petition as the best motives to habitual practice. If more hymns be required, they can be selected out of other parts of the book at the discretion of those who need them.

The advantages proposed by this arrangement

are:

Ist. That the Hymns for each Sunday may be as well known in the parish as are the Psalms or Collects, and may thus by domestic practice be prepared for.

2nd. That every one in Church (whether the hymns be distinctly given out or not) can easily find them.

3rd. That a book so constructed becomes a familiar "Christian Year," a ready manual of devotion, illustrating the Church's teaching, and deepening the fervour and worship of daily public, as well as private and domestic prayer.

III. That the hymns are fewer in number than those to be found in other collections, is another of the advantages which the "Parish Hymnal" claims to possess.

Our Church does not encourage the sensationalism of a fresh psalm or prayer for every day in the year. Her constant repetition of her services, making them familiar, renders them more helpful to true devotion than services which are ever changing can be.

This book, with its limited and prescribed arrangement, could more easily become the companion of every day's worship, both public and private, than larger and less definitely arranged hymn books could be.

One further advantage has been secured for the "Parish Hymnal," which encourages me with more confidence to offer it to the Church. It has passed

under the revision of some of the most intellectual men, and best theologians, as well as some of the best hymnologists of the day. From their varied criticisms it has been enabled to reach a degree of correctness and finish, to which, without such aid, it could never have attained. My debt to the kind friends who have thus assisted me I never can repay; the consciousness of what they have done must be their reward. One only I shall name,— death having removed him from amongst us,-the holy and venerable John Keble-the father, in these latter days, of sacred song. To his careful revision of them I am indebted for the more perfect form in which many of the hymns in this Collection appear; and one sentence of his respecting one hymn (the 180th in this volume) I venture to quote :-"The plan of the All Saints' Hymn seems to me very attractive; and the Collects, rendered as you have done them, remind one, with a peculiar sort of charm, of their noble originals in St. Gregory."

At the close of this book will be found an index of the tunes deemed most suitable for each hymn. Some of these tunes are private property, and written specially for the hymns set to them. Most of them are to be found in other well-known collections, to which reference is made. Should the hymns become known, and used beyond the parish for which they have been prepared, I shall endeavour to obtain leave from the owners of the tunes, to gather them into one volume, to be a "Companion to the Parish Hymnal.”

JOHN MONSEll.

S. Nicholas Rectory, Guildford,
All Saints' Day, 1872.

Grateful thanks are hereby rendered to the following Authors for their invaluable hymns:-Mrs. Alexander, Miss Harriet Auber, Rev. Sir H. W. Baker, Bart., Rev. Dr. Bonar, Rev. Edward Caswall, Rev. John Chandler, Bishop Coxe, Mr. Chatterton Dix, Rev. John Ellerton, Rev. Frederick Faber, Sir Robert Grant, Rev. Canon Walsham How, Rev. John Keble, Rev. H. F. Lyte, Bishop Mant, Rev. Dr. Mason Neale, Rev. Dr. Newman, Messrs. Novello and Co., Rev. Dr. Rorison, Rev. Arthur T. Russell, Rev. George H. Smyttan, Rev. S. J. Stone, Rev. Godfrey Thring, Rev. Lawrence Tuttiett, Mr. William Whiting, Rev. Canon Woodford, and Right Rev. Christopher Wordsworth (Bishop of Lincoln).

Many other names might of course be mentioned, but they are so well known in connection with hymns which are now the acknowledged property of the Church, that such record of them would be needless. Indeed, it seems to me that every good hymn, which Christians take to heartily, passes out of private control, and becomes part of the Church's heritage.

I

THE PARISH HYMNAL.

First Day.-MORNING.

AWAKE, my soul, and with the sun

Thy daily stage of duty run;

Shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise
To pay thy morning sacrifice.

Wake and lift up thyself, my heart,
And with the angels bear thy part,
Who all night long unwearied sing,
High praise to the Eternal King!

All praise to Thee, Who safe hast kept,
And hast refresh'd me while I slept;
Grant, Lord, when I from death awake
I may of endless light partake.

Lord, I my vows to Thee renew;
Disperse my sins as morning dew;
Guard my first springs of thought and will,
And with Thyself my spirit fill.

Direct, control, suggest, this day,

All I design, or do, or say;

That all my pow'rs, with all their might,
In Thy sole glory may unite.

B

2

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav'nly host,
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!

First Day.-EVENING.

Amen.

ALL praise to Thee, my God, this night,

For all the blessings of the light;

Keep me, O keep me, King of kings,
Beneath Thine own almighty wings.

Forgive me, Lord, for Thy dear Son,
The ill that I this day have done;
That with the world, myself, and Thee,
I, ere I sleep, at peace may be.

O may my soul on Thee repose,
And may sweet sleep mine eyelids close;
Sleep, that may me more vig'rous make
To serve my God when I awake!

When in the night I sleepless lie,
My soul with heav'nly thoughts supply;
Let no ill dreams disturb my rest,
No powers of darkness me molest.

O may my Guardian while I sleep
Close to my bed his vigil keep;
His love angelical instil,

Stop all the avenues of ill;

May he celestial joy rehearse,

And thought to thought with me converse;

Or, in my stead, all the night long

Sing to my God a grateful song.