I now turn to instrumental music in the worship of God by various authors. This is from Jonathan Edwards' Charity and its Fruits, page 57-58. Whatever is done or suffered, yet if the heart be withheld from God, there is nothing really given to him. The act of the individual in that he does or suffers, is in every case looked upon not as the act of a lifeless engine or machine, but as the act of an intelligent, voluntary, moral being. For surely a machine is not properly capable of giving anything, and any such machine that is without life, being moved by springs or weights, places anything before us. It cannot properly be said to give it to us. harps and cymbals and other instruments of music were of old made of in use of in praising God in the temple and elsewhere. But these lifeless instruments could not be said to give praise to God because they had no thought, no understanding or will or heart to give value to their pleasant sounds. And so, though a man has a heart and an understanding and a will, yet if, when he gives anything to God, He gives it without his heart. It is no more truly given to God than is given by the instrument of music. From David Calderwood, The Pastor and the Prelate, 1628, page 27 of the Philadelphia 1844 edition. The pastor loveth no music in the house of God. but such a steady fire, and stoppeth his ears at instrumental music, as serving for the pedigogy of the untoward Jews under the law, and being figurative of that spiritual joy whereunto our hearts should be opened under the gospel. The prelate loveth carnal and curious singing to be heard, more than the spiritual melody of the gospel, and therefore would have antiphony and organs in the cathedral, curfs, upon no greater reason than other shadows of the law of Moses, or lesser instruments, or loops, siphons, or pipes might be used in other curfs. From John Owen, An Expedition of the Epistle to the Hebrews, Volume 5, pages 413 to 414. There is also an especial joy belonging unto this gospel state. For this kingdom of God is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. Neither was this attainable by the Levitical priesthood. Indeed, many of the saints of the Old Testament did greatly rejoice in the Lord and had the joy of His salvation abiding with them. See Psalm 51, 12. and Isaiah 25.9 Habakkuk 3 17 and 18 but they had it not by virtue of the Levitical priesthood Isaiah tells us that the ground of it was the swallowing up of death in victory chapter 25.8 which was no otherwise to be done but by the death and resurrection of Christ it was by an influence of efficacy from his priesthood, that was to be introduced that they had their joy. When Abraham saw the day of Christ and rejoiced to see it, the prospect of the day of Christ was the sole foundation of all their spiritual joy. That was purely so. But as unto their own present state, They were allowed and called to rejoice in the abundance of temporal things, though the psalmist, in the spirit of prophecy, prefers the joy arising from the light of God's countenance in Christ above all of that sort, Psalm 4, 6 and 7. But ordinarily their joy was mixed and allowed with the respect unto temporal things. See Leviticus 23.39-41 Deuteronomy 12.11.12.18 16.11.27.7 This was the end of their annual feasts, festivals and those who would introduce such festival rejoicings into the gospel state do so far degenerate unto Judaism, as preferring their natural joy in the outward manner of expression before the spiritual, ineffable joys of the gospel. This, it is, belongs unto the state thereof. Such a joy in the Lord as carrieth believers with a holy triumph through every condition, even when all outward causes of joy do fail and cease, a joy it is unspeakable, and full of glory, 1 Peter 1.8, 2 John 15.11, and Romans 15.11, and Jude 24. It is that inexpressible satisfaction which is wrought in the minds of believers by the Holy Ghost, from an evidence of their interest in the love of God by Christ, with all the fruits of it, present and to come, with a spiritual sense an experience of their value, worth, and excellency. This gives the soul a quiet repose in all its trials, refreshment when it is weary, peace in trouble, and the highest satisfaction in the hardest things that are to be undergone for the profession of the name of Christ." Romans 5, 1-5. From John Owen, an exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews, volume 6, pages 22 to 23. The Church has lost nothing by the removal of the old tabernacle and temple, all being supplied by this sanctuary, true tabernacle and minister thereof. The glory and worship of the temple was at which the Jews would by no means part with all. They chose rather to reject Christ and the gospel than to part with the temple and its outward, pompous worship. And it is almost incredible how the very mind of man is addicted unto an outward beauty and splendour in religious worship. Take it away, and with the most you destroy all religion itself, as if there were no beauty but in painting, no evidence of health or vigor of body but in warts and wends. the Christians of old suffered in nothing more from the prejudice of the whole world, Jews and Gentiles, than in this, that they had a religion without temples, altars, images, or any solemnity of worship. And in later ages men ceased not, until they had brought into Christianity itself a worship vying for external order, ceremony, pomp, and painting, with whatsoever was in the temple, tabernacle, or temple of old, coming short of a principle in this, that that was a God's institution for a time, this of the invention of weak, superstitious and foolish men. Thus it is in the Church of Rome. And a hard thing it is to raise the minds of men unto a satisfaction in things merely spiritual and heavenly. They suppose they cannot make a worse change, nor make to their disadvantage than to part with what is present object and entertainment unto their senses, fancies, carnal affections, and superstitions, for that which they can have no benefit by, nor satisfaction in, only in the exercise of faith and love, inclining as to that within the veil. Hence is there at this day most of worship and ceremonies which men have found out in the room of them which they cannot deny that God would have removed. For so they judge that he will be satisfied with their carnal ordinances in the church, when the time is come that he would bear his own no longer. But unto them that believe in Christ is precious. And this true tabernacle, with his ministration, is more unto them than all the old pompous ceremonies and services of divine institution, much more the superstitious observances of human invention. From David Dixon, A Commentary on the Psalms, Volume 2, page 150, on Psalm 92, verse 3. As it is the duty of everyone to study, to observe and believe, and to be sensibly affected with the Lord's mercy and truth, so also express their belief and sense thereof cheerfully and joyfully, according as the signification of the typical ceremonies of musical instruments are under the pedigoguery of the law required. It is good to show forth thy loving-kindness, etc. upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery, upon the harp with a solemn sound." From Volume 2, page 532, on Psalm 149, verse 3. The joy of the believer is a great and growing joy, arising from rejoicing in the former verse, to exulting in this verse, signified by dancing. Let them praise his name in the dance. The joy of the godly is a complete joy, employing all and filling all the powers of the soul, signified by musical instruments used in the pedagogy of the old church. Let them sing praise of unto him with a timbrel and harp. From volume two, page 536 to 537, on Psalm 150, 3-5. Here are other six exhortations teaching the manner of praising God under the shadow of typical music appointed in the ceremonial law. Whence learn, albeit the typical ceremonies of musical instruments in God's public worship, belonging to the pedagogy of the Church, in her minority before Christ, be now abolished with the rest of the ceremonies, yet the moral duties shadowed forth by them are still to be studied, because this duty of praising God, and praising Him with all our mind, strength, and soul, is moral, whereunto we are perpetually obliged. The variety of musical instruments some of them made use of in the camp, as trumpets, some of them more suitable to a peaceable condition as sultry harps, some of them sounding by blowing wind into them, some of them sounding by lighter touching of them as stringed instruments, some of them by beating on them more sharply as tambourines and drums and cymbals, and some of them sounding by touching and blowing also as organs, all of them giving some certain sound, some more quiet and some making more noise, some of them having a harmony by themselves, and some of them making a concert with other instruments, or with the motions of the body and dancing, some of them serving for one use, some of them serving for another, and all of them serving to set forth God's glory, and to shadow forth the duty of worshippers, and the privileges of the saints. The plurality of worshippers, the plurality and variety, I say, of these instruments, were fit to represent divers conditions of the spiritual man, and of the greatness of his joy to be found in God, and to teach what stirring up should be of the affections and powers of our soul, and one and another, and to God's worship, what harmony should be among the worshippers of God, what melody he should make in himself, singing to God with grace in his heart, and to show the excellence of God's praise which no means, nor instrument, nor any expression of the body joined thereunto could sufficiently set forth. And thus much is figured forth in these exhortations to praise God with trumpet, psaltery, harp, hymnal, dance, stringed instruments, and organs, loud and high-sounding cymbals. From John Calvin, Commentary on the Book of Psalms, Volume 3, pages 494 to 495, on Psalm 92, verse 4. In the fourth verse, he more immediately addresses the Levites, who were appointed to the office of singers, and calls upon them to employ their instruments of music, not as if this were in itself necessary, only it was useful as an elementary aid to the people of God in these ancient times. We are not to conceive of God enjoying the harp as feeling a delight like ourselves in mere melody of sounds, but the Jews, who were yet underage, were restricted to the use of such childish elements. The intention of them was to stimulate the worshippers and stir them up more actively to the celebration and the praise of God with the heart. We are to remember that the worship of God was never understood to consist in such outward services, which were only necessary to help forward a people as yet weak and rude in knowledge in the spiritual worship of God. A difference is to be observed in this respect between His people under the hold and underneath Chastain. For now that Christ has appeared, and the Church has reached full age, it were only to bury the light of the Gospel should we introduce the shadows of a departed dispensation. From this it appears that the Papist, as I shall have occasion to show elsewhere, in employing instrumental music cannot be said so much to imitate the practice of God's ancient people, as to ape it in a sensuous and observed manner, exhibiting a silly delight in that worship of the Old Testament which was figurative and terminated with the Gospel. From Samuel Rutherford, the divine right of church government and external communication London, 1646, page 136. Margin. The Spirit worketh not with ceremonies. Lastly, God's Spirit worketh not with ceremonies, and so they are at the offering of swine's blood and the slaying of a man, and so abomination to God, Isaiah 66, 1 and 2. the Holy Spirit is merited to us by Christ, John 16, 14. He shall receive of mine, and so unto you. For you can say that the grace of joy in the Holy Ghost, wrought by the throning of organs, and the holiness taught by service, is a work of the Spirit merited by Christ as our High Priest. God hath made no promise that it will work by ceremony. Well, the spirit worketh not without the word, so then I might resist the working of the spirit, and not sin against the word. And this is Anabaptist enthusiasm. If God work not by them, they be frail and fruitless, and the idol is unlawful to this, that it profiteth not. Also, the spirit's action is either natural or supernatural here. If natural, it is a natural work and a natural spirit and to be rejected. If supernatural, we may devise means to produce supernatural effects. Men's ceremonies can produce supernatural joy, comfort, peace, and acts of grace purchased to us by Christ's merit. This is a miracle. From page 142 to 143. Margin. Jewish and Popish ceremonies are professions of a false religion. Also, whatever is a profession, in fact, for a false religion by ceremonies indifferent, and yet proper to a false religion, is a denying of the true religion that the using of these ceremonies used by Papists and Jews is such. Ergo, the prophecy is in Scripture. Galatians 2.14 Peter lived after the manner of Jews, in using the religious materials of the Jews, though he had no Jewish intention or opinion. Yea, Acts 10, he disputed against that. So circumcision, Galatians 6, 14 and 15, is put for the Jewish church. Now altars, organs, Jewish heatpods for service, mass clothes, and Romish crossings, bowing to altars, images, are badges of Jewish and Popish religion. From records at the Kirk of Scotland, containing the Acts and Proceedings of the General Assemblies, from the year 1638 downwards, by Alexander Peterkin, Edinburgh, 1838, pages 400-401. May the 4th, 1644. The letter from the commissioners to the Westminster Assembly, to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. As we cannot but admire the good hand of God in the great things done here already, particularly that the Covenant, the foundation of the whole work, is taken, policy and the whole train thereof extirpated. The service book in many places forsaken, plain and powerful preaching set up. Many colleges in Cambridge provided with such ministers as are most jealous of the best reformation. Altars removed, the communion in some places given at the table with sitting, the great organs of Paul's and of Peter's in Westminster taken down, images and many other monuments of idolatry defaced and abolished. The Chapel Royal at Whitehall, purged and reformed, and all by authority, in a quiet manner at noonday, without tumult. So have we, from so notable experience, joined with the promises of the Word, sufficient ground of confidence, that God will protect this work against all opposition, and have encouraged him for us all to be faithful in the work of God, which is carried on by his mighty hand, that no man can oppose it, but he must be seen fighting against God. Signed by Alexander Henderson, Samuel Rutherford, Robert Bailey, George Gillespie, and Joe Maitland. This Reformation audio resource is a production of Stillwater's Revival Books. Many free resources as well as our complete man-ordered catalogue containing classic and contemporary Puritan reform books, CDs and much more at great discounts are on the web at www.swrb.com. We can also be reached by email at swrb at swrb.com by phone at 780-450-3730, by fax at 780-468-1096, or by mail at 4710-37A Avenue, Edmonton, AV, Canada, T6L 3T5. If you do not have a web connection, please request a pre-printed catalogue. 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