Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

dom under the whole heaven, there will be a failure of completion with respect to the many predictions and promises of David, to the saints against whom the little born waged a successful war unto death; especially as St. John saw in his vision that they lived, and reigned with Christ 1000 years.""

I do not recollect any promises or predictions of David to saints of that description. But before it can be pronounced that none such exist, it will be necessary to examine those passages of the Psalms, which appear particularly capable of being applied to the saints, or the kingdom of the saints, and the probable purport of them.

The word "saints" occurs in the Psalms with great frequency, but for the most part, in the same general sense which it bears in the New Testament. It commonly means good men, acceptable to God for their genuine faith, and virtuous practice of his laws. In this sense it is often by St. Paul applied to the christian brethren, (327) much in the same indiscrimi

(327) "Salute every saint in Christ Jesus." Phil. iv. 21.Rom. i. 7-viii. 27, 28.-xii. 13.-xv. 25, 26.-xvi. 2.

nate and collective manner, as the word elect is applied to the great body of the christian world, in contra-distinction to the gentiles, who were not elect, or in covenant with God. (1 Peter ii. 10; Hosea ii, 23.) And in the Old Testament, both these terms are in a similar sense applied to the Jews. (328) David applies the word saints to the whole congregation of the Lord, or elect people of

"Put on as the elect of God &c." 1 Thes. i. 4.-2 Pet. i. 10. -2 Tim, ii. 10. In the New Testament, says Whitby, all christians called to the knowledge and belief of the faith are stiled "the elect," as being yw inλsrov a chosen generation. (1 Peter ii. 9.) These are the elect our Lord speaks of, Matt. xx. 16, and Luke xviii. 7. This was also the phraseology of the primitive christians. Thus Clemens tells the Corinthians, that their sedition was αλλότρια και ξενή τοῖς ἐκλεκτοίς τ8 Θε8 - alien from and strange to the ELECT of God. And Ignatius writes to the church of Ephesus, exλedeyμern elected. And the author of the martyrdom of Polycarp saith, the people admired the difference there was μεταξύ των απίςων και των εκλεκτων between the heathens and ELECT, that is, christians.

(328)" Israel mine elect, I have called thee by thy name." Isaiah xlv. 4. lxv. 9, 22. As God's peculium they are called, "a kingdom of priests"-" an holy nation,"-(Deut. vi. 7.-xiv. 2, 21.-Exod. xix. 6.)-and expressly called of God "my. saints." Psalm 1. 5. In the time of Constantine who gave the first rest to the suffering church, the christians are described as saints walking with God. Rev. vii 9. And in the millen

Israel, declared to have been elect or chosen of God above all people. (Deut. xiv. 2.)

Any peculiar appropriation of the term saints to the martyrs of Jesus, or any promises like those here supposed to be made to saints, which are no longer inhabitants of the earth, do not very obviously appear in the Psalms. But on the contrary, where that term occurs in any particular application, it is to living saints that it is so applied, and it is manifest from the context, and concomitant circumstances, for the most part, that the Jews are the object in the prophet's eye. These are expressly called saints by David more than once, as by the other prophets they are described as God's peculium, a people formed for himself, and sacred to him, his ancients, his witnesses, his prophets, a nation of priests unto God, an holy people, and in all states under his peculiar care, whom whosoever toucheth (injuriously) toucheth the apple

nium more perfectly so. Rev. v. 10.-xi. 15.-xxii. 15. But the use of the word saints by David in the Psalms is mostly in the common sense, as Psalm xvi. 2.-xxxiv. 9, “O fear the Lord, all ye his saints."

of his eye. (Zech. ii. 8; Ps. cv. 15.) And they are on all hands allowed to have been distinguished from and above all mankind by both mercies and judgments of the most stupendous nature, a standing miracle and perpetual evidence of the divine truth, and beyond all question kept in the hand of God unto this day, for some signal purposes of his Ezek. xxxvi

wisdom, and 23. (329)

and

power, mercy.

In Psalm cxxxii. 16, the term saint is applied in quality of their holy office, to the jewish priests." I will cloathe her priests with salvation, and her saints shall shout aloud for joy." The royal prophet is here speaking of God's promises to David, and to Jerusalem; that his favor to them shall be everlasting; for in the next verse he says"There will I make the HORN OF DAVID to

(229) "The Jews punished and dispersed, bear witness to Jesus Christ. The Jews recalled and converted, will render him a testimony still more awful and striking. The Jews preserved by a continual miracle, that they may preserve to Jesus Christ the stock and succession of those who shall one day believe in him, bear witness to him continually." See Burton on Daniel &c, p. 21.

bud;" or the kingdom of Messiah in the mil lennium to flourish IN JERUSALEM, which it has not yet done. These promises are also confirmed with an oath, which it is impossible that God should either forget or falsify. Ver. 13. "For the Lord hath chosen Zion, he hath desired it for his habitation. THIS IS MY REST FOR EVER, here will I dwell; for I have desired it." The present deplorable condition of that holy city, "trodden down of the gentiles," and the forsaken state of that people sacred unto God, whom whoso blesseth, God will bless, and whoso curseth, God will curse. Gen. xxvii 29.-Num. xxiv. 9. Nay, and even the blind and blasphemous adulation which a sanhedrim of that nation has in our times paid to a false Messiah, (330) none of these things are sufficient argu

(330) This seems to be indeed the casting away of all hope, according to Ezekiel's prophecy," our hope is lost, we are cut off for our parts," And may be the first symptom of its approaching accomplishment. See a learned tract by Granville Sharp, on "the word JERUSALEM," p. 37,-and his ingenious remarks upon the conduct and proceedings of the jewish sanhedrim at Paris in the year 1806. They attributed to the present emperor of the French the full accomplishment of the prophecies of Messiah, with many blasphemous flatteries.

« ZurückWeiter »