I. IT WIJ.L EMDRA0E THE AFFAIRS OF 0OMMON LIFE. "In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses." It was common amongst ancient nations to have belle on horses for use or ornament, or perhaps for both. It is said that in Alexander's funeral procession the horses had gold bells attached to their cheek-~traps. "Holiness unto the Lord," under the Law of Moses had been inscribed on the frontlet of the high priest, nnd nowhere else; now it was to be even on the bells of the horses, the commonest things of secular life. In this age no horses will be employed in wars and races, they will only be employed for right purposes and in a right way. The men who ride and drive them in state will be holy men, the men who use them in agricul- ture will be holy men. Horses, which for ages have been unrighteously treated and unrighteously used, in that day will be properly treated and properly employed. II. IT WILL EMBRACE ALL DOMESTIC CONCERNS, "Every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of hosts." The idea is that holiness will extend even to the minutest concerns of domestic life, the members of families will be religious. The very pots in which the priests cooked their food should be as sacred as the bowls that caught the victim's blood. Observe (1) that the distinction between the sacred and secular is to be abolished; but (2) not by separation from the world, nor by making all things secular, but by making all things holy, by carrying into all occupa- tions the spirit and delight of God's presence. "' Holiness to the Lord' is not to be obliterated from the high priest's mitre, so that he might feel as little solemnized when putting on his mitre and entering the holiest of all, as if he were going into his stable to put the collar on his horse; but when he puts the collar on his horse and goes to his day's work or recreation, he is to be as truly and lovingly as one with God as when with incense and priestly garments he enters the holy of holies" (Dr. Dods). III. IT WILL EMBRACE ALL RELIGIOUS CH.A.BACTEBS. "In that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts." "By 'Canaanite,'" says Dr. Henderson, "is meant 'merchant.' The Phcenicians who inhabited the northern part of Canaan were the most celebrated merchants of antiquity. The word may fairly be regarded as standing for mercenary men-men animated by the mercenary spirit." Such men are ever to be found in connection with religion. The old prophets bewailed this spirit. It was found in the earlier ages of the Christian Church. Men who considered" g:ain as godliness,'' the Canaanite or the merchant, do not necessarily belong to mercantile life, but to other avocations as well, and even to the priestly life. Perhaps the mercenary spirit is as rife in priests and ministers now as ever. But in the coming age there will be no more the Canaanite-the mercenary man-in the house of the Lord ; all will be holy. OoNOLUBION. Hail, blessed age! May the chariot of time quicken its speed, ana bring this blessed age to this world of depravity and sin! Note : This closes our sketches on the prophecy of Zecharlah. We confess that going through it seriatim we have found in various passages, expressions and alllL'!ions to which we were utterly unable to put any clear and intelligible interpretation. There is a haze more or less over the whole book, nnd our endeavour has been, wherever we have caught a glimpse of a great, practical truth, to bring it out and work it into the service of soul-culture. Though we may have failed to give the true meaning to many passages, we know that we have not intentionally misinterpreted any utterance, or turned a phrase or a word to any theological or ecclesiastical pre- dilection, if indeed any such we have,-D. T. HOMILETICAL INDEX TO
THE BOOK OF ZEOHARI.AH.
CHAPTER I. CHAPTER III. JHElfB PAGE THEllB P.lG9 A Timely Warning 5 The Priesthood restored 31 A Vision of Rest... 6 The Priesthood eclipsed 32 A Vision of Mercy 7 Satan and Christ... 33 A Vision of Help... 8 Three Things which concern the Soni 33 God's Call to RepentR.nce .. . 9 A Picture of Christ and the Soni 34. Me we .Better than onr Fathers P 10 "If" and "Then;" or, the Great The Transitoriness of Life 11 Things of God's Promises 34, God's Word taking hold 11 Portents 34 The Chorch and Christ 11 Messie.h's Mission 35 The Wonder of Indifference 12 The Good Man on Earth in his Inter- The Wrath of God and the Wrath of cessory Function 35 Man... U The Bible and Troe Greatness 37 The Dark and the Bright Side of The World's Wants and God's Pro- T~~ U visions 37 The Importance of Repentance 12 The First Vision : God's Government of the World 14 CHAPTER IV. Second Vision : Foor Horns and Foor Carpenters 16 The Chnrch revived 4,!! The Chnrch snstained 43 The Chnrch in Three Aspects 44 CHAPTER II. On Seeing 44 The Learner and the Learned 45 The Secret of Power 45 A. Vision of Safety 19 Enconragement to Christian Workers 46 A Promise of Triumph 20 Man as a Student of the Divine Re- The Benefits of God's Presence 21 velation and a Doer of Divine Work 46 Measoring the Church 22 The Olive Trees and the Candle- The Exiles' Return 23 sticks : Model Religious Teacher8 48 The Joys of the Church in her Great Head ... 23 Third Vision: an Interesting Futore CHAPTER V. for the World ... 23 Sonl-Exile 24 The Reassertion of the Law 51 'J'l:ie Joy of the Millennial Chnroh 26 The Vindication or Law ... 52 ii INDEX.