neither ornament nor dignity to the psalms, or portions of Scripture, that • The Italics in this passage are Dr. Burney's own.

It cannot be for the sake of the sentiments or instructions which those words contain; these are better understood when read by the clergyman and clerk; and why, after being read, they should be sung, unless music is supposed to add to their energy or embellishment, it is not easy to discover."

This passage sets out with an insinuation that the introduction of metrical psalmody into the English churches was the work of the Puritans-the same parties "who, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, had devoted our cathedral service to destruction." But it has been already seen that psalmody was admitted into our Church by the Act of Uniformity for the use of common prayer, in the reign of Edward the Sixth, when the ritual was established in conformity with the doctrines of the reformed religion, and there was no indication of any attempt to destroy the essentials of our cathedral service. Psalmody, of course, was put a stop to by Queen Mary, when the Romish ritual was restored; but when Elizabeth re-established the service of the Protestant Church, the use of psalmody was restored, and immediately became general all over England. For this fact we have Burney's own authority, though he states it in the tone which pervades all that he says on this subject. "In the reign of Queen Mary, all the Protestants, except those who courted martyrdom, sang these psalms sotto voce ; but after the accession of Queen Elizabeth, like orgies, they were roared aloud in almost every street, as well as church, throughout the kingdom." Psalmody, therefore, first introduced in the reign of Edward the Sixth, was restored on the accession of Elizabeth; and this "wise princess," as Burney justly calls her, is warmly praised by him for having "steered, according to the true spirit of the Church of England, between the two extremes of superstitious bigotry and irreverent fanaticism." How then can he ascribe the introduction of psalmody to the influence of an irreverent fanaticism, to which Queen Elizabeth refused to yield? Sternhold and Hopkins' metrical version of the Psalms was subjoined to the Book of Common Prayer, because this wise queen and her counsellors believed that it could be used, with advantage to religion, along with the ritual contained in that book; and not, certainly, from any compliance with the wishes of those who desired its destruction.

Dr. Burney then asks, "why is the whole congregation to sing, any more than to preach or read prayers?" The idea of the whole congregation preaching involves an utter absurdity, which the idea of the whole congregation singing does not: but the congregation does actually join in reading the prayers; and why may it not also join in singing the psalms, which are prayers? If the congregation does the one, it is proper and consistent that it should do the other.

It is asserted by Dr. Burney, that "both singingmen and singing-women were appointed to perform distinct parts of religious rites among the ancient Hebrews as well as Christians;" and he adds, that “it does not appear by any passage in the Bible, by any thing which the most ancient and learned commentators have urged concerning the performance of the psalms, or by Rabbinical traditions, that they were all originally intended to be sung by the multitude, or whole congregation, indiscriminately." We may leave out of view the question as to the practice of the ancient Hebrews, for the Jewish ritual was entirely abolished by the introduction of Christianity; but the assertion, in so far as it relates to the primitive Christians, is entirely incorrect. When the divine Founder

of our religion himself instituted the sacrament of the supper, and gave to his disciples the example of the manner in which it has ever since been observed in all Christian churches, the solemnity was concluded by their singing a hymn or psalm. When Paul and Silas were in prison, "at midnight they prayed and sang praises unto God." St. Paul enjoins to the Church of the Colossians the use of "psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." A similar injunction is given by him to the Ephesians: and James says, " Is any among you afflicted, let him pray; is any merry, let him sing psalms." That the primitive Christians must necessarily have followed both the precepts and the example of Christ himself, and of his apostles, cannot be doubted; and accordingly we have the evidence of profane writers to this effect. Pliny accused the Christians, not only of neglecting the sacrifices, but of holding meetings before day-break, to sing in honour of Christ as a God; and Lucian notices the rage for psalm-singing among the Christians. In those times, when Christianity was not established, or even tolerated, and when the converts to this religion had no churches or regular places of worship, it is absurd to suppose that their psalms and hymns were sung by organised bands of singing-men and singing-women, apart from the congregation: and Burney, in another part of his work, makes admissions utterly inconsistent with such a supposition. He says, that “it is in vain to seek for any regular ritual before this period," that is, the time of Constantine, the first Christian emperor; and that he "cannot find better authority for the establishment of music in the Church, during the reign of Constantine, than that of Eusebius, who was his contemporary, and a principal agent in the ecclesiastical transactions of the times." And he adds, "It was in the year 312 from the coming of our Saviour, that Christianity, after the defeat of Maxentius, became the established religion of the Roman empire. The primitive Christians, previous to this important era, being subject to persecution, proscription, and martyrdoin, must frequently have been reduced to silent prayer in dens and caves." Previous to this era, however, and even down from the time of our Saviour himself and his apostles, the first Christians are proved to have sung psalms and hymns in their exercises of devotion; but, without churches, without a ritual, subject to persecution, proscription, and martyrdom, meeting in secrecy and apprehension of discovery, are we to imagine that they sat and listened to disciplined choirs of singing-men and singing-women?

The argument that, because music is an art, and requires study, practice, and experience, as well as a mechanical trade or calling, every member of a congregation ought no more to pretend to sing than to make a pair of shoes, is a very shallow fallacy. Music is an art, undoubtedly; but its different branches require very different degrees of study, practice, and experience. A shepherd tending his flock, and a village-maiden at her rural labour, will sing "the old and antique songs" of their native valley, in a manner that will charm the most cultivated taste, and even move the feelings

More than light airs, and recollected terms

Of these most brisk and giddy-paced times;

such songs as that which is described by the enamoured Duke Orsino :

Mark it, Cesario; it is old and plain :
The spinsters and the knitters in the sun,

And the free maids that weave their thread with bones,
Do use to chant it.

But if it requires little art and study to sing these ancient and simple airs, to sing the melodies of the psalms requires still less. In those parts of the

⚫ Vol. ii. p. 5, 6.

country where attention is paid to parochial psalmody, especially in Scotland, the psalm-tunes are familiar to every one; and when devoutly sung by the whole body of a congregation, nothing can be more fallacious than the ludicrous light in which Dr. Burney has attempted to place them. They are, on the contrary, solemn, impressive, and, in a large congregation, fre quently sublime. When Haydn heard a psalm sung in unison by four thousand children, in St. Paul's Cathedral, he was moved to tears, and declared that that simple and natural air had given him the greatest pleasure he had ever received from music. In every large congregation there must be many coarse and untuneable voices; but the greatest part of the assembly will be qualified in voice and ear to sing such plain and simple music with propriety; and, in the present state of musical knowledge, there are few congregations without many persons who can sing at least a correct bass to the melody, especially if the harmony is simply and steadily played upon an organ, and sung by a small choir; or (as in Scotland) sung by a small choir without an organ.

Dr. Burney's arguments against the use of psalmody are derived entirely from the abuses of it; and whatever may have been the case in his time, his description of these abuses is much exaggerated as applicable to the psalmody of the present day. Still it may, and ought to be, much improved. The parochial clergy ought every where to pay great attention to its cultivation. It ought to form a regular branch of tuition in schools, by which not only an end would be put to the "drawling and bawling" (for Burney's complaint of which there is still some foundation), but the people would be enabled to sing the different parts of the harmony. Care ought to be taken to introduce into every congregation some collection of the psalms of established character, in order that the harmony may not only be good, but uniform; for a bass taken from one collection, a tenor from another, and a countertenor from a third, though good in themselves, may produce nothing but discord when joined together. Strict attention ought also to be paid to the time of these tunes. They are too often sung as if they consisted entirely of equal notes, which are drawn out to an immoderate length. But they have long and short notes, accent, and rhythmical movement; a disregard to which affords the chief ground for Dr. Burney's charge against them.

The importance of a part of our musical service, in which the whole congregation have it in their power to raise their voices in songs of prayer and praise, is more and more acknowledged. And the prevailing impression on this subject will naturally be followed by the adoption of the means necessary to invest this portion of our public worship with all the dignity and solemnity of which it is capable,

THOUGHTS ON HISTORICAL PASSAGES OF
THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT.
No. XIV.-The Leper cleansed.
BY THE REV. R. B. KINSMAN, M.A.
Rector of Mawnan, Cornwall.
II.

HAVING considered somewhat in detail, in a former paper, the circumstances connected with the healing of the leper, it may not be unprofitable to apply them to ourselves, to our own individual case-to search and see whether in any respect we resemble the poor leper that we may apply to the same Lord with the same beneficial effect. It has been remarked on the miracle under consideration, that "it is fitly recorded with the first of Christ's miracles, because

the leprosy was looked upon among the Jews as a particular mark of God's displeasure." And when we consider how hateful to him the disease is which sin has spread over our whole nature, we shall readily acknowledge the justness of the similitude which likens the one to the other. Every child of man born into the world inherits this disease, which in its consequences is as destructive to the soul as the leprosy is to the body. Every man is by nature born in sin, and consequently the child of wrath. As of the bodily, so also of the spiritual leprosy,-the law was unable in either case to eradicate it from the system. "But what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh," Christ by his own inherent power completely effected. By the law was the knowledge of sin; and it pronounced sinners unclean, as the priest did the leper: here its authority and power ended. But Christ takes away sin, and himself cleanses us from it, and thus for ever perfects them that are sanctified.

The leper, we find, when Christ came down from the mount, went and worshipped Jesus; and herein he teaches every one of us what to do, that we may be cleansed, as he was; that the leprosy with which our souls are infected may be subdued. To him we must apply, as the only Physician that can prescribe for our malady; on his power must we implicitly rely, as an anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast, feeling that no other balm but his could ever produce the cure; and as the leper fell down before him in supplication, so also must the sinner worship before him with humility unfeigned, in sincerity and truth; or else we shall seek in vain, and still continue the children of defilement and wrath. Our approach, to insure success, must be in faith, believing that Jesus is of a truth the Son of God, who took our nature upon him, that he might bear our sins in his own body upon the tree, that he might obtain eternal redemption for us.

Again, the leprosy is a fit emblem of the nature and effect of sin; so also is its cure a true symbol of the redemption of the soul by Christ. The truly penitent sinner falls low on his knees before the throne of mercy in the spirit of humble adoration and full assurance of faith, acknowledging his unworthiness, and confessing his sin. His petition, like the poor leper's, will be simple, short, and energetic, full of confiding trust in that God to whom all things in heaven and earth do box and obey. The case of the sinner, however, differs in one material respect from that of the leper. He confessed indeed his dependence upon the power of the holy Being before whom he stood; but of his willingness to grant what he sought, he neither was nor could be assured. The sinner, however, knows that he, though debased by transgression, is nevertheless the peculiar object of his regard; that though utterly unworthy and undeserving of the solicitude of his heavenly Father in his behalf, he is assured of a gracious reception, if he will turn from the evil of his way. He opens the page of the everlasting Gospel, and reads therein, to his soul's consolation, that Jesus came to seek and to save those that were lost. He perceives that, on his part, it is only to feel the burden, to be sensible of its weight, in order that he may be relieved of it. "Come unto me," says our Lord to every one so situated, "come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Let us then, my brethren, never meditate on the power of our Saviour to forgive us our sins, without at the same time thinking on his willingness, ay, his earnest desire that we may come to him, in order that we may be absolved and become reconciled children-no longer aliens, but children-children of God, and inheritors of his kingdom.

And as to the leper he addressed words full of comfort, and said," I will; be thou clean;" even so now, by his lawful ministers, does the same merciful Lord speak to the humble and repentant sinner: "I will,” does he say to him, " that thou mayst be clean of thy

leprosy I am willing to give to all that grace which alone can purify the soul, cleanse its affections, and draw it heavenward. Ask it, and it shall be given you; seek it, and you shall find it. I have no wish that a single soul should perish, but had rather that it should turn from the wickedness which it hath committed, and live. I will; be thou clean; cease to do evil, learn to do well; get wisdom, and with all thy getting get understanding; buy the truth-eternal truth-and sell it not; that wisdom which alone endureth unto eternal life-that truth whose author is God, and whose end is happiness and joy and peace in believing.

It has been observed, that the action of Jesus putting out his hand " is a representation of that invisible hand which makes itself felt by the most insensible heart; of that internal word which makes itself heard by the most deaf; and of that supreme will which works every thing according to its own counsel." (Dr. A. Clarke.) And that hand will now be extended to support, strengthen, and animate the miserable victim of spiritual disease, upon the first approach towards him, as promptly as then. A bruised reed will he not break, and smoking flax will he not quench. The feeblest aspirations, when issuing even from the most unworthy, he will not quench, but gently fan the spark of life into a bright and heavenly flame, until it leads to the fulness of the blessings of peace.

Again, the recovery of the spiritual leprosy should prompt us to follow the example of the leper in the Gospel. He was commanded to go and shew himself to the priest, in obedience to the law of Moses, and to offer a gift according to its injunction. The returning penitent is no less required by the law of the Gospel to acknowledge the spiritual authority of its ministers, to hasten to the sanctuary, and there to offer the sacrifice of prayer and praise; with thankful adoration to pay his vows in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the Lord's house, even in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. "Go thy way," said our Lord to the leper, He, too, is commanded to go on his way; to pursue the path of his pilgrimage with a meek and quiet spirit; using this world as not abusing it; acknowledging that in God he lives and moves and has his being, and that he is about his path and about his bed, and spieth out all his ways. Heartily and perseveringly is he to pursue his course, unmoved by all the temptations of the world; working out his salvation with fear and trembling; ever looking unto the great Author of salvation for support and strength-for grace to help in every time of need; continuing, under all the chances and changes of this mortal life, ever in the way of Christ's doctrine, in the belief of those high and mysterious truths which it was his great purpose to teach us, and in the practice of every Christian grace and virtue; never for one day or an hour forgetting that here we are only strangers and pilgrims, as all our fathers were, having no abiding city, but looking steadily upon that bright, though distant star, which points to that whose maker and builder is God, whose walls are righteousness and her foundations peace. Anxious for his own successful progress in the way, he is no less solicitous for the spiritual growth and advancement of every one who is called by the name of Christ, baptised into his faith, and received into his holy Church. By every means within his reach does he endeavour to take them from the broad road of vice into the narrow path of virtue; from the grasp of Satan to release them, and to lead them into the fold of Christ. And so the real disciple of his Master goes on his way rejoicing in hope, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. The ways of religion are pleasantness, and all her paths peace. There will be, however, many a cross and many a trial, often grievous to be borne; yet from his Master's words he derives consolation. His grace is sufficient for him amidst every affliction and in every sorrow. He knows in whom he has believed, and upon whose guidance he depends; and he feels

BY THE REV. M. M. PRESTON, M.A. Vicar of Cheshunt, and late Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. ROMANS, X. 4.

"Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."

IN the part of the epistle from which these words are taken, the apostle Paul is shewing how greatly those Jews had erred, who, misconceiving the end for which their law was given, had sought from an observance of it that righteousness, or justification in the sight of God, which was to be obtained only by faith. "Being ignorant," says he, "of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God;" i. e. not knowing the sort of righteousness required by God, and thinking to approve themselves to him on the ground of their own righteousness, they have not humbled themselves to seek the only righteousness which God will accept, viz. the righteousness which is imputed to those who believe the promises of God made through Jesus Christ. "6 For," he adds, "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth" i. e. the very end and object for which the law was given, with respect to righteousness, or the justification of men before God-was to lead them for the obtaining of it to faith in Christ. This is what I shall endeavour, in dependence on the help of God's Holy Spirit, to explain to you in this discourse.

But why should I bring this subject before you? Is it so very important for you to be reminded of the mistakes into which the Jews fell, and how they are corrected in them by St. Paul?

If this mistake of the generality of the Jewish nation had been confined to themselves, we should have had comparatively little concern in the matter; but, unhappily, it was not confined to them-the same is very common amongst Christians of the present day. There has been a strong tendency towards it in every age of the Church of Christ, both in individuals and in collective bodies of men and since it is unequivocally treated by the apostle as a fatal error-for he distinctly declares, that Christ is become

of no effect to them that are justified by the law, t. e. who seek to be so justified (for none ~ are really so justified)-surely no other apology can be deemed necessary for the attempt to state to you the true doctrine of Scripture in relation to it. "Christ," says the apostle, "is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."

The law delivered by Moses to the Israelites, which is here particularly meant, consisted of two parts: the moral law, which is briefly summed up in the ten commandments; and the ceremonial law, which enjoined the observance of the outward ordinances by which the people of Israel were distinguished from other nations.

The former of these-the moral law-being in its nature of universal and perpetual obligation, is not less binding upon us than it was upon those to whom it was first delivered. The latter-the ceremonial law-being instituted for a time only, and for particular purposes, was abrogated when those purposes were accomplished.

The design of both was to lead men for righteousness to Christ, that they might be justified by faith.

I. First, then,This was the design of the moral law.

or

Men, without the light of revelation, have either no conception at all, or very low views, of what God requires of them. Indeed, independence of God is what every man in his natural state, whether born in a heathen a Christian country, feels and affects; and if he be taught that something is due from him as a creature to his Creator and Preserver, he is well content to render the least possible measure of duty and service. Being generally indisposed to the observance of the divine law, which puts a restraint upon his freedom, he gives little heed to its particular requirements; and taking for granted, because he would have it so, that these are few and easily performed, he has no adequate notion of his actual transgressions, or of the difficulty of doing that which he never attempts to do. He feels no need of any righteousness to recommend him to the favour of God better than that which he has attained, or thinks that he could easily attain to, by his own performances. Having never regarded himself as a sinner, except in what he accounts trifling offences, he is indifferent about forgiveness and justification, and he has no strong desire after more conformity than he conceives himself to possess to the mind and will of God.

Now let us suppose such a man to be brought to compare himself impartially with what he would be, if he really kept the law of God. The law of God says "Thou