Search -
Sacred Poems and Hymns; For Public and Private Devotion
Sacred Poems and Hymns For Public and Private Devotion Author:James Montgomery General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1854 Original Publisher: D. Appleton Subjects: Hymns, English Christian poetry, English Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get f... more »ree trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: PEEFACE. In the Christian Psalmist, compiled twenty- five years ago, by the Author of the present Volume, he became known as a Hymn-Writer; and, since then, having frequently exercised his vein in like manner, a considerable number of his compositions have been republished (with or without leave) by Editors of similar Miscellanies, or in authorized Hymn-Books. Of this he has never complained, being rather humbly thankful, that any imperfect strains of his should be thus employed in giving " Glory to God in the highest," promoting " On earth peace," and diffusing " Good will toward men." But of the liberties taken by some of these borrowers of his effusions, to modify certain- passages, according 'to their peculiar taste and notions, he must avail himself of the present opportunityto remind them, that if good people (and such he verily believes them to be) cannot conscientiously adopt "his diction and doctrine, it is a little questionable in them to impose upon him theirs, which he may as honestly hesitate to receive. Yet this is the Cross, by which every Author of a hymn, who hopes to be useful in his generation, may expect to be tested, at the pleasure of any Christian brother, however incompetent or little qualified to amend what he may deem amiss in one of the most delicate and difficult exercises of a tender heart and an enlightened understanding. This indeed is " a thorn in the flesh," which the sufferer must learn to bear with meekness, and, if possible, to profit by the humiliation ; though a versifier of any ot...« less