Chapter XXXIV.—Nor does Ps. lxxii. apply to Solomon, whose faults Christians
shudder at.
“Further, to persuade you that you have not understood anything of the Scriptures, I
will remind you of another psalm, dictated to David by the Holy Spirit, which you say refers
to Solomon, who was also your king. But it refers also to our Christ. But you deceive
yourselves by the ambiguous forms of speech. For where it is said, ‘The law of the Lord is
perfect,’ you do not understand it of the law which was to be after Moses, but of the law
which was given by Moses, although God declared that He would establish a new law and
a new covenant. And where it has been said, ‘O God, give Thy judgment to the king,’ since
Solomon was king, you say that the Psalm refers to him, although the words of the Psalm
expressly proclaim that reference is made to the everlasting King, i.e., to Christ. For Christ
is King, and Priest, and God, and Lord, and angel, and man, and captain, and stone, and a
Son born, and first made subject to suffering, then returning to heaven, and again coming
with glory, and He is preached as having the everlasting kingdom: so I prove from all the
Scriptures. But that you may perceive what I have said, I quote the words of the Psalm; they
are these: ‘O God, give Thy judgment to the king, and Thy righteousness unto the king’s
son, to judge Thy people with righteousness, and Thy poor with judgment. The mountains
shall take up peace to the people, and the little hills righteousness. He shall judge the poor
of the people, and shall save the children of the needy, and shall abase the slanderer. He
shall co-endure with the sun, and before the moon unto all generations. He shall come down
like rain upon the fleece, as drops falling on the earth. In His days shall righteousness
flourish, and abundance of peace until the moon be taken away. And He shall have dominion
from sea to sea, and from the rivers unto the ends of the earth. Ethiopians shall fall down
before Him, and His enemies shall lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and the isles shall
offer gifts; the kings of Arabia and Seba shall offer gifts; and all the kings of the earth shall
worship Him, and all the nations shall serve Him: for He has delivered the poor from the
man of power, and the needy that hath no helper. He shall spare the poor and needy, and
shall save the souls of the needy: He shall redeem their souls from usury and injustice, and
His name shall be honourable before them. And He shall live, and to Him shall be given of
the gold of Arabia, and they shall pray continually for Him: they shall bless Him all the day.
And there shall be a foundation on the earth, it shall be exalted on the tops of the mountains:
His fruit shall be on Lebanon, and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth. His
name shalt be blessed for ever. His name shall endure before the sun; and all tribes of the
earth shall be blessed in Him, all nations shall call Him blessed. Blessed be the Lord, the
God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things; and blessed be His glorious name for ever,
and for ever and ever; and the whole earth shall be filled with His glory. Amen, amen.’269
269 Ps. lxxii.
Chapter XXXIV.—Nor does Ps. lxxii. apply to Solomon, whose faults Christians shudder at.
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Chapter XXXIV.—Nor does Ps. lxxii. apply to Solomon, whose faults Christians…