eight 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 prospect, and a bigger hope of much more service to the church. by the large improvements of this edition, if the Lord who dwells in Zion shall favour it with his continued blessing. Book I.-Collected from the Holy Scriptures. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy, &c. for thou wast slain, and hast redeemedus, &c. Rev. v. 9. Soliti essent (id est, Christiani) convenire, carmenque Christo quasi Deo dicer HYMN I. [С. М.] Plinius in Epist. A new song to the Lamb that was slain, 1 BEHOLD the glories of the Lamb 3 Those are the prayers of all the saints, 4 [Eternal Father, who shall look • He shall fulfil thy great decrees, • Now to the Lamb that once was slain, 7 Thou hast redeem'd our souls with blood • The worlds of nature and of grace HYMN II. [L. M.] The deity and humanity of Christ, John i. 1. 3, 14, and Col. i. 16. and Eph. iii. 9, 10. 1 ERE the blue heav'ns were stretch'd abroad, From everlasting was the Word, 3 Ere sin was born or Satan fell, He led the host of morning stars; (Thy generation who can tell, Or count the number of thy years?) 4 But lo, he leaves those heav'nly forms, 5 Mortals with joy behold his face, 6 Archangels leave their high abode, HYMN III. (S. M.] The nativity of Christ, Luke i. 30, &c 1 BEHOLD, the grace appears, 2 [The Lord the highest God, 3 O'er Jacob shall he reign 4 To bring the glorious news, 5 "Go, humble swains, said he, 6 With looks and hearts serene With God he was; the Word was God, And must divinely be ador'd. Go visit Christ your King:" And straight a flaming troop was seen: The shepherds heard them sing. 2 By his own pow'r were all things made; 7 "Glory to God on high! By him supported all things stand; And heav'nly peace on earth, He is the whole creation's head, Good-will to men, to angels joy, And angels fly at his command At the Redeemer's birth." HYMN V. (С. М.] Submission to afflictive providences, 1 NAKED as from the earth we came 2 The dear delights we here enjoy, 3 'Tis God that lifts our comforts high, Or sinks them in the grave, He gives, and (blessed be his name!) 4 Peace, all our angry passions then, • If smiling mercy crown our lives, HYMN VI. [С. М.] Triumph over death, Job xix. 25, 26, 27. 1 GREAT God, I own thy sentence just, And nature must decay; I yield my body to the dust, To dwell with fellow-clay. The trumpet of the gospel sounds 2 Ho! all ye hungry starving souls, 4 Eternal wisdom has prepar'd 4 Ho! ye that pant for living streams, 5 Rivers of love and mercy here 6 [Ye perishing and naked poor, 7 Come naked, and adorn your souls 8 Dear God! the treasures of thy love • The happy gates of gospel-grace 1 HOW honourable is the place Where we adoring stand, Zion, the glory of the earth, And beauty of the land! 2 Yet faith may triumph o'er the grave, 2 Bulwarks of mighty grace defend And trample on the tombs: My Jesus, my Redeemer lives, My God my Saviour comes. 3 The mighty conqu'ror shall appear And death, the last of all his foes, 4 Tho' greedy worms devour my skin, Then shall I see thy lovely face HYMN VII. [С. М.] The invitation of the gospel; or, spiritual food and cloathing, Is. lv.1, 2, &c. 1 LET ev'ry mortal ear attend, And ev'ry heart rejoice, The city where we dwell; The walls of strong salvation made, Defy th' assaults of hell. 3 Lift up the everlasting gates, The doors wide open fling; 4 Here shall you taste unmingled joys, 6 What tho' the rebels dwell on high, 7 On Babylon our feet shall tread, In that rejoicing hour; : The promises of the covenant of grace. 5 J IN vain we lavish out our lives, Come, and the Lord shall feed our souls 3 Our God will ev'ry want supply, 4 Come, andhe'll cleanse our spotted souls 5 [Our guilt shall vanish all away, 6 And lest pollution should o'erspread 7 Our heart, that flinty stubborn thing, • Or he can take the flint away, 9 There shall his sacred Spirit dwell, 10 Thus will he pour salvation down, HYMN X. [S. M.] The blessedness of gospel-times: or, the revelation of Christ to Jews and Gentiles. 6 How blessed are our eyes, The watchmen join their voice, Their Saviour and their God. HYMN XI. [L. M.] The humble enlightened, and carnal reason humbled: or, the sovereignty of grace, Luke x, 21, 22. 1 THERE was an hour when Christ re joic'd, And spoke his joy in words of praise; "Father, I thank thee, mighty God, Lordof the earth, and heav'ns, and seas. 2 I thank thy sov'reign pow'r and love, 3 But all this glory lies conceal'd 4 Father, 'tis thus, because thy will 5 There's none can knowthe Father right, 6 Then let our souls adore our God, HYMN XII. [C. M.] Free grace in revealing Christ, 1 JESUS the man of constant grief, 2 "Father, I thank thy wondrous love, 3 The myst'ries of redeeming grace 4 Thus doth the Lord of heav'n and earth HYMN XIII. [L. M.] 2 The virgin's promis'd Son is born; 8 [This infant is the mighty God, 4 The government of earth and seas Jesus the holy child shall sit HYMN XIV. [L. M.] The triumph of faith: or, Christ's unchangeable love, Rom. viii. 33, &c. 3 I can do all things, or can bear 5 So Samson when his hair was lost, HYMN XVI. [C. M.] Matt. xxi. 9. Luke xix. 39, 40. 1 HOSANNA to the royal Son 2 The root of David here we find, 3 Bless'd he that comes to wretched men With peaceful news from heav'n! Hosannas of the highest strain 1 WHO shall the Lord's elect condemn? 4 Let mortals ne'er refuse to take 'Tis God that justifies their souls, O'er all their sins divinely rolls. Who shall adjudge the saints to hell? 'Tis Christ that suffer'd in their stead; And the salvation to fulfil, Behold him rising from the dead. 3 He lives! he lives! and sits above, 4 Shall persecution, or distress, 5 Faith hath an overcoming pow'r, • Not all that men on earth can do, HYMN XV. [L. M.] Our own weakness, and Christ our strength, 2 Cor. xii. 7, 9, 10. 1 LET me but hear my Saviour say, Strength shall be equal to the day; Then I rejoice in deep distress, Leaning on all-sufficient grace. 2 I glory in infirmity, That Christ's own pow'r mayrest on me: When I am weak, then am I strong, Grace is my shield, and Christ my song. Th' Hosanna on their tongues, Lest rocks and stones should rise, and break Their silence into songs. HYMN XVII. [C. M.] Victory over death, 1 Cor. xv. 55, &c. 1 O FOR an overcoming faith To cheer my dying hours, Το triumph o'er the monster death, And all his frightful pow'rs! 2 Joyful, with all the strength I have, My quiv'ring lips should sing, "Where is thy boasted vict'ry, grave? And where the monster's sting? 3 If sin be pardon'd, I'm secure, 4 Now to the God of victory HYMN XVIII. [C. M.] Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, Rev. xiv. 13. 1 HEAR what the voice from heav's proclaims For all the pious dead, 2 They die in Jesus, and are bless'd: |