doms of Edom and Moab. This was fulfilled in David, who subjugated the Moabites, and slew every male in Edomf.
But there can be no doubt of its ultimately referring to Christ himself. Christ is called in Scripture " the Day-star," "the bright and morning Star ;" nor did ever any one arise with splendour comparable to his. He too sat upon the throne of his father David, and exercised unlimited dominion. The children of Edom and Moab may be justly considered as representing the enemies of his Church and people. These he subdues and will finally destroy ; not one shall live before him : " he will reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet." Doubts have arisen whether by " Sheth" we are to understand that son of Adam, whose posterity alone survived the flood; or some person or place of eminence in Moab ; (which on the whole is the more probable) but in both senses the prediction was equally fulfilled in Christ, who " has the heathen for his in- heritance and the utmost ends of the earth for his possession." Him then did Balaam see, as Abraham also had seen four hun- dred years before, but not, alas ! with Abraham's joyful hope. Of his victorious career he spake, saying, " I shall see him, but not now ; I shall behold him, but not nigh."]
Having ascertained the import of the prophecy, let us consider,
II. The improvement to be made of it —
1. Let us be thankful for its accomplishment —
[We have not to look forward at the distance of fifteen centuries ; nor yet to travel, like the Eastern Magi, through trackless deserts, to behold the Lord. We see him " now ,-" we behold him " nigh." We have not to go up to heaven, to bring him down, or to go down into the deep, to bring him up. No : he is nigh unto us, even in the word of faith which we have both in our hands and our hearts g. Truly he is not only arisen on our benighted world, but, if it be not our own fault, " he is arisen in our very hearts11," so that " we behold his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of his Father, full of grace and truth1."
We see his " dominion" already established in the world*. From the hour in which he sent down his Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost even to the present moment, has his kingdom been extending over the face of the earth : and the hour is fast approaching when " all kings shall fall down before him, and all nations shall serve him1," and " all the kingdoms of the
f 2 Sam. viii. 2, 14. Ps. lx. 8. 1 Kings xi. 15, 16.
s Rom. x. 6—8. h 2 Pet. i. 19. ! John i. 14.
k ver. 19. i Ps. lxxii. 8—11.