As wun, among the many things which the apostl recomends to be done with decency and order, is sacred melody, the most animating of any part of divine worship.  We shal not do any violence to other sentiments in the chapter, if on this ocasion we remark upon that part of it only which reproves for an unsuitabl maner in divine psamody.  Our privilage for an unsuitabl maner in divine psamody.  Our privilage then is to make general inferences from the doctrin.

Singing that is profesedly devoted to the worship of God should be decent and in order.  This general idea I shal endeavor to illustrate by showing

I.  What decency in singing implies;
II. Point out what is meant by order;
III.  Make several conclusions which the subject wil naturaly sugest.

1.  I am to show what decency in singing implies.  Singing is ranked among the fine arts and siences.  Music and poetry are twin sisters.  Poetry presents to our minds sentiments couched in a train of harmonious words, on which acount our feelings ar much mor tenderly afected than tho the same sentiments were brot befor us in the rufer maner of prose.  Music, when wel performed, is the chef asistant of the poet by speking agreably to the ear what was designed to impres the feelings of the heart.  The art of singing was, no dout, gained from abov.  Abel, a man of a devotional turn of mind is styled the father of singing in the first age of the world.  In that early period it was necesary that information shoud be obtained from heaven concerning the proper modes of worship.  As Abel was a favorit of the Lord, we hav reson to conclud that he was alowed to catch his system of music from sweet voices and harps and lyrs of som celestial concert, who perhaps, performed a seraphic ode when the plan of redemption was first made known to the falen world.  This suposition is rendered admisibl, at least, bu the provision which was made for the feast of the pasover by David, music in the Jewish church and what the shepherds heard at Bethlehem at the birth of the promised Messiah, when an angel apeared to them to comfort them; (r) and