what matters it? Again, what is meant by "After the glory bath he sent me unto the naLions which spoiled you"? Some suppose the prophet to be the person who here speaks of himself as being sent. Others, the angel mentioned in ver. 4. Some read the words, "after the glory," "to win glory." And again, what is meant by "Behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants"? 'l'he expression, perhaps, is indicative of a threatening attitude of Jehovah when about to inflict punishment upon his enemies, Dr. Wardlaw says of vers. 8, 9, "That the simplest and most natural interpretation is that which makes them refer to the fulfilment of the promise in ver. 5, 'I will be the Glory in the midst of her.'" When this has been fulfilled-when Jehovah's house has been built, and he has returned and taken possession of it, and become anew the glory of his people and his city-then, says the speaker," He bath sent me unto the nations which spoiled you,"- words of whicti, in this connection, the most appropriate interpretation seems to be that Jehovah bath given him a commission against those nations. These words may be fairly taken to illustrate the 'l'TWY'al ezile of humanity. As the Jews in Babylon were exiled from their own land, souls are away from God in the "far country" of depravity. The point suggested is the reluctance ef the ezile to return. This reluctance is here seen- I. IN THE EARNESTNESS OF THE DIVINE APPEAL, " Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the Lord." Though Providence, through the interposition of Cyrus, had removed all physical obstacles to their return, still they had such lingering attachments to the land of their captivity that they seemed loth to break away. Hence the appeal of the Almighty to "flee from the land of the north." Is not this an illustration of the moral state of sinners? Though their way to return back to God has been made clear by Christ, yet return they will not. Hence bow earnest and persevering the Divine call! What is the voice to humanity of the Almighty Word, the voice sounding through nature, through all history, and especially through Christ? Does it not amount to this, "Let the wicked forsake bis way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord," etc.? "Return" is the word. "Flee from the land of the north." It is the land of corruption, the land of tyranny. II. IN THE POTEN0Y OF THE DIVINE REASONS. Several things are suggested by God as reasons why they should attend to his call and "return." 1. The greatness of their separation. "I have spread you a.broad as the four winds of the heaven.'' You ought to be one people, united as loving brethren-united in spirit and aim, in a common worship and a common purpose of life; but you a.re divided far apart. You are not in one part of the country, but at every point of the compass-ast, west, north, sou1.1. Do not be separated any more. Gather together into one fold. Is not this a good reason why sinners should return to God? So long as they are away from him they a.re divided amongst themselves. They a.re not only apart from each other, they are not only without sympathy with each other, but in antipathy. What a motive this to " return" 1 2. The tender interest of God in them. " He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye." Some regard this as meaning, " He that injures you injures himself;" as if the words meant, "He that toucheth you touchetb the pupil of his own eye." '!'here is a great truth in this. He that injures another injures himself thereby. This is a law manifestly just and eternally irrevocable. You cannot wron~ another without wronging yourself. But although this is a truth, the words, I think, convey something more than this; they convey the idea of God's tender interest in his people. It is a charming figure. The eye is one of the most intricate and delicate structures in the human frame; and the pupil of the eye-the opening by which the light of heaven enters for the purposes of vision-the most sensitive, as well as important, pa.rt of that structure. Nothing can more finely convey the idea of the exquisitely tender care of Jehovah for the objects of his love. Such interest the Bible teaches with frequency and fervour. Hence we read," Jn all their affl.ictiou, he is afflicted." ',Ve I read, "As a father pitieth his children," etc. We read, " Can a woman forget her sucking child?" We read, "He is touched with a feeling of our infirmities," etc. What an argument is this for man's moral return! If the Almighty Father is so tender towards us, ought we not to hurry home to his presence! The father of the prodigal son represents the Wliversal Father of mankind, " When he was yet a grea.~ 26 THE BOOK OF ZECHARIAB. [oH. II, 1-13,
~y off, his fat.her saw him," etc. 8. The fYpposit.:on of the .Almighty to their enemies. "For, behokl, I will shake mine hand upon them." This c&n b~ the language of no other than ,Tehovah, antl yet is t-he language of one who speaks of "Jehovah" as having "~enf him." There does not appear to be any reMonable expl1mBtion of thiR but ,,ur considering the speaker a.s the Divine Angel of the covenant. Thie is a strong rca~on why they should "return." They need not be afraid, therefore, of their enemies. God is against them. Is not this a good reason why sinners should return to him? They need not dread their enemies, whether they be men or devils. God says, "I will shake mine hand upon them." C0NCLDSION. Why should sinners be so reluctfl.nt to return to God? What made the Jews so reluctant" to flee from the north "-to break away from Babylon and return t-0 their mrn land? Was it indolence, Did they so love ease as to dread exertion? Was it love of the world, Had they established prosperous businesses, and amassed such property as to tie them to the spot? W a.q it old association 1 Had they formed scquaintances in which they were intereRt.ed, associates whose services promoted their prirnte advantage, and whose fellowship yielded pleasure to their social natures? Perhaps each of these acted---indol~nce, love of the world, old associations. And do not all these act now to prevent sinners from coming out of moral Babylon (see Rev. xviii. 4)?-D. T.