The flights of fancy in thefe gay and lively Tallies, and the ever varying images, metaphors and figures throughout, ftrike you with furprize even at this diftance, when fo many of their beauties must be loft.

The forty-fifth Pfalm, is an abridgment of this Song of Songs, and was the marriage ode publickly rehearfed at that folemnity, when a chofen band of young virgins, all in white, and bedecked with flowers, joyoufly met, encircling the bride, and chanted an Anthem, with the tabret and the harp, in honour of the happy Pair, and their Efpoufals.

Thefe Songs are all of them of the paftoral kind, pleafingly defcriptive of rural life, and the molt enchanting domeftic enjoyments. The Jewish writers reprefent it as a parable and myftery alluding to Chrift and the Church, the reading of it was forbad at Jerufalem untit the age of thirty years, which was their facerdotal age, when reafon grown riper, the affections were more compofed and fuited to contem.. plate its divine tendency, no doubt they had fears, left a very juvenile reader fhould give too wide a fcope to fancy, and attend too much to a literal understanding of it.

It is however a fhort, elegant, and beautiful Poem, in which the name of God is not once mentioned, and in which no one religious or moral duty is recommended, and it is never cited either by Our Saviour, or any one of his Apoftles.

DIEN

ESSAY

ESSAY XXIII,

INTRODUCTION

TO THE

PROPHETS,

AND

LIF E

OF THE

PROPHET ELIJA H.

O the firft Ages, and to thofe who faw them performed, Miracles were the great proof of Revelation. To later Ages, the Prophecies afford a most unequivocal Proof, a permanent Miracle to all thofe who witnefs their fulfil

ment.

VOL. II.

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For

For the fpace of four hundred years, Jehovah had himself prefided as Supreme Judge, Lawgiver, and King over Ifrael. God was then pleased to elect Prophets, and they flourished in regular continued fucceffion a thousand years. Their Lives, Characters, Ministry, and Predictions, form a very interefting and moft inftructive part of the Hiftory. Their Denunciations are ftrikingly awful, their Promifes, Meffages, and information powerfully influential, perfuafive, and confolatory. By a reclufe life, auftere manners, and a peculiar Garb, they were fet apart and diftinguished from the reft of the People, they were fupported and provided for, fometimes by miracle; fometimes living in a kind of Brotherhood or Community, under fome one as a fuperior; fometimes fequeftered from the world, they wandered in Deserts or on Mountains, and flept in Caves, clad in hair skins or coarse woollen, and on mournful occafions in fackcloth and afhes, habituated to many hardfhips and the moft fimple fte of life, but yet they were looked up to as the established Oracles of their country, and confulted on all emergencies. The haughty and abandoned Prince was oft-times compelled to obey, although the rebuke fhould fo enrage him, as to endanger the life of the Prophet

* xlvii. Prophets & vi. Propheteffes.

Prophet. At Naioth, a very pleafant village near the city of Ramah, Samuel endowed and founded a College, and alfo a School for the young Prophets. Another was built by the Prophet Elifha on Mount Carmel, where he educated a number of young Students, and boarded them himself; and there were others at Jerufalem the capital, and at Bethel, Jericho and Gilgal, three celebrated and populous cities in Judæa.

The Spirit of God taught them in various. Modes, conferring different degrees of illumination, in Vifions, Dreams, and more abfolute Converfe and Revelations By coincidence with the High Prieft in the inftitutions of Urim and Thummim, called Light and Knowledge-By his Spirit fuperintending and guiding them in the exercise of their own understandings, directing them in the communication of that Knowledge which they derived from ordinary fources of intelligence.

Animated with holy ardour and zeal for God, they employed themfelves in the exalted Office of teaching and reforming Mankind, no unworthy Paffions or difingenuous Motives interfered with their wife and great Designs; by every exertion they inftructed and reclaimed, reproved and threatened every rank and ftation, even the

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