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Namely, that all Imprecations expreffive of Malevolence, Hatred or Revenge, were as contrary to, and incompatible with, the Law of Mofes, as they now are repugnant to, and inconfiftent with, the Gospel of Chrift: Therefore no good Man, and especially no Man divinely infpired, could poffibly ufe any fuch under the Old Teftament Difpenfation, any more than a good Chriftian now can under the Gospel; univerfal, unconfined Benevolence being as ef fential a Part of pure Judaism as it is of genuine Christianity. If therefore any Expreffions, that feem to breathe any Degree of Malevolence, should be met with in any Part of the Old Teftament, it would neceffarily follow that originally they were not there, or that they had really no other Meaning than fuch as is entirely comformable to the most perfect Charity.

Having now finished what I proposed to say in Regard to Scripture Imprecations, I fhall in the following Difcourfe give fome Account of the Work, which has been the more immediate Occafion of it.

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Preliminary Discourse.

PSALMODY is one of the most delight

ful, and important Parts of divine and focial Worship; and whoever contributes in any Degree to its Improvement, does proportionable Service to the Cause of Religion. This has been attempted in the following Compilation.

Towards rendering this Part of religious Worship as perfect as poffible, to make Choice of the best attainable Materials is doubtless of effential Moment. And these, I apprehend, abound fo much in no Compofition, either human or divine, as in the Book of Pfalms. That this Book fhould be peculiarly well calculated for religious and focial Worship might be naturally fuppofed, as it is a Collection of Poems originally

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nally defigned for the Service of the Sanctuary *, and compofed, under the more immediate Direction and Influence of heavenly Infpiration, by Men, who were univerfally acknowledged to be the firft Poets, the chief Muficians, the fweetest Singers, and the beft Judges of Harmony of the Age, in which they lived; Men of the most refined Tafte, and fublimeft Devotion. In the Compofures of Men of fuch eminent Endowments, we might rationally expect to find the very Spirit both of Piety and Poetry. It has been expected, and the most elevated Expectations have been more than fully anfwered.

Such is the tranfcendent Excellence of the Hebrew Pfalms, that those Imitations of them, given us by fome of our more eminent English Poets, are beyond Question the best divine Poems in the English Language; and in Grandeur of Imagery, Sublimity of Sentiment, Energy and Beauty of Expreffion, far fuperior to any others of a fimilar Kind, that the Authors themselves were ever able to produce. This appears with particular Clearness in those celebrated, and justly admired Imitations,

Many, if not most of them, had manifeftly such a Defignation.

tations, which the Public has been favored with by the late Doctor Watts, and Mr. Addifon. Such is the fuperior Merit of the Hebrew Original, that it has frequently fhone forth with a truly marvellous Luftre in the meaneft and most imperfect Tranflations; and occafionally raised to the more elevated Regions of Poetry, fome who had naturally no other poetical Qualification than that of counting Syllables, and of terminating a certain Number of Lines with a fimilar Sound *.

But be this as it may, as none can form an adequate Idea of the fuperlative Perfection, and real Merit of the Hebrew Pfalms, but thofe, who have a competent Knowledge of the Hebrew Language; the mere English Reader will be content to receive them in the most perfect Form,

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Of this we have the following very remarkable Instance in the Verfion of Sternbold and Hopkins, Pfalm xviii.

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