Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1835, by the Compiler, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts. PREFACE. THE subscriber offers to the public a collection of Hymns, which he has been preparing for several years. It cannot be said, that a new work of the kind is needed by the churches; this however, has been made with a view to the wants and feelings of the religious society which he serves, and may be acceptable to others, if there are any, whose taste resembles theirs. The writings of Watts and Doddridge, whose superiority to all others is generally admitted, form the basis of this collection. The subscriber has made no attempt to give the attraction of novelty to his work, since the best hymns are necessarily the most familiar. His object has been to provide, not; a book of devotional poetry to be read, but · hymns to be sung: to suit them to this purpose, he has abridged many and altered a few: but it will generally Ee found, that: what seem like changes, are in fact restorations of hymns to their original form. The subscriber claims no advantage for his work over the other valuable collections now in use, except the number and variety of hymns for the Lord's Supper. If it should be adopted by any religious societies, beside the one for which it was made, may it aid the spirit of devotion; but if it prove unsuited to this purpose, may it never usurp the place which another would more worthily fill. Springfield, Feb. 3, 1835. W. B. O. P. QUBUR |