These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the gentiles, which lift up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.

"1. I lift up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold, a man with a measuring-line in his hand."

ALTHOUGH, according to the English translation, these words are parts of several chapters, yet in many Hebrew copies the iind chapter begins where my text doth, and they have such connection that I may not part them.

Three things there are which this age of ours hath brought forth malignant enemies; special instruments of their ruin; and great endeavours for reformation. Accordingly here are three visions: a vision of "four horns," verses 18, 19; a vision of "four carpenters," verses 20, 21; a vision of " a man with a measuring-line in his hand," ii. 1.

Every vision hath its narration and explication.

saw,

The narration of the first vision is at the 18th verse, " I and behold four horns:" the explication in the 19th verse, "These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem." So that

You have the description of the church's enemies under the vision of four horns, who are here described, 1. From their number or multitude; they are four horns according to the four parts of the world: Quatuor cornua sunt quatuor mundi partes. 2. From their power and strength: the horn is a word that in scripture phrase doth note strength : "He hath raised up a horn of salvation for us," Luke i. 69; that is, strong and powerful salvation. 3. From their mischievous and malignant practice: "They scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem."

In the second vision you have the description of those special instruments that are raised up for their destruction, under the similitude of four carpenters, or four smiths; who are here described, 1. From their number: four. And, 2. From their work, which is to scatter the horns, and to cast out the gentiles.

Then cometh in the third vision, the endeavours for reformation, under the similitude of "a man with a measuring line in his hand;" which is described two ways: 1. From the instrument thereof, a man, or, as in the Hebrew, w's, an ex

cellent man, explained to be Zerubbabel their governor, chap. iv. 10. 2. From the exactness thereof; he doth work by line: "I saw a man with a measuring line in his hand.”

Give me leave to open the words and draw out some short observations upon them before I come to the main truths. "Then lift I up mine eyes and saw," verse 18. That is, I stirred and roused up myself with all intenseness to receive this vision. Heavenly revelations are not to be obtained in a drowsy and sleepy way.

"And behold four horns." That is, enemies from all parts of the world, and especially those four monarchies who have all in their course and turn been vexatious to the people of God. It is no new thing for the saints and churches to be pushed, gored, scattered by cruel and beastly enemies. Yea the churches may be so afflicted with enemies, that a man shall not know whither to fly for safety, for in every part of the world there shall be some opposers: "I saw four horns," misery and calamity and persecution arising out of every part.

"And I said to the angel that talked with me," &c., verse 19. This angel by interpreters is said to be Christ himself, the angel of the covenant, who is the best interpreter of heavenly visions and of hard scriptures, When we understand them not, we should search, make inquiry, and go to Christ, saying, as Zechariah here, "What are these, Lord?"

"And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem." The enemies of the churches are not said here to have wounded or killed Judah, Israel, or Jerusalem, but 11 ventilarunt, they have tossed them up as it were into the air; they have scattered, saith the English. It is the proper work of the enemies of the churches to scatter God's people. The disciples of Christ are commanded to be without horns; "Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves;" the word in the Greek is, akɛgawi, without horns as doves; but here the enemies are said to scatter Judah, Israel and Jerusalem; that is their work and property.

"And the Lord shewed me four carpenters," verse 20. The word is own, that is, such agents and instruments as do work with art, counsel and deliberation. Though the ene

mies of the churches be unreasonable and cruel as horned beasts, yet the instruments that God raiseth up to suppress them are full of humanity, wisdom and counsel; and they are four, too, a proportionable strength.

"Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are come to fray them away, and to cast out the horns of the gentiles." verse 21. Look how they dealt by God's people, so God will deal by them; they scattered Israel, and the God of Israel will raise up instruments that shall scatter them; they cast out God's people, and they shall be cast out. Scattering enemies shall be scattered themselves at last.

"I lift up mine eyes again." chap. ii. 1. Here is another vision brought to the same purpose, in general, to uphold and comfort the distressed servants of God. When the condition of the saints is low and their fears great, there is need of repeating comforts; then visions, promises and consolations must be oft repeated, "I lift up mine eyes again."

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"And I looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand;" that is for to build exactly. Verse 2., tells us it was for to measure Jerusalem, which cannot barely be understood literally, for chap. i. 16., it is said, “ I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies, saith the Lord, my house shall be built in it, and a line shall he stretched forth upon Jerusalem," &c. which promise in its latitude was never yet fulfilled literally, but it is to be understood of the new Jerusalem especially, mentioned in Rev. xxi. Where we find a man also at this measuring work. So that we may yet say, though the afflictions of the churches be very great, and their desolations many, yet if a man will lift up his eyes and stir up himself, he may and shall behold, " a man with a measuring line in his hand." And thus you see that there is hardly a word of these three visions, but affordeth some special instruction. But because I have not time for all, I shall especially close with those three doctrines, that are especially held in these three visions. Thus,

1. In that here are four horns that appear, you may observe this, That when God intendeth any good and salvation to his churches, he doth first suffer many potent, malicious enemies to rise against them,

2. In that these four carpenters do appear immediately after

these four horns, as it were in the same vision, you may observe, that though God do suffer the enemies of his churches and people to be exceeding strong, many, and most mischievous, yet he will raise up an answerable strength against them; four carpenters against four horns, which shall fray them away, and deal by them as they have done by others.

3. In that the "man with a measuring line," doth immediately follow upon these, you may observe, that when God shall please to raise up special instruments to surprise the church's enemies, then and then especially reformation is to be much endeavoured, which is to be done with exactness, even by line.

1. I begin with the former vision of the four horns, and the first doctrine, namely, that when God intendeth any great good and salvation to his people, he doth first suffer malignant, potent, and many enemies to rise against them. Was it not so with Israel when God intended to bring them out of Egypt? Then their taskmasters arose and doubled their work, and were more inimicitious to them than formerly. Was it not thus with the Jews when God brought them out of Babylon to build the temple? opposition they met withal in their remove, in their journey, and all along in their temple-work. Was it not thus with the Israelites when they went to execute justice upon that malignant tribe of Benjamin for the great sin of Gibeah? If you look into Judges xx., you shall find that before Benjamin was punished they got two great victories upon Israel; Israel, (if you count the number of their soldiers) were twelve to one; Israel had the best cause, and their work was good, they went forth to do justice on that delinquent tribe; yet if you consult the story, the tribe of Benjamain first slew of them down to the ground forty thousand men. This is God's way still; he seldom or never destroyeth his enemies but out of zeal; "The zeal of the Lord of Hosts hath done this," saith the prophet: now zeal is nothing else but angered love; and three things there are in the world that God doth love especially, his people, his truth, and his worship; when the enemies prevail, they spoil his people, they defile his worship, they scorn his truth, so his love is angered, his zeal is stirred, and then his enemies are confounded.

But what reason is there why God should suffer his pre

cious servants and people to be thus handled, oppressed, gored, scattered by cruel enemies?

Good reason for it. Totidem inimici, totidem pædagogi: so many enemies, so many school-masters. "Make plain my way before me (saith the Psalmist) because of mine enemies;" but in the Hebrew it is, "because of mine observers:" our enemies are our observers, and their observation is our preservation.* As a man's best friend sometimes doth him more hurt than his worst enemy, so his worst enemy doth him more good than his best friend. Now suppose, saith Salmeron,† that a man were in great want and need of money, and his friend should throw him a bag of gold, though in his catching of it he might hurt his hands or head, yet when he hath taken out the gold, he loves his friend nevertheless. There is no persecution but brings a bag of gold to God's people; though it may somewhat hurt them in falling upon them, yet when they have picked out the gold thereof, they will love God the more.

Let me instance:

Hereby they are occasioned to honour God, which is the end of their life and the comfort of their soul: for what is honour, but as Aquinas ‡ speaks, a testimony of another's excellency? The more I testify of any excellency in any truth or way of God's, the more I honour him; and in times of persecution the saints of God do thus testify of him.

Hereby the children of God are weaned from the world, and made to hie them home to their Father's house.

Hereby they are made more useful in their places, and beneficial unto their enemies; for therefore our enemies do us so much hurt, because we do them no more good.

Inimicus quasi observator dictus, quod semper observet et contempletur quibus malefaciat.-Buxtorf.

+Magna Dei misericordia in flagello temporali: ut si quis crumenam gravem et auro onustam ex edito loco in caput cujusdam pro debito aliquo in carcerem detenti proficeret et dolorem aliquem ei inferret, et tumorem capitis excitaret, et unam vel alterem guttulam sanguinis eliceret, ille quidem rei ignarus moleste ferret in principio, et vicem suam magnopere doleret quod afflicto afflictio adderetur; verum si paulo post animo jam tranquillo ad jaxum oculos suos convertit, et crumenam multo auro refectam deprehendat, quo possit debita sua persolvere et quod superest ad vitam tranquillies placideque traducendam sufficere, profecto de illato tantillo vulnere nulla esset amplius querimonia vel memoria, imo seria congratulatio: Ad eundem modum de Christi flagellis considerandum. —Salmer. de miracul. in Joan. iii.

Honor est testimonium de alicujus excellentia.-Aquinas.