PSALMS and HYMNS Composed and fitted For the present Occasion Of Publick THANKS-GIVING, October 24. 1651.
By W. Barton Preacher of God's Word.
LONDON, Printed by William Du-Gard, October 21. M. DC. LI.
To the Right Honorable THE PARLAMENT OF THE COMMON-WEALTH OF ENGLAND.
THe LORD of Life and Glorie, who asscended up on high, and led our Captivitie captive, hath in these later daies appeared on Earth (as hee ever doth in Heaven) in behalf of his Spous, and hath dispensed unto you (the friends of the Bridegroom) most incomparable Signal Victories and Conquests in her behalf; for which you have worthily enacted manie Sweet and Solemn Daies of Triumphant Thanksgivings; [Page] which Thanksgivings beeing indeed much advanced by singing of Psalms, it is a thousand pities that the Psalms in use are not by this daie cured of so manie grievous defects and gross absurdities, as have been of long time discovered in them: For although those gross faults were generally corrected by a worthie Member of your Honorable Hous, in an Edition by him put forth manie years ago; yet was that endeavour wholly dashed by a reference to the Assemblie, who, under an opinion of bringing them most strictly to the Original, made them in manie places more dark and disorder lie then could bee well amended for the present: upon which consideration I was emboldened, with the assent of M r Rous (the first Autor) and with the assistance of som Godlie Learned men, to endeavour a new Translation, both cleer and smooth, and accurately compared with the Original; which having effected & presented, it pleased your Honors to refer it to M r N. M r B. and Others to review, & report to [Page] the Hous; but they, accounting the said Translation too Poëtical, do intend to compile a new one out of it, more strictly to the words, which doubtless will produce that obscuritie of Phrase, and deformitie of Style, which marr'd the other, and made it less acceptable and profitable to the People: and for which verie reason this new Composure of mine was more accurately framed, having formerly put forth a Translation of mine own, which was not wholly innocent of that Original error, which indeed the Translators do not alwaies so easily apprehend.
Now, becaus this Review of the Committee may bee very tedious to wait for, (it beeing a year and more since the Order past the Hous, and I cannot perceiv they are half waie in the work) and when it is don, it must needs varie from the express Text by Paraphrase or Metaphrase, for a great part; and becaus the Opportunities are becom indeed Importunities, and very urgent, I presume to dedicate to your Honors this short Assaie of Psalms and Hymns, beeing [Page] readie to print and publish the whole Book, if it pleas your Honors to allow mee the securitie of my Copie, that no man print it from mee, and those that are interessed therein; without which favor, the present printing of the whole would endanger my utter undoing, having already endebted my self so deeply upon the said account: But if after publication of all, your Honors shall receiv better satisfaction by anie other endeavours, I shall fully rest satisfied in this, that it shall bee determined by the Supreme Autoritie of England, which, from the first, I have publickly owned, obeied, honored, praied for, pleaded for, and praised God for, as a singular Blessing to this Nation, under which wee may lead peaceable and quiet lives in all Godliness and Honestie; and if anie fearing God bee otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto them. In conscience and confidence whereof, I rest
TO HIS EXCELLENCIE The Lord General CROMWEL.
YOu do very well know, that no Opinion is more unscriptural or irrational, then to denie the Dutie it self of Singing Psalms, and Spiritual Songs of Prais to the glorie of God; [Page] sor even Nature dictateth no less to the verie Heathens; and the Scripture is so express and urgent for it, that as well wee may denie praier, as this kinde of Prais: Neither can the mistake of manie disswade the pious practiser of this Dutie to desist, but rather provoke his zeal, like David dancing before the Ark; blinde Bartimeus, crying after Christ; or the Children, crying Hosanna; and Verily, if such should altogether hold their peace, the Stones would sing.
I acknowledg that most of the Psalms exstant do want a more exquisite Composure; and I denie not but Christians, gifted that waie, may compose and sing new Songs to the glorie of God, in the Congregations; but if those Songs bee not composed out of Scripture, I believ they will want that gravitie and weight, that Majestie and Autoritie, which these have to excite [Page] affection, and edifie the understanding. Wherefore, having Composed a few of this kinde, very proper for the Seasons and Solemnities GOD's gracious Providence bestow's upon us, I humbly crave leav (▪most Noble LORD!) to present these, and especially the Souldiers Hymn, to Your Lordship's pious and prudent Animadversion, hoping to obtein Your Honor's Approbation of this Scriptural Collection, as a livelie Description of the Condition You have so much experienced; And that You will saie, and manie after You, That this Scripture is (at this Daie) fulfilled in our ears, and in Your persons.
GOD Almightie preserv Your EXCELLENCIE to bee an Happie Instrument of Our full Deliverance, and the strong Establishment [Page] of Englands Commonwealth, together with the Flourishing Estate of the whole Church of Christ, as praieth▪
To the Courteous Reader.
THE poor and imperfect Translation of the present Psalm-Book (not yet throughly amended by anie hand) gave occasion to som to saie more wittily then wisely, That Hopkins and Sternhold had persecuted David more then Saul did, and hath made som men to abhor the offering of the Lord: Yet those Autors did rarely (doubtless) for those Times, and are registred in Chronicles among men of Note, and their labors have certainly edified Godlie men, and glorified God, although in these Times of glittering Knowledg, and the perfection of Language and other Gifts, the great defects and faults of these Psalms crie aloud for amendment; and certainly when once vvee have in our flock a male, I mean, a compleat Book, Mal. 1. 14. then to offer these lame and blinde Psalms, and so to sacrifice a corrupt thing, will bee cursedly evil: but to desert the Dutie wholly (since som Psalms are tolerably translated) is certainly a sin. I conjecture with my self what hath more prejudiced this Dutie, then the weakness of the Translation; namely, the wicked application of Psalms by malevolent Spirits, as I heard somtime a Hedg-priest give forth the 21 Psalm, at such time as the Book of Sports was commanded to bee read, to the grieving of the Spirits of the godlie: Nevertheless this wicked purpose did not corrupt God's Ordinance, though (to their sin onely) it did abuse it, lest by that argument wee should forfeit all praier and preaching.
[Page]These I saie are the true causses of the decaie of the most heavenlie Dutie and Exercise of that Ordinance of Psalm-singing; yet lest the amendment of the Psalm Book, and of the Times themselvs by universal and powerful reformation, should reduce Christians to that Primitive Dutie of singing Psalms, Satan hath suggested som wittie scruples amongst godlie spirits, which for present satisfaction and future preparation of good Christians, I shall hope, though briefly, yet clearly and fully to answer.
I. It is objected that they cannot Psal. 131. 44. 119. saie they are not puft in minde; Wee have not gon back from thee. I have kept thy Testimonies with my whole heart, &c.
Answ. 1. Every true Christian can saie so in som measure, or in som sens, 1 Joh. 2. 27. You have an annointing that teacheth you all things—and even as it hath taught you, yee shall abide in him. Gal. 5. 24. Those that are Christ s have crucified the flesh, with the affections and Iusts thereof.
2. Thou oughtest yet to learn to bee able to saie so; Col. 3. 16. Teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns, &c. Hee that take's special notice of his lesson begin's to learn it.
II. They object, that is not proper for them to saie, Whenas wee sale in Babylon: I will divide Sechem, &c.
Answ. Are they not yet in Babylon think you? Sure if God have called his people out of Babylon, Rev. 18. 4. they (at least) were in it. As for Sechem, and such like, David glorie's in his Conquests, wherein [Page] hee is both a Type of Christ, (in whose Conquests wee are made partakers) and of the Church; and his Temptations and Deliverances do in a Figure represent ours. As Paul saith, Heb. 11. 19. That Abraham received his son from death in a Figure, and that Mount Sion and Mount Sinai, Sarah and Hagar, were an Allegorie, Galat. 4. ver. 24.
III. Som object, that more pertinent expressions may bee used by Psalms composed on purpose, and of our own invention, as they did in the Primitive times. 1 Cor. 14. 26.
Answ. 1. You cannot shew so much Scripture, that they used unscriptural Psalms, as wee can, that they did use Scriptural; For Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs which Paul commands to bee used, Col. 3. 10. are proper terms of the O. Test. Psalms, as M r Cotton fully proveth in his defence of this Ordinance. And if our Saviour did allude to the Jewish Custom of Thanksgiving at the Sacrament, as Weems saith, wee think no less at his singing of an Hymn, Mat. 26. 30. whereas they have not a word to intimate the custom of unscriptural Psalms.
2. When the Psalms were first penned by David, som were Histories of Ancient matters, 77, 78, 114, 135. and manie more: Som were Prophecies of things to com, as Psal. 79, 85, 126. and others; yet the Spirit of God thought fit to edifie the present generation with the Records and Meditation of past and future things, yea, Were not these best of all for such uses? Was it not most sweet to them in times of Invasion and Hostilitie, to call to minde God's protecting, prospering, and avenging of Israël coming out of Egypt, Psal. 114. and 136? And are not [Page] these things written for our learning as well as theirs? Rom. 15. 4. yea consider if our Invention can equal the pat and pertinent expressions taken out of Scripture upon all occasion: for then certainly wee should bee to seek for Texts, as much as for Psalms.
IV. Som object, that none can render the Scripture into Vers, but must needs varie from the Original, in the signification of manie words.
Answ. So they must do also in the prose Translation: For that which is elegant in the Hebrew, would bee Barbarism, at least Soloecism in our Languages, as abundantly appear's by Ainsworth's Translation.
2. Somtimes by means of the latitude of Poësie, more full and proper significations may bee expressed, then in the prose Translation, as Psal. 1. 6. [...] To know with favor; Psal. 118. 22. [...] To refuse with disgrace; Psal. 106. 38. [...] To shed abundantly, and hundreds such, which the Prose doth more sparingly.
3. Consider the propertie and nature of Vers, that if David had Translated his own Psalms, the expression must have been different in another Language, though to the same effect, and the Spirit of God (using the Translation of the LXX) much varie's the Words of the Old Testament. And if I had as much to spare as I have spent about the work, I could easily demonstrate, out of uncontrouled authorities, how closely I have followed the Original, though now I must content my self with on Apologie, and putting forth som special Hebraïsms in a Capital letter.
Lastly, som object that they dare not sing, becaus [Page] of a mixed multitude, that, they saie, curs themselvs.
Answ. And therefore vvee shall not bless God and his Church; Surely their faults cannot bee charged upon us, if they should sing damnation to themselvs.
2. The same objection would denie us all Praier, and spiritual Communion, which is not so far admitted unto them now adaies, but should they com in as strangers, they could not pollute the Ordinance nor the Church, and the majestie of it might bee blessed to their good. 1 Cor. 14. 14, 25.
To them that imagine one should sing the Psalm and the rest hear, it is but an imagination, and that groundless; Where's your Scripture for it? Wee learn thence to join Voices as well as Votes, Psalm 34. 3. Com and let us exalt his Name together. Psal. 66. 4. All the earth shall worship Thee, and shall sing unto Thee, they shall sing unto Thy Name. Yet it might suffice to answer such fond surmises vvith 1 Cor. 11. 16. Wee have no such custom, nor yet the Churches of God.
PSAL. XLVIII.
PSAL. Lxxvi.
See a second Metre of this already printed, and som other Psalms, fit for the present occasions, as the 126, the 149, also the third Hymn, in any Common tune.