- I will open:
- This is a pointed allusion to the resurrection; under which figure Isaiah ("With my soulª have I desiredª° thee in the night;ª yea,¹ with my spiritª withinª me will I seek thee early:ª° for¹ when¹ thy judgmentsª [are] in the earth,ª the inhabitantsª° of the worldª will learnª° righteousness.ª" {Isa 26:9}) also describes the restoration of the house of Israel, when he says, "thy dead men shall live;" at which time their bones are said to flourish ("And when ye seeª° [this], your heartª shall rejoice,ª° and your bonesª shall flourishª° like an herb:ª and the handª of the LORDª shall be knownª° toward¹ his servants,ª and [his] indignationª° toward¹ his enemies.ª°" {Isa 66:14}), or to be restored to their former strength and vigour; and, in like manner, St. Paul ("Forª ifª the¹ casting awayª of themª [be] the reconcilingª of the world,ª whatª [shall] the¹ receivingª [of them be], butª lifeª fromª the dead?ª" {Rom 11:15}), expresses their conversion by "life from the dead." In the land of their captivity, they seemed as absolutely deprived of their country as persons committed to the grave are cut off from the land of the living; but when Cyrus issued his proclamation, Jehovah, as it were, opened their graves, and when he stirred up their spirits to embrace the proffered liberty, he put his Spirit within them, that they might live; and their re-establishment in their own land evinced the truth of God in the prediction, and his power in its accomplishment. "And sayª° unto¹ them, Thus¹ saithª° the Lordª GOD;ª Behold,¹ I¹ will takeª°¹ the childrenª of Israelª from amongª¹ the heathen,ª whither¹¹ they be gone,ª° and will gatherª° them on every side,ª¹ and bringª° them into¹ their own land:ª" {Ezk 37:21} + "Thy deadª° [men] shall live,ª° [together with] my dead bodyª shall they arise.ª° Awakeª° and sing,ª° ye that dwellª° in dust:ª for¹ thy dewª [is as] the dewª of herbs,ª and the earthª shall cast outª° the dead.ª" {Isa 26:19} + "And when ye seeª° [this], your heartª shall rejoice,ª° and your bonesª shall flourishª° like an herb:ª and the handª of the LORDª shall be knownª° toward¹ his servants,ª and [his] indignationª° toward¹ his enemies.ª°" {Isa 66:14} + "After two daysª¹ will he reviveª° us: in the thirdª dayª he will raise us up,ª° and we shall liveª° in his sight.ª" {Hsa 6:2} + "I will ransomª° them from the powerª¹ of the grave;ª I will redeemª° them from death:ª¹ O death,ª I will² be¹ thy plagues;ª O grave,ª I will² be¹ thy destruction:ª repentanceª shall be hidª° from mine eyes.ª¹" {Hsa 13:14} + "Forª the¹ Lordª himselfª shall descendª° fromª heavenª withª a shout,ª withª the voiceª of the archangel,ª andª withª the trumpª of God:ª andª the¹ deadª inª Christª shall riseª° first:ª" {1Th 4:16} + "Andª the¹ seaª gave upª° the¹ deadª which² were inª it;ª andª deathª andª hellª delivered upª° the¹ deadª which² were inª them:ª andª they were judgedª° every manª according¹ to² their²¹ works.ª" {Rev 20:13}
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