1. To the Church—
[She had found to her joy what care God takes of his people : and she confidently declared, that that care should be extended to all his saints, even to the end of time. Their adversaries might lay snares for their feet ; bvit he would "keep their feet ; " he would " keep them from falling, and present them faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding
joy'^" On the other hand, his adversaries should
assuredly be confounded by him : however they might vindi- cate themselves now, they should soon "be silent in darkness;" and though now they might defy him, as it were, to his face, he would thunder upon them out of heaven, and utterly, yea eternally, destroy them ]
2. To the Church's King, the Messiah himself —
[As yet there had been no king in Israel ; nor was there for fifty years afterwards : and therefore it is reasonable to think that she spake of Him, whose throne was in due time to be erected iu the hearts of men, even the Lord Jesus Christ. This further appears from her characterising him by the very name Messiah, a name never before assigned to the king of Israel, but henceforth intended to designate him before ah others ; the Messiah, the Anointed, and the Christ, bemg all terms of precisely the same import. That she spake of Him, yet further appears by the marked resemblance between this song, and that which the blessed Virgin poured forth at the prospect of the Saviour's birth '^. His triumph then she firmly predicts ; and declares that his kingdom shall be extended even to " the ends of the earth." Many efforts will be made to prevent its establishment in the world ; but none shall prevail : " his horn shall be exalted," and all his enemies shall perish.
It may be asked, What had this to do with the particular occasion of Hannah's thanksgiving ? I answer, It is this very thing which constitutes in a very great degree the beauty of this song, and that marks the effects of ardent piety upon the soul : a single mercy, like a stream, leads the soul up to the Fountain-head : and it is then only improved aright, when we take occasion from it to contemplate the fulness that is treasured up there, and that is diffusing all possible blessings, temporal and spiritual, throughout the world : and, inasmuch as the universal reign of Christ is that which will bring most glory to God and most good to men, it ought ever to be uppermost in our minds ; and every mercy we enjoy should lead us ulti- mately to the contemplation of it.]
We may learn then from hence,
« Jude, ver. 24. ^ Luke i, 46 — 55.