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in the Prophecies of Jeremiah and Ezekiel; and he takes notice, that Daniel having fet down the Prophecies, which had relation to the feveral Reigns of Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius, or Cyrus, according to the Order of Time, afterwards declares the Revelations that were made to him, that had no Dependence upon the times in which they were made, but were written for the benefit of Pofterity. But the feveral Tranfpofitions in the Scripture are fufficiently accounted for by Commentators. And it must be obferv'd, that the Sacred Writers mention no more of Civil Affairs, than was neceffary to their purpose; and therefore in many things they refer to the Hiftories then extant, for a fuller account of them: their Design was not to write a complete History of all Events, but they confine themfelves to fuch as were most fit for them to take notice of, and keep within the compass of their proper business.

It was expedient that the fame Doctrines fhould be repeated in divers places of Scripture, and interfperfed with other things, according to no certain Art or. Method, because this prevents their being corrupted or falfify'd, as they might have been, if they had been all reduced to feveral diftin&t Heads, and plac'd according to the Rules of Art. If one Prophet repeats what another Prophet had faid, this is to give it a new Confirmation, to revive the Remembrance, and shew the Certainty and Importance of it. It is ordinary in the best Authors not only to find the same things repeated in divers places of their Works, but to meet with them repeated in the very fame Words: thus Ifocrates, Xenophon and Demofthenes transcribe in one part of their Works what they have written in another; but none, I think, fo frequently as Demoftbenes though Ulpian has observ'd, that this was an

1

* Hieron. ad Dan. c. 7.

* Σωηθὲς 3 τότο ποιεῖν τοῖς παλαι ois Ulp. Enarr. Orat. Demofthen. contr. Midiam. ufual

ufual thing with the Ancient Writers. Dionyfius Halicarnaffaus, who was a skilful Critick, as well as an excellent Historian, begins feveral Books of his Roman Antiquities, in the fame Words, with which he concluded the foregoing. It was cuftomary likewife with the Philofophers, Tagadav, or to allude to the Verfes of Homer, and to apply them with little variation upon all occafions, as may be feen frequently in Diogenes Laertius.

All the Cavils therefore that are made against the Style of Scripture proceed from Ignorance of. Antiquity, and from Rafhnefs in judging of Ancient times and Foreign Countries by our own. Whoever would

either delight or profit, muft fpeak and act in fome measure according to the Genius of the People with whom he converfes and if we will but read the Scriptures, with the fame Candor and Refpect with which we read the Writings of Humane Authors, and confider the Times, and Perfons, and the Occafions upon which they were written, there is nothing that can feem harfh or improper either in the Words or Actions of the Perfons infpired (for it was the manner of those Countries to speak by their Actions almost as much as in Words.) If we will but obferve the Circumstances in which the feveral parts of the Scriptures were written, we shall find caufe to admire the Simplicity, and Plainnefs and Modesty of the Style of the Scriptures.

In many Books of the Scriptures, the Style is fublime and elegant, beyond any thing to be found in other Writings, and yet as natural as if it could not have been otherwife exprefs'd; and this is the true Excellency of Style, that it be plain and natural, and yet eloquent. Longinus gives a high Character of Mofes's Style in a Book, the Design whereof is to reprefent the most perfect Idea of Eloquence: Indeed, fuch is the Fitness both in Verse and Profe of the Words and Style of Mofes, fo admirably fuited to the Subject

upon all occafions; as if he had been to prefcribe a Pattern of true Eloquence, as well as to enact Laws. Paronomafia, which is a Figure of Speech frequently us'd by Isaiah, and other Writers of the Old Teftament, is an Attick Idiotifm, and was very common in "the Ancient Greek Authors, from whom Ennius, Plautus, Terence, and other Latin Authors had it. H. Stephens has obferv'd, that there is a great Refemblance in Herodotus to the Style of the Scriptures. Herodotus had Homer in his view throughout his Hiftory, and Homer's Expreffions are the fame with thofe us'd in the Scriptures, in many inftances; as particularly, when he fo often mentions the Children of the Trojans, and the Children of the Greeks, as the Scriptures mention the children of Ifrael; and other Greek Authors fay, the Children of the Physicians, and the Children of the Philofophers, as the Scriptures fay, the children of the bride-chamber, and the children of light. "Grotius compares Ifaiah to Demofthenes, a fublime, but a moft natural and judicious Writer: the fame Author compares Ezekiel to Homer for the Beauty and Nobleness of his Style. Mr Cowley compares the Prophets, especially Ifaiah, to Pindar: but of Pindar he fays, that if a man should undertake to tranflate him word for word, it would be thought that one Mad-man had tranflated another. For which he gives this Reafon, that we must confider in Pindar the great difference of time betwixt his Age and ours, which changes, as in Pictures, at least the Colours of

* Αντίβιον πόλεμον πολεμίζειν, Hom. Il. iii. v. 435. "Od'afoeg's avós Lov, II. ii. v. 395.

Εύρημα εύρηκα, Herodot. l. vii. c. ro. Μεγέθη μέγας, & μέγι s, Paufan paffim. Nańde woaaoì, id. Achaic. p. 220. 'Idar ida, id. Corinth. p. 75. Boot. p. 307. Meyed μésisol, Arr. Exped. Alex. 1.5. Hans sol, íd. Rer. Indic. lib.

Incœptum amentium, non amantium: vivere vitam: fervire fervitutem, &c. apud Latinos. Vid. Mer. Cafaub. de Ling. Heb. "Grot. ad 4 Reg. xix. 2. & ad Ezech. initio.

Pref. to Pindarick Odes, and Notes upon Pind. Ode on Ifai.xxxiv.

Poetry's

Poetry; the no lefs difference betwixt the Religions and Cuftoms of our Countries, and a thousand Particularities of Places, Perfons and Manners, which do but confusedly appear to our Eyes at fo great a Distance; and lastly, we must confider that our Ears are Strangers to the Mufick of his Numbers, which fometimes (efpecially in Songs and Odes) almoft without any thing else, makes an excellent Poet. And of David he obferves, that the best Tranflators have been fo far from doing Honour, or at least Justice to that Divine Poet, that methinks, fays he, they revile him worse than Shimei. And Buchanan himself comes, in his opinion, no lefs fhort of David, than his Country does of Judea. Yet Ifaiah and the rest of the Prophets, and the Pfalms, are tranflated into our Language word for word, as far as it is poffible for one Language to be thus render'd into another and notwithstanding all the Differences of Time, and Place, and Customs, and Perfons, no fenfible Man reads them in the English Tongue, but he must acknowledge that their Style, with all these Disadvantages, is truly great and excellent. Whereas there are none of the Heathen Authors, that are so much efteem'd, which, if they were literally tranflated, as the Scriptures are, would bear the Reading, but they would appear ridiculous and impoffible to be underftood. For the Spirit, and Genius, and peculiar Idioms of moft Tongues being fo very different one from another, and depending upon the Cuftoms and Humours of the People of feveral Countries, it was the evident Care and Providence of God, to cause great part of the Scriptures, though written by fo many different Men, and at fuch diftant times, and fome Books of them in the earlier Ages of the World, to

r Quod fi cui non videtur linguæ gratiam interpretatione mutari, Homerum ad verbum exprimat in Latinum. Plus aliquid dicam: eundem in fuâ linguâ profæ verbis interpretetur, videbit ordinem ridiculum, & Poetam eloquentiffimum vix loquentem. Hieron. Præf. in Chron. Eufeb.

be

be penn'd in fuch a Language and Style, as is most natural, and which, without any want of Art, exceeds the most artificial and ftudy'd Eloquence in fublime and noble Thoughts and Expreffions, and in all the Beauties and Ornaments of Speech and yet, which in all the necessary points of Salvation is easie to be understood, under all the Disadvantages of a Verbal Translation, by Men of ordinary Capacities, who live fo many Ages after. The Prophecies of Isaiah cannot be read, or heard, or thought of, without being mov'd by them with what Life then, with what Zeal and Flame must they have been deliver'd? And what a mighty Bleffing was fuch a Prophet to his own Age, and to all fucceeding Generations? Of Royal Blood, and of a Style and Behaviour fuitable to his Birth; of Divine Virtues, and of Divine Eloquence! He declares things, which were not to be fulfill'd till many Ages afterwards, as plainly as if he had feen them before his Eyes, and would make all others to fee them; he speaks of Chrift as clearly, as if with Simeon he had had his Saviour in his Arms, or with the Wife-men had been kneeling down before him, and presenting him with more precious Gifts, than any they had to offer; and describes his Paffion as fully, as if he had follow'd him through every part of it, and having been crucify'd with him, had been jaft entring with him into Paradife. If this be thought a Digreffion from my Subject, I hope it may cafily be excufed for who can fpeak of Ifaiah, without a Digreffion, when Men choose the Food of Swine, and trample upon Pearls, as things of no value; as if he and the other Prophets had always the hard fate, to preach to the Rulers of Sodom, and the People of Gomorrha.

:

But if the Style of the Scriptures be not in all places alike excellent and exact, let it be consider'd, that

1. The fame Style is not fuitable to all Subjects, and the Style and Dialect is different, according to the