Some poems fully within the scope of the book — like Longfellow's Psalm of Life — have been omitted because of their exceeding commonness and their accessibility. Many hymns of very high value — like Jesus, Lover of my soul, My faith looks up to thee, Nearer, my God, to thee, When all thy mercies, O my God, How firm a foundation — have also been omitted because they are found in all the hymnals, and to include them would unduly swell the size of the book. A few others, although similarly familiar, like Jesus, I my cross have taken, and God moves in a mysterious way, have been inserted from a feeling that even yet their depth and richness are not properly appreciated and that they can never be sufficiently pondered. A few poems we have been unable to procure permission to use; but in nearly all cases we have met with most generous treatment from both authors and publishers owning copyrights, and we take this occasion to express our hearty thanks for the kindness afforded in the following instances.
