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five hymns are applied to this day, but all are on the facts related in the Gospel; and of three originals, neither is suitable to be sung in a congregation. The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity is throughout on the important subject of God's commission to his appointed Ministers, and the blessings he imparts through their ministrations. Their office and power, by the word of Christ, to awaken from the death of sin, is represented in the Gospel by the raising a corpse to life. The fact is made the subject of a beautiful little dramatic ode, which again could not be used in public worship. The application is unnoticed.

This close connexion between the Lessons, Epistle, and Gospel, appointed for the day, prevails throughout the year, and the Liturgy sets forth a complete and orderly course of divinity and church government, in doctrine, practice, and discipline; for not only are the different parts of the service for each day thus united, but the successive Sundays and holidays have also their proper connexion between themselves, as their subjects follow in due order; and lead forward the disciple step by step in the knowledge of his duties and privileges as a member of Christ's Church. The principles thus set forth in the Liturgy cannot be gainsayed, for they are given in the full unaltered language of the Bible; but he who studies the whole in a candid and humble spirit, and with prayer and meditation, cannot fail, by God's blessing, to be a good Christian, and a sound Churchman.

Here, then, is the principle upon which an arrangement may be made in strict conformity with the Church-an arrangement, by which the hymns may be so united with the Liturgy, that each may promote the objects of the other; the Liturgy giving sanction and support to the hymns, the hymns affording a key to the meaning and application of the Liturgy. We may thus secure for the hymns the same practical character and catholic spirit which prevails in all the services of the Church; and by carefully studying the Liturgy as a model, we have a certain standard not only of sound doctrine, but also of correct taste. Nor will this be deemed unimportant, when it is considered that the editor who labours week after week among the wretched trash which prevails in hymn-books, will have his taste materially lowered, till a hymn, contemptible in itself, will appear respectable by comparison. Against this evil, the careful study of the Bible and Prayer-book affords the best, if not the only security.

"The texts for all his future sermons were constantly taken out of the Gospel for the day, and he did as constantly declare why the Church did appoint that portion of Scripture to be that day read; and in what manner the collect for every Sunday does refer to the Gospel, or to the Epistle, then to be read to them; and, that they might pray with understanding, he did usually take occasion to explain, not only the collect for every particular Sunday, but the reasons of all the collects, responses, and other parts of our Church Service; and made it appear to them, that the whole service of the Church was a reasonable, and therefore an acceptable sacrifice to God." - Isaac Walion's Life of the Rev. G. Herbert.

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"It will be of no avail," says Bishop Marsh, "to preserve a consistency of doctrine throughout the prayers of the Church, if different doctrines are inculcated by the aid of psalms and hymns. Nor must we forget that the impression which is made by the singing of hymns is much more powerful, and much more endurable, than the effect which is produced by the reading of prayers. The importance also which in many places attaches to the hymn-book is equal, if not superior, to the importance ascribed to the Prayer-book. Hence the former becomes the manual for doctrine as well as devotion; and though the prayers of the Liturgy cannot be omitted, it is the hymn-book which too frequently supplies the most valued portion of Divine service."*

This argument, which is decisive against the abuse of hymns, is equally conclusive in favour of their regulated use. In fact, the people decidedly prefer them; and it is our duty, as well as our policy, to make that, which we cannot avoid, safe and useful. And indeed the advantages to be obtained from a good church hymn-book are of the most important character. It would secure congregational singing. It would afford a domestic resource, pleasing at all times, but especially valuable to those who are prevented by sickness, or other unavoidable causes, from attending public worship. It would exalt the Liturgy in the estimation of the multitude, by enabling them to see the force and beauty of its connexion, and to feel the value of its application. It would create a stronger attachment to the offices of the Church, by associating them with popular hymns. It would afford a practical safeguard against errors in doctrine, and a powerful means of creating a correct taste. Lastly, and perhaps the most important consideration of all, it would afford the means of fortifying the young against future temptation. The probable career of a poor child affords subject for deep anxiety to those who know the trials and dangers to which so many of the poor are exposed. But if a few favourite hymns have become fixed in his memory, with the appropriate and pleasing tunes to which he has been accustomed to sing them, can their effect be small, to check him in the paths of sin, and to strengthen his feelings of contrition; or if, unhappily, he should have lost himself in a career of profligacy, to prevent conscience from slumbering amidst his guilt, and, when he feels the misery which guilt must produce, to carry back his thoughts to the innocent and happy days of his boyhood?

These considerations of the uses to which hymns apply show how unsound is that principle, which would confine them to general subjects, and to specific addresses to the Deity. We sing to the praise and glory of God; and God is honoured, not by the mere words we utter, but by the humble contrition, the grateful dependence, the holy joy, which he

Appendix to Charge, 1820-quoted in CHRISTIAN REMEMBRANCER, April, 1821, p. 210.

reads in our hearts. Where such feelings are awakened and strengthened by a hymn, that hymn, though its style should be that of narration, or reflection, or exhortation, is truly a hymn of praise. Every subject upon which a devotional feeling would naturally express itself in music, may properly be made the subject of a hymn; and if it be of general application, the hymn will be congregational. It is not necessary that hymns should be confined to praise, or addressed directly to the Deity; they may include prayer, like the Te Deum, and the hymn at the end of the Communion Service; they may speak the praise of God without being addressed to him, like the Magnificat and the Thanksgiving Psalm in the office for the churching of women; they may consist in mutual exhortation to praise him, like the 95th and 100th Psalms; they may be in the singular number, like the last clause in the Te Deum; and indeed, wherever they involve the personal application of general truths and general duties, such as considerations connected with repentance, death, &c., the singular will be much more forcible.

On the other hand, hymns, must not be cold, didactic expositions of truth, addressed only to the understanding, and without any thing to awaken and raise the affections; they should not be mere versifications of passages in the Bible, or of prayers in the Liturgy. What, indeed, can be more absurd than to put the collects into stiff cramped verse, and call them hymns? An exception, however, may be allowed, when the highly poetic character of the original evidently designates it as a proper subject for a melody: such is our beautiful Christmas hymn-" When shepherds watch'd their flocks by night." They should never consist of those cold, general recognitions of God's power and greatness, which a deist or a pagan might sing; but should always acknowledge him as our Creator, Redeemer, and Judge.

When hymns refer to high religious attainments, it should always be as objects to be appreciated and desired, but never as already enjoyed. How few persons in any congregation could dare to appeal to God in the words of Doddridge!

Hast thou a lamb in all thy flock

I would disdain to feed;

Hast thou a foe, before whose face
I fear thy cause to plead?

Such expressions are far more likely to be arrogated by pharisaic ignorance and presumption than to be used by humble gratitude; and, at all events, a congregation ought not to be trapped into using language, which, to the majority, might be an appeal to God in support of a falsehood. *

Not many years ago, a gentleman who officiates as an occasional minister

Hymns differ from sacred poetry in being the simple expression of holy feelings, such as weak and sinful mortals may reverently utter in the presence of a holy and almighty God; not only do they exclude all the trickery of wordy declamation and florid ornament, but also whatever in the style or manner may divert attention from the sacred truths we recognise, and the glorious God we address. When we wor

ship God with the heart, we cannot dwell upon the prettinesses of literary taste.

The distinction between a congregational hymn, a personal hymn, and sacred poetry, will be shown best by example: a beautiful hymn of Cowper's may illustrate the two former.

Ob for a closer walk with God,

A calm and heav'nly frame,
A light to shine upon the road
That leads me to the Lamb!
Where is the blessedness I knew
When first I saw the Lord?
Where is the soul-refreshing view
Of Jesus, and his word?

What peaceful hours I then enjoy'd;
How sweet their mem'ry still!
But they have left an aching void
The world can never fill.

Return, O holy Dove; return,
Sweet messenger of rest!

I hate the sins that made thee mourn,
And drove thee from my breast.

The dearest idol I have known,
Whate'er that idol be,

Help me to tear it from thy throne,
And worship only thee.

So shall my walk be close with God;
Calm and serene my frame;

So purer light shall mark the road

That leads me to the Lamb.

The first and three last stanzas of this hymn may be used by every humble Christian who desires the comfort and help of the Holy Spirit : it belongs to a class, the most popular and effective of all, which are truly congregational, because they are universally personal. The same remark applies to Bishop Ken's morning and evening hymns, which are most effective in a congregation, because they may be sung with among a society of Nonconformists, gave out to his congregation Wesley's 68th hymn, and among other stanzas, the following:

"No foot of land do I possess,
No cottage in this wilderness-
A poor wayfaring man;

I lodge awhile in tents below,
Or gladly wander to and fro,
Till I my Canaan gain."

This poor houseless pilgrim had recently bought a villa and estate.

propriety by every individual. But the second and third stanzas of the hymn quoted could not be thus used, because they are suited only to a particular state of feeling.

Of sacred poetry, not adapted either for public or private worship, a better example cannot be afforded than Merrick's version of the 119th Psalm, and part of the last verse" I have gone astray like a lost sheep." No image can be more expressive; and how well it accords with the most fervent devotion, may be seen in the general confession which begins our service. But Merrick follows out the comparison tilk he loses sight of the object it should illustrate. His verses have great beauty, but never could make a hymn.

Thine eyes in me the sheep behold,

Whose feet have wander'd from the fold—

That guideless, helpless, strives in vain

To find its safe retreat again :

Now listens, if perchance its ear

The Shepherd's well-known voice may hear;

Now, as the tempests round it blow,

In plaintive accents vents its wo.

Before proceeding to explain the manner in which our selection has been prepared, it will be right to offer a few remarks on the books and writers who have supplied the chief part of the materials.

The Old Version is little more than the Psalms so arranged in measured lines as to enable them to carry tunes, but with little regard to correctness, either of accent or of rhyme. Its faithfulness to the original has been a subject of deserved praise; and whenever it attains in any degree to grace and accuracy of versification, it excels every other version; but independent of the generally harsh and irregular flow of its lines, it abounds with obsolete and prosaic expressions. Where it can be so recast as to remove the harshness, yet preserve the strength, it is excellent; but not many of the psalms, or even stanzas, can be used without great alteration. The 29th is very happy, and strikingly contrasts with its tame and drawling rival in the New Version.

Numerous stanzas are scattered through the New Version which are at least respectable, and the 34th and 139th Psalms, with parts of many others, are excellent; but the general execution is not to be commended. It sacrifices the vigour of the original by a loose and careless style, in which the lines are encumbered with words having no other use than to wedge them out to their due length: and it often enfeebles, and sometimes destroys the sense of the original, by changes of expression, and by frequent unwarranted interpolations, even of whole lines. Its diffuseness makes it very difficult to correct, for it commonly spreads over a couple of stanzas the matter which ought to have been compressed into one; indeed, it seems to have been hastily written, and published without due revision.

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