314 coremember his holy covenant. : This was that which GoG had told them by the Prophets, that a 17s mighty Salvation ſhould ariſe to them out of the houſe of Daud, \Þ by which they ſhould be ſaved from their Enemies. By winch E:e-
mics the genctality of the Jeivs underſtood rheir temporal Enemies, t- made of Fleſh, and Blood, But Zacharias ſpeaking by the Spirit of Ke Prophetic, mult needs have a truer Notion of it, as it fignities our , ſpiritual Enemies. All this 1s attributed to God's Mercy, and faith- 4 tulneſs, his Mercy freely looking upon his Creatures in Diſtreſs, and bj Miſcry ; lis ſuithſulneſs in remembrance of his holy Covenaur, a made to Alum, Abraham, David, &c. but it is more particularly ; explained, 1s ki. 73 Theoath which he ſivare to our father * Abra-
6 13, ham.
a | God firſt gave Abraham his Word, Gen. 18, 18. then he confirm- _ ed it by his Oath, Gen. 22. 16, The Apoſtle to the Hebrews, faith, Is phen God made promiſe to Abraham, becauſe he could,ſware by no great-
»7, he ſware by hin/elf. 3 74 That he would grant unto us, that we being de- © "0... livered out of the hand of our eneniies, * might ſerve £ him without fear, " 75 In holineG and righteouſneſs before him, all ' ' the days of 0:11 life. L . Thus Zacharias by an infallible Spirit, expounds the Covenants, ; and Oath; of God to Abraham, and David, not as they appear to us y at firſt view, as if they were promiſes of a meer temporal Kingdom, 45 and a Victory for the Jews over their En-mies, togecher with a "_ ſplendid ſta: for them 3. ( which was ail the Scribes and Phariſees, mw | andthe generality of the Jews expettcd from the Meſtah,)but as con- _ ; firming God's reſolution to ſend the Jews a Saviour who ſhould ſive — them from their Sins, the guilt and Dominion of them, and from Fe : the power of Bell, and purchaſe a ſpiritual liberty for them to ſerve on the Lord all their days without fear, in holineſs, and righteouſneſs LE which indeed, was tize truc end of the Meſſiahs coming. Thus far | RN now the Song of this holy Man reſpe&ed Chriſt, whom he ſheweth : " } tobe ſcent from the free Graoe, and Mercy of God, yet in perfor- At mance of God's truth and faithfulneſs, according to his Oath, and mY promiſes, and to be therefore ſent to deliver his Peopie from their
Enemies, and to purchaſe for them a ſpiritual liverty not to Sin,but to ſerve the Lord without fear, in Holineſs and Righteouſneſs, The latter part of his Propheſie, reſpetteth Fohn the Baptist, the new bot Son of this Prieſt, and heavenly Prophet,
= 76 And thou child ſhalt be called the prophet of the ws, 3-1. Hipheſt : for * thou ſhalt go before the face of the Lord
<4 . loprepare his ways. pus E Zachatic here foretelleth what came to paſs about thirty years 9 { After, forit cannot be thought that John began his Miniſtry before
the Sacerdotal ape, eſpecially conſidering Chriſt did not begin ſooner,
USs ny | 8 "TE. :
In the Greek it is, through the Birwels of 37 A artinary on preifion, and very naturaj to ſignifie goat, 1d 2 ti. bo Gen. 43- 30. I Kings 3. 25. Our remithon of 3:1 4ouent, from Gods GE bowels of Mercy ; it dependcth not upon ovr {ict tins ard porige 9296. PTY Ces, (as Papiis dream,) but Ged's free and cence s igne 5 vir ng OE £8 muſt be juſt, and declare his rizhteouſnes, wii he iuftitiern "# Hae 3-9 ungodly therefore. {The Day-ſpring from on {575 1.43 v1it id 7: ths &valoan 45 uÞss. Some think that the Gree Word artwercch the wh P
Hebrew Word, er. 23- 5s. Zech, 3. 8. trantlatzd tie Branch 5, the: venty Interpreters tranſlate it by *AyeJoan's. Fc. 52. 10 The Texts mamfeit!ly relate to Chriſt, who is calicd there 5 3 14
Others think it rather anſivereth the Zehrew Word 4, woe h4 tlate it a great Lizht, Others think, it ſhould be tranflited the 7.0,
So they ſay Chriſt is called, Z:ch. 3. 2. & 6. 12. hut we trar{ha;
the Braach in both thoſe places. Be it the Branch, or the 15:6, os Day-Spring, cr the Exit is certain Chriit is meant, vho is call.d the Son of Righteouſneſs, Hal. 4. 2. Titat God ini oht be juſt in tlic remitfion of our Sins, he ſent Thrift +o vitic us, 20d: in ovur Netwie
to dye for us.
79 To givelight to them that fit in Carkneſs, In the ſhadow of death, to gnide our feet into way of peace.
Here Zacharias ſheweth us the end why God viſitzd us with his Son, the Branch, tne Light, the Day ſpring, the $:n of Rizhte- oujrejs 5 Men were in te darknets of Sin, and Ignorance. dead jn treſpatles and fins, at War and Enmity with God, Chriſt came to give them the Light of Gofpel Revelations, the [izht of Sp>irire ct comfort, and Salvation, to purchate Peace, and to direct them how to walk that the! micht have Peace with God, and at laft enter 51:2 Peace, Tits he di4 to the jews fifty, then to the Gentiles, fee 7. Q 5, A-& Ar, 1, 19. |
80 And * the -<vnild grew.
» ard waxed ftrorg in. > - * © 1 . my 2—__ . ' y þ 4 - TC « * EI ſpirit, and * was In tne delerts till tne ay Ci Ris « FE IE
ſhewing unto iſr-el.
Tae Evangeliſt havi. « done with Zach.rrigs his |
15 Propketica! Son>, now cometh to tz1{ us what Lecame of Fobn, He f2%h, the | 141d grew, and waxed ſti5n; in Spirit. | He did not only grow in tiis bg
dily dimenſions, but 1n th: endowments of his Mind, 74 the deſerts, that is, in places very thinly infiabited. (6m wi] hive this to have becn thedeferts of Ziph and Mun) ; : ſhewing to 1{rae}.] That is (ir al probability Y til he was about thirty years of aze, when Ii& came forth, as a Publick Preacher to thoſe parts of 1/a-/, where he ſpcut the fmall remaining part of his Life, of which we ſhal! hear more hereafter.
CHAT I
Joſeph goeth to Bethlem to be taxed with Mary his
4. *. - _ *. ' © —Y ”4 by w
— Chap. 3. 23. {Thou ſhalt be called a Prophet.) that may either ſignifie, oh | thu ſhalt be @ Prophet, as Matth. s. 9. Joh. 1. 12. or thou ſhalt be cod | ©, or taken notice of, [as the Prophet of the Higheſt. | Both were —_ | Uucein Foby, Hewas a Prophet (tho not that Prophet, John 1. 21.) thai | )Y©2,andnxe than a Prophet,ſaith our Saviour, Matth, 1t. 9. [| And 4 of 994 ſhalt go before his ſace to prepare his ways.) This was according "wn: WM Þ© fe Prophecy, Ia. yo. 3. Mal. 4.5. and according to what John
4 Faid of himſelf, Matth. 3. 3. Mark I. 3. See the Notes on Matth. 3.3:
| ins | Udo). 25