Jews were groaning under the forrows of the BabyJonifh captivity, Ifaiah folemnly addreffed Cyrus by his name, more than a hundred years before his birth, as the deliverer of Ifrael, and the new founder of the Holy City. When Babylon was fhining in the meridian of her glory, and its monarchs ruled over all the nations of the Eaft with the moft uncontrolled fway, the fame Prophet predicted the total fubverfion of their empire, and the complete defolation of their vaft metropolis. That all these and numerous other predictions were exactly verified by the events, are truths confirmed by the evidence of profane, as well as facred hiftory. The fame infpired Prophets had a much more grand and important object in view, than to declare the future difpenfations of Providence to one nation in particular; for they announced in terms at firft dark and mysterious, but progreffively more clear and circumftantial, the future birth of a Meffiah-a glorious King-a divine Legiflator, who was to abolish the facrifices and religious inftitutions of the Jews, and proclaim and establish a general Law for the obfervance and happinefs of all mankind. Here the Evangelifts contribute their aid to illuftrate the declarations of the Prophets, and unite the hiftory of the Old with that of the New Teftament, in the clofeft and moft indiffoluble bonds of union.

Isaiah, B. C. 757. Cyrus, B. C. 589. Interpreter of Prophecy, vol. i. p. 130.

7

The hiftorical books of Scripture, confidered from the giving of the Law to Mofes, to the reformation in the worship and government by Nehemiah, after the Babylonifh captivity, contain a fummary account of the Jewish affairs for a period of more than ten centuries. They were evidently not intended to give a complete detail of national tranfactions, as their writers had a more fublime and important end in view. To illuftrate the prophecies, by relating circumftances which exifted at the time when they were uttered, and to fhow their accomplishment; to record various revelations of the Divine will, and to defcribe the ftate of religion among the Hebrews, and the various difpenfations of Providence in public, as well as in private occurrences, feem to have been their chief objects. Hence it is that the chain of history is fometimes broken into detached parts, and its detail is interrupted by a recital of private tranfactions. The books of Scripture occafionally affume the form, and comprife the beauties of a very interesting kind of biography. Of this nature are the book of Job remarkable for the animated ftile and fublime fubjects of its dialogues, and the fimple and pleafing narratives of. Ruth and Efther; but they are far from being unconnected with the principal defign of the facred writers; inafmuch as they fhow that the fame divine Providence which prefided over the nation at large, extended

Mofes, B. C. 1571. Nehemiah, B. C. 546.

its

its particular care to individuals, and that the examples of private virtue were infeparable from the great interefts of public welfare and happiness.

The Ifraelites, for many ages feparated from the rest of mankind by their peculiar inftitutions, were little acquainted with commerce, and made finall advances in thofe arts, which with a refinement of tafte and a variety of employments, introduce luxury and corruption of manners. They were governed by equal laws, and poffeffed nearly equal property. They admitted no hereditary diftinction of rank, except in favour of the regal tribe of Judah, and the facerdotal family of Leyi. Their occupations from the earlieft times were of the most fimple kind, and confifted in pafturage and agriculture. To guide the plough, and tend the flock, were employments which, recommended by the innocence of primeyal manners, and dignified by length of time, were exercifed by kings, prophets, and generals. Mofes was called from feeding his flock, to conduct the Ifraelites to the promifed land; Elifha forfook the plough, to be invested with the mantle of prophecy; and Gideon left the threshing-floor, to lead his countrymen to battle,

The country of Judea, prefented a fcene diverfified by fruitful vallies, barren rocks, and lofty mountains, and was watered by numerous ftreams.

Gray's Key, p. 124.

It produced the palm-tree, the balfam, the vine, the olive, the fig, and all the fruits which abound in the Eaft. From the labours of the field, and from cultivating the vine, the attention of the Ifraelites was regularly called by religious worship, which was intimately blended with the civil conftitution of the state. The fplendour of their religious fervices, the pomp and magnificence of their rites and ceremonies, the stated recurrence of their various feftivals and facrifices, the fabbath, the paffover, the celebration of the fabbatical year, and the jubilee; and more than all, the conftant experience of divine interpofition, filled their minds with the moft awful and grand ideas, and gave them the deepeft impreffions of the majefty, power, goodness, and justice of God.

Thefe were the circumftances, which combining to form their national manners, had influence upon their writings. The hiftorical ftyle is marked by the pureft fimplicity of ideas, occafionally raised to a tone of elevation. In the works of Mofes there is a majefty of thought, which is most strikingly expreffed in plain and energetic language. In most of the prophetical writings, the greateft fplendour and fublimity of compofition are confpicuous. The Royal Pfalmift is eloquent, dignified, and pathetic. All the beauties of compofition unite in Ifaiah-fuch is the majefty of his ideas, the propriety, beauty, and fertility of his imagery, and the elegance of his language, employed upon the nobleft fubjects which could poffibly engage our

attention.

attention. Jeremiah excels in thofe expreffions of tenderness, which excite with the moft pleafing enthusiasm the feelings of compaffion.

By fuch peculiar beauties of compofition are recommended the most interesting details of events, and the moft faithful delineations of characters. The great Creator calls all things into exiftence with his omnipotent word. The firft parents of mankind, innocent and happy, are bleffed with his immediate converfe, and enjoy the blooming groves of Paradife. Jofeph, the pious, the chafte, and the wife, after fuffering great afflictions, and rifing by his own extraordinary merit to an office of the highest honour in the court of Pharaoh, difcovers himself in a manner the most pathetic to his repentant brethren, and is reftored to his aged and affectionate father, whom he invites into Egypt to fhare his profperity. The Children of Ifrael, guided by the divine Power, which veils its glory in a cloud, pafs fafely through the Red Sea, in which the hofts of the impious Pharaoh are overwhelmed. Upon the lofty fummit of Mount Sinai, Mofes receives the two tables of the Command

"Quid enim habet univerfa poefis, quid concipere poteft mens humana grandius, excelfius, ardentius, quid etiam venuftius et elegantius, quam quæ in facris Hebræorum vatum fcriptis occurrunt? qui magnitudinem rerum fere ineffabilem verborum pondere et carminis majeftate exæquant; quorum cum nonnulli vel ipfis Græcorum poetarum fabulis funt antiquiores, ita omnes tantum eos fublimitate exfuperant, quantum vetuftate antiquiffimi antecedunt." Lowth, Prælect. p. 16. See likewife p. 7, 8, 21,

ments,