MESSIAH

An old Hebrew word, signifying the anointed or sacred, corresponding with the Greek word xeto-ros; and in this sense applied to the Saviour, as it was anciently applied by the Jews to their prophets, priests, and kings, it being customary to anoint all these liigh personages when they a umed their office. We read in Psalm ii. 2., " The kings of the earth set themselves against the Lord and against his anointed'" (i. e. his Me iah); andinPsalmxlv.7., " Therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladne above thy fellows." This anointing, therefore, was not a sensible unction with external oil or ointment, but a symbol of it; a spiritual, an internal unction of grace, given by the Holy Ghost — "And God gave not the spirit by measure unto him." St. Luke tells us that our Saviour applied this anointing to himself at the time when he entered the synagogue of Nazareth. In the synagogue service there is a pause for any one to speak or read who can enlighten or instruct the people: when this period came our Saviour stept forward, took up the Hebrew roll and opened it at the book of the prophet Isaiah, and read aloud this pa age: — " The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath flwojn^edme to preach the gospel to the poor," .; and he closed the book, and he gave it to the minister, and sat down. The eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him; and he said, " This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears; and all bare him witne , and wondered at the gracious words which pro. ceeded out of his mouth." (Luke, iv. 17. .) MESSUAGE (modern Lat. me uiagium), in Law, is said to be properly a dwelling-house with a small portion of land adjacent, or the site of the manor. It is now one of the general words used in the legal description of dwelling-houses with the land attached. META MECONIC ACID. [s. 747]