a the best Authors, with Variations

and Additions.

BY JEREMY BELKNAP, D..

THIRD EDITION, WITH IMPROVEMOST

Public, according to cã of Congroise

PRINTED AT BOSTON,
For THOMAS ESPANDREWS and D. VEST,

[PROPRIETORS of the Work.]
Sold by them at their respective Bookstores, audly the

DR. Johnson hath observed cor.cerning de

votional poetry, that “the fancity of the
matter rejects the ornaments of figurative diction."
Inferior subjects may be heightened by the charms of
rhetoric, but this is too sublime to receive any decort-
tion from human eloquence; and we often debase it.
by making the attempt.
Dr. WATTS, in one of his hymns, hath faid,

“ Join all the names of love and power
That ever men or angels bore;
All are too mean to speak his worth,

Or fet EMANUEL's glory forth."
ret, such was the imperfection of one of the wel
of men, that we frequently find in his divine penis,
epithets and allusions taken froin “ mortalaties,
and applied to the Saviour, with a license dilgufling
to the spirit of devotion. It has been my clied to avoid
these familiarities; and either to change 6r. omit
fuch epithets and allusions.

The names of the authors from whom this filtition is made, are subjoined to each pja!ın or b;mn, excepting when they are unknown, or have required concealment. Most of these names are foam.drar o the readers of poetry; but there is one, to whoir ! om largely indebted for forne of the moji degant of these productions, who is but little known in this Rountry', and of whom I conceive the soilowing ac. count will be acceptable to every reader.

It is humbly apprehended, that a grateful and affectionate address to the exalted Saviour of mankind, or a hymn in honour of the Eternal Spirit, cannot be disagreeable to the mind of God. To ftigmatize such an act of devotion with the name of idolatry, is (to say the least ) an abuse of language. It cannot be juftly charged with derogating from the glory due to the ONE God and Father of all, because he is the ultimate object of the honour which is given to his Son and to his Spirit.

In this selection, those Christians who do not foruple to sing praises to their Redeemer and Sančšifier, will find materials for such a sublime enjoyment ; whilst others, whosé tenderness of conscience may oblige them to confine their addresses to the Father only, will find no deficiency of matter suited to their idea of "the chaste and awful spirit of devotion."

Boston, May 10, 1795

N. B. The characters denoting the foarp or fint key, are prefixed to each psalnı or bymi, ai my request

, by the Rev. Dr. Morse, of Charliftown.