TT DIN Muy), nă'ăsěh ādhām betsălmēnū—we will make man in our image, &c., where the plur. majestalis appears in the verb. (3.) This interpretation agrees also with the contents of the prophecy. It does not contradict verse 3, where the later temple is said to be "as nothing" in comparison of the former. Compare Ezra iii. 12. It allows the inferiority in respect of material splendour of the second temple. But while allowing this, it still discovers how "the glory of this latter house" was to become "greater than of the former." It was to occur, as the prophet Malachi indicates, by means of the advent into “this latter house" of the Lord-the Messiah-"the messenger of the covenant." Hence the exultant promise contained in verse 4—a promise which was to console the children of the captivity for the visible inferiority of the second temple. It was thus that God would "fill this house with glory" (verse 7); for though it might lack the presence of the shekinah, yet it was to witness the presence of Him who was, as the aged Simeon with the infant Saviour yet in his arms, exclaimed, "to be a light to lighten the Gentiles, and to be the glory of his people Israel." With this interpretation, too, the magnificent exordium of the prophet is in perfect and beautiful harmony, as seen in 6th and 7th verses. The commotions and upheavals therein described, but fitly preluded the advent of the eternal Word-the King of Glory-the only begotten Son of the Father. And if it is pretended, as Rosenmüller and Maurer affirm, that the temple which witnessed the presence of Christ was not the second but a third, it is enough to reply with Grotius that it was never customary with the Jews to speak of a third temple, but that such structure at Jerusalem, from the circumstance that Herod's temple was a restoration, not a reconstruction-was commonly, from the time of Zerubbabel to that of Vespasian, designated the second temple.* (4). This interpretation requires no arbitrary construction of the succeeding genitive, as in the exegeses of Hitzig and Maurer. (5.) This interpretation aptly harmonises with the particu *De Verit. Rel. Christianæ, lib. v., cap. 14. lar verb and the particular form of the verb employed in the text. (6.) With this interpretation agrees, moreover, the remarkable promise contained in verse 9-a promise occurring in close logical and grammatical connexion with the alleged superior "glory of this latter house." "The glory of this latter house," we there read, "shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts; and in this place [Dippa, übhěmāgōm] will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts. "Here the LORD of hosts was to manifest Himself in the second temple, and that too in the act of giving peace. How was this fulfilled? It was fulfilled when Jehovah in the person of the Messiah appeared in that temple publishing salvation-proclaiming the new covenant -the covenant of peace, of which, as Malachi had said (iii. 1) He was messenger." This was the view of Grotius, as may be seen in the passage above cited. "the Taking the passage then as prophetic of the Messiah in agreement with the opinion of the Jews and of the best Christian commentators, it is found as a whole to be perfectly coherent and self-consistent. This is in fact the only interpretation which the prophecy will admit. But once deprive it of its Messianic reference, and, as we have shown, the most hopeless confusion is introduced. Indeed the circumstance is not to be overlooked that the interpreters who deny to this passage a Messianic reference, are not agreed what meaning to substitute in the place of that which they have sought to overturn. Nay, not only are they not agreed, but they are absolutely in antagonism. Hitzig refutes Maurer; and Maurer in turn refutes Hitzig; while both by their erroneous exegesis are in open contradiction of the contents of the prophecy and the facts of history. The passage, we maintain then, is Messianic-clearly and indisputably Messianic. Our authorized version has expressed its meaning with sufficient accuracy. And we may remain assured that upon this point at the least modern research need not for a moment unsettle our faith. Memel, Prussia. DR. CLARK, M.A., F.R.A.S., The Preacher's Finger-Post. THE WELL-BEING OF HUMANITY UPON CHRIST. "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church; and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore, as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Hus bands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word; that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies: he that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth it, and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones."-Ephes. v. 23-30. EXEGETICAL remarks on this passage will be found in another part of this number under the heading of "Ideal Matrimony." The mutual duties of wife and husband form the subject of this passage, and this subject we shall discuss in our next number. But the subject which we shall now employ the words to illustrate is, "The vital connection of Christ with the well-being of humanity." The words indicate several things that shew this. What are they? I. HIS SPIRITUAL RULERSHIP. "Christ is the Head of the Church. There is no spiritual redemption in the case, either of the individual, the country, or the race, where there is not a thorough submission to the will of Christ as the moral master of souls. In the experience of every saved man He is "the Head." He is the animating, guiding, controlling Spirit. He brings into captivity every thought to Himself. The submission must be First Voluntary. All will be forced one day to submit to Him. His enemies shall be made His footstool. : Secondly Entire. There must be the surrender of all the powers of the soul. Thirdly Continuous. Not occasional, but perpetual. There is no well-being for man without this submission. Another thing in the text concerning Christ, which is essential to man's well-being, is II. HIS SELF SACRIFICE. "Christ loved the Church, and gave Himself for it." "He gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world.” "He gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity." Everywhere does Holy Writ ascribe redemption to the self-sacrificing love of Christ. His self-sacrifice,— First: Was disinterested. Human history furnishes instances of self-sacrifice made for selfish purposes and ends. Not so with Christ. He had nothing personal to gain by it. His was heroic and magnanimous in the highest degree. "I lay down my life for the sheep; no man taketh it from me; I lay it down of myself." His self-sacrifice, Secondly: Was divine. All disinterested acts are not divine. Christ's sacrifice was according to the divine will, and by the divine will. "Lo, I come to do thy will, oh God." There never has been any spiritual redemption without this. This self-sacrifice of Christ is that which gives the Gospel power to subdue souls to His beneficent rule. Another thing in the text concerning Christ, which is essential to man's well-being, is cribed to the blood of Christ? Yes. "The blood of Jesus Christ His son cleanseth us from all sins." "Unto Him that washed us from our sins in His own blood." But what is this blood of Christ but His self-sacrificing love, and what is the Gospel but the embodiment and revelation of this self-sacrifice. There is no contradiction, therefore. The Gospel is the blood of Christ. His blood circulates through all the veins of the great body of Christian truth. Observe here Secondly: The completeness of this cleansing. "That He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.' Without spot. Not the shadow of a stain of sin remaining. Without wrinkle. No indication whatever of age, but possessing the plumpness and bloom of youth. Without "blemish." No defect in any part, but morally perfect. "A glorious Church." Redeemed humanity, when perfected, He presents to Himself; He brings it near to Him, and exhibits its moral loveliness to the eye of an admiring universe. "So shall they be ever of the Lord." Another thing in the text concerning Christ, which is essential to the well-being of man is nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the Church." "Nourisheth it and cherisheth it." The redeemed live on Him. He is to them the water of life, the bread that came down from heaven. To them "His flesh is meat indeed, His blood is drink indeed." The flesh and blood mean, of course, His life. And what was the life of Christ? Self-sacrificing love; and it is only as a man takes this into him that he gains those two things which food supplies- strength and satisfaction. Without self-sacrificing love no man is either that which binds Christ to the redeemed, and the redeemed to Him. The connection is closer than that which binds the limbs of men together. His disciples have suffered the mangling, the amputation, and even the burning of their limbs in consequence of their attachment to Him. CONCLUSION. The moral restitution of the world is essentially connected with Christ, and it is folly to expect the event apart from Him. Philosophy, science, civilization, these are powerless to effect man's spiritual deliverance and be for ever damned without Christ. morally strong or morally satis-true elevation. The world must fied. Selfishness makes souls weak and discontented in all worlds. "He nourisheth and cherisheth it." Aye, with more than a mother's love, with more than monarch's bounty. Another thing in the text concerning Christ which is essential to the well-being of man is V. HIS VITAL IDENTIFICATION. "We are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones." This means more than that He was the partaker of our nature, for He was "bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh," and in this we rejoice. It means His vital nearness and constant sympathy. He feels that what is done for or against the least of His redeemed ones, is done for or against Himself. Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? No attachment is so strong as 66 MAN HIS BIRTH, DEATH, AND RESURRECTION. "Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die."-1 Cor. xv. 36. WITHOUT offering any preliminary remarks concerning the contents of this wonderful chapter, I shall take the verse as suggesting the great facts of man's existence. I. MAN'S BIRTH. The text suggests, I do not say it was intended to teach, that man's birth is a sowing of his existence in the earth. The sowing of the grain of which the apostle speaks is not, I think, so analogous to the burial of his body as to the birth of his existence. The sowing of the grain takes place before its death. It dies after it is sown. |