noticed this, in his encomium of this Psalm. Had he read the book of Psalms, and judged of them as a critic, independent of religion, he might have found some others much fuller on this subject than the 19th.

Of the book of Job and this Psalm he says, They have a great deal of elevated sentiment reverentially expressed of the power and benignity of the Almighty:" and he might have added, of his justice too, in the' government of the world; his certain punishment of vain,' self-confident opposers of his providence; licentious and corrupt livers; pretenders to great knowledge independ ent of his revealed will; and men of such veneration of their own talents and reason, as to trust them rather than the light of heavenly truth. These are the principal subjects of the book of

Job.

But, effectually to counteract the poor, auk ward compliment he pays that and the 19th Psalm, he adds, "but they stand on no higher rank than many other compositions on similar subjects, both before that time and since." Certainly, we ought to doubt nothing advanced by so able a judge. But, why has he not told us what compositions they are, which equal the divine books? This, as is usual with him, is mere random assertion, without the least appearance of truth, or any attempt to prove what he advances. Whatever may be

• his opinion of those books, they have always been admired by men of the finest abilities and taste, and pronounced superior to all other compositions, both for their elegance and sublimity. So far are they from being equalled by any writings not under sacred character, that the ablest men who have attempted to imitate select parts of them, have, by their acknowledgments, as well as in the opinion of all competent judges, fallen far short of the originals.

Mr. Addison, in the 19th and 23d Psalms, has performed finely, and is entitled to great praise for those elegant and pious productions; but, their inferiority to the originals, is at once obvious to every discerning reader. Dr. Young's Paraphrase on the book of Job, is not inferior to any attempt of the kind; but they come not near the text itself; and that great man was sensible he never could reach its excellence.

The whole, indeed, of that book, I mean the poetical part, from the 4th to the last chapter, indicates an hand more than human, and will ever stand unrivalled by other compositions. It is equally beautiful and sublime; paints every thing to the life in description; allures us by the mercies, and awes us by the terrors of God; and, by appeals to the experience of the world, assures us of the rewards of the pious and the certain destruction of the wicked. On the last of

these subjects, there is nothing comparable to that most affecting passage, in the 20th chapter: "Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed on the earth, that the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite, but for a moment? Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach to the clouds, yet he shall perish forever. He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found; yea, he shall be chased away, as a vision of the night."

On the safety and peace of the righteous, there is nothing in any human composition comparable to that passage in Chapter 5: "Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth; therefore, despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty; for he maketh sore and bindeth up; he woundeth, and his hands make whole. He shall deliver thee in six troubles; yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee. In famine he shall redeem thee from death; and in war, from the power of the sword. At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh; neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth! For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field; and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee. Thou shalt come to the grave in a full age, as a shock of corn cometh in his season." The 38, 39, 40, and 41st chapters, are throughout, perfectly descriptive and charming;

and neither Homer nor Virgil have any thing that can vie with them.

The introduction of God himself in the beginning of the 38th, and his speaking to Job from the whirlwind, is extremely surprizing and awful, and the majesty and authority of his demands make one shrink into insignificance, and feel strongly apprehensive for the safety of the person addressed.

"Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; and I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare if thou canst!”

The description of a war-horse going to battle is all life and fervor, and places that high-spirited generous animal full in our view, foaming, snorting, pawing the earth, and impatient to engage. "He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted. He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage; neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet. He saith among the trumpets, ha, ha; and he smelleth, or snuffeth up the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains and the shouting."

Some of the greatest poets in the world have attempted to describe this noble animal; but none of their descriptions will bear any comparison with this and no wonder, since he who formed

:

the horse, knew best how to describe him. Neither have any of them any thing equal to that of the Leviathan, which is exceedingly strong and picturesque. In every thing, the power, wisdom, justice, and goodness of God are set forth in the most select and appropriate language, and with all the variety and energy of figure that can possibly be employed. The book closes with a fine representation of the condescending regard of God to pious men, and the happy result of their afflictions, in a state of prosperity and advancement, which makes ample amends for the severest sufferings. Though the book of Psalms is generally in that style which may be called the soft and tender, there are many passages in it extremely descriptive and sublime, and far before any thing of the kind to be found in compositions merely human. The following, I think, deserve a place among the finest examples of this kind.

"Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of the hills also moved and were shaken, because he was wroth. There went up a smoke from his nostrils, and fire from his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens and came down, and darkness was under his feet. He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him was dark waters and thick clouds of the skies." Psalm 18. "The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw