A Short Essay Toward the Improvement of Psalmody

A Short Essay Toward the Improvement of Psalmody is described as an enquiry how the Psalms of David ought to be translated into Christian Songs. Isaac Watts gathers verses on singing, among them "I will sing with the Spirit, and I will sing with the Understanding also" and a line about whoever is merry singing Psalms. The essay asks why it may not be esteemed as lawful to take some Divine Sense and Materials agreeable to the Word of God, and suited to the present Case and Experience of Christians, and compose them into a Spiritual Song.

The essay says its second argument is drawn from the several Ends and Designs of Singing, which can never be sufficiently reached by confining ourselves to David's Psalms, or the Words of any Songs in Scripture. The essay tells of the Heresy of Artemon, who denied the Divinity of Christ, and says it was confuted not only by the Scriptures and the Writings of the precedent Fathers, but also by the Psalms and Hymns of the Brethren.