Praise ye Jehovah; call upon his name, make known among the nations his exploits, remind that his name is exalted. Praise Jehovah, because he has done excellent things; known is this in all the earth," v. 4, 5. They are here exhibited as addressing one another, and exhorting to this commemoration of Jehovah's wonderful works towards them. 9. Metaphor in the use of exalted, which denotes elevation in space, to signify that his name is manifested in such a manner as to attract in a higher measure the adoration and love of his people. 10. Apostrophe. "Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in the midst of thee is the Holy One of Israel," v. 6. This is addressed to the inhabitants of Jerusalem in distinction from the Israelites generally; and indicates, like the prediction that his rest shall be glorious, that Zion is then to be the scene of great and majestic displays of his presence. 1. The contrast which Christ's reign is to present to theirs who have hitherto swayed the earth, is worthy of his perfections, and shows that his presence and rule is to be an infinite blessing to the race. The great monarchs of the nations who precede him, are like ferocious brutes that naturally prey on the harmless and helpless animals. But omniscience, omnipotence, infallible wisdom, and infinite righteousness and benignity, are his attributes; and in place of oppressing and destroying, he is to protect and vindicate the weak and unoffending; and instead of justifying and prospering, is to convict and punish the wicked. 2. This prophecy plainly shows that Christ is to exert the rule here ascribed to him in person and visibly to men, that he is then to discriminate perfectly between the good and the evil, that all noxious and ferocious creatures are to become harmless, that the earth is to be filled with the knowledge of him, that the Gentiles are to recognise and acknowledge him as the Messiah, and repair to him for instruction respecting his will, and that the Israelites are then to be restored by extraordinary means to their ancient land, and re-united as a nation. As these great futurities are thus revealed, and with a clearness and certainty that cannot be evaded, except by a violation of the indisputable and fundamental laws of language, they are to be received with as entire trust as any of the other events that God has made known for our faith. To disbelieve them, is to disbelieve him. To attempt to expunge them from the prophecy, and introduce others in their stead, is not to interpret, but to put aside his word, and substitute another in its place. To denounce them as unworthy of his perfection, as some unhappily do, is in effect to impeach his wisdom and truth, and exhibit his word as unworthy of trust. 3. Some hesitate to receive this prediction of the restoration of the Israelites on the ground that they cannot see that it can answer any end that seems to present a sufficient reason for so extraordinary a measure. The question, however, whether God has revealed their return, is not to be determined by the estimate those persons may form of its wisdom, but by the terms of the prophecy. Whether the ends it is to answer, or the results that are to spring from it are seen to be worthy of his perfections or not, his wisdom and righteousness furnish an ample certainty that they will be suitable to the grandeur of his attributes, and the great interests of his kingdom which they are to affect; and God, to intercept doubt, has revealed in the prophetic song with which the prediction is closed, the impressions with which it is to be contemplated by those who are to be the subjects of it, and shown that instead of distrust or indifference, it is to be regarded by them with wonder and gratitude, and celebrated with praises and thanksgivings throughout the world. What a beautiful method of conciliating the faith of his people now, and inspiring them with gladness and praise in the prospect of the wonderful event. The exposition of these predictions by the laws of figures thus shows, with invincible certainty, that the restoration of the Israelites of which they treat, is to be a literal one, and confutes accordingly the attempt of the spiritualists to divest them of that meaning, and substitute an arbitrary mystical sense in its place. Their error is as gross and unpardonable, as it were to attempt to apply their theory of a mystical meaning to the decalogue, the doctrine of atonement, justification, pardon, the resurrection, a future life, or any other teachings either of God or of men. What is meant by the spiritualization of the Scriptures by interpreters? Give an example of it. Is there any express authority for this treatment of the sacred word in the Bible itself, or in the laws of language For what purpose is it used by expositors? Is there any ground for the pretext, that the passages which they thus treat have a figure in them that gives them such a representative sense? Is the principle on which they construe the passages which they spiritualize accordant with the law of the allegory? What is the first difference between them? What is the second? What is the first false result to which the application of the law of the allegory would lead these writers? What is the second false result to which it would lead them? third erroneous result to which it would conduct them? the fourth? What is the fifth? which their method leads them? Would these errors and absurdities be avoided by a strict adherence to the laws of figures? By what figure are shoot, branch, root, and stump used, Is. xi. What is the What is the last absurd result to 1? What is the figure, v. 2? What is the figure, v. 3? In what sense is the verb used? What are the figures, v. 1? What are the figures, v. 5; and what is the sense which they convey? What is the figure, v. 6-8? How is it proved that there is no metaphor in the passage? How that there is no hypocatastasis in it? Who then are the subjects of the acts foreshown; the animals mentioned, or men? What is the figure, v. 9? In what respect is the figure beautiful? What is the first figure, v. 10; and what is foreshown in the passage? What is the second figure, v. 10; and what does it indicate? How is it proved that the event predicted is not metaphorical? What is the true import of the passage then? What is meant by the second affirmation, v. 10? What is the import of the third? How is it proved that it is not used by the hypocatastasis? How that it is not symbolical? What is the figure, v. 11? What is the first figure, v. 12? By what figure is wings used? What are the figures, v. 13 What are the first figures, v. 14? What is the last? By what figure is tongue used, v. 15? By what figure is shake the hand used, v. 15? By what figure is highway used, v. 16? How is it proved that the prediction of the return of the Israelites is not a prediction of the conversion of the Gentiles? On what principle do the spiritualizers proceed, in endeavoring to give it such a meaning? How does it appear that their assumption is mistaken? What is the second? What is the first figure, What is the first figure, chap. xii. 1? What are the figures, v. 2? What, v. 3? v. 4, 5 What the second? What is the figure, v. 6? What is the first truth taught, chap. xii.? What is the second? What is the peculiar beauty of the method employed in the chapter to foreshow the restoration of the Israelites? |