Jesus Christ himself. Not even the highest angel could have that said of him, '* Thou art my Son ; this day have I begotten thee^:" and, as that august title was inapplicable to David, so it could never be said of him, that he had " the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession." Moreover, when it is considered, that the expression, " Kiss the Son," imported an act of divine worship ; and that to *' trust in" David would have been to give to a man the honour which was due to the Most High God alone %• it will be clear, that the psalm was intended to describe, not earthly, but heavenly things, even the reign of Messiah himself, " the Lord's Anointed." And of him the Jews before the coming of Christ interpreted this psalm ; as the Modern Jews are Constrained to acknowledge. Indeed it is manifest, that the Apostles understood it in this sense ; not only because immediately after the day of Pentecost they so interpret it"^, but because in their contro- versy with the Jews they quote it in this sense, and argue upon it as accomplished in Christ's victory over death and the grave ^ In reference to Christ then we will explain it, and shew,
I. The opposition that is made to him —
Christ is still, as formerly, opposed by all ranks and orders of men —
[No sooner was he born into the world than Herod sought to destroy him. During his ministry upon earth the attempts made upon his life were very numerous ; and it was only by repeated miracles that he was saved. When the time for his being delivered into the hand of sinners drew nigh, the whole Jewish nation, a& it were, rose up against him, to put him to death. His resurrection, and the descent of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost, were calculated to rectify the mistaken ap- prehensions of his enemies, and to disarm their malice : but no sooner was his Gospel preached by his Disciples, than the same opposition raged against them also, and every possible effort was made to suppress the rising sect : not even death itself in all its most tremendous forms was deemed too severe a punishment for those who professed to believe in Christ. In this opposition all ranks and orders joined : the learned Scribes, the self-righteous
Pharisees, •" Heb. i. 5. "= Jer. xvii. 5.
•* Acts iv. 23—27. * Acts xiii. 32, 33.