tive of inward and experimental religion. Most of these twenty-one hymns, indeed, are in all respects so excellent, that the wonder is, how Mr. Wesley came to overlook them, when preparing his standard collection fór general use."

The "Supplement" was "compiled chiefly from the festival and other hymns which Mr. Charles Wesley published in separate pamphlets, and from his unpublished poetry, which, by purchase from his heir, along with other papers, has lately become the property of the connection. To these some hymns have been added from other authors, chiefly from Dr. Watts; and a few which, though they sink below the rank of Wesleyan poetry, are inserted because of some excellence which will be found in the sentiment, and the greater choice of subjects which they afford. Most of the hymns, however, were inserted in the Morning Hymnbook, prepared by Mr. Wesley for the London congregations, or in a smaller collection published by him; and so had his sanction. A few others have been introduced because of their popular character, and their being favorites with many of our people."—Advertisement to the Supplement.

The following remarks in reference to the " Supplement" are from the Wesleyan Methodist Magazine:— "The late Dr. Coke incorporated with the Hymn-book, published by Mr. Wesley, a considerable number of hymns adapted to mixed congregations, and to occasional services, for the use of the Irish Connection; and the same has been done by the Methodist Episcopal Church in America. That the English Conference have so long forborne to follow these examples, is a proof of their unwillingness to innovate upon the estab

lished usages of the connection; and the manner in which the deficiency that has been so long felt, is now supplied, is a striking proof of the paternal character of that body. The additional hymns are not mixed up with the others, so as to render the books in use of no value, as was done both in Ireland and America,* but are published in a small separate volume, and may be attached to the Hymn-book without inconvenience."

The "Supplement" has not only been bound up with every subsequent edition of the Hymn-book, but there has been prepared, in addition to the "Index to the Hymns," a copious "Index to the Subjects" of the whole book, and also an "Index to the Verses,” so that any hymn in the collection may be found with facility, if the first line of any verse be known, by a reference to this Index. These are aids of incalculable value to a student of the Hymn-book.

There is a peculiarity appertaining to some editions of the large Hymn-book, which will be explained by the following extract from the Minutes of the English Conference for 1799:

Q. What direction shall be given in respect to the printing of our books?

"A. 1. Dr. Coke, brother Story, brother Moore, and brother Clarke, are appointed to reduce the large Hymn-book to its primitive simplicity, as published in the second edition; with liberty to add a word now and then, in the way of note, to explain a difficult pas

* The "Supplement" to the American Hymn-book was added in 1836, taken principally from that appended to the English collection; hence the above remarks, which were written in 1831, refer to the American Hymn-book previous to the addition of the Supplement.

sage, for the sake of the unlearned: and a discretionary power is given them, in respect to the additional hymns."

An old copy of the Hymn-book, containing the notes, is before the writer; a few specimens of which will be given at the bottom of the page, as in the Hymn-book.

In the third verse of the hymn commencing,

The italicised word is explained in the note below, as are also the italicised words which occur in the following extracts.

In the fifth verse of the hymn beginning, "I want the spirit of power within "

"Where the indubitable † seal,

That ascertains the kingdom mine?"

In the third verse of the hymn commencing, "Jesus, the Conqu'rer, reigns "—

In the seventh verse of the hymn beginning, "God of unspotted purity"

*"Displacence; disgust, aversion, abhorrence."

"Indubitable, so certain or evident, as to admit of no doubt or suspicion of its truth."

"Phalanx, a battalion of infantry set close to each other, with their shields joined."

"Thou rather wouldst that we were cold,
Than seem to serve thee without zeal;
Less guilty, if, with those of old,

They worship'd Thor and Woden* still."

-The hymn from which this verse is taken, is not in the Methodist Episcopal Hymn-book, but is retained in the English collection without the note, which we suppose must be essential to many, even at this day, for the proper understanding of the terms Thor and Woden.

The last example that will be noticed, occurs in the fifth verse of the hymn commencing, "How weak the thoughts, and vain”.

"Those amaranthine † bowers,

Unalienably ours,

Bloom, our infinite reward;

Rise, our permanent abode;
From the founded world prepared;

Purchased by the Word of God."

blood/

The note to this verse is rather of too classic a nature for the comprehension of a mind so illiterate as not to understand the word amaranthine, containing, as it does, a reference to the sublime poem, Paradise Lost. The beautiful passage in Milton, referred to, is as follows:

"Immortal amaranth, a flower which once

In Paradise, fast by the tree of life,

Began to bloom; but soon for man's offense

To heaven removed, where first it grew, there grows,

And flowers, aloft, shading the fount of life,

And where the river of bliss through midst of heaven

Rolls o'er Elysian flowers her amber stream."

"Thor and Woden, idols worshiped by our Saxon ancestors." †“Amaranthine, i. e. everlasting; ever-blooming; not subject to decay. See Milton's Paradise Lost, book iii, line 352."

The hymns in the Wesleyan Hymn-book and Supplement, when classified according to their respective authors, will stand thus

Thus it appears, that to Charles Wesley, the Wesleyan Methodists, under God, are indebted for about 627 out of 770 hymns, which constitute the collection now in use among them. The proportion of hymns by C. Wesley in the Methodist Episcopal Hymn-book is not quite so large.