ON PUBLIC WORSHIP, CONTAINING OBSERVATIONS AND REMARKS ON THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF RELIGIOUS WORSHIP; WITH SOME HINTS AND DIRECTIONS FOR THE DUE PERFORMANCE OF THEM. BY THE REV. JOHN JONES, Minister of Cradley Chapel, Worcestershire, and Author of "Scripture Antiquities.” Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not what they do. Eccles. vi, 1. LONDON: PRINTED FOR L. B. SEELEY & SON, FLEET-STREET ; By J. Seeley, Buckingham. 1824. CONTENTS. ESSAY I. CHURCH of Christ owes its existence to public ESSAY II. Inconsistencies and indifference during public wor- Col. Gardiner.---Directions to attend profitably public worship.Directions towards obtaining a right state of House of God.-Its name.-Uniformity of worship Psalmody, an essential part of divine service.-The spirit and understanding seldom united.---The heart should go with the lips.---Church music generally an unmeaning sound.--What tunes inconsistent with divine worship.-God probably never ordered musical instru- ments. Singing used in the temple service.---Many of the Psalms then in use.---The Christian Church still retains them, but at first omitted instrumental music.- Improper persons compose the choirs of singers.---Ex- pediency of instruments of music questioned.-A good singer without piety.-Bands of singers arrogant and conceited, occupied with the tune, and inattentive to the subject.-Solemn mockery of God.-Reformation of Church music necessary.--Hints towards its reform. A good selection of Psalms and Hymns a desideratum.— The old version of the Psalms, its faithfulness.-The new version inaccurate.-Dr.Watts's version.----Sing- ESSAY V. The Law commanded to be publicly read every sab- ESSAY VI. Origin of preaching from a text.-Preaching still APPENDIX. Apostolical Canons for the regulating and conducting Christian Minister's Soliloquy in his way to the |