AND Sand: Miller AND SOLD BY J. MATHEWS, NO. 18, STRAND; BYFIELD NO PREFACE. GOD is the God of truth, of holiness, and of elegance. Whoever, therefore, has the honour to compose, or to compile, any thing that may conftitute a part of his worfhip, fhould keep these three particulars conftantly in view. As we cannot pray without the exciting and enabling grace of the Holy Ghoft (Rom. viii. 26; Jude 20), so neither can we fing, fpiritually, acceptably, and profitably, without the prefence and infpiration of the fame condefcending and moft adorable perfon, (1 Cor. xiv. 15; Eph. v. 18, 19.) The reason is evident-For what is a pfalm or hymn, ftrictly taken, but prayer or praise in verfe? The original difference (if any specific difference there originally was), between pfalms and hymns, feems to have lain in this; that anciently a pfalm was fet to inftrumental mufic, and ufually accompanied by it at the time of finging. (Pfal. Ixxxi. 2.) A fimilar, or even the felfsame compofition, fimply fung, without the aid of mu JUN 25 19012 2 |