48 LIFE AND CORRESPONDENCE OF THE [1781 



These divine emanations of the soul, in strains of praise and gratitude 

 to heaven, are surely nothing less than the express inspirations of God 

 himself, through the secret agency of his grace, and the power of his 

 works, in the hearts of men, in those first ages of simplicity and love; 

 and, as this was the first origin of Poetry, Music, and Songs of praise 

 before God, it were to be wished that, among all our other improve- 

 ments, we had not too much improved away this pure primitive inter- 

 course with the Father of Light and Spirits ! Yet still, we are to reflect 

 that this is a world of imperfection; and that, as there are advantages, 

 there are also inconveniences, to every stage of its progress, from origi- 

 nal simplicity to its last stage of improvement and refinement. 



But to proceed; some of the most beautiful pieces of divine poesy are 

 left us by the eastern nations, and especially by the Hebrews; in whose 

 compositions of this kind we are more directly concerned, as they are 

 recorded for us in our Bibles. One of the most exalted of these is the 

 Song of Moses, from which I have taken my text — composed in a trans- 

 port of joy, admiration and gratitude, when he beheld the Mighty One 

 of Israel divide the great deep before his people, and lead them through 

 on dry ground ; while the waters closed with irresistible fury behind 

 them, and whelmed their proud pursuers in the bottom of the sea ! 



This was a subject marvellous indeed, and astonishing beyond a par- 

 allel ! At the blast of the nostrils of the God of heaven, the course of 

 Nature was controuled. A mighty ocean divided itself before the 

 Lord. The waters left their channel in the heart of the sea. They 

 were gathered up on either side, wave on M-ave, heap on heap, and 

 stood arrested or congealed in liquid mountains at the nod of the 

 Almighty! The children of Israel passed through on dry ground. 

 Immediately the waters closed with irresistible fury; and the hosts of 

 their proud pursuers were covered, overwhelmed, consumed — as a stone 

 that sinks to the bottom. 



"Thus the Lord saved Israel that day, out of the hand of the 

 Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore — 



"Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this Song unto the 

 Lord, saying — I will sing unto the Lord for he hath triumphed glori- 

 ously. The Lord is my strength and my Song; and he is become my 

 salvation. He is my God and I will prepare Him an habitation; my 

 father's God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a man of war ; the 

 Lord is his name." * 



In such strains as these did the raptured leader of Israel, and all his 

 host of followers, celebrate the God of their fathers, on their deliver- 

 ance from the rage of Pharaoh ; leaving an example for all succeeding 

 ages on the like grand occasions. 



A like sacred example we have in the great festival sacrifice and 



* Exodus, chapter xv. 



