Ess. vIII. Of the right interpretation of, &c. Sect. 1.

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The first ideas which come into the human mind, being those which enter by the senses, it is reasonable to believe that names for expressing sensible objects would be invented before any others; and after them, terms for expressing those operations of the senses, by which the ideas of sensible objects are acquired.— And because the operation of the senses has some resemblance to the operations of intellect, to express the operations of intellect, mankind would naturally have recourse to the words by which they expressed the operation of the senses. Thus, many words of the primitive language of mankind, must have had a two-fold signification. According to the one signification, they denoted ideas of sense, and according to the other they denoted ideas of intellect. So that although these words were the same in respect of their sound, they were really different words in respect of their signification: And to mark that difference, after the nature of language came to be accurately investigated, the words which denoted the ideas of sense, when used to express the ideas of intellect, were called by critics, metaphors, from a Greek verb which signifies to transfer; because these words so used, were carried away from their original meaning to a different one, which however had some resemblance to it.

Metaphorical meanings being affixed to words in the ancient languages to remedy the poverty of these languages, it is plain that the more ancient any language is, it will consist of the fewer words, consequently the more numerous and bold its metaphors will be. Accordingly, we find that the primitive languages, and even the languages of savage tribes, which may be ranked with the primitive languages, are all of them highly figurative. On this subject it is proper to observe, that even after a language has become sufficiently copious, if the people who use it possess a vigorous and warm imagination, and are favourably situated for enjoying sensual gratifications, as is the case with most of the eastern nations, being by these circumstances peculiarly disposed to relish the sensible pictures exhibited in metaphorical and other figurative expressions, such a people, instead of retrenching, will rather multiply these expressions. Hence the language of that people will be more figurative than the languages of nations whose imagination is languid, and whose situation does not permit them to be occupied in sensual gratifications. This is the reason that the language of the Hebrews, and of the other eastern nations, by the multitude, the variety, the boldness, and even the extravagance of its metaphorical expressions, is

distinguished from the more temperate speech of the nations in the western parts of the world, whose imagination is not so warm, and whose climate and soil are not so favourable to luxury, as theirs.

"The

"And

Of the bold metaphors used by the ancient Hebrews, the following examples are all taken from their sacred books.-— Gen. iv. 10. "The voice of thy brother's blood, crieth to me "from the ground.”—Gen. xix. 26. "His wife looked back "from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.”—Gen. xlix. 11. "He washed-his clothes in the blood of grapes," to signify that Judah was to inhabit a country fruitful in vines.— Psal. v. 9. "Their throat is an open sepulchre.”—Psal. Ix. 3. "Thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment.”—Psal. Ixxviii. 25. "Man did eat angel's food: he sent them meat to the "full."-Psal. cxxix. 3. "The plowers flowed upon my back, "they made long their furrows."-Isa. xxxiv. 3. "mountains shall be melted with their blood.". -ver. 4. "all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall "be rolled together as a scroll."—ver. 6. "The sword of the "Lord is filled with blood, it is made fat xiv. 23. "I will sweep it with the besom "the Lord of hosts."-Jerem. xx. 7. "O Lord thou hast "deceived me, and I was deceived.”—Isa. v. 1. "My well "beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill." In the original it is On a horn, the son of oil The horn being the highest part of horned animals, it is used to denote the highest part of a country; an hill. This horn or hill is called, the son of oil, because the olive which produces oil is one of the valuable fruits of the earth. See Lowth on the passage.-Isa. xi. 15. "The Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea."

with fatness."-Isa. of destruction, saith

Having in the scriptures, these and many other examples of bold metaphors, the natural effect of the poverty of the ancient language of the Hebrews, why should we be either surprised or offended with the bold figurative language, in which the Hebrews expressed their conceptions of the divine nature and government. Theirs was not a philosophical language, but the primitive speech of an uncultivated race of men, who, by words and phrases taken from objects of sense, endeavoured to express their notions of matters which cannot be distinctly conceived by the human mind, and far less expressed in human language.Wherefore, they injure the Hebrews who affirm, that they believed the Deity to have a body, consisting of members of the like form and use with the members of the human body, because

in their sacred writings, the eyes, the ears, the hands, and the feet of God, are spoken of; and because he is represented as acting with these members after the manner of man.-Gen. iii. 8. "They heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the "garden in the cool of the day."-Gen. ix. 16. "And the "bow shall be in the cloud, and I will look upon it."-Exod. xv. 3. "The Lord is a man of war."-ver. 6. "Thy right "hand O Lord hath dashed in pieces the enemy." " -ver. 8. "With the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered to"gether."-Psal. xviii. 8. "There went up a smoke out of "his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were "kindled by it."-ver. 9. "He bowed his heavens also and 46 came down, and darkness was under his feet."-ver. 10. "And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly upon the wings of the "wind."-Psal. ii. 7. "Thou art my Son, this day I have "begotten thee."

In like manner they injure the Hebrews who affirm, that they thought God was moved by anger, jealousy, hatred, revenge, grief, and other human passions, because in their scriptures it is said, Gen. vi. 6. "It repented the Lord that he had made man on the "earth, and it grieved him at his heart."-Exod. xv. 7. "Thou sentest forth thy wrath which consumed them as stubble.”. Exod. xx. 5. "I the Lord thy God am a jealous God."Numb. xi. 33. "The wrath of the Lord was kindled against "the people."-Prov. viii. 13. "The evil way and froward "mouth do I hate."-Isa. xxxiv. 2. "The indignation of the "Lord is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies." Nah. i. 2. "God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth, and is "furious. The Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and "he reserveth wrath for his enemies."

2.

They also injure the Hebrews who affirm, that they believed the Deity subject to human infirmity, because it is said, Gen. ii. "God rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made."-Gen. viii. 21. "The Lord smelled a sweet "savour."-Gen. xviii. 20. "Because the cry of Sodom and "Gomorrha is great, and because their sin is very grievous, 20. "I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether "according to the cry of it which is come up to me: And if not, "I will know."-Psal. ii. 4. "He that sitteth in the heavens "shall laugh; the Lord shall have them in derision."-Psal. 1xxviii. 65. "Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and "like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine."

These and the like expressions are highly metaphorical, and imply nothing more but that in the divine mind and conduct, there is somewhat analogous to and resembling the sensible objects and the human affections, on which these metaphorical expressions are founded. For if any one contends that the Hebrews themselves understood these expressions literally when applied to the Deity, and meant that they should be so understood by those who read their scriptures, he must likewise contend that the following expressions were understood by them in their literal meaning.-Psal. xvii. 8.

"Hide me under the "In the shadow of thy

"shadow of thy wings."-Psal. Ivii. 1. "wings I will make my refuge until these calamities be overpast."-Psal. Ixi. 4. "I will trust in the covert of thy wings." Psal. xci. 1. "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the "Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." ver. 4. "He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his "wings shalt thou trust."I say, If from the passages of scripture in which the members of the human body are ascribed to the Deity, it is inferred that the ancient Hebrews believed the Deity hath a body of the same form with the human body, we must, from the last mentioned passages of the same scriptures, conclude that they believed the Deity to be a tree with spreading branches and leaves which afforded an agreeable shade; and a great fowl with feathers and wings; and even a rock, because he is so called, Deut. xxxii. 15. Psal. xviii. 2. 31.

Such are the bold metaphors by which the ancient Hebrews expressed their conceptions of the attributes and operations of God. To prevent however those who are acquainted only with. modern languages from being shocked with the boldness of these figures, modern critics have distinguished them by the appellation of Anthropopathia; concerning which Lowth on Isai. i. 24. Aha, I will be eased of mine adversaries, I will be avenged of mine enemies, thus writeth: "This is a strong instance of the "metaphor called Anthropopathia; by which, throughout the "scriptures, as well the historical as the poetical parts, the "sentiments, sensations, and affections; the bodily faculties, "qualities, and members of men, and even of brute animals, 66 are attributed to God; and that with the utmost liberty and "latitude of application. The foundation of this is obvious, it " arises from necessity : We have no idea of the natural attributes " of God, of his pure essence, of his manner of existence, of

his manner of acting: When therefore we would treat on

"these subjects, we find ourselves forced to express them by "sensible images. But necessity leads to beauty: This is true "of metaphor in general, and in particular of this kind of me"taphor; which is used with great elegance and sublimity in "the sacred poetry: and, what is very remarkable, in the gross"est instances of the application of it, it is generally the most "striking and the most sublime. The reason seems to be this: "When the images are taken from the superior faculties of the "human nature, from the purer and more generous affections, " and applied to God, we are apt to acquiesce in the notion ; "we overlook the metaphor, and take it as a proper attribute : "but when the idea is gross and offensive, as in this passage of "Isaiah, where the impatience of anger and the pleasure of re66 venge is attributed to God; we are immediately shocked at the "application, the impropriety strikes us at once; and the mind "casting about for something in the divine nature analogous to "the image, lays hold on some great, obscure, vague idea, which "she endeavours in vain to comprehend, and is lost in immensity "and astonishment. See De S. Poesi. Hebr. Prel. xvi. Sub. fin. "where this matter is treated and illustrated by examples."

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From the above ingenious remarks it appears, that notwithstanding metaphors and other figures derive their origin from the poverty of language, they infuse both strength and beauty into any discourse where they are judiciously used. By exhibiting sensible pictures of our conceptions accompanied with pleasant images, they make a strong impression on the mind of the hearers for which reason they have found a place, not in the ancient languages only, but in all the modern tongues also; not excepting those which are the most copious and the most refined in so much that it hath become the business of poets and orators, to ransack the whole compass of nature in search of resemblances between sensible and intellectual objects, on which to graft metaphors. And, not satisfied with natural and apparent likenesses, the most remote and disparate resemblances, nay resemblances founded merely on popular opinion, local prejudices, and national customs, have been made the foundation of metaphors. Hence that diversity of figurative expressions observable in the languages of nations living at a distance from each other. Hence also, the figures, which to one nation appear natural and expressive, to others appear unnatural, tumid, and ridiculous.