Watts's alone, we could easily refer to a greater number of places where it occurs than all the similar ones in the New Testament put together. We think it must, however, appear sufficiently obvious, that the occurrence of this usage in a few passages of Scripture, under such circumstances, furnishes no valid reason whatever for introducing the word into church psalmody. It invariably presents to the mind an unseemly object, which the sacred writers never contemplated in such a connection. It is not at all adapted to suggest those mental affections, for which the metaphor is professedly used; and it is likely to awaken associations, which, to say the least, are any thing but poetical. It ought, unquestionably, to be expunged from every pas sage. We subjoin several more examples of the manner in which it is used: "Behold the love, the generous love, That holy David shows; HARK! how his sounding bowels move [Ps. 35, 2d part. "Hark!" lest some strains of this dulcet music should be Bowels of GOD! is worst of all. But here we have it; and, as if this alone were not sufficiently gross, God's complaints, God's distress, the dying blood and the LAST GROANS of GOD are brought in to finish out the picture. If this be not an outrage against reverence, propriety, DECENcy, we know not what to call such. Have not the quotations, with which this article is loaded, and uncounted pages more of a similar character, occupied long enough the desk and the seats of the sanctuary? After what has been exhibited, we believe it would be quite a needless labor, to offer any elaborate general remarks on the neces sity of expurgation and amendment in our prevailing collections. We hope the time may not be distant, when the business shall be undertaken by some able and skilful band. Each of the authors from whom we have taken extracts has written more or less of good psalmody,some of them a very considerable number of pieces. Probably about one half of the matter of Watts's versification of the Psalms, and about two-fifths of all his other lyric pieces, are worthy to be retained in a collection for public worship. From various other authors, of past and recent times, there can be selected a sufficient additional amount of good English lyric poetry to furnish a tasteful and adequate collection, that shall well deserve a place at the domestic altar, in the social assembly, and in the house of God. We repeat the expression of our hope, that the time may soon arrive, when a compilation shall be prepared, worthy, in its sentiments and poetical character, to be adopted by the Baptist denomination throughout this extended republic. ARTICLE XII. HISTORY OF MISSIONS. The Origin and History of Missions; a Record of the Voyages, Travels, Labors and Successes of the various Missionaries who have been sent forth by Protestant Societies and Churches to evangelize the Heathen; compiled from authentic Documents; forming a complete Missionary Repository; illustrated by numerous Engravings, from original Drawings made expressly for this Work. By the Rev. JOHN O. CHOULES, A. M., New-Bedford, Mass., and the Rev. THOMAS SMITH, late Minister of Trinity Chapel, London. Fourth edition, continued to the present time. In two volumes. Boston. Gould, Kendall & Lincoln, and Crocker & Brewster. 4to. pp. 622, 610. 1837. No friend of missions can have forgotten the thrilling language of Mr. Judson, in a letter to the Rev. Mr. Grew, in VOL. II.NO. VII. 57 1831. Though speaking particularly of Burmah, and of a period very different, in some respects, from the present, yet we quote it again here, because, contemplated on a large scale, it too truly applies to missionary efforts throughout the world: "The fact is, that we are very weak, and have to complain, that hitherto we have not been well supported from home. It is most distressing to find, when we are almost worn out, and are sinking, one after another, into the grave, that many of our brethren in Christ, at home, are just as hard and immovable as rocks; just as cold and repulsive as the mountains of ice in the polar seas. But, whatever they do, we cannot sit still, and see the dear Burmans, flesh and blood like ourselves, and, like ourselves, possessed of immortal souls, that must shine for ever in heaven, or burn for ever in hell,—we cannot see them go down to perdition, without doing our very utmost to save them. And, thanks be to God, our labors are not in vain. We have three lovely churches, and about two hundred baptized converts; and some are in glory. A spirit of religious inquiry is extensively spreading throughout the country, and the signs of the times indicate, that the great renovation of Burmah is drawing near. O, if we had about twenty more versed in the language, and means to spread schools, and tracts, and Bibles, to any extent, how happy I should be! But those rocks and those icy mountains have crushed us down for many years." We do not feel, that any apology is necessary for presenting to our readers the above extract, with which it is hoped many of them are already familiar. The rebuke it conveys, keen as its edge must be to most, will, we fear, be needed by Christians in general for some years to come, as well as now; and it is one which could hardly come with equal force from any other man. But we refer to it now, chiefly with a view to point out the grand cause of the apathy complained of, in the judgment of Mr. Judson himself. "I am persuaded, that the only reason why all the dear friends of Jesus in America do not come forward in the support of missions is, mere want of information. If they could only see and know half what 1 do, they would give all their property, and their persons, too." In this opinion of Mr. Judson, we fully coincide. We do not deny the existence of covetousness among Christian churches, but we doubt whether this exists and operates to the extent often supposed. Certainly, this is not the case among the "friends of Jesus." That there are now a few among us, whose disposition and doom are shadowed out in the history of Ananias and Sapphira, we doubt not, since human nature developes the same tendencies in every age; but these followers of "Mammon" must be distinguished from the "friends of Jesus." Though for a time found among them, they are not of them; and in churches constituted as ours, we do not believe their numbers are large. In the broad and sweeping censures sometimes pronounced on this subject, we cannot sympathize. We hear them with pain. They can do no good to the cause of benevolence, to the interests of Christianity, or to the individuals concerned. They seem to us oftener the effusions of despondency or spleen, than of sober conscientiousness. How much more wise, as well as generous, was the sentiment uttered by the Psalmist, on a trying occasion: "If I say, I will speak thus, behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children!" Let us abandon these uncharitable judgments. Let the agents of benevolent societies, especially, beware how they use language so nearly akin to that of the infidel and the godless scoffer. Let them leave to another the infamous task and title of an "accuser of the brethren." Let them repose a firm and generous confidence in the Christian liberality of the churches. We cannot stop here to unfold fully the grounds for this confidence, nor to answer all the objections which may be urged against our views; but we are deeply convinced of their soundness, and of the happy consequences that would ensue, if the agents of our various charities, in their appeals, both public and private, were invariably to proceed upon the conviction, or even assumption, of their truth. We mean not to assert, that all Christians will be found alike liberal, or alike ready to aid every form of religious charity. This would be assuming too much. But we mean to say, and to insist, that in the soul of every Christian,—and of such we believe the churches of America are generally composed, there is a deep vein of solid benevolence, a rich mine of sacred liberality, imbedded there by the divine hand (2 Cor. 8:1-5), which requires only to be properly wrought, to yield its treasures for every good work, year after year, and age after age. In some, the precious ore may be nearer to the surface than in others, and may require less pains to draw forth its sparkling riches; but he who finds all barren may rest assured, that he is yet deficient in the requisite discernment, diligence or skill, which, in suitable hands, rarely fail to be crowned with success. When did such men as Andrew Fuller, Samuel Pearce, or Legh Richmond, plead in vain? If the views and motives with which the heart of Paul was so full and overflowing, when he wrote the eighth and ninth chapters of his second epistle to the Corinthians, were equally familiar to the hearts of those who wish to call forth the charities of the churches at the present day, we doubt not that the churches of America would respond, in a way that would again call forth the thanksgivings of their ministers and the admiration of the world. In regard to the missionary cause, especially, we believe, that it has a friend in every Christian who has had sufficient information to enlarge his understanding, satisfy his conscience, and rouse his sympathies. We take it to be a great principle, a general rule, admitting but rare exceptions, that every one who loves our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity is willing and desirous, even, to aid in promoting the extension of his kingdom to the ends of the earth, provided he is only properly informed upon the subject. "THY KINGDOM COME!' Oh, who that daily sends That, in many instances, this want of information is culpable, is beyond a doubt. We wish we had sufficient time and space here to enter into a full investigation of its various causes; but as we have not, we shall content ourselves with simply suggesting them, leaving every reader to reflect upon them, and trace them out in the light of his own personal knowledge, observation and experience. For the sake of being more definite, let us confine ourselves, for a moment, to the condition of our own denomination. Let us assume, that we have about half a million of communicants at this moment in our churches in this country; which cannot greatly differ from the fact. The whole sum contributed by these the last year to missionary purposes, in various forms, is about $150,000, which is an average of thirty cents from each individual. Yet it is highly probable, that one half of our communicants contributed no part of this sum. And why? Did poverty forbid? By no means. The number of donors who are not communicants probably exceeds the number of minors, slaves, and others, |