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life, I have changed some of these typical blessings for grace, glory, and life eternal, which are brought to light by the gospel, and promised in the New Testament: and I am fully satisfied, that more honour is done to our blessed Saviour, by speaking his name, his graces, and actions, in his own language, according to the brighter discoveries he hath now made, than by going back again to the Jewish forms of worship, and the language of types and figures.-All men will confess this is just and necessary in preaching and praying, and I cannot find a reason why we should not sing praises also in a manner agreeable to the present and more glorious dispensation. No man can be persuaded, that to read a sermon of the royal preacher out of the book of Ecclesiastes, or a prayer out of Ezra or Daniel, is so edifying to a Christian church (though they were inspired) as a well composed prayer or sermon delivered in the usual language of the gospel of Christ. And why should the very words of the sweet-singer of Israel be esteemed so necessary to Christian psalmody, and the Jewish style so much preferable to the Evangelical in our religious songs of praise.

Now, since it appears so plain the Hebrew Psalter is very improper to be the precise matter and style of our songs in a Christian church; and since there is very good reason to believe that it is left us not only as a most valuable part of the word of God, for our faith and practice, but as an admirable and divine pattern of spiritual songs and hymns under the gospel, I have chosen rather to imitate than to translate and thus to compose a Psalm-Book for Christians, after the manner of the Jewish Psalter.

If I could be persuaded that nothing ought to be sung in worship but what was of immediate inspiration from God, surely I would recommend anthems only; namely, the Psalms themselves, as we read them in the Bible, set to music as they are sung by choristers in our cathedral churches, for these are nearest to the words of inspiration ; and we must depart far from those words if we turn them into rhyme and metre of any sort. And upon the foot of this argument, even the Scotch version, which has been so much commended for its approach to the original, would be unlawful as well as others.

But since I believe that any divine sentence, or Christian verse, agreeable to scripture, may be sung tho' it be composed by men uninspired, I have not been so curious and exact in striving every-where to express the ancient sense and meaning of David; but have rather

expressed myself as I may suppose David would have done had he lived in the days of Christianity: and, by this means, perhaps, I have sometimes hit upon the true intent of the spirit of God in those verses, farther and clearer than David himself could ever discover; as St. Peter encourages me to hope, 1 Peter i. 11, 13. where he acknowledges that the ancient Prophets who foretold of the grace that should come to us, were, in some measure, ignorant of this great salvation; for though they testified of the sufferings of Christ and his glory, yet they were forced to search and inquire after the meaning of what they spake or wrote. In several other places, I hope my reader will find a natural exposition of many a dark and doubtful text, and some new beauties and connexions of thought discovered in the Jewish poet, though not in the language of a Jew. In all Places I have kept my grand design in view; and that is, to teach my author to speak like a Christian. For why should I now address God my Saviour in a song, with burnt-sacrifices of fatlings, and with the fat of rams? why should I pray to be sprinkled with hyssop, or recur to the blood of bullocks and goats? Why should I bind my sacrifice with cords to the horns of an altar, or sing the praises of God to high sounding cymbals, when the gospel has shown me a nobler atonement for sin, and appointed a purer and more spiritual worship? why must I join with David in his legal or prophetic language to curse my enemies, when my Saviour, in his sermons, has taught me to love and bless them? why may not a Christian omit all those passages of the Jewish psalmist that tend to fill the mind with overwhelming sorrows, despairing thoughts, or bitter personal resentments; none of which are well suited to the spirit of Christianity, which is a dispensation of hope, and joy, and love? what need is there that I should wrap up the shining honours of my Redeemer in the dark and shadowy language of a religion that is now for ever abolished; especially when Christians are so vehemently warned, in the epistles of St. Paul, against a judaizing spirit, in their worship as well as doctrine? And what fault can there be in enlarging a little on the more useful subJects in the style of the gospel, where the psalm gives any occasion, since the whole religion of the Jews is censured often in the New Testament as a defective and imperfect thing?

Though I have aimed to provide for a variety of affairs in the Christian life, by the different metres, paraphrases, and divisions of the psalms (of which I shall speak particularly) yet, after all, there are a great many circumstances that attend common Christians, which cannot be agreeably expressed by any paraphrase on the words of

David; and for these I have endeavoured to provide in my Book of Hymns, that Christians might have something to say in divine worship, answerable to most or all their occasions. In the Preface to that book, I have shown the insufficiency of the common versions of the Psalms, and given further reasons for my present attempt.

I am not so vain as to expect that the few short hints I have mentioned in that preface, or in this, should be sufficient to justify my performance in the judgment of all meu, nor to convince and satisfy those who have long maintained different sentiments. All the favour therefore that I desire of my readers is this, that they would not censure this work till they have read my Discourse of Psalmody which I hope will shortly be published; but let them read it with serious attention, and bring with them a generous and sincere soul, ready to be convinced, and to receive truth wheresoever it can be found. In that treatise I have given a large and particular account how the Psalms of Jewish composure ought to be translated for Christian worship; and justified the rules I lay down by such reasons as seem to carry in them most plentiful evidence, and a fair conviction.

If I might presume so much, I would intreat them also to forget their younger prejudices for a season, so far as to make a few experiments of these songs, and try whether they are not suited, through divine grace, to kindle in them a fire of zeal and love, and to exalt the willing soul to an evangelic temper of joy and praise. And if they shall find by sweet experience, any devout affections raised, and a holy frame of mind awakened within them by these attempts of Christian psalmody, I persuade myself, that I shall receive their thanks, and be assisted by their prayers towards the recovery of my health, and my public labours in the church of Christ. Whatsoever sentiments they had formerly entertained, yet surely they will not suffer their old and doubtful opinions to prevail against their own inward sensations of piety and religious joy.

Before I conclude, I must add a few things concerning my division of the psalms, and my manner of versifying.*

These subjects occupy, in the early editions, several pages, but owing to the complete establishment of the author's reputation they have probably for near a century been esteemed unnecessary apologies or tedious explanations. They are therefore amitted in this edition, and the next paragraph commences the anthor's beautiful conclusion.-ED.

I must confess I have never yet seen any version, or paraphrase of the Psalms, in their own Jewish sense, so perfect as to discourage all further attempts. But whoever undertakes the noble work, let him bring with him a soul devoted to piety, an exalted genius, and withal a studious application: for David's harp abhors a profane finger, and disdains to answer to an unskilful or a careless touch. A meaner pen may imitate at a distance, but a complete translation, or a just paraphrase, demands a rich treasury of diction, an exalted fancy, a quick taste of devout passion, together with judgment strict and severe to retrench every luxuriant line, and to maintain a religious sovereignty over the whole work. Thus the Psalmist of Israel might arise in Great Britain in all his Hebrew glory, and entertain the more knowing and polite Christians of our age. But still I am bold to maintain the great principle on which my present work is founded; and that is, that if the brightest genius on earth, or an angel from heaven should translate David and keep close to the sense and style of the inspired Author, we should only obtain thereby a bright or heavenly copy of the devotions of the Jewish king; but it could never make the fittest psalm-book for a Christian people.

It was not my design to exalt myself to the rank and glory of poets; but I was ambitious to be a servant to the churches, and a helper to the joy of the meanest Christian. Though there are many gone before me who have taught the Hebrew psalmist to speak English, yet I think I may assume this pleasure of being the first who hath brought down the Royal Author into the common affairs of the Christian life, and fed the psalmist of Israel into the church of Christ without any thing of a Jew about him. And whensoever there shall appear any Paraphrase of the Book of Psalms that retains more of the savour of David's piety, or discovers more of the style and spirit of the gospel, with a superior dignity of verse, and yet the lines as easy and flowing, and the sense and language as level to the lowest capacity, I shall congratulate the world, and consent to say, "Let this attempt of mine be buried in silence."

Till such a work arise, I must attend these Evangelic Songs (which have been the labour of so many years) with a devout wish.May that God, who has favoured me with life and capacity to finish this work for the service of his churches, after so many years of tire

some sickness and confinement, accept this humble offering from a thankful heart. May the Lord, who dwelt of old amidst the praises of Israel, encourage and bless this essay to assist Christians in the work of praise! and may his churches exalt him here on earth in the language of his gospel, and his grace, till they shall be called up to heaven, and the noble society above! There David and Asaph have changed their ancient style, and the song of Moses and of the Lamb are one. There the Jews join with the nations to exalt their God and Redeemer in the language of angels, and in the strains of complete glory. Amen.

The Doctor's long Preface is, in the original Editions, followed by an Advertisement which also occupies nearly four pages. The subjects are on finding a Psalm;"-" on naming a Psalm;"-" on dividing a Psalm;"-"on the manner of singing,”—and "an account of the various measures of the verse fitted to the tunes of the old Psalm Book." These subjects, by the great improvements in Psalmody, have long since become wholly uninteresting; the first paragraph of this advertisement however breathes so much of the pious Doctor's desire to have his works useful, and contains such practical truths, that the Editor could not consent to leave it out. It is as follows:-ED.

ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READERS.

THE chief design of this work was to improve psalmody, or religious singing, and to encourage the frequent practice of it in public assemblies and private families, with more honour and delight; yet the author hopes the reading of it may also entertain in the parlour and the closet, with devout pleasure and holy meditations. Therefore he would request his readers, at proper seasons, to peruse it through, and among three hundred and forty sacred hymns they may find out several that suit their own case and temper, or the circumstances of their families and friends; they may teach their children such as are proper for their age, and by treasuring them in their memory they may be furnished for pious retirement, ar may entertain their friends with holy melody.

December 1st, 1718.