release from thraldome 2 In the second of Ezra we finde the number of the whole Congregation that returned to bee 42360. besides their attendants but if we reckon up the particulars of Iuda and Benjamin which are in that Chapter punctually set downe we shall finde the summe amount but to 29974. so that there wants about 12000. of the full number Which say the Hebrew Doctors were those that came up out of the other tenne Tribes As R. Schelamo Isaac relates on Ezra 3.64 3 The Scripture seemes plainely to signifie so much in divers places as Ier. 3.18 Hos 1.11 Ezek. 37. per totum Albeit the meaning of these and the like places bee controverted and by many expounded of the Conversion of the Iewes unto Christianitie and not of the Vnion of these remainders of the twelve Tribes which returning from Captivitie grew into one of Church and State in Iewrie Ergo quaere ult of this their returne Furthermore touching this Compellation of the house of Iuda and Israel this is to bee noted That before the Captivitie of the two Tribes and whilst the Kingdome of Israel stood there were many that from time to time revolted unto Iuda out of love of true Religion there maintained or other respects as appeares in the time of Rehoboam 2 Chron. 11.13 to verse 17. and of Asa 2 Chron. 15.9 and of Hezekiah 2 Chron. 30.11.18 And these mingling themselees with the two Tribes were with them carried Captive and with them returned And of these the Prophet may speake O house of Israel Sed quae penitus Let us proceede So will I save you and yee shall be a blessing A forme to be used in blessing of others as the like Ruth 4.11 12. see Zeph. 3.20 Now because so great prosperity was not likely to befall them the Prophet againe repeats his first and generall Exhortation to Beliefe and Courage which he used verse 9. Feare not Cast no doubts mistrust not your own weakenesse your Enemies strength c. But let your hands be strong Goe on in the Worke and bee confident of Gods ayde Verse 13. And this hee further assures them of by that which is the third Amplification of this Promise of a prosperous Estate viz. 3. By the Cause of their Prosperitie Which springs not from themselves or others but from Gods gracious purpose to doe good unto them Which purpose and decree of his is constant and unchangeable and therefore they may trust to it This the Prophet lets them understand in a Comparison of Gods dealing both wayes in Iudgement and in Mercie that having found the former true they should not doubt of the latter 1 The first part of the Comparison toucheth the time past and sheweth 1. Gods decree and purpose of punishing their sinnes declared in so many threatnings denounced by the Prophets For thus saith the Lord of Hostes as I thought decreed and determined to punish you when your Fathers provoked me to wrath saith the Lord of Hostes. 2. Gods execution of that his purpose And I repented not I changed not my minde because they changed not their evill courses but did as I fore-thought and fore-threatned And the Iewes had found by experience that thus farre God was as good as his word 2 The second part concernes the present and future times and sets forth in like manner 1 The gracious purpose and determination of God to shew mercy unto them So againe have I thought in these dayes to doe well unto Ierusalem and to the house of Iuda 2 The certainety of its execution Feare yee not that I will faile of my Promise I will surely bring to passe what I have intended for your good Vers 14 15. But what if God be resolved to blesse the Iewes then they neede care for nothing else belike Not so the Promise is upon a condition and that 's the fourth Amplification of the Promise of an happy estate viz 4. By the Condition required at their hands These are the things that yee shall doe viz. if wee will have any favour Which are generally their Obedience declared in some particulars 1. Doing of good in two kindes 1 Speaking the truth Speake the Truth every man to his Neighbour 2 Doing of true Iustice Execute the judgement of Truth For the Manner Iudge truely according to right and true informations and Peace For the End and Effect To compose the quarrels and differences betweene private men and so preserve the publicke Peace in your Gates In the places of justice which were in those times in the entrance of the gates of the Cities And Iustice sitting at the gate is a better safe-guard for a Citie than a Corps du guard or strong Doores and Barres Verse 16. 2. Forbearing of evill in two kindes 1 Evill imaginations and purposes against our Brother And let none imagine evill in your hearts against his Neighbour as Chap 7. verse 10. 2 Swearing falsly to deceive and wrong our Neighbour And love no false oath Psalme 15.4 And an ill practice will not bee left till it be hated The not doing of these things is pressed on them by a forcible Reason from Gods hatred and detestation of such doings For all these are the things that I hate saith the Lord and them that doe them As on the contrary the other are the things that I love and such as observe them Verse 17. And thus wee have the first part of this Sermon this most excellent Praeface unto the finall decision of the maine question first proposed unto the Prophet We come in the second place to 2. The Answer it selfe which the Prophet makes to their Demand about Fasting which hee briefly resolves them of in few words His Answer consists of two parts 1 An Abbrogation of their Custome of Fasting And the Word c. Thus c. The Fast of the fourth Moneth wherein a breach was made in the Wals of Ierusalem and so the Citie taken 2 Kings 25.3 And the Fast of the fift and the fast of the seventh See Chap. 7.3.5 And the fast of the tenth wherein Ierusalem was first beleaguered 2 Kings 25.1 Shall bee to the house of Iudah joy and gladnesse Times of inward rejoycing in stead of their inward mourning and sorrow of heart And of cheerefull feasts in stead of outward fastings and abstinence from meates and drinkes 2. An Injunction to observe that which God most required and they most neglected Therefore Ye see how little God regards your Fastings t is not that hee lookes after Therefore c. or the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may here be rendred And And love ye the Truth or as the French Love then the Truth the Truth the substance of Religion in Obedience to God Charity to your Neighbour and let goe these outward needlesse Ceremonies and Peace This is an effect of the love of Truth It was not their Fastings Psal 37.27 but their Piety and Mercie that would procure their Peace and bring them favour from God
comfort Zion and shall yet chuse Ierusalem 18 Then lift I up mine eyes and saw and behold foure hornes 19 And I said unto the Angel that talked with me What be these And he answered me These are the hornes which have scattered Iudah Israel and Ierusalem 20 And the Lord shewed me foure Carpenters 21 Then said I What come these to doe And he answered and said These are the hornes which have scattered Iudah so that a man durst not lift up his head but these are come to fray them and to cast out the hornes of the Gentiles which lift up their horne over the Land of Iudah to scatter it THis Booke seemes to containe the summe of five Sermons delivered by the Prophet Zacharie at severall times partly 1. Doctrinall as the first Chap. 1. to the seventh Verse being a Sermon of Repentance prefixed as a Preface to the other Prophesies both of Mercies and Iudgements and that fitly Repentance being the onely preparative to fit a People to heare of Mercie and an onely meanes to escape Iudgement In this Sermon we are to note 1. The Circumstances which are three viz. 1. The Time In the eight moneth two moneths after Haggai began to prophesie Hag. 1.1 when as the Iewes were in ill state through Famine and the worke of the Temple but newly taken in hand of the second yeere of Darius There was no King in Israel from whose reigne to date their Prophesies And who this King of Persia was Whether Darius the sonne of Hystaspis or Nothus wee 'le leaue to enquire til we come to the twelfth verse of this Chapter 2. The Preachers Authoritie and Commission and that 's Divine from immediate inspiration Came the Word of the Lord. 3. The Person by whose Ministerie the Message is delivered described unto us by his Name Pedigree and Office unto Zechariah the sonne of Berechiah the sonne of Iddo the Prophet that the Prophet is to be referred to Zechariah not to Iddo Though there were one of that name a Prophet yet that Zechariah was of his Progenie is utterly uncertaine This Zechariah is the same that is mentioned Matth. 23.35 Luke 11.51 who after * Chap. 11.1 13. the re-edifying of the Temple was slaine by the Iewes Nor needes any long dispute about it seeing both the name of his Father is the same Berechiah here and in Matthew And also the manner of Christs account easily perswades to it who reckoning up the innocent bloud shed by the Iewes begins at Abel and ends even in the last of the holy Prophets Whereas after that Zechariah 2. Chron. 24.22 many other Prophets and holy men were put to death And moreover What warrant is there to turne Iehoiadas name into Berechiah Is it likely he was trinominis Iehoiada Berechiah and Iohanan for so he is called in the Catalogue of the High Priests 1. Chron. 6.9 Or what ground is there to * Genev. Note on 2. Chron. 24.22 say Zacharies progenitors were Iddo Berechiah Iehoiada c. when no such thing appeares in Genealogie Besides it is not unlikely that that Zacharie in the second of Chronicles was slaine in the Court of the People after hee had preached unto them standing in an high place among them as appeares Verse 20 21. but this was slaine in the Court of the Priests viz. betweene the Temple and Altar whither being assaulted hee ran for sanctuarie as others before him had done though they were no Priests as it may be our Zacharie was not Some thinke it was Zacharie the Father of Iohn Baptist Luke 1. that Christ speakes of but it is without all ground of good reason and therefore I rest on the first as a truth 2. The substance of the Sermon which is an exhortation to Repentance briefly set downe Verse 3. Turne ye unto me This exhortation is 1. Confirmed and enforced by three Arguments 1. From Gods fierce anger against their forefathers The Lord hath beene displeased not in an ordinarie manner but sore displeased 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with boyling or foaming anger with your fathers of former and later times as stories of the one and wofull experience of the other shew you Verse 2. Therefore turne and repent yee their posteritie 2. From Gods soveraigntie and high power to command or punish Thus sayth the Lord of Hostes and againe Thus sayth the Lord of Hostes against whom there is no hope to rebell and prosper Verse 3. 3. From Gods promise of mercie upon their repentance I will turne unto you in pardon of sinne and deliverie of them out of the scarcitie and dangerous condition they were then in into a better estate of peace and plentie and outward prosperitie This promise also is strengthened by the former attribute of Gods power sayth the Lord of Hostes who have command over Man and all other Creatures to make your Enemies at peace with you or to defend you from their force and to cause the Earth to be fruitfull for your necessities Verse 3. 2. Amplified by a Removall of one maine impediment of this peoples repentance and that is The bad example of their fore-fathers and their good opinion of them A point prevailing much with all but very much with the Iewes Ier. 44.17 Matth. 5.21 who were great admirers and stiffe imitators of their Ancientrie From this the Prophet dehorts them Be not as your Fathers No Why not The Prophet gives two reasons to perswade them to the contrarie 1. From their Disobedience Your Fathers were not so honest men as you may deeme them to be they were Rebels Which appeares by 1. The preachings of the Prophets in former times convincing them of their wicked courses and calling upon them for repentance unto whom the former Prophets as wee now to you their posteritie haue cryed spake lowd enough to be heard and heeded saying Thus sayth the Lord of Hostes Turne you now from your evill wayes and that is from your wicked workes 2. The practice of the people of those times obstinately refusing to yeeld obedience But they as you now for all is spoken with reference to the present estate did not heare that was much when the Prophets spake so audibly but it is God that opens the eare nor much lesse hearken vnto me giue attention to lay up in their hearts what was spoken but slighted all or they did not so heare as to hearken id est obey what was spoken sayth the Lord. And if any stand for them and say it was not so they spake a lye Verse 4. 2. From their Punishment Which is here more largely amplified as an enforcement of the first reason of the Prophets exhortation to repentance viz. The Fathers were punished therefore the Children shall not goe scot-free This the Prophet doth elegantly preventing that Opinion which deepely possesseth the mindes of impenitent sinners scilicet That Gods Iudgements in former times and his Ministers preaching to ages past doe not a whit concerne posteritie that which is past is
A SHORT AND SWEETE EXPOSITION VPON THE FIRST NINE CHAPTERS OF ZACHARY BY WILLIAM PEMBLE 2. PET. 1.20 No Prophesie of the Scripture is of any private interpretation Aug. de utilit Cred. ad Honorat cap. 7. Nulla imbutus poetica disciplina Terentium sine Magistro attingere non auderes Asper Cornutus Donatus innumer abiles alij requiruntur ut quilibet poeta posset intelligi Tu in sanctos libros fine duce irruis de his sine praeceptore audes ferre sententiam LONDON Printed by R. Young for John Bartlet at the Signe of the gilt Cup in Cheape-side Anno Domini 1629. To the right Worshipful Katharine the Wife of Nath. Stephens Esquire Grace and Peace Right Worshipfull ALthough the Scripture be in its selfe most a Psal 19.7 perfect both for b 2. Tim. 3.16 17. sufficiencie and c Pro. 8.9 Ps 119.105 perspicuity yet in respect of us cleere and familiar Expositions have bin even from anon after the Apostles times held of use and profite in the Church of God For the same God who gave the Scriptures to be the d 2. Tim. 3.16 Rule of Faith and Manners gave also c Eph. 4.11 12 Doctors and Pastors for the worke of the Ministry to the edifying of the Church the Scriptures to be as the materials Pastors as the f 1. Cor. 3.10 builders The Scriptures I know are dark to many because they are * 2. Per. 1.9 blinde to some because they are g 2. Cor. 4.4 blinded and to all in sundry places because our sight is dimme and but in h 1. Cor. 13.9 part A darke eye wee know hath need of a spectacle be the light ever so cleere and the letter ever so plaine and the explanations of the godly and learned on the Text are as a spirituall spectacle to helpe to perfect the imperfect sight of our minds Now the Scriptures are opened to us not onely by the publicke preaching of the Word but in its kinde and place also by the Writings and Commentaries of the Learned whose pens and hands are I doubt not guided by a sweete influence of the providence of God and some instinct of his holy Spirit this difference being ever observed That the Writers of the Scripture were so i 2. Pet. 1.11 moved by the Holy Ghost that they could not erre but Commentators and Expositors lye open to some errours they sometimes speake as men and not onely k Rom. 3.4 may but now and then they doe and l Rom. 8.28 Quia humiliores redeunt doctiores Aug. de correp grat c. 9. cum Rom. 12.3 Rainold Thes 2. sect 12 must mistake T is true that the Word of God is so briefe that none can say he wants leisure to read it and so plaine in necessaries to salvation that none can pretend hee cannot understand it but withall t is most certaine that as there are plaine places to feed us so there are obscure places to exercise us which harder bookes and places the better to understand it s our wisedome first to be qualified with a m Psal 19.7 simple and a n Psal 25.9 meeke heart and then to acquaint our selves not only with the publicke Ministry but also with the printed Expositions of such Writers as are sound and cleere Now amongst the hardest bookes of Scripture the Prophets may have place and amongst the Prophets Zachary is a Deepe wherein an Elephant may swimme and therefore I cannot but commend the wisedome of that man of God the Author of this Booke who bestowed his learning and his paines to open the mysteries of this Prophecy Death ended his dayes ere hee could quite finish his Worke and great weakenesse hindred an intended supplement t is even pitie the Church should want it any longer and therefore I make bold to publish it under your name desiring God to giue a blessing to all that reade it but chiefly to your selfe whom the Lord in mercy hath made a sincere lover of the Word of God Yours in the Lord Iesus RICH. CAPEL AN EXPOSITION VPON THE PROPHESIE OF ZECHARIE CHAP. I. IN the eight moneth of the second yeere of Darius came the Word of the Lord unto Zechariah the sonne of Berechiah the sonne of Iddo the Prophet saying 2 The Lord hath beene sore displeased with your Fathers 3 Therefore say thou unto them Thus sayth the Lord of Hostes Turne ye unto me sayth the Lord of Hostes and I will turne unto you sayth the Lord of Hostes 4 Be ye not as your Fathers unto whom the former Prophets have cryed saying Thus sayth the Lord of Hostes Turne you now from your evill wayes and from your wicked workes but they would not heare nor hearken unto me sayth the Lord. 5 Your Fathers where are they And doe the Prophets live for ever 6 But did not my Words and my Statutes which I commanded by my servants the Prophets take hold of your Fathers And they returned and sayd As the Lord of Hostes hath determined to doo unto us according to our owne wayes and according to our workes so hath he dealt with us 7 Vpon the foure and twentieth day of the eleventh moneth which is the moneth Shebat in the second yeere of Darius came the Word of the Lord unto Zechariah the sonne of Berechiah the sonne of Iddo the Prophet saying 8 I saw by night and behold a man riding upon a red Horse and he stood among the Mirrhe Trees that were in a Bottome and behind him were there red Horses speckled and white 9 Then said I O my Lord what are these And the Angel that talked with me said unto me I will shew thee what these be 10 And the man that stood among the Myrrhe Trees answered and said These are they whom the Lord hath sent to goe thorow the World 11 And they answered the Angel of the Lord that stood among the Myrrhe Trees and said We haue gone thorow the World and behold all the World sitteth still and is at rest 12 Then the Angel of the Lord answered and said O Lord of Hostes How long wilt thou be unmercifull to Ierusalem and to the Cities of Iudah with whom thou hast been displeased now these threescore and ten yeeres 13 And the Lord answered the Angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words 14 So the Angel that communed with me said unto me Crie thou and speake Thus sayth the Lord of Hostes I am jealous over Ierusalem and Zion with a great zeale 15 And am greatly angry against the carelesse Heathen for I was angry but a little and they helped forward the affliction 16 Therefore thus saith the Lord I will returne unto Ierusalem with tender mercie mine House shall be builded in it sayth the Lord of Hostes and a Line shall be stretched upon Ierusalem 17 Crie yet and speake Thus sayth the Lord of Hostes My Cities shall yet be broken with plentie the Lord shall yet