SERMON,

BY THE REV. WILLIAM MARSHALL.

"Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching, and admon ishing one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with in your hearts to the Lord." (Colos. iii. 16.)

MY BRETHREN,

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You need not be informed that this Reverend Presbytery have appointed me to exhibit on this occasion, the propriety of singing the Psalms of David in Christian worship—a subject truly interesting, and far surpassing our abilities to manage properly. Conscious of this, we venture on it with a trembling heart, but desiring to look to the Lord, that he may send forth the Spirit of truth, to guide us into all truth.

The grand scope of the apostle Paul, in this letter to the church of Colosse, is to alarm her, of the danger she was in from the Jewish zealots. (who pressed the necessity of her observing the ceremonial law,) and to prevent her being tainted, with a mixture of Gentile philosophy. Though Paul had not the honor of planting this church, (this being conferred on Epaphras,) yet he shows his concern about her, by addressing her in this epistle; for, he had daily the care of all the churches upon him. He is now a prisoner at Rome, but forgets not the churches of God; He not only prays for them but sends unto them letters. What some observe of the Psalms of David, that such of them as were wrote in the wilderness have a peculiar sweetness in them, may be applied to Paul's epistles, that such of them as he wrote in prison are the most remarkable.

In this epistle we have the preface and the body of it. The preface lies from the beginning to the twelfth verse of the first chapter; then follows the body or substance of it, which is both doctrinal and practical. We have sundry practical directions given us in the preceding context. We are exhorted

to heavenly-mindedness, in ver. 1-5. to mortification of sin in the various instances of it, ver. 5-12. to brotherly love, ver. 15. to be subject to the peace of God, ver. 15. and in our text to a wise improvement of the word of Christ. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." In the following discourse on which words through divine aid, I shall,

I. Briefly show how the word of Christ should dwell in us richly in all wisdom.

II. I shall explain the way we are to evidence this, viz: by teaching and admonishing one another, in psalms, and hymns, ant spiritual songs.

III. Illustrate the manner of performing this, by singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord.

IV. I shall make some practical improvement of the whole. I. I shall briefly show how the word of Christ should dwell in us richly in all wisdom. Here I shall offer the following observations.

First, That the word of Christ means the whole of divine revelation. This is called the word of Christ, because it was either spoken by himself immediately in his own person, or mediately in the ministry of the prophets and apostles. "The prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.' (2 Pet. i. 21.) The Old and New Testaments are called the word of Christ, because he is the subject-matter of them; all the lines of divine revelation centre in him, as the rays in the sun. "Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me." (John v. 39.) "To him gave all the prophets witness," (Acts x. 43.) &c. It is in the Scripture Christ continues to speak to the church, and hence "his name is called The Word of God." (Rev. xix. 13.)

Secondly, That the word of Christ should be our daily study; for it should dwell in us. The Greek word here rendered dwell signifies to keep house; This shows that the word of Christ should not be like a stranger or a way-faring man that taketh up his abode for a night, but it should be a residing guest with us; we ought to be well acquainted with it, as we are with those of our own families. But alas! although "God has written to us the great things of his law, yet they are counted as strange things." (Hos. viii. 12.) The sacred oracles should not dwell with us as servants do, whom we or

der to obey us; this is the entertainment they receive from those who force interpretations on them to support their erroneous opinions and detestable practices, and thus wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction; but they should dwell with us as a master in his house, and we as servants, are from them to take direction with respect to the whole of our duty. "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.' (Psal. cxix. 105.) Many have the word of Christ dwelling with, but not in them; this is the case with those who have Bibles in their houses, but do not read and study them. Let us hear with solemnity the divine charge given us concerning the word of Christ: "And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and thou shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down and when thou risest up. (Deut. vi. 7, 8.)

Thirdly, The word of Christ should be highly esteemed by us. It should dwell in us richly by informing our judgments, transforming our hearts, and reforming our lives. All now have easy access to it, by the translation of the Bible out of the original tongues: Our Father's will is made known to us in our mother-tongue. The word of Christ is a tree of knowledge, and thanks be to God that it is not forbidden: Yea, it is a tree of life, which we may eat the fruit of, and live forever. Here is no flaming sword to guard the way of it, but there is one to pierce through those who despise it. We should not only look into our Bibles in the house of God, but we ought to read them in our families, and closets; if we expeet to reach the haven of glory, we should daily steer by this compass, for we are in danger of being swallowed up in the quicksands of carnal delights, or suffering shipwreck on the keen pointed rocks of worldly disappointments.

Fourthly, That we should apply the word of Christ to ourselves. It should dwell in us not only richly, but in all wisdom. Many have the word of Christ dwelling in them only in speculation; they read it merely to furnish themselves with matter for conversation, but are quite strangers to that divine wisdom which teacheth to apply what is therein written. But we should consider, in the most serious manner, that God speaks to us in his word. The promises are breasts of consolation which we ought daily to suck; the precepts are a rule which we ought constantly to observe; and the threatenings should alarm us when we fall into sin. The greater part of mankind conduct themselves as if they were not addressed by

God's word; they are elevated with the promises, and terrified with the threatenings of those of their fellow mortals, who are in exalted stations of life; but the promises and threatening of the Lord God do not affect them, because they do not apply them. "Therefore they say unto God, depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. What is the Almighty that we should serve him, and what profit shall we have if we pray unto him?" (Job xxi. 14, 15.) Where Christ's word dwells richly in all wisdom, it will be found to be a guest that will pay well for its lodging; where it is applied by faith, it will produce the most salutary effects, grace will flourish, and others be refreshed with its fragrancy; for it will excite us to "teach and admonish one another in psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs." This brings me to the

II. Head, which was to explain the way that we are to evidence "the word of Christ dwelling richly in us in all wisdom," viz. "by teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs."

We come now to tread on disputed ground, yet we need not fear to venture on it, while we have scripture, and the suffrages of eminent divines, to direct our path. But before we come to speak particularly on this head, it will be neces sary to explain the terms, psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. And for this end, let us produce the sense in which these terms are understood by different interpreters, (whose authority will have considerable weight with some,) by which it may appear, that our view of them is not singular, and if we have departed from their genuine meaning, it is not in despicable company.

Hierom thus explains the words, "Psalms may belong to moral things, which we ought to practise," as Psal. xxxvii. &c. "Hymns may belong to sacred things, what we ought to meditate on, and contemplate, as the power, wisdom, goodness, and majesty of God," as Psalms cxxxv. and cxxxvi. &c. Spiritual songs may belong to natural things, what we ought to debate and discuss, viz. the rise, order, harmony, and continuance of the world and God's infinite wisdom manifested. in it," as Psal. civ.

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Some divines are of the opinion that our apostle useth the words psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, to answer the Hebrew distinction of psalms, which is as follows: 1. Some psalms were called MIZMORIM, which treated of various and different subjects. 2. Others were denominated TEHILLIM, which only mentioned the praises of the Most High. 3. The Jews called other psalms SHIRIM, which were songs more ar

tificially composed, and some observe were sung with the help of a musical instrument.*

Dr. Edwards gives the following explication of the words: "Psalms is a general term of great latitude, and is a word in common for all those songs which contain in them the praise of God, and set forth in general his sacred attributes or perfections, and in any way express devotion, or contribute to piety and holiness: Such were the psalms of David wherein God is extolled and magnified, and where likewise there are penitential confessions, supplications, and commemorations of divine mercies, and pathetic and devout prayers, and exhortations to a holy life. After psalms the apostle adds hymns, as a more complete thing, (saith Theophylact, one of the fathers,) because they are of a more singular and peculiar strain, and God is praised from the consideration of his greatness and majesty, his power and glory. Spiritual songs, or odes, seem to exceed the two former, not only because they are done with more art, and consist of due measures, but because the peculiar subject of them is the goodness and benignity of God: Or more exactly thus, The others set forth the divine excellencies and perfections considered in themselves, and in their nature; but the latter are a displaying of his excellencies as they respect us, and as we have a particular share in them. And these compositions are styled spiritual, because they are not only indited by the help of the Holy Spirit, but they flow from a spiritual and heavenly frame of mind, and are sung with great emotion of spirit."†

That eminent reformer John Calvin, whose memory and judgment we ought to revere, gives us his opinion in words to this effect: "Psalms are that in the singing of which a musical instrument, besides the tongue, was used. Hymns are songs of praise, whether sung with a high voice, or otherwise. Spiritual songs, are such psalms as not only contain praises, but exhortations, and other arguments."

These interpreters did not understand by hymns and spiritual songs, as if the apostle intended human composures; neither do they charge him with a needless tautology, as our late refiners do, though no more than the Psalms of David be here meant. But even let us suppose, (but not grant,) that the book of Psalms could not be distinguished into these classes, yet this would not be sufficient to prove human composures

See Mr. Well's sermon on Eph. v. 19. in the supplement to the morning exercise, page 124.

Dr. Edward's Theologia Reformata, vol. I. 665.

Calvin's Latin Commentary on the Epistles, page 708.