12S PREFACE. spoils the devotion, by breaking the uniform thread of it : For while our lips and our hearts run on sweetly together, applying the words to our own case, there is something of divine delight in it ; but at once we are forced to turn off the application abruptly, and our lips speak nothing but the heart of David. Thus our own hearts are as it were forbid the pursuit of the song, and then he harmony and the worship grow dull of mere necessity. Many ministers, and many private christians, have long groaned under this inconvenience, and have wished, rather than attempted a reformation ; At their importunate and repeated requests I have for some years past devoted many hours of leisure to this service. Far be it from my thoughts to lay aside the book of psalms in public worship ; few can pretend'so great a value fir them as myself : It is the most artful, most devotional, and divine collection of poesy ; and nothing can be supposed more proper to raise a pious soul to heaven than some parts of that book; never was a piece of experimental divinity so nobly written, and so justly reverenced and admired : but it must be acknowledged stilt, that there are a thousand lines in it which were not made for a church in our days, to assume as its own : There are also many deficiences of liglìt and glory, which our Lord Jesus and his apostles have supplied in the writings of the New Testament; and with this advantage I ha ,e composed these spiritual songs, which are now presented to the world. Nor is the attempt vain-glorous or presuming ; for in respect of clear evange- beal knowledge, ,The least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than all the Jewish prophets." Matt. xi. 11. Now let me give a short account of the following composures. The greatest part of them are suited to the general state of the gospel, and the most common affairs of christians:. I hope there will be very few found but what may properly be used in a religious assembly, and not one of them but may well be adapted to some seasons, either of private or of public worship. The most frequent tempers and changes of our spirit, and condi. tions of our life, are here copied, and the breathings of our piety expressed according to the variety of our passions, our love, our fear, our hope, our de- sire, our sorrow, our wonder, and our joy, as they are refined into devotion, and act under the influence and conduct of the blessed Spirit ; all conversing with God the Father by the new and living way of access to the throne, even the person and mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ. To him also, even to the Lamb that was slain.and now lives, I have addressed many a song ; for thus doth the holy scripture instruct and teach us to worship, in the various short patterns of christian psalmody described in the Revelation. I have avoided the more obscure and controverted points of christianity, that we might all obey the direction of the word of God, and " sing his praises with under- standing," Ysal. xlvii. 7. The contentions and distinguishing words ofsects and parties are excluded, that obole assemblies might assist at the harmony, and different churches join in the same worship without offence. 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 sin- cere consciences as little disturbance as possible. However. where any un- pleasing word is found, be that leads the worship may substitute a better; for, blessed he 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 com- mon tunes. 1 have seldom permitted a stop in the middle of a line,' and sel- dom 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, have aimed at ease of numbers and smoothness of sound, and endeavoured to make the
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