This prophecy is explained by St. Paul, as descriptive of the Messiah, who is God, manifest in the flesh.See Heb. x. 5—10. The offerings of the wise men, and the subsequent glories of Messiah's kingdom are predicted in Psa. lxxii. : “The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.”—ver. 10. Matt. ii. 11. "His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun; and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.” -ver. 17. Phil. ii. 9—11. The grace and beauty, as well as the majesty and glory of Christ, are exquisitely displayed in Psa. xlv. 2, 3.: "Thou art fairer than the children of men; grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever."-ver. 2. Luke iv. 22. "Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most Mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty."-ver. 3. Rev. xix. 15, 16. The very exclamations of the multitude are foretold which accompanied our Lord into the city of Jerusalem: "Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord! (or Hosannah.).........Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord."-Psa. cxviii. 25, 26. Matt. xxi. 9. The zeal of Christ for his Father's house is foretold, Psa. lxix. 9.: "The zeal of thine hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.' John ii. 17. 66 The sufferings and deep humiliation of Christ are most pathetically depicted by the Royal Prophet : They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head; they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty."Psa. Ixix. 4. John xv. 25. "Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil. They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul."-Psa. lvi. 5, 6. Luke xx. 20. "Mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.”—Psa. xli. 9. John xiii. 18. "Let his days be few: and let another take his office."-Psa. cix. 8. Acts i. 16. "I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me. Psa. xxxi. 11. Matt. xxvi. 56.; Mark xiv. 49, 50. "False witnesses did rise up: they laid to my charge things that I knew not. Psa. xxxv. 11. Matt. xxvi. 59-61. "In mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together; yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not. With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth."-Psa. xxxv. 15, 16. Luke xxii. 63–65. "The plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows."-Psa. cxxix. 3. xxvii. 26. Matt. "They pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. Psa. xxii. 16, 17. John xix. 15, 16. 66 They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink."-Psa. lxix. 21. Matt. xxvii. 34. 66 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture."-Psa. xxii. 18. Luke xxiii. 34. "All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.”—Psa. xxii. 7, 8. Matt. xxvii. 41-44. "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ?"-Psa. xxii. 1. Matt. xxvii. 46. "Into thy hand I commit my spirit."-Psa. xxxi. 5. Luke xxiii. 46. This description of our Lord's passion resembles a history of past events, rather than a prophecy of future transactions. All was minutely fulfilled. Christ, as the true paschal Lamb, was offered in sacrifice to eternal justice for the sins of the world, at the feast of the Passover. The command respecting the lamb to be eaten at this season was, that a bone of it should not be broken.* To this circumstance St. John alludes, to show that Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.† The Resurrection of our Redeemer was foretold by David: "My heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth; my flesh also shall rest in hope: for thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption."-Psa. xvi. 9, 10. Matt. xxviii. 5, 6.; Acts ii. 24-31. The Ascension of Christ is declared in triumphant language: "God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises unto our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding."-Psa. xlvii. 5-7. Mark xvi. 19.; Luke xxiv. 50-53.; Acts i. 4-12. The Victory obtained over the powers of darkness, by the crucified, risen, and ascended Jesus, is also proclaimed by the inspired Psalmist : "Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them. Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation."-Psa. lxviii. 18, 19. Eph. iv. 7, 8.; i. 20-23.; Heb. ii. 10, 14. *Exod. xii. 46. + John xix. 33-36.; 1 Cor. v. 7, 8. The song of Angels, and of the Church triumphant, is recorded for the joy of faith: "Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle, Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory."-Psa. xxiv. 7-10. Rev. v. 11, 12. The Perpetuity and Glory of Christ's kingdom is predicted: "I will make him my first-born, higher than the kings of the earth."-Psa. lxxxix. 27. Luke i. 33. "His seed will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven."-Psa. lxxxix. 29. Rev. xi. 15. "In thy majesty ride prosperously, because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things."-Psa. xlv. 4. Rev. vi. 2. "I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations; therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.”—Psa. xlv. 17. Rom. ix. 5. "Thou hast put all things under his feet."Psa. viii. 6. 1 Cor. xv. 27.; Heb. ii. 8. These are a few of those wonderful predictions, with which the Psalms abound, and which mark out the Messiah, and prove that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Saviour of the world. The omniscient Jehovah, by the Spirit of prophecy in his servant David, foretold the sufferings and triumphs of the Redeemer one thousand years before their accomplishment. What, but the overruling power of the Almighty, could have so ordered the vast machine of events, that, while men were acting freely, and thus responsible for their actions, they were unwittingly fulfilling the purposes of heaven. This St. Peter most fully declared to the crucifiers of Jesus: "Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did, by him, in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain."* Let us adore the God of our salvation, and believe, in the simplicity of faith, what we cannot comprehend. "We speak," says St. Paul, "the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory."t The period, circumstances, and mode of our Lord's death, are truly wonderful. The Lawgiver or Judge was not yet wholly departed from Judah, according to the prophecy of Jacob; for the Jews said to Pilate, "We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God." And yet they did not possess the power to put their law into execution by a civil process, as that belonged to the Roman governor. "Pilate said unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death."§ Here we must admire the overruling Providence of God. The punishment for blasphemy was stoning. But Jesus had said: "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said," adds St. John, "signifying what death he should die."** At this critical period, when two opposite circumstances occurred,-when the Jews had a law to punish with death, and yet not sufficient civil power to put it in force; the Saviour of the world, being * Acts ii. 22, 23. John xix. 7. § John xviii. 31. + 1 Cor. ii. 7, 8. || Lev. xxiv. 16. |