Aids to Devotion; in Three Parts, Including Watts' Guide to Prayer

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1831 edition. Excerpt: ...agreeable changes. ' 2., 'lroid a vicious disposition of the accents, and false pronunciation. As for instance; it is a vicious pi-onunciation, when a person uses just the same set of accents, and repeats the same set of sounds and cadences in every sentence, though his sentences are ever so different as to the sense, as to the length, or as to the warmth of expression: as if a man should begin every sentence in prayer with a high voice, and end it in a low; or begin each line with a hoarse and deep bass, and end it with a shrill and sharp sound. This is as if a musician should have but one sort of tune, or one single set of notes, and repeat it over again in every line of a song; which could never be graceful. Another instance of false pronunciation is, when strong accents are put upon little words and particles, which bear no great force in the sentence. And some persons are so unhappy, that those little words, they and that, and of and by, shall have the biggest force of the voice bestowed upon them, whilst the phrases and expressions of chief signification are spoken with a cold and low voice. Another instance of false pronunciation is, when a calm, plain sentence, wherein there is nothing pathetical, is delivered with much force and violence of speech; or when the most pathetical and affectionate expressions are spoken with the utmost calmness and composure of voice. All which are very unnatural in themselves, and to be avoided by those that would speak properly, to the edification of such as worship with them. The last instance I shall mention of false pronunciation is, when we fall into a musical turn of voice, as though we were singing instead of praying. Some devout souls have been betrayed into such a self-pleasing tone, by the..