Psalm Vol. 1 - College Press

PSALM-SIXTY-NINE
cast the terrible “accursed” which he knew he should have to
utter when he should sit as king on his throne of glory (Mat.
25:41). And, finally, “the wrath of the Lamb,” in its partial
unveiling, is seen in the Apocalypse to strike apprehensive con-
sternation into the hearts of men who would if they could hide
themselves ifrom its terrors (Rev, 6:16, 17). So that, when we
declare that the spirit of Christ is opposed to imprecations on
the doers of wrong, this statement needs to be brought under
the regulative restriction : That the Messiah in his humiliation,
while as yet he was learning obedience by the things that he
suffered (Heb. 2:lO) might not curse, and did not; but that,
when released by his Father from that severe course of discipline,
his “love of righteousness and hatred of lawlessness,~’ may and
must so flame forth that “his own right hand shall teach him
fearful things” (Ps. 46:4). Whether as it is now with him so
it will hereafter be with us, when vested with immortal strength
to bear so weighty a responsibility, may to same minds seem
speculative and doubtful, and in any case probably remains to
be seen. Ideally considered, it might seem fitting that, even to
the Church, regarded as the Bride of the Lamb, should NOT
be given the work of inflicting punishment on offenders, nor
even be assigned the duty of offering prayers for its infliction;
but, if not to Christians as such, yet almost certainly to Hebrews,
there is in store a prerogative of vengeance of which the most
formidable of Gentile nations might do well to stand in fear.
Anything more solemnly admonitory in that direction than Ps.
149 cannot well be conceived ; seeing that therein Jehovah’s
very “men ‘of kindness” are taught that it will be nothing less
than a splendid service which they shall render when they are
commissioned to-
“Let extollings of God be in their throats,
And a two-edged sword be in their hand;
To execute an avenging on the nations,
(To inflict) chastisements on the peoples;
To bind their kings with chains,
And their honorables with fetters of iron,-
To execute upon them the sentence written.”
Let Turkey beware! Let Russia beware! And let us British
Christians learn to respedt and not be wholly ashamed of the
punitive element in our Holy Oracles.
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