lines, occasionally uncouth; but, like a stately pile of architecture, severe and simple in design, it strikes less on the first view, than after deliberate examination, when its proportions become more graceful, its dimensions expand, and the mind itself grows greater in contemplating it.—There is a delightful hymu, page 134," Jerusalem, my happy home," &c. by an unknown hand; but the hymn itself ought never to be unknown, where there is a Church on earth training up candidates for the Church above. We must not violate the sanctity of this antepast of heaven, by quoting any fragment from it. Let the Christian himself, when his heart is most at home with God, when he is desiring "to depart and be with Christ, which is far better,"-let him then turn to this happy expression of his inmost feelings; for it is so meekly and unostentatiously adorned, that, in any other frame of mind, few readers would dwell long upon it.

From the Moravian hymn-book, sundry extracts have been made. Every denomination of Christians has a language peculiar to itself, or rather a peculiar dialect of the mother-tongue of all Christians, in which the most intelligible and acceptable conveyance of evangelical truths may be made to its own members. Now, to strangers, this is not only less touching and beautiful, but frequently awkward, and even offensive. Hymns, therefore, ought always to be judged with a proportionate allowance by persons of different communions; and it requires no great stretch of Christian charity to do this; it is only " allowing for the wind,” in calculating the course of an arrow, shot directly at the right mark, but falling short of it, from the archer himself neglecting to make that al

lowance in taking aim. No hymns need this indulgence so much as those of the Moravian Brethren, and none deserve it better; for there are none in which the apostolic determination, to "know nothing save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified," is more unre

mittingly realized. That hymn of this ancient church, page 276, "High on his everlasting throne," &c. though considerably abridged from the original, contains one of the most consistent allegories that can be found in verse, on the manner in which it has pleased God, by the ministry of the Gospel, to reclaim a lost world from the desolation which sin hath made. These few samples, out of many in this collection, are here cited to show, that hymns of the purest intrinsie worth, as well as high external embellishment, have been composed by humble men, whose names, though forgotten or cast out on earth, were written in heaven, where their glorified spirits may still be pursuing the occupation they loved below, in singing the new, the old, the everlasting "Song of Moses and the Lamb."

Of the following selection the Editor will only say, that he has endeavoured to present to the public, under four obvious and convenient heads, (though under each there are specimens which might be transferred to another division,) some of the best hymns of the best authors and collections within his knowledge. Nor can he doubt that, being grounded upon the Scriptures, which were written by inspiration of God, these human imitations of the divine originals will be found" profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all

good works." One of the most precious uses of the sacred oracles, is their infinite capability of personal application to the mind and the heart, the circumstances and duties of the Christian, in every state of life, in every frame of spirit. Words of comfort, warning, counsel, or rebuke, unconsciously treasured up in the memory, often come home to the soul in unexpected moments, with all the demonstration of revealed truth; nay, sometimes with a power of reality, as though a voice from the excellent Glory had uttered them aloud in our hearing, or the still, small whisper of the Spirit had spoken them to our very selves. These, then, are inestimable means of grace, especially in times of trial and affliction. Now, in a smaller measure, yet in a measure most encouraging and edifying, the words, thoughts, images of hymns, are frequently remembered with delight, and spontaneously adopted, as though they were our own, for prayer, meditation, thanksgiving, and every other purpose which, as Scripture auxiliaries, they are calculated to

answer.

Next to the consecration of the greatest talents to the glory of God who gave them, their employment in the service of man, created in the image of God, fallen from it, and needing restoration by a Saviour, is surely the best and noblest use to which they can be dedicated. Kings are the fountains of honour, and bestow a portion of their own dignity, without lessening it to themselves, in granting offices, titles, and insignia of their favour. It is the prerogative of genius to confer a measure of itself upon inferior intelligences. In reading the works of Milton, Bacon, and Newton, thoughts greater than the growth of our

in us.

own minds are transplanted into them, and feelings more profound, sublime, or comprehensive, are insinuated amidst our ordinary train; while, in the eloquence with which they are clothed, we learn a new language, worthy of the new ideas that are created Of how much pure and exalted enjoyment is he ignorant, who never entertained, as angels, the bright emanations of loftier intellects than his own? By habitual communion with superior spirits, we not only are enabled to think their thoughts, speak their dialects, feel their emotions, but our own thoughts are refined, our scanty language is enriched, our common feelings are elevated; and, though we may never attain their standard, yet, by keeping company with them, we shall rise above our own, as trees growing in the society of a forest, are said to draw each other up into shapely and stately proportion, while field and hedge-row stragglers, exposed to all weathers, never reach their full stature, luxuriance, or beauty. the composition of hymns, men of wealthier imaginations, and happier utterance, may furnish to others of susceptible hearts, the means of bodying forth their own conceptions, which would otherwise be a burden to their minds, or die in the birth, without the joy of deliverance. The most illiterate person, who understands his Bible, will easily understand the most elegant or emphatic expression of all the feelings which are common to all; and, instead of being passive under them, when they are excited at particular seasons, he will avail himself of the songs put into his mouth, and sing them with gladness and refreshment, as if they were his own. Then, though, like Milton's, his genius can ascend to the heaven of heavens, or,

In

like Shakespeare's, search out the secrets of Nature, through all her living combinations,-blessed is the bard who employs his resources thus; who, from the fulness of his own bosom, pours his divinest thoughts, in his selectest words, into the bosoms of his readers, and enables them to appropriate the rich communications to their personal exigencies, without robbing him, or hindering others from partaking of the same abundant fountain of human inspiration,—a fountain flowing, like the oil, at the command of the prophet, from one vessel into as many as could be borrowed, without exhausting the first, though the whole were filled. If he who pens these sentiments knows his own heart,-though it has deceived him too often to be trusted without jealousy, -he would rather be the anonymous author of a few hymns, which should thus become an imperishable inheritance to the people of God, than bequeath another epic poem to the world, which should rank his name with Homer, Virgil, and "our greater Milton."

After these strong words, but more especially after the freedom and severity which he has exercised in judging the performances of his predecessors, the Editor may offer, with many misgivings, the Hymns in the Fifth Part of the following collection, as his own. Tried by the standard which he has himself set up, every one of them would be found wanting. He might, perhaps, be able to assign reasons for the failure of each, independent of positive incapacity in himself;-but the judgment he leaves with his readers, to whom he humbly presents these glean