and fpirit of poetry, evidently distinguish the style of the Pfalms, of Isaiah, and the other. poetical books, from that of the historical, even in the common verfions. The various rules and properties of Hebrew poetry are not, at this diftance of time, certainly known. But the present Bishop of London, in his elegant and instructive lectures on the subject, and in the difcourfe prefixed to his tranflation of Ifaiah, has fully demonstrated one property. It ufually confifts either of parallel, or contrasted sentences. The parallel expreffions (excepting in the book of Proverbs) are moft prevalent. In these the fame thought, for fubftance, expreffed in the first member, is repeated, with some difference of phrafe, in the following; which, if it enlarges or confirms the import of what went before, feldom varies the idea. Almoft any paffage I first caft my eye upon, will fufficiently explain my meaning. For inftance in the Lixth chapter of Isaiah,

.1. Behold the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot fave,

Neither is his ear heavy, that it cannot

bear.

*.9. Therefore is judgment far from us, Neither doth justice overtake us ;

We wait for light, but behold obfcurity, For brightness, but we walk in darkness. So in chap. LV.

.2. Wherefore do ye fpend money for that which is not bread;

And your not?

labour for that which satisfieth

Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye

which is good,

And let

that

your foul delight itself in fatness.

So likewife in Pfalm 11.

. 4. He that fitteth in the heavens fhall laugh; The Lord fhall have them in derifion.

*. 5. Then shall be speak unto them in kis wrath; And vex them in his fore difpleafure.

Thefe fpecimens may fuffice for my prefent purpose. The knowledge of this peculiarity of the poetical idiom, may often save us the trouble of enquiring minutely into the meaning of every fingle word, when one plain, and comprehenfive fenfe, arifes from a view of the whole paffage taken together. This obfervation applies to the firft of the verses in my text. Though it be true, that John. the Baptift lived for a feafon retired and unnoticed

noticed in a wilderness, and began to preach in the wilderness of Judea, the expreffion, The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, does not merely foretell that circumstance. The verfe confifts of two parallels. The prophet rapt into future times, hears a voice proclaiming the approach of MESSIan, and this is the majestic language.

>

In the wilderness prepareye the way of the Lord;

Make ftrait in the defert a highway for our God.

The wilderness and the defert, are the fame here, as likewife in ch.xxxv. where the happy, the fudden, the unexpected effects of his appearance are described.—

The wilderness and the folitary place shall be glad,

And the defert hall rejoice, and blossom as the rofe.

Now to fee, by the eye of faith, the glory of the Redeemer in his appearance; to see Power divine preparing the way before him; to enter into the gracious and wonderful defign of his falvation; to acknowledge, admire and adore him as the Lord, and humbly to claim him as our God, must afford a pleasure, different from that which the most exvery cellent mufic, however well adapted to the words,

words, can poffibly give. The latter may be relished by a worldly mind; the former is appropriate, and can only be enjoyed by those who are taught of God.

When the Eastern monarchs travelled, harbingers went before to give notice that the king was upon the road; and likewife proper perfons to prepare his way, and to remove obstacles. Some of them, (if we may depend upon history) in the affectation of displaying their pomp and power, affected extraordinary things upon fuch occafion. For man, though vain, would appear Wife, though a finful worm, he would fain be accounted Great. We read of their having actually filled up vallies, and levelled hills to make a commodious road, for themselves or their armies, through places otherwife impaffable. The prophet thus illuftrates great things by fmall, and accommodates the language and ufuages of men to divine truth. MESSIAH is about to visit a wilderness world, and thofe parts of it which he bleffes with his presence, shall become the garden of the Lord. Till then it is all defolate, rocky and wild. But his way fhall be prepared. Mountainous difficulties fhall fink down be

fore

fore him into plains. In defiance of all obftacles his glory fhall be revealed in the wildernefs, and all flesh fhall fee it, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

The leading ideas refpecting MESSIAH'S appearance, fuggefted by this fublime reprefentation, are,

I. The state of the world at his comingA wilderness.

II. The preparation of his way. Every valley fhall be exalted, and every mountain and bili fhall be made low.

III. The manner and effects of his manifestation. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flefh fhall fee it.

I. The word wilderness, I fuppofe, generally excites the idea of an intricate, folitary, uncultivated, dangerous place. Such is the defcription Jeremiah gives of that wilderness, through which the Lord led Ifrael, when he had delivered them from Egypt. A land of deferts and of pits, a land of drought and of the Shadow of death, a land that no man passeth through, and where no man dwelt *. The world, in which we fojourn for a season, does

not appear to us in this unpleafing view at * fer. ii. 6.