thors; and a great many more and stronger than any in all the moft admir'd Claffics.

Was ever hiftory related with fuch neat plainness, fuch natural eloquence, and fuch a choice variety of circumstances, equally probable and moving, as the hiftory of the antediluvian Patriarchs; of Abraham and his defcendants; and particularly of Jofeph and his brethren? Theocritus and Virgil come nothing near to those lively defcriptions, thofe proper and fweet comparisons, that native delicacy of turn, and undiffembled fervency of paffion, which reign in Solomon's divine pastoral.

The prevailing paffion in fuch poems is described above the imitation of art, and the reach and genius of all other authors. The Wife Man's Proverbs and Ecclefiaftes contain a felect variety of precepts of good and happy life, derived from their true principles, by a strong genius and very elevated capacity, improv'd by a thorow knowledge of mankind, and a long courfe of experience. They have fuch a fuperiority in their fenfe and agreeable manner of expreffion, that any critic would wonderfully hazard his reputation, who fhou'd, with Julian the Apoftate, presume to bring them into any comparison with

b. Dr. Fiddes's Theologia Practica, p.517.`

the dry precepts of Theognis, or the affected turns and fpruceness of the morals of Ifocrates.

The laws and commandments of the moft high God are deliver'd in grave and awful terms; and if compar'd either with the Attic or Roman Laws, it will immediately appear, that the first as much excel the laft 'in force and foftness of expreffion, as they do in the wisdom of their constitution, and their fure tendency to promote the fincere piety and happiness ́ of mankind.

The fongs of Mofes and Deborah, and the Pfalms, that most precious treasury of devotion and heavenly poetry, raise the foul to the highest heavens; and are infinitely more marvelous and tranfporting than the noblest and most happy flights of Pindar and Horace. There is nothing in all the tragedians, not in Euripides himself, so mafterly in his mourning strokes, that is equally moving and tender with the Lamentations of the Prophet Jeremy. Oh! that head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night! O all ye that pass by, behold and fee, if there be any forrow like mine. The complainant is fo very miferable, that he has no friend or comforter left to open his grief to, he is

my

d Lamen. i. 12.

forc'd

forc'd to implore the pity of strangers and paffengers, and then his diftress is fo great and visible, that he needs no words to raise compaffion: he only defires them to look upon his distressed ftate, and then judge whether any forrow cou'd be equal to his. Tis a piece of fuperlative beauty, and in one thought comprises all the eloquence of mourning. Did we ever find, says the eloquent Dr. South," forrow flowing forth. "in fuch a natural prevailing pathos, as in the

Lamentations of Jeremy? One would think "that every letter was wrote with a tear; every "word was the noise of a breaking heart, that "the author was a man compacted of forrows, difciplin❜d to grief from his infancy, one who never breath'd but in fighs, nor spoke but in a groan." Where did majefty ride in more fplendor than in thofe defcriptions of the divine power in Job? chap. xxxviii, xxxix, xl.

сс

A

Can any prejudice fo far biafs any man of common, understanding (tho' ever fo much an enemy to his own pleasure and improvement, by having low opinion of the facred writers) as to make it a question with him whether Job's natural history, his description of the oftrich, the eagle, vultur, Behemoth, Leviathan, &c. do not very much excel

• Serm. Vol. IV. p. 31.

3

Ariftotle,

Ariftotle, Pliny, and Elian, as well in the eloquence and grandeur of the language, as in the truth of the philofophy? The Greek and Latin poets have happily exerted their talents in drawing a fine horse, and yet no wonder that they all yield fo much to the horse in Job, fince the almighty and infinite mind, who created that noble and useful creature, has gracioufly condescended to entertain us with a perfect and most tranfporting defcription of one of the chief pieces of his own workmanship in the animal creationf.

One might with pleasure enlarge upon numerous inftances of the fublimity and admirable beauties of the old Teftament, which are above imitation, and defy criticism and cenfure. But I proceed to name a few out of many vigorous Hebraifms in the new Testament. To do things acceptable to God is common language. To do things acceptable before, or in the prefence of God, is a Hebraifm: but does it not enlarge the thought, and enfiven and invigorate the expreffion? And is it any breach of the rationale of grammar, or does it any ways trespass upon concord or government? It places every serious reader under the inspection and all-feeing eye of the most Highest; and

therefore is apt to infpire him with a religi ous awe for that immenfe and adorable Prefence.

That God Almighty hears prayers is an expreffion common to all writers. That prayers ascend up to heaven as a fweet-fmelling favour to God, is an Hebrew form of speech not of less vigour, propriety, or agreeableness.

'Tis a beautiful allufion to the odors and fra grancies of facrifice and incenfe afcending into the skies; grateful to God Almighty as his own appointment; and a proper expreffion of the duty and obedience of his pious worshippers. In the Alts of the Apostles the prayers and almfdeeds of the devout Cornelius are laid to be afcended as a memorial before God; that is, as an accept. able facrifice; for in Leviticus the offering of incenfe is call'd a memorial". St. Paul calls God to witness that he vehemently loves the Philippians in the bowels of Jefus Chrift, that is with the most affectionate tenderness and Chriftian charity. But could any words in any language reprefent that love and goodness with fuch energy and power as these, which affect both foul and body, and pierce into our inmost conftitution, which raise the tendereft fentiments of human nature,

T

B Pfal. cxli. 2. Acts x. 4.

h Levit. ii. 2.

and