Elizabeth-Town gazette. [volume] (Elizabeth-Town, N.J.) 1818-1821, 1818-12-15
rE1IR GAZETTE
ELIZABETH TOWN,
TUESDAY, DECEMBER Is, 1918.
TO the Editors Of the Gazette.

GENTLEMEN,-It is an allowed maxim. that
whatever has tendency to aid true devotion, is
worthy of attainment. The worship of the Chris
tian is purely spiritual, and consequently, it is the
mind only which can be engaged in It's perform
ance The mind is, however, but too prone to
wander, in the contemplation of objects presented
to it through the medium of the bodily senses; and
even in the house of prayer. who has not felt the
necessity of petition against" wandering thoughts
Probably, there is no part of divine service,
during which the minds of great part of our con-
gregations, are more culpably abstracted from the
duties before them, than when the praises of the
Most High ought to be proceeding from every
tongue. Judging from our observation, of great
proportion of almost every religious assembly, we
should be led to conclude, that they have no cause
for praise, no feelings of gratitude, no inducement
participate in that which at once the duty and
the delight of every mind, properly impressed with
sense of its obligations to Divine Goodness
Such Judgment, however, would be unfounded
in some respects, and too severe in others; un-
founded, as it relates to the absence of benefits
for the continual reception of which, all have to be
thankful and too severe. as it implies the absence
of all grateful sensations Where are we then to
look for the cause of this apparent apathy To
what we to attribute the well known fact, that
in this important part of orr public worship $ few
seem to be performers, whilst the rest are merely
auditors9 l presume that l have discovered the
reason; and hasten to communicate it, through
your columns, to the public. IT is Incidence.
4 ka Ill
of singing, " with the spirit, and with the under
standing aIse;" it will, too, be readily admitted,
that to do this, is enjoined upon Christians as
duty. Why not, then, be anxious to attain the
necessary qualifications for the performance of this
duty Why neglect it utterly, or discharge it in
careless preferential manner the first, as
disagrceabie to feliow-weN Shippers. as the las
is offensive to the great object of all worship
In our addresses to our fellow men, from whom
we have received important benefits, how careful
are we to give to tones the most respectful
meditation, and to express by our whole manner,
our anxiety to please, and our sensibity of graft
tude Now, though it may be said, and said Justly,
that if the heart be right with Cod the sacrifice
will be accepted; yet is il not rational and scrip
tuCal TO DeHeVe3 InaU Wnen all tne powers Oh tne
understanding are joined with the feelings of the
soul, in the performance of worship, the offering
is far more valuable to him, who gave
Each string its various tone,
Each chord its various bias"
Surely, if it be worth while to spend hours,
days, and even weeks and months, in the study Of
arts and sciences, purely ornamental; the propri.
ETY. and utility of every persons attention to sacred
music as science, must be obvious The pleasure
of its attainment, will amply compensate for the
denial of that sefindugence, to call it by no harsher
name, which leads so many to pass their hours Of
leisure in lisess apathy, instead of active attain
ment and when all the other inducements, at
which have briefly limited, are taken into oonsd'
Grafton, hope that this appeal to my fellow, citi
zens. on the necessity and advantage of their more
diligent cultivation, of highly necessary, useful
and delightful part of public worship, will not have
been made in vain.
am, gentlemen, yours respectfully,
HARMONIOUS.