"liver him, if he willeth [to deliver] him! "For He said, I am THE SON OF GOD." Matt, xxvii. 43. And his last words were expressive of the highest trust and confidence: "FATHER, into thy hands I commit

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my spirit!" Luke xxiii. 46, applying to himself that noble prophetic Psalm xxxi. in which this ejaculation is found, ver. 5; and proving, that his former apparent despondency, at the beginning of his torture, “My "GOD, MY GOD, why hast thou forsaken "me!" was chiefly meant to call the attention of the by-standers to the remarkable accomplishment of the minutest circumstances of the MESSIAH's sufferings, forer told in the 22d Psalm; of which, according to the usual mode of citation among the Jews, he recites only the leading words.

2. Our Lord, upon all occasions, was solicitous to declare his dependance upon GÓD: -“Why callest thou ME good? There is

none good but one, that is GOD." Matt. xix. 17. " Verily, verily, I say unto you, THE "SON can do nothing of himself." John v. 19.

"Of myself I do nothing." John viii, 28.MY FATHER is greater than I." John xiv. 28.—“ MY FATHER, who hath given them

[my sheep] to me, is greater than all." John x. 29. Go to my brethren, and say "unto them, I am going to ascend to MY "FATHER and your Father, and MY GOD "and your God." John xx. 17. thus calling THE DEITY HIS GOD AND FATHER, in a distinct and more excellent sense: Πατερα ιδιον ισον ἑαυτον ποιων τῷ Θεῷ. "HIS PECULIAR "FATHER, making himself equal [or like] "to THE GOD," as the unbelieving Jews objected, John v. 18.-N. B. for the new reading, 'ns, "I said," see De Rossi.

S. The "saints upon earth, in whom was "his delight and glory," were his chosen disciples, whom he condescended to style "his friends" and "his brethren." See his inimitably tender and affectionate consolation, and pathetic prayer to GOD for their support and guidance, in the arduous and perilous office of his heralds, or ambassadors, to an apostate world, in his solemn farewell address the night before his crucifixion, John xvii. 6-22. " HOLY FATHER, preserve in thy name those whom Thou hast given to

.

me [out of the world, ver. 6], that they may "be one [or united together], according as

" WE

"WE. While I was along with them in "the world, I preserved them in thy name: <<those whom thou hast given to me I pro"tected, and none of them is lost, save the "son of perdition [Judas], that the Scrip"ture might be fulfilled."-" I ask not that "thou wouldst take them out of the world, "but that thou wouldst preserve them from "the wicked."

Such were" the true Israelites, in whom "there was no guile," aptly compared to "babes" in simplicity; and for whose proficiency in divine wisdom OUR LORD "rejoiced in spirit," Matt. xi. 26, Luke x. 21. "I I thank thee, O FATHER, Lord of Hea

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ven and Earth, because thou hast hidden "these [mysteries] from the Wise and Intelligent, and hast revealed them to babes!” Compare Isa. v. 21, John ix. 41, Matt. xxiii. 26, 2 Cor. iv. 3, and iii. 14, 1 Cor. i. 1823, and iii, 19.

N. B. In the third verse, the original term 81, Ve-A-diri, seems to be incorrectly rendered by Montanus," et inclytis,” and by our public translation," and the ex"cellent;" or, according to the paraphrase

1

of

of the Bishops and Geneva Bible, " And"such as excel in virtue;" as if it were in apposition to 'p", likdoshim," to the "saints," mentioned before; in which case it should have been written in the plural form, "", Ve-Adirim: whereas it is plainly in apposition to "On Hhephetsi after, correctly rendered by Montanus,“ voluntas "mea;" and by the translations, "

my delight," and should therefore be rendered (according to the customary parallelism of Hebrew poetry)" my glory."-A rendering confirmed by De Rossi's invaluable collations, thus:

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Agiogr. Neapol. 7, aptissimo sensu, “ magnificentia vel gloria mea ; omnisque ob"lectatio mea, in ipsis."

4. With his chosen saints," THE MESSIAH beautifully contrasts the apostates, who forsake God and HIS CHRIST; whose punishment he predicts, and whose unhallowed libations or sacrifices he disdains to offer up to heaven as their High Priest; or to include their names in his intercessions before the throne of grace for his true votaries. And thus OUR LORD, John xvii. 9,

"I pray

"I pray for them, I pray not for the world "but for those whom Thou hast given to

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me; because they are thine: and all mine

are thine, and thine, mine; and I will be glorified in them."-Thus establishing and explaining, I trust, the foregoing emendation

my glory."

5 and 6. Here THE MESSIAH is supposed to anticipate, in prospect, the glorious extension of his kingdom, or spiritual sovereignty, throughout the earth, on his second coming, in triumph, at the resurrection of the just; as distinguished from the general resurrection, at the end of the world.

7. This verse is expressive of the MESSIAH's thankfulness for the divine communication, which he received from the FATHER OF LIGHTS and FOUNTAIN OF ALL WISDOM: and accordingly, from his childhood, JESUS increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with Gob and man; so that all were astonished at his understanding and answers;" and in his manhood, "uttered 66 THE ORACLES OF THE DEITY;" for at his solemn baptismal inauguration, "GoD gave him THE [HOLY] SPIRIT immea:

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