ovements to the accomplishment of his own infinitely wise
purposes; making the wrath of man to praise him, and restraining the
remainder of it. Meanwhile his presence shines in the believer's soul,
like the sun in his strength, filling it with strength, light, and
gladness. In a word, over the whole domain of Hebrew poesy, whether its
theme be God or nature or human society or the human spirit, is heard
continually the solemn cry of the seraphim: "Holy, holy, holy, is the
Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory."

_Originality_ is another feature of Hebrew poetry. It cannot indeed be
said that this quality belongs to all the Hebrew poets. With such
divinely perfect models as the later writers had before them, models
with which they had been familiar from childhood, it was natural that
they should imitate them. The spirit of inspiration did not prevent
this, for it was not necessary to the ends of revelation that it should
be prevented. Set even among the later poets we have some striking
examples of originality; and Hebrew poetry, taken as a whole, is
original in the fullest sense of the word, borrowing nothing that we
know of from any other nation. Not to anticipate the question of the age
to which the book of Job belongs, and passing by some gems of poetry
contained in the book of Genesis, we may say that the oldest recorded
song of certain date which the world possesses is that of the Israelites
upon their deliverance at the Red sea. Exod., ch. 15. Next in order (to
pass by the poetic effusions of Balaam, and some other fragments, Numb.,
chaps. 21-24) come the song which Moses wrote for the children of Israel
just before his death (Deut., ch. 32), and (according to the title, the
genuineness of which there is no valid reason for doubting) "the prayer
of Moses the man of God," contained in the ninetieth psalm. In the
period of the judges we have only the song of Deborah and Barak. The
perfect originality of all these primitive songs is acknowledged by all.
It constitutes indeed one of their chief charms. With "the sweet
psalmist of Israel" began the era of lyric song; with Solomon that of
didactic, and with Hosea, Joel, Isaiah, and their contemporaries, that
of prophetic poetry. The poets to whom, under the illumination of the
Holy Ghost, these different forms of Hebrew poetry owe their origin, are
all distinguished for their originality. So is also the book of Job,
that great didactic song so perfectly uni