OBS. 17.—­In the following text, the infinitive is used improperly, nor would the participle in its stead make pure English:  “I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt-offerings, to have been continually before me.”—­Ps. 1. 8. According to the French version, "to have been" should be "which are;" but the Septuagint and the Vulgate take the preceding noun for the nominative, thus:  “I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices, but thy burnt-offerings are continually before me.”

OBS. 18.—­As the preposition to before the infinitive shows the latter to be “that towards which the preceding verb is directed,” verbs of desisting, omitting, preventing, and avoiding, are generally found to take the participle after them, and not the infinitive; because, in such instances, the direction of effort seems not to be so properly to, or towards, as from the action.[419] Where the preposition from is inserted, (as it most commonly is, after some of these verbs.) there is no irregularity in the construction of the participle; but where the participle immediately follows the verb, it is perhaps questionable whether it ought to be considered the object of the verb, or a mere participle relating to the nominative which precedes.  If we suppose the latter, the participle may be parsed by the common rule; if the former, it must be referred to the third exception above.  For example: 

1.  After verbs of DESISTING; as, “The Cryer used to proclaim, DIXERUNT, i. e.  They have done speaking.”—­Harris’s Hermes, p. 132.  “A friend is advised to put off making love to Lalage.”—­Philological Museum, i, 446.  “He forbore doing so, on the ground of expediency.”—­The Friend, iv, 35.  “And yet architects never give over attempting to reconcile these two incompatibles.”—­Kames, El. of Crit., ii, 338.  “Never to give over seeking and praying for it.”—­N.  Y. Observer. “Do not leave off seeking.”—­President Edwards. “Then Satan hath done flattering and comforting.”—­Baxter. “The princes refrained talking.”—­Job, xxix, 9.  “Principes cessabant loqui.”—­Vulgate. Here it would be better to say, “The princes refrained from talking.”  But Murray says, “From seems to be superfluous after forbear:  as, ’He could not forbear from appointing the pope,’ &c.”—­Octavo Gram., p. 203.  But "forbear to appoint" would be a better correction; for this verb is often followed by the infinitive; as, "Forbear to insinuate."—­West’s Letters, p. 62.  “And he forbare to go forth.”—­1 Sam., xxiii, 13.  The reader will observe, that, "never to give over" or "not to leave off," is in fact the same thing as to continue; and I have shown by the analogy of other languages, that after