the Week of Proper 23 / Ordinary 28
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King James Version
Psalms 110:3
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When you go to war, your people will serve you willingly. You are arrayed in holy garments, and your strength will be renewed each day like the morning dew.
Thy people offer themselves willingly in the day of thy power: in the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, thou hast the dew of thy youth.
With you is princely dignity in the day of your power, on the holy mountains; Like dew from the womb of the dawn, I have begotten you.
Your people will join you on your day of battle. You have been dressed in holiness from birth; you have the freshness of a child.
Your people willingly follow you when you go into battle. On the holy hills at sunrise the dew of your youth belongs to you.
Thy people [shall be] willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness: from the womb of the morning, thou hast the dew of thy youth.
Your people offer themselves willingly in the day of your power, In holy array. Out of the womb of the morning, you have the dew of your youth.
Your people will offer themselves willingly [to participate in Your battle] in the day of Your power; In the splendor of holiness, from the womb of the dawn, Your young men are to You as the dew.
Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours.
The bigynnyng is with thee in the dai of thi vertu, in the briytnessis of seyntis; Y gendride thee of the wombe before the dai sterre.
Your people shall be willing on Your day of battle. Arrayed in holy splendor, from the womb of the dawn, to You belongs the dew of Your youth.
Your glorious power will be seen on the day you begin to rule. You will wear the sacred robes and shine like the morning sun in all of your strength.
Thy people offer themselves willingly In the day of thy power, in holy array: Out of the womb of the morning Thou hast the dew of thy youth.
Your people give themselves gladly in the day of your power; like the dew of the morning on the holy mountains is the army of your young men.
On the day your forces mobilize, your people willingly offer themselves in holy splendors from the womb of the dawn; the dew of your youth is yours.
Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in holy splendour: from the womb of the morning [shall come] to thee the dew of thy youth.
Your people will gladly join you when you gather your army together. You will wear your special clothes and meet together early in the morning. Your young men will be all around you like dew on the ground.
Thy people offer themselves willingly in the day of thy warfare;
Thy people shalbe willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holinesse from the wombe of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
Your people will be willing to help in the day of Your power. Your young men will be dressed in holy clothes. They will come to You like water on the grass in the early morning.
Your people will offer themselves willingly on the day you lead your forces on the holy mountains. From the womb of the morning, like dew, your youth will come to you.
Thy people shall come willingly at the time of assembling thine armie in holy beautie: the youth of thy wombe shalbe as the morning dewe.
Thy people shall he glorious in the day of thy power; arrayed in the beauty of holiness from the womb, I have begotten thee as a child from the ages.
On the day you fight your enemies, your people will volunteer. Like the dew of early morning your young men will come to you on the sacred hills.
Thy people, will freely offer themselves, in the day of thine army, - in the splendours of holiness, out of the womb of the dawn, To thee, shall spring forth the dew of thy youth.
(109-3) With thee is the principality in the day of thy strength: in the brightness of the saints: from the womb before the day star I begot thee.
Your people will offer themselves freely on the day you lead your host upon the holy mountains. From the womb of the morning like dew your youth will come to you.
Thy people wyll be very wyllyng in the time [of shewing] thy most mightie power with a beautifull holynes: the deawe of thy byrth is to thee from the wombe [as] from the morning.
With thee is dominion in the day of thy power, in the splendours of thy saints: I have begotten thee from the womb before the morning.
Your people will volunteeron your day of battle.In holy splendor, from the womb of the dawn,the dew of your youth belongs to you.
Your people offer themselves willingly in the day of your power, In holy array. Out of the womb of the morning, you have the dew of your youth.
Your people will volunteer in the day of your power. In holy splendor, from the womb of the dawn, you will have the dew of your youth.
Your people shall have willingness in the day of Your might; in the majesties of holiness; from the womb of the dawn, to You is the dew of Your youth.
Thy people [are] free-will gifts in the day of Thy strength, in the honours of holiness, From the womb, from the morning, Thou hast the dew of thy youth.
In the daye of thy power shal thy people offre the frewill offeringes with an holy worshipe, ye dewe of thy byrth is of the wobe of the mornynge.
Your people will volunteer freely on the day of Your power; In holy splendor, from the womb of the dawn, Your youth are to You as the dew.
Your people shall be volunteers In the day of Your power; In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth.
Your people will volunteer freely in the day of Your power; In holy array, from the womb of the dawn, Your youth are to You as the dew.
Your people will offer themselves freely in the day of Your power;In the splendor of holiness, from the womb of the dawn,The dew of Your youthfulness will be Yours.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Thy: Psalms 22:27, Psalms 22:28, Judges 5:2, Acts 2:41, Romans 11:2-6, 2 Corinthians 8:1-3, 2 Corinthians 8:12, 2 Corinthians 8:16, Philippians 2:13, Hebrews 13:21
day: Acts 1:8, Acts 2:33, Acts 4:30-35, Acts 19:20, 2 Corinthians 13:4, Galatians 1:15, Galatians 1:16
beauties: Psalms 96:9, Ezekiel 43:12, Ephesians 1:4, 1 Thessalonians 4:7, Titus 2:14
from the womb: etc. or, more than the womb of the morning, thou shalt have, etc. thou hast. Acts 4:4, Acts 21:20, Revelation 7:9
Reciprocal: Exodus 3:18 - and they Exodus 25:2 - willingly Exodus 35:5 - whosoever Exodus 35:21 - General Leviticus 1:3 - his own Leviticus 7:30 - own hands Deuteronomy 33:13 - the dew 1 Samuel 10:26 - whose hearts 2 Samuel 19:14 - even 2 Samuel 23:4 - as the light 1 Kings 8:58 - incline 1 Chronicles 12:38 - all the rest 1 Chronicles 16:29 - the beauty 1 Chronicles 28:21 - willing 1 Chronicles 29:9 - they offered 2 Chronicles 17:16 - willingly 2 Chronicles 30:12 - the hand of God Ezra 1:6 - willingly offered Ezra 2:68 - offered freely Ezra 7:13 - minded Nehemiah 4:6 - had a mind Psalms 45:4 - prosperously Psalms 47:9 - The princes Psalms 90:17 - And let Psalms 144:2 - who subdueth Psalms 145:12 - make known Song of Solomon 1:16 - also Song of Solomon 2:14 - thy countenance Song of Solomon 5:4 - put Isaiah 26:19 - thy dew Isaiah 53:10 - he shall see Hosea 1:11 - for Micah 4:1 - and people Micah 5:7 - as a dew Haggai 1:14 - stirred Zechariah 14:20 - HOLINESS Mark 11:3 - and straightway Mark 14:8 - hath done Mark 14:15 - he will Luke 14:23 - compel John 1:13 - nor of the will of man John 6:37 - shall Acts 6:1 - when Acts 9:35 - all Acts 13:44 - came Acts 16:14 - whose Romans 9:16 - General 1 Corinthians 1:18 - unto 1 Corinthians 12:18 - as it 2 Corinthians 8:3 - beyond 2 Corinthians 10:5 - the obedience Ephesians 1:19 - exceeding Philippians 3:12 - apprehended Colossians 1:6 - knew Philemon 1:14 - thy benefit Hebrews 9:4 - and Aaron's 2 Peter 1:3 - his
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Thy people shall be willing in the day of that power..... Or, in the day of thine army s. When thou musterest thy forces, sendest forth thy generals, the apostles and ministers of the word, in the first times of the Gospel; when Christ went forth working with them, and their ministry was attended with signs, and miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost; and which was a day of great power indeed, when wonderful things were wrought; the god of this world was cast out, the Heathen oracles ceased, their idols were abolished, and their temples desolate; and Christianity prevailed everywhere. Or this may respect the whole Gospel dispensation, the day of salvation, which now is and will be as long as the world is; and the doctrine of it is daily the power and wisdom of God to them that are saved. Or rather this signifies the set time of love and life to every particular soul at conversion; which is a day for light, and a day of power; when the exceeding greatness of the power of God is put forth in the regeneration of them: and the people that were given to Christ by his Father, in the covenant of grace, and who, while in a state of nature, are rebellious and unwilling, are made willing to be saved by Christ, and him only; to serve him in every religious duty and ordinance; to part with their sins and sinful companions, and with their own righteousness; to suffer the loss of all things for him; to deny themselves, and take up the cross and follow him: and when they become freewill offerings to him, as the word t signifies; not only willingly offer up their spiritual sacrifices of prayer and praise, but themselves, souls and bodies, to him; as well as enter volunteers u into his service, and cheerfully fight his battles, under him, the Captain of their salvation; being assured of victory, and certain of the crown of life and glory, when they have fought the good fight, and finished their course. The allusion seems to be to an army of volunteers, such as described by Cicero w, who willingly offered themselves through their ardour for liberty.
In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning: this does not design the place where these willing subjects of Christ should appear; either in Zion, beautiful for situation; or in Jerusalem, the holy city, compact together; or in the temple, the sanctuary, in which strength and beauty are said to be; or in the church, the perfection of beauty: but the habit or dress in which they should appear, even in the beautiful garment of Christ's righteousness and holiness; the robe of righteousness, and garments of salvation; the best robe, the wedding garment; gold of Ophir, raiment of needlework; and which is upon all them that believe: as also the several beautiful graces of the Spirit; the beauty of internal holiness, by which saints are all glorious within; and holiness is the beauty and glory of God himself, of angels and glorified saints. This, though imperfect now, is the new man put on as a garment; and is true holiness, and very ornamental. The phrase, "from the womb of the morning", either stands in connection with "the beauties of holiness"; and the sense is, that as soon as the morning of the Gospel dispensation dawns, these people should be born again, be illuminated, and appear holy and righteous: or, "from the womb, from the morning x", shall they be "in the beauties of holiness"; that is, as soon as they are born again, and as soon as the morning of spiritual light and grace breaks in upon them, and they are made light in the Lord, they shall be clad with these beautiful garments of holiness and righteousness; so, "from the womb", signifies literally as soon as men are born; see Psalms 58:3 Hosea 9:11 or else with the latter clause, "thou hast the dew of thy youth": and so are rendered, "more than the womb of the morning", i.e. than the dew that is from the womb of the morning, is to thee the dew of thy youth; that is, more than the dew of the morning are thy converts; the morning is the parent of the dew, Job 38:28, but the former sense is best; for this last clause is a remember or proposition of itself,
thou hast the dew of that youth; which expresses the open property Christ has in his people, when made willing; and when they appear in the beauty of holiness, as soon as they are born of the Spirit, and the true light of grace shines in them; then those who were secretly his, even while unwilling, manifestly appear to belong unto him: so young lambs, just weaned, are in Homer y called ερσαι, "dews"; and it is remarkable that the Hebrew words for "dew" and "a lamb" are near in sound. Young converts are Christ's lambs; they are Christ's youth, and the dew of it; they are regenerated by the grace of God, comparable to dew, of which they are begotten to a lively hope of heaven; and which, distilling upon them, makes them fruitful in good works; and who for their numbers, and which I take to be the thing chiefly designed by this figure, are like to the drops of the dew; which in great profusion is spread over trees, herbs, and plants, where it hangs in drops innumerable: and such a multitude of converts is here promised to Christ, and which he had in the first times of the Gospel, both in Judea, when three thousand persons were converted under one sermon; and especially in the Gentile world, where the savour of his knowledge was diffused in every place; and as will be in the latter day, when a nation shall be born at once, and the fulness of the Gentiles be brought in. The sense given of these words, as formed upon the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions, respecting the generation of Christ's human or divine nature, is without any foundation in the original text.
s ביום חילך "in die exercitus tui", Munster, Vatablus, Piscator, Gejerus; so Ainsworth; "quum educes tuas copias", Tigurine version; "die copiarum tuarum", Junius Tremellius. t נדבות "oblationes voluntariae", Junius & Tremellius "spontanea oblatio", Cocceius, Gejerus. u "Milites voluntarii", Bootius. w Epist. l. 11. Ep. 8. x מדחם משחר "a vulya, ab aurora", Montanus. y Odyss. ix. v. 222.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Thy people - All who are given to thee; all over whom thou art to rule. This verse has been variously translated. The Septuagint renders it, “With thee is the beginning in the day of thy power, in the splendor of thy saints, from the womb, before the light of the morning have I begotten thee.” So the Latin Vulgate. Luther renders it, “After thy victory shall thy people willingly bring an offering to thee, in holy adorning: thy children shall be born to thee as the dew of the morning.” DeWette, “Willingly shall thy people show themselves to thee on the day of the assembling of thy host in holy adorning, as from the womb of the morning, thy youth (vigor) shall be as the dew.” Prof. Alexander, “Thy people (are) free-will offerings in the day of thy power, in holy decorations, from the womb of the dawn, to thee (is) the dew of thy youth.” Every clause of the verse is obscure, though the “general” idea is not difficult to perceive; that, in the day of Messiah’s power, his people would willingly offer themselves to him, in holy robes or adorning, like the glittering dew of the morning; or, in numbers that might be compared with the drops of the morning dew. The essential ideas are:
(1) that he would have a “people;”
(2) that their subjection to him would be a “willing” subjection;
(3) that this would be accomplished by his “power;”
(4) that they would appear before him in great beauty - in robes of holy adorning;
(5) that they would in some way resemble the dew of the morning; and
(6) that to him in thus subduing them there would be the vigor of youth, the ardor of youthful hope.
Shall be willing - literally, “Thy people (are, or shall be) willing-offerings.” The word rendered “willing” - נדבות nedâbôth - is in the plural number; “thy people, ‘willingnesses.’” The singular - נדבה nedâbâh - means voluntariness, spontaneousness: and hence, it comes to mean spontaneously, voluntarily, of a willing mind. It is rendered a “willing offering,” in Exodus 35:29; “free offering,” in Exodus 36:3; “voluntary offering,” in Leviticus 7:16; “free-will offering,” in Leviticus 22:18, Leviticus 22:21, Leviticus 22:23; Leviticus 23:38; Numbers 15:3; Numbers 29:39; Deuteronomy 12:6, Deuteronomy 12:17; Deuteronomy 16:10; Deuteronomy 23:23; 2 Chronicles 31:14; Ezra 1:4; Ezra 3:5; Ezra 8:28; Psalms 119:108; “willingly,” in 2 Chronicles 35:8; “plentiful,” in Psalms 68:9; “voluntary, and voluntarily,” in Ezekiel 46:12; “freely,” in Hosea 14:4; and “free-offering,” in Amos 4:5. It does not occur elsewhere. The idea is that of “freeness;” of voluntariness; of doing it from choice, doing it of their own will. They did it in the exercise of freedom. There was no compulsion; no constraint. Whatever “power” there was in the case, was to make them “willing,” not to compel them to do a thing “against” their will. That which was done, or that which is here intended to be described as having been done, is evidently the act of devoting themselves to him who is here designated as their Ruler - the Messiah. The allusion may be either
(a) to their devoting themselves to “him” in conversion, or becoming his;
(b) to their devoting themselves to his “service” - as soldiers do in war; or
(c) to their devoting their time, wealth, talents, to him in lives consecrated to him.
“Whatever” there is as the result of his dominion over them is “voluntary” on their part. There is no compulsion in his religion. People are not constrained to do what they are unwilling to do. All the power that is exerted is on the will, disposing people to do what is right, and what is for their own interest. No man is forced to go to heaven against his will; no man is saved from hell against his will; no man makes a sacrifice in religion against his will; no man is compelled to serve the Redeemer in any way against his will. The acts of religion are among the most free that people ever perform; and of all the hosts of the redeemed no one will ever say that the act of his becoming a follower of the Redeemer was not perfectly voluntary. He chose - he “professed” - to be a friend of God, and he never saw the time when he regretted the choice.
In the day of thy power - The power given to the Messiah to accomplish the work of his mission; the power to convert people, and to save the world. Matthew 28:18; Matthew 11:27; John 17:2. This implies
(a) that “power” would be employed in bringing people to submit to him; and
(b) that there would be a fixed time when that power would be put forth.
Still, it is power which is not inconsistent with freedom. It is power exerted in making people “willing,” not in “compelling or forcing” them to submit to him. There “is” a power which may be exerted over the will consistent with liberty, and that is the power which the Messiah employs in bringing people to himself.
In the beauties of holiness - This power will be connected with the beauty of holiness; or, holiness will be manifested when that power is put forth. The object is to “secure” holiness; and there will be beauty in that holiness. The only power put forth in the case is to make people holy; and they will, in their lives and conduct, manifest all the beauty or attractiveness which there is in a holy and pure character. The word rendered “beauty” is in the plural number, and the allusion may be to the raiment of those who are referred to. They would appear in pure garments - in sacerdotal vestments - as priests of God. Compare Leviticus 16:4. The idea may be that they would be a “kingdom of priests,” clad in priestly vestments (Exodus 19:6; compare the notes at 1 Peter 2:5, notes at 1 Peter 2:9), and that they would be adorned with “robes” appropriate to that office. This may refer, however, to their actual, internal holiness, and may mean that they would, when they were subjugated to him, appear as a holy or a righteous people.
From the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth - Margin, more than the womb of the morning, thou shalt have, etc.” The expression here is evidently designed to refer to the source of the dew - the dew of the early dawn - as having its “birth” then, or as seeming to be “born” then. The morn is represented as the “mother” of the dew. The figure is highly poetic and beautiful. The ground of the comparison may be either
(a) that the “beauty of holiness” - the beautiful array of the saints - “is more than” that produced in the womb of the morning; or
(b) that the dew of youth is more beautiful than the dew produced in the morning. As the word “dew,” that on which the comparison must turn, occurs in the last member of the sentence, it is probable that the second of these interpretations is the true one, as indicated in the margin: “More than the womb of the morning (more than the morning produces) thou hast the dew of thy youth.” That is, “as the young morning - the youth of the day - has its beauties in the abundance and luster of the dew-drops, so shall the dew of thy youth be - the beginning of thy glorious day.” May there not be here also an allusion to the multitudes that would be among his “people” - numerous as the dewdrops of the morning, and as beautiful as they - on his going forth to the world with all the beauty of a bright dawn?
The meaning of the whole, I apprehend, is, “Thy reign shall be like the day - a long bright day. Thy coming - the morning of that day - shall be like the early dawn - so fresh, so beautiful, made so lovely by the drops of dew sparkling on every blade of grass. More beautiful by far - more lovely - shall be the beginning of the day of thy reign; - more lovely to the world thy youth - thy appearing - the beginning of thy day.” Thus understood, the verse is a most beautiful poetic description of the bright morning when the Messiah should come; the dawn of that glorious day when he should reign. Compare Isaiah 9:1-3.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Psalms 110:3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power — This verse has been wofully perverted. It has been supposed to point out the irresistible operation of the grace of God on the souls of the elect, thereby making them willing to receive Christ as their Saviour. Now, whether this doctrine be true or false, it is not in this text, nor can it receive the smallest countenance from it. There has been much spoken against the doctrine of what is called free will by persons who seem not to have understood the term. Will is a free principle. Free will is as absurd as bound will, it is not will if it be not free; and if it be bound it is no will. Volition is essential to the being of the soul, and to all rational and intellectual beings. This is the most essential discrimination between matter and spirit. MATTER can have no choice; SPIRIT has. Ratiocination is essential to intellect; and from these volition is inseparable. God uniformly treats man as a free agent; and on this principle the whole of Divine revelation is constructed, as is also the doctrine of future rewards and punishments. If man be forced to believe, he believes not at all; it is the forcing power that believes, not the machine forced. If he be forced to obey, it is the forcing power that obeys; and he, as a machine, shows only the effect of this irresistible force. If man be incapable of willing good, and nilling evil, he is incapable of being saved as a rational being; and if he acts only under an overwhelming compulsion, he is as incapable of being damned. In short, this doctrine reduces him either to a punctum stans, which by the vis inertiae is incapable of being moved but as acted upon by foreign influence; or, as an intellectual being, to nonentity. "But if the text supports the doctrine laid upon it, vain are all these reasonings." Granted. Let us examine the text. The Hebrew words are the following: עמך נדבת ביום חילך ammecha nedaboth beyom cheylecha, which literally translated are, Thy princely people, or free people, in the day of thy power; and are thus paraphrased by the Chaldee: "Thy people, O house of Israel, who willingly labour in the law, thou shalt be helped by them in the day that thou goest to battle."
The Syriac has: "This praiseworthy people in the day of thy power."
The Vulgate: "With thee is the principle or origin (principium) in the day of thy power." And this is referred, by its interpreters, to the Godhead of Christ; and they illustrate it by John 1:1: In principio erat Verbum, "In the beginning was the Word."
The Septuagint is the same; and they use the word as St. John has it in the Greek text: Μετα σου ἡ αρχη εν ἡμερᾳ της δυναμεως σου· "With thee is the Arche, or principle, in the day of thy power."
The AEthiopic is the same; and the Arabic nearly so, but rather more express: "The government, [Arabic] riasat, exists with thee in the day of thy power."
The Anglo-Saxon, [A.S.]. With thee the principle in day of thy greatness."
The old Psalter, With the begynnyngs in day of thi vertu. Which it thus paraphrases: "I, the fader begynnyng with the, begynnyng I and thou, an begynnyng of al thyng in day of thi vertu."
Coverdale thus: "In the day of thy power shal my people offre the free-will offeringes with a holy worship." So Tindal, Cardmarden, Beck, and the Liturgic Version.
The Bible printed by Barker, the king's printer, 4to. Lond. 1615, renders the whole verse thus: "Thy people shall come willingly at the time of assembling thine army in the holy beauty; the youth of thy womb shall be as the morning dew."
By the authors of the Universal History, vol. iii., p. 223, the whole passage is thus explained: "The Lord shall send the rod, or sceptre, of thy power out of Sion," i.e., out of the tribe of Judah: compare Genesis 49:20, and Psalms 78:68. "Rule thou over thy free-will people;" for none, but such are fit to be Christ's subjects: see Matthew 11:29. "In the midst of thine enemies," Jews and heathens; or, in a spiritual sense, the world, the flesh, and the devil. "In the day of thy power," i.e., when all power shall be given him, both in heaven and earth; Matthew 28:18. "In the beauties of holiness," which is the peculiar characteristic of Christ's reign, and of his religion.
None of the ancient Versions, nor of our modern translations, give any sense to the words that countenances the doctrine above referred to; it merely expresses the character of the people who shall constitute the kingdom of Christ. נדב nadab signifies to be free, liberal, willing, noble; and especially liberality in bringing offerings to the Lord, Exodus 25:2; Exodus 35:21, Exodus 35:29. And נדיב nadib signifies a nobleman, a prince, Job 21:8; and also liberality. נדבה nedabah signifies a free-will offering - an offering made by superabundant gratitude; one not commanded: see Exodus 36:3; Leviticus 7:16, and elsewhere. Now the עם נדבות am nedaboth is the people of liberality - the princely, noble, and generous people; Christ's real subjects; his own children, who form his Church, and are the salt of the world; the bountiful people, who live only to get good from God that they may do good to man. Is there, has there ever been, any religion under heaven that has produced the liberality, the kindness, the charity, that characterize Christianity? Well may the followers of Christ be termed the am nedaboth-the cheerfully beneficent people. They hear his call, come freely, stay willingly, act nobly, live purely, and obey cheerfully.
The day of Christ's power is the time of the Gospel, the reign of the Holy Spirit in the souls of his people. Whenever and wherever the Gospel is preached in sincerity and purity, then and there is the day or time of Christ's power. It is the time of his exaltation. The days of his flesh were the days of his weakness; the time of his exaltation is the day of his power.
In the beauties of holiness — בהדרי קדש behadrey kodesh, "In the splendid garments of holiness." An allusion to the beautiful garments of the high priest. Whatever is intended or expressed by superb garments, they possess, in holiness of heart and life, indicative of their Divine birth, noble dispositions, courage, c. Their garb is such as becomes the children of so great a King. Or, They shall appear on the mountains of holiness, bringing glad tidings to Zion.
From the womb of the morning — As the dew flows from the womb of the morning, so shall all the godly from thee. They are the dew of thy youth they are the offspring of thy own nativity. As the human nature of our Lord was begotten by the creative energy of God in the womb of the Virgin; so the followers of God are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, but by the Divine Spirit.
Youth may be put here, not only for young men, but for soldiers; - so the Trojana juventus "the Trojan troops," or soldiers, in Virgil, AEn. i. ver. 467;-and for persons, courageous, heroic, strong, active, and vigorous. Such were the apostles, and first preachers of the Gospel; and, indeed, all genuine Christians. They may be fully compared to dew, for the following reasons: -
1. Like dew, they had their origin from heaven.
2. Like dew, they fructified the earth.
3. Like dew, they were innumerable.
4. Like dew, they were diffused over the earth.
5. Like dew, they came from the morning; the dawn, the beginning of the Gospel day of salvation.
1. As the morning arises in the EAST, and the sun, which produces it, proceeds to the WEST; so was the coming of the Son of man, and of his disciples and apostles.
2. They began in the EAST - Asia Proper and Asia Minor; and shone unto the WEST-Europe, America, c. Scarcely any part of the world has been hidden from the bright and enlivening power of the Sun of Righteousness and now this glorious sun is walking in the greatness of its strength.
Saw ye not the cloud arise,
Little as a human hand?
Now it spreads along the skies,
Hangs o'er all the thirsty land.
Lo, the promise of a shower
Drops already from above;
But the Lord will shortly pour
All the spirit of his love.
The heavenly dew is dropping every where from the womb of the morning; and all the ends of the earth are about to see the salvation of God.
