In the preface to the 1838 edition of his now-famous hymn collection, William Gadsby began thus:
To be employed with the solemn pleasure in singing the praises of God with the spirit and with the understanding also, is a blessing peculiar to God’s elect; nor can even they be thus engaged, only as the blessed Spirit influences the mind, and favors them with the unction of his grace. It is one thing to have the ear charmed, and another to have the heart engaged in this most delightful part of God’s worship in his church below. “Blessed are the people that know the joyful sound.”