It broke the long silence of four hundred years. It told the belieying Israelite that the prophetic weeks of Daniel were at length fdlfiUed, (Dan. is. 25.) — that God's choicest promise was at length going to be accomplished, — and that 'Hhe seed'' was abont to appear in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed. (Qen. xxii. 18.) We must place onrselyes in imagination in the position of Zachariasy in order to give the verses before ns their due weight.
Let us mark, for one thing, in this passage, the high testimony which is borne to the character of Zacharias and Elisabeth, We are told that they were " both righteous before God/' and that ''they walked in all the command* ments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.''
It matters little whether we interpret this '' righteous- ness" as that which is imputed to all belieyers for their justification, or that which is wrought inwardly in belieyers by the operation of the Holy Ghost, for fheir sanctification. The two sorts of righteousness are neyer diqoined. There are none justified who are not sancti- fied, and there are none sanctified who are not justified. Suffice it for us to know that Zacharias and Elisabeth had grace when grace was very rare, and kept all the burdensome obseryances of the ceremonial law with deyout eqnscientiousnesB, when few Israelites cared for them ex- cepting in name and form.
The main thing that concerns us all, is the example which this holy pair hold up to Christians. Let us all stiiye to serye God fidthfiilly, and liye fully up to our light, eyen as they did. Let us not forget the plain words of Scripture, ^* He ihat doeth righteousness is righteous."
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