[The Psalms were in the Apostle's days arranged in the same order as they now stand. And the scope of the second Psalm is to declare the triumph of Jesus over all his enemies by means of his resurrection from the grave, and of his con- sequent exaltation to the right hand of God. And he might well be said to be " begotten " in the day of his resurrection, because he was then formed anew, as it were, from the earth.]
It is confirmed also by many other passages that predict the same truth —
[As it was fore-ordained by God, so it was foretold in a variety of ways. Sometimes it was exhibited in types a, and sometimes in prophecies'5. In one Scripture, not quoted in- deed in this place, but cited no less than six times in the New Testament, this marvellous event was predicted in terms so plain that none could misunderstand it, who did not obstinately shut their eyes against the truth0.]
We must not however suppose this to be an unin- teresting fact : for the Apostle further speaks of it,
II. As glad tidings to the soul —
To the disconsolate Disciples the tidings of Christ's resurrection were doubtless exceeding joyful. But they ought to be no less so to us, since that event ascertains,
1. The virtue of his sacrifice —
[Had he not risen, his death had been in vaind. We could have had no evidence that our debt was discharged, if our Surety had not been liberated from the prison of the grave. But his resurrection clearly proved that he had satisfied the demands of law and justice, and it thereby affords us a ground of assured hope, and triumphant exultation e.]
2. The sufficiency of his power —
a Isaac, being put to death, as it were, by his own father, was received again from the dead in a figure, Heb. xi. 19. Jonah was raised again on the third day from the belly of a fish, Matt. xii. 39, 40. The living bird that was let loose after having been dipped in the blood of the bird that had been slain, represented Jesus as ascending to heaven with his own blood, Lev. xiv. 51, 53. with Heb. ix. 12.
b ver. 34, 35. with Isai. lv. 3. which certainly must include the resurrection of him that was to lie " the leader and commander;" and Ps. xvi. 10. which is so largely commented upon by St. Peter, Acts ii. 25 — 31.
c Ps. cxviii. 22, with Luke xx. 17. d 1 Cor. xv. 14, 17, 18.
e Rom. iv. 25. and viii. 34.