An awful verse, this! But oh! how tremendously awful when fulfilled. The seed of the serpent, all along, are thus described. John 8:44. And, Reader, do remark the dreadful punishment, in the desire of the wicked perishing. The very desire of such, be it what it may, shall be their misery. Oh! who can calculate the extent of that sin, and that misery connected with it, of despising Christ; the one, the only one ordinance of heaven for sinners! There is salvation in no other. The neglect of it, and the despising of it, brings on finally, in the soul, wonder, and perishing. Acts 13:41; Acts 13:41
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PRECIOUS Jesus! while my soul unceasingly beholds thee, in thy divine nature, as one with the Father, over all, God blessed forever, give me grace, in the perusal of sweet scriptures, like this psalm, to behold thee with an equal delight, as the man, the very man, Christ Jesus. For hadst thou not condescended to leave the bosom of the Father, and taken upon thee the nature of man, never could my poor nature have been taken into the family of God in Christ, and been made a child of God by adoption and by grace. It was thy wonderful undertaking that first led to this hope. Thou, becoming a very man, in order to become the sinner's Surety, and in the holiness of thy nature fulfilling all righteousness, and satisfying both thy Father's law and justice in our place and room: this, and this, alone, created hope and confidence in the souls of thy people. Lost as they all were in themselves, and totally incapable of doing one act of perfect obedience towards God, yet when in the same nature thou camest to fulfil all righteousness, and became sin for us, when thou knewest no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in thee; here faith, taught by the Holy Ghost, was encouraged to look up, and to see how God can be just and yet the justifier of poor ungodly sinners, who believe in Jesus. Yes, blessed Lord, in thee we behold a suitable righteousness, a complete, a covenant, an everlasting righteousness! And what endears it to every true believer's heart, is, that this righteousness is our own in thee; for thou art our Husband, our Head, our Surety, our Jesus. God our Father hath declared himself well pleased in thee; and thy people are beheld and accepted in thee. It is thou thyself, blessed Jesus, hast said it: the word is gone out of thy mouth, neither wilt thou have it to return: thou hast said that thou art one with thy people, and they one with thee; and that the world may know that the Father hath loved them, as the Father hath loved thee! And shall not my soul everlastingly rejoice in knowing thee, and loving thee, as the man Christ Jesus? Shall not I unceasingly behold thee, in thy one person, God and Man united? And shall not I sing this sweet psalm, beginning with Hallelujah, because Jesus, the God-man, hath feared the Lord, and greatly delighted in his commandments; because his seed shall be mighty in his might, and righteous in his righteousness; and because Jesus will cause them to inherit substance, and fill all their treasures? Oh blessed, forever blessed! be the Lord Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for Jesus Christ.