the five verse-books. Epiphanius, (lib. de ponder. et mensur. p. 533.) πέντε ϛιχήρεις—the five verse-books. And Cyril. Hierosol. Collect. 4. p. (mihi—in my copy) 30. calls these five books τὰ ϛιχηρὰ—books in verse. Polychronius, in his prologue to Job, says, that, as those that are without, call their tragedies and comedies Ποιήτικα—Poetics, so, in sacred writ, those books which are composed in Hebrew metre, (of which he reckons Job the first,) we call ϛιχὴρὰ Βιβλιὰ—Books in verse, written κατὰ ϛίχον—according to order. What is written in metre, or rhythm, is so called from μέτρος—a measure, and ἀρίθμος—a number, because regulated by certain measures, or numbers of syllables, which please the ear with their smoothness and cadency, and so insinuate the matter the more movingly and powerfully into the fancy.
Sir William Temple,* [1] in his essay upon poetry, thinks it is generally agreed to have been the first sort of writing that was used in the world; nay, that, in several nations, poetical compositions preceded the very invention or usage of letters. The Spaniards (he says) found in America many strains of poetry, and such as seemed to flow from a true poetic vein, before any letters were known in those regions. The same (says he) is probable of the Scythians and Grecians: the oracles of Apollo were delivered in verse; so were those of the Sibyls. And Tacitus says, that the ancient Germans had no annals or records but what were in verse. Homer and Hesiod wrote their poems (the very Alcoran of the Pagan Dæmonology) many ages before the appearing of any of the Greek philosophers or historians; and, long before them, (if we may give credit to the antiquities of Greece,) even before the days of David, Orpheus and Linus were celebrated poets and musicians in Greece; and, at the same time, Carmenta, the mother of Evander, who was the first that introduced letters among the natives of Greece, was so called a carmine—from a song, because she delivered herself in verse. And in such veneration was this way of writing among the ancients, that their poets were called Vates — Prophets, and their muses were deified.
But, which is more certain and considerable, the most ancient composition that we meet with in scripture was the song of Moses at the Red Sea, (Exod. xv.) which we find before the very first mention of writing, for that occurs not until Exod. xvii. 14. when God bade Moses write a memorial of the war with Amalek. The first, and indeed the true and general end of writing, is, the help of memory; and poetry does in some measure answer that end, and even in the want of writing, much more with writing, helps to preserve the remembrance of ancient things. The book of the wars of the Lord, (Numb. xxi. 14.) and the book of Jasher, (Josh. x. 13. 2 Sam. i. 18.) seem to have been both written in poetic measures.
Many sacred songs we meet with in the Old Testament, scattered both in the historical and prophetical books, penned on particular occasions, which, in the opinion of very competent judges, "have in them as true and noble strains of poetry and picture as are met with in any other language whatsoever, in spite of all the disadvantages from translations into so different tongues and common prose;† [2] nay, are nobler examples of the true sublime style of poetry than any that can be found in the Pagan writers; the images are so strong, the thoughts so great, the expressions so divine, and the figures so admirably bold and moving, that the wonderful manner of these writers is quite inimitable."‡ [3] It is fit that what is employed in the service of the sanctuary should be the best in its kind.
The books here put together are poetical. Job is an heroic poem; the book of Psalms, a collection of divine odes or lyrics; Solomon's Song, a pastoral and an epithalamium: they are poetical, and yet sacred and serious, grave and full of majesty. They have a poetic force and flame, without poetic fury and fiction, and strangely command and move the affections, without corrupting the imagination, or putting a cheat upon it; and while they gratify the ear, they edify the mind, and profit the more by pleasing. It is, therefore, much to be lamented that so powerful an art, which was at first consecrated to the honour of God, and has been so often employed in his service, should be debauched, as it has been, and is at this day, into the service of his enemies; that his corn, and wine, and oil, should be prepared for Baal.
V. As the manner of the composition of these books is excellent, and very proper to engage the attention, move the affections, and fix them in the memory, so the matter is highly useful, and such as will be every way serviceable to us. They have in them the very sum and substance of religion, and what they contain is more fitted to our hand, and made ready for use, than any part of the Old Testament; upon which account, if we may be allowed to compare one star with another, in the firmament of the scripture, these will be reckoned stars of the first magnitude.
All scripture is profitable (and this part of it in a special manner) for instruction in doctrine, in devotion, and in the right ordering of the conversation. The book of Job directs us what we are to believe concerning God; the book of Psalms, how we are to worship him, pay our homage to him, and maintain our communion with him; and then the book of the Proverbs shows very particularly how we are to govern ourselves ἐν πάσῃ ἀναϛροφῇ—in every turn of human life: thus shall the man of God, by a due attendance to these lights, be perfect, thoroughly furnished for every good work. And these are placed according to their natural order, as well as according to the order of time; for very fitly are we first led into the knowledge of God, our judgments rightly formed concerning him, and our mistakes rectified; and then instructed how to worship him, and to choose the things that please him.
We have here much of natural religion, its principles, its precepts—much of God, his infinite perfections, his relations to man, and his government both of the world and of the church: here is much of Christ, who is the Spring, and Soul, and Centre, of revealed religion, and whom both Job and David were eminent types of, and had clear and happy prospects of. We have here that which will be of use to enlighten our understandings, and to acquaint us more and more with the things of God, with the deep things of God; speculations to entertain the most contemplative, and discoveries to satisfy the most inquisitive, and increase the knowledge of those that are most knowing. Here is that also which, with a divine light, will bring into the soul the heat and influence of a divine fire, will kindle and inflame pious and devout affections, on which wings we may soar upward, until we enter into the holiest. We may here be in the mount with God, to behold his beauty; and when we come down from that mount, if we retain (as we ought) the impressions of our devotion upon our spirits, and make conscience of doing that good which the Lord our God here requires of us, our faces shall shine before all with whom we converse, who shall take occasion thence to glorify our Father which is in heaven, Matth. v. 16.
Thus great, thus noble, thus truly excellent, is the subject, and thus capable of being improved, which gives me the more reason to be ashamed of the meanness of my performance, that the comment breathes so little of the life and spirit of the text. We often wonder at those that are not at all affected with the
