DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3689#0161
a Devout and Holy Life. 159
' with a loud voice, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the
' throne, and unto the lamb.
' And all the angels stood round about the throne, and fell
' before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, saying,
'Amen : Blessing and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and
' honour, and power, and strength, be unto God, for ever and ever.
' Amen.'*
Think upon this till your imagination has carried you above
the clouds, till it has placed you amongst those heavenly beings,
and made you long to bear a part in their eternal music.
If you will but use yourself to this method, and let your
imagination dwell upon such representations as these, you will
soon find it to be an excellent means of raising the spirit of
devotion within you.
Always therefore begin your Psalm, or Song of praise, with
these imaginations; and at every verse of it, imagine yourself
amongst those heavenly companions, that your voice is added to
theirs, and that Angels join with you, and you with them ; and
that you with a poor and low voice are singing that on earth,
which they are singing in heaven.
Again, Sometimes imagine that you had been one of those
that joined with our blessed Saviour when he sung an Hymn.
Strive to imagine to yourself, with what majesty he looked ;
fancy that you had stood close by him surrounded with his glory.
Think how your heart would have been inflamed, what ecstasies
of joy you would have then felt, when singing with the Son of
God. Think again and again, with what joy and devotion you
would then have sung, had this been really your happy state, and
what a punishment you should have thought it, to have been
then silent; and let this teach you how to be affected with
Psalms and Hymns of thanksgiving.
Again, Sometimes imagine to yourself, that you saw holy
David with his hands upon his harp, and his eyes fixed upon
Jieaven, calling in transport upon all the Creation, Sun and
Moon, light and darkness, day and night, men and angels, to join
with his rapturous soul in praising the Lord of Heaven.
Dwell upon this imagination, till you think you are singing
with this divine musician, and let such a companion teach you to
exalt your heart unto God in the following Psalm; which you
may use constantly first in the morning.
Psalm cxlv. ' I will magnify thee, O God my king: and I
' will praise thy name for ever and ever,' &c.
These following Psalms, as the 34th, 96th, 103rd, 111th, 146th,
* Rev. vii. 9.
' with a loud voice, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the
' throne, and unto the lamb.
' And all the angels stood round about the throne, and fell
' before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, saying,
'Amen : Blessing and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and
' honour, and power, and strength, be unto God, for ever and ever.
' Amen.'*
Think upon this till your imagination has carried you above
the clouds, till it has placed you amongst those heavenly beings,
and made you long to bear a part in their eternal music.
If you will but use yourself to this method, and let your
imagination dwell upon such representations as these, you will
soon find it to be an excellent means of raising the spirit of
devotion within you.
Always therefore begin your Psalm, or Song of praise, with
these imaginations; and at every verse of it, imagine yourself
amongst those heavenly companions, that your voice is added to
theirs, and that Angels join with you, and you with them ; and
that you with a poor and low voice are singing that on earth,
which they are singing in heaven.
Again, Sometimes imagine that you had been one of those
that joined with our blessed Saviour when he sung an Hymn.
Strive to imagine to yourself, with what majesty he looked ;
fancy that you had stood close by him surrounded with his glory.
Think how your heart would have been inflamed, what ecstasies
of joy you would have then felt, when singing with the Son of
God. Think again and again, with what joy and devotion you
would then have sung, had this been really your happy state, and
what a punishment you should have thought it, to have been
then silent; and let this teach you how to be affected with
Psalms and Hymns of thanksgiving.
Again, Sometimes imagine to yourself, that you saw holy
David with his hands upon his harp, and his eyes fixed upon
Jieaven, calling in transport upon all the Creation, Sun and
Moon, light and darkness, day and night, men and angels, to join
with his rapturous soul in praising the Lord of Heaven.
Dwell upon this imagination, till you think you are singing
with this divine musician, and let such a companion teach you to
exalt your heart unto God in the following Psalm; which you
may use constantly first in the morning.
Psalm cxlv. ' I will magnify thee, O God my king: and I
' will praise thy name for ever and ever,' &c.
These following Psalms, as the 34th, 96th, 103rd, 111th, 146th,
* Rev. vii. 9.