description of the ransomed bride is applied by St. Paul to the Church, (Eph. v. 27.) where he says that Christ gave himself for her, "That he might present it to himself, (or place it by his side) a glorious church, not having spot, nor wrinkle, nor any such thing, but that it should be holy, and without blemish." Thus we may trace this sublime subject, from part to part of the inspired volume; prophet, psalmist and evangelist, all agreeing in the description of one and the same event. I am greatly inclined to regard the three following Psalms as several parts of one poem; certainly, they appear to relate to the same period, the time of the great marriage of the Lamb, (already described in the XLVth Psalm,) and the tumults and distresses which precede it. The XLVIth seems to be the very utterance of the church during those distresses. Great are the troubles and confusion which it narrates, the earth is being removed, and the mountains “carried into the heart of the seas," (margin,) the waters roar and are troubled, until the mountains shake with their swelling-" Then shall there be distress of nations with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring, men's hearts failing them for fear," is our Lord's own description of the same period, (Luke xxi. 25, 26,) and he adds, that "then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud, with power and great glory." The Psalmist exactly agrees with this; for he says, immediately after, that “God is in the midst of" His city, ("His feet shall stand upon the Mount of Olives," says Zechariah xiv. 4,) that He "shall help her, and that when the morning appeareth," for so the margin accurately renders it, and "the morning" is a term elsewhere employed for the time of the Saints' resurrection. We find also that "the heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved-He uttered His voice-the earth melted." Then the Church triumphs, and calls on men and angels to "behold the desolations He hath made in the earth." Near the close of this splendid song, Messiah Himself is heard, proclaiming His own Divinity and conquest-"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." The rescued Church replies, with exulting triumph. "The Lord of Hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge." The next Psalm continues the same subject, and seems expressly to be spoken by the converted Hebrew Church. She calls on all nations to sing and rejoice with her, for the triumphs Jehovah has wrought in her defence. He is now "king over all the earth," and shall subdue all nations to be subservient to His chosen people, whom He shall place permanently in their inheritance, "the excellency of Jacob, whom He loved,"-and to that holy hill He is "gone up with a shout, Jehovah with the voice of a trumpet." God is here described,' says Bishop Horsley, as returning to his ancient seat among the chosen people,'-and there He "reigneth over the heathen, God sitteth on the throne of His holiness; and the closing scene describes the princes of Israel as there gathered together before the Lord, in his glorious exaltation, and bowing to His supreme and sole authority. "The Lord alone shall be exalted in that day," says Isaiah, in the second chapter of his prophecy: a passage which forcibly describes the restoration of the Jewish nation, and the opening of the Millennial period. The XLVIIIth Psalm we might well suppose to be the triumphant song of the Gentile Church, at the same time; as it contains no intimation of being spoken by Israelites, but exhorts Mount Zion and the daughters of Judah to be glad, because of the Lord's judgments. The writer also speaks of walking about Jerusalem, as strangers might do, newly come thither, to view its strong towers and bulwarks, after its siege by the assembled kings, and to admire the beauty of its situation, (verses 2, 4, 8, 12, 13.) Indeed, after declaring the greatness of its Divine Deliverer, the first thing noticed is this beauty of the city; and its northern side is pointed out as being peculiarly sacred to “the great King." This indeed, has caused some difficulty; as the Temple, which would seem most likely to be here intended, was at the eastern side of Jerusalem, as any map will show. The assembling of the kings against Jerusalem, their sudden dispersion,-(parallel to Psalm xlvi. 6. before quoted, and to numerous other passages,)— the destruction of certain ships, to which probably these kings flee for refuge after their defeat, the eternal establishment of God's city, and the general praise and joy, admiration, and holy confidence expressed by His people, whether Jewish or Gentile, are the contents of this splendid Psalm, which seems to sum up the whole siege and deliverance of Jerusalem in one song of glorious triumph. X. Q. AMONG my papers, I have found some remarks relating to the INSCRIPTION ON THE CROSS: they were sent to me by a friend, (a Captain of the Navy) and were penned, I believe, by a friend of his residing in Jersey. They have, it appears, been published elsewhere; but, as the explanation seems to be so well grounded, as instructive as it is just; and as it is possible that many of the readers of the Christian Lady's Magazine may not have seen it, I have ventured to take the liberty of placing them at your disposal. That it may please HIM, “who is the WORD, and who was made flesh and dwelt among us;" whom the Prophet Isaiah, (chap. liii.) declared should be despised and rejected of men,............should be wounded for our transgressions,............and bruised for our iniquities,............who should be oppressed and afflicted ............who should be brought as a Lamb to the slaughter,.........and make His grave with the wicked,.........who should be numbered with the transgressors, bear the sins of many, and make intercession for the transgressors; " and of whom the PSALMIST also prophesied......" They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture." Psalm xxii. I say, may it please HIM, by the influences of His Holy Spirit, to cause the accompanying memoranda to be instrumental in drawing the attention of our ELDER BRethren, now sojourning among us, to those events which were witnessed, recorded and handed down, BY THEIR OWN KINSMEN in the flesh; so that like Philip (in John i. 45.), they may be able to exclaims. "We have found HIM of whom MOSES in the Law, and the Prophets did write, JESUS OF NAZARETH, the Son of Joseph." And with NATHANAEL also.-"RABBI, thou art the SON OF GOD, thou art the KING OF ISRAEL." Believe me, to remain, dear Madam, ever faithfully yours, HENRY Downes, Com. R. N. Ladbroke Terrace, Kensington. THE INSCRIPTION ON THE CROSS. The inscription on the Cross is recorded in somewhat different words, by the different Evangelists:Mark. The King of the Jews. Luke. This is the King of the Jews. Matthew.-This is Jesus the King of the Jews. |