"For it is the day of vengeance to JEHOVAH; The year of recompense to the defender of the cause of Sion. And her whole land shall become burning pitch: From generation to generation she shall lie desert; The emigration of the Israelites from Egypt, as it affords materials for many magnificent descriptions, is commonly applied, in a metaphorical manner, to many events which bear no unapt resemblance to it. Does God promise to his people liberty, assistance, security, and favour? The Exodus occurs spontaneously to the mind of the poet: the dividing of the sea, the destruction of the enemy, the desert which was safely traversed, and the torrents bursting forth from the rocks, are so many splendid objects that force themselves on his imagination: "Thus saith JEHOVAH; Who made a way in the sea, And a path in the mighty waters; Who brought forth the rider and the horse, the army and the warrior: Together they lay down, they rose no more; They were extinguished, they were quenched like tow: And the things of ancient times regard not: Behold, I make a new thing; Even now shall it spring forth; will ye not regard it? In the desert, streams of water."+ There is also another prophecy of the same divine poet, which in one sense (though I think not the principal) is to be understood as relating to the liberation of the Israelites from the Babylonish captivity. In the exordium the same pot: whence Puchat, (vehement heat, or burning). It cannot, however, be denied, that the orientals sometimes call the lightning snares or chains. The Arabic word noho, (plur. bxh), according to Golius, not only signifies a chain, but also the track of a thunderbolt through the clouds; so called, I apprehend, from the continual coruscations which seem to be connected with each other like a chain." H.-Author's Note. Isa. xxxiv. 8, 9, 10. † Isa. xliii. 16-19. See also xlviii. 21. imagery is introduced, but in a very noble personification, than which nothing can be more sublime: "Awake, awake, clothe thyself with strength, O arm of JEHOVAH! Awake, as in the days of old, the ancient generations. Art thou not the same that smote Rahab, that wounded the dragon? Art thou not the same that dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep? That made the depths of the sea a path for the redeemed to pass through ?"* Of the same kind is the last of these topics which I shall instance, the descent of JEHOVAH at the delivery of the law. When the Almighty is described as coming to execute judgment, to deliver the pious, and to destroy his enemies, or in any manner exerting his divine power upon earth, the description is embellished from that tremendous scene which was exhibited upon Mount Sinai : there is no imagery more frequently recurred to than this, and there is none more sublime. I will only trouble you with two examples: "For, behold, JEHOVAH will go forth from his place; And he will come down, and will tread on the high places of the earth. And the mountains shall be molten under him ; And the valleys shall cleave asunder; As wax before the fire, As waters poured down a steep place."+ "The earth shook and was alarmed, And the foundations of the hills rocked with terror, For the wrath of JEHOVAH was hot against them. Before his face a smoke ascended, And a flame consumed before his presence; Burning fires were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens and came down, And clouds of darkness were beneath his feet. He rode upon the pinions of the Cherubim, He concealed himself in a veil of darkness; Of black water, and thick clouds of æther.§ * Isa. li. 9, 10. + Mic. i. 3, 4. § Ver. 13. and 14. 2 Sam. xxii. 13, 14. † See Exod. xix. 16. 18. Deut. iv. 11, 12. They seem to be corrected by the parallel passage, See Kennicott, Dissert. i. Of the Hebrew Text, p. 464. From the brightness before him thick clouds passed along, Hailstones and burning fires. JEHOVAH thundered in the heavens ; And the most high God sent forth his voice : He shot out his arrows and dispersed the enemies, These examples, though literally translated, and destitute of the harmony of verse, will I think sufficiently demonstrate the force, the grandeur and sublimity of these images, which, when applied to other events, suggest ideas still greater than when described as plain facts by the pen of the historian, in however magnificent terms: for to the greatness and sublimity of the images which are alluded to, is added the pleasure and admiration which result from the comparison between them and the objects which they are brought. to illustrate. It is, however, worthy of observation, that, since many of these images possess such a degree of resemblance as renders them equally fit for the illustration of the same objects, it frequently happens that several of them are collected together in order to magnify and embellish some particular event of this there is an example in that very thanksgiving ode of David which we have just now quoted. For, after describing the wrath and majesty of God, in imagery taken from the descent upon Mount Sinai, as already explained, in the very next verse the division of the Red Sea and the river Jordan is alluded to: "Then appeared the channels of the waters; At the breathing of the spirit of thine anger."‡ It is evident, however, as well from the examples which have been adduced, as from the nature of the thing itself, that this species of metaphor is peculiarly adapted to the prophetic poetry. For some degree of obscurity is the "The words wx 772, which are now repeated in ver. 14. are wanting in four manuscripts." K.-Author's Note. Psal. xviii. 7-14. † See also Isa. xxxiv. and what is remarked on that passage, Lect. 20. Psal. xviii. 16. Allusions to the destruction of Nimrod, the first institutor of idolatry, and his adherents, are, in the Prophets at least, as frequent, if not more so, than to any other of the topics here noticed.-Examples of this kind I have pointed out in a Dissertation on Fallen Angels, published by Johnson; and in another edition shall instance many more.-S. H. G necessary attendant upon prophecy; not that, indeed, which confuses the diction and darkens the style, but that which results from the necessity of repressing a part of the future, and from the impropriety of making a complete revelation of every circumstance connected with the prediction. The event itself, therefore, is often clearly indicated, but the manner and the circumstances are generally involved in obscurity. To this purpose imagery, such as we have specified, is excellently adapted, for it enables the prophet more forcibly to impress upon the minds of his auditors those parts of his subject which admit of amplification, the force, the splendour, the magnitude of every incident; and at the same time more completely to conceal what are proper to be concealed, the order, the mode, and the minuter circumstances attending the event. It is also no less apparent, that in this respect the sacred poetry bears little or no analogy to that of other nations; since neither history nor fable afforded to the profane writers a sufficiently important store of this kind of imagery; nor did their subjects in general require that use or application of it. This species of metaphor is indeed so adapted, as I before observed, to the nature of prophecy, that even profane poetry, when of the prophetic kind, is not altogether destitute of it; and we find that Virgil himself, in delivering hisprophecies, has more than once adopted this method: "Simois nor Xanthus shall be wanting there; A new Achilles shall in arms appear: And he too goddess-born.. Another Tiphys shall new seas explore, Another Argo land the chiefs upon th' Iberian shore, And great Achilles urge the Trojan fate:" Though some will perhaps be inclined to interpret this passage literally from the completion of the Great Year, and the doctrine of the general restitution of all things. There is, indeed, this difference between the sacred and profane writers, that among the latter we find frequent examples of metaphors taken from some remarkable person and event, applied to some other event or character;§ but we never * Dryden's Virgil, Æn. vi. 135. Eclog. iv. 41. See Origen contra Celsum, lib. iv. p. 208. Edit. Spencer. Allusions to ancient history, both fabulous and authentic, are common with the poets and orators of all nations. There is a very fine one of this kind in find from such facts a general or common image derived, which, as an established mode of expression, is regularly applied to the illustration of similar objects, even to the designation of a universal or unlimited idea. I have classed all these examples under one general head of Metaphor, though many of them might more properly be referred to that of Allegory; but this circumstance is of no importance to the object which I was desirous of elucidating. Many, indeed, of those which I have produced on this last occasion, might more properly be referred to that sublimer kind of allegory, which in its principal view looks forward to a meaning much more important than that which is obvious and literal; and under the ostensible subject, as under a rind or shell, conceals one interior and more sacred. Of this, however, we shall presently have occasion to speak more explicitly; for when we come to treat of the allegory of the Hebrews, it will be necessary to touch upon that species (however difficult and obscure the subject) in which the sublimity of many of the sacred poems will be found chiefly to consist.* the second Philippic of Cicero. When he replies to Antony's accusation of being concerned in Cæsar's death, he exclaims, that he glories in the accusation:-" I esteem it," says he, "as great an honour to be accounted a partner in such an action, as if, with the princes of the Greeks, I had been inclosed in the Trojan horse." But I do not recollect a more beautiful instance than one of a contemporary poet : "Humility herself, divinely mild, Sublime Religion's meek and modest child, Hayley's Essay on History, addressed to • Professor Michaelis makes a very considerable addition to this Lecture, concerning those images or figures which are taken from poetic fable. He asserts, that such fable is essential to all poetry; that whoever has a taste for poetry cannot possibly take it in a literal sense; and that the sole purpose of it is ornament and pleasure. He observes, that there are many particulars in which a wonderful agreement may be discovered between the fables of the Greeks and Romans and those of the Hebrews. He is of opinion, that this agreement clearly indicates a common source, which he supposes to be Egypt. From Egypt, Homer and the other Greek poets borrowed the principal of their fables, as we may learn from Herodotus and Heliodorus: nor is it at all improbable, that the Hebrews should do the same, who were for two successive ages the subjects and scholars of the Egyptians. The most ancient Hebrew poem, Job, abounds in Egyptian and |