The Ohio Democrat and Dover advertiser. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1839-1840, 1840-02-07
POETRY. OF THE BIBLE.

[The Knickerbockar awards the highest praise
to a resent work by The Rev. DR. Spring, Of N
York, upon the Obligations of the world TO the
Bible we have argued (says the editor with
DR. spring, in these pages and elsewhere, that
the Scriptures are infinitely superior TO any O.
ther known compositions. for all those qualities
which constitute the highest literary excellence
In its historical, didactic, argumentatlve, and
comparative feature, we are shown, that the
Bible is without peer or equal The poetry of
the sacred Writings is here happily glanced at:
One of the most eminent ccitics has said that,
devotional poetry cannot please Ii i be SO,
then has the Bible carried the dominion of poet.
Iy into regions that are inaccessible 10 worldly
ulnhition.' II has crossed the enchanted cir
cIe,' and by the beauty, boldness, and originate.
" Of It's conceptions. has gwen to devotional
roetry glow, a tenderness, richness, in vain
sought for in Shakspear or Milton, in Scott or
Byron. Where i, The poetry that can he com-
pared with the song of Moses at his victory over
Pharaoh will the Psalms Of David with the
sonss Of Solomon, and with the prophecies of
Isaiah! Where is there an eles 40 ode to be
cmnared with the song Of David upon ;he death
ot Saul and Jonathan, or the Lamentations of
] remahl Were in ancient or modern poet
ry is there passage ike thisl In thoughts
from the visions of tie night, when deep sleep
f,llelh on men, fear came upon me and tremb>
ling. which made all my bones TO shake. Then
spirit passed before my face the hair of my
flesh stood up. 1t stood s,lt but could not
tscern tho form thereof. An image was before
my eyes. There was silence. And heard a
voice saving, Shall mortal man bo more Just
til IN God; shall man he more pure than his
Mlkerl Behold he putteth no trust in his ser.
vant,, and his angels he chargeth with folly
How much less them that DIV. III in houses OF
clay, whose foundation is in the dust. and who
are crushed before the moth Men who have
felt the power Of poetry, when they have marks
ed the deep working pisi lion of Dante, aud
observed the elevation of Milton, as he com
hincd image with image, in lofty gradaton
have thought that they discovered the indehed-
hess If these writers TO the poetry of the Old
Testament. But how much more sublime is lisa
i,h, than Milton How much more enkindIIEg
than Dante, is David How much more pict.r
esoue than Homer, is Solomon or Jobl Like
the rapid, glowing argumentntions Of Paul, the
poetic parts orthe Bible may be read thousand
times, and yet havo all the freshness and glow
of the first perusal. Where, in the compass o
human language, is there paragraph which, fo
boduess and variety of metaphor, deIicacy ant
majesty Of thought strength aud invention, ele
gance and refinement, equals the passage il
which God answers job out of the " hirLwind
What merely human Imagination, in The natura
progress Of single discours", and APPARENT
without an eftrt ever thus went down TO tn
foundation of the earth stood at the door ofth
ocean'-vsited the place where tho day-sprin
fron on high takes hold Of the utmost parts c
tie earth entered into The treasures Of sloy
and the haiP traced the path ofthe thunderbo
and penetrating the retired chambers of ia
inre, demanded, Hath the rain iatherl or VIII
hath besohen the drops oflledewl And no,
bold its flights, how inexpressibly striking al
beautiful its anttheses, when from the war;
and sweet PleiadeS, it wanders to the sterne
Orion, aud in It's rapid course, hears the 'youu
lions crying untoGod for lack ofmeat' -sees Il
war horse paving in the valley - describes Il
eagle on the crag Of The rock -and in all that
vast and minute, dreadIhL and beautiful. disco,
ers and proclaims the glory Of Him who is o.
ccent in counsel and wonderful in working
The style Of IIebrnw poetry'is every where
eiblc aud GSuratve, beyond example, The boz