vine Presence is, indeed, distinguished in the sacred history by the particular appellation of a chariot.16

"Making the winds his messengers,
"And his ministers a flaming fire :"

The elements are described as prompt and ready in executing the commands of JEHOVAH, as angels, messengers, or ministers serving at the tabernacle, the Hebrew word being exactly expressive of the latter sense.

"Who founded the earth upon its bases :"

The following phrase also is directly taken from the

same :

"That it should not be displaced for more than ages :"

That is, "for a certain period known only to the infinite wisdom of God." As the situation of both was in this respect nearly the same, so, on the other hand, the permanence of the sanctuary is in other places compared, and in almost the same words, with the stability of the earth.17

Perhaps, in pursuing this investigation with so much subtilty and minuteness, I have scarcely acted consistently with the customs of this place, or the nature of my design but it appeared absolutely necessary so to do, in order to make myself perfectly understood; and to demonstrate, that it is scarcely or not at all, possible for any translation fully to represent the genuine sense of the sacred poets, and that delicate connection which for the most part exists between their poetical imagery, and the peculiar circumstances of their nation. This connection frequently depends upon the use of certain terms,

16 2 CHRON. xxviii. 18. See also EccLUs xlix. 8.

17 PSAL. Ixxviii. 69.

18

18 It may be asserted of translations in general, and I am sure I have experienced the truth of the observation in this very attempt, that many of the minuter beauties of style are necessarily lost; a translator is scarcely

upon a certain association between words and things, which a translation generally perplexes, and very frequently destroys. This, therefore, is not to be preserved in the most literal and accurate version, much less in any poetical translation, or rather imitation: though there are extant some not unsuccessful attempts of this kind. To relish completely all the excellencies of the Hebrew literature, the fountains themselves must be approached, the peculiar flavour of which cannot be conveyed by aqueducts, or indeed by any exertion of mod

ern art.

allowed to intrude upon his author any figures or images of his own, and many which appear in the original must be omitted of course. Metaphors, synecdoches, and metonymies, are frequently untractable; the corresponding words would probably in a figurative sense appear harsh or obscure. The observation, however, applies with less justice to our common version of the Bible than to any translation whatever. It was made in a very early stage of our literature, and when the language was by no means formed: in such a state of the language, the figurative diction of the Hebrews might be literally rendered without violence to the national taste; and the frequent recurrence of the same images and expressions serves to familiarize them to us. Time and habit have now given it force and authority; and I believe there never was an instance of any translation, so very literal and exact, being read with such universal satisfaction and pleasure. T.

LECTURE IX.

OF POETIC IMAGERY FROM THE SACRED HISTORY.

The imagery from the sacred history is the most luminous and evident of all—The peculiar nature of this kind of metaphor explained, as used by the Hebrew poets-The order of the topics which commonly furnish them: the Chaos and Creation; the Deluge; the destruction of Sodom; the emigration of the Israelites from Egypt; the descent of God upon Mount Sinah-This species of metaphor excellently adapted to the sacred poetry, and particularly to the prophetic; not easy to form any comparison between the sacred and profane poetry in this respect.

OUR distinct classes of imagery having been specified, as capable of being introduced in a metaphorical form into the poetry of the Hebrews, the last of these, or that which is suggested by the more remarkable transactions recorded in the sacred history, now remains to be exam-, ined. Here, however, since the nature of the subject differs in some degree from the former objects of our investigation, so the manner of treating it must be also different. The principal design of our late disquisition was, by considering the circumstances, customs, opinions, and sentiments of the Hebrews, to facilitate our approach to the interior beauties of their poetry; and, by duly examining the nature of the circumstances, to estimate more properly the force and power of each; to dispel as much as possible the mists of antiquity; to restore their native perspicuity to such passages as appear obscure, their native agreeableness to such as now inspire us with sentiments of disgust, their proper allure,

ment and elegance to those which seem harsh and vulgar, and their original dignity to those which the changeableness of custom has rendered contemptible or mean. In this division of our subject, on the contrary, but little will occur either difficult or obscure; nothing which will seem to require explication or defence: all will be at once perspicuous, splendid, and sublime. Sacred history illuminates this class of imagery with its proper light, and renders it scarcely less conspicuous to us than to the Hebrews themselves. There is, indeed, this dif ference, that to the Hebrews the objects of these allusions were all national and domestic; and the power of them in moving or delighting the mind was of course proportionably greater; nay, frequently, the very place, the scene of action, certain traces, and express tokens of so many miracles lying before their eyes, must have increased the effect. To us, on the other hand, however we may hold these facts in veneration, however great and striking they may be in themselves, the distance of time and place must of necessity render them less interesting.

The manner in which these metaphors are formed is well deserving of observation, and is in fact as follows. In describing or embellishing illustrious actions, or future events of a miraculous nature, the Hebrew poets are accustomed to introduce allusions to the actions of former times, such as possess a conspicuous place in their history; and thus they illuminate with colours, foreign, indeed, but similar, the future by the past, the recent by the antique, facts less known by others more generally understood: and as this property seems peculiar to the poetry of the Hebrews, at least is but seldom to be met with in that of other nations, I have determined to illustrate this part of my subject with a greater variety of examples than usual. I mean, therefore, to

instance in a regular order certain topics or commonplaces of Scripture, which seem to have furnished, if not all, at least the principal part of these allusions: it will be necessary at the same time to remark their figurative power and effect, and the regular and uniform method pursued in the application of them, which has been already stated as characteristical of the poetical imagery of the Hebrews.

The first of these topics, or common-places, is the Chaos and the Creation, which compose the first pages of the sacred history. These are constantly alluded to, as expressive of any remarkable change, whether prosperous or adverse, in the public affairs; of the overthrow or restoration of kingdoms and nations and are consequently very common in the prophetic poetry, particularly when any unusual degree of boldness is attempted. If the subject be the destruction of the Jewish empire by the Chaldeans, or a strong denunciation of ruin against the enemies of Israel, it is depicted in exactly the same colours, as if universal nature were about to relapse into the primeval chaos. Thus Jeremiah, in that sublime, and indeed more than poetical vision, in which is represented the impending desolation of Judea :

"I beheld the earth, and lo! disorder and confusion; "The heavens also, and there was no light.

"I beheld the mountains, and lo! they trembled;

"And all the hills shook.

"I beheld, and lo! there was not a man;

"And all the fowls of the heavens were fled.

"I beheld, and lo! the fruitful field (was become) the desert;

"And all its cities were thrown down,

"Before the presence of JEHOVAH,
"Before the fierce heat of his anger."

1 JER. iv. 23-26. This image, and that which follows from Joel, the learned Michaelis will not allow to relate to the Mosaic chaos, but sup