And mix your groans with mine: Where is the tongue that can describe Infinite things with equal art, Or language so divine? Our passions want the heavenly flame, Almighty love breathes faintly in our songs, And awful threat'nings languish on our tongues: Howe is a great but single name: Amidst the crowd he stands alone: Stands yet, but with his starry pinions on, Stretch the dear months of his delay; O we could wish his age were one immortal day! But when the flaming chariot's come, And shining guards, to attend thy prophet home, Amidst a thousand weeping eyes, Send an Elisha down, a soul of equal size, Or burn this worthless globe, and take us to the skies. PREFACE. TO ALL THAT ARE CONCERNED IN THE EDU CATION OF CHILDREN. MY FRIENDS, It is an awful and important charge that is committed to you. The wisdom and welfare of the succeeding generation are intrusted with you beforehand, and depend much on your conduct. The seeds of misery or happiness in this world, and that to come, are oftentimes sown very early; and therefore, whatever may conduce to give the minds of children a relish for virtue and religion, ought, in the first place, to be proposed to you. Verse was at first designed for the service of God, though it hath been wretchedly abused since. The ancients, among the Jews and the Heathens, taught their children and disciples the precepts of morality and worship in verse. The children of Israel were commanded to learn the words of the song of Moses, Deut. xxxi. 19, 30, and we are directed in the New Testament, not only to sing 66 with grace in the heart," but to "teach and admonish one another by hymns and songs," Ephes. v. 19. And there are these four advantages in it. I. There is a great delight in the very learning of truths and duties this way. There is something so amusing and entertaining in rhymes and metre, that will incline children to make this part of their business a diversion. And you may turn their very duty into a reward, by giving them the privilege of learning one of these songs every week, if they fulfil the business of the week well, and promising them the book itself, when they have learned ten or twenty songs out of it. II. What is learned in verse is longer retained in memory, and sooner recollected. The like sounds, and the like number of syllables, exceedingly assist the remembrance. And it may often happen that the end of a song running in the mind, may be an effectual means to keep off some temptations, or to incline to some duty, when a word of scripture is not upon their thoughts. III. This will be a constant furniture for the minds of children, that they may have something to think upon when alone, and sing over to themselves. This may sometimes give their thoughts a divine turn, and raise a young meditation. Thus they will not be forced to seek relief for an emptiness of mind, out of the loose and dangerous sonnets of the age. IV. These Divine Songs may be a pleasant and proper matter for their daily or weekly worship, to sing one in the family, at such time as the parents or governors shall appoint; and therefore I |