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original and found is any where to be met with, that has fuch ftrength of fenfe and delicacy of turn as that of St. Paul to the Romans P. My ὑπερφρονεῖν παρ' ὃ δεῖ φρονεῖν, ἀλλὰ φρονεῖν εἰς τὸ σω Ogovely, no translation can reach the beauties of it. The harmony in the order and structure of the words is grateful; the repetition and oppofition in the latter part is sprightly and furprizing; and the moral comprehended in the whose sound and edifying.

S. 5. Repetitions of precepts and morals is often found in the facred writers, and is defign'd to waken mens attention; and by repeated ftrokes to imprefs thofe important truths deeper in their minds. Readers of any laudable curiofity and hopefulness of temper will carefully confider a doctrine and the confequences of it, which is by the divine Spirit of wifdom fo often and fo vehemently inculcated. Grotius, on Theff. v. 5, &c. obferves to his reader," See "how often the Apostle repeats the fame thing, "that, by praifing the Chriftians, he may incite "and encourage them.

The foundest and politest moralists in the heathen world are full of repetitions of their rules of conduct, and precepts of piety and morality;

P Rom. xii. 3.

a Philip. ii. 2. Ephef. vi. 5, 6, 7

Look

and particularly Tully, in his juftly admir'd Offices, one of the moft elaborate, found, and useful of all the writings of that excellent man. into the fifth fection of the third book', where the philofopher is upon that important point, that juftice is inviolably to be obferv'd, and that a wife and good man will rather fuffer poverty, pain, and death, than fordidly draw profit to himself by doing injury to his neighbour: and you'll find the fame doctrine repeated for almost three pages together, in an elegant variety and moving vehemence of expreffion.

§. 6. Some metaphorical expreffions in the new Testament have been thought to have been overstrain'd and harsh by fome gentlemen, not intimately converfant with the nobleft Claffics; and that have not view'd things and perfons in their several pofitions and numerous relations one to another: when really the paffages, which incompetent judges pronounce faulty, require learning and judgment not to defend 'em, but to open and set off their vigorous meaning, and genuine beauties.

Ἐὰν μωρανθῇ τὸ ἄλος ', if the Talt be infatuated is a trope very strong, and not in the least disagreeable

• Cockman. Tul. Offic. p. 131, 132, 133. f Mat. v. 13. Luke xiv. 34. Plato abounds in bold metaphors, which, I believe, will be allow'd to be beautiful

agreeable to a true taste. The Syriac version renders it infatuated; the other verfions mitigate the seeming harshness of that bold word.

The relation and ground of the trope is obvious; if falt has loft its feafoning quality and fharpnefs, 'tis of all things the most infipid and entirely useless: as a man who has loft the use of his reason is a mere corpfe, and nuisance to the earth. Girding up the loins of your mind' is a strong expreffion, and a daring application and transferring of the qualities of the body to the mind, or a communication of idioms, as Divines call it. The propriety of which proceeds from the close and near relation of an organiz'd body, and immortal spirit in their astonishing union to make up one man. And those bold phrases, éxπλwσav, τες το νου — θήγεσθαι τὴν ψυχὴν, and ἐλευθερίην προTETWHÓTES in the claffic authors are parallel ".

Erafmus pays one of his ufual complements to St. James and others of the facred writers, when he cenfures that expreffion εὐπρέπειαν προσώπε " as

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and emphatical; tho they are more harsh and catechrestical than any in the new Teftament: fome inftances have been produc'd already, I fhall only, out of great numbers, add one fpeaking of a cowardly General: he fays of him, unÒ MÉDES To pole vauтia. Leg. 1. p. 639.

I Pet. i. 13.

▾ Her. Gr. 6. 335. 1. 35. Xen. Cyrop. 1. p. 7. 1. 10, 11. Græc. Oxon. Demof. de Cor. 169. 4 Oxon. Köμórseve in St. John iv. 52.

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James i. 11.

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harsh. Herbs and flowers are the gayeft beauties of the lower creation: and, beautiful face, gay appearance, &c. afcrib'd to 'em, founds to me neither with harshness nor impropriety. I hope at least 'tis not harsher than afcribing a brow or a breast to a mountain; we find the firft in Herodotus, to which a paffage in St. Luke is exactly parallel the fecond is in Xenophon", and is bolder than any thing of that nature, which we find in the divine writers of the new Testament.

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§. 7. The facred writers are not always folicitous to avoid some feeming inconfiftency that may be cleared by common fenfe and candor; and the allowances that are made by all perfons, who are not addicted to cavil and prejudice. In that paffage to the Romans, Thanks be to God that ye were fervants of fm, but now ye have obeyed, &c. is just the fame as Thanks be to God, that you, who were fervants of fin, now have obeyed, &c. This way of expreffion is called a Hebraifm, but is not unusual in the Greek and Roman Claffics of the frft rank, Τὸ γὰρ ἀποκινε δυνεύειν πρὸς ἀνθρώπες ἀπονενοημένος 8 πρὸς ἐκείνων μᾶλλον ἦν ἔτι ἢ πρὸς ̓Αθηναίων, is literally thus,

Her. Gr. 4, 281. 1. 4, 6.
4.

z Xen. Cyr. Exp. p. 195. Wells,
b Thucid. 7. 465. 1. 9.

y Luke iv. 29.
a Rom. vi. 17.

To run any risk against defperate men was no longer more (or, as Hobbes) fo much for their advantage, as that of the Athenians. But according to the true fenfe and design of the author 'tis thus: To run any hazard by then fighting men desperate, who in a little time wou'd certainly fall into their hands, was not at all for the advantage of the Syracufans, but their enemies the Athenians, as giving them a fresh chance and opportunity to recover their loft affairs. So in that paffage of Tully, Nec libidini potius luxuriæque, quam liberalitati & beneficentia pareat, there's no comparison intended which way of living fhou'd be prefer'd; but luxury and extravagance are abfolutely condemn'd.

d

St. Paul to the Corinthians wonderfully expreffes the generous zeal and forwardness that the Macedonian Chriftians fhew'd in doing good and contributing to the relief of their diftreffed brethren, which he does in terms that fome little fophifts would pretend to cavil at. For of themfelves were they willing, according to their power (I bear 'em witnefs) yea and above their power. The Prince of Greek orators delivers himfelf in the

c Tull. Off. 1. See Luke xviii. 14. Xen. Hellen. 7. 436. Wells. vid. Tullii Epist. Fam. 6. 6. p. 162. 1. 7, 8. Ed. Grævii.

2 Cor. viii. 3. Κατὰ δύναμιν καὶ ὑπὲρ δύναμιν.

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