upholding t.he Churoh of God. That ataua ftl'Ound at all times, its Christian men are by the Lord of thl! whole earth; i.e. ready bidden to shine like lights in the world As his ministers to do him service. There (Matt. v. 16: Phil. ii. 15). The oil that is R reference to this passage in Rev. :d. 4, supplies the lamps is tho grace of God, the wh~re the "two witnesses" are oalled "the influence of the Holy Spirit, which alone two olive tTees ... standing before the Lord -enables the Church to shine 11nd to accom- of the <'arth" (Perowne). The vision, as we plish its appointed work. The two olive hRve seen, prefigures primitrily the oom- trees are the two authorities, viz. the oivil pletion of the temple nud the restoration of and sacerdotal, through which God oom- its worship, Rnd serondly the establishment municates his grace to the Church; these of the Christian Church hy the advent of stand by the Lord because, instituted by Messiah. The several parts of the vision him, they carry out his will in the ordering, may be thus explained. The candelabrum guiding, extending, 11nd purifying his is a symbol of the Jewish Church and kingdom o.mong men. The two olive theocracy, in eccorditnoe with the imagery branches remit their oil into one recept11cle, in the Apoe.alypse, where the seven candle- beoe.use the two authorities, the reg11l 11nd sticks are seven Churches (Rev. i. 20). It priestly, a.re intimately connected and is mode of gold I\S precious in God's sight, united, and their 11ction tends to one end, and to be kept pure and unalloyed; it is the promotion of God's glory in the salvation placed in the se.nctuary, and bas seven of men. In Messiah these offices are united; Jnmps, to indicate that it is bright with the he is the channel of Divine gra.ce, the source grace of God, and is meant t.o shed its light of light to the whole world.
HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-7.-Tlie Ohwrch revived. "And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me," etc. The imagery of these verses is twofold; but their subject seems one. By the "candlestick" expressly mentioned in ver. 2 (comp. Rev. i. 13; ii. 1; also Matt. v. 14, 15; Phil ii. 15), and by the temple tacitly referred to in ver. 7, we understand, spiritually, the same thing, viz. in the first instance certainly the Jewish Church of that time. And what this twofold imagery seems intended here to set before us respecting this Church is (1) the secret, and (2) the completeness of its restoration to life. . I. THE SECRET OF ITS RESTOBA'l'ION TO LIFE. Under this head we have set before us the question: 1. Of Church work. What is the great duty of a Church in this world? Is it not, like a lamp or candlestick, to give light, to be a continued witness to men respecting things unseen and eternal-a standing testimony in favour of truth and righteousness, and against error and sin? in other words (Art. XX.), "a witness and keeper of Holy Writ,.? See again references supra; and note, in connection with this duty of spiritual light-giving on the part of a Church, the various grounds of the praiBe or blame administered in Rev. iL and iii. 2. Of Ohwrch needs. 'l'he returned remnant of the Captivity, with their altar again set up (Ezra iii. 3), their feasts again ~t begun (Ezra iii 4), the~ temple in course re-erection (Ezra iii. 10; vi. 14), an~ their ancient priesthood agam restored (Zech. m. 1-5), had now become such a witness. Thev were a "candlestick" or lamp again "lighted." How unequal in themselves to so important an office! How weak, how inexperienced, also bow g:reatly endangered I Above all, how greatly needing that sacred unction, or "oil," of God'.s grace, of which we are told here (comp. also Acts x. 38) ! 3. Of Church supplies. How ample, according to the vision described in vers. 2, 3, the provision maue for supplying this revived lamp with this oil! What besides is meant by the different features of this vision the prophet knows not (ver. 4), and the angel tells not, at present. But, at any rate they seem to signify that abundant provision is made. (1) For supplying such oil. The~e o.re "two" olive trees, e.g., to yield a double supply. Two "trees," also, things always growing and always producing, and able to yield, therefore, e. continual supply. (2) For storing it up, viz. in the" bowl" ~l~d a~ the_" ~op," whence it co~ld n~tural_ly flow out and down as required. (3) For d1stnbut1ng 1t m every needed d1rect10n, viz. Ly means of the twice-seven pipes ( or even, as some take it, the seven-times-seven pipe;), to the seven lamps of which we are told. So mysterious, yet so sufficiellt, was tLe secret source of life in this case. Let Zerubbabel, as the successor of David, and eartLly guardian of his Church, know this for his comfort (see ver. 6). ell. IV. 1-14.] THE BOOK OF ZECHARJAH. 43