"ful in all his household, as a servant, for "a testimony of the oracles to be afterwards "spoken: But CHRIST as A SON, [ap

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pointed] over his [FATHER'S] household; "whose household we are, provided we "maintain the free profession [of our faith] "and the exultation of our hope, firmly to "the end." iii. 3-6.

Verse 5, 6. "THE LORD, on thy right hand, in the day of his wrath,

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"Shall crush Kings; he shall judge

"Among the Gentiles; He shall heap up

"the carcases,

"He shall crush the Head over many "countries."

This is nearly a repetition of the exemplary vengeance to be inflicted on the adversaries of THE LORD and of his MESSIAI, before the regeneration in the prophecies heretofore explained; where, in the verb, 17, "He shall judge," we have an additional and apposite instance of the radical meaning and derivation of the term, ¡178,

to the term "GOD" (ɛos) to him, as a proof of his infinite superiority above Moses. Compare Rom. ix. 5. Col. i, 16. John i. 1, 2,

"Regent," as a judge or arbiter, under THE SUPREME LORD, (John v. 22) who is here represented, as closely, supporting him by his Almighty aid and protection. And perhaps, the Head over many countries," may denote the grand adversary of God and man, "the Old Serpent, the Devil and "Satan," whose "head" was threatened to be" crushed" in the fulness of prophetic time, by the blessed Seed of the Woman, immediately after the fall.--And with which, the Septuagint rendering, συνθλίψει, "shall crush," so well accords.

Verse 7. "He shall drink of the brook in the way; "Therefore shall he lift up his head."

Among the various and discordant conjectures about the meaning of this figurative passage, by which the commentators have puzzled themselves and their readers, I shall adhere to the commonly-received interpretation of Patrick, &e. That before all these glories and triumphs, the MESSIAH (Was destined to undergo a state of the lowest humiliation, to live on a precarious and scanty diet; as did the prophet Elijah, in

his wanderings and flights from Jezebel; who was providentially fed with bread, and "drank of the brook," in his hiding-place. 1 Kings xvii. 6. And accordingly our Lord pathetically observed, "The foxes have holes, "and the birds of the air have nests; but

THE SON OF MAN hath not where to lay "his head!" Luke ix. 58. For-" He "humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even death by crucifixion: wherefore GoD also transcendently exalted him, (VTEρuwe) and bestowed on him THE "NAME above every name," &c. Phil. ii. 8.

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86

HE

E THAT HUMBLETH HIMSELF SHALL BE EXALTED.

DISSERTATION IX.

ON PSALM XLV.

THE FORTY-FIFTH PSALM may be considered as the sequel of the foregoing chain of Prophecies, further illustrating, unfolding, and completing the description of the august and divine character of THE MESSIAH:as of consummate Grace and perfect Beauty; exercising the most tremendous vengeance on his enemies, and striking terror into all his foes; reigning triumphant for ever with delegated sway, as GoD, and KING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS; surrounded with glory and majesty; his Spouse THE CHURCH, most splendidly adorned, and highly favoured, for her beauty and devout submission; and his Sons, the eminently righteous, reigning as Kings and Priests throughout the world, under his auspices, and propagating his praise for evermore.

Several

Several injudicious partizans of the Literal Scheme of Prophecy-Grotius, Patrick, &c. injuring the sublime and beautiful allegory, which pervades this enchanting composition, consider it chiefly, if not solely, as an Epithalamium, written on Solomon's marriage with the King of Egypt's daughter; and the chaster groundwork of that luxuriant composition, the Canticles. But the concurrent and unanimous testimony of the primitive Jewish and Christian Churches, appropriates it to "a greater than "Solomon"-to the MESSIAH, or JESUS CHRIST.-Most express indeed is the testimony of the Chaldee Paraphrase :—“ Thy beauty, O KING MESSIAH, aboundeth "above the sons of man: the spirit of pro

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phecy is stationed on thy lips"-which is adopted by David Kimchi, Abraham Ben Ezra, and Solomon Jarchi, the three ablest of the Jewish commentators: and "all the "Rabbins agree, that this Psalm doth speak

of THE MESSIAH:" as asserted by Muir Arama.

To this Psalm, John the Baptist evidently alluded;