vi

A second inducement to the undertaking was found in the kindness of the Lord Bishop of the Diocese, in consenting to revise the Selection, and thereby afford to the present volume the same recommendation which has been already extended to a publication of the same kind in the province of York.

The proportion of Psalms to other compositions is somewhat smaller than is usually exhibited in such volumes. This has arisen both from the difficulty of finding them in suitable versions, and because such as they may be found they are already in the hands of every congregation at the end of their Common Prayer-Books. A further reason is that many of those compositions which in other selections are entitled "Psalms," are here deprived of that appellation, because they do not adhere with sufficient faithfulness to the original to enable them to be considered as versions of Holy Scripture.

In the appendix, with some which escaped

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notice in printing, have been thrown together a few compositions of a more private nature, suitable for example for sacramental meetings between a pastor and his flock.

Brighstone Rectory, Isle of Wight,
June, 1832.

1.

PSALMS AND HYMNS.

MORNING HYMNS.

L.M.

1 AWAKE, my soul, and with the sun
Thy daily stage of duty run;
Shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise
To pay thy morning sacrifice.

2 Thy precious time mispent redeem,
Each present day thy last esteem;
Improve thy talent with due care,
For the great day thyself prepare.

3 Let all thy converse be sincere,
Thy conscience as the noon-day clear;
Think how all-seeing God thy ways,
And all thy secret thoughts surveys.

4 Wake and light up thyself my heart,
And with the angels bear thy part,
Who all night long, unwearied sing
High praises to th' eternal King.

B

I AWAKE, awake, ye heav'nly choir;
May your devotion us inspire;
That we like you our age may spend;
Like you may on our God attend.

2 May we like you, in God delight,
Have all day long our God in sight,
Perform like you, our Maker's will-
O may we never more do ill!

3 Lord, we our vows to thee renew;
Scatter our sins as morning dew;
Guard our first springs of thought and will,
And with thyself our spirits fill.

4 Direct, control, suggest, this day,
All we design, or do, or say;

That all our pow'rs, with all their might,
In thy sole glory may unite.

5 Praise God, &c.

3.

L.M.

1 GOD of the morning, at whose voice,
The cheerful sun makes haste to rise;
And like a giant doth rejoice,
To run his journey through the skies.
2 Oh! like the sun, may we fulfil
Th' appointed duties of the day;
With ready mind and active will,
March on and keep our heav'nly way.