DIVINE SONGS ATTEMPTED IN EASY LANGUAGE FOR THE USE OF CHILDREN. Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise. Matt. xxi. 16. PREFACE, TO ALL THAT ARE CONCERNED IN THE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN. MY FRIENDS, It is an awful and important charge that is committed to you. The wisdom and welfare of the succeeding generation are intrusted with you beforehand, and depend much on your conduct. The seeds of misery or happiness in this world, and that to come, are oftentimes sown very early; and therefore whatever may conduce to give the minds of children a relish for virtue and religion ought, in the first place, to be proposed to you. Verse was at first designed for the service of God, though it hath been wretchedly abused since. The ancients, among the Jews and the Heathens, taught their children and disciples the precepts of morality and worship in verse. The children of Israel were commanded to learn the words of the song of Moses, Deut. xxxi. 19, 30, and we are directed in the New Testament, not only to sing "with grace in the heart, but to teach and admonish one another by hymns and songs," Ephes. v. 19. And there are these four advantages in it. I. There is a great delight in the very learning of truths and duties this way. There is something so amusing and entertaining in rhymes and metre, that will incline children to make this part of their business a diversion. And you may turn their very duty into a reward, by giving them the privilege of learning one of these songs every week, if they fulfil the business of the week well, and promising them the book itself, when they have learnt ten or twenty songs out of it. II. What is learnt in verse is longer retained in memory, and sooner recollected. The like sounds, and the like number of syllables, exceedingly assist the remembrance. And it may often happen, that the end of a song running in the mind may be an effectual means to keep off some temptations, or to incline to some duty, when a word of scripture is not upon their thoughts. III. This will be a constant furniture for the minds of children, that they may have something to think upon when alone, and sing over to themselves. This may sometimes give their thoughts a divine turn, and raise a young meditation. Thus they will not be forced to seek relief for an emptiness of mind, out of the loose and dangerous sonnets of the age. IV. These Divine Songs may be a pleasant and proper matter for their daily or weekly worship, to sing one in the family, at such time as the parents or governors shall appoint; and therefore I have confined the verse to the most usual psalm tuncs. The greatest part of this little book was composed several years ago, at the request of a friend, who has been long engaged in the work of catechising a very great number of children of all kinds, and with abundant skill and success. So that you will find here nothing that savours of a party: the children of high and low degree, of the church of England or Dissenters, baptised in infancy, or not, may all join together in these Songs. And as I have endeavoured to sink the language to the level of a child's understanding, and yet to keep it, if possible, above contempt; so I have designed to profit all, if possible, and offend none. I hope the more general the sense is, these composures may be of the more universal use and service. I have added at the end, some attempts of sonnets on moral subjects, for children, with an air of pleasantry, to provoke some fitter pen to write a little book of them. May the Almighty God make you faithful in this important work of education; may he succeed your cares with his abundant grace, that the rising generation of Great Britain may be a glory among the nations, a pattern to the Christian world, and a blessing to the Earth! DIVINE SONGS FOR CHILDREN. SONG I. A GENERAL SONG OF PRAISE TO GOD. How How great his power is, none can tell, Not angels that stand round the Lord Can search his secret will; Then let me join this holy train, My heart resolves, my tongue obeys, To hear their mighty Maker's praise Sound from a feeble voice. SONG II. PRAISE FOR CREATION AND PROVIDENCE. I SING th' Almighty power of God, I sing the wisdom that ordain'd The Sun to rule the day; The Moon shines full at his command, I sing the goodness of the Lord, He form'd the creatures with his word, Or gaze upon the sky, *There's not a plant or flower below, But makes thy glories known; And clouds arise, and tempests blow, By order from thy throne. Creatures (as numerous as they be) There's not a place where we can flee, In Heaven he shines with beams of love, With wrath in Hell beneath : 'Tis on his earth I stand or move, His hand is my perpetual guard; SONG III. PRAISE TO GOD FOR OUR REDEMPTION. BLEST be the wisdom and the power, The justice and the grace, That join'd in counsel to restore Our father ate forbidden fruit, And we his children thus were brought Blest be the Lord, that sent his Son He for our lives gave up his own, There on a glorious throne he reigns, Redeems us from the slavish chains Thence shall the Lord to judgment come, And with a sovereign voice Shall call, and break up every tomb, O may I then with joy appear And with the blest assembly there SONG IV. PRAISE FOR MERCIES SPIRITUAL AND TEMPORAL. WHENE'ER I take my walks abroad, How many poor I see! What shall I render to my God Not more than others I deserve, For I have food, while others starve, While I am cloth'd from head to feet, While some poor wretches scarce can tell Where they may lay their head; I have a home wherein to dwell, And rest upon my bed. While others early learn to swear, 'Tis to thy sovereign grace I owe I would not change my native land How do I pity those that dwell Thy glorious promises, O Lord,' Thy praise shall still employ my breath, SONG VI. PRAISE FOR THE GOSPEL. LORD, I ascribe it to thy grace, That I was born of Christian race, What would the ancient Jewish kings And Jewish prophets once have given, Which Christ reveal'd and brought from Heaven! How glad the Heathens would have been, SONG VII. THE EXCELLENCY OF THE BIBLE. Bet still thy wisdom, power, and grace, The stars, that in their courses roll, In thy most holy word. Here are my choicest treasures hid, Lord, make me understand thy law; Here would I learn how Christ has died Such heavenly wonders tell. By day to read these wonders o'er, |