222 PREFA @E. tiles talk and trifle upon this subject, when brought into comparisòn with Moses, whom Longinus himself, a Gentile critic, cites as a master of the sublime style, when he chose to use it ; and the Lord said, " Let there be light," and there was light Let there be clouds and seas, sun and stars, plants and animals, and be- hold they are : He commanded, and they appear and obey: By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the hosts of them by the breath of his mouth: This is working like a God, with infinite ease and omnipotence. His wonders of i providence forvthe terror and ruin of his adversaries, and for the succour of his saints, is set before our eyes in the scripture with equal magnificence, and as be- comes dîdinity. When " he arises out of his place, the earth trembles, the foun- dations of the hills are shaken because he is wroth: There goes a smoke up out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoureth, coals are kindled by it. He bows the heavens, and comes down, and darkness is under his feet. The mountains melt like wax, and flow down at his presence." If Virgil, Homer, or Pindar were to prepare an equipage fora descending God, they might use thunder and lightnings too, and clouds and fire, to form a chariot and horses for the battle, or the triumph; but there is none of them provides him aflight of cherubs instead of horses, or seats him in chariots of salvation. David beholds him riding 'a upon the heaven of heavens, by his name JAH: He was mounted upon a cherub, and did fly, he flew on wings of the wind: and Habbakkuk sends the pestilence before him." Homer keeps a mighty stir with his NEgErnys ;s?a ZEvs, and Hesiod with his z,u; v.(.iß,:pse,;. Jupiter, that raises up the clouds, and that makes a noise, or thun- ders on high. But a divine poet makes the "clouds but the dust of his feet; and when the highest gives his voice into-the heavens, hailstones and coals of fire fol- low." A divine poet " discovers the channels of the waters, and lays open the foundations of nature at thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils. When the holy One alighted upon. mount Sinai, " hie glory covered the heavens: He stood and measured the earth: He beheld and drove asunder the nations, and the everlasting mountains were scattered: The perpetual hills did bow ; his ways are everlasting." Then the prophet "saw thetents of Cnshan in affliction, and the curtains of the " land of Midian did tremble," Hab. iii. Nor did the blessed Spirit which animated these writers forbid them the use of visions, dreams, the opening of scenes dread- ful and delightful, and the introduction of machines upon great occasions ; The divine licence in this respect is admirable and surprising, and the images are often 'too bold and dangerous for an uninspired writer to imitate. Mr. Dennis has made e noble essay to discover how much superior is inspired poesy to the brightest and best descriptions of a mortal pen. Perhaps, if his proposal of criticism had been encouraged and pursued, the nation might have learnt more value for the word of God, and the wits of the age might have been secured from the danger of deism ; while they must have been forced to confess at least the. divinity of all the poetical books of scripture, when they see a genius running through themmore than human. Who is there now will dare to assert, that the doctrines of our holy faith will not indulge or endure a delightful dress? Shall the French poet * affright us, by saying, "De la foy d'un chrétien les mysteres terribles, '" D' ornemens egáyez ne sont point susceptibles? But the French critic}, in his reflections upon eloquence, tells us, " That the majesty of our religion, the holiness of its law, the purity of its morals, the height of its mysteries, and the importance of every subject that belongs to it, requires a grandeur, a nobleness, a majesty, and elevation of style suited to the theme: Sparkling images and magnificent expressionsmust be used, and are best borrowed from scripture:, Let the preacher, that aims at eloquence, read the prophets incessantly, for their writings are an abundant source of all the riches and orna- ments of speech." And, in my opinion, this is far better counsel than Horace gives us, when he says, " Vos exemplaria Grmca a' Nocturna versate mama, versate diurna." * Boileau. - } Rapin.
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