son, vol. i. p. 142 and 135; whose reflections upon the history of the Jews, at and since their dispersion, it were to be wished that every Christian. could peruse. For, as he himself observes, "Christian parents, whether bodily or spiritual, should be as careful to instruct their children what the Lord hath done to these Jews, as the Israelites should have been to tell their sons what God had done to Pharaoh." Ibid. p. 152. 13. His posterity shall be cut off, and in the generation following, their name shall be blotted out. 14. The iniquity of his fathers shall be remembered with the LORD, and the sin of his mother shall not be blotted out. 15. They shall be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth. The traitorous and rebellious "posterity" of traitorous and rebellious parents, suffered an "excision" by the Roman sword, and "in the generation following, their name," as a Church and civil polity, was "blotted out" of the list of states and kingdoms upon earth. "The iniquity of their fathers," which they have filled up, was re membered with Jehovah, and the sin of their mother," that is, perhaps of the Synagogue of Jerusalem, now in bondage with her children, "was not blotted out; that upon them might come all the righteous blood shed, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, whom they slew between the temple and the altar:" Matt. xxiii. 35. The blood of the prophets cried for vengeance against those who crucified. the Lord of the prophets. God hid not his face any longer from all these horrible transgressions, but "they were before him continually," and occasioned Him to "cut off the memory" of his people, once precious and fragrant, "from the earth;" so that while Apostles and martyrs are annually commemorated with honour, and their good deeds, blossoming out of the dust, perfume the Church, and delight the souls of the faithful, the names of " Judas," and "Jew," are never mentioned but with contempt and abhorrence. 16. Because that he remembered not to show mercy; but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart. The crime which brought upon its perpetrators all the above-mentioned judgments and calamities, is here pointed out too plainly to be mistaken. They "remembered not to show mercy" to Him, who showed it to all the world; they "persecuted' Him who for our sakes became "poor," and who condescended to ask of his creatures water to drink; they betrayed and murdered the lowly and afflicted Jesus, whose "heart" was "broken" with sorrow for their sins, and with a sense of the punishment due to them. How long will it be, ere the brethren of this most innocent and most injured Joseph, "say one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear: THEREFORE is this distress come upon us!" Gen. xlii. 21. 17. As he loved cursing, so shall it come unto him as he delighted not in blessing, so shall it be far from him. 18. As he clothed himself with cursing, like as with his garment, so shall it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones. 19. It shall be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually. 20. This shall be the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD, and of them that speak evil against my soul. They who reject Christ, reject the fountain of "blessing," and choose a "curse" for their portion; and this portion, when they have finally made their choice, will certainly be given to them in full measure. The curse, that lighted on the Jewish nation, is resembled, for its universality and adhesion, to a "garment," which covereth the whole man, and is "girded" close about his loins for its diffusive and penetrating nature, to "water, which, from the stomach, passeth into the "bowels," and is dispersed through all the vessels of the frame; and to "oil," which imperceptibly insinuates itself into the very "bones." When that unhappy multitude, assembled before Pontius Pilate, pronounced the words, "His blood be on us, and on our children," Matt. xxvii. 25, then did they put on the envenomed garment, which has stuck to and tormented the nation ever since: ; then did they eagerly swallow down that deadly draught, the effects whereof have been the infatuation and misery of 1700 years! If such, in this world, be "the reward of Messiah's adversaries, and of those who spake evil against him," what will hereafter be the vengeance inflicted on those who "crucify him afresh, and put him again to an open shame?" Heb. vi. 6. And what will be the operation of the sentence, "Go, ye cursed," upon the bodies and souls of the wicked? how will it at once affect all the senses of the former, and all the faculties of the latter, with pain, anguish, horror, and despair! Think on these things, ye sinners; tremble, and repent! 21. But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, Heb. JEHOVAH the Lord, for thy name's sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me. 22. For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. 23. I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust. 24. My knees are weak through fasting, and my flesh faileth of fatness. 25. I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me, they shaked their heads. In this last part of the Psalm, Messiah petitioneth for deliverance, urging to the Father his power as "Lord," the honour of his "name," and the greatness of his "mercy." He then pleadeth his own humiliation and affliction, his "poverty" and "heart"-felt agony of grief. Drawing towards the evening of his mortal life, He compareth Himself to a "shadow, declining," and about to vanish from the earth, where He hath no rest, being persecuted from place to place, as a "locust" is driven hither and thither by the stormy wind and tempest; while enfeebled and emaciated by frequent "fastings," and long want of food during his passion, He was ready to sink under his burden; and what aggravated all his sufferings was, that He met with no pity and compassion from those around Him; his enemies "reproached" and "reviled him, shaking their heads, and saying, Ah! thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself," &c. Mark xv. 29. Nor are we to suppose our Lord thus praying for his natural body only, but also for his mystical body, the Church, that from all distresses, persecutions, and insults, the members of that body may in time be delivered, like their blessed Head, by a joyful resurrection to eternal life. 26. Help me, O LORD my God; O save me, according to thy mercy. 27. That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou LORD hast done it. The resurrection of Christ was to be the great demonstration of Jehovah's power; and it was published as such by the Apostles to all the nations of the world, who thereupon believed and were converted. The Jews alone hardened their hearts against that proof, and continued impenitent. 28. They will curse, but thou shalt bless: when they arise, they shall be ashamed; but thy servant shall rejoice. 29. Mine adversaries shall be clothed with shame and they shall cover themselves with their own confusion as with a mantle. The apostate sons of Israel, though they have been so long "confounded" and blasted by the breath of Heaven's displeasure, yet continue "cursing" and blaspheming, as it is here foretold that they should do. But God hath "blessed" his Son Jesus, and through Him all nations, who have been adopted into his family, and made his children by baptism; yea, and they shall be blessed, and enter, by thousands and millions, into the "joy" of their Lord, in that day when his crucifiers shall have no "covering" but their own "shame" and "confusion." 30. I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth: yea, I will praise him among the multitude. 31. For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul. The former of these two verses is parallel to that which St. Paul cited from Ps. xxii. 22. "He that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified, are all of one for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee:" Heb. ii. 11. Great is the joy of the redeemed upon earth; greater will it be, after the resurrection of the dead, in the courts of heaven. Jesus, unjustly put to death, and now risen again, is a perpetual Advocate and Intercessor for his people, ever ready VOL. II. R |