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30 viol and sang to its accompaniment his own words, 'The Sundays of man's life'. F. B.P.'s 'Hierusalem, my happie home', which was written before 1601, is one of the treasures of English hymnody. In 1623, George Wither gained permission to have his Hymns and Songs of the Church bound up with every copy of the Metrical Psalms. Besides the usual paraphrases, it contained hymns for all the festivals. Instead of fame and profit, however, the work brought him persecution and loss. In 1641, many of these pieces were republished in Hallelujah, Britain's Second Remembrancer, dedicated to the Long Parliament. That collection cannot be accused of any want of variety, for 'When Washing, On a Boat, Sheep-shearing, House-warming, For Lovers, Tailors, Jailer, Prisoner, Member of Parliament', are some of its headings.

We owe to this period some fine hymns. Samuel Crossman, Prebendary and afterwards Dean of Bristol, published in 1664 some pieces which are still sung with delight in many a congregation, 'Jerusalem on high', and 'Sweet place, sweet place alone'. Ken's three hymns were written within ten years of that time; Richard Baxter's tender hymn of resignation, 'Lord, it belongs not to my care', appeared in 1681.

Singing almost became a lost art for Nonconformity during the rigour of the Conventicle Act. An amusing account of the way in which Benjamin Keach succeeded in gradually restoring it to the worship of his own Baptist church is given in Mr. Spurgeon's history of his Tabernacle. Keach had risked much for devotional music. His congregation had been surprised by its singing. He had himself been trampled on by a trooper's horse and thrown into prison, but his conviction that singing the praises of God 'was a holy ordinance of Jesus Christ' was only deepened by such troubles. He wrote a little book in defence of hymns, and managed at last to get them safely restored to Dissenting worship. Keach also published two volumes of hymns. Other collections soon sprang up. Dr. Watts made a memorable advance on his predecessors. Dr. Julian pays a high tribute in the Dictionary of Hymnology to the soft richness of his diction; his free, vigorous rhythm, especially in his long metres; and to the pervading joyfulness and buoyant faith which light up even his saddest hymns. Watts often complained of the fetter put on him by 'the old narrow metres', as well as by the necessity of giving each line a complete sense in itself, and 'sinking it to the level of a whole