CHAPTER II.
Zech. xii. 10 opened and vindicated.
The especial promise of the administration of the Spirit of God unto the* end under consideration is that which I shall lay as the
CHAP. II.] ZECH. XII. 10 OPENED AND VINDICATED. 255
foundation of the ensuing discourse. Zech. xii. 10, "I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplications/' The Spirit here promised is the Spirit of God, " the Holy Spirit," with respect unto the especial end for which he is promised. And the manner of his administration in the accomplishment of the promise is expressed by Vi9??i» " I will pour out." The same word is used to the same purpose, Ezek. xxxix. 29, Joel ii. 28, as are also other words of the same importance, which we render by "pouring out," as Pro v. i. 23; Isa. xxxii. 15, xliv. 3, hi. 15.
1. Two things have been elsewhere declared concerning this expres- sion, applied unto the communication of the Holy Ghost: — (1.) That a plentiful dispensation of him unto the end for which he is promised, with respect unto a singular and eminent degree in his operations, is intended therein. The apostle expresseth this word, or the accom- plishment of what is promised in it, by i^xliV ^^0iJg'Ms, Tit. hi. 6, " he hath richly," or abundantly, " poured out his Spirit." Not, therefore, a mere grant and communication of the Spirit, but a plentiful effusion of him, is intended; which must have some eminent effects as pledges and tokens thereof, for it is absurd to speak of a " plentiful, abundant effusion," with degrees above what was before granted, and yet there be no certain ways or means whereby it may be evidenced and demonstrated. The Spirit, there- fore, is so promised in this place as to produce some notable and peculiar effects of his communication. (2.) That this promise is peculiar unto the days of the gospel; I mean, every promise is so where mention is made of pouring out the Spirit on men ; which may be evinced by the consideration of every place where this ex- pression is used. But in this place it is most unquestionable, the immediate effect of it being a looking unto Christ as he was pierced. And it may be yet farther observed, that there is a tacit comparison in it with some other time or season, or some other act of God, wherein or whereby he gave his Spirit before, but not in that way, manner, or measure that he now promiseth to bestow him. Of the whole of these observations, Didymus gives us a brief account, De Spir. Sane. i. 1 : " Significat autem effusionis verbum, largam, et divitem muneris abundantiam; itaque cum unus quis alicubi, aut duo Spiritum Sanctum accipiunt, non dicitur, ' Effundam de Spiritu meo/ sed tunc, quando in universas gentes munus Spiritus Sancti redundaverit."
2. Those unto whom he is thus promised are " the house of David, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem," — that is, the whole church, ex- pressed in a distribution into the ruling family and the body of the people under their rule. And the family of David, which was then
256 WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN PRAYER [BOOK VII.
in supreme power among the people in the person of Zerubbabel, is expressly mentioned for three reasons: — (1.) Because the faithfulness of God in his promises was concerned in the preservation of that family, whereof the Messiah was to spring, Christ himself being thereby, in the rule of the church, typed out in an especial manner. (2.) Because all the promises in a peculiar manner were first to be fulfilled in the person of Christ, so typed by David and his house. On him the Spirit, under the New Testament, was first to be poured out in all fulness; and from him to be communicated unto others. (3.) It may be to denote the especial gifts and graces that should be communicated unto them who were to be employed in the rule and conduct of the church under him, the king and head thereof. And '' the inhabitants of Jerusalem" is a phrase expressive of the whole church, because that was the seat of all their public ordinances of worship. See Ps. cxxii. Wherefore, the whole spiritual church of God, all believers, are the object of this promise, as represented in the " house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem."
3. The especial qualifications of the promised Spirit are two ; for, — (1.) He is to be ID D&*1, a " Spirit of grace." ID which the Greek con- stantly renders %ap/g, and we from the Latin gratia, "grace," is derived from \V}, as is also the following word, which signifies to "have mercy," or " compassion," to be "gracious;" as all the words whereby God's gracious dealings with sinners [are expressed] in the Hebrew do in- clude the sigaification of pity, compassion, free goodness, and bounty. And it is variously used in the Scripture : sometimes for the grace and favour of God, as it is the fountain of all gracious and merciful effects towards us, Rom. i. 7, iv. 16, v. 2, 15, 20, vi. 1, xi. 5; 1 Cor. i. 3 ; and in other places innumerable ; — and sometimes for the prin- cipal effect thereof, or the gracious favour of God whereby he accepts us in Christ, Eph. ii. 5 ; 2 Thess. i. 1 2 ; which is the grace the apostle prays for in the behalf of the church, Rom. xvi. 20 ; 1 Cor. xvi. 23. And sometimes it is applied unto the favour of men, and acceptation with them, called the "finding grace" or "favour" in the sight of any, Gen. xxxix. 4, 21 ; 1 Sam. ii. 26; Prov. iii. 4; Esther ii. 15, 17, v. 2; Luke ii. 52; Acts iv. 33; — and sometimes for the free effectual efficacy of grace in those in whom it is, Acts xiv. 26; 1 Cor. xv. 10; 2 Cor. xii. 9; — and sometimes for our justification and salvation by the free grace or favour of God in Christ, John i. 17; 1 Pet. i. 13; — for the gospel itself, as the instrument of the declaration and com- munication of the grace of God, 2 Cor. vi. 1; Eph. iii. 2; Col. i. 6; Tit. ii. 11 ; — for the free donation of the grace and gifts of the Spirit, John i. 16; Eph. iv. 7. And many other significations it hath, which belong not unto' our purpose.