was bid to "ask the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost ends of the earth for a possession?" How is it applicable to David, "kiss ye the son, least he be angry, and ye perish from the way; when once his wrath is kindled but a little, blessed are all they who put their trust in him?" Ps.2.12.

Although in the 72d psalm the nearer image, or Solomon, appears first on the scene, yet without naming him, how insensibly does a greater than Solomon step forth into view? The rays with which he comes adorned, bespeak his high origin, and proclaim him to be a divine person. Of him, and not of Solomon, it could be affirmed," they shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure through all generations." "..

Thus God chose Mount Zion at Jerusalem, and it was for several ages the places of his visible

* This is evidently another name for Paradise. It is what the schoolmen term in via, as referring to a still higher abode. The religion of Christ, as leading to this, is in a subordinate sense termed also the the way. The language of the royal Psalmist places this out of all doubt. "Blessed are the perfect of the way, who walk in the law of Jehovah; blessed are the keepers of his testimonics, who seek him with the whole heart, surely they work no iniquity, they walk in his ways." Psal. cxix./-3 In the second psalm, "to perish from the way," is to be excluded out of Paradise. With an eye to this (Tamime-derec) perfect of the way. St. Paul says, "until we all come unto e perfect man." Ephes. iv. 13.

glory; but unless it reflected the other Zion, how could it be affirmed of it, " this is my rest, and here for ever," i. e. le-olam, through the hidden period, "will I dwell," now that this Zion has lain a heap of ruins for many ages? Ps.132.14.

When we are told that "the ransomed of the Lord were to return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads;" this, by the hasty commentator, may be viewed as receiving its accomplisment in the return of the Jews from Babylon to their native land. But (it is the remark of Dr. Lowth), here are some things which are too elevated and bold to be applicable to a few thousand exiles, permitted to return to their pa ternal homes. They might return from Babylon with joy, which is more than appears upon the face of the history: but how could this be termed an everlasting joy? They might be happy in their release, as being thereby freed from many hardships which lay heavy on them, while they were under the victor's chain; but surely no state into which they could be brought, could admit it to be said that they had obtained joy and gladness, and that sorrow and sighing were fled away. On the contrary, if we admit the second, or allegorical sense, how perspicuous and noble, how apt and expres sive the ascriptions! This is the view in which the Jews of after ages understood it. In the Babylonian Talmud it is said, "this belongs to the future

age."

age.

Even the Chaldee paraphrast expresses it, as understanding the ultimate gathering of the Jews, for he speaks of a joy that shall never ceasé, and the cloud of glory obumbrating their heads.

In this return to Zion, the original presents a beauty of description, which is not so obvious in the translation. It conveys this sense: the ransomed of the Lord shall come to Paradise, amidst the joyous acclamations of other happy spirits. The sorrowing and sighing of friends which assailed their ears in the hour of departure, have now died away, and in their room has succeeded (Simhath-Olam) the harmony of Paradise. " "They shall be brought," says the Chaldee, on verse 15, of the 45th psalm, "with joy and with songs, and they shall enter into the temple of the King of ages." Such celestial welcome is also mentioned by Christ. "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."Mas.21,23. 2dly. We give a passage in which the Zion at Jerusalem seems to be entirely excluded. In the 102d psalm, written, it would appear, during the captivity in Babylon; the building of Zion is promised, and then its finishing ornament, the appearing of Jehovah in glory. By this expression, 16 evidently alluding to its first finishing by Solemon, when the bright cloud descended and covered the mercy-seat. But this will in no sense suit the rebuilding of the temple by Nehemiah, for the She

chinah,

chinah, or divine glory, never returned to it. Neither will it apply to the advent of Messiah in the human nature, because this cannot be termed an appearing in glory, inasmuch as his appearance then was every way the reverse of this; "his vissage being more marred than any man, and his form more than the sons of men."

When many of the aged priests and Levites, who had seen the first temple, wept at the erection of the second, as falling far below the first in majesty and beauty of architecture; they were told by way of comfort, that "the glory of the Hag. 2.9 latter house was to be greater than that of the

former." But it has, I apprehend, been generally overlooked, that in a scriptural sense, there was no second temple at Jerusalem. The rebuilding of that structure by Nehemiah, and the splendid additions of Herod, did not consitute it a second. This was merely a continuation of the first. No plainer proof need be required of this than that the old or Mosaic dispensation remained the same during the whole period of Messiah's continuance upon earth. His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascent into heaven, form the concluding period of the first temple, and laid the foundation of the second, termed the latter house, when a new order of things was to take placea spiritual house-spiritual victims---a high priest abiding continually--a new Holy of Holies-a

new

new veil separating it from the outer court-new worshippers, not worshipping in the oldness of the letter, but in the newness of the spirit. In all these particulars of the latter house, there was a glory infinitely transcending that of the first house. This is the temple which is now in building, the glory of which the Man termed the Branch or the Rising, is to bear and to sit on his throne. This "7. building, in the progress of the ages, is receiving perpetual increment, in the gradual and unceasing accession of souls: it is growing, the walls are rising apace into a holy temple; and to express its being withdrawn from mortal view, it is said to be (en Kurio) in the Lord.

The beauty of the first temple, as it lay in costly stones, and in a profusion of gold and silver, caught indeed the eye of the disciples of Jesus, as a glory meriting to be contemplated and admired; but not.so that of their master: he himself, with the new train of things which followed, was to constitute the glory of the latter house, and not the dead and fading lustre of the fairest materials of earth. He soon gave a check to their mistaken exultations, by assuring them that the structure which so strongly drew their admiration, would in a little time vanish quite from the face of the earth.

That this temple and Zion are the same, it is evident from the place which Messiah occupies,