of the Spirit of God, he denounces against all who love not the Lord Jesus?* Search the Scriptures, if you really think that in them you have eternal life.† If, indeed, you could prove them to be cunningly devised fables,‡ you might neglect them without danger; but if the Scriptures are true, there is a day coming when God shall judge the world.† I need not appeal to Scripture to convince you that, whatever your situation in life is, you must leave it, and experience a moment when the pleasures or honours of this world will afford you no comfort; but, if the Scriptures are true, you must then appear before the judgmentseat of Christ; you must stand either at the right hand or the left. Important alternative! For to those on the left hand the King will say, Depart from me ye cursed !'T If hitherto, while you have professed his name, you have had your heart filled with enmity against his doctrine and his people; if you have accounted his wisdom foolishness, and reproached the operations of his Spirit as enthusiasm and madness; it is to be hoped you have done it through ignorance, you knew not what you did ;** there is then forgiveness with him; as yet he is upon a throne of grace. May the Spirit of God lead you to him before he takes his seat upon the throne of judgment! otherwise you are lost for ever. My heart's desire and prayer to God for my readers, will be, that not one of them may fall under that awful sentence, 'Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish! for I work a work in your days, which you shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.' * 1 Cor. xvi. 22. v. 10. Matt. xxv. 41. Acts xvii. 31. || 2 Cor. John v. 39. 2 Pet. i. 16. OLNEY HYMNS, IN THREE BOOKS. BOOK I. ON SELECT TEXTS OF SCRIPTURE. BOOK II. ON OCCASIONAL SUBJECTS. BOOK III. ON THE PROGRESS AND CHANGES OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE. -Cantabitis, Arcades, inquit, Montibus hæc vestris: soli cantare periti Arcades. O mihi tum quam molliter ossa quiescant, Vestra meos olim si fistula dicat amores! VIRGIL, ECL. X. 31. And they sung as it were a new song before the throne :-and no man could learn that song, but the-redeemed from the earth. REV. xiv. 3. As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.-2 COR. vi. 10. PREFACE. COPIES of a few of these Hymns have already appeared in periodical publications, and in some recent collections. I have observed one or two of them attributed to persons who certainly had no concern in them, but as transcribers. All that have been at different times parted with in manuscript are included in the present volume; and (if the information were of any great importance) the public may be assured, that the whole number were composed by two persons only. The original design would not admit of any other association. A desire of promoting the faith and comfort of sincere Christians, though the principal, was not the only motive to this undertaking. It was likewise intended as a monument to perpetuate the remembrance of an intimate and endeared friendship. With this pleasing view, I entered upon my part, which would have been smaller than it is, and the book would have appeared much sooner, and in a very different form, if the wise, though mysterious, providence of God had not seen fit to cross my wishes. We had not proceeded far upon our proposed plan before my dear friend was prevented, by a long and affecting indisposition, from affording me any further assistance. My grief and disappointment were great; I hung my harp upon the willows, and for some time thought myself determined to proceed no further without him. Yet my mind was afterwards led to resume the service. My progress in it, amidst a variety of other engagements, has been slow; yet, in a course of years, the Hymns amounted to a considerable number. And my deference to the judgment and desires of others, has at length overcome the reluctance I long felt to see them in print while I had so few of my friend's Hymns to insert in the collection. Though it is possible a good judge of composition might be able to distinguish those which are his, I have thought it proper to preclude a misapplication, by prefixing the letter C to each of them. For the rest I must be responsible. There is a style and manner suited to the composition of hymns, which may be more successfully, or at least more easily, attained by a versifier, than by a poet. They should be Hymns, not Odes, if designed for public worship, and for the use of plain people. Perspicuity, simplicity, |