tianity, that we might all obey the direction of the word of God, and "sing his praises with understand"ing," Psal. xlvii 7. The contentions and distin-. guishing words of sects and parties are secluded, that whole assemblies might assist at the harmony, and different churches join in the same worship, withour of fence.

If any expressions occur to the reader that favour of an opinion different from his own, yet he may observe these are generally such as are capable of an extensive sense, and may be used with a charitable latitude. I think it is most agreeable that what is provided for public singing should give to sincere consciences as little disturbance as possible. However, where any unpleasing word is found he that leads the worship may substitute a better; for blessed be God we are not confined to the words of any man in our public solemnities.

The whole book is written in four sorts of metre, and fitted to the most common tunes. I have seldom permitted a stop in the middle of a line, and seldom left the end of a line without one, to comport a little with the unhappy mixture of reading and singing, which cannot presently be reformed. The metaphors are generally sunk to the level of vulgar capacities. I have aimed at ease of numbers and smoothness of sound, and endeavoured to make the sense plain and

obvious. If the verse appears so gentle and flowing as to incur the censure of feebleness, I máy honestly affirm that sometimes it cost me labour to make it so: some of the beauties of poesy are neglected, and some wilfully defaced. I have thrown out the lines that were too sonorous, and have given an allay to the verse, lest a more exalted turn of thought or language should darken or disturb the devotion of the weakest souls. But hence it comes to pass that I have been forced to lay aside many Hymns after they were finished, and utterly exclude them from this volume, because of the bolder figures of speech that crowded themselves into the verse, and more unconfined variety of number, which I could not easily restrain.

These, with many other divine and moral compo ŝures, are now printed in a second edition of the poems entitled Hora Lyrica; fór as in that book I have endeavoured to please and profit the politer part of mañkind without offending the plainer sort of Christians, so in this it has been my labour to promote the piods Entertainments of souls truly serious, even of the meanest capacity, and at the same time if possible not to give disgust to persons of richer sense and nicer education; and I hope in the present volume this end will appear to be pursued with much greater Happiness than in the first impression of it, though the world assures me the former has not much reason to complain. Watts.] Bij

The whole is divided into Three Books.

In the first I have borrowed the sense and much of the form of the song from some particular portions of scripture, and have paraphrased most of the doxologies in the New Testament that contain any thing in them peculiarly evangelical, and many parts of the Old Testament also that have a reference to the times of the Messia. In these I expect to be often censured for a too religious observance of the words of scripture, whereby the verse is weakened and debased according to the judgment of the critics; but as my whole design was to aid the devotion of Christians, so more especially in this part; and I am satisfied I shall hereby attain two ends, namely, assist the worship of all serious minds, to whom the expressions of scripture are ever dear and delightful, and gratify the taste and inclination of those who think nothing must be sung unto God but the translation of his own word. Yet you will always find in this paraphrase dark expressions enlightened, and the Levitical ceremonies and Hebrew forms of speech changed into the worship of the gospel, and explained in the language of our time and nation; and what would not bear such an alteration is omitted and laid aside. After this manner should I rejoice to see a good part of the book of Psalms fitted for the use of our churches, and David converted into

Christian: but because I cannot persuade others to

altempt this glorious work, I have suffered myself to be persuaded to begin it, and have through divine goodness already proceeded half way through.

The second part consists of Hymns whose form is of mere human composure; but I hope the sense and ma terials will always appear divine. I might have brought some text or other and applied it to the margin of every verse, if this method had been as useful as it is easy. If there be any poems in the book that are capable of giving delight to persons of a more refined taste and polife education, perhaps they may be found in this part; but except they lay aside the humour of criticism, and enter into a devout frame, every ode here already despairs of pleasing. I confess myself to have been too often tempted away from the more spiritual designs I proposed by some gay and flowery expressions that gratified the fancy; the bright images too often prevailed above the fire of divine affection, and the light exceeded the heat; yet I hope in many of them the reader will find that devotion dictated the song, and the head and hand were nothing but interpreters and secretaries to the heart; nor is the magnificence or boldness of the figures comparable to that divine licence which is found in the eighteenth and sixty-eighth Psalms, several chapters of Job, and other poetical parts of scripture: and in this respect I may hope to escape the reproof of those who pay a sacred reverence to the Holy Bible.

I have prepared the third part only for the celebration of the Lord's Supper, that in imitation of our blessed Saviour we might sing an hymn after we have partaken of the bread and wine. Here you will find some paraphrases of scripture and some other compositions. There are above an hundred hymns in the two former parts that may very properly be used in this ordinance, and sometimes perhaps appear more suitable than any of these last; but there are expressions generally used in these which confine them only to the table of the Lord, and therefore I have distinguished and set them by themselves

If the Lord who inhabits the praises of Israel shall refuse to smile upon this attempt for the reformation of psalmody amongst the churches, yet I humbly hope that his blessed Spirit will make these composures useful to private Christians; and if they may but attain the honour of being esteemed pious meditations to assist the devout and the retired soul in the exercises of love, faith, and joy, it will be a valuable compensation of my labours, my heart shall rejoice at the notice of it, and my God shall receive the glory. This was my hope and vow in the first publication, and it is now my duty to acknowledge to him with thankfulness how useful he has made these Compositions already to the comfort and edification of societies and of private persons; and upon the same grounds I have a better