gresssion is made, the choice of the incidents, the magnificence of the imagery, or the force and elegance of the diction. "O Deus! sancta omnino sunt consilia tua: "Quis Deus cum Deo majestate comparandus? "Tu es Deus ille faciens mirabilia; "Notum fecisti in populis robur tuum. "Vindicasti brachio populum tuum, "Iacobi et Iosephi posteros. "Viderunt te aquae, contremuerunt; "Fragorem edidit aether; "Tum vero sagittae tuae discurrerunt : "Vox tonitrus tui in turbine; "Illuxerunt orbi fulmina; "Fremuit et commota est tellus." The other example, to which I shall refer you on this occasion, is composed upon quite a different plan; for it declines gradually from an exordium uncommonly splendid and sublime, to a gentler and more moderate strain, to the softest expressions of piety and devotion. The whole composition abounds with great variety of both sentiment and imagery. You will, from these circumstances, almost conjecture that I am alluding to the nineteenth Psalm. The glory of God is demonstrated in his works both of nature and providence. By exhibiting it, however, in an entire state, though in modern verse, you will more readily perceive the order, method, and arrangement of this beautiful composition. PSALM XIX. Immensi chorus aetheris, Orbes stelliferi, lucida sidera, Laudes concelebrant Dei, Auctorisque canunt artificem manum. Dulces excipiunt modos Noctem rite dies, noxque diem premens ; Alternoque volubiles Concentu variant perpetuum melos. Et quanquam levibus rotis Labuntur taciti per liquidum aethera, Terrarum tamen ultimos. Tractus, alta poli moenia, personat Aeterni sacra vox chori, Concordi memorans eloquio Deum. Coelorum in penetralibus Soli qui posuit celsa palatia : Prodit, ceu thalamo sponsus ab aureo; Praescriptum stadii carpit ovans iter. Coeli limite ab ultimo Egressus, rediens limitem ad ultimum, Illustrans oculos, et tenebras fugans ; Coelestique replens corda scientia ; Fixit perpetuam, aeternaque veritas. Non dulcedine, quae recens Et merces eadem magna, clientibus. Da caecis veniam, da miseris opem! Effraenemque animi frange superbiam ! Mox insons sceleris, purus ero mali : Sic O! sic placeant tibi Quae supplex meditor, quae loquor, O Deus !(c) LECTURE XXVII. THE SUBLIME STYLE OF THE HEBREW ODE. The third species of the Hebrew ode, the characteristic of which is sublimity-This sublimity results from three sources-From the general form and arrangement of the poem, exemplified in the fiftieth and twenty-fourth Psalm-From the greatness of the sentiments and the force of the language-The ode of Moses on passing the Red Sea explained and illustratedThe brevity of the Hebrew style-The twenty-ninth Psalm in Latin verse. SUBLIMITY was mentioned as the characteristic of a third species of the Hebrew ode. But having already treated very copiously of the sublime in general, both as the effect of sentiment and expression, our present investigation must be confined to that which is peculiar to this species of poetry. Now the sublimity of lyric compositions results either from the plan, the order, and arrangement of the poem; or from those common sources which I formerly specified, the sentiments and the style; or, in some cases, from an union of all, when an aggregate perfection is produced from the beauty of the arrangement, the dignity of the sentiments, and the splendour of the diction. I shall endeavour to exhibit a few examples in each kind; and indeed this subject is every way deserving our attention, since it relates to what may be esteemed the perfection of the Hebrew poetry, for its chief commendation is sublimity, and its sublimest species is the ode. Let us therefore consider, in the first place, what degree of sublimity the mere form and disposition of a lyric poem can impart to a subject not in itself sublime. We have an example of this in the fiftieth Psalm; the subject of which is of the didactic kind, and belongs to the moral part of theology. It is at first serious and practical, with very little of sublimity or splendour: it sets forth, that the divine favour is not to be conciliated by sacrifices, or by any of the external rites and services of religion, but rather by sincere piety, and by the devout effusions of a grateful heart and yet, that even these will not be accepted without the strictest attention to justice, and every practical virtue. It consists therefore of two parts: in the first the devout, but ignorant and superstitious worshipper is reproved; and in the second, the hypocritical pretender to virtue and religion. Each part of the subject, if we regard the imagery and the diction only, is treated rather with variety and elegance, than with sublimity; but if the general effect, if the plot and machinery of the whole be considered, scarcely any thing can appear more truly magnificent. The great Author of nature, by a solemn decree, convokes the whole human race, to be witness of the judgement which he is about to execute upon his people; the august tribunal is established in Sion : "Deus Deorum Iehova "Locutus est et convocavit terram, "Ab ortu solis ad eius occasum : "Ex Sione perfectae pulchritudinis Deus exortus est.” The majesty of God is depicted by imagery assumed from the descent upon mount Sinai, which, as I formerly observed, is one of the common-places that supply ornaments of this kind: "Adveniet Deus noster, nec silebit; "Praecedet eum ignis edax, "Et circumfremet vehemens turbo." The heavens and the earth are invoked as witnesses, which is a pompous form of expression common with the Hebrew writers :1 2 "Advocabit coelos ex alto; "Et terram, ut iudicio contendat cum populo suo." At length the Almighty is personally introduced pronouncing his sentence, which constitutes the remainder of the ode; and the admirable sublimity and splendour of the exordium is continued through the whole. There is in Horace an ode upon a similar subject, and it is not enough to say, that he has treated it in his usual manner, with elegance and variety, for he has done more than could be expected from a person unenlightened by divine truth, he has treated it with piety and solemnity. But that high degree of sublimity, to which the Psalmist rises upon such occasions, is only to be attained by the Hebrew Muse; for it is a truth universally acknowledged, that no religion whatever, no poetic history, is provided with a store of imagery so striking and so magnificent, so capable of embellishing a scene, which may be justly accounted the most sublime that the human imagination is able to comprehend. The next example, which I shall produce, will be found in some 1 Compare DEUT. Xxxii. 1. ISA. i. 2. 2 Lib. iii. Od. xxiii. measure different from the former, inasmuch as the subject itself is possessed of the highest dignity and splendour, though still no inconsiderable part of the sublimity is to be attributed to the general plan and arrangement of the poem. The induction of the ark of God to mount Sion by David, gave occasion to the twenty-fourth Psalm.3 The removal of the ark was celebrated in a great assembly of the people, and with suitable splendour during every part of the ceremony. The Levites led the procession, accompanied by a great variety of vocal and instrumental music; and this ode appears to have been sung to the people when they arrived at the summit of the mountain. The exordium is expressive of the supreme and infinite dominion of God, arising from the right of creation : "Iehovae est tellus et plenitudo eius; "Orbis, quique eum incolunt : "Ille enim supra maria eum fundavit, How astonishing the favour and condescension! how extraordinary the testimony of his love, when he selected from his infinite dominion a peculiar seat, and a people for himself! What a copious return of gratitude, of holiness, of righteousness, and of human virtues, does such an obligation demand! "Behold," says Moses, addressing the Israelites, "the heaven, and the heaven of heavens, is JEHOVAH'S, thy God, the earth also, and all that it containeth. Only he had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and their posterity after them, and he chose you above all people, as it is this day."4 Such is evidently the reasoning of David in the following passage, though the chain of argument is not quite so directly displayed: "Quis ascendet in montem Iehovae; "Et quis stabit in sede eius sanctitatis? “Qui in vanis numinibus fiduciam suam non reposuit, "Nec iuravit fallendae fidei consilio. "Is reportabit benedictionem a Iehova, "Et iustitiam a Deo eius sospitatore. "Talis sit gens, quae illum quaerit; Thus far is expressive, on the one hand, of the infinite goodness and condescension of God to the children of Israel; and on the other hand, of their indispensable obligation to piety and virtue; since he had deigned to make their nation the peculiar seat of his miraculous 4 DEUT. X. 14-16. 3 See 2 SAM. vi. 1 CHRON. XV, |