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the prophecies were delivered, and among the people, to whom they were addressed. And

2. That this ftyle, how dark or fanciful foever it may appear, is yet reducible to rule; that is, is conftructed on fuch principles, as make it the subject of just criticism and reasonable interpretation; and, in par ticular, to us, at this day.

For a language is not fanatical, that is authorised by general practice; nor can it be deemed unintelligible, when it is capable of having its meaning afcertained.

I. The proof of these two points will most conveniently be given together, in a deduction of the caufes, which produced the character of the prophetic style.

That character, I believe, is truly given by those who affirm, That the style of the prophets was only the poetical, and highly figurative ftyle of the Eaftern nations. But if you go farther and afk, How it came to pafs, that the oriental poetry was

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fo much more figurative than ours, it may not be enough to say, as many others have done, that this difference of character was owing to the influence of the fun, and to the fuperior heat and fervour, which i gave to an eastern imagination. For I know not whether there be reason to think, that the fun hath any such effect on the powers of the mind; or that the fancies of men are apter to catch, and blaze out in mataphor, within a warm climate, than a cold one: a figurative caft of style being obfervable in the native poetry of all countries; and that, fo far as appears from history and experience, in a pretty equal degree.

Befides, if the fact were allowed, the anfwer would scarce be fufficient. For, as we shall presently fee, the fymbolic language of Prophecy, is too confiftent and uniform, hath too much of art and method in it, to be derived from the cafual flights and fallies of the imagination only, how power

powerfully foever you fuppofe it to have operated in the prophets.

We then must go much deeper for a true account of the emblematic and highly coloured expreffion, which glares fo ftrongly in the prophetic scriptures: and we shall find it, partly, in the nature of the human mind; and, partly, in the genius, indeed, of the oriental nations, and especially of the Jews, but as fashioned, not by the influence of their climate, but by the modes of their learning and inftitution.

I must be as brief, as poffible, on a subject, which many learned writers [a] have largely and fully difcuffed; and, as the reflexions, I have to offer to you upon it, are chiefly taken from them, I may the rather bespeak your attention to what follows.

1. First, then, let it be observed, that the original language of all nations is extremely imperfect. Their ftock of words being fmall, they explain themselves very

[a] Mede, More, Daubuz, Vitringa, and, above all, the learned Founder of this Lecture. G

VOL. II.

much

much by figns, or reprefentative actions; and their conceptions, in that early ftate of fociety, being grofs and rude, the few words, they have, are replete with mate rial images, and fo are what we call highly metaphorical; and this, not from choice or design, or even from any extraordinary warmth of fancy, but of neceffity, and from the very nature of things.

Such is the primitive character of all languages: and it continues long in all, because the figurative manner is thought ornamental, when it is no longer necessary; and because the neceffity of it is only, if at all, removed by long ufe and habit in abstract fpeculation: a degree of refinement, to which the orientals, and the Jews efpecially, never attained. And therefore in their languages, very long

-Manferunt, hodieque manent veftigia ruris Thus far we may go in accounting for the figured ftyle of the east, from general principles. But this is by no means the whole of the cafe. For

2. We are to reflect, that, before an alphabet was invented, and what we call literary writing was formed into an art, men had no way to record their conceptions, or to convey them to others at a diftance, but by fetting down the figures and fhapes of fuch things, as were the objects of their contemplation. Hence, the way of writing in picture, was as univerfal, and almost as early, as the way of fpeaking in metaphor; and from the fame reason, the heceffity of the thing.

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In procefs of time, and through many fucceffive improvements, this rude and fimple mode of picture-writing was fucceeded by that of fymbols, or was enlarged at least, and enriched by it. By fymbols, I mean certain representative marks, rather than express pictures; or if pictures, fuch as were at the fame time characters, and, befides prefenting to the eye the resemblance of a particular object, fuggefted a general idea to the mind. As, when a born was made to denote strength, an eye and Scepter, majesty,

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