Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-04-07
Our Book Table.

tial election.
Our Book Table.
TIE Literary ATTRACTIONS TIE BIBLE or, Plea for
the word of God, considered classic By LIE
Roy ]. HAIsEY, d. ID. New York CHAs. ScRIBSER
1855 For sale by W. T. BERRY Co.
And an elegant and eloquent Plea it is, and
ought to be effectual. Aside from its nspra-
ton, its religion, its statutes of Theology, the
Bible is a volume of eloquence, poetry, his
tory, and of instruction in the profound phil
osophy of human nature. As a mere literary
production it is really classic. 1t is com
pilation of the great intellectual efforts of the
ablest men among the Hebrews, for period
of nearly thirty centuries and as such should
command our attention and admiration. Why
may we not be charmed by the poesy of job
David Soloman. Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Eze-
KEEL rs as well by that of Homer, Virgil, Milton
and Shakespeare? Or with the eloquence of
Aaron, Judah, Hushai, Gamalicl Peter and
Paul, as well as of Cicero, Demosthenes,
Burke, Pitt, Phillips, Henry and Clay? The
Bible as a literary production has never held
its due weight and rank in our English Litera-
ture. We do not choose to inquire into the
causes of its neglect. Those who have read
it most carefully and studied it most deeply,
have had higher ends in view than the disco
very of its mere literary excellencies and
those who have neglected its reading have
done so, not so much for any want of beauty
in this respect, but because of the fearful
Al.
withal.
The thought which originated the book before
us was a happy one, and most happily has the
author executed it, He has presented an elab-
crate and generally just review of the liter
airy merits of the Bible, not SO much in the
spirit Of severe criticism. nor yet in the ex-
travagant spirit of vaulting eulogy, but more
in an admirable and judicious display of its
superior beauties He stands upon different
and much higher ground, than the authors of
such volumes as the Sacred Mountains"
Representative Women" &C., &c, whose am
bition seems to have been to drown the simple
Bible narrative of facts and its terse, senten-
tious and vigorous poetic diction, by their own
fioody style and swelling words. The spirit
and tone of the book, is that of an humble and
devoted servant of the Lord. who has under
taken the service of meekly bidding the
world-the Enhlish word-to the nobler
literary banquet of the Bible, and in
accomplishing which, he himself, il will
ing to be forgotten. And yet tire style and
language of the book, is far from being inferi-
or or repulsive. The invitation could hardly
be conveyed in sweeter tones, or with gentler
courtesy of speech Ii is well-mannered, at
traetive and pleasing, and who stops to
receive the predatory salutation, viii stay
to hear the entire Plea. 1t is one of the few
books of its class, which is bcreft of nsrcotine.
One can lie down of q summer afternoon and
read it, without falling asleep. And this ia
saying great deal both for its manner and
matter.
This is spoken of the war-song of DEBORAH
Judges V. CHI:
ain Deborah, the martial spirit If the He
brew race seems to have found its second grand
utterance in song; that of Moses at the Red
Sea being the first. Never did the female
heart in any land or in any age, burn with
brighter and iiercer fires of patriotic enthusi-
asm and religious devotion. She was the very
incarnation of the heroic spirit. Tine famous
Marseilles Hymn of Liberty sounds dull and
tame. placed beside the trumpet-tongued notes
of her song With an epic aud tragic power,
which in its condensation almost dehes COM
parison she sets the battle in array before us,
as though we heard the tramping of Its hosts,
and mingled in all its din and fury. In re-
counting this triumph of Jehovah over the
enemies of her country, she summons all crea-
ton, not only To share IN the shouts OF victory,
but to rush into the thickest of the fight, as if
the curse of Meroz should rest upon every
soul that refused 10 take part in the conflict.
As the poem opens, we seem to hear the very
watchword and battle-cry Of the advancing
array, in the apostrophic words:-
Arouse thee arouse thee Deborah
Awake awake give song OF triumph
Arise, B1rak aud lead thy captivity captive,
Thou son Of Abinoam
And then suddenly, princes and people,
governors and mobiles, horses and mighty ones,
tribe after tribe in successive onsets, rush TO
the bigh places of the field. to the help Of the
Lord, the help of the Lord against the mighty.
Illuminate nature seems to participate in the
contest. The stars in their courses light from
heaven against Sisera. The river kishou,
that ancient river, Kshon sweeps them away,
IA IL bears down the invaders OF Israel in car
mage 10 the sea whilst above the din and con-
ti;ct of the conquering and flying hosts, We
serm 10 hear the heroic voice of the prophet
hard. who had herself been the chief human
agent in raising all this storm crying-Oh my
soul! thou hast trodden down strength.
What is Campbell's 'Hohenlinden, or SCOTS
sFlodden Field, or AIRY battle scene, of equal
length. in Homer and Virgil, compared with
this impassioned dramatic description. Aud
vet perhaps there are many readers and adj
mirers of line poetry, who have not discovered
any sublime poetry la the Bible.
This of Jon:
.sBut Job what shall we say of Job-the
Jeviathan of Hebrew song-the patriarch Oi
t.a are of poesy-the most venerable aud
h,arv ~ all the bards OF the Bible, compared
With whom Milton, in his old age and blind
rssa was but aS a boy OF yesterday! As he
r;sas mn tn our imagination from the depths OF
an,;onitv. we think of a stately aud solitary
.,aiu, tree ON the border of some vast desert
r. Of sone lone tower of strength and beauty.
Sending in the midst of mouldering ruins, or
Of mount Sinai towering in stern grandeur
sh,ve the wilderhess. DIR. kitto says, the
h,,ok of Job seiongs 10 no class IL Ii class
NV itself: there is none like IL In ancient or
modern literature IL is impossible that any
tb;no In literature should be more sublime Than
the Nook of Job because it Is impossible To
and 4 sublimer theme than God la nature, and
the hook of Job is alike true to God and true
IN nature In her slbIimest moods.
We will. however, pass over all It's grand
and glowing descriptions OF the mighty WORKS
of God. a seen ia heaven and earth, sea ana
sky: and present you with single passage
of q different kinda passage which we IT,