le _John_ often represent
Divine Things in a Gospel-Church, in Imitation of the Ranks and Orders
of the _Jewish_ Camp and Tribes, and by the Rites and Figures used in
the time of _Moses_; and it would be as unreasonable to prove from this
Text, that we must sing the very words of the _15th of Exodus_ in a
Christian Church, as to prove from this Book of the _Revelations_ that
we must use Harps and Altars, Censers, Fire and Incense. But 'tis plain
that the _15th of Exodus_ cannot be here intended, because the Words of
the Song are mention'd just after, (viz.) _Great, and marvellous are
thy Works, Lord God Almighty, just and true are thy Ways, thou King of
Saints_. Yet after all, if it could be proved, that the very Song which
_Moses_ sung is here design'd, still it must be confest that the Song
of the Lamb is also to be sung; and if the following Words in this Text
are not to be esteem'd the Song of _Moses_, then neither are they to be
esteem'd the Song of the Lamb; because there is not any express mention
of the Lamb, or his Death, or Resurrection, or Redemption; nor is there
any other Song in Scripture that bears that title and consequently
it must signifie a Song compos'd {241} to the praise of God for
our deliverance by the Lamb, in imitation of the Joy composed for
deliverance by the Hand of _Moses_: And thus at least we are to suit
part of our Psalmody to the Gospel-State as well as borrow part from
the Old Testament, which is the chief point I designed to prove.

The next Enquiry then proceeds thus: How must the Psalms of _David_ and
other Songs borrowed from Scripture, be translated in order to be sung
in Christian Worship? Surely, it will be granted, that to prepare them
for Psalmody under the Gospel, requires another sort of Management in
the Translation, than to prepare them merely for Reading as the _Word
of God_ in our Language, and that upon these two accounts:

_First_, If it be the duty of the Churches to sing Psalms, they must
necessarily be turned into such a sort of Verse and Metre as will best
fit them for the whole Church to join in the Worship: Now this will be
very different from a Translation of the original Language word for
word; for the Lines must be confined to a certain number of Syllables,
and the Stanza or Verse to a certain number of Lines, that so the Tune
being short the people may be acquainted with it, and be ready to sing
without much difficulty; whereas if the Words were merely transl