5. The SIX-LINED STANZAS likewise admit of a great variety of structure. Sometimes they consist of a quatrain, with a distich annexed: sometimes of two parallel couplets, with a third pair of parallel lines so distributed, that one occupies the centre, and the other the close; and occasionally of three couplets alternately parallel; the first, third, and fifth lines corresponding with one another; and, in like manner, the second, fourth, and sixth. Of these six-lined stanzas, Bishop Jebb has adduced numerous examples. We subjoin two.

οψίας γενομένης, λέγετε, Ευδία, πυρράζει γαρ ο ουρανος"

και πρωί, Σημερον χειμών,

πυρράζει γαρ συγνάζων ὁ ουρανός"

υποκριται το μεν πρόσωπον του ουρανου γινώσκετε διακρίνειν τα δί σημεία των καιρων ου δυνάσθε.

When it is evening, ye say, "A calm!

For the sky is red:"

And in the morning, "To-day a tempest:

For the sky is red and lowering;'

Hypocrites! the face of the sky ye know how to discern! But ye cannot [discern] the signs of the times!

хи китоби и беохи

και ήλθον οι ποταμοι,

και επνευσαν οι ανεμοι,

και προσεπεσον τη οικία εκείνη,

και ουκ επεσε· τεθεμελίωτο γαρ επι την πέτραν

και τας ὁ ακουων μου τους λόγους τούτους, και μη ποίων αυτούς, ὁμοιωθήτεται ανδρο μωρο,

ότις οκοδόμησε την οικίαν αυτού επι την αμμον

ни китоби й Врохи,

και ήλθον οι ποταμοι,

και επνευσαν οἱ ανιμοί,

και προσεκοψαν τη οικία εκείνη,

και έπεσε και ην η πτωσις αυτής μεγάλη.

Whoever, therefore, heareth these my words, and doeth them, I will liken him to a prudent man,

Who built his house upon the rock:

And the rain descended,

And the floods came,

And the winds blew,

And fell upon that house:

And it fell not; for it was founded upon the rock.

1 Sacred Literature, p. 195.

2 Ibid. pp. 201. 204. We cannot withhold from our readers Bishop Jebb's beautiful remarks on the last cited passage. "The antithesis in this passage has prodigious moral depth: he who sins against know

ledge, though his sins were only sins of omission, shall be beaten with many stripes; but he who sins without knowledge, though his sins were sins of commission, shall be beaten only with few stripes. Mere negligence against the light of conscience shall be severely punished: while an offence, in itself comparatively heinous, if committed ignorantly, and without light, shall be mildly dealt with. This merciful discrimination, however, is full of terror: for, whatever may be the case, respecting past, forsaken, and repented sins of ignorance, no man is entitled to take com. fort to himself from this passage, respecting his present, or future course of life: the very thought of doing so, proves that the person entertaining that thought has sufficient knowledge to place him beyond its favourable operation." Ibid. p. 205. Other examples of the six-lined stanza are given n pp. 204-211.

V. Further, several stanzas are often so connected with each other as to form a paragraph or section. Luke xvi. 913. James iii. 1—12. iv. 6—10. and v. 1-6. and 1 John iv. 15-17. afford striking examples of this sort of distribution; for the detail and illustration of which we must refer our readers to Bishop Jebb's elegant and instructive volume, which has been so often cited. It only remains that we notice briefly the gradational parallelism, and the epanodos, in the New Testament, which he has discovered and elucidated. 1. PARALLEL LINES GRADATIONAL (or as Bishop Jebb terms them COGNATE PARALLELISMS), we have already remarked, are of most frequent occurrence in the poetical books of the Old Testament. The poetical parallelisms exhibited in the preceding pages, while they fully prove his position, that the poetical dialect pervades the New Testament, will prepare the reader to expect to find there similar instances of parallel lines gradational. The second example of parallel couplets, given in page 378. supra, affords a concise but beautiful specimen of the ascent or climax in the terms, clauses, or lines which constitute the parallelism. One or two additional instances, therefore, will suffice, to show the existence of the gradational parallelism in the New Testa

ment.

ἐν ὁ Κύριος Ιησους αναλώσει, τῷ πνεύματι του ςόματος αυτου και καταργησει τη επιφάνεια της παρουσίας αυτού. Whom the Lord Jesus will waste away, with the breath of his mouth, And will utterly destroy, with the bright appearance of his coming. 2 Thess. ii. 8. “The first words, ὃν ὁ Κύριος Ιησούς are common to both lines; αναλώσει implies no more, in this place, than gradual decay; xxтapy denotes total extermination; while, in terror and magnificence, no less than in the effects assigned, the breath of his mouth must yield to the bright appear. ance of his coming. The first line seems to announce the ordinary diffusion, gradually to be effected, of Christian truth: the second, to foretell the extraordinary manifestation of the victorious Messiah, suddenly, and overwhelmingly, to take place in the last days."'s

Gentiles, the Samaritans, Israel. In the remaining terms, there is a cor"This is a gradation in the scale of national and religious proximity; the respondent progress: the way, or road, to foreign countries, a city of the Samaritans; the house of Israel, a phrase conveying the notion of HOME: go not off-go not from Palestine, towards other nations; go not in to a rity of the Samaritans; though, in your progresses between Judæa and Galilee, you must pass by the walls of many Samaritan cities; but, however great your fatigue, and want of refreshment, proceed rather not merely to the house of Israel, but to the lost sheep of that house. Thus, by a beautiful gradation, the apostles are brought from the indefiniteness of a road leading to countries remote from their own, and people differing from themselves in habits, in language, and in faith, to the homefelt, individual, and endearing relationship of their own countrymen; children of the same covenant of promise, and additionally recommended to their tender compassion, as morally lost."

Bishop Jebb has given additional examples of the gradational parallelism from Matt. v. 45. vi. 1, 2. xx. 26, 27. xxiv. 17, 18. Mark iv. 24. Luke vi. 38. Rom. v. 7. James i. 17. iv. 8. and v. 5. Rev. ix. 6. and xxii. 14.

2. The nature of the INTROVERTED PARALLELISM, or Parallel Lines Introverted, has been stated in page 376., and confirmed by suitable examples. Closely allied to this is a peculiarity or artifice of construction, which Bishop Jebb terms an Epanodos, and which he defines to be literally "a going back, speaking first to the second of two subjects proposed: or if the subjects be more than two, resuming them precisely in the inverted order, speaking first to the last, and last to the first." The rationale of this artifice of composition he explains more particularly in the following words:"Two pair of terms or propositions, containing two important, but not equally important notions, are to be so distributed, as to bring out the sense in the strongest and most impressive manner: now, this result will be best attained, by

Sacred Literature, p. 211. In these two connected stanzas, the language may be justly termed picturesque. The marked transition in each of them from a long and measured movement, to short rapid lines, and the resumption, at the close of a lengthened cadence, are peculiarly expressive. The continual return, too, in the shorter lines, of the copulative particle (a return purely Hebraic, and foreign from classical usage), has a fine effect: it gives an idea of danger, sudden, accumulated, and overwhelining. These are beauties which can be only retained in a literal translation; and which a literal translation may exhibit very competently. Ibid. p. 214. In pp. 215 -248. the reader will find many other examples, intermingled with much just criticism and some fine quotations from the fathers.

• Ibid. p. 312.

3. DIDACTIC POETRY is defined by Bishop Lowth to be that which delivers moral precepts in elegant and pointed verses, often illustrated by a comparison expressed or implied, similar to the Trou, or moral sentences, and adages, of the ancient sages. Of this species of poetry the book of Proverbs is the principal instance. To this class may be referred the book of Ecclesiastes. 4. OF LYRIC POETRY, or that which is intended to be accompanied with music, the Old Testament abounds with aumerous examples. Besides a great number of hymns and songs which are dispersed through the historical and prophetical books, such as the ode of Moses at the Red Sea (Exod. xv.), his prophetic ode (Deut. xxxii.), the triumphal ode of Deborah (Judg. v.), the prayer of Habakkuk (iii.), and many similar pieces, the entire book of Psalms is to be considered as a collection of sacred odes, possessing every variety of form, and supported with the highest spirit of lyric poetry;-sometimes sprightly, cheerful, and triumphant; sometimes solemn and magnificent; and sometimes tender, soft, and pathetic.

5. Of the IDYL, or short pastoral poem, the historical psalms afford abundant instances. The seventy-eighth, hundred and fifth, hundred and sixth, hundred and thirtysixth, and the hundred and thirty-ninth psalms, may be adduced as singularly beautiful specimens of the sacred idyl: to which may be added Isa. ix. 8.-x. 4.

6. Of DRAMATIC POETRY, Bishop Lowth2 adduces examples in the book of Job and the Song of Solomon, understanding the term in a more extended sense than that in which it is usually received. Some critics, however, are of opinion, that the Song of Solomon is a collection of sacred idyls: and M. Bauer is disposed to consider the former book as approximating nearest to the Mekàma, that is, “the assemblies," moral discourses, or conversations of the celebrated Arabian poet Hariri.3

In another part of this work some reasons are offered in confirmation of this conjecture.

Many of the psalms (and, according to Bishop Horsley, by far the greater part) are a kind of dramatic ode, consisting of dialogues between persons sustaining certain characters. This dramatic or dialogue form admits of considerable variety. Its leading characteristic, however, is an alternate succession of parts, adapted to the purpose of alternate recitation by two semi-choruses in the Jewish worship. Bishop Jebb considers the sublime hymn of Zacharias (Luke i. 67-79.) as a dramatic ode of this description; and, in confirmation of his opinion, he remarks that Zacharias must have been familiar with this character of composition, both as a pious and literate Jew, much conversant with the devotional and lyric poetry of his country, and also as an officiating priest, accustomed to bear his part in the choral service of the temple. Dr. J. has accordingly printed that hymn in Greek and English, in the form of a dramatic ode: and by this mode of distribution has satisfactorily elucidated its true meaning and grammatical construction in many passages, which have hitherto in vain exercised the acumen of critics. To the preceding species of Hebrew poetry, we may add, 7. The ACROSTIC or ALPHABETICAL POEMS. Bishop Lowth considered this form of poetry as one of the leading characteristics of the productions of the Hebrew muse: but this, we have seen, is not the fact. It may rather be viewed as a subordinate species, the form of which the bishop thus defines :-The acrostic or alphabetical poem consists of twenty-two lines, or of twenty-two systems of lines, or periods, or stanzas, according to the number of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet; and every line, or every stanza, begins with each letter in its order, as it stands in the alphabet; that is, the first line, or first stanza, begins with s (aleph), the second (beth), and so on. This was certainly intended for the assistance of the memory, and was chiefly employed in subjects of common use, as maxims of morality, and forms of devotion; which, being expressed in detached sentences, or aphorisms (the form in which the sages of the most ancient times delivered their instructions), the inconvenience arising from the subject, the want of connection in the parts, and of a regular train of thought carried through the whole,

1 Bishop Lowth defines an idyl to be a poem of moderate length, of a uniform middle style, chiefly distinguished for elegance and sweetness; regular and clear as to the plot, conduct, and arrangement.

2 Lowth, Prælect. xviii.-xxxiv.

a Bauer, Hermeneut. Sacr. P. 386.

Bishop Horsley's Book of Psalms translated from the Hebrew, vol. i.

pref. p. xv.

See Vol. II. p. 238.

• Sacred Literature, pp. 404-417.

was remedied by this artificial contrivance in the form. There are still extant in the books of the Old Testament twelves of these poems: three of them perfectly alphabetical, in which every line is marked by its initial letter; the other nine less perfectly alphabetical, in which every stanza only is so distinguished. Of the three former it is to be remarked, that not only every single line is distinguished by its initial letter, but that the whole poem is laid out into stanzas; two of these poems each into ten stanzas, all of two lines except the two last stanzas in each, which are of three lines; in these the sense and the construction manifestly point out the division into stanzas, and mark the limit of every stanza. The third of these perfectly alphabetical poems consists of twenty-two stanzas of three lines: but in this the initial letter of every stanza is also the initial letter of every line of that stanza: so that both the lines and the stanzas are infallibly limited. And in all the three poems the pauses of the sentences coincide with the pauses of the lines and stanzas. It is also further to be observed of these three poems, that the lines, so determined by the initial letters in the same poem, are remarkably equal to one another in length, in the number of words nearly, and, probably, in the number of syllables; and that the lines of the same stanza have a remarkable congruity one with another, in the matter and the form, in the sense and the construction.

Of the other nine poems less perfectly alphabetical, in which the stanzas only are marked with initial letters, six12 consist of stanzas of two lines, two13 of stanzas of three lines, and one1 of stanzas of four lines: not taking into the account at present some irregularities, which in all probability are to be imputed to the mistakes of transcribers. And these stanzas likewise naturally divide themselves into their distinct lines, the sense and the construction plainly pointing out their limits: and the lines have the same congruity one with another in matter and form, as was above observed, in regard to the poems more perfectly alphabetical.

Another thing to be observed of the three poems perfectly alphabetical is, that in twols of them the lines are shorter than those of the third16 by about one third part, or almost half; and of the other nine poems the stanzas only of which are alphabetical, that three consist of the longer lines, and the six others of the shorter.

VII. We have already had occasion to remark, that the poetry of the Hebrews derives its chief excellence from its being dedicated to religion. Nothing can be conceived more elevated, more beautiful, or more elegant, than the compositions of the Hebrew bards; in which the sublimity of the subject is fully equalled by the energy of the language and the dignity of the style. Compared with them, the most brilliant productions of the Greek and Roman muses, who often employed themselves on frivolous or very trifling themes, are infinitely inferior in the scale of excellence. The Hebrew poet, who worshipped Jehovah as the sovereign of his people-who believed all the laws, whether sacred or civil, which he was bound to obey, to be of divine enactment -and who was taught that man was dependent upon God for every thing-meditated upon nothing but Jehovah; to Him he dovoutly referred all things, and placed his supreme delight in celebrating the divine attributes and perfections. If, however, we would enter fully into the beauties of the sacred poets, there are two GENERAL OBSERVATIONS, which it will be necessary to keep in mind whenever we analyze or examine the Songs of Sion.

1. The first is, that we carefully investigate their nature and genius.

For, as the Hebrew poems, though various in their kinds, are each ed from each other, we shall be enabled to enter more fully into their ele marked by a character peculiar to itself, and by which they are distinguishgance and beauty, if we have a correct view of their form and arrange. ment. For instance, if we wish critically to expound the Psalms, we ought to investigate the nature and properties of the Hebrew ode, as well as the spects they differ from the odes, elegies, &c. of the Greek poets. In like manner, when studying the Proverbs of Solomon, we should recollect that the most ancient kind of instruction was by means of moral sentences, in which the first principles of ancient philosophy were contained; and, from a comparison of the Hebrew, Greek, and other gnomic sentences, we should investigate the principal characters of a proverb. In the book of Job are to be observed the unity of action, delineation of manners, the externa form and construction of the poem, &c.

form and structure of the Hebrew elegies, &c., and ascertain in what re

See p. 374. supra.

10 Lament. iii.

14 Psal. xxxvii.

1 Lament. iii.

18 Psal. cxi. cxii.

17 Lament. i. ii. iv.

It is therefore necessary that we should be acquainted with the country in which the poet lived, its situation and peculiarities, and also with the manners of the inhabitants, and the idiom of the language. Oriental poetry abounds with strong expressions, bold metaphors, glowing sentiments, and animated descriptions, portrayed in the most lively colours. Hence the words of the Hebrew poets are neither to be understood in too lax a sense, nor to be interpreted too literally. In the comparisons introduced by them, the point of resemblance between the object of comparison, and the thing

The reader will find some hints for the special study of the book of Psalms, in Vol. II. pp. 244, 245., and also a copious analysis of the book of Job, with observations for the better understanding of it, in pp. 235, 236. of the same volume.

It has been a favourite notion with some divines, that the mystical or spiritual interpretation of the Scriptures had its first origin in the synagogue, and was thence adopted by our Lord and his apostles, when arguing with the Jews: and that from them it was received by the fathers of the Christian church, from whom it has been transmitted to us. The inference deduced by many of these eminently learned men is, that no such interpretation is admissible: while other commentators and critics have exaggerated and carried it to the extreme. But, if the argument against a thing from the possibility of its being abused be inadmissible in questions of a secular nature, it is equally inadmissible in the exposition of the Sacred Writings. All our ideas are admitted through the medium of the senses, and consequently refer in the first place to external objects: but no sooner are we convinced that we possess an immaterial soul or spirit, than we find occasion for other terms, or, for want of these, another application of the same terms to a different class of objects; and hence arises the necessity of resorting to figurative and spiritual interpretation. Now, the object of revelation being to make known things which "eye hath not seen nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man to conceive," it seems hardly possible that the human mind should be capable of apprehending them, but through the medium of figurative language or mystical representations.

"The foundation of religion and virtue being laid in the mind and heart, the secret dispositions and genuine acts of which are invisible, and known only to a man's self; therefore the powers and operations of the mind can only be expressed in figurative terms and external symbols. The motives also and inducements to practice are spiritual, such as affect men in a way of moral influence, and not of natural efficiency; the principal of which are drawn from the consideration of a future state; and, consequently, these likewise must be represented by allegories and similitudes, taken from things most known and familiar here. And thus we find in Scripture the state of religion illustrated by all the beautiful images we can conceive; in which natural unity, order, and harmony consist, as regulated by the strictest and most exact rules of discipline, taken from those observed in the best ordered temporal government. In the interpretation of places, in which any of these images are contained, the principal regard is to be had to the figurative or spiritual, and not to the literal sense of the words. From not attending to which, have arisen absurd doctrines and inferences, which weak men have endeavoured to establish as Scripture truths; whereas, in the other method of explication, the things are plain and easy to every one's capacity, make the deepest and most lasting impressions upon their minds, and have the greatest influence upon their practice. Of this nature are all the rites and ceremonies prescribed to the Jews, with relation to the external form of religious worship; every one of which was intended to show the obligation or recommend the practice of some moral duty, and was esteemed of no further use

The present chapter is abridged from Rambach's Institutiones Hermeneuticæ Sacræ, pp. 67-82. compared with his "Commentatio Hermeneutica de Sensus Mystici Criteriis ex genuinis principis deducta, necessariisque cautelis circumscripta." 8vo. Jenæ, 1728.

than as it produced that effect. And the same may be applied to the rewards and punishments peculiar to the Christian dispensation, which regard a future state. The rewards are set forth by those things, in which the generality of men take their greatest delight, and place their highest satisfaction in this life; and the punishments are such as are inflicted by human laws upon the worst of malefactors; but they can neither of them be understood in the strictly literal sense, but only by way of analogy, and corresponding in the general nature and intention of the thing, though very different in kind.”2

But independently of the able argument à priori, here cited, in favour of the mediate, mystical, or spiritual interpretation of the Scriptures, unless such interpretation be admitted, we cannot avoid one of two great difficulties: for, either we must assert that the multitude of applications, made by Christ and his apostles, are fanciful and unauthorized, and wholly inadequate to prove the points for which they are quoted; or, on the other hand, we must believe that the obvious and natural sense of such passages was never intended, and that it was a mere illusion. The Christian will not assent to the former of these positions; the philosopher and the critic will not readily assent to the latter. It has been erroneously supposed that this mediate, or mystical interpretation of Scripture is confined to the New Testament exclusively; we have, however, clear evidence of its adoption by some of the sacred writers of the Old Testament, and a few instances will suf fice to prove its existence.

1. In Exod. xxviii. 38. Moses says, that the diadem or plate of gold, worn upon certain solemn festivals upon the high priest's forehead, signified that he bore in a vicarious and typical manner the sin of the holy things, and made an atonement for the imperfection of the Hebrew offerings and sacrifices.

2. In Lev. xxvi. 41. and Deut. x. 16. and xxx. 6., he men

tions the circumcision of the heart, which was signified by the circumcision of the flesh. (Compare Jer. iv. 4. vi. 10. and ix. 25, 26. with Exod. vi. 12. 30.)

3. Further, the great lawgiver of the Jews explains the historical and typical import of all their great festivals.

Thus, in Exod. xiii. 13, and Num. iii. 12, 13. 44-51. and xviii. 14-16., he shows the twofold meaning of the redemption of their first-born sons, viz that the first-born of the Hebrews were preserved while Egypt groaned beneath the plague inflicted by divine vengeance, and that the first-born

sons were formerly consecrated to the priesthood; which being afterwards transferred to the tribe of Levi, the first-born sons were exchanged for sacrificial law showed that the bloody sacrifices morally signified the pu The whole of the the Levites, and were thenceforth to be redeemed. nishment of the person for or by whom they were offered; and that the

other sacred rites of the Hebrews should have a symbolical or spiritual port will be obvious to every one, who recollects the frequent use of symbols which obtained in Egypt, from which country Moses brought out the Hebrews.

the sacraments plainly intimate that those very sacred rites The precepts delivered in the New Testament concerning were then about to receive their real accomplishment, and their symbolical or spiritual meaning is explained.

Dr. John Clarke's Enquiry into the Origin of Evil, in the folio coller. tion of Boyle's Lectures, vol. iii. p. 229.

See Bishop Middleton on the Greek Article, p. 580. first edition.