early." On this a well-known commentator remarks:
"We ourselves must first be stirred up to make right
use of the means, before the means can be fit to stir us
up. As a man first tunes his instrument, and then plays
on it, so should the holy servant of God first labour to
bring his spirit, heart, and affections into a serious and
fervent frame for worship, and then go to work." It is thus
only that, if an instrument be employed, it can aid in
expressing, and tend to promote, devotional thoughts and
feelings; and it is thus only that the service of song can
be acceptable to God and beneficial to ourselves. True
piety, if it have its due influence, will undoubtedly prompt
to the cultivation of a high degree of excellence in the
outward performance of the service of praise; and
the attainment of this will tend to strengthen and elevate
the devotional feelings of genuine worshippers. But
mere music, whether vocal or instrumental, is but an
empty sound.1
"The most graceful execution and
thrilling notes are a vain offering in themselves." "God
is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him
in spirit and in truth." They that celebrate His praise
must "sing and make melody in their heart to the
Lord." 2

1 "Non vox, sed votum, non chordula musica, sed cor,
Non cantus, sed amor, cantat in aure Dei."

Versicle, quoted by Mollerus in Com. on the Psalms. 2 The most extraordinary argument I have met with for the use of instrumental music is one that is noticed by Macaulay in his History. Henry Dodwell, Camdensian Professor of Ancient History in the University of Oxford, towards the end of the seventeenth century, "defended the use of instrumental music in public worship on the ground that the notes of the organ had a power to counteract the

influence of devils on the spinal marrow of human beings. In his treatise on this subject, he remarked that there was high authority for the opinion that the spinal marrow, when decomposed, became a serpent. Whether this opinion were or were not correct, he thought it unnecessary to decide. Perhaps, he said, the eminent men in whose works it was found meant only to express figuratively the great truth, that the old serpent operates on us chiefly through the spinal marrow."-Macaulay's "History of England," vol. v. pp. 87, 88.

CHAPTER IV.

READING OF THE WORD.

"READING of the Word in the congregation," says the Westminster Directory, "being part of

the public worship of God (wherein we acknowledge our dependence upon Him, and subjection to Him), and one means sanctified by Him for the edifying of His people, is to be performed by the pastors and teachers." At the Reformation, the ancient office of "readers," in a modified form, was continued in the Church of Scotland. There were persons employed to read the Scriptures to the people before the minister began the proper services of the Sabbath, and in some places, in the morning and evening of every week-day. They were also appointed to read the common prayers, but were not allowed to preach or administer the sacraments. "The readers were tempted now and then to overstep these limits, and were as often forbidden by the General Assembly, till, in 1581, the office was formally abolished." The Westminster Directory, accordingly, assigns this duty to the pastors and teachers. "How large a portion shall be read at once shall be left to the wisdom of the

1 Eadie's "Eccl. Cycl."

minister; but it is convenient that ordinarily one chapter of each Testament be read at every meeting, and sometimes more when the chapters be short, or the coherence of matter requireth." In the church to which I belong, fifty or sixty years ago this prescription was not uniformly observed by all its ministers, and by many it was entirely neglected. An eminent minister of that church, when commencing this practice in 1821, deemed it necessary to make the following somewhat apologetic statement :—“ Before prayer, I mean to read to you a portion of the Word of God. In adopting this practice, I am not taken by any sudden impulse, for it has been long a subject of deliberation, and is now resolved upon on grounds which I will state to you as the result of my own reflections; neither am I moved by any propensity to innovation, for the practice, it is well known, is not new; neither do I plead what may be considered as peculiar reasons for its existing in former times, as in the Jewish synagogue, or

"But, as the secret reading

in the apostolic age," &c. of the Word ought not to supersede its being read privately in the exercises of family worship, so neither ought this to set aside its being read in public; for the public reading of the Word of God seems to me an honour due to it, showing the respect in which we hold it, the high place we give to it in all acts of worship, and our deference to its authority independent of all exposition." "We thus, too, make sure that such portions of the Word as an overseer, acquainted with the state of the people, and disposed to consult their welfare, deems most necessary and suitable, are not overlooked," &c.

And further, "due account is to be made of the office of a gospel minister, by whom the Scriptures are thus read. It is an ordinance of Christ; and when, in the exercise of this office, your attention is turned to any portion of the Word of God, though but by reading it, then there is not only the authority of the Word, which you must have respected even in private, not only the deference due to a special call in Providence to attend to the portion of the Word laid before you, but there is all the weight of the instituted office by which God at the time lays this portion of His Word before you, and requires your attention to it," &c.

In

This practice is now, I believe, universal in the public assemblies of all the Presbyterian Churches; but a considerable diversity obtains in the mode of performing it. In some cases the recommendation of the Directory is exactly complied with; in others only one chapter is read. In some congregations the reading of the Word precedes, and in others it follows the first prayer. some the chapter is simply read, in others the reading is accompanied with explanatory remarks. I remember an excellent and venerable old minister, who, in his prayer at the close of the services on a Fast-day, when a comparatively young brother had occupied his pulpit, gave thanks for the hymns that had been sung, but added, "We like the Psalms better, and will often go back to them, and we are glad they have been so largely drawn upon to-day;" and then went on to give thanks particularly for "the penitential psalm that was sung at the commencement, and for the other penitential psalm that