R E C 0 M M E N D A T I 0 N S. I apprehend that the befl: Method of ar– ranging [he Figur~s in Rhetoric is to confi– <kr thofe jirft, which are ufed for INSTR uc– TION* and EXPLANATION ofaSubject; fuch a re the molt lively Defcriptions of the N a– ture of Things, Actions and CharaCters; .and this ou<>ht to be done with the .cleardt :Expreilions~ and the moll: vivid Reprefen– rations Qf FaCts difl:ant and pa~, or yet to .come; in fuch a Manner as if now feen, .and prefent to the Eye or the Mind . The fecond Clafs of Figures in Eloquence, are fuch as are ufed for DEMONSTRATION, EviDENCE and CoNVICTION. t And fuch abound in this wonderful Book of GOD. Here we fee the befl: Methods of Proof, and the keenefl: Manner of Refutation. Errors are detected,Delufions are unravelled, and Miftakes of the highefl: Moment are expof– <:d to everlalling Scorn and Abhorrence, with the urmott Force of Language. The third Clafs of the befl: Figures in E loquence, are fuch as ferve for AMPLI– .FICATION, or Enlargen~ent on a~y dJvi~c Subject ; and thefe are to be feen 1n the ta– cred Scriptures, in their utmoll: Perfection. The Climax is a noble Figure for Amph– fication. And in this holy Book are the finefl: Gradations afcending from the leafl: Atom to the vafl: Univerfe; and from the lowcft Reptile to an Angel, and to the great GOD himfelf: ordefcendingfrom the high and lofty ONE who inhabiteth Eternity, down to Man that is a Worm, rea even to the Drop of a Bucket and the fmall Dufl: of the Ballance. The Simile is anotherFigurefor Enlarge– ment; and we have here the mofl: happy Similes or Comparifons to ftrike the M ind and illuftrate the Matter in hand. The HOI.Y SPIRIT knew that this was a malt charming Figure for Amplification ; and therefore he has given us a rich Variety in every Part of the holy Scriptures. The fourth Clafs of the noblefl: Figures in Eloquence, are fuch as are ufed for t'ER– SilASION,and exprefs the mofl: violent Emo– tions of the Soul, attended with Pleafure or Pain. Thefe are to be found in great Variety ·and Beauty in this facred Book. Every Mode of addreiling the Pailions in the mofl: pungent Manner, with a View 'to fl:rike the tenderefl: Feelings of the Mind, andmove the BowELS of an AuDIENCE, are here to be feen and felt in their highett Per– fection and Glory.-We have moving Exclamations; the mofl: pointed Interrogati~ on'; patheric Expofl:ulations; and the mo!t fublime and daring Apollrophes, or turn– ing off to addrefs Heaven, Earth and Hell, the Dead and the Living; Objectsvifible and invifible; good and bad Men ; the Damned or the Saved; Devils and Angels; or the great God himfelf; are here to be feen in their urm.,fl: Pathos and Glory. Thegrandefl:Fi– gu re of all for addreiling the Paflions is the Profopopoeia; and you have in thei:1credBible the boldeft Perfonifications in the World. Here you fee Death as a Perfon and a King of Terrors having a firft. born Son, which is the Plague or Pefl:ilence; this likewife is reprefeored as walking in Teiror bdOre GOD, Job xxviii. 2<.-Here you fee de– parted Spirits in the invifible World [peak– ing to each other; A bra ham a happy Soul in Glory, converfing with a damned Sinner in Hell.-You fee inanimate Beings affum– ing the Powers and exprtfTing the Paffions ot living and reafonable Creatures ;-And in that grand Prophecy of the Ruin o·f the King of Babylon, you fee fuch a Variety of Perfonifications as are liot to be equalled in any piece of fine Wriring and Eloquence: You fee the Fir Trees and Cedars endued withLife andSpee.:h ;-Hell, all in Motion -the Souls of the· damned Monarchs– theGhofl: of 1he King ofBaby lon-the Sol– diers who h"'C found out his dead·Bo– dy-the cmting Jeers of th<>fe Sold iers," Is " this theMan that made the Earth to trem– " ble ?"-the triumphant People of GOD rejoicing over the dead Tyrant-the dread– ful Doom of his Name and Familv-and the Cl<J!e of the whole Scene by the.folemn Oath of God himfdf.-Thefe are fuch Strokes of divine and daring Eloquence as would pleale every Man ofreal Ta!le were he to review them itil thoufand Times. i\ FIGURE is a Mode offpeaking different from, and more beautiful and PA~S!ONATI, than the ufual Vvay of expreffing the fame Scnfe.:t:-A Figure mufl: always contain fame Beauty; or exprefs fume PajJio11. The Pailions of the Heart when roofed to a Flame, or raifed into an high T one, "ill ex– prefs themfelves in a vafl: Variety of Figures ; - therefore Figures are ju!lly lliled the Lan– guage of the Paflions : and there is no Book in the World in which all the Pailions are fo lhongly expreffed, and fo frequently ad– dreffed as in the infpired Writings of GOD. I verily • Hypotypofis, or lively Defcription ·; Parabole, or Compnrifon i Pa.radiaflole, or DiftinClion; Anti. .t;hefis, or Oppofition. . t .tEtiologia, Or gixing a Reafon; Prolepfis, anticipating an Obj~aion; Epitropc, Conceflion. t Dr. Ward's LeCtures on Oratory. a
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