The Pulpit Commentary — Micah — Section 127

leading elements in the soul of the persecutor. "My tears," said David, "have been my food day and night, while mine)nemiee continually say, Where is now thy God?" Again, "Mine enemies reproach, saying daily unto me, Where is thy God?" Again, "Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God?" How thie taunting spirit WBB shown in those who persecuted and put to death the Son of God ! "They that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, and saying, Thou that destroyest the .temple Bnd buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross ".(Matt. xxvii. 40). The taunting spirit is generally malific. It is fiendish, has in it the venom of hell. 'l'he taunting s:eirit is generally haughty. "Proud and haughty scorner is his name" (Prov. xxi. 24). The taunting spirit is generallf ignorant. He who deals in ridicule generally lacks the power of information and argument. ill. TREIB UTTER RUIN. "Now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the atreets.n There is a God that judges on the earth, and his retributive forces are ever on the heels of crime. The blood of martyrs cries to heaven, and stirs these forces to action. "How long, 0 Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood en them that dwell on the earth?" (Rev. vi. 10). "Avenge, O Lord, thy slaughtered saints, whose bones Lie scattered on the Alpine mountains cold ; Ev'n them who kept thy truth so pore of old, When all our fathers worshipped stocks and stones, Forget not : in thy book record their groans Who were thy sheep, and in their ancient fold Blain by the bloody Piedmontese that rolled Mother with infant down the rocks. Their moans The vales redoubled to the hills, and they To heaven. Their martyr'd blood and ashes sow O'er all th' Italian fields, where still doth sway The triple tyrant; that from these may grow • A hundredfold, who, having learned thy way, Early may fly the Babylonian woe." (Milton.) ·D.T. Vera. 11, 12.-~ good time coming. "In the day that thy walls-are to be built, In that day shall the decree be far removed. In that day also be shall come even to thee from Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain." The prophet here speaks in the name of Israel, and seems to exult in the expectation of the full restoration of Jerusalem. Her walls _would be rebuilt, and her scattered citizens would be gathered unto her from Assyria to Egypt, from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain. •• The most natural construction," says Henderson, "is that the decree of God respecting the political changes that were to take place was not to be confined to Babylon, but was to be extended to all the countries round abont Judrea, in conse- quence of which great numbers would become proselytes to the Jewish faith." The words may be used to iHustrate two things concerning the good time coming. I. IT WILL BE A TillE FOB REBUILDING THE RUINED, "In the day that thy walls are to be built." The walls of Jerusalem are referred ~he walls of fortification, .protection; these are to be. rebuilt. Daniel said that they were to be rebuilt in trouble- some times (Dan. ix. 26). There is, however, a more important rebuilding than this -a rebuilding that is going on, and will go on, until the great moral city shall be complete. 1. ~ human 11oul ia a bu.i1ding. It is a temple, a "spiritual house" reared as a residence for the Eternal, a home for the Holy Ghost to dwell in. It is "a city whose Builder and Maker is God." 2. The human sO'Ul ia a building in roina. The walls are broken down; Its columns, arches, roof, rooms, all in ruins. 3. The human ,oul l11 a bu.i"lding to be rebu.i1t. Christ is to be the Foundation-stone, etc. " Ye are built together for a. habitation of God through the Spirit" (Eph. ~i. 22). This rebuilding ls going on accordmg to a plan of the great moral Architect; 1s being worked out by agents that know nothing of the plan. It will be completed one day; the top-stone will be brought forth 011.e day, with shouts of" Grace, grace!" (Zech. iv. 7). This new JdlOAB. It 130 THE BOOK OF MICAH. [err. vu. 1-20.