rieties of simile and parabolic descrip- | ciplined their minds with the rigidness tion. It requires, assuredly, but little of scientific investigation, or had been acquaintance with the writings of this habituated to the pursuits of literature, remarkable people, to discover, that the in the quietude of academic retirement, principal resources of a language, la- and secluded from the interests, the bouring under the disadvantages of a turmoil, the agitation of life. They scanty vocabulary, must exist in the were familiar with all the objects of employment of figure, of imagery, gene- rural existence and industry. The land rally, and constant reference to the of Judea, with its varied and interesting scenes and fluctuations of external na- scenes-its climate-its productionsture. its rich vales-its vine-covered hillsits singular beauty and fruitfulnesswas ever before their eyes, or present to their minds, and vivid in their recollections; and, hence, those objects of attachment and delight fix and enkindle their faculties, suggest their trains of thought, or perpetually recur, to modify their associations, and to give a tone and vigour, as well as beauty, to their diction. These, it is obvious, first attract the eye of man, and are, invariably, the last in yielding their influence to his regard. Thus, in perusing the Old Testament, we find this continually verified. The uncertainty of life, the fragile tenure of beautiful and blooming youth, are compared to the grass which springs up, and to the flowers in their loveliness, shrinking and perishing, if the chilling blast only pass over them, or are cut down at night, and speedily wither. These figurative representations and allusions perpetually occurring in the compositions of the Hebrew writers, are 1emarkably expressive and significant, and impart to their productions a vivid and picturesque effect, that is singularly beautiful and impressive. It is, unquestionably, true, that figures of a similar kind present themselves to the man of poetic taste and genius in every condition of life, and beautify, while at the same time they enrich, the resources of every language. A true poet looks, with the same eye, on nature and her characteristic beauties in every country, and in all ages. Still, there is much that is striking in that peculiarity of expression, which gives to Hebrew eloquence the power, the vividness, the glow of actual feeling, and of real life. And, in dilating on this point, it is important for us not to disregard one circumstance. The inhabitants of Judea had made but few accessions of science, and but trifling advances in the elegant arts. They were, confessedly, a nation of warriors, of husbandmen, and of shepherds. Scarcely any of them had dis Thus we find that oriental writers delight in conveying the maxims and precepts of religion, and imprinting the most elevated sentiments on the memory and the heart, sometimes through the medium of solitary metaphor, and, at other periods, in the form of extended parable. The calm and tranquil satisfactions of a pious mind are represented by cool and agreeable shades, by quiet and undisturbed waters, by grassy and verdant meadows; while the remorse, the dark and terrible anticipations, of the guilty conscience, are conveyed in images that render sin loathsome and fearful, and aggravate everything that is awful and overwhelming. The fine effusions of Hebrew poetry, indeed, are replenished with all the simple imagery of rural life-the activity of industry, the implements of labour, the expectations and solicitudes, the hopes and fears, of the husbandman, serve for illustration-curich and enliven the language employed, either when the poet sings, or the prophet unfolds "the burden of the Lord." In all the writings of the Hebrews, we observe, that they are not absent from their country-the favoured, the promised land. The land of the vine, with its rich clusters-of the fig-tree, of the pomegranate-is ever passing before our eyes. Hence, clearly and fully to understand them, an intimate acquaintance is necessary with the scenery and climate of Judea, as well as with the policy, customs, history, traditions, and religious institutions, of the Jews; else the propriety and significance of their allusions cannot be felt, and the beauty of their imagery cannot be appreciated. The great and inspired Hebrew writers have copied nature with more accurate fidelity, and transfused into their pages a larger number of images of local interest, than those of any other country. Lebanon, Carmel, and Sharon, are figures which continually awakened in their minds associations of the majestic, the lovely, the fertile, which we, at this distance of time and place, can but imperfectly and faintly, if at all, realize. In dwelling, too, on the style and excellences of the Hebrew writers, we are struck with the character of their narrative. It is obvious, that the perfection of narrative consists in vividness, force, compression. There must be no extraneous matter-no want of lifeno deviation from fidelity-no tedious diffusion and minuteness. These points are, in a considerable degree, forgotten by other writers, and, especially, historians. There is an unnecessary particularity in their statements, and fulness in their delineations. Their sketches are overdrawn-their representations are exaggerated. Their pictures are surcharged. Mark, however, the Hebrew writers. In their descriptions -in their historic narratives-they are concise, bold, vivid; if, occasionally, full, they are not unnecessarily so. It has been correctly remarked, that they never satiate with repletion, nor stagnate in painful exactness." In a powerful and masterly manner, they bring before the mind those prominent features of a scene, a subject, a character, which unfold it to us with the utmost freshness and vividness-so that we have the 66 reality presented. There is no redundancy; and the charm of all is, that they are brought before us just as nature grouped them, and are delineated without parade or artifice of expression, so that we behold them just as they existed, and were beheld. The writers describe just as though they had witnessed all they narrated. We admit that the narrative is copious, and often minute-but there is no prolixity. There is no diffusion that is unnecessary, though they are accustomed to reiterate their sentiments, and thus to deepen impression, and aid the memory. What, for example, can be more forcible, vivid, and calculated to penetrate the mind and heart, than the historic narrative of Moses! His style is, obviously, most remarkable for the plainness of its language, and the simplicity of its manner. There is the artlessness of nature-there is the sobriety of truth. There is no verbosity-no parade of ornament-there is in his history no exuberance of language, and never does he aim at mere richness of description. But, in how telling a manner is the truth conveyed! How natural is his story! How easily and sweetly is it told! What incidents does it comprise! What facts does it embody! By what elevation and grandeur is it marked! Where is there any historic narration at all to compare with it? And we are particularly interested with the ingenuousness of Moses, as a writer. We look into his mind. We read his heart. It has been observed justly, that "he has all the openness, as a writer, of Cæsar." His pathos, too, is most natural, most touching, most powerful. In his history, especially, of Jacob, his transports are sudden, breathless, heartfelt. How fine the example, in the exclamation of Jacob, when his beloved son's coat, of many colours, sprinkled with blood, was brought to him :-" It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him. Joseph is, without doubt, rent in pieces!" This was all which the heart-stricken patriarch could utter, in the speechlessness of his woe. Besides, we are interested - as an eloquent writer observes-with a certain peculiar consciousness of accurate knowledge, evincing itself by two grand characteristics, precision and simplicity. In reading the accounts, for instance, of the Jewish community, we have before us, not so much the annals of a nation, as the records of a large family. But not only is the narrative of Moses | alone could have communicated such marked by its exquisite tenderness and knowledge to man. pathos: it is distinguished by elevation and sublimity. There are passages in his writings, not merely of surpassing eloquence and beauty, but of surpassing grandeur. The illuminations and discoveries which God made to his mind, filled it with the noblest conceptions; and the plainness and artlessness of his language, with the uniform simplicity of his style, communicate these discoveries to us with surprising effect. Many passages in the Books of Genesis and Deuteronomy, pre-eminently, are unapproachable for their simple and striking grandeur. We are struckriveted-enchained, at once, and we find that nothing which man, however vigorous his conceptions, and splendid his intellectual powers, has ever penned, can, for a moment, be placed in comparison with these inspired representations. In recurring to the historical compositions of the Jewish writers, we are impressed with the variety of fact, of matter, which is crowded into those narrow limits. There are records extending through thousands of yearsthere are details of primitive character and manners which must ever be invaluable--there are incidents in the history of the most remarkable people furnished which must awaken perpetual astonishment and admiration-there are vivid and concise biographic portraitures which cannot be exceeded for truth and beauty and there is that singular kind of writing, peculiar to the Sacred Book, in which the veil that hides futurity from man is penetrated, and remote occurrences so anticipated, as to demonstrate, most unequivocally, that God There is, also, unvarying fidelity. Truth is, obviously, held in supreme value, and there is no attempt at concealment, or the slightest disguise. "The affections are cordially at work; but they are more filial than patriotic, and more devout than filial." The God of their fathers of Enoch and Noah, of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob-is pre-eminently regarded, and hence they preserve in their historic narratives with the greatest care, those transactions of their ancestors which were associated with the most signal interferences of heaven; and no circumstance, no fact, is omitted from the record, by communicating which additional motives might be supplied for cherishing that habitual reverence, that supreme love, that undoubting confidence in relation to Jehovah, their Refuge, and Eternal Father, which ennobled the character and history, and constituted the pure and exalted religion, of this singularly favoured and honoured people. "Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place throughout all generations!" was the great principle and fact which all their annals-all their personal, domestic, and national history-embodied. W. ORIGINAL LETTERS OF THE REV. G. WHITFIELD TO THE (To the Editor of the EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE.) MY DEAR SIR,---If you think the following Letters, from the seraphic Whitfield to the sage Wesley, will interest | and edify your readers, they are at your service. Very faithfully yours, SAMUEL DUNN. Garden street, Sheffield, Dec. 2, 1853. REV. GEORGE WHITFIELD TO THE REV. JOHN WESLEY. Gloucester, April 15, 1737. REV. SIR,-I hope you received my last by Captain Diamond. Mrs. Hutton writes me word a ship sails in a fortnight; what hinders that I should not embrace this opportunity of sending you a line? You see, Rev. Sir, where I am: Providence led me hither; but God gave me such great success when I was here last, that the clergymen combined to use me as I deserve, namely, to thrust me out of their synagogues. Oh that I may humbly rejoice in being made in the least degree conformable to my great exemplar, Jesus Christ! License was granted to preach at Bath, in order to a public collection for the Americans, but the late news which has been spread abroad, that the Spaniards have taken, or will take Georgia, I fear will make the design impracticable. You cannot do better, Rev. Sir, than send an exact account of the civil as well as religious affairs of the country you now are placed in; but most I apply to for charity enquire chiefly about the former. But I hope to see you before I receive a letter. You talk of Mr. Oglethorpe going about June or July; your brother, if God will, goes then; methinks I long for the time to come. What business have I now in England? But God's time is the best. I hope likewise a second De Lamotte will come with us: one who seems to be wonder fully stirred up to leave all and follow Christ. He is to be schoolmaster at Frederica. Surely there will some good come out of Georgia. Many excellent texts have been wonderfully applied to my heart; and, amidst the late news, I found in me not the least inclination to draw back. The good Lord keep me steadfast and immovable unto the end. I have had about a week of your brother's company, though but little conversation, through the heaviness of business: I hope next time we meet it will be better. He is somewhere in Gloucestershire, at present, I believe, but where I cannot exactly tell. Floret Oronia Evangelium. Friends are numerous, and send to us for the most part. Nor is Gloucester in want of many disciples of Christ, though, alas! too many of the controversial stamp. It is to be doubted whether Mr. H-11 will not come with us. The collection, I believe, will still be made in Bath. I have several things to say, but cannot write them now. May God strengthen my resolutions, and give me a good voyage! Rev. Sir, I doubt not but your company, instructions, and communications will afford great satisfaction to, Rev. Sir, your obedient and very humble servant, G. WHITFIELD. April 3, 1739. HONOURED SIR,-Yesterday I began to play the madman in Gloucestershire, by preaching on a table in Thornburystreet. To-day I have exhorted twice, and by-and-by I shall begin a third time; nothing like doing good by the way. I suppose you have heard of my proceedings in Kingswood: be pleased to go thither, and forward the good work as much as possible. I desire you would open my letters that come directed for me. If you judge me worthy, send me a line to Gloucester. I wish you all the success imaginable in your ministry, and I pray God my dear Bristol friends may grow in grace under it. My hearty love to the brethren; parting from them THE BOOKS OF SCRIPTURE. "THOSE books did not pine and pe- | are the finest specimens of architecture, rish in the shades of their native obscurity. With every drawback in origin, structure, language, and authorship, they have now won their way to unparalleled ascendancy. No volume ever commanded such a profusion of readers, or was translated into so many languages. Such is the universality of its spirit, that no book loses less by translation, none has been so frequently copied in manuscript, and none so often printed. King and noble, peasant and pauper, are delighted students of its pages. Philosophers have humbly gleaned from it, and legislation has been thankfully indebted to it. "Its stories charm the child, its hopes inspirit the aged, and its promises soothe the bed of death. The maiden is wedded under its sanction, and the grave is closed under its comforting assurances. Its lessons are the essence of religion, the seminal truths of theology, the first principles of morals, and the guiding axioms of political economy. Martyrs have often bled and been burnt for attachment to it. It is the theme of universal appeal. In the entire range of literature, no book is so frequently quoted or referred to. and the brightest triumphs of music are associated with its poetry. The text of no ancient author has summoned into operation such an amount of labour and learning, and it has furnished occasion for the most masterly examples of criticism and comment, grammatical investigation and logical analysis. It has inspired the English Muse with her loftiest strains. Its beams gladdened Milton in his darkness, and cheered the song of Cowper in his sadness. It was the star which guided Columbus to the discovery of a new world. It furnished the panoply of that Puritan valour which shivered tyranny in days gone by. It is the Magna Charta of the world's regeneration and liberties. Such benefactors as Francke, Neff, Schwartz, and Howard, the departed Chalmers, and the living Shaftesbury, are cast in the mould of the Bible. The records of false religion, from the Koran to the Book of Mormon, have owned its superiority, and surreptitiously purloined its jewels. Among the Christian classics, it loaded the treasures of Owen, charged the fulness of Hooker, barbed the point of Baxter, gave colours to the palette and sweep to the pencil of Bunyan, enriched the fragrant fancy of Taylor, sustained the loftiness of Howe, and strung the plummet of Edwards. In short, this collection of artless lives and letters has changed the face of the world, and ennobled myriads of its population. Finally, and to show the contrast: while millions bid it welcome, the mere idea of its circulation causes the Pope to tremble on his throne, and brings fearful curses from his quivering lips."--North British Review. |