Zech. iv. 7. Who art thou, 0 great mountain ? before Zerub- babel thou shalt become a plain.
OUR eyes are generally fixed more on the creature than on God. Hence we are apt to entertain many unnecessary fears. Nor are we unfrequently diverted by them from the path of duty. This was the case with the Jews when rebuilding their temple. Cyrus had given them permission to rebuild it. But they met with opposition from their envious neighbours. And through this they were intimidated and dis- heartened. But God encouraged them with an as- surance of success3 —
We may notice, I. The difficulties that obstruct the building of God's spiritual temple —
The temple at Jerusalem was typical of that, which God erects visibly in the world, and invisibly in the hearts of men0 —
1. The visible temple of the Church has much to obstruct its erection in the world —
[With what inconceivable difficulty are men hewn from the quarry, where they by nature lie ! What an impenetrable hard- ness is there in their hearts ! They pay little, if any, attention to the word of God. They set themselves against what is spoken to them in God's name. Their state seems almost to destroy all hope that the Gospel should ever operate effectually among them. There is also much opposition made to them by all de- scriptions of people. Many pretended friends, as well as open enemies, strove to impede the building of the material temple0. They sought to prevent it even by means of a legal process d. Thus both force and stratagem are used to stop the progress of the Gospel, and the united opposition of all ranks of men seems like an impassable mountain in its way. Those too ivho are employed in erecting this spiritual temple, are weak and insuf- ficient. The work might call forth all the wisdom and energy of angels ; but God has put his " treasure into earthen vessels."
a ver. 6, 7.
b In proof of this, see Eph. ii. 21. and 1 Cor. hi. 16.
c Ezra iv. 1 — 4. ll Ezra iv. 5.