Thy land to favour graciously

The Lord will come, and not be slow

'Tis folly all; let me no more be told

Almighty Former of creation's plan

'Tis folly all; let me no more be told
Infinite God! thou great unrivalled One
Unto the Lamb of God

Lord! bring me to resign

What sounds of war are heard around
While sounds of war are heard around

Why do the deeds of happier men
God of my life and all my powers

Ye saints and servants of the Lord

Ye that delight to serve the Lord

Yes, Lord! my joyful thanks to thee
Great God! my joyful thanks to thee

Yes, Lord! thy children may depend
O God! on thee we all depend

NOTE ON THE METRE-MARKS IN THIS

VOLUME.

It is usual to designate all metres that are neither 'Long,' 'Common,' nor 'Short,' by the general title 'Proper' or 'Peculiar;' which thus becomes the name of so miscellaneous a class of verses, that the appearance of the letters P. M. at the commencement of a hymn gives no real information, and affords no guidance in the selection of a tune. An attempt is sometimes made to remedy this inconvenience, by counting and stating the number of syllables in each line of a stanza. Thus the hymn beginning,

Father of our feeble race,

is described, in regard to its structure, as 7s, because it has 7 syllables in a line. It is evident, however, that this description does not adequately define the metre: since it equally applies to such lines as the following, the rhythmical movement of which is of a kind altogether different and even opposite;

Receive Messiah gladly.

How little precision can be attained by this mode of syllabic classification, will appear from the consideration, that it would arrange under the same head of 8s the two following hymns (89. 281.), which could not possibly be sung to the same tune, Blessed be thy name for ever;

and

When Israel of the Lord beloved.

The difference between these is obviously not in the number of syllables, but in the accentuation of them: in the former line, the stress of enunciation being thrown upon the odd syllables; in the other, on the even ones. By taking the syllables in pairs, instead of singly, and distinguishing between a pair which has its first, and one which has its second, syllable accented, an easy method of describing the principal Peculiar Metres presents itself. Borrowing the terms already in common use for this

NOTE ON THE METRE-MARKS IN THIS VOLUME.

xli

purpose, we may call the former of these pairs (or feet) a Trochee; the latter, an Iamb. Thus the line

Bléssed | bé thy | náme for | éver |

consists of 4 trochees; and the line

When I'srael of the Lord | beloved |

consists of 4 iambs. In like manner, the line Fáther óf our | feéble | ráce

consists of 3 trochees; while the line

Recéive Messíah gládly

consists of 3 iambs.

Though occasionally the same piece of poetry contains both these kinds of feet (as hymns 5. 469.), it is much more usual to adhere to one of them throughout. Should the lines in such case be all of the same length, the metre is at once defined by stating the kind of foot, and the number of feet, in the line. Thus, using the initial I. for Iamb. and T. for Trochee, we describe the metre of Addison's hymn

The Lord my pasture shall prepare

as being 4 I., i. e. composed in each line of four iambs; and that of the hymn

Come, said Jesus' sacred voice

as being 3 T., i. e. composed in each line of three trochees and a half.

Frequently, however, a different length is chosen for the alternate lines. In this case, the number of feet in the odd lines may be registered on the left hand of the metrical letter (T. or I.); that in the even lines on the right; thus the hymn (No. 43.)

Far from mortal cares retreating,
Sordid hopes and fond desires,
Here our willing footsteps meeting,
Every heart to heaven aspires:
From the fount of glory beaming,
Light celestial cheers our eyes;
Mercy from above proclaiming,

Peace and pardon from the skies

has its metre described by the form 4 T. 3; denoting that the first, third, fifth, &c. lines have 4 Trochees; the second, fourth sixth, &c. have 31. And the hymn (No. 113.)

C

xlii

NOTE ON THE METRE-MARKS IN THIS VOLUME.

The heavens declare his glory,

Their Maker's skill, the skies:
Each day repeats the story,

And night to night replies.

Their silent proclamation

Throughout the earth is heard;
The record of creation,

The page of nature's word

is headed 3 I. 3.; to indicate that all the lines are composed of Iambs, the first, third, &c. having 3; the second, fourth, &c. only 3.

Sometimes a whole groupe of similarly constituted and equal lines is followed by another differing in length from the former; as in the stanza (hymn 258.)

Mark the soft-falling snow,

And the diffusive rain;

To heaven from whence they fall
They turn not back again,

But water earth through every pore,
And call forth all her secret store :

in which the first four lines consist each of three Iambs, and the last two of four. This may be expressed by the form 4. 3 I. 2. 4; that is four lines of three Iambs, followed by two of four.

Occasionally a rhythmical series is finished, and returns again, within the limits of the same stanza; thus the latter half of the following verse is merely a repetition of the metre which closes with the third line; (No. 128.)

The mighty God who rolls the spheres,
And storm and fire and hail prepares,
And guides this vast machine ;—
His powerful hand our life sustains,
And scatters all those joys and pains
That fill this chequered scene.

In this case, the metre of the three first lines having been defined as 2. 4 I. 1. 3, the addition of the letter D. (double) is sufficient to complete the description of the stanza.

This system of notation is applied in the present volume to all hymns of simple and regular structure; and the letters P.M. are resorted to only in the case of metres, which either contain both kinds of feet, or are of too complicated a kind to admit of compendious description.

HYMNS.