most distinguished period of his life, and to receive the blessing which consummates his happiness! This most charming and equally majestic scene recals to my memory that fine description of the Messiah, extant in the last lovely strains of the Israelitish swan: 'He shall be' welcome and salutary 'as the light of the morning, when the sun ariseth,' to chase the malignant shades, and pour day through the reviving world. He shall be as the light of a morning' that is most se renely fair, without' either storms to disturb, or 'clouds' to obscure the glorious, the delightful dawn: yea, his appearance shall be more beautiful,' and his influences more beneficial, than the clear shining't of that grand luminary, after' a night of settled gloom, and showers of incessant rain;' when his beams shed animating warmth and vital lustre, on the' tender ' grass' impearled with dews, and on all the green treasures of the' teeming 'earth.' As we have already contemplated the blessed Jesus under the amiable character of the Just One, the foregoing passage of Scripture represents him to our faith, in the more majestic quality of the Lord of Glory or rather, unites the two grand peculiarities, which render him unparalleled in his personal, and all-sufficient in his mediatorial capacity. Great, unspeakably great, and glorious would our Israelitish swan-in allusion to those well-known lines of the poet, Multa dircæum levat aura cygnum.' and not without a reference to the popular notion, that the swan sings the most melodious notes in its last moments. Fuit hæve facundi senis quasi cyguea vox.'-Tully. + More beautiful, more beneficial, than the clear shining,' 2 Sam. xxii. 4. Thus we have ventured to translate, or rather to paraphrase, the words 23. That the prefix often occurs in the acceptation of comparative pre-eminence, is plain from a very remarkable passage in Psal. xix. 10; where our inspired author, quite ravished with the love of the sacred oracles, declares, They are desirable beyond gold, even beyond the droppings of the honeycomb.' If this sense is admitted, we shall have a fine comparison, and a grand advance upon it; acknowledging the insufficiency even of the strongest and brightest images, to represent the glory of Christ's kingdom, and the benignity of his administration. Perhaps the translation may be too free and daring, and not approve itself to the exact critic: the sense, however, is unquestionably just, agreeable to the whole tenor of Scripture; and can want no recommendation to the intelligent Christian. Saviour appear, if we had no other manifestations of his excellency, than those which preceded his mysterious incarnation. In the ancient Scriptures he stands characterized, as the supreme object of God's ineffable complacency, vested with a glory prior to the birth of time, or the existence of things, even the glory which he had with the Father, before the world was :' he is every where exhibited as the ultimate desire of all nations; the sole hope of all the ends of the earth; the seed of inestimable and universal importance, in whom all people, nations, and languages should be blessed. In those royal, or rather divine acts and monuments, he is publicly recognised as the Ruler of God's people; whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom from generation to generation. And how august, how venerable is this Sovereign! since it was the highest honour of the most eminent saints and renowned monarchst to act as his harbingers. The splendour of the temple, the richness of its ornaments, and the solemnity of its services, were the ensigns of his grandeur, were his sacred regalia, intended to usher him into the world with becoming state. Every inspired prophet was his herald, deputed to blazon his perfections, or foretel his coming. Let us hear one, speaking the sentiments of all. God the Saviour came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.' Thunders sounded his John xvii. 5. + Moses, for instance, and Joshua, David and Solomon, were types, strongly marked types, of our great Lawgiver and Deliverer, of our divine Ruler and Preacher. I See Habak. iii. The greatest part of which sublime ode, refers to the wonderful works recorded by Moses and Joshua. It seems, especially in the exordium, to be an imitation of that grand and majestic description with which the Jewish legislator Introduces his last solemn benediction. Deut. xxxiil. These works are by Aspasio ascribed to Christ; and, I think, it is demonstrably certain, that Jesus Christ is the Jehovah celebrated in the books of Moses, and in the writings of the prophets. It is Christ who dwelt in the burning bush, and walked in the burning fiery furnace. It is Christ who wrought the miracles in Egypt, and the wonders in the field of Zoan. The temporal deliverer, and the eternal Redeemer of Israel, are one and the same; he is that 'captain of the hosts of the Lord,' who gave the nations as dust to their swords, and as driven stubble to their bow. Josh. v. 14. He is that mighty one who punished the stout heart of the king trumpet, and lightnings waved his banners. Before him went the pestilence' for the destruction of his enemies; but for the deliverance of Israel, he rode upon his horses and chariots of salvation. The mountains saw him and they trembled; the everlasting hills, and they bowed their heads. The abyss uttered her voice,' and acknowledged his sovereignty through her deepest caverns; the towering surges lifted up their hands,' and remained in a suspended posture, while his people passed through their opening lines. Indeed both depth, and height, and every creature, have paid him homage, and done him service; and shall not we, my dear Theron, submit to his righteousness? Submit! shall we not embrace it, rely on it, and with joyful hearts, with triumphant tongues, say, there is none, there is nothing like it? Does not all mankind agree to estimate the merit of the practice according to the dignity of the person? If a neighbour of inferior rank, visit some poor afflicted wretch in a coarse garret, and on a tattered bed, it is no very extraordinary favour; but if a lady of the first distinction, or a nobleman of the highest order, perform the same office, it is a much more remarkable, a much more admired instance of self-denying charity. On the foot of this calculation, to what a supereminent height will the worthiness of our Lord's obedience rise! It will rise like some magnificent edifice, whose basis rests upon the centre, whose dimensions fill the hemisphere, and whose turrets glitter in the sky; or rather, it will extend itself to immensity, where length, and breadth, and all dimensions are lost: especially if we consider the names he bears, and the honours he receives; the works he has done, and those mightier works he is appointed to do. The names he bears:-The title by which Jesus of of Assyria; who cut down the thickets of his forest, and lopped his bough with terror. Isa. x. 34. He gave Moses his commis sion, gave Moses his law, and was both the Lord and the end of that sacred, significant, mysterious economy. Compare 1 Cor. x. 9. with Numb. xxi. 6, 7. See Dan. iii. 25. Heb. i. 3, 4. which, I think, is put in opposition to n and forms a beautiful contrast. Ver. 10. † 1 Sam. xxi. 9. Nazareth is distinguished in the heavenly world; the name written on his vesture, and on his thigh, is King of kings, and Lord of lords." The description which the incomprehensible Jehovah gives of the surety for sinful men, runs in this exalted strain, the Man that is my fellow;'t which the apostle explains in that memorable and majestic clause, He thought it no robbery to be equal with God." The Holy Ghost, speaking by Rev. xix. 16. Contribulis vel coequalis. + Zech. xiii. 7. My fellow or my equal.' The original expression occurs no where but in this verse of Zechariah, and in the book of Leviticus. In one text it is explained by brother, or partaker of the same nature. In every other place, I believe, it will be found to signify, not barely a neighbour but an equal; one who stands upon the same level, with regard to the claims of equity, and the common rights of life in either sense, it militates strongly for the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ." Phil. ii. 6. Some writers, I am aware, have endeavoured to interpret away this evidence of our Lord's divine nature; but I think with great injury to the context, and no less violence to the phrase. Apmayμoç, as far as I can observe, denotes, not the prize or spoil, but the act of plundering or taking the spoil, 'Ipsa rapiendi actio. Vid. Steph. Thesaur. Græc. Ling. If so, the text most naturally implies that Christ counted it no act of robbery, no invasion of another's prerogative, but looked upon it as his unquestionable right to be equal with God, and to receive divine. honours; nevertheless (aλλa, Rom. v. 14.) he was so far from tenaciously insisting upon, that he willingly relinquished the claim; he was content to forego the magnificent distinctions of the Creator, and to appear in the form of a creature; nay, to be made in the likeness of the fallen creatures, and not only to share the disgrace, but to suffer the punishment due to the meanest and vilest among them all: an example of humility worthy to be displayed by the eloquence of an apostle, or the tongue of an archangel; worthy to be the everlasting pattern, and the everlasting praise of all believers. But however aprаyuоç be translated, the stress of the argument, I apprehend, lies upon the word coa. If this signifies a real and proper equality, the proof seems, to me at least, irrefragable. How shall we determine the exact significancy of this important word? by having recourse to Homer's works or to heathen authors? This, in case the sacred writers will decide the question, is like going from Jerusalem to Athens for the solution of a religious doubt, even while the college of apostles is sitting at the former place. The word occurs five or six times in their writings; they use it, it is true, in the adjective form, but the adjective is very sufficient to settle the signification of the adverb, If I know the meaning of toog, I shall be at no loss to understand the import of toa. See Matt. xx. 12. Luke vi. 34. John v. 18. Acts xi, 17. Rev. xxi. 16. In all which places it expresses not a bare resemblance or likeness only, but a real and proper equality. the prophet Isaiah on the Virgin's Son, enumerates several grand distinctions, both of his person and his office he styles the child that should be born, The Wonderful Counsellor, the Everlasting Father, the Mighty God, the Prince of Peace." The same inspired writer, though eloquent above all orators, and more sublime than the loftiest poet, cries out in rapturous astonishment,' Who can declare his generation?' what pencil can portray, what language can express, his matchless excellencies? And may we not with equal propriety demand, who can declare the meritorious. perfection of his righteousness? It is precious beyond comparison; beyond imagination precious. The honours which our Lord receives are propor tioned to the illustrious characters which he sustains. John the Baptist, than whom a greater prophet, or a better judge, was not born of woman, professes himself unworthy to stoop down and unloose the latchet of his shoes' unworthy, though a burning and a shining light in his generation, to perform the meanest service to this Prince of heaven. Stephen, who leads the van in the noble army of Christian martyrs, beheld such a representation of his crucified Master's glory, as enabled him to exult with divine delight, even amidst the furious assaults of his persecutors, and under the violent blows of his murderers; assured that Jesus has all power in heaven and in earth, by an act of the most solemn worship, he commits his departing soul, that most important of all trusts, to his Redeemer's hand. Nor by the first martyr alone, but in all churches of the saints, and in every age of Christianity has the Lord Jesus been addressed as the constant object of his people's adoration, and acknowledged as the ever faithful depository of their eternal interests. When Isaiah beheld a visionary manifestation of Christ, the first-born sons of light were waiting around him, in postures of dutiful submission; these celestial beings, whose very feet are too bright for mortals to view, eil their faces before his infinitely superior + Isa. liii. 8. + Mark i. 7. Ibid. ver. 59. Isa. ix. 6. |