in the most expressive Melody, without being awed into a Veneration? or who can hear the kind and endearing Attributes of a merciful Father, and not be softened into Love towards him!

’As the rising and sinking of the Passions, the casting soft or noble Hints into the Soul, is the natural Privilege of Musick in general, so more particularly of that kind which is employed at the Altar.  Those Impressions which it leaves upon the Spirits are more deep and lasting, as the Grounds from which it receives its Authority are founded more upon Reason.  It diffuses a Calmness all around us, it makes us drop all those vain or immodest Thoughts which would be an hindrance to us in the Performance of that great Duty of Thanksgiving, [1] which, as we are informed by our Almighty Benefactor, is the most acceptable Return which can be made for those infinite Stores of Blessings which he daily condescends to pour down upon his Creatures.  When we make Use of this pathetical Method of addressing our selves to him, we can scarce contain from Raptures!  The Heart is warmed with a Sublimity of Goodness.  We are all Piety and all Love!

  ’How do the Blessed Spirits rejoice and wonder to behold unthinking
  Man prostrating his Soul to his dread Sovereign in such a Warmth of
  Piety as they themselves might not be ashamed of!

  ’I shall close these Reflections with a Passage taken out of the Third
  Book of Milton’s Paradise Lost, where those harmonious Beings are
  thus nobly described.

    ’Then Crown’d again, their Gold’n Harps they took,
    Harps ever tun’d, that glittering by their side
    Like Quivers hung, and with Preamble sweet
    Of Charming Symphony they introduce
    The Sacred Song, and waken Raptures high;
    No one exempt, no Voice but well could join
    Melodious part, such Concord is in Heav’n’

  Mr.  SPECTATOR,

’The Town cannot be unacquainted, that in divers Parts of it there are vociferous Setts of Men who are called Rattling Clubs; but what shocks me most is, they have now the Front to invade the Church and institute these Societies there, as a Clan of them have in late times done, to such a degree of Insolence, as has given the Partition where they reside in a Church near one of the City Gates, the Denomination of the Rattling Pew.  These gay Fellows, from humble Lay Professions, set up for Criticks without any Tincture of Letters or Reading, and have the Vanity to think they can lay hold of something from the Parson, which may be formed into Ridicule.

’It is needless to observe, that the Gentlemen who every Sunday have the hard Province of Instructing these Wretches in a way they are in no present Disposition to take, have a fixt Character for Learning and Eloquence, not to be tainted by the weak Efforts of this Contemptible Part of their Audiences.  Whether the Pulpit is taken