The blessed Jew of Marocco: or, A Blackmoor made white. being a demonstration of the true Messias out of the law and prophets / by Rabbi Samuel, a Iew turned Christian ; written first in the Arabick, after translated into Latin, and now Englished ; to which are annexed a diatriba of the Jews sins and their miserie all over the world, annotations to the book ... with other things for profit in knowledge and undertanding, by Tho. Calvert ...

CHAP. XXIIII. He shews the Christians manner of singing is acceptable to God.

I Stand in fear, O Master, of that speech of Esay, for he seems to speak it of the A∣postles, They shall sanctifie the holy One of Ia∣cob [they shall manifest] and they shall fear the God of Israel.* 1.1 [They shall preach or publish the God of Israel.]* 1.2 They that erred in spirit, shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine: [or the Musicians shall learn the Laws. We see it with mid-dayes clear∣nesse, O Master, that now, for a thousand years, the ignorant Musicians are become Doctors, and Teachers of our Law. Who are the ig∣norant ones, but the Gentiles? Who are these Musicians, but the Christians, who chant and sing our Book of Psalmes, and the Prophets, in their Churches? Of the Musicians and sin∣gers, we have God speaking by David, Sing

unto the Lord a new song, for he hath done mar∣vellous things. What, I beseech you, O Ma∣ster, is this new song, but the new Testament? and what is the old song, but our old Law? Of these Musicians God speaks more by the Prophet David, Sing unto the Lord all the whole earth, sing a Psalm of praise to his Name. Againe, All the families of the earth shall sing and praise thy Name, or, All the families of the Nations. Where this carries a marke of speciall note, that it is not singularly said, All the families of Israel, but the phrase univer∣sally spreads it self to all the families of the Gentiles. Of this musicall and Psalm-singing people, are Davids words in another place, Blessed are the people that knows the song (ours ••ath it,* 1.3 That knows the joyfull sound) they shall walk in the light of thy countenance. That also is to the same purpose, The Gentiles, or Nations, shall sing a song to thee in the house of ••y God. In this place he names a Song, by way of Antonomasia, naming a Song in generall, ••ut intending their particular kinde of singing. As for us, we have lost our musick, it is now 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thousand years, since we Jews sung a Song 〈◊〉〈◊〉 our holy House. Of these singers speaks David, They shall sing praises in the house of God for ever. The 137 Psalm questioned our singing, How shall they sing the Lords song in a

strange Land? Alas, O Master, for the vacuity and emptinesse of our vain hopes, who think of a name and a Countrey, when we have lost both. God himself tels us this by the Prophet Amos, Israel is falne, she shall rise n•• more: the virgin Israel is forsaken upon he•• Land, there is none to raise her up. The same Prophet in the ninth Chapter saith,* 1.4 There sha•• come such tribulation, that he who escapeth sha•• not be delivered; though they hide themselves i•• the top of Carmel, I will search and take the•• out thence; though they be hid from my sight i•• the bottome of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them. Though they go int•• captivity before their enemies, thence will I com∣mand the sword, and it shall slay them. And 〈◊〉〈◊〉 will set mine eyes upon them for evill, and no•• for good. This has the Lord said and done to us, and now, for a thousand years of miserie•• we have hung by our Harpes, and left all ou•• singing of Psalms, mourning befitting us more then musick. Notwithstanding, though we•• cannot sing, yet this we can say, God is our God, and we are his people.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Esa. 29. 23
• * 1.2

  The Iew has mani∣festabunt for sancti∣ficabunt; & evangeli∣zabunt for our time∣bunt. In stead of murmu∣rantes, he hath it Musici sci∣ent Leges.
• * 1.3

  Psa. 89.
• * 1.4

  Amos 9.