PREFACE

TO THE FIFTH EDITION.

THIS Compilation of PSALMS, HYMNS, and SPIRITUAL SONGS, having met with decided approbation from the Christian community, by whom it has been generally pronounced the best collection now extant, it has been deemed expedient, in accordance with the intimation given in the first edition, that it should be stereotyped. With this view, the errors of the former editions have been carefully corrected in this, the fifth edition; and the whole collection has been accurately revised.

In the course of this revision, sundry amendments and improvements have been suggested, both as it regards the poetry of some hymns, and the congruity of others

with Divine Revelation, and the genius of the Christian Institution. In order to perfect the selection as far as possible, these emendations have been made; but in no case have the pages of the book been changed, or the language of a hymn so much altered as to create inconvenience in using the former editions. The same psalm, hymn, or spiritual song will still be found upon the same page, and with the same number of verses.

A selection of tunes, adapted not only to the metre of the different pieces, but to their style and sentiment, has been esteemed a desideratum. This is supplied in the present edition, and, it is hoped, will be found advantageous.

It will be perceived, also, that much of the previous matter, which was contained in the prefaces to former editions, has, in this, been digested into the form of an introduction, in which the objects and principles of Christian psalmody are briefly considered.

INTRODUCTION.

"TEACH and admonish one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with gratitude in your hearts to the Lord :" so Paul exhorted the Christians to whom he wrote letters. What was precisely intended by psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, has often been inquired after, but not often satisfactorily answered.

The result of our inquiries upon this subject is as follows:

1. Psalms are historic compositions, or poetic narratives. ⚫ 2. Hymns are songs of praise, in which the excellen cies, glories, and gracious acts of some person are extolled.

3. Spiritual songs are either songs, the matter of which was immediately suggested by the Holy Spirit; or senti. mental songs, composed on the divine communications to

men.

Spiritual songs embrace a wider range of subjects than both the former; for such songs as are of a mixed nature, partly psalins and partly hymns, may be ranked among these which are properly called spiritual songs.

Other compositions, both in scripture and elsewhere, have been called psalms, which do not exactly correspond with the true import of this word in its ancient usage. The reason is obvious: The first psalms being all, or chiefly, of one species of poetry, other songs in the same kind of verse were called by the same name, because of a coincidence in poetic measure, though they were quite different in substance and design. In one sense the design of all, sacred poetry is the praise of God Hymns directly address God in praise; psalms and spiritual songs indirectly praise him, and are sometimes specially designed for the edification of men.

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The general design of all religious worship is to praise God and to edify men. But sometimes we sing for the sole purpose of praising God: on oder occasions, for the information or edification of men. In the former case we sing hymns; in the latter, psalins or spiritual songs, as best adapted to our end in view.

Such is the plain and obvious difference between psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; which ought to be, in some measure, apprehended by all who feel any obligation upon them, arising from the command of the apostle. In singing any of them in the presence of others, we, in some measure, may, and often do, contribute to their edification.

No exercise of social worship is more delightful, solemn, or sublime, than singing the praises of the Lord. And when we address him in sacred song, care should be taken that the substance and form, or the matter and manner of our song, be such as will be acceptable to him.

Seeing, then, that we ought to sing psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs; and seeing that the matter of them ought, as well as the matter of our prayers, to be according to the revelation of God; we proceed to make a few brief remarks on the selection or composition of our psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. And here we observe, that sectarianism and a speculating philosophy have contaminated the fountains of this, as of every other part of Christian worship. Our hymns, our tunes, and our manner of singing them, are inspired with the spirit of our speculating and schismatic systems. Our Christian psalters are in general a collection of every thing preached in the range of the system of the people who adopt them. In other words, they are our creed in metre, while it appears in the prose form in our confessions.

This, we presume to say, is founded upon an idea that we are to praise God by singing our opinions and our controversies, instead of, or as well as by, singing the works, and wonders and excellencies of the Lord our God.

To

examine this idea, it is necessary to inquire, What is worthy of our song? And briefly we shall reply as follows:

In originating the exercise of singing in the worship of God, nothing more was done than to give direction to faculties before possessed, and before employed on objects unworthy of them. Thus our heavenly Father turns every thing to good account in the economy of salvation. Our tongues, lips, hands, feet, and voices, together with all our nore noble powers, are employed in the new service. In the old service they were all employed as instruments of unrighteousness. Now he consecrates the whole of them to his service, and has graciously conferred the honour upon our hands, feet, and tongues, our lips, our voices, of being employed in his service; and as much to his acceptance as the powers of Gabriel. This is an astonishing discovery of his condescending favor. To think that the great God should give birth to a system of things in which it is possible for the tongue of an infant to achieve honor to his Majesty, as well as the wings of a seraph, is what aas long been extolled in heaven and admired on earth. Is it not astonishing, Christian reader, that the Majesty of Heaven should condescend to employ the hands and feet, the tongues and lips of infants to perfect praise! What a system of perfection that puts it into the power of all to be happy in honoring Jehovah, and which derives a proportionate revenue of glory from the finances of a pauper, and the resources of a heavenly principality.

But what we have in view is this: The powers and faculties of the man are neither lost nor metamorphosed in the Christian. They are all consecrated. They are now instruments of righteousness. We sing now as formerlythe same voice, the same tune; but a different song. And this brings us just to the inquiry, What are the subjects on which men are disposed to sing? Love-songs, the praises of heroes, and the triumphs of wars. These are the chap ters comprehending the chief topics deamed worthy of