THE EXALTATION OF CHRIST A GROUND OF CONFIDENCE,
Ps. cxviii. 27, 28. God is the Lord which hath shewed 7is light : bind the sacrijice luith cords, even unto the horns of the altar. Thou art my God, and. I will praise thee ^ thou art my God, I will exalt thee.
HOWEVER plainly this psalm refers to David, we are sure that a greater than David is here. The words as applied to David, convey an exceedingly grand and important meaning. He had met with many obstacles in his advancement to the throne of Israel. Oftentimes had his life been sought by Saul : and since the death of Saul there vv^ere many formidable conspiracies against him. No sooner was he made king over Israel, than the Philistines sought, and that repeatedly, to destroy him''; and it was only through the special intervention of God himself that he was able to prevail against them. It appears that many other of the surrounding nations also conspired against him'' ; but through the same almighty power he was enabled to subdue them. At last, after more than seven years' opposi- tion from all the tribes of Israel', he was firmly fixed upon the throne, and ** the stone which had been so long rejected of the builders was made the head of
the
"2 Sara. V. 17, 18,22.
"^ ver. 10 — 12. Four times does he repeat, and, in the last, with a very expressive simile, '• They compassed me about." ^ 2 Sam. v. 4, S.
394 PSALMS, cxviii. 27, 28. [418.
the corner''." This event reflected great *'Hght" upon all God's purposes respecting him. Darkness had hung oyer him for a long period ; but it was now dispelled ; jmd he saw clearly these two important truths, That Gods counsel, by ivhomsoever opposed, shall stand; and, that they who trust in the Lord, however tried they may be, shall never be confounded.
But, as we said, A greater than David is here. It was generally acknowledged amongst the Jews themselves that David was a type of the Messiah, and that this psalm had an especial reference to him who was in due time to sit upon the throne of David. Hence the acclamations which were used by the people on the occasion of David's installation, were used by the Jews in reference to Christ^* and he vindicated their conduct in this particular^: and afterwards apptealed to this very psalm in confirmation of his predictions respecting his rejection by them, and his subsequent elevation to the throne of David ^. In like manner, after the death and resurrection of Christ, St. Peter, " when he was filled with the Holy Ghost," expressly applied to Christ this very passage, and affirmed in the presence of all the Rulers and Elders of Israel that it was accomplished in the exaltatic-n of that Jesus whom they had cru- cified''.
Now in this event, the exaltation of Christ to the throne of glory, God has indeed " shewed us light :" and it will be a profitable subject for our meditation at this time, if we consider,
I. The light which God has shewn us —
Previous to the resurrection of Christ, all was darkness : the Disciples themselves doubted whether they had not been deceived in their expectations respecting him.. But from that event, and his con- sequent ascension to the right hand of God, we learn infallibly,
]. The efficacy of his atonement^ —
[Had he not. risen, we might have conceived of him as a
great
* ver. 22. « Matt. xxi. 9. ' ib. ver. Iti.
* ib. ver. 42. •• Acts iv. 8, 11.
418.] CONFIDENCE FROM CHRISt's EXALTATION. 395
great Prophet indeed, but as nothing more than a prophet, who, like multitudes who had preceded him, sealed his doctrines with his own blood. But he had spoken of his death as a ransom to be paid for the souls of men : and how could we have known that that ransom was accepted, if his resurrection, which he himself taught his Disciples to look forward to as the proof and evidence of his acceptance, had not been effected. But when we see that he did rise from the dead, and did ascend to heaven in the presence of his Disciples, and did send down the Holy Spirit according to his word to bear testimony concerning him, there is no room left for doubt : we are perfectly sure that his offering was accepted of the Father, and that by his obedience unto death he has wrought out eternal redemption for us'.]