ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READERS. THE chief design of this work was to improve psalmody, or religious singing, and to encourage the frequent practice of it in public assemblies and private families with more honour and delight ; yet the author hopes the reading of it may also entertain the parlour and the closet with devout pleasure and holymeditations. Therefore he would request his readers, at proper seasons, to peruse it through, and among three hundred and forty sacred hymns they may find out several that suit their own case and temper, or the circumstances of their families and friends; they may teach their children such as are proper for their age, and by treasuring them in their memory, they may be furnished for pious retirement, or may enter- tain their friends with holy melody. Of choosing or finding the Psalm. The perusal of the whole book will acquaint every reader with the author's method, and by consulting the index, or table of contents, he may find hymns very proper formany occasions of the Christian life and worship, though no copy of David's psalter can provide for all. Or if he remember the first line of any psalm, the table of the first lines will direct where to find it. Or if any shall think it best to sing all the psalms in order in churches or families, it may be done with profit; provided those psalms be omitted that refer to special occurrences of nations, churches, or single Christians. Of naming the Psalms. Let the number of the psalm be named distinctly, together with theparticular metre, and particular part of it ; As for instance : Let us sing the thirty-third psalm, second part, common metre.; or, let us sing the ninety -first 11salm, first part, beginning at the pause, or ending at the pause; or, let us sing the eighty. fourth psalm as the hundred and forty - eighth psalm, &c. And then read over the first stanza before you begin to sing, that the people may find it in their books, whether you sing with or without reading line by line. Of dividing the Psalm. If the psalm be too long for the time or custom of singing, there are pauses in many of them at which you may properly rest : Or you may leave out those verses which are included in crotchets [ ] without disturbing the sense: Or in some places you may begin to sing at a pause. Do not always confine yourselves to six stanzas, but sing seven or eight, rather than confound the sense and abuse the psalm in solemn worship. Of the Manner of Singing. It were to be wished that ill congregations and private families would sing as they do in foreign protestant countries, without reading line by line. Though the author has done what he could to make the sensecomplete in every line or two, yet many inconveniences will always attend this unhappy manner of singing; but where it cannot be altered, these two things may give some relief. c3
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