PREFACE.

IT has been a long Complaint of the Vertuous and Refined World, that Poeſie whoſe Original is Divine, ſhould be enſlav'd to Vice and Profane⯑neſs; that an Art inſpired from Heaven ſhould have ſo far loſt the Memory of its Birth-place, as to be in⯑gaged in the Intereſts of Hell: and bring all her re⯑ſiſtleſs Forces of Metaphor, Wit, Rhyme and Num⯑ber, and range them under the Banner of the Great Malicious Spirit to aſſault the Honour of God and the Souls of Men.

The Eldeſt Song which Hiſtory has brought down to our Ears was a noble Act of Worſhip paid to the God of Iſrael, ‘When his Right hand became glo⯑rious in Power, when thy Right hand, O Lord, daſhed in pieces the Enemy; the Chariots of Pharaoh and his Hoſt were caſt into the Red-Sea; Thou didſt blow with thy Wind, the Deep covered them, and they ſank as Lead in the mighty Waters, Exod. 15.’ This Art was maintain'd Sacred thro' the following Ages of the Church, and imploy'd by Kings and Pro⯑phets, by David, Solomon, and Iſaiah, in breathing the Life of Angels into the Hearts of Men, and rear⯑ing their Minds Heavenward in warm and tuneful Devotion.

[] In the Younger Days of Heatheniſm the Muſes were devoted to the ſame Service: The Language in which Old Heſiod addreſſes them is this.

And the purſues the Subject in ten Pious Lines, which I could not forbear to Tranſcribe if the Aſpect and Sound of ſo much Greek were not terrifying to a nice Reader.

But ſome of the later Poets of the Pagan World have more debaſed this Divine Gift, and many of the Writers of firſt Rank in this our Age of Na⯑tional Chriſtians have to their Eternal Shame ſurpaſ⯑ſed the vileſt of the Gentiles. They have Expos'd Religion to Drollery, and dreſt her up in the moſt Ridiculous Habit, for the Scorn of the ruder Herd of Mankind. They have painted the Vices like ſo many Goddeſſes, added the Charms of Wit to Debau⯑chery, and heightned the Temptation where Nature needs the ſtrongeſt Reſtraints. With Sweetneſs of Sound and Delicacy of Expreſſion they have given a Reliſh to Blaſphemies of the harſheſt kind, and when they rant at their Maker in Sonorous Numbers they fancy themſelves to have acted the Hero well.

[] Thus almoſt in vain have the Throne and the Pul⯑pit cried, Reformation, while the Stage and Licen⯑tious Poems have waged open War with the Pious Deſign of Church and State. The Preſs has ſpread the Poyſon far, and ſcatter'd wide the Mortal Infecti⯑on; Unthinking Youth have been allured to Sin be⯑yond the Vicious Propenſities of Nature, plung'd early into Diſeaſes and Death, and ſunk down to Damnation in Multitudes. How will theſe Allies of the Nether World, the Lewd and Profane Verſifiers ſtand aghaſt before the Great Judge, when the Blood of many Souls whom they never ſaw ſhall be laid to the Charge of their Writings, and be dreadfully re⯑quir'd at their Hands. The Reverend Mr. Collier has ſet this Awful Scene before them in juſt and fla⯑ming Colours; and if the Application were not too rude and uncivil, that noble Stanza of my Lord Roſ⯑common on Pſal. 148. might be addreſs'd to them,

But alaſs! there is a deep Silence among theſe Men of all Divine Subjects, unleſs in Banter; The Wonders of Creating Power, the Myſteries of Re⯑deeming Love, and the mighty Works of Renewing Grace are neglected by thoſe, whom Heaven has in⯑dued with a Gift proper to adorn and cultivate 'em: An Art whoſe ſweet Inſinuations might have almoſt [] convey'd Piety into reſiſting Nature, and melted Souls of Iron to the Love of Virtue.

Will the Writers of this Age cite the French Critic on their ſide, and ſay,

That the Myſteries of Chriſtianity are not capable of [...] Ornaments: The Davideis and the two Arthurs [...] broke down this Obſtacle, and experimentally [...]futed the vain pretence.

Beſides, the Chriſtian Myſteries have no need of theſe Tinſel Trappings; the Glories of our Religion in a plain Narration and a ſimple Dreſs have ſome⯑thing brighter and bolder in them, ſomething more ſurprizing and Divine, than all the Adventures of Gods and Heroes, all the dazling Images of falſe lu⯑ſtre that compoſe and garniſh a Heathen Poem; here the Subjects themſelves would give wonderful Aids to the Muſe; and the Heavenly Theme would ſo relieve a dull Hour and a languiſhing Genius, that when the Muſe nods, the Senſe would burn and ſparkle upon the Reader, and keep him feelingly awake.

With how much leſs toil and expence might a Dryden, an Otway, a Congreve, or a Dennis furniſh out a Chriſtian Poem than a Modern Play; there is nothing amongſt all the Ancient Fables or Later Romances, that have two ſuch Extremes united in them, as the Eternal God becoming an Infant of Days, the Poſſeſſor of the Pallace of Heaven laid to [] Sleep in a Manger, the Holy Jeſus who knew no Sin bearing the Sins of Men in his Body on the Tree, Agonies of Sorrow loading the Soul of him who was God over all Bleſſed for ever; and the So⯑veraign of Life ſtretching his Arms on a Croſs, Bleeding and Expiring: The Heaven and the Hell in our Divinity are infinitely more delightful and dreadful than the Childiſh Figments of a Dog with three Heads, the Buckets of the Belides, the Furies with Snaky Hairs, or all the Flow'ry Stories of Ely⯑ſium. Aud if we ſurvey the one as Themes Divinely True, and the other as a Medly of Fooleries which we can never believe, the advantage for touching the Springs of Paſſion will fall infinitely on the ſide of the Chriſtian Poet; our Wonder and our Love, our Pity, Delight, and Sorrow, with the long train of Hopes and Fears, muſt needs be under the Command of an Harmonious Pen, whoſe every Line makes a part of the Reader's Faith, and is the very Life or Death of his Soul.

If the trifling and incredible Tales that furniſh out a Tragedy are ſo arm'd by Wit and Fancy as to be⯑come Soveraign of the Rational Powers, to triumph over all the Affections, and manage our Smiles and our Tears at pleaſure; how wondrous a Conqueſt might be obtain'd over a wild World, and reduce it at leaſt to Sobriety, if the ſame Happy Talent were employed in dreſſing the Scenes of Religion in their proper Figures of Majeſty, Beauty and Terror. The Affairs of this Life with their reference to a Life to come, would ſhine bright in a Dramatick Deſcripti⯑on. The Anguiſh of inward Guilt, the ſecret Stings [] and Racks and Scourges of Conſcience, the ſweet re⯑tiring Hours and Seraphical Joys of Devotion, the Victory of a Reſolved Soul over a thouſand Temp⯑tations, the Inimitable Love and Paſſion of a Dying God, the Awful Glories of the laſt Tribunal, the grand Deciſive Sentence from which there is no Ap⯑peal, and the Conſequent Tranſports or Horrors of the two Eternal Worlds. How would ſuch a Per⯑formance call back the dying Piety of the Nation to Life and Beauty: It would make Religion appear like it ſelf, and confound the Blaſphemies of a pro⯑fligate World, ignorant of Pious Pleaſures.

But we have reaſon to fear that the Tuneful Men of our Day have not rais'd their Ambition to ſo Di⯑vine a Pitch; I ſhould rejoyce to ſee more of this Coeleſtial Fire kindling within them, for the Flaſhes that break out in ſome preſent and paſt Writings be⯑tray an Infernal Source. This the Incomparable Mr. Cowley in the latter End of his Preface, and the Ingenious Sir Richard Blackmore in the beginning of his have ſo pathetically deſcrib'd and lamented; and I rather refer the Reader to mourn with them than detain and tire him here. Theſe Gentlemen in their large and laboured Works of Poeſie have given the World happy Examples of what they wiſh and in⯑courage in Proſe: The One in a rich Variety of Thought and Fancy; the Other in all the Beauties of Profuſe and Florid Diction.

If ſhorter Sonnets were compos'd on ſublime Sub⯑jects, ſuch as the Pſalms of David, and the Holy Tranſports interſpers'd in the other Sacred Writings, or ſuch as the Moral Odes of Horace, and the An⯑cient [] Lyricks, I perſwade my ſelf that the Chriſtian Preacher would find abundant Aid from the Poet in his Deſign to diffuſe Vertue and allure Souls to God. If the Heart were firſt inflam'd from Hea⯑ven, and the Muſe were not left alone to form the Devotion and purſue a Cold Scent, but only call'd in as an Aſſiſtant to the Worſhip, then the Song would end where the Inſpiration ceaſes; the whole Com⯑poſure would be of a Piece, all Meridian Light and Meridian Fervor. And the ſame Pious Flame would be propagated and kept glowing in the Heart of him that reads. Some of the ſhorter Odes of the two Poets now mentioned, and a few of the Reverend Mr. Norris's Eſſays in Verſe are convincing Inſtances of the Succeſs of this Propoſal.

'Tis my Opinion alſo that the free and unconfin'd Meaſures of Pindar would beſt maintain the Digni⯑ty of the Theme, as well as give a looſe to the De⯑vout Soul, nor check the Raptures of her Faith and Love. Tho' in my feeble Attempts of this kind I have moſt unhappily fetter'd my Thoughts in the narrow Numbers of our Old Pſalm-Tranſlators, I have contracted and cramp't the Senſe, or render'd it obſcure and feeble by the too ſpeedy and regular returns of Rhime.

If my Friends expect a particular account of this or any other Circumſtance relating to what I here Publiſh, they will be pleas'd to accept of this ſhort one.

The TITLE

Aſſures them that Poeſy is not the Buſineſs of my Life, and if I ſeized thoſe Hours of Leiſure wherein my Soul was in a more ſprightly and tuneful Frame to entertain them or my ſelf with a Divine or Moral Song, I hope I ſhall find an Eaſy Pardon.

The SONGS Sacred to DEVOTION

Were never written with a deſign to appear before the Judges of Wit, but only to aſſiſt the Meditations and Worſhip of Vulgar Chriſtians, to whom the Mea⯑ſures of Hopkins by Cuſtom are grown Familiar and Natural, and eſteemed almoſt Sacred by being bound up in the ſame Volume with Scripture. Theſe are but a ſmall part of two hundred Hymns of the ſame kind which are ready for Public Uſe if the World receive favourably what I now preſent. The Rea⯑ſon that ſent theſe out firſt, and divided them from their Fellows, is, that in moſt of Theſe there are ſome Expreſſions which are not ſuited to the plain⯑eſt Capacities, and differ too much from the uſual [] Methods of Speech in which Holy Things are pro⯑pos'd to the general Part of Mankind.

The ODES to VER⯑TUE &c.

Were form'd when the Frame and Humour of my Soul was juſt ſuited to the Subject of my Verſe: The Image of my Heart is painted in them; and if they meet with a Reader whoſe Soul is akin to mine, perhaps they may agreeably entertain him. The Dullneſs of the Fancy and Coarſeneſs of Expreſſion will diſappear, the ſameneſs of the Humour will create a Pleaſure, and inſenſibly overcome and con⯑ceal the Defects of the Muſe.

The IMITATIONS

Of that Nobleſt Latin Poet of Modern Ages Caſi⯑mire Sarbiewski of Poland would need no Excuſe, did they but ariſe to the Beauty of the Original. I have often taken the Freedom to add ten or twenty Lines, or to leave out as many, that I might ſuit my Song more to my own Deſign, or becauſe I found it Impoſſible to preſent the Force, the Fineneſs, and [] the Fire of his Expreſſion in our Language. I wiſh ſome Engliſh Pen would import ſome of the Trea⯑ſures of that rich Genius and bleſs our Nation.

The INSCRIPTIONS

To particular Friends are warranted and defended by the Practiſe of the two beſt Lyric Writers Horace and Caſimire: And tho' the Authority of the firſt be more Venerable, yet if in ſome Inſtances I prefer the latter, I pray the Criticks to forgive me; and I hope my Friends will excuſe the Freedom of the Ad⯑dreſs.

In the POEMS of HE⯑ROIC Meaſure

I have attempted in Rhime the ſame variety of Ca⯑dence, Comma, and Period, which Blank Verſe Glories in as its peculiar Elegance and Orna⯑ment.

In the PINDARIQUES

I have generally conformed my Lines to the ſhorter Size of the Ancients, and avoided to imitate the Ex⯑ceſſive Lengths to which ſome Modern Writers have ſtretched their Sentences, and eſpecially the conclu⯑ding Verſe. In theſe the Ear is the trueſt Judge, nor was it made to be enſlav'd to any preciſe Model of Elder or Later Times.

After all, I muſt petition my Reader to lay aſide the ſowr and ſullen Air of Criticiſm, and to aſſume the Friend. Let him come with a deſign to be en⯑tertain'd and pleas'd, rather than to ſeek his own Diſ⯑guſt and Averſion, which will not be hard to find. I am not ſo Vain as to think there are no Faults, nor ſo Blind as to eſpy none: There is not one Copy that intirely pleaſes me: The beſt of them ſinks vaſtly below the Idea which I form of a Divine or Moral Ode. He that deals in the Myſteries of Heaven, or of the Muſes ſhould be a Genius of no Vulgar Mould; and as the Name of Vates belongs to both, ſo the Furniture of Both is compriz'd in that Line of Ho⯑race,

[] But what Juvenal ſpake in his Age abides true in ours: A compleat Poet or a Prophet is ſuch an one ‘—Qualem nequeo monſtrare, & ſentio tantùm.’

Perhaps neither of theſe Characters in Perfection ſhall ever be ſeen on Earth, till the Seventh Angel has ſounded his Awful Trumpet, till the Victory be compleat over the Beaſt and his Image; when the Natives of Heaven ſhall joyn in Triumphal Conſort with Prophets and Tuneful Saints, and Sing unto their Golden Harps, Salvation Honour and Glory to him that ſits upon the Throne, and to the Lamb for ever.