Christian's piety. Oh! How I lifted up my voice in
those Psalms! How they inflamed my heart! How I yearned to recite them,
if I could, to the whole world--as an answer to the pride of the human
race! Though, indeed, they are sung throughout the world, and none can
hide himself from Thy heat! (_Confess._, IX. iv. 8).

_S. Augustine:_ Sometimes, indeed, through immoderate fear of this
mistake I err by excessive severity; nay, sometimes, though it is but
rarely, I could almost wish to shut out from my ears and even from the
Church itself all those sweet-sounding melodies used in the
accompaniment of David's Psalms. Sometimes it seems to me as though it
would be safer to do as I have often heard that Athanasius, the Bishop
of Alexandria, did, for he made the reader of the Psalms so modulate his
voice that he came to be rather speaking than singing. Yet, on the other
hand, when I remember the tears which I shed when I heard the Church's
chant in the early days of my regaining the faith, and when I notice
that even now I am stirred--not so much by the chant as by the things
that are chanted--when, that is, they are chanted with clear intonation
and suitable modulation, then once more I recognize the great value of
this appointed fashion (_Confess._, X. xxxiii. 50).

_S. Augustine: I have cried with my whole heart, hear me, O Lord!_[207]
Who can question but that when men pray their cry to the Lord is vain if
it be nought but the sound of the corporeal voice and their heart be not
intent upon God? But if their prayer come from the heart, then, even
though the voice of the body be silent, it may be hidden from all men,
yet not from God. Whether, then, we pray to God with our voice--at times
when such prayer is necessary--or whether we pray in silence, it is our
heart that must send forth the cry. But the heart's cry is the earnest
application of our minds. And when this accompanies our prayer it
expresses the deep affections of him who yearns and asks and so despairs
not of his request. And further, a man cries _with his whole heart_ when
he has no other thought. Such prayers with many are rare; with few are
they frequent; I know not whether anyone's prayers are always so
(_Enarr. in Ps._ cxviii., _Sermon_, xxix. 1).

"Incline Thy ear, O Lord, and hear me; for I am needy and poor.
Preserve my soul, for I am holy: save Thy servant, O my God,
that trusteth in Thee. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I have
cried to T