THE THRONE OF HIS GLORY. 13 When he descends to the seat of his government; before proceeding to execute vengeance, he will gather his saints together unto him; he will send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four ends of the earth; and they shall participate with him in this great work of subjugation. "The high praises of God shall be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand, to execute vengeance upon the heathen and punishments upon the people." Thus spake the Lord to the church in Thyatira, "He that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers, even as I received of my Father"-(the latter clause evidently referring to this psalm.) "As yet we see not all things put under him;" he is now crowned with glory and honour, and is set down on the right hand of God; but soon he will gird his sword upon his thigh, and in majesty ride prosperously for meekness, and truth, and righteousness: his right hand will teach him terrible things, his arrows shall be sharp in the hearts of his enemies, whereby the people shall fall under him; "then shall he sit on the throne of his glory," and govern the nations upon earth. "Be wise now therefore, O ye Kings; be instructed ye Judges of the earth." "Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling." "Kiss the Son (before) he be angry,—and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him." This exhortation comes from him who had just been declaring the decree. It is the voice of compassion, and shows how reluctant he is to use the sword of judgment. "As I live, saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked-but that the wicked should turn from his wickedness and live." "Be wise NOW." There is an assigned limit, when, if wisdom has been rejected, it will not be attainable. Behold now is the accepted time. Behold now is the day of salvation-and this is our wisdom to "serve the Lord;" not as slaves, but as freemen; yet with fear, even as Christ himself feared; for it is written "he was heard in that he feared" -who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name; for thou only art holy; he is greatly to be feared in the assembly of his saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him. "Kiss the Son." Be on terms of amity with him; despise not his goodness, he stretches out the hand of friendship, refuse not the proffered reconciliation; receive him as your prophet, to instruct and guide you— your priest to make reconciliation for your offences, and your king to rule over you in righteousness. 66 my Kiss the Son before he be angry." Now he waits to be gracious, as the Father waited for the return of his prodigal son. But there is a limit to the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering. "Because I called and ye refused, I stretched out my hand, and no man regarded, but ye despised all my counsel and would none of reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity and will mock when your fear cometh." of God before he be angry," for who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry; the wrath of the Lamb will be fearful in proportion as his love was great-all who have refused his love will be devoured by the fire of his jealousy. "Embrace the Son PSALM III. 1. Lord, how are they increased that trouble me? many are they that rise up against me. 2. Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. 3. But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. 4. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. 5. I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. 6. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about. 7. Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly. 8. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah. "Lord, how are they increased, that trouble me? many are they that rise up against me. "Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God." When Christ kept silence, and his bones waxed old through his roaring all the day long, there were not many to trouble him; but when he stood forth the champion for truth, and testified to the world. those things which he had heard of God; then the world hated both him and his Father; and ever as 16 CHRIST IS PERSECUTED. he went on with his testimony-and it became more widely spread, the more did his enemies augment in number and in virulence-for as the friendship of the world is enmity with God, so he who stands up as the friend of God, and the advocate for God's honour, must draw down the displeasure of the world on himself. This was especially true of Christ; the world hated him because he testified of it that the works thereof were evil: and their numbers increased daily-"they that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head." "A few hundreds at the most, adhered to him as a prophet sent from God; but what were they among so many? the masses were attracted by his miracles, and wondered; but they hated his doctrines because they were full of light, and made manifest the darkness which was in them. "They said there is no help for him in God." Persecute and take him, for there is none to deliver him: on the cross they exulted over him, saying, "There is no help for him in God let him deliver him, if he will have him, for he said, I am the Son of God." : "But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my God was to him a shield, an impenetrable shield behind which he was invulnerable; all the fiery darts of the enemy were powerless; and fell harmless from off his divine armour-The Father is the glory and the delight of the Son-"O God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee; my soul thirsteth for thee; my flesh longeth after thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is"-God is also "the lifter up of his head;" at his resurrection his head was lifted up, "and now shall mine head be lifted THE HILL OF ZION. 17 me; therefore up above mine enemies round about will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord." Thus saith God the Father," Because he hath set his love upon me therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high because he hath known my name." When his head was lifted up from death, then did he set him on high: far above all heavens that he might fill all things." "I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill." "Christ offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears"-he cried-he prayed earnestly; he lifted up the voice: he was urgent, and God heard him : his prayers entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth: he "heard him out of his holy hill." What "holy hill?" The eternal rest of God -the hill of Zion, to which he is not come as yet, nor will come, until the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our God and of his Christ; but the strong eye of faith contemplates the answer as coming even now from the place where he will for ever delight to dwell, and where he will be for ever the hearer of prayer. "I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me." The Shepherd of Israel doth not slumber nor sleep, now that he has received an incorruptible body; but in the days of his flesh he laid him down and slept; being in all things made like unto his brethren, yet without sin; he slept and his sleep was sweet unto him, for God gave his beloved sleep; whon |