PARTLY COLLECTED, AND PARTLY ORIGINAL, DESIGNED AS A SUPPLEMENT TO DR. WATTS PSALMS AND HYMNS. BY WILLIAM BENGO COLLYER, D. D. Λαλάντες ἑαυτοῖς Ψαλμοῖς, καὶ Ὕμνοις, PAUL. Assembled men, to the deep organ join THOMSON. LONDON: PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR; PUBLISHED BY LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, PREFACE. THE following volume of Hymns is sub mitted to the Public, in consequence of the earnest representations of very many to whose judgment I cannot but pay deference, that it is a desirable work as a supplement to the inimitable productions of Dr. Watts. I had at first intended to prepare for my own congregation a selection of hymns, and to present to them some original compositions which they had sung after the discussion of particular subjects, and which they had condescended to approve: but when it was suggested to me, that the work might appear with more advantage as a general publication, and when some congregations had enforced private judgment, by promising to adopt these compositions, I enlarged my original plan, and endeavoured to render the voJume worthy the place it professes to occupy, as an appendage to psalms and hymns which have the suffrage of the great and the good of every denomination. In making this statement, my intention is candidly to develop the principles upon which this work was undertaken; and totally to disclaim those imputations of rivalry which may, and probably will, be urged against me. Many have contributed, and contributed well, to the enlargement of the praises of Zion; and while I rejoice in their success, I feel perwaded, from a knowledge of their charac ter, that they will not be displeased with me, for casting my mite into the treasury. It remains only that I should' explain my plan, and attempt to meet some objections which appear to lie against it. As to my plan. I have been swayed by the following considerations: 1. I have attempted to give a greater compass to this part of our devotional exercises, both as to the number of the hymns, and the variety of the metres, than has yet been effected. The hymns consist of nearly one thousand. 2. I have endeavoured to blend dignity and simplicity in the compositions. I wished to produce a volume that, night be indeed supplementary to Dr. Watts. For this purpose, I consulted more than eighty volumes of the English poets, before I examined collections and original composi tions, as hymns. Nearly four hundred of these hymns have either been extracted from larger poetical compositions, or are not used as hymns-these, at least as to use, will be new. I have also been favoured with a variety of (in my estimation) very superior pieces, which have never before been published. These are arranged under the head, ORIGINALS, 3. Lhave wished to introduce a greater variety of hymns on particular texts-ou specific subjects-and on public occasions than has hitherto been attempted. This is the first use of a supplement. 4. My reason for arranging the hymns under the title of their respective au thors, rather than according to the subject, was-that every man has his peculiar style of composition-and I meant to present to the public, in one volume, the beauties and uses of many. In the pro secution of my plan, it has happened to me, as it must to all finite beings, that I have partly succeeded and partly failed. After having acted upon the principlewhich I had proposed to myself, I discovered that I had overlooked certain beautiful effusions, which I could not consent to omit; and these are superadded under the title of ADDITIONAL, from the various authors who had been examined; the volume having been partly printed off, I could not do otherwise than thus class them, although it destroyed the original arrangement in part, without cancelling the whole which had been thus completed-a measure which must have exposed me to an enormous and, I think, an unnecessary expense. a Such, then, has been my plan. I fear the greater difficulty remains to me, to obviate those objections which suggest themselves to my own mind; and which, with others not apparent to me, will too probably operate with considerable force on those, who feel less interest in this laborious work than myself. 1. The bulk of the volume is exceptionable. This has, indeed, been increased beyond my original intention. A second edition may obviate this objection, by the adoption of a thinner paper. 2. The elevation of some of the compositions may appear too great for common use. The answer to this objection is-that amidst such variety, enough may be selected to answer every purpose. Six hundred hymns may be found sufficiently simple for public worship; allowing that four court the graces of poetry, and avail themselves of the aid of imagination. Some of these are, also, intended for pris |