PREFACE.
1. For many years I have been importuned to publish such a hymn- book as might be generally used in all our congregations throughout Great Britain and Ireland. I have hitherto withstood the importunity, as I believed such a publication was needless, considering the various hymnbooks which my brother and I have published within these forty years last past; so that it may be doubted whether any religious community in the world has a greater variety of them.
2. But it has been answered," Such a publication is highly needful upon this very account: for the greater part of the people being poor, are not able to purchase so many books; and those that have purchased them are, as it were, bewildered in the immense variety. A proper Collection of Hymns for general use, carefully made out of all these books, is therefore still wanting; and one comprised in so moderate a compass, as to be neither cumbersome nor expensive."
3. It has been replied," You have such a Collection already,( entitled ' Hymns and Spiritual Songs,') which I extracted several years ago from a variety of hymn- books." But it is objected," This is in the other extreme: it is far too small. It does not, it cannot, in so narrow a compass, contain variety enough; not so much as we want, among whom singing makes so considerable a part of the public service. What we want is a Collection not too large, that it may be cheap and portable; nor too small, that it may contain a sufficient variety for all ordinary occasions."
4. Such a Hymn- book you have now before you. It is not so large as to be either cumbersome or expensive; and it is large enough to contain such a variety of hymns as will not soon be worn threadbare. It is large enough to contain all the important truths of our most holy religion, whether speculative or practical; yea, to illustrate them all, and to prove them both