in the Body of his Psalm, yet he
describes them there with great Particularity, and often names them in
the Title. This gives us abundant Ground to infer, that should the
_Sweet-Singer of Israel_ return from the Dead into our Age, he would
not sing the Words of his own Psalms without considerable Alteration;
and were he now to transcribe them, he would make them speak the
present Circumstances of the Church, and that in the Language of the
New Testament: He would see frequent Occasion to insert the Cross of
Christ in his Song, and often interline the Confessions of his Sins
with the Blood of the Lamb; often would he describe the Glories and the
Triumphs of our blessed Lord in long and flowing Verse, even as St.
_Paul_, when he mentions the Name and Honours of Christ can hardly part
his Lips from 'em again: {254} His Expressions would run ever bright
and clear; such as here and there we find in a single Verse of his old
Composures, when he is transported beyond himself, and carried far away
from _Jewish_ Shadows by the Spirit of Prophecy and the Gospel. We have
the more abundant Reason to believe this, if we observe, that all along
the sacred History as the Revelations of God and his Grace were made
plainer, so the Songs of the Saints express'd that Grace and those
Revelations according to the Measure of their Clearness and Increase.
Let us begin at the Song of _Moses_, Exod. 15. and proceed to _David_
and _Solomon_, to the Song of the _Virgin Mary_, of _Zecharias_,
_Simeon_, and the _Angels_, the _Hosanna_ of the young Children, the
Praises paid to God by the Disciples in the _Acts_, the Doxologies of
_Paul_, and the Songs of the Christian Church in the Book of the
_Revelations_: Every Beam of new Light that broke into the World gave
occasion of fresh joy to the Saints, and they were taught to sing of
Salvation in all the Degrees of its advancing Glory.

_Secondly_, In the Translation of _Jewish_ Songs for Gospel-Worship, if
Scripture affords us any Example, we should be ready to follow it,
and the Management thereof should be a Pattern for us. Now tho the
Disciples and primitive Christians had so many and so vast Occasions
for Praise, yet I know but two Pieces of Songs they borrow'd from the
Book of Psalms. One is mention'd in _Luke_ 19.38.

{255} Where the Disciples assume a Part of a Verse from the 118th
Psalm, but sing it with Alterations and Additions to the Words of
_David_.

The other is the Beginning of the s