That it might not be supposed that a promise so strongly expressed and confirmed was fulfilled in Solomon, as if he hoped for, yet did not find it, he says, "But Thou hast cast off, and hast brought to nothing, O Lord."(2) This truly was done concerning the kingdom of Solomon among his posterity, even to the overthrow of the earthly Jerusalem itself, which was the seat of the kingdom, and especially the destruction of the very temple which had been built by Solomon.But lest on this account God should be thought to have done contrary to His promise, immediately he adds, "Thou hast delayed Thy Christ."(3) Therefore he is not Solomon, nor yet David himself, if the Christ of the Lord is delayed.For while all the kings are called His christs, who were consecrated with that mystical chrism, not only from king David downwards, but even from that Saul who first was anointed king of that same people, David himself indeed calling him the Lord's christ, yet there was one true Christ, whose figure they bore by the prophetic unction, who, according to the opinion of men, who thought he was to be understood as come in David or in Solomon, was long delayed, but who, according as God had disposed, was to come in His own time.The following part of this psalm goes on to say what in the meantime, while He was delayed, was to become of the kingdom of the earthly Jerusalem, where it was hoped He would certainly reign: "Thou hast overthrown the covenant of Thy servant; Thou hast profaned in the earth his sanctuary.Thou hast broken down all his walls; Thou hast put his strong-holds in fear.All that pass by the way spoil him; he is made a reproach to his neighbors.Thou hast set up the right hand of his enemies; Thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice.Thou hast turned aside the help of his sword, and hast not helped him in war.Thou hast destroyed him from cleansing; Thou hast dashed down his seat to the ground.Thou hast shortened the days of his seat; Thou hast poured confusion over him."(4) All these things came upon Jerusalem the bond woman, in which some also reigned who were children of the free woman, holding that kingdom in temporary stewardship, but holding the kingdom of the heavenly Jerusalem, whose children they were, in true faith, and hoping in the true Christ.But how these things came upon that kingdom, the history of its affairs points out if it is read.
CHAP.11.--OF THE SUBSTANCE OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD, WHICH THROUGH HISASSUMPTION OF
FLESH IS IN CHRIST, WHO ALONE HAD POWER TO DELIVER HIS OWN SOUL FROMHELL.
But after having prophesied these things, the prophet betakes him to praying to God; yet even the very prayer is prophecy:
"How long, Lord, dost Thou turn away in the end?"(5) "Thy face" is understood, as it is elsewhere said, "How long dost Thou turn away Thy face from me?"(6) For therefore some copies have here not "dost," but "wilt Thou turn away;" although it could be understood, "Thou turnest away Thy mercy, which Thou didst promise to David." But when he says, "in the end," what does it mean, except even to the end? By which end is to be understood the last time, when even that nation is to believe in Christ Jesus, before which end what He has just sorrowfully bewailed must come to pass.On account of which it is also added here, "Thy wrath shall burn like fire.Remember what is my substance."(7)This cannot be better understood than of Jesus Himself, the substance of His people, of whose nature His flesh is."For not in vain," he says, "hast Thou made all the sons of men."(8)For unless the one Son of man had been the substance of Israel, through which Son of man many sons of men should be set free, all the sons of men would have been made wholly in vain.But now, indeed, all mankind through the fall of the first man has fallen from the truth into vanity; for which reason another psalm says, "Man is like to vanity: his days pass away as a shadow;"(9) yet God has not made all the sons of men in vain, because He frees many from vanity through the Mediator Jesus, and those whom He did not foreknow as to be delivered, He made not wholly in vain in the most beautiful and most just ordination of the whole rational creation, for the use of those who were to be delivered, and for the comparison of the two cities by mutual contrast.Thereafter it follows, "Who is the man that shall live, and shall not see death? shall he snatch his soul from the hand of hell?"(1) Who is this but that substance of Israel out of the seed of David, Christ Jesus, of whom the apostle says, that "rising from the dead He now dieth not, and death shall no more have dominion over Him?"(2) For He shall so live and not see death, that yet He shall have been dead; but shall have delivered His soul from the hand of hell, whither He had descended in order to loose some from the chains of hell; but He hath delivered it by that power of which He says in the Gospel, "I have the power of laying down my life, and I have the power of taking it again."CHAP.12.--TO WHOSE PERSON THE ENTREATY FOR THE PROMISES IS TO BE UNDERSTOODTO
BELONG, WHEN HE SAYS IN THE PSALM, "WHERE ARE THINE ANCIENT COMPASSIONS, LORD?"ETC.
But the rest of this psalm runs thus: "Where are Thine ancient compassions, Lord, which Thou swarest unto David in Thy truth?
