Psalms and hymns for public worship ...

Front matter

I -

.

3^ ^

Preface

IN presenting to the public a new, lyrical Version of all the Psalms, as well as a collection of Hymns, adapted to the purposes of public, or congregational worship, the author may very properly explain the reasons, which have induced him to prepare these sacred songs for the churches of Christ. And, m order to do this, he would call the attention of the reader to

history of metrical Versions of the Psalms, and to a few critical remarks upon them.

1 . The first metrical version of the Psalms of David seems to have been that of i\poLLiNARis, about the year 470. He made an excellent paraphrase in Greek verse. It was printed at Paris in 15S0.

2. The followers of John Huss and Jerom of Prague, who died in 1415 and 1416, had among them a lyrical version of the Psalms. Huss is known to have versified the 12Sth Psalm ; and it was sung, agreeably to the music of that period, in slow notes of equal length. The Bohemian Brethren had a Psalm and Hymn Book, with musical notes, in 1538.

3. About 1535 or 1540 Luther made lyrical versions of several of the Psalms, and a book of Psalms and Hymns for public worship was prepared for his followers.

4. The Psalms appeared in Fiemish verse in 1540, with music by Simon Cock. Eobanus, who died in 1540, made a version of the whole book of Psalms in Latin verse ; which was the first Latin, metrical version. Soon afterwards Cam- ERARius versified some of the Psalms in Greek ; and Stige- Lius of Gotha also versified some of them.

5. Clement Marot, valet of the bed chamber to Francis I, king of France, was celebrated as a poet, and wrote pastorals, ballads, fables, and elegies. About 1540, at the suggestion of Vatablus, professor of Hebrew, he made a version of about 30 of the Psalms in French verse. He proposed to substitute divine hymns in the place of the common ditties of the times, and he expressed a hope, that by this means the golden age would return. His books were very rapidly sold. Even'

IV PREFACE.

in the splendid court of the king nothing was heard, but the Psalms of Marot. Each of the royal family and the nobility selected a psalm, and sung it to the ballad tune, which was preferred. Prince Henry, in going out to the chase, sung the 42d psalm, '' Ainsi qu'on oit le cerf bruire," — ** As pants the hart for water brooks." Catholics and protestants were all at first delighted with Marot's psalms. He afterwards, while he lived at Geneva, versified 20 others ; and the 50 were printed at Rome in 1542. After lAFarot's death Beza versified the rest of the Psalms in the same manner, and the whole 150 were published at Strasburg in 1545. Calvin, who wished to introduce general, congregational singing, approved of these Psalms, and caused them to be set to music, in a single part, in simple notes. As they were generally used by protestants, the Catholics soon interdicted them, and regarded psalm-singing as a sign of Lutheranism, or heresy. Marot's and Beza's Psalms are written in various metres and appear in good rhyme and perfectly rhymed stanzas. The circumstance, which rendered them so generally interesting and attractive, was the rhyme. They were religious odes, in rhyme, and in a form, adapting them to be generally sung not only by the congregation, but in families. The work, as arranged for protestant worship, is generally printed with the music accompanying every line. Some of these simple melodies are retained at the present day.

6. Thomas Sternhold made a version of 51 Psalms, which were published hi 1549. He was groom of the robes to Henry VHI. Soon afterwards John Hopkins, a clergyman in Sufl?blk, versified 58 Psalms, and, other persons having lent their aid, the whole book of Psalms versified was published in 1562. The other contributors were W. Whyttingham, dean of Durham, whose 16 Psalms are among the best ; Thomas Norton, a barrister, translator of Calvin's Institutes, who versified 27 of the Psalms ; W. Kethe, an exile at Frankfort, who versified 25 Psalms ; and R. Wisdom and J. Pullain, who versified only one or two Psalms.

This version has much less variety of metre, than Marot's, and it is chargeable with the fault of many half-rhymed stanzas, which is not a fault of the French version. The only stanzas of this version, which are at the present day retained in any collections of the Psalms, are the following, found in the 18th Psalm, and they are never retained unaltered : —

The Lord descended from above,

and bowed the heavens high; And underneath his feet he cast

tlie darkness of the sky.

PREFACE. V

On cherubs and on cherubins

full royally lie rode; And on the ^vjngs of all the winds

came flying all abroad.

Cherubins is the ancient English form of the plural of Clienib. The lameness of the second line has often been remarked, and the singularity of the two plurals of the word cherub. Some modern collections and books of music, in the attempt to correct this fault, commit a still greater, by inserting seraphim with cherubim. There is no authority in scripture for representing God as riding forth on seraphim. It may well excite our surprise, that this antiquated version, containing many passages, which cannot at the present day be read with any sobriety of thought, should still be retained in some of the episcopal churches of England.

In 1549 Robert Crowley made a metrical version of the Psalms. About this time also Henry Howard, earl Surrey, and Sir Tho. VVyat versified some of the Psalms.

7. About 1550 the celebrated George Buchanan, while imprisoned in a monastery in Portugal, made an elegant Latin version of the Psalms. Of this version the 122d Psalm bishop Home erroneously ascribes to Zuinger, and publishes it in his Commentary with Merrick's translation. But Zuinger merely altered a few words of Buchanan's version. — Dolscius made a Greek version, published at Basil in 1555.

8. About 1557 archbishop Parker made a version, which was printed about 1570. The following is from the 18th Psalm :

''He rode on high, and did so fly

Upon the cherubins;

He came in sight, and made his flight

Upon the wing of winds. —

The Lord from heaven sent down his leve.«

And thunder'd thence in ire;

He thunder cast in wondrous blast

With hails and coals of fire."

It seems, that in avoiding the fault of Sternhold, he made his rhymes more frequent, than a sober and correct taste would demand.

9. Peter Dathen, minister at Frankfort, about 1560, translated Marot's and Beza's Psalms into Low-Dutch metre, adapting them to the French tunes and measure. A new Dutch translation was undertaken by Philip de Marnix, lord of Sainte Algedonda.

Bernard Woiewodka printed the Psalms in Polish metre at Brescz in 1565.

A*

VI PREFACE.

Stryc, a Bohemian, admirably versified the Psalms Jii 1590 ; his work has this title, Zalmowe Sw. Dawida w ryhmy Ceske uwedene.

Syjlburgius made a version in Greek verse, which was published, with that of ApoUinaris, in 1596 by Commelinus. Louis Crucius, a Lisbon Jesuit, published the Psalms in metre in Latin at Madrid in 1600.

In the sixteenth century J. B. Chassignet, a native of Besancon, published in French verse a paraphrase of all the Psalms in various measures. In that of the 92d Psalm are the following lines.

Tf any should be disposed to tolerate Sandys in speaking, in his version, of the "golden-tressed sun ;" yet our English habits of thought will hardly allow us to regard the sun as endowed with a "peruke" or periwig.

10. Sir Philip Sidney, who fell in battle in 1586 at the age of 32, made a version of 42 Psalms ; and the others were versified by his sister, Mary, the countess of Pembroke. This work, after slumbering nearly two centuries and a half, was published at the Chiswick press in 1823. It is written in a great variety of metre, and is in general well rhymed, though a few of the pieces are entirely without rhyme. The whole «of each Psalm is versified. An English writer has remarked of Sir P. Sidney, that " his life is finer poetry, than his writings." The antiquated style and complex metres of this version render it entirely useless for the purposes of psalmody. The version of the 125th is in the rare Sapphic ;measure ; —

"As Salem braveth wilh her hilly bulwarks. Roundly enforted : so the great Jehovah Closelh his servants, as a hilly bulwark Ever abiding,"

The following is a stanza of the 139th :

**Do thou thy best, O secret night, In sable vail to cover me; Thy sable vail Shall vainly fail ; With day unmask'd my night shall be. For night is day, and darkness light, O, Father of all lights, to Thee."

11. King James I. undertook to versify the Psalms, but accomplished his purpose only in part. His version, which was jprinted after his death, is "remarkable for its flat simj)licity

PREFACE. VII

and unmeaning expletives." The following is a stanza from the 74th Ps. ;

"Why dost thou thus withdraw thy hand.

E'en thy right hand restrain 1

Out of thy bosom, for our good.

Draw back the same again."

The same passage is as follows in Stemhold's version :

"Why dost Thou draw thy hand aback, and hide it in thy lap 1

O, pluck it out, and be not slack to give thy foes a rap."

J. Bertaut, a bishop in Normandy, who died in 1611, published a version of many of the Psalms. About the year 1620 bishop Miles Smyth made a version of the Psalms ; and about the same time another metrical version was made by Mr. Dod.

12. In 1632 Geo. Wither published, in the Netherlands, a version, made by command of king James. He had previously published Hymns and Songs of the Church in 1623. He aimed to combine "the fulness of the sense with the relish of the scripture phrase." The following stanza is from the first Psalm :

"Like a tree, set near the springs, He doth always freshly flourish; Still his fruits he timely brings, And his leaf shall never perish; Every thing shall prosper too, Which he undertakes to do."

Arthur Johis-sois-, physician to Charles I., educated at Aberdeen, who died at Oxford in 1641, published a version of the Psalms in Latin verse in 1637.

13. George Sain'dys, the traveller, published in a small folio, in 1638, a Paraphrase upon the Divine Poems, containing a version of all the Psalms, with tunes in two parts. This version has in many respects high poetical excellence, though it has also many faults. It contains a great variety of metres, and has no slovenly, half-rhymed stanzas. One of his best pieces may be found in this book, Ps. 148, eighth version. It has been remarked, that his Psalms, written in the metre of this specimen, — seven- syllable trochaic, — have a peculiar beauty, while in other metres he seems to lose his lyrical powers. Indeed, a considerable part of his paraphrase is not adapted to lyrical purposes, as he has versified, and frequently in the long ten-syllable measure, the whole of all the Psalms. Mr. Milner, in his life of Watts, says, that Sandys employs ''chiefly the trochaic couplet ;" which is a great mistake, as only 14 out of 150 Psalms are in this metre.

VIII PREFACE.

14. In 1640 J. Ejliot, T. Welde, and R. Mather, ministers near Boston, made the '* New-England Version." This was revised by president Dunster about 1650 and was used generally by the New England churches until, at length, it was superseded by the version of Watts. The 26th edition was published in 1744. It was revised by T. Prince in 1758. This is a faithful translation from the Flebrew ; but it has no poetical merit. Most of it is written in the common half-rhymed stanza of Sternhold. The following is a specimen of the primitive edition of 1640 : —

"And he shall bo like lo a tree

planted by waler-rivrrs: That in his season yields his fruif,

and liis leafe never uiihers. And all he dolh shall prosper well,

the wicked are not so: But they are like unto the rhade.

which winde drives to and fro." The same in Dunster' s and Prince's revisions is thus ;

*^He shall be like a planled tree

by water brooks, which shall In his due season yield his fruit,

whose leaf shall never fail."'

"For he is like a goodly tree

to rivers planted near; Which timely yields its fruit, whose leaf

shall ever green appear."

A copy of this version is in the libraries of Harvard College and of the Antiquarian Society at Worcester, but without the title page. A copy is in the library of the Old South church in Boston, with the title page, which is thus : — "The Whole Booke of Psalmes faithfully translated into English metre. Whereunto is prefixed a discourse declaring not only the lawfulness, but also the necessity of the heavenly ordinance of singing scripture Psalms in the churches of God. — Imprinted 1640." The names of the authors are not mentioned.

There is one sentence in the preface, to which all the lovers of sacred music, and all our churches will do well to give heed ; it is this, — *'The singing of Psalms, though it breathe forth nothing but holy harmony, and melody ; yet such is the subtilty of the enemy, and the enmity of our nature against the Lord, and his ways, that our hearts can find matter of discord in this harmony, and crotchets of division in this holy melody." It was a quarter of a century or more after the publication of Watts' version, before the prejudice in favor of this New England version was overcome ; and in the last century the pres-

PREFACE. IX

byterian church in this country found ample *' matter of discord" and many '^crotchets of division" inconsequence of the substitution of Watts for the old Scotch version. Churches were rent asunder in the contest. Indeed the old Scots book still triumphantly retains its place in some of the presbyterian churches, and refuses to yield to the innovations of Watts, whose version was made 116 years ago.

15. A version of the Psalms by H. AirfswoRTH was published at Amsterdam in 1644, with copious annotations, and tunes.- The prose and metrical versions are on the same page. It has much the same rank in poetical excellence with the New Ensland version. The following is a specimen from the ISth Psalm :

'•And he did bow the beav'ns and down did pass : And gloom V darkness under liis feet was. And he did ride on cherub and did fly : And on wings of the wind he llew swiftly."

Some of the early settlers of Plymouth, who came from Holland, introduced this version, and it held its place in the church of Plymouth against the New England version until 1692, and even in Salem until 1662. Nor would it have been wonderful, had it never yielded ; for it was equal in poetry to the N. E. version and had the superior advantage of a good prose version, musical notes, and learned and valuable annotations.

16. In 1645 the version of Fraxcis Rouse, which the Commons of England had two years before recommended to the consideration of the Assembly of Divines at Westminster, was revised and came out with the approbation of both houses of parliament. This is supposed to be what is commonly called the old Scotch version, which is still retained, I suppose, in Scotland, and in some of the presbyterian churches in this country. It is much of the same character whh the New England version. The following is a specimen from the first Psalm. By comparing it with the stanza from the New England version, the same lines will be found in both ; and it may be, that the Scotch Churches are much indebted for their book of Psalms to the Independents of New England.

'•'He shall be like a tree, th^t grows

Near planted by a river,

V\ hich in his season yields his fruit,

And his leaf fadeth never:

And all he doth shall prosper w^ell.

The wicked are not so :

But like they are unto the chaff,

Which wind drives to and fro."

About this period R. Goodridge made a version of the Psalms.

X PREFACE.

17. In 1645 Wm. Barton, a minister in London, published a version of about 30 of the Psalms, together with "choice collections of the old Psalms." An edition had been previously printed by order of parliament. This edition, having "the cream and flower of the best authors," came out with the approbation of more than 40 divines, most of them of the Assembly. Barton's entire version was published in 1682. He says, " The Scots have of late put forth a psalm book, most-what composed out of mine and Mr. Rouse's." This version is of a higher poetical character than the Scotch. The following stanzas of the 23d Ps. were in part copied by Watts :

"The living Lord my slirplierd Is,

And lie, that dolh iiie feed;

Since he is mine, an'l I am his,

What comfort can I need]

"He le-ids me to the tender gras.-s,

Where 1 both feed and rest;

Then to the streams, that gently pass;

In both I have the best."

18. About 1660 bishop H. King , and soon afterwards Sam . Woodford, D. D. published metrical versions of the Psalms. Denham remarks on the latter, — "his verse is not for singing but reading."

Bishop Godeau, a member of the Academy of Belles Lettres in France, who died in 1672, published a version of the Psalms in metre.

19. John Eliot ^ one of the authors of the New England version, published the book of Psahns in Indian metre in 16S0. The language was that of the Naticks near Boston, or the Massachusetts' language. The unlearned reader may judge, whether he can relish the melody of the Indian, by examining the two first verses of the 97th Psalm :

"Wutassootamim God, mutfaok

ne menuhkesuonk."

Mr. Eliot must be deemed excusable for putting this Indian version in the half-rhymed stanzas of his English predecessors.

20. A new and entire version was made by Simon Ford, D. D. in 1688. In speaking of Sternhold he says, " it were but decent to bury that former translation with honor for tire service it hath done/' But Sternhold's book, intrenched in

PREFACE. Xi

the English church, has survived that of Dr. Ford. He has various metres, and no half-rhymed stanzas ; but the v^rork has 110 peculiar excellence. Some of his lines seem to have been borrowed by Watts ; as the following from Ps. 139 : —

*•' Asleep, awake, at home, abroad ,

Thou knowest all my whys, O God, —

Darkness and light in this agree,

That they are both alike to thee,"

Tw^o other poetical versions of the Psalms were published by Luke Milhourne, who died in 1720, and by Mr. Darby. The Psalms in Swedish verse appeared in 1695, and perhaps • much earlier.

21. The version of JValium Tate and JSl^choIas Brady was published in 1696. Some of the Psalms have dignity and excellence ; yet the general character of the work is that of diffuseness and dulness. The measure is heavy, and many of the pieces are only half rhymed. The plan was radically defective ; for the whole of every Psalm is veisified ; of course much of the book is totally unsuitable for lyrical purposes, and cannot be employed in Psalmody. Yet this is the only authorized version of the episcopal churches of this country, and is commonly used by the episcopalians of England, yet by them often with other versions. Until recently the whole of Tate and Brady was retained by the American episcopalians ; but in Dec. 1832 a selection was made from Tate's book and Psalms and parts of Psalms omitted, so that the present authorized version has only 124 Psalms ; and as the whole book is reduced, it is odd enough, that the pieces have lost their old names. For instance, David's 119th Psalm is called the 97th, to the confusion of those, who wish to call things by their right names. After all the abridgement, and reduction, and patch-work, employed upon Tate and Brady, the version is not worthy of the good taste of the episcopal churches.

An episcopal writer in England said in 1825, " Sternhold and Hopkins retain possession of only a few cathedral or collegiate churches ; and even Tate and Brady have, to a very great extent, given way before the practice of introducing private selections of Psalms and Hymns for public worship."

Versions of the Psalms were made by Sir J. Denharn in 1714, and by Dr. /. Patrick in 1715. Dr. Basil I^ennet, who died in 1714, also published a version. Patrick's version was much used by the dissenters.

22. In 1718 Dr. Cotton Mather of Boston published the book of Psalms in Blank Verse, fitted to the tunes in common use. It was designed to be an exact copy of the original "without the fetters of rhyme ;" and the author hoped, that

XII PREFACE.

it would be more acceptable to those, who reverenced the words of inspiration, than if it departed from the original " for the sake of a little jingle at the end of the line !" However, he mistook the public taste ; and his work, if it was ever sung in any church, is now forgotten. The jingle of Watts was preferred to it. This version was printed, so that what is called the Long metre might be converted into Common metre by omitting the words in black letter between the brackets. The following is a specimen from Ps. 23d.: —

*'My shepherd is th' eternal God ; II I shall not be in [an»] want : II In pastures of a tender grass II He [eber] makes me to lie down : || To waters of tranquillities II He gently carries me, [alonfl.] II "

23. Dr. Watts' Psalms introduced a new era in the history of church psalmody. His Hymns were published in 1707, when he was only 23 years of age ; but his Psalms, though partly written in 1712, were not finished and published till 1719. The excellent plan of Dr. Watts, in which he followed Barton, was this; — not to make an entire version of every Psahn|i ■ but to select the most lyrical portions of the book of PsalmaB I He proposed to give an ^'Imitation of the Psalms in Christian* ■ language."

There are two very different principles, on which a metrical version of the Psalms may be made.

The first is to give as beautiful, and complete, and perfect a representation, as possible, in English poetry of the Hebrew original. But in this case, the version will not be well adapted to the purposes of public psalmody, however interesting to the reader, and however valuable in the character of devotional poetry.

The second principle, on which a version may be made, is to render it a strictly lyrical version, or one, which is to be sung by a religious assembly. Of course the long Psalms must be abridged ; — the historical Jewish narratives and allusions, so far as they cannot be accommodated to the circumstances of the Christian church, are to be omitted ; — and Psalms, merely doctrinal or didactic, are either to be overlooked, or to be drawn somewhat into a lyrical character.

By the first method the whole sentiment of the Psalm is transferred without omission into metre. By the second method a version is made only of select parts. The first method was adopted by Sternhold and Hopkins, by Sidney, by Sandys, by the New England fathers, by the Scotch churches, by Tate and Brady, and indeed by almost all the writers enumerated and by others yet to be mentioned. The second method was adopted by Dr. Watts ; and he made a truly lyrieal version »

PREFACE. XIII

fitted to be sung in Christian worship. Yet there are great imperfections in his version, which will be adverted to, after this brief historical account of metrical versions is brought to a close.

24. Sir Richard Blackmore published in 1721 a version, which is even inferior to that of Tate and Brady. A version by Jonathan Harle was published in 1730.

In 1752 John Barnard, mimslQv of Marblehead, Massachusetts, at the age of 70 years, published a version of the Psalms, with tunes. He freely borrowed from the labors of his predecessors, and produced a patch-work, equal indeed to many of the English versions in point of poetry, yet without any peculiar excellence. It is imperfectly rhymed. Being an entire version, it is poorly adapted to lyrical purposes. Perhaps it never was sung out of the bounds of Marblehead.

25. In 1754 S. Wheatland and T. Silvester ^nhWshed. at London a close translation of the Psalms of David in heroic verse. In the same measure a version was published in 1756 by Thofnas Cradock, an episcopal clergyman in Baltimore county, Maryland.

26. Thomas Prince, the distinguished minister of the Old South church in Boston, published in 1758 a revision of the New England Psalms, made with much labor and great care. It is valuable as a translation of the original Hebrew ; but as a poetical and lyrical version it has not much merit.

27. James Merrick, educated at Oxford, and who died at Reading in 1769, aged 51, published the 2d edition of his Psalms paraphrased in English verse in 1766. A specimen may be found in this book ; Ps. 136 ; version 7th. — This work has much poetic excellence ; but, besides being an entire version, it is diffuse, and of the nature of a paraphrase, and destitute of the lyrical energy of the original. Indeed it w^as not adapted for the purposes of the singer in the church ; it is rather for the devout and poetic reader. In 1792 Mr. Tattersall published an edition of Merrick, divided for singing.

In Italy S amnio Matti made a fine poetical translation of the Psalms.

28. In 1811 William Goode, an episcopal minister in London, published an entire version of the Psalms, in 2 vols. 8vo., which in poetic excellence and lyrical power is superior to any preceding version, unless it be that of Watts. Some of his excellencies and his faults will be pointed out. Regarding it as a fault of Watts, that his Psalms are "more frequently Hymns upon the subjects of the Psalms, than a regular version of the Psalms themselves," more frequently "imitations," than copies of the Psalms of David, Mr. G. resolved to keep as near,

B»

XIV PREFACE.

as possible, to the originals in sentiment and language ; to preserve the utmost simplicity of language ; and to express clearly the typical intent, making the Psalms Christian, as they should be rendered at the present day. He has accordingly given a more perfect and beautiful copy of the original, adapted to Christian purposes, than was ever given to the public. He has often several versions of the same Psalm, dwelling on the same subject ; the first versions being in the more simple measures, beginning with short metre, for the use of general congregations, and the last versions in more complex measures, so chosen as to prevent introduction into common use, designed for the churches, in which less simple and more extensive singing is introduced. In his more simple metres he pays more regard to simplicity of language, than in the others, in which he takes greater liberty too in departing from the original. In the longer Psalms instead of different versions of the same, he has given each succeeding part of the Psalm in a different metre.

Mr. G. has admirably executed his plan ; but it was a mistake to attempt an entire version of the Psalms, with reference to lyrical purposes. He admitted, that it was ''impossible to render the whole so as to be suitable for Christian worship.'* His work is more valuable to the devout and poetic reader, than to the singer ; yet many of his pieces have a high lyrical character. Had he confined himself to the method of Watts, selecting only parts of the Psalms, and had he excluded many of his complex measures, and written only for general congregations, he might have produced a work, which would have superseded Tate and Brady in the episcopal churches of England. Specimens of his more simple metres and several of his best pieces are given in this book.

Yet with all the spirit and excellence of the work of Mr. G. it has some prominent defects. Though it has very few half-rhymed pieces, not more perhaps than half a dozen ; yet the author is often careless in his rhymes, bringing together words, which can hardly walk together with much concord, as may be judged from the following pairs ; — "compassion, salvation ; Savior, favor ; possess, increase ; dwell, conceal ; trust, burst ; consume, dome ; blaspheme, name ; believe him, griev'd him; alloted, devoted ; rebuke, stroke ; appeal, fail ; stores, adore ; comes, resumes ; man, gain : forsake, speak ; completes, forgets ; raise, seize ; glory, before thee ; sit, delight." The introduction of the name of Britain in several of the Psalms seems sufficiently odd ; as in Ps. 104.