Lowth, Sac. Poef. Heb. prælect. 21. Prelim. Diff. to Ifaiah, Blair, Rhet, lect. 41. David various, but excels in the tender. Ibid. The writer of Job highly figurative, and characterised by ftrength of defcription. Ifaiah has all the excellences of compofition, but is eminent for fublimity. Ibid. Jeremiah is tender and pathetic. Ibid, Ezekiel is bold, vehement, and ardent, and often enigmati cal. Ibid. Hofea is concife and fententious, lively, but obfcure. Ibid, and Horfley's Hofea. Amos has no very remarkable characteristic. Ibid. Micah is concife and lively, often elevated and vehement, Ibid. Joel elegant, clear, fluent and figurative. Ibid. Nahum is auguft, bold, and regular, Ibid. 390. The other parts of Scripture, in which peculiarities of manner chiefly appear, are the argumentative parts. The principal of these are the writings of Paul, who was plainly a man eminent for extensive views, warmth of imagination, and quicknefs of conception; and this turn of mind occasions several peculiarities in his manner, which it is abfolutely neceffary to attend to, in order to our understanding his epiftles. Locke's Effay on Epiftles. Taylor, Pref. to Romans, Care to guard against exceptions producing long parentheses. Locke, Taylor, Macknight, in loc. Carry Carrying on different defigns at once. Rom. xiii. 1-8. prin along with this, the grounds and end of civil government.' Jid. Profecuting a defign by complicated means. SECT. III. Of the Times of writing the Books of Scripture. 391. The books of Scripture are the works of different, and very diftant, ages; and each of them bears some characters, derived from the age in which it was written. 392. The age, in which almost all the books of Scripture were written, is easily enough determined. 393. Though there be great difficulty in ascertaining the precife date of many of the books of Scripture, yet, that of feveral of them may be determined with fufficient evidence; and, whenever it can be determined, it will fhew the beauty of fome figure, the force of fome expreffion, or the full meaning of fome paffage. 394. Hence, it has often been mentioned, as what would be of confiderable ufe, that the books of Scripture be placed, or, at least, read, in the order in which they were written, 395. Knowledge of the time when a book was written, sometimes fhews the reason, and the propriety of things faid in it. 1 Theff. v. 27. “ I charge (g) you by the Lord, that an adjuration feems unneceffary. But this was the first Lardner's Credibility, Supplem. c. 12. § 2. c. 25. § 2. 396. Inattention to, or ignorance of, the real date of a book, often occafions mistakes concerning the meaning of particular paffages. Lardner, ib. c. 12. 2 Cor. xi. 25. " Thrice I fuffered shipwreck." That mentioned Acts xxvii. not one of thefe, for it was pofterior to his writing. Lardner, ib. 1 Cor. xv. 32. "I have fought with beafts at Ephefus." It refers not to Demetrius's riot, Acts xix., for that was pofterior to his writing. Probably he had, before this, been really expofed to fight with wild beafts, intimated by his saying, ❝ after the manner of men," according to a custom of men. Benfon, Hift. of Chriftian. b. 3. c. 7. f. 3. Whitby in loc. Lightfoot, vol. 1. p. 298. Macknight in loc. 397. Knowledge of the precife date is peculiarly of importance, with refpect to the prophecies and the epiftles. 398. This knowledge would often throw light on several particulars of a prediction; and is fometimes abfolutely neceffary for afcertaining the event defigned, and for perceiving the accomplishment, especially when it was near. 399. The true date of a prediction is often fufficient for confuting a false application of it, and must be explained away by those who are set on supporting fuch application. Grotius was determined to apply the prediction of "the man. of fin," 2 Theff. ii. to Caligula; he therefore labours, but Grot. Præf. in 2 Theff. Benfon's Hift. b. 3. c. 5. f. 10. 400. To difpofe all the different predictions, relating to the fame event, according to the order of time in which they were delivered, would give us a clear and connected view of them, and enable us to perceive the allufions in the posterior to the prior, and the additional intimations fucceffively conveyed. 401. The studying of the Epiftles in the order in which they were written, would fhow the progreffive ftate of things in the Chriftian church; and would, by this means, throw great light upon them all. SECT. SECT. IV. Of the Occasions of the Books of Scripture. 402. Almost all the parts of Scripture were written on particular occafions, to which they have more or lefs a reference. 403. There are feveral circumftances which may be reduced under this head of the occafion of a book, which are all of fome, though not of equal, import ance. 404. The place where, and the fituation in which, a person writes, is not a matter of mere curiofity, but often throws light on his writing, by fhowing the propriety and beauty of his figures, by illuftrating his allufions to objects, cuftoms or opinions, by accounting for particulars which he mentions, or for the manner in which he mentions them. Many figures and images in the poetical books are naturally fuggefted by the fcenes amidft which they were written, and thence derive great additional beauty. Judea was parched in fummer; hence, diftrefs, figured by drought; relief, by fhowers and springs. It was liable to torrents; hence allufions to them frequent. Liable to violent forms and earthquakes; hence many metaphors and comparisons. Lowth, Sac. Poef. Heb. Blair, Rhet. ib. Mark |