LECTURE VII. OF POETIC IMAGERY FROM COMM Examples of poetical imagery from common life- 'IN their ivacity dditional :cularly with from one low ome) the barn, rs have contrived and a force to the JEHOVAH threshes es them under his feet, vers the nations to Israel en remark was prophetically levell ay cast. It was a little unfortunate lectures were not translated previthey had, he certainly would never ocation of so pointed a sarcasm. T ndented flail, or to be He scatters his ene and disperses em away; first, that the of applying it, by the different this account, nototh chastity and per ey apply it solely to exdispersion of the wicked. e image itself in illustrating d a very proper and ready apolfreedom in the application of it, rt to the nature and method of this Palestine. It was performed in a osed to the wind, by bruising the ear, in upon the sheaves a herd of cattle, .nstrument constructed of large planks, and nderneath with stones or iron; and somea machine in the form of a cart, with iron or axles indented, which Varro calls Phonicum, ng brought to Italy by the Carthaginians from enicia, which was adjacent to Palestine. From this is plain (not to mention that the descriptions agree in every particular) that the same custom was common 4 HAD. iii. 12. JOEL iii. 14. JER. li. 33. ISAI. xxi. 10. 5 Mic. iv. 13. 7 ISAI. xli. 15, 16. 6 PSALM lxxxiii. 14, 16. ISAI. xvii. 15 De Re Rust. 1. 52. Hebrews and the Romans; and yet I do not the latter have borrowed any of their po from this occupation. It is proper, how* 2 %, that this image was obvious and familForews in a high degree, as we learn from "'s and the threshing-floor of Ornan' the Jebusite, was stuated in an open place (as were all the rest) 1 sen itself, and in the highest part of the city, 1 ce try nace, indeed, where the temple of Solomon waterwanis erected. mer, vao was uncommonly fond of every picture ut, esteemed that under our consideration so eu und significant, that, in a few instances,10 he comparisons from the threshing-floor (for even ul of the boldness of this image in the form phor.) Two of these comparisons he introilustrate light subjects, contrary to the practice forews; but the third is employed upon a sub:magnificent, and this, as it approaches in some sublimity of the Hebrew, it may not be im Two recite: - is with autumnal harvests cover'd o'er, • thick bestrown, lies Ceres' sacred floor, • V en round and round, with never-wearied pain, jown whole ranks, and crush out heroes' souls."i This comparison, however, though deservedly accounthe grandest and most beautiful which antiqui• rasnitted to us, still falls greatly short of the knew witness and sublimity. A Hebrew writer we compared the hero himself with the instrumon, and get dis horses with the oxen that are harness 12 ed to it, which is rather too apposite, and too exactly similar. But custom had not given equal licence to the Greek poetry; this image had not been equally familiar, had not occupied the same place as with the Hebrews; nor had acquired the same force and authority by long prescription. I ought not in this place to omit that supremely magnificent delineation of the divine vengeance, expressed by imagery taken from the wine-press; an image which very frequently occurs in the sacred poets, but which Ho other poetry has presumed to introduce. But where shall we find expressions of equal dignity with the original in any modern language? By what art of the pencil can we exhibit even a shadow or an outline of that description, in which Isaiah depicts the Messiah as coming to vengeance ?13 "Who is this that cometh from Edom? "With garments deeply died from Botsra? 12 This will be more fully explained in Lect. XII. 13. See Isai. Ixiii. 1-3. Our author, in his excellent commentary on Isaiah, has a very long note, proving against some learned interpreters (I suppose Jewish) that Judas Maccabeus could not be the subject of this 'prophecy. He asserts very properly that the glorious, but fruitless, effort of the Maccabees, was not an event adequate to so lofty a prediction: <and he adds another very material circumstance, which he presumes entirely excludes Judas Maccabeus, and even the Idumeans properly so called; for "the Idumea of the prophet's time was quite a different country from that which Judas conquered. To the question, "to whom does it then apply?" he answers, to no event that he knows of in history, unless perhaps the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish polity, which in the gospel is called the coming of Christ, and the days of vengeance. He adds, however, that there are prophecies, which intimate a great slaughter of the enemies of God and his people, which remain to be fulfilled: these in Ezekiel and in the Revelation are called Gog and Magog, and possibly this prophecy may refer to the same or the like event. T. both to the Hebrews and the Romans; a Homer, who was uncommonly fo "As with autumnal harvests This comparison, howeve 9 2 CHRON. iii. 1. to save. he-vat? ime. garments; might be quot ers and customs however, may at from one simhaving prevailed hat in their poetry by, of meanness or when we consider listance of the scene, ivacity of their rhetof the boldest imagery and the most comtest dignity, is a come sacred poets. I shall ple of this kind, in which lly equalled by the plainpression; and yet such is opriety of its application, nounce it sublime. The nate destruction of Jerusa salem, ash: neth it upside down."1 wwd stands, "the Announcer of righteous No en Isaiah, the answer of some prophet as related by |