It  has  been  said  by  Aristotle,  Bossu,  and  others  that
"fable  is  a  necessary  ingredient  in  epic  poetry."  This
no   doubt  is    true,   when   the   heroes   brought   on    the

13


Dr. Coke's  Preface

stage  are  only  of  a  common  stature,  and  can  perform
nothing  more  than  mere  mortal  exploits. But  in  tlie
character  of  our  Lord,  we  find  everything  in  most  glo-
rious  reality  which  useful  fable  can  be  supposed  to
supply. The  miracles,  which,  in  other  poems,  the  inven-
tion of  the  author  creates  imaginary  beings  to  perform,
are  here  founded  in  sacred  truth,  and  the  interposition
of  real  invisible  agents. The  ground,  therefore,  on
which  fable  delights  to  take  its  stand,  is  already  occu-
pied by  most  sublime  facts;  and  in  proportion  as  an
exchange  is  made  between  them,  the  whole  historical
relation  must  suflFer  disadvantages. Epic  poetry  can,
therefore,  never  be  in  want  of  fable,  while  fact  and
incident  can  furnish  all  that  is  necessary. Indeed,  "to
mingle  falsehoods  (as  Mr. Wesley  has  observed),  or
dull  and  legendary  fictions,  which  have  neither  life  nor
soul  in  them,  with  the  blessed  gospel  of  our  Saviour,
is,  in  some  sense,  to  make  them  superior  to  it  But
certainly,  expressing  the  truth  in  parables,  and  min-
gling these  with  the  mysteries  of  the  gospel,  can  not
be  thought  to  give  it  an  air  of  fiction;  nor  dare  any-
one to  aflSrm  that  it  does,  without  blasphemy,  since
our  Saviour  has  so  often  done  it."
It  has  been  said,  that  —

"The  gospel  offers  nothing  to  our  thoughts
But  penitence  and  punishment  for  faults.''

But  such  as  are  acquainted  with  its  history  know  that
**  it  brings  life  and  immortality  to  light,"  and  that  it  opens
*'  a  new  and  a  living  way  into  the  holiest  by  the  blood
of  Jesus,"  and  such  as  have  felt  its  spiritual  influence,
experience  that  "  it  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation."

14


Dr. Coke's  Preface

We  know  that  it  holds  out  the  noblest  examples,  the  most
exalted  motives,  and  the  most  glorious  rewards ;  and  a£Fords
sublimer  instances  of  benevolence,  friendship,  magna-
nimity,  and  heroic  suffering,  than  any  other  real  history,
or  even  fable,  can  produce. "  It  shows  us  (says  Mr. 