Messiah or the Christ. Again, the apostle Peter avers, that this same person is none else than Jesus Christ: "For David," says he, "is not ascended into the heavens; but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." Acts ii. 34-36. It is evident from the first verse of the psalm, that the person addressed was to appear as a prince-"Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." In like manner the apostle Paul ascribes this princely authority to Jesus Christ-" For he (Christ) must reign, till he (God) hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." 1 Cor. xv. 25, 26. The same psalm assures us, that the person addressed shall appear in the priestly character-"The Lord hath sworn and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedec," ver. 4. This priestly character is also ascribed to Jesus Christ-" So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to-day have I begotten thee. As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec." Heb. v. 5, 6. Hence it follows, that this psalm treats, in a figurative manner, of the priestly and kingly offices of Jesus Christ, who is the mediator between God and men. ........... 2. We come, secondly, to consider who are the persons that are designated the Messiah's people"Thy people shall be willing," &c. At the first verse of the psalm, we read, that the Lord was to make the enemies of David's Lord his footstool. And at the second, that David's Lord was to rule in the midst of his enemies. Now it is to be expected, that, as David's Lord had enemies, he should also have a faithful people. And if, figuratively, he was to receive his enemies as his footstool, and rule in the midst of them, it was necessary that, figuratively, he should have an army that would vindicate his rights, and inflict vengeance on his obdurate enemies. This brings us, 3. Lastly, to consider the conduct of those who are called the Messiah's people: "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power." Let us first inquire what is meant by the day of the Messiah's power. In a subsequent verse it is said, "The LORD at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath."-Now, as the LORD had engaged to subdue the enemies of the Messiah, and to cause him to rule in the midst of them, it is highly probable that the Messiah himself would be engaged in the work of subduing and punishing, and therefore the signal victory which he should obtain, would entitle the day of his conflict to be called "the day of his power," seeing that it was also the day of Jehovah's wrath. That the Messiah was thus to be engaged, is evident from another prophecy, (Ps. ii. 9, 12.) "Thou shalt ........... break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." -" Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little." Secondly, the Messiah's faithful subjects are said to be a willing people in the day of his power. That is, they should, in figurative language, be the willing instruments of avenging the Messiah of his enemies. This exposition is confirmed by the testimony of other prophecies. The same inspired penman writes thus"Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud upon their beds; let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand; to execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints." Ps. cxlix. 5-9. A similar prophecy is contained in Daniel. "And the kingdom, and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the Most High," chap. vii. 27. Still more explicit is the book of Revelation-"These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings; and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful," chap. xvii. 14. This exposition, which the scope of the psalm offers spontaneously to our view, is confirmed by the Chaldee paraphrase, and the translation which is found in the Bible printed by Barker, the king's printer, 4to. London, 1615. The former reads thus;-"Thy people, O house of Israel, who willingly labour in the law, thou shalt be helped by them in the day that thou goest to battle."The latter is as follows, "thy people shall come willingly at the time of assembling thine army in holy beauty." 10th, Our author observes, that, "in his own time and manner, the divine Spirit will teach every elect person the nature, truth, and glory of the gospel of Christ; and shew him that in the divine Saviour, in his righteousness, sacrifice, intercession, and grace, all he wants, or can desire, is contained: 'He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.' John xvi. 14, 15." p. 22.-For the illustration of this passage, it will be necessary to quote the preceding context: "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me," &c. A slight attention to the occasion on which these words were spoken, will be sufficient to convince us, that the persons to whom the promise was peculiarly made, were our Lord's apostles, who were about to be made qualified for the important office of making known to mankind the mystery of redemption; and that the office which the Spirit was to sustain, was that of revealing the deep ........... things of God,-(see 1 Cor. ii. 9, 10,)-such deep things as their capacity at that time, and the state of the Redeemer's work, did not admit of being revealed. Now, as the Spirit of revelation was confined to the apostolic age, it follows, that the passage under review cannot be justly applied to the general state of the Christian church. 11th, "Christ's commission," says our author, "reacheth to the infallible and everlasting salvation of the body and soul of every individual, who is given to him, who sees him, and believes on him. This is the Father's will which hath sent me.' &c. John vi. 39, 40." p. 26. We have already shewn that none were given to Jesus Christ but his personal followers: and it is quite evident, from the scope of our Lord's discourse, that the security which he was to afford his followers, was perfectly consistent with the necessity of individual faithfulness; and that that security regarded solely his own faithfulness to the trust reposed in him by the Father. Our author's other quotations (from Heb. vi. 17-19. Rom. viii. 29-39) have already been examined. 12th, "In like manner," adds he, "Peter confirms the doctrine of his 'beloved brother Paul.' 1 Pet. i. 1-7. ii. 7-10." p. 27. See the exposition of these passages. "Thus likewise," continues our author, "says another apostle, 'Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth; that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures,' James i. 18." |