The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

VERS. XXXIII.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

In the second Psalm.

u 1.1 WHY are the daily Prayers to the number of eighteen? R. Joshua ben Levi saith, it is according to the eighteen Psalms, from the beginning of the Psalms to The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble [Psal. XX. 1.] But if any one say to thee, they are nine∣teen 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 say thou to him, Why do the heathen rage, [i. e. the second Psalm] is not one of them. Hence they say, he that prays and is not heard, it is necessary for him to fast too.

I. Judge hence whether this second Psalm were joyned or confounded with the first, when it seems in some measure sequestred from the whole number. And do you ob∣serve the Rabbins way of arguing? Being to prove that the number of the daily Prayers being eighteen, was adapted to the number of the eighteen Psalms, from the beginning of the Book to that place, The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble, &c. Psal. XX. he takes refuge in a common Axiom of theirs, He that prayeth and is not heard, must fast also. As if that Maxim was founded upon the equality of numbers, and the authors of that Maxim did so design it. q. d. He that pours out eighteen Prayers, according to the num∣ber of those eighteen Psalms, and is not head, let him Fast and he shall be heard, accor∣ding to the tenor of the Psalm immediately following, The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble, i. e. in the day when thou troublest and afflictest thy self with Fasting.

II. I will not make any nice enquiry for what reason they should exclude the second Psalm out of the number. We find in it, however shut out of the number, a consider∣able testimony to the resurrection of the Messiah: and perhaps to this the Apostle may have some respect in these words. But if not, by this his noting the number and order of the Psalm, we may guess he spake to this sense, viz. ye have a testimony of the Resur∣rection of Christ in the very entrance of the Book of Psalms, so near the beginning of it, that we meet with it even in the second Psalm.

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Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee.

R. Solomon confesseth that the Rabbins do interpret this Psalm of the Messiah, but he had rather it should be applied to David. For the Jews take special care that the Messias should not be acknowledged as the genuine Son of God. Hence Midr. Till. * 1.2 Thou art my Son: Hence we may answer the Hereticks who say he is Son to God. Do thou answer, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 He doth not say, thou art Son to me, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 but, thou art my Son. (A very learned distinction indeed!) As the Master speaking kindly to his Servant, may say to him, I love thee like my own Son. So the Targumist ‖ 1.3, The Lord said 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Thou art beloved to me as a Son is to his Father.

They do indeed acknowledge that the Messiah is concerned in this Psalm w 1.4, but then, if you will be a true Jew indeed, you must have a care how you acknowledge him the

begotten Son of God. It would be a vain and impertinent thing to collect all their lit∣tle artifices by which they endeavour to evade the force of this place. It were much more proper for us to observe the way of the Apostles arguing, and by what means he makes it out, that these words of the Psalmist point at the Resurrection of the Messiah. Take this passage by the way: x 1.5 R. Honna saith, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 There are three portions of chastisements divided. The Fathers of the world and all generations received one part: The generation of persecution another, and the generation of the Messias another. And when his time cometh, then will the Holy blessed say, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 it lies upon me to make him a new creature. And so he saith, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to day have I begotten thee.

When the Jews asked a sign of our Saviour, he constantly gives them the sign of Jonas the Prophet; that is, that his Resurrection which should come to pass, should be a most undoubted proof for him, that he is the Son of God, the true Messias. So Rom. I. 4. He was declared to be the Son of God, by his Resurrection from the dead. For so was he indeed distinguished from all mortals, and Sons of men. And God saith he had then begotten him, when he had given a token that he was not a meer man, by his di∣vine power whereby he had raised him from the dead. And according to the tenor of the whole Psalm, God is said to have begotten him then, when he was ordained King in Sion, and all Nations subdued under him. Upon which words that passage of our Savi∣our uttered immediately after he had arisen from the dead, is a good Commentary: All power is given unto me, &c. Matth. XXVIII.

What do those words mean, Matth. XXVI. 29. I will not henceforth drink of this fruit of the Vine; until that day when I drink it new with you in my Fathers Kingdom? They seem to look this way, viz. I will drink no more of it before my Resurrection. For in truth his Resurrection was the beginning of his Kingdom, when he had overcome those enemies of his, Satan, Hell, and Death; from that time was he begotten and established King in Zion. I am mistaken if that of Psal. CX. v. 3. doth not in some measure fall in here also, which, give me leave to render by way of paraphrase into such a sense as this. Thy people shall be a willing people in the day of thy power: it shall be a willing people in the beauties of holiness, it shall be a willing people from the Womb of the morning: thine is the dew of thy youth. Now the dew of Christ is that quickning power of his, by which he can bring the dead to life again, Isai. XXVI. 19. And the dew of thy youth, O Christ, is thine. That is, it is thine own power and vertue that raiseth thee again. I would therefore apply those words from the womb of the morning to his Resurrection: because the Resurrection of Jesus, was the dawn of the new world, the morning of the new Creation.

Notes

• u 1.1

  Hieros. Taa∣nith, fol. 65. 3.
• * 1.2

  In loc.
• ‖ 1.3

  In loc.
• w 1.4

  Succah, fol. ••2. 1.
• x 1.5

  Midr. Tillin. ubi. supr.