The Pulpit Commentary — Micah — Section 126

and say, "Rejoice not against me, 0 mine enemy: when I fall I shall arise.• Though I am now down, I shall rise again. Blessed hope I ' "It whispers o'er tho orailled ohild F&et locked in peaceful sleep, Ere its pure soul is sin-beguiled, Ere sorrow bids it weep. .. It soothes the mother's ear with hope, Like swoot bells' silver chime, And bodies forth the unknown scope Of da.rk, mysterious Time I "'Tis beard in manhood's risen day, And nerves the soul to might, When life shines forth with fullest ray, Forewarning least of night. •-It speaks of noble ends to gain, A world to mend by love That tempers strength of haud and brain With softnesa of the dove. "It fa.Ila upon the aged ear Though deaf to human voice, And when man's evening closes drear, It bids him 1till rejoice. • It tells of bliss beyond the grave, The parted souls to thrill- The gnerdon of the truly brave Who fought the powers of ill." (Houaehold WOTdt.) D.T. Ver. 10.-Beligioua persecuton. "Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, ancl ahame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is the Lord thy God? mine eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets." "And may mine enemy see it, and shame cover her who hath said to me, Where is Jehovah thy God? Mine eyes will see it; now will she be for a treading down like mire in the streets• (Delitzsch). "Although, for example, God had given up his nation to the power of its enemies, the nations of the world, on account of its sins, so that they accomplished the will of God by destroying the kingdoms of Israel and Judah and carrying away the people into exile ; yet they grew proud of their own might in so doing, and did not recognize themselves as instruments of punishment in the hand of the Lord, but attributed their victories to the power of their own arm, and even aimed at the destruction of Israel with scornful defiance of the living God. Thus they violated the rights of Israel, so that the Lord was obLged to conduct the contest of his people with the heathen, and secure the rights of Israel by the overthrow of the heathen power of the world " (ibid.). The words present to us a few thoughts concerning rdigwua perBeCUtora. L TREIB HU.IULIATING VISION. "Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her." "See" what? The deliverance, the exaltation which God wrought for the victims. Few things are more painful to a malign nature than to witness the prosperity and happineBB of the object of its intense aversion. Every beam of delight in the hated one falls as fire on the soul-nerves of the hater. Witness Haman and Mordecai. It is destined that every ungodly persecutor shall witness one day the happiness of the godly whom he has tormented. The songs of the martyr shall fall on the ears of the human demons that forged his chains, kindled his fires, and tortured him when living. "There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrw!t out." Another thing in the passage presented to us conl_l4lrning religious persecutors is- ll TREIB TAUNTING SPIBIT. "Where is the Lord thy God?" Scom is one of the <lB, VII, 1-20,] THE BOOK OF MICAH. 129