It is a singing to the praise of God. If you praise God, and do not sing, you utter no hymn. If you sing, and praise no God, you utter no hymn. If you praise anything which does not pertain to the praise of God, though in singing you praise, you utter no hymn.
Defining a hymn
note to Psalm 148; J. R. Watson The English Hymn: a Critical and Historical Study (1997) ch. 1
