an Impoſtor, but Teſtimonies of his Truth, and that he is the Mefſi- ah. y "Tis God's Commiſſion, or rather Predi&ion, the Imperative at for the Future x 7i-e. Affiliations, Perſecutions, and the Croſs. z Who is my fairhful Shepherd, and will lay down his Life for my Sheep. | þ6 Who became Man, that he might be my Servant and die. c Or my equal, who was eyer with me, and my Delights, Prov. 8. 30. Man my Fellow ſpeaks Chriſt Man with us, and God with his Fa- ther,God-man 1n one Perſon. d This great and good Shepherd ſhall be ſmitten, 7. &. die for my Sheep, and before he dieth ſhall ſuffer much for them. e As affrighted, deſtitute of one to look after them, and which muſt be partakers in ſufferings with their Shepherd. f God will, ſay ſome, turn his Hand againſt the little ones, ſmite them too; but others ſay, this turning the Hand 15 in Favour, and for ProteQi- on, 'tis Hand turned over them, as if he would keep the Blow off them, while others fitrer to bear it do ſuffer. g New, and therefore A weak Converts and Diſciples. : . E $ And it ſhall come to paſs, 7hat in all the land þ, | ſaith the LORD, two parts 7 therein ſhall be cut oft, and die k, but the third / ſhall be left therein 2.
This Verſe may be a Predifion of the great ſlaughter Titus made among the Jews, and alſo an Emblem of the Mulritudes of them that periſh,and Paucity of them that are ſayed. h Of! Zudea, or the whole World. # Not preciſely two, but more largely the greater part by far. þ A Temporal Death, by the Sword of Titus, or an eternal Death under Unbelicf, and reje&ing Chriſt. / 7. e. A Remnant, the lefſer part, yet as many as are choſen. m Shall eſcape, or be pre- ſerved and ſaved.
3 9 And I will bring the third part through the fire 2, & ret, 1, and will * refine them as filver is refined 2, and will , try them as gold is tried : * they ſhall call on my
Pl.50-15- name o, and I will hear p them : I will fay, * It zs my 144 reople ;' and they ſhall fay, The LORD 7s my God.
; m That part that is preſerved ſhall be brought into Aflitions hot as Fire. n Theſe Afffflicions ſhall purifie them, and ſo betrer them as Silyer and Gold are bettered by the Furnace, made fitter to be Veſ- ſels of Honour. 0 Pray to me and own me for their God. pI will an- ſwer them, and own them for my People, my purified People, 75c.
CHAP. XIV.
The calamities of Jeruſalem, 1, 2. yet their enemies deſtroyed, 3. The coming of Chriſt, and the graces of his kingdom promiſed, 4 — 11. The plagues and puniſhments of Feruſalems enemes, 12—15, Arem- nant turn to the LORD. _ Their univerſal holineſs, 16—21.
BTS a, the day of the LORD 56 cometh, and thy ſpoil c ſhall be divided in the midſt of thee
a Here are things of very great Importance, and of very myſteri- ous Nature, propoſed by the Lord to us, and therefore we are called upon to attend to them. b The Day which the Lord hath appointed for puniſhing the Sins of his ancient People, Day of his Sacrifice,
ZECHARIAH
[mountain ihall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the ſouth 5z.
t Ver. 3. The Lord is ſaid to come forth to fight for his Peg ple ; This 4th Verſe tells us where he will take his Poſt, or make a Stand, viz, on. Mount Oliver, which for its ſituation, in irs height, . and nearneſs to Feruſalem, and the Temple, might appear a convenicat Poſt for Succours to poſt themſelyes on; God ( ſpeaking after the manner of Men) promiſeth Succour to his Church, and affureth her of his nearneſs to her, and of the proſpet he hath over all thar is about her, or in her; that ſhe mighr be encouraged to wait on God, who is ſo near to her. u A Geographical Deſcription of the Situa- tion of this Mountain with reſpe& to Feruſalem. x As if it were ſen- fible of the Majeſty of God, who ſtands upon it; this cleaves, Sin melted, at the Preſence of the God of the whole Earth. y The con- ſequent of this dividing of the Mountain, a mighty Valley appears running ſtrait from Eaſt ro Weſt; ſo there ſhould be plain and eatic acceſs from the place of the Feet of the Lord unto Feruſulem, + &s if 1t knew how to comply with the Deſign of God, and withdray on each Hand far enough our of the way, and be no hindrance to the in- tended Relief of the Church. So 1 judge (it theſe things were not by Viſion repreſented to the Prophet, which I will not avow though I may think ſo) the Prophet doth parabolically ſer forth the furure Pre- ſervation and Deliverance of the Church of Chriſt : and ſuppoſe we then what wonderful Effe&s the Preſence of God wrought of old when ever he appear'd to reſcue his People ; how Mountains fled,or melted, or ſunk into Plains, or, as here is ſaid, divided, and made 4 deep and large Valley,i.e. how every Obſtacle removed, that the Re- lief might be ſure and eafie; ſo ſhall ir be with the Church of Chriſt, the Goſpel- Feryſalem, in ail times of its Troubles; and though Jewiſh Feruſalem, that ancient City, be ruin'd, never to be built, yer a more | excellent City, the Chriſtian Jeruſalem, ſhall be built, guarded, re- ſcued,and never ruin'd ; for the Feet of the Lord ſhall ſtand ſo near to her, as Olivet to Jeruſalem, and the Way plain and eafie before him, on purpoſe to ſave her. In this manner I underſtand ſome- what of the Text, but I cannot ſute it with particular Accommoda- tion of the Events here mention'd, if I look on it as a Predi&ion of what ſhall be done,according tothe Letter, or be Matter of Hiſtory, Nor do I meet with any that do tell me any ſuch thing hath been done between the time of Zechariah's propheſying, and Titus waſting and ſacking Feruſalem ; nor ſhall any ſuch thing ever be, if material Feruſalem never be built. 5 And ye a ſhall flee b to the valley of || the moun- tains; || for c the valley of the mountains thall reach || Or, my unto Azal : yea, ye ſhall flee like as ye fled trom before muntiins, the earthquake d in the days of Uzziah king of Judah : LE and the LORD my God ſhall e come, ard all the faints ;,jch the with thee, a You that are Members of the Church, and whom God doth in mountains wonderful Power and Majeſty come to ſave. 6b Filld with Appre- to the place henfions of ſuch ſtrange things, and troubled at the Convulfions and he ſepara- Struglings of Nations againſt God and you, ſhall, as in a great Fear, ted.