. quires less intellect and industry to enter into its spirit; less acquaintance with the fruths, providence, and grace of God, to understand it; and much less perfection to come up to its demands, than do the songs of inspiration. But this argument goes much too far. Whatever force it has in setting aside the Book of Psalms, from its primary use, will operate no less powerfully against the whole Bible. One of our modern evangelizers might, perhaps, be found capable of furnishing the world with a system of divinity, theoretical and practical, much more easily understood than the writings of the Old and New Testaments; and, probably; by employing an ambiguous phraseology, and "a charitable latitude" of meaning, there might be in it little, if any thing, found contrary to the word of truth. What would be thought of substituting such a system in place of the Bible? This would, as in the case of the Book of Psalms, supersede all the labors of exposi tion. Mr. Freeman* disapproves of lecturing upon an inspired Psalm, in order to a singing of it with understanding. He prefers those "psalms which carry the explication in themDisc. p. 23. 2 selves. This explication is given," he says, "in the version, (imitation?) of Dr. Watts.' If, then, an imitation of the Bible, of more ea, sy comprehension than the Bible itself, can be found, why not adopt it, in place of that mysterious and inspired Book? If the above reason has any weight, it would lead the man who consistently pursues it, to the result now sta ted.* • It discovers no small degree of shallowness to argue, as do Messrs. Freeman, Baird, and others, that, to sing a paraphrase, is preferable to singing an inspired song, after making upon it an expository lecture. The lecturer or paraphrast, whether he communicates his exposition from the pulpit or the press, may err, may mistake the spirit of the text, may only communicate a part of its meaning, and at best can only profess to aid in understanding it; is it not, then, better still to retain the text it is uncorrupt, still retains its spirit and plenitude of meaning, and, from it, the saint will derive what no exposition can give ?What is now said might be exemplified from every page of Watts' Imitation. Take then, for instance, Psalm 45. 9-" Upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir." This is the text. It is the word of God. Here is the Scottish metre version of these words: Upon thy right hand did the queen Those who confess the prose to be the language of the Holy Ghost, will not deny the metre to be equally sacred. Let us now see the version and exposition of Watts At his right hand our eyes behold, The world admires ber heavenly dress; Now, although the ideas of the text are not fully given in the two first lines, and what are given are but feebly expressed; yet they are not so exceptiorable as the two last lines, which labor under the very great inconvenience of being untrue; for the world, as distinguished from the Church, never admired her heavenly dress; her robe of joy and righteousness. It is her We know, indeed, that our brethren who use, and vindicate the use of the imitation of the Psalms, and other hymns, would shrink from such a conclusion. Why, then, do they embrace premises from which that conclusion would necessarily flow? I am, indeed, afraid dress, her robe of righteousness, and holy joy, that have made the Church an object of hatred and derision to the world. The world bateth you, is the testimony of the faithful witness.-Joh. 15. 19. and 17. 14. Those who are described as baters of the light, as not submitting to God's righteousness, but as enemies of all righteousness, are certainly not likely to admire these in the Church. Rom. 10. 3. Act. 13. 10. Of a similar character are the following lines; A soul oppressed with sin's desert, My God will ne'er despise. The cases of Cain, Judas, and all the trembling devils of hell, falsify this assertion. It is retained in many copies, though expunged out of some. It is calculated to foster a false hope. Again examine Psal. 51 4." Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight; that thou mighest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest." 'Gainst thee, thee only have I sinned, one. in thy sight done this ill; That when thou speak'st thou may'st be just, Scottish version. Should'st thou condemn my soul to bell, And crush my flesh to dust, Heaven would approve thy vengeance well, And earth must own it just: Watts. The Imitation is not a version. It is not even an attempt at The sentiment is not authorized by the psalm, nor by any other portion of scripture, that represents the approved confession of a penitent. Never did the Holy Ghost intsruct the heart, or life of a believing penitent, confessing sin and plead. ing for pardou, to contradict his declarations in the inspired page. Yet the words, and sentiment of the Imitation, are in direct contradiction to the word of God, in such a case; and that the fact on which this objection is founded, ignorance of the Bible, has a very extensive influence, in the banishment of inspired odes, from the Psalmody of the Church. And, like most expedients, we may be pretty certain ; that instead of remedying, the preference of an are only fit for the lips of one in the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity; for," If we confess our sins he is faithful and juse to forgive us our sins." I Joh. 1. 9. Once more, consult Psal. 98: 2. "The Lord hath made known his salvation" The Lord God his salvation hath caused to be known; Scottish version. He comes to make his blessing flow Watts. Is the language of the Imitation here, the language of the text, or of any other scripture? Did the Savior, indeed, intend to make his blessing" flow as far as the curse is found"? The curse is found upon all devils, and wicked men aniversally; Without exception, then, shall his blessing reach them all? Or is a smooth line of poetry, though containing a false doc trine, of more importance than the truth of God's word! So much for the possibility of an erroneous exposition. Let us next advert to the possibility of mistaking the spirit of the inspired song. Take as an example, Psal. 89. 6 For who in the beaten can le compared unto the Lord? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord" ? For who in heaven with the Lord may once himself compare? Who is like God among the sons of those that mighty are? Scottish version, There's none of all my sons above Celestial powershy subjects are, Then what can earth to thee compare ? Watts. The text is the worshipper's confession of Jehovah's su preme perfection. This is the spirit of it. But what is the imitation, will increase the evil. Books whose scope is to conduct their reader to the lively oracles of truth, may be useful; but those intended to supersede the appointed use of any portion of the word of God, must be of danger. ous tendency. We have just turned from an argument, pleading the ignorance of New Testament worshippers, as a reason for setting aside the Book of Psalms, as the matter of the Church's song; we now meet another of an opposite cast. "Christian attainments, it seems, are of an order too high to be suited with the sober compositions of inspired men," How vain is man! How easily the soothing accents of flattery induce to self deception! Tell us, ye comment, as given in the Imitation? Not the inspired language of the devout man, who does homage to his Maker; but the language of the Father to the Son, is the gloss! This is not the meaning of the text. Once more, let us attend to the 16th verse of the same Psalm; "And in thy righteousness shall they be exalted." And in thy righteousness shall they Exalted be on high. Scottish version. The idea, in the imitation, is inadequate to the text. The exaltation of the person, is much more than the elevation of an affection of his mind. But in the imitation is none of that massy thought, and rich luxuriance of meaning, which distinguish our inspired songs. |