Rich were the drops of Jesu's blood
That calm'd his frowning face,

That sprinkled o'er the burning throne,
And turn'd the wrath to grace."

In some of these, and in other hymns, the divine attributes are represented as in a state of conflict; whereas, in Scripture, all the perfections of the Godhead are harmoniously and gloriously displayed in the work of man's redemption.

There, "Mercy and Truth meet together, righteousness and peace embrace each other." "If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." He is presented to us in the delightful character of "the Just God, and the Saviour." The mission of Jesus has produced no change in the Divine character;-He, "Our God is a consuming fire." This is the truth expressly stated in Heb. xii. 29.

Can any one who reflects on the nature of praise sing the 22nd Hymn, beginning with "Terrible God," of which the following is the third verse :

"This Sodom felt, and feels it still,

And roars beneath th 'eternal load:
'With endless burnings who can dwell!
Or bear the fury of a God?""

The last two lines are intended to put in words the meaning of the inarticulate roar mentioned in the preceding lines. The last line exemplifies another fault, which attaches to many of these hymns ; namely, the expression, "A God." The indefinite article may often be prefixed to the noun God with perfect propriety, but when The Father, Jehovah, Our God, or the Lord Jesus Christ are spoken of, such a mode of expression is obviously improper. It occurs in the 24th, 5th ver.

"Sin, the cursed name, that in one hour
Spoil'd six days' labour of a God;"

also in 103rd, 3rd ver.; 137th, 3rd ver. The worst instance of all, however, is in the 21st Hymn, where allusion is made to some of the heathen deities, in contrast to whom Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is introduced as "A God."

"Let the old heathens tune their song

Of great Diana and of Jove;

But the sweet theme that moves my tongue
Is my Redeemer and his love.

Behold, a God descends and dies," &c. &c.

Another large class of hymns is objectionable in my view, because of the familiarity with which the most High God and our blessed Lord are spoken of and addressed. Whatever others may think, I am persuaded, the epithet "dear," when used in reference to the everblessed God, is misapplied; it implies fondness and familiarity. This

term is never so applied in Scripture; it occurs in Col. i. 13, as between the Father and the Son, although the expression, "the Son of his love," is preferable. But between the other sons and their heavenly Father, and even between the Lord Jesus and his brethren, notwithstanding all the love showed by the Father and the Son toward them, and notwithstanding all the love which they ought to cherish, the Scriptures do not exemplify the use of that language towards God— they do not, in my opinion, warrant it. It is unnecessary to particularise the hymns in which the terms "dear" and "dearest occur; they are so numerous. The expression, "Sweet Jesus," which occurs in two or three hymns, is equally objectionable, and "My Jesus" is

not much better.

In some there is found an expression of desire for the termination of life, which, perhaps, not one in a hundred of those who use that language really feel. Ah! how sad it is, that God should be mocked by his people, when professedly engaged in a solemn act of worship.

I might particularise several other objections to the hymns of the Second Book, but I forbear, and shall conclude by noticing one, which applies to many hymns throughout the volume, namely, an extravagance of thought and description, which violates not propriety only, but common, sober sense.

I must, however, confine myself to two quotations :

"At his approach the mountains flee,

And seek a watery grave;

The frighted sea makes haste away,
And shrinks up every wave;

Through the wide air the weighty rocks

Are swift as hailstones hurl'd."

The first two lines are paltry in the extreme; the last two exemplify, in my opinion, the extravagance which I have noticed; a more marked exemplification of which is furnished in the 4th and 5th verses, of the 41st hymn, Second Book,—

"Had I a glance of thee, my God,

Kingdoms and men would vanish soon;

Vanish as though I saw them not,
As a dim candle dies at noon.

Then they might fight, and rage, and rave,
I should perceive the noise no more:
Than we can hear the shaking leaf,

While rattling thunders round us roar."

The Third Book contains only twenty-five hymns, intended to be sung at the observance of the Lord's Supper. Even these are not faultless, especially in the particularity of the description of our blessed Lord's bodily sufferings. But I must not extend this paper by specifying instances.

Perhaps no hymn in the whole collection is more frequently sung

than the 7th of the Third Book, the first line of which is, "When I survey the wondrous cross." But there is one line which, when sung, must be sung, I think, thoughtlessly, namely, the last line of the 3rd verse:

"Or thorns compose so rich a crown.”

No other crown than that which Jesus wore was composed of thorns. Whoever thought of thorns forming rich crowns? Had gems or jewels been introduced instead of thorns, there would have been point and sense in the question.

These thoughts I submit to the candid consideration of the readers of the 'Record,' particularly of such as select psalms and hymns for public worship. Let them realise the sacredness of praise, let all do so, that intelligence may be combined with devotion, and that our worship may be acceptable in the sight of Him to whom it is presented. The excuse usually pleaded on behalf of the poet, that he is only availing himself of a poetic license, and indulging in poetic fiction, cannot be admitted as an apology for the worshippers. nature of the exercise forbids all fiction, and all such license.

The

Finally, I take the liberty of saying that I am persuaded that the mode in which the psalms and hymns were announced, or, rather, the exercise of praise entered upon, in the days of our fathers, was much more calculated to induce a spirit of devout thoughtfulness, than the mode which generally obtains now, in merely announcing the number of the psalm or hymn, and the tune. Then we were accustomed to hear some such words as these, solemnly pronounced,—“Let us praise God, by singing the hymn."

D.

VII. THE DEAD SEA.

It has been known for some years, that there exists a most remarkable depression of the Dead Sea below the level of the Mediterranean, in which of course the valley of the Jordan participates. The estimates of the depression of Lake Tiberias have varied from 84 to 759 feet, and of the Dead Sea from 500 to 1300 feet. The trigonometrical measurements of Lieut. Symonds in 1841, have, however, proved that while the Dead Sea is 1337 feet below the level of the Mediterranean, the Lake of Tiberias is 84 feet only. The course of the Jordan in a direct line between the two lakes, is about 60 miles, in which space therefore the river falls no less than the remarkable number of 1253 feet. In a recent number of the 'Bibliotheca Sacra,' Dr. Robinson has drawn attention to this curious phenomenon, presuming that in the course of the Jordan there occurs no cataract, while yet there is room for no less than three cataracts, each equal to Niagara in height, leaving an average fall to the river equal to the swiftest portion of the Rhine, including the cataract of Schaffhausen.

It is a singular fact, that till the unfortunate attempt of Costigan, in 1835, to explore the Dead Sea, no traveller had ever traced the course of the Jordan from its departure from the Sea of Tiberias to its entrance into the Dead Sea. The river was only known at its shallowest parts, the fords; nor has it ever been suspected that its course was obstructed by numerous and fearful rapids. The intelligent Irishman above-mentioned, began his exploring expedition on the Lake of Tiberias in a boat, which he had succeeded in bringing across the country from Acre, on the backs of camels. Thence he passed down the Jordan to the Dead Sea. His only companion was a Maltese sailor. The following account is taken from the recent work of Miss Martineau.

"They followed the Jordan, entered the Dead Sea, and reached its southern end, not without hardship and difficulty. But the fatal struggle was in returning. The wind did not often favour them; and once it blew such a squall that they threw overboard whatever came to hand: and the first thing the servant threw over was their only cask of fresh water. They were now compelled to row for their lives, to reach the Jordan before they perished with thirst; but the sun scorched them from a cloudless sky, and the air was like that of a furnace. When Costigan could row no further, his servant made some coffee with the water of the sea and then they lay down in the boat to die. But the man once more roused himself, and by many efforts brought the boat to the head of the lake. They lay helpless for a whole day on that burning shore, unable to do more than throw the salt water over each other from time to time. The next morning the servant crawled away, in hopes of reaching Rihhah, which he did with extreme difficulty. He sent Costigan's horse down to the shore, with a supply of water. The poor young man was alive; and he was carried to Jerusalem in the coolness of the night. He was taken care of in the Latin convent there; but he died in two days. During those hours of lingering he never spoke of his enterprize; and not a note concerning it was ever found among his effects."—Eastern Life, vol. iii. p. 154.

In March 1837, Messrs. Moore and Beke attempted a survey of the Dead Sea. From Jaffa they conveyed a boat, with stores, to the lake, passing through Jerusalem and Jericho, a work of great labour. After surveying a good portion of the shores, they were compelled to abandon the undertaking, the guards and guides refusing to proceed.*

The task has, however, been at length successfully accomplished, under the guidance of Lieut. Lynch, of Virginia, U.S., and with the sanction of Mr. Mason, the Secretary of the State. The following account is taken from the New York Recorder. It is a condensed account of the history of the expedition, which was inserted by a Lieut. Maury in the Southern Literary Messenger.

*Pictorial History of Palestine,' p. clxxxvi.

VOL. I.-No. XI.

b2X

"In the spring of 1847, Lieut. Lynch first addressed the Secretary on the subject, recommending a circumnavigation and exploration of the Dead Sea and its entire coast; representing that the expense would be trifling, as our ships frequently touched at Acre, in Syria, forty miles from Lake Tiberias, or Sea of Galilee, from which the river Jordan runs into the first-named sea; that the frame of a boat, with crew and provisions, could be transported on camels from Acre to Tiberias, and there put together again. Only one traveller, Mr. Costigan, had ever circumnavigated the Dead Sea, and he had died at the termination of his voyage, without leaving any journal or notes behind. It was contended, also, that independent of the eager curiosity of all Christendom in regard to this mysterious lake, this expedition was of value to the interests of navigation.

"The Secretary of the Navy received favourably the proposition of Lieut. Lynch, and an opportunity soon occurred by which it could be conveniently carried into effect. It was necessary to send a store-ship to the Mediterranean squadron, and as after her arrival she would have no employment for months, the Secretary determined to send Lieut. Lynch and his party in her, so that, after meeting the wants of the squadron, she could proceed up the Levant, and land Lieut. Lynch and his companions.

6

"This was done. The store-ship, the Supply,' was provided with two metallic boats, one of copper, the other of iron-the former named 'Fanny Mason,' and the latter Fanny Skinner.'

"On their arrival at their destination their troubles began, and in their march to Lake Tiberias their boats had to be transported over the most formidable mountain gorges and heights, and to be lowered down precipices with ropes. But these difficulties were surmounted with true sailor skill and perseverance, and on the 8th of April the two Fannies, each with the American ensign flying, were afloat on the beautiful blue waters of the Sea of Galilee. 'Emblematic of its Master, it alone of all things around them remained the same. Just as the Apostles saw it when our Saviour said to it, "Peace, be still," this little band of rovers now beheld it.'

"The navigation of the Jordan was found to be most difficult and dangerous, from its frequent and fearful rapids. Lieut. Lynch solves the secret of the depression between Lake Tiberias and the Dead Sea by the tortuous course of the Jordan, which, in a distance of sixty miles, winds through a course of two hundred miles. Within this distance Lieut. Lynch and his party plunged down no less than twentyseven threatening rapids, beside many others of less descent. The difference of the level between the two seas is over a thousand feet.

"He thus speaks of the Jordan:-The Jordan, although rapid and impetuous, is graceful in its windings and fringed with luxuriance, while its waters are sweet, clear, cool, and refreshing.

"The water of the Jordan was sweet to within a few hundred yards of its mouth. The waters of the Dead Sea were devoid of smell, but bitter, salt, and nauseous. Upon entering it, the boats were encountered