HYMN BOOK: COMPRISING A GREAT VARIETY OF SACRED EFFUSIONS, ORIGINAL AND SELECTED; SUITABLE TO THE LIVELIER AS WELL AS GRAVER BY GEORGE ROGERS. CINCINNATI: PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY R. P. BROOKS, Walnut Street, between Third and Fourth. Third Edition. BV 460 '66 Entered according to the act of Congress, in the year 1842, by GEORGE ROGERS, in the Clerk's office of the District Court of the United States, in and for the District of Ohio. PREFACE. wwww It was an aim with the undersigned, in compiling this book, to make it embrace all the really good effusions of this kind, obtainable from every source; he may, in the judgment of some, not only have failed of that end, but have admitted many pieces of very indifferent merit. Great allowance must always be made for a diversity of tastes in these matters; and, perhaps, after all his care, several hymns may have found admission, which, on a close examination, he himself would not quite approve, while others may have been excluIded which he would now be willing to have admitted. All this is very possible; he only did the best he could, and his best, in any department of mental labor, is quite wide of perfection. In another aim, and one of higher importance than the above-mentioned, he hopes to have succeeded more to the satisfaction of all concerned, viz., in that of making his book, throughout, consistent with the good sense, and religious sentiments, of the denomination for whose use it is more especially designed. That this is an aim of no very easy accomplishment he has fully experienced, and he is therefore the more disposed to excuse the failures in this respect, which are exhibited in the several previous compilations of hymns for the use of Universalists, and to thank their compilers, (the Streeters, Hosea Ballou, 2nd, and A. C. Thomas, in particular,) for the much they did toward the fulfilment of this object, by their judicious alterations of many of their selected hymns, whereby the labor of the present compilation was materially lessened. Much, nevertheless, very much, remained to be done in the way af re-mentioned, and there was no labor connected with his undertaking, which the undersigned found to be at once so difficult and so delicate-delicate, because he experienced a sincere repugnance at altering hymns that in other respects were really excellent, especially those of them that had become so familiar by frequent use, that their very errors were respected by the feelings, however clearly condemned by the judgment. Many supplicatory hymns addressed to 3 Christ are of this category. But, the undersigned respectfully submits, whether Universalists, (who are also Unitarians) can, conscientiously, address prayers to Jesus Christ? Do the scriptures any where-did the Savior himself at any time, warrant such a practice? The undersigned thinks not, and, consequently, he has guarded against this error in his book. And, together with several other errors which he was careful to exclude, is that of pharisaically addressing one class of men under the appellation of saints, and another under that of sinners-a thing quite foreign from the practice of either the Savior or his apostles. Jesus more commonly employed toward sinful men the term "friends," and in no single instance, in a direct address to them, did he call them sinners. The term "brethren," was used by Peter towards the murderers of his master, who were also persecuting himself and fellow apostles; (Acts iii: 17.) Stephen called those who in a little time subsequent stoned him to death, "men, brethren, and fathers," (Acts vii: 1.) which are the very terms employed by Paul in addressing the tumultuary assembly who were clamoring against him, (Acts xxii: 1.) And even toward the idolatrous Athenians he used no worse a term than that of " men," (Acts xxii: 22.) A modern preacher in his situation, would not fail to say, "Ye sinners," rather than "ye men of Athens." The undersigned pleads these considerations as his apology for omitting these offensive distinctions wherever it was practicable, and for substituting such other less invidious forms of address as the measure and accent of the piece in each case would admit of. To the brethren afore-named, the undersigned tenders sincere thanks for the aid their respective books afforded him. He also feels under great obligation to the compilers of the "CHRISTIAN PSALMIST," by which admirable collection he was essentially assisted. He likewise drew freely from the Methodist Hymn-book, which he found to be a mine of poetic wealth, whose treasures, however, like the precious stones and metals in nature, were encumbered with much dross and rubbish, and great labor was necessary to their being got, into a condition suitable for this collection. Sincerely thanking Almighty God for the preservation of his life, and health, for the accomplishment of this, to him, most conscientious undertaking, the undersigned respectfully submits it to the Universalist public. Cincinnati, November, 1842. GEORGE ROGERS. TABLE OF FIRST LINES. For Spiritual Songs, see page 428. Hymn, 640 527 334 450 612 . 309 Absurd and vain attempt to bind. . Scott And can our hearts aspire so high. Mrs. Steele. 358 Angels, roll the rock away Are we the soldiers of the cross A song of endless praise belongs. Geo. Rogers 39 336 Awake, our souls, and bless his name Doddridge |