Millen[n]ium. No. XII.
Continued from page 54.
In the 144 Ps. we have a most glorious description given of the reign of Christ on the earth, from the 4th verse to the close of the chapter.
"Bow the heavens, O Lord, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them. Send thy hand from above, rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children; whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood. I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltry and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praise unto thee. It is he that giveth salvation unto kings: who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword.—Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood: That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner-stones, polished after the similitude of a palace: that our garners may be full, affording all manner of store; that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets: that our oxen may be strong to labor; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets. Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord." (or whose God the Lord Jehovah is.)
A more blessed state of earthly society, than is here described by the Psalmist, is not easily conceived of; an order of things when complaining shall have ceased, and be heard in the streets no more. We can readily conceive that when all complaining shall cease, there will be a very different order of society, from what there is at present, or ever was since the world began; for there never has been a time up to the present state, but there has been complaining in the streets.
This account, however agrees with what John says, in the Revelations 21:3,4: "And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall their be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."
David and John, both seem to have had their eyes fixed on a state of society very different from any which had existed up till their day, or from theirs to the present; but one that will come when the Lord shall bow the heavens and come down, and touch the mountains, and they shall smoke, and the tabernacle of God be with men, and when the Lord shall have rid David (or Israel) from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood. In the above quotation the Psalmist gives us the whole order of things which tend to the establishing of this glory on earth, when complaining will be heard no more.
And first it is to begin with the Lord's bowing the heavens and coming down. See 5 verse. Secondly, after he comes he is to deliver his people out of great waters, and from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood, verses 7, 8 and 11. The consequences following from the Lord's coming down, and delivering his people from the hand of strange children are, first, that their sons will grow up as plants in their youth, and secondly, their daughters will be as corner-stones, polished after the sim[i]litude of a palace. verse 12, Thirdly, their garners will be full affording all manner of store.—verse 13, Fourthly, their sheep shall bring forth their thousands and tens of thousands in their streets. 13, Fifthly, their oxen will be strong to labor. 14. And lastly, there will neither be breaking in nor going out.