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3. You must sing with understanding, 1 Cor. xiv. 15.

4. You must sing with judgment, being able in private to make choice of psalms suitable to the present time and occasion; and both in private and public to apply the psalm sung to your own particular case, only taking heed that you do not apply the imprecations made against the enemies of Christ and his church in general, to your enemies in particular; also endeavour to confirm your faith, and incline your will and affections according to the subject of your psalmody, whether you sing the prophecies of Christ, his promises, threats, commands, mercies, or judgments, &c.

5. You must make melody to the Lord in your heart, Col. iii. 16; which is done (1.) By preparing and setting the heart in tune, Psa. lvii. 7. It must be an honest heart. (2.) The heart must be lifted up, Psa. xxv. 1. (3.) The mind intent, 1 Cor. xiv. 15. (4.) The affections lively, Psa. xxxiii. 3, Rev. xiv. 3; the heart believing, and, in the matter of praise and thanks, joyous, Psa. lxxxiv. 1.

6. Lose not your short and precious time, with idle compliments, worldly discourses, or talking of other men's matters and faults, 1 Tim. v. 13; nor yet in a barren and fruitless hearing and telling of news, Acts xvii. 21, out of affectation of strangeness and novelty. But let the matter of your talk be, either of God, or of his word and ways, wherein you should walk; or of his works of creation, preservation, redemption, sanctification, and salvation; of his judgments which he executes in the world, and of his mercies showed towards his people: or matter of Christian advice, either of the things of this life, or of that which is to come. Impart also each to other the experience and proofs you have had of God's grace and power, in your Christian warfare. And as there shall be cause, exhort, admonish, and comfort one another, 1 Thess. v. 11 - 14.

To do all these well, will require special godly wisdom, humility, and love. If these three be in you, and abound, your society will be profitable: The strong