viii

PREFACE.

to vindicate the Church's claims to their homage and affection; but an earnest, impressive, and devotional worship they can understand; it is an argument which lies quite within their comprehension and feeling. Let the services of the Church be as distinguished by their warmth and vitality as they are by their majesty; let every one lift up his voice in the congregational song and response, and not be afraid; and this, united with the other influences of faithful teaching from the pulpit and diligent visitation in the parish, will, with God's blessing, do more to recover and attach the alienated masses of our population to her courts, than a thousand arguments which appeal merely to the under­standing or to hereditary prepossessions. It is gratifying to mark the recent efforts for the promotion of pure psalmody; and I hope yet to hear the " common tune" resounding through the lofty aisles of the Cathedral, uplifted by the worshippers of our parochial Churches with the grand and consonous unity of former days, and animating the service of every family altar. Above all do I earnestly pray that God may pour the spirit of praise upon our con­gregations in its richest affluence. This alone, like the incense to the fire of the altar, communicates the sacred odour and distinguishes it from the common element; this alone qualifies for the psalmody of the Church triumphant; and this alone makes the psalmody of earth, however sweet the confluence of sounds, " Praise is comely FOR THE UPRIGHT." rise an acceptable offering to God.

WILLIAM MERCER.

Leavy Greave, Sheffield.

Dec. 10, 1854.

* Cosin, Bishop of Durham, says," he never forbade singing the metre psalms in the Cathedral, but used to sing them himself with the people at morning prayer." Master Thomas Mace's state­ment respecting the super- excellency of the style in which psalms were sung by immense congrega­tions in York Minster, in 1644, is well known. The fact also is evident from the title of Raven­croft's volume, from Clifford's collection of works" usually sung in all Cathedrals and Collegiate Choirs,"( 1664.)

+" Immediately," says Bishop Jewell, in a letter to Peter Martyr, 1560," not only the Churches in the neighbourhood, but in the towns far distant, began to vie with each other in the same prac­tice. You may now sometimes see at St. Paul's Cross, after the service, 6000 people, old and " Three or four thousand singing young, of both sexes, all singing together and praising God." at a time in a Church of this city is but a trifle," says Roger Ascham, in a letter from Augsburg, dated 14th May, 1551.

Hawkins, in his history, mentions that" the time is hardly beyond the reach of some persons living when psalmody was considered a delightful exercise," and that" a passenger on a Sunday evening, from St. Paul's to Aldgate, would have heard the families in most houses in his way occu­pied in singing psalms."

SECOND PREFACE.

IT has been suggested to me by individuals whose opinion I felt to be entitled to all deference, that in the previous edition of this Hymn- Book some of the Church's seasons, and especially that of Lent, were but inadequately represented, whilst some of its occasional offices were altogether unprovided for. The sugges­tion was accompanied by a kind intimation, that the addition of 100 Hymns would make the book complete, and all that they could desire.