mirrored in the praises of the
congregation upon earth.[13] "And they sung a new song, saying,"

Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof
(_Rev. 5:9-10_),

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and
wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing (_Rev.
5:12-14_),

Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and
power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever (_Rev. 7:12_),

Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true
are thy ways, thou King of saints (_Rev. 15:3-4_),

Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth (_Rev. 19:6_).

From the point of view of the evolution of Christian hymns, the hymns in
the _Book of Revelation_ are perhaps the most significant in the New
Testament because they exhibit varied elements, from Judaism, from
Christianity and from the mingling of the two.[14]

It is interesting to re-read the New Testament in the search for hymns,
but one should remember that the field is controversial. Some
commentators would suggest that the entire 13th chapter of _I
Corinthians_ is a hymn, beginning,

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels.[15]

A moderate rather than an extreme position, however, upon the identity of
hymn sources in the New Testament seems more likely to be productive of a
genuine appreciation of the style, subject matter and number of primitive
Christian hymns.

Traces of poetic improvisation, which is so closely allied to hymnody,
must be seriously considered at this point. The art of improvisation
belongs to no one age or country. It happens that the Greeks had
practiced it for centuries and that illustrations exist from the time of
Homer. To the Hellenized orient it was familiar. "The Greeks of Cilicia
and of the region about Antioch and Tarsus," as Dr. George Dwight Kellogg
reminds us, "seem to have cultivated the art and become famous." He also
suggests that the "gift of tongues" refers to this art and that Paul
himself possessed the poetic talent in no small degree.[16] It is only
natural to assume that, among the early Christians, certain individuals
would react to the influence of heightened emotion in outbursts of poetic
expression. Passages in the _Book of Acts_ may refer to the use of such
hymns, for example, in the case of the Gentiles at Caesarea, who "speak
with tongues and magnify God" (_Acts