So the new Creation is stil’d a Poem.... We are his Workmanship in Christ Jesus, Eph. ii. 10. In the Greek, we are his Poem in Christ Jesus.
As for the several Moods, which, in musical Composition, were observed by the Antients, for moving particular Passions, there is a remarkable Fragment of Damon the Musician, mentioned by Aristides in Plutarch. This is supposed to be that kind of Musick used by David and Elisha, as a Prescription to remove mental Disorders; and may suppose to point at the Original of the Pagans curing Diseases of the Body and Mind by instrumental Musick.
It’s said, when an evil Spirit from God was upon Saul, David took a Harp and play’d with his Hand, so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil Spirit departed from him. 1 Sam. xvi. 23.
... AND Elisha said to Jehoram, King of Israel.... Were it not that I regard the Presence of the King of Judah, I would not look towards thee, but now bring me a Minstrel. And it came to pass when the Minstrel play’d, that the Hand of the Lord came upon him. 2 Kings iii. 13,-15.
It is observable here, that the Mind of Elisha the Prophet was very much ruffled; now, under this Discomposure, he calls for a Minstrel, not out of Levity, but for a religious End; and that was, to compose his Mind, and to bring it into a serene and sedate Frame, and thereby to prepare himself for divine Exercises; or perhaps, a devout Levite, well skill’d in musical Performances, might play before him, and intermix with it, Psalms and spiritual Songs, according to the Constitutions of those Times.
As the Prophets might indispose themselves for the Spirit of Prophecy, so they were to use Means to dispose themselves for the Impulses of the Holy Spirit; and for this End the School of the Prophets was appointed, in which the Students were trained up in the Science of Musick, in strict Virtue, Self-denial, Contempt of worldly Grandeur, Knowledge of the Law, &c. These Schools were Seminaries of Religion, in which the intended Guardians of the Spirituality were instructed, and prepared to receive the extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit.
We read how the Indians performed their Worship by dancing to Songs, the Priests of Cybele with Cymbals, the Curetes with Drums and Trumpets, the Romans sung Spondaic Verses, while they offer’d their Sacrifices; the musical Sound that calm’d the Passions (consisting of Spondees principally) Aristotle calls moral; (to distinguish it from the Diatonic and Phrygian) from whence the Custom might be derived. When the Spartans went to War, they march’d to the Sound of Flutes, to animate the Soldiers; as is now done by Drum and Trumpet, to lessen the Terror of Death.
THE Antients having related wonderful Things done by Musick in their days, by which Diseases were suspended, the Sick restored ... I shall make a short Inquiry into the Reasons of it. Tho’ the Report be strange, and in some degree hyperbolical, yet some Account may be given of the surprizing Effects of Musick, and is attempted by the learned Dr. Willis, (among others;) a Hint of which I shall add here, to what was observed before upon the Subject.
REASONS (or rather Conjectures) for Medicinal Cures
by MUSICK.