Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

ST

REMARK S.

T. HIEROM, as I find him quoted, with other learned Authors, take this Verse and the rest of the Chapter to be written in the Manner of a Poem, compofed of a fort of Fambick Numbers; every one of them beginning with a new Letter of the Hebrew Alphabet in their Order: as I have obferv'd in printing them here, for the better Satisfaction of the Reader. The Ancients reckon'd this Poetical Way of Writing, an Elegancy of Compofure; and the best Method of helping the Memory, as well as facilitating the Work, or making it the most agreeable to the Hearers: as we find a Vein of Poetry, without any Doubt, run through feveral of the Pfalms, and other Parts of Holy Scripture, in a very edifying, harmonious and pathetick Manner. In the New Teftament also, as well as the Old, we fee fome Poetick Snatches made use of from the Greek Tongue; as that of Kps dei Yeusal, varyi Sweiz, jaséges ágydı, in St. Paul's Epistle to Titus Chap. I. Ver. 12. recited from Epimenides, the moral Philofopher as well as Poet: and that of 8 x vir jou, in the Acts Chap. XVII. Ver. 28. quoted out of Aratus and other old Poets. However, it is not material to enquire, whether Queen Bathsheba her felf made these Verfes, or procur'd fome eminent Poet to exprefs her Senfe after this ingenious Modulation. Huetius indeed imagins, that the Words of King Lemuel's Mother concluded with the Ninth Verfe, and fuppofes all the reft to be a different Compofition of fome other infpir'd Perfon; if not Solomon himself to be the Poet,

who

who writ in that delightful Strain. But Dr. Patrick thinks them rather to be all of a Piece and of the fame Authority from the Beginning to the End: That is to fay, a Copy of Verfes deliver'd to Lemuel by his Mother, whether fhe compos'd them or not by her own Ingenuity, in Commendation of an excellent Wo man for his Wife. And why might not fhe be a pathetick Poetefs; or fo reputed at leaft, as well as Deborah and Hannah? Be that Controversy as it will, it does not fruftrate my Proceeding. But as it is the greatest Care and Concern of Parents to fee their Children, or their Son and Heir efpecially, well-marry'd in this rambling World, and wifely fettled in a conjugal State of Life; fo fhe gives him in the Remainder of this Chapter, not only her best Advice to attache himfelf to the Love of Virtue, but also a glorious Description and Character of fuch a virtuous Woman, as would make him happy for ever in lawful Wedlock: A Woman of Strength, Valour, Courage, Riches and Virtue, as the Hebrew Text expressly imports; fuch an One as fears God, honours the King, loves Truth, hates Covetousnefs, and efchews all evil Ways or wicked Inclinations; fhe that is faithful to the Truft of her Husband for the Sake of God, and afraid of nothing but offending God for the Sake of her Husband; a Wife that is indu'd with fo great a Power of good Will and Conftancy of Mind in doing well; who dares be Courageous in the worst of Times, by following her dear Spoufe's Fortune through Fire and Water, and greater Difficulties, as well as Pious and Perfeverant in this degenerate, perfidious, difcouraging Age of Vice: even when

[ocr errors]

Virtue her felf feems to be upon the declining Hand, when Religion lays her drooping Head on the lofing Side, and when Piety is contemn'd, laugh'd at, and almoft abus'd out of the World by ridiculous Rakes, profperous Buffoons, and triumphing Libertines. But furely thofe excellent Graces can never be forbid any Court, or banish'd any Kingdom for ever among true Chriftian Princes. And if Aftrea has left the Earth, as the Poet complains; why then it is high Time, and well worth our while, to recall her back again as foon as poffible, by our heartieft, Petitions to Heaven, if we expect either Juftice or Mercy any more at her Hands in the Land of the Living. Well then! this facred Canticle of Love, as it may be called, fairly couches under it the great conjugal Duties of a marry'd Life; contains the whole Alpha and Omega of a good Wife in the following Verfes; and fets forth the true Character of a virtuous Woman, fingle or otherwife, to the laft Degree of Happiness, as well as to the End of the Chapter which I fhall briefly defcant upon, with fome remarkable Res flections, under thefe Two illuftrious Heads infuing, of Virtue and Marriage.

I. VIRTUE, in general, is the true Tranquillity of the Soul, void of all Perturbations and Difquietudes of the Mind. 'Tis the most permanent of Bleffings; and a Benefit never fubject to Death: but of immortal Memory, lives even in the Grave, and flourishes after a Funeral The Stoicks wifely thought, that there was no Good but Virtue; nor Evil, but Vice: that the virtuous Man only could be free and happy, even though he were in Chains, in a Dungeon, or in Phalaris's Bull; and that

the vicious Perfon only was a Slave or an unhappy Bond-man, although he had the Riches of Crafus, the Empire of Cyrus, and the Glory of Alexander in Poffeffion. For Greatness, without Contentment, is nothing but an Aggravation of Mifery, a glittering Burden, and finks under its own Weight. What fignifies Beauty, Honour or Power, without Patience and Wisdom? They are only fplendid Fooleries and the gaudy Trappings of Unhappiness. Virtue then, according to the Philofophers, is a Difpofition and Power of the reasonable Part of the Soul, which reduces the unreasonable Part into good Order, due Decency, and right Government; by causing it to propound a convenient End to its own diforderly Affections and Paffions: whereby the Soul continues in a just Decorum, and a comely Habit of executing that which ought to be done according to Reafon. But to define it more briefly: Virtue is a Proportion and Uprightness of Life in all Points agreeable to Reafon: which may properly be diftinguifh'd into contemplative and moral Virtue, confifting in Speculation and Practice. That may juftly be call'd Religion; which, as Socrates fays, is the greatest Virtue; and muft needs be fo, to fave the Soul by its Piety towards God: ánd this, Prudence; to regulate humane Life, preferve it from running foul upon Two Rocks, and steering it fafe (as it were) through Scylla and Charybdis, by keeping our Minds in an exact Mediocrity between too much and too little, the Excefs and Defect of moral Duties. With out the Study and Practice of either of these Virtues, divine or humane, we can have no Comfort, no Repofe, no Satisfaction in the fociable Life: but having that excellent Gift of both, we can want nothing else but Perfection,

1

fection, or the great Confummation of Blifs. Religious Virtue draws us infenfibly towards our laft Home, towards Heaven. God himself is above all Things, Omniprefent and Invifible. Among the Senfibles, we fee Light; and among the Perfections of the Mind, we meet with Virtue. God is the Light and Virtue of all Beings. Light is the Virtue of the Univerfe, and the Image of God. Virtue is the Light of the Mind, by which we become the Children of our Creator. Without Purity of Mind, there will be no attaining of this Happiness. 'Tis this Virtue that perfects a Man; repairs all his Decays, recovers his Failings, rectifies his Faults, and fills him with pious Sentiments of Delight. It fpiritualizes his fleshly Nature, and refines his Clay. Tis the best Rule of Life, inlightens the Earth, and illuminates the Blind. It abandons Temporals, and dwells upon Eternals. The conftant Practice of it easi ly brings us to a Habit of all Excellencies. It fuffers no Vice to creep into our Bofoms; but prevents all Invafions, and fuppreffes alf Infurrections: till our Paffions are intirely fubdu'd to Reason, and made fubfervient to Religion. Virtue is the Sun of the little World; a good Confcience is its Circumference, and Happiness its Centre. There is nothing fets up a righteous Throne, or a juft Tribunal in the Soul of a Prince, but Virtue. It renders him illuftrious in this Life, and glorious after Death. It makes him fhine brighter in the Clouds, and inlightens his Darkness at the fartheft Distance. It brightens the whole Sphere wherein he moves, and darts its Rays through all his Afflictions and Misfortunes with greater Luftre. Tis true, a Man may receive great Honours

« ZurückWeiter »