PREFACE. POETRY is a form of composition to which men are everywhere naturally led, and singing is, under certain circumstances, everywhere naturally adopted. Everything which appeals to the imagination and the heart encouThis is true of all religions. rages poetry. Sacred poetry, and its accompaniments of vocal and instrumental music, formed a prominent feature in the Jewish worship. Of this the Old Testament furnishes many proofs. Now the nature of vital religion is the same under the Gospel as it was under the Law; and it is as natural for Christians as for Jews to sing psalms and hymns in the services of the sanctuary; as much so, as to offer prayer and perform other acts of devotion. The example of our Lord, and the teaching of His Apostles, are sufficient authority for us; and we are led to believe that the highest form of worship-that of Heaven-mainly consists in the worship of praise. It is not in vain that the saved are represented as singing the song and sounding the harp of victory. The early Christians are known to have been "wont to sing hymns to Christ as God;" and various testimonies to this effect remain. Both Tertullian and Origen speak of the Psalms of Valentinus, who wrote about A.D. 120. Bardesanes the Syrian and Harmonius wrote hymns for worship; so did Ephraim the Syrian (A.D. 370), and others in the Eastern Churches, where the practice of Psalmody has never been lost. In the Western Churches it was different; and Augustine tells us of the then recent olms at Milan and at Cartha From this time the custom never ceased. The Reformers paid particular attention to the subject: Luther led the way, and the Lutherans possess a fine body of hymns and tunes. Calvin followed in the wake of Luther, and advocated the practice of singing the praises of God. Metrical versions of the Psalms were produced in France, Holland, England, and other countries; as well as translations of ancient hymns and anthems, besides original compositions. But, after all, Protestants were long far behind the Romanists in this particular, and among Protestants, perhaps the lowest place must be assigned to our own countrymen-among them, the Puritans and the Nonconformists were least distinguished. Any one may easily satisfy himself respecting the character of the music and measures which then prevailed. Taste seems to have sunk to the lowest ebb, if, indeed it existed at all. The most doggrei rhymes were most dolefully sung, and "given out one line at a time. The 15th chapter of Exodus, the 32nd of Deuteronomy, and even Solomon's Song, as well as the Psalms of David and other poetical parts of Scripture, were racked into metre and rhyme, and in the baldest and most literal versions were given to the people to sing. Much of all this was neither fitted nor meant to be sung at all; part of it might have done for an assembly of Jews, and a portion was proper for Christians. Yet they must sing all this or none. Those who could, "spiritualized" it as they went on; those who could not, either took it as it was or sung nothing. Perhaps these last were wisest. Out of this grew up two parties, one of which would only sing the inspired or spontaneous utterances of the mind. This singing "with the spirit" was, unfortunately, seldom or never connected with singing "with the understanding." It was fatal to congregational singing, and it compelled the whole audience to endure the nonsense which was sung by one. The other party objected on principle to all singing in public worship. This opinion was a mistaken one, but it was a natural revulsion from the practice of singing Judaism, or absurdity, as the case might be. Some poems, more rich in sentiment and thought than beauty of expression, and often both quaint and cum |