_Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my
fellow, &c._
In supposing these words to have had no direct reference to the death of
Christ in their original intention, notwithstanding their appearing from
St. John’s Gospel to have been used by him, in forewarning his disciples
of what was about to befal him, I offer no new opinion, for Dr. Blayney
declares himself fully persuaded that they had not; and what gives weight
to this opinion is, that it must have been founded on other grounds than
those which have led me to that conclusion. For as Dr. Blayney had not
embraced the spiritual view in expounding the prophecy, he could not be
led to this inference by the same train of reasoning as myself. The words,
גבר עמיתי (or יתימע רבג) he renders, “The man that is next to me,” which
is certainly much nearer to the sense of the original than, _The man that
is my fellow._
_Two parts shall be cut of, and die._
An awful annunciation! foretelling the spiritual death of two-thirds of
the nominal Christian world. The corresponding passages in the Apocalypse
predict the same event, and one of them in still stronger terms, for it is
said, that “_Every living soul in the sea died._” Literally, this passage
cannot be taken, for literally there are no _living souls_ in the sea. The
sea means the Gentile nations, or Europe. _The life_ is life in Christ.
The loss of that life, or spiritual death is the loss of true
Christianity: here extending over the whole sea, or comprising all the
Gentile converts; and the period of this death is yet scarcely elapsed,
beginning with the dark ages, and continuing to the millenium. What! is
Europe then still, or has it so lately been in a state of spiritual death
or perdition? Such is the language of prophecy, and its meaning cannot be
explained away or evaded. “_Every living soul in the sea dies._” The life
in Christ is extinct. True Christianity no longer remains. Will _none_
then be _saved_? This the prophecy no where says. The Gospel teaches that
many may be saved who never heard of Christ. Are all Mahommedans, and they
execrate the name of Christian, doomed to perish? No Christian will surely
maintain this, and still less that all misguided Christians are doomed to
perdition. But still the life in Christ is lost. True Christianity no
longer prevails. If then, without it, men may be saved, where, it may be
asked, is the use of it? I answer, in every way, and every where it is
useful. Did true Christianity prevail, the myriads might be saved; the few
only would perish. Without it the few only can be saved, the many are left
to perish. By Christianity, all are taught to live for the next world;
without it, the many will live for this; few are those that will think of
another. Christianity not only diffuses peace and happiness on earth, but
fits every man for enjoying eternal happiness hereafter. Such is the
saving virtue of Christ’s religion, in affording to all the _means_ of
attaining to eternal life and eternal happiness. But to return to the age
in which we live, or from which we are just emerging. This period is
peculiarly the age of infidelity—all Europe bears testimony to the fact.
But are they who profess belief, really Christians? Look to conduct, and
not profession for the proof. Is this world, or the next, the object of
pursuit? If conscience whisper, that we who believe, lack the true spirit;
how can we expect it in those who disbelieve? Where then in true
Christianity?
As this chapter, according to the Rabbi’s view, remains unfulfilled, so he
offers no particular exposition of it, but limits his remarks to a few
emendations of the received translation. Of these the only one any way
material to the present discussion is that on verse 5, which has been
already stated in the note on that verse.