Two treatises concerning regeneration, 1. Of repentance, 2. Of the diet of the soule shewing the one, how it ought to be sought after and may be attained vnto, the other, how it being gotten, is to be preserued and continued.

Sect. 12

TO this head of prayer we are to refer singing, which is a kinde of praying, for prayers and psalms haue the same mat∣ter, onely they differ in maner of vttering, which in the one is plaine and naturall, in the other tuned and artificiall. The vse and ende of it, is to stir vp by the pleasant harmonie, and agreement of the soundes, spirituall ioy and chearefulnesse, and so to remooue the heauie lumpishnesse of the soule, as we reade Iam. 5. Is any of you afflic∣ted, let him pray, is any merrie, let him sing. For the which purpose it is of notable force, as the experience of many of the seruants of God do teach vs, of whom many do (and many mo might truely do it) testifie thus much of the exercise of singing, that it hath vsually strangely altered and affected their minds, that it hath replenished their soules with heauenly delights, & euen made their hearts to melt away in tears of vnfained re∣pentance, the which before the vse of this exercise were so hard and dead in impeni∣tencie, that neither the ministerie of the

word, nor priuate prayer (the which two haue the greatest force and the fi••st place in this spirituall Diet, the one for foode, the other for exercise) could pierce into them, or any iot mooue them. Thus it pleaseth God by weake meanes, to bring to passe strange things, and by this plea∣sure of the sense, for so it is, although it be not so grosse as the other kinds are) to kin∣dle in the hearts of his seruants, spirituall ioy, loue, zeale, and obedience, euen as wee read 2. Kin. 3.15. that Elizeus being about to prophesie, called for a ministrell, and so prophesied by the meanes of his playing, the which stirred vp the heate and zeale of his affection to speake the word of God. This exercise of singing (yea, and that with an addition of the harmonie of musicall in∣struments) was daily and familiar with the Prophet Dauid, as those most excellent songs which hee made and hath left be∣hinde him to the Church, as monu∣ments of the surpassing zeale and ioy which hee hadde in seruing GOD, doo plainely witnesse, Psalme one hundred and fitie: Praise the Lorde in the sounde of the trumpet, praise him vppon the viole and harp, prayse him with the timbrell, flute, and with all sortes of sweete Instrumentes,

As also the Apostle exhorteth. Ephe. 5.18. Be not drunke with wine wherein is excesse, but be filled with the spirit, speaking to your selues in Psalmes, and songs, and spirituall hymnes, making melodie in your hearts to the Lorde. The which spirituall delight of singing with a loude and tuned voyce, yea, with the sweetest instruments of musick increa∣sing the pleasure, and euen rauishing the soule with surpassing delight, ought not to be accounted light or vnseemly for a chri∣stian to vse, who in this case may say with Dauid, skipping before the Arke, I will yet be more light in seruing & praysing God. 2. Sam. 6.23.