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 Scripture Texts 
 
 WITH 
 
 EXPOSITIONS AND SENTENCE-PRAYERS 
 
 FROM 
 
 CALVIN'S COMMENTARIES 
 
 OK THE 
 
 MINOR PROPHETS 
 
 COMPILED BY THB 
 
 Rev. Charles E. Edwards 
 
 ,^ OF pmcsr 
 
 ;* JUL 20 1909 *, 
 
 Presbyterian Board of Publication and 
 Sabbath-school Work, Philadblphia, 1897 
 
Copyright, 1897, by 
 THE TRUSTEES OF THE PRESBYTERIAN BOARD 
 OF PUBLICATION AND SABBATH- 
 SCHOOL WORK. 
 
Introduction. 
 
 John CALVIN was a man of God. He has 
 been justly admired as the theologian of the 
 Reformation ; as the prince of commentators 
 upon Holy Scripture, and the father of its scien- 
 tific exegesis, and as the virtual founder of 
 American common schools. He was also great 
 in prayer. The system of Christian doctrine 
 which bears his name has ever been the mother 
 of devotion. It may be known by its fruits ; for 
 it has trained a noble army of martyrs, reform- 
 ers, missionaries, and evangelists. It has in- 
 spired countless revivals of religion. It lives in 
 all the popular hymnals of Christendom. Prayer 
 is the "vital breath," the "native air" of Cal- 
 vinism. The prayers of John Calvin, however, 
 have received little attention, as compared with 
 the fame which crowns his theological writings. 
 His commentaries upon Jeremiah, Ezekiel, 
 Daniel, and the minor prophets were originally 
 delivered in the form of lectures, each followed 
 by appropriate petitions. Both lectures and 
 prayers were extemporaneous. In his epistle 
 dedicatory, prefaced to the commentary upon 
 the minor prophets, and addressed to the King 
 of Sweden, Calvin says : " Had it been in my 
 
Introduction. 
 
 power I would rather have tried to prevent the 
 wider circulation of that extemporaneous kind 
 of teaching, intended for the particular benefit 
 of my auditory, and with which benefit I was 
 abundantly satisfied." John Budaeus, in an- 
 other preface, piously exhorts that we pray for 
 the Spirit of God, that we may come to the 
 reading of Scripture instructed by him. "And 
 for this end," he says, "much help may be 
 given us by the short prayers which we have 
 taken care to add at the close of every lecture as 
 gathered by us with the same care and fidelity 
 as the lectures were ; and the ignorant may also 
 have in these a pattern, as it were, painted be- 
 fore them, by which they may form their prayers 
 from the words of Scripture. For as at the be- 
 ginning of the lectures he ever used the same 
 form of prayer, so he was wont ever to finish 
 every lecture by a new prayer formed at the 
 time, as given him by the Spirit of God, and ac- 
 commodated to the subject of the lecture." 
 
 The following passage from Calvin's commen- 
 tary on Genesis shows how his oratory rises 
 sometimes to the sublime : 
 
 "It is vain for any to reason as philosophers 
 on the workmanship of the world, except those 
 who having been first humbled by the preaching 
 of the gospel have learned to submit the whole 
 of their intellectual wisdom (as Paul expresses 
 it) to the foolishness of the cross. Nothing 
 shall we find, I say, above or below, which can 
 
 4 
 
Introduction. 
 
 raise us up to God, until Christ shall have in- 
 structed us in his own school. Yet this cannot 
 be done unless we, having emerged out of the 
 lowest depths, are borne up above all heavens 
 in the chariot of his cross, that there by faith we 
 may apprehend those things v.'hich the eye has 
 never seen, the ear never heard, and which far 
 surpass our hearts and minds. There the invis- 
 ible kingdom of Christ fills all things, and his 
 spiritual grace is diffused through all. Yet this 
 does not prevent us from applying our senses to 
 the consideration of heaven and earth, that we 
 may thence seek confirmation in the true knowl- 
 edge of God, For Christ is that image in which 
 God presents to our view not only his heart, 
 but also his hands and his feet. I give the name 
 of his heart to that secret love with which he 
 embraces us in Christ, by his hajids and feet 
 I understand those works of his which are dis- 
 played before our eyes." His translator notes 
 here that Calvin shows an intimate experimental 
 acquaintance with the declaration of the apostle, 
 "And made us sit together in heavenly places 
 in Christ Jesus." Eph. ii. 6. 
 
 Calvin's correspondence indicates how ear- 
 nestly he watched and prayed for the salvation 
 of our English and Scottish forefathers. 
 To his ardent disciple John Knox he writes : 
 " It was a source of pleasure, not to me only, 
 but to all the pious persons to whom I commu- 
 nicated the agreeable tidings, to hear of the very 
 
Introduction. 
 
 £!:reat success which has crowned your labors. 
 But as we are astonished at such incredible 
 progress in so brief a space of time, so we like- 
 wise give thanks to God whose extraordinary 
 blessing is signally displayed herein." 
 
 In his suggestions to the Protector Somerset, 
 he remarks : 
 
 " Monseigneur, it appears to me that there is 
 very little preaching of a lively kind in the king- 
 dom, but that the greater part deliver it by way 
 of reading from a written discourse. Now this 
 preaching ought not to be lifeless, but lively, to 
 teach, to exhort, to reprove, as St. Paul says in 
 speaking to Timothy (II Tim. iv. 2). So indeed, 
 that if an unbeliever enter, he may be so effect- 
 ually arrested and convinced as to give glory to 
 God, as Paul says in another passage (I Cor. 
 xiv). You are also aware, Monseigneur, how 
 he speaks of the lively power and energy with 
 which they ought to speak, who would approve 
 themselves as good and faithful ministers of 
 God, who must not make a parade of rhetoric, 
 only to gain esteem for themselves, but that 
 the Spirit of God ought to sound forth by their 
 voice, so as to work with mighty energy." 
 
 His letter to the boy-king, Edward the Sixth, 
 deserves undying remembrance : 
 
 "It is indeed a great thing to be a king, and 
 yet more over such a country, nevertheless, I 
 have no doubt that 3'ou reckon it beyond com- 
 parison better to be a Christian. It is therefore 
 
 6 
 
Introduction. 
 
 an invaluable privilege that God has vouchsafed 
 you, sire, to be a Christian king, to serve as his 
 lieutenant in ordering and maintaining the king- 
 dom of Jesus Christ in England." 
 
 Lady Anne Seymour, daughter of the Protector 
 Somerset, receives this message from him : 
 
 " Certainly among so many gifts with which 
 God has endowed and adorned you, this stands 
 unquestionably first — that he stretched out his 
 hand to you in tender childhood to lead you to 
 his own Son, who is the author of eternal salva- 
 tion, and the fountain of all good." 
 
 Cranmer was one of his correspondents and 
 co-laborers. He submitted to Calvin a pro- 
 posal for a General Synod for the more close 
 union of the Reformed churches. Calvin thus 
 communicates his approval: "So much does 
 this concern me that could I be of any service I 
 would not grudge to cross even ten seas if need 
 were on account of it," In another letter he 
 says : "I highly commend the plan which your 
 reverend sir, have adopted to make the English 
 frame for themselves, without delay, a religious 
 constitution, lest by matters remaining longer in 
 an unsettled state, or not being sufficiently di- 
 gested, the minds of the common people should 
 be confirmed in suspense." 
 
 He wrote to Farel : *' The Archbishop of 
 Canterbury informed me that I could do nothing 
 more useful than to write to the King more fre- 
 quently. This gave me more pleasure than if I 
 
 7 
 
Introduction. 
 
 had come to the possession of a great sum of 
 money." 
 
 When English exiles were scattered over the 
 continent by Queen Mary's persecution Calvin's 
 pen was exercised in their behalf. He wel- 
 comed them to the hospitality of Geneva, and 
 thus revealed his sympathy : "We have good 
 reason to feel anxiety — yea even torment— re- 
 garding that nation [England]. Scarcely has 
 any other thing so distressed me as this English 
 affair." 
 
 Upon the accession of Queen Elizabeth, Cal- 
 vin dedicated to her a new edition of his com- 
 mentary on Isaiah, in which he grandly pleads 
 for the gospel : 
 
 "It is not so much my object to be favored 
 with your countenance in my personal labors as 
 humbly to entreat, and by the sacred name of 
 Christ to implore, not only that through your 
 kindness all orthodox books may again be 
 welcomed and freely circulated in England, but 
 that your chief care may be directed to promote 
 religion, which has fallen into shameful neglect. 
 And if this is justly demanded from all kings of 
 the earth by the only begotten Son of God, by 
 a still more sacred tie does he hold you bound, 
 most noble Queen, to perform this duty, for 
 when even you, though a King's daughter, were 
 not exempted from that dreadful storm which 
 fell with severity on the heads of all the godly, 
 by the wonderful manner in which he brought 
 you out safe, though not unmoved by the fear 
 
 6 
 
Introduction. 
 
 of danger, he has laid you under obligation to 
 devote yourself and all your exertions to his 
 service. So far are you from having any reason 
 to be ashamed of this deliverance that God has 
 given you large and abundant grounds of boast- 
 ing by conforming you to the image of his Son, 
 on whom the prophet Isaiah bestows this 
 among other commendations, that from prison 
 and from j udgment he was raised to the loftiest 
 height of heavenly dominion." 
 
 The desire of this great reformer is thus ex- 
 pressed to Bucer : "I pray that the English 
 may make a stand for the genuine purity of 
 Christianity, until everything in that country is 
 seen to be regulated according to the rule which 
 Christ himself has laid down." 
 
 The prayer of Calvin has been wonderfully 
 answered. England was the bulwark of the 
 Reformation. By the defeat of the Spanish 
 Armada she became mistress of the seas. The 
 sea power of the world then passed from Catho- 
 lic to Protestant hands, which have firmly held 
 it ever since. The English Puritan movement 
 was Calvinistic to the core. As a result, the 
 Westminster standards, the most complete of 
 Calvinistic creeds, were formulated by the* 
 ** first among Protestant councils," and adopted 
 by the British Parliament. Green says : f 
 "The whole history of English progress since 
 
 * Schaff, Creeds of Christendom. Vol. I, p. 72S. 
 fSliort History of the English People. Vol. Ill, chap. 
 VIII ad fin. 
 
 9 
 
Introduction. 
 
 the Restoration, on its moral and spiritual sides, 
 has been the history of Puritanism." The ma- 
 jority of Calvinists now speak the English 
 language. Dr. Schaff says : "* "His religious 
 influence upon the Anglo-Saxon race in both 
 continents is greater than that of any native 
 Englishman, and continues to this day." He 
 quotes Baroness Bunsen's eulogy : "The merit 
 of Calvin is his own, and he has been the crea- 
 tive instrument of the strength of England, of 
 Scotland, of the United States of America." 
 
 The Calvin Translation Society has enriched 
 English literature by the publication of a large 
 part of his works in fifty-two noble volumes. 
 Their translation has been revised for this brief 
 compilation, which has been drawn entirely 
 from the commentaries on the minor prophets. 
 The hundreds of lectures and prayers found in 
 his other writings are equally edifying, and de- 
 serve a world-wide circulation. 
 
 In conclusion, an exhortation taken from a 
 quaint English translation of Calvin's homihes 
 on Deuteronomy, and similar to many others 
 which occur at the end of his sermons, is appro- 
 priate for the devout reader of the sentence 
 prayers which follow : 
 
 " Now let us kneel down in the presence of 
 our good God, with acknowledgment of our 
 faults, praying him to make us feel them more 
 
 * History Christian Church. Vol. VII, pp. 806-7. 
 10 
 
Introduction. 
 
 and more, that we may run wholly unto him, 
 and that forasmuch as we have not now a Moses 
 to lead us into the land of Canaan, but Jesus 
 Christ, which is come down unto us to draw us 
 up into heaven after him, we may follow such a 
 guide, yielding ourselves wholly unto him, and 
 in no wise dragging back from him, that it may 
 please him to grant this grace, not only to us, 
 but also to all people and nations of the earth." 
 
 ti 
 
The prayer which Calvin was wont to 
 use at the beginning of his lectures : 
 
 "May the Lord grant that we may engage in 
 contemplating the mysteries of his heavenly 
 wisdom with really increasing devotion, to his 
 glory and to our edification. Amen." 
 
 13 
 
The Solitary Lamb. 
 
 For Israel slideth back as a backslid- 
 _ ingheifer: now the Lord will feed them 
 
 I as a Iamb in a large place. — Hosea 
 
 iv. i6. 
 
 It is what is peculiar to sheep, we know, that 
 they continue under the shepherd's care : and a 
 sheep, when driven into solitude, shows itself 
 by its bleating to be timid, and to be as it were 
 seeking its shepherd and its flock. In short, a 
 sheep is not a solitary animal ; and it is to sheep 
 and lambs almost a part of their food to feed to- 
 gether, and also under the eye of him under 
 whose care they are. Now there seems to be 
 here a most striking change of figure : They 
 are, says the prophet, like untamable heifers, for 
 they are so wanton that no field can satisfy their 
 wantonness, as when a heifer would occupy the 
 whole land. "Such then," he says, "and so 
 outrageous is the disobedience of this people 
 that they can no longer endure, except a spa- 
 cious place be given to each of them. I will 
 therefore give them a spacious place : but for 
 this end, that each of them may be like a lamb, 
 who looks around and sees no flock to which it 
 may join itself." 
 
 14 
 
Prayer. 
 
 CjRANT, Almighty God, that since thou hast 
 deigned in thy mercy to gather us to thy Church, 
 and to enclose us within the boundaries of thy 
 word, by which thou preserveth us in the true 
 and right worship of thy majesty, O grant that 
 we may continue contented in this obedience to 
 thee ; and though Satan may, in many ways, at- 
 tempt to draw us here and there, and we be also 
 ourselves by nature inclined to evil, O grant, 
 that being confirmed in faith and united to thee 
 by that sacred bond, we may yet constantly 
 abide under the restraint of thy word, and thus 
 cleave to Christ thine only begotten Son who 
 has joined us forever to himself, and that we may 
 never by any means turn aside from thee, but 
 be, on the contrary, confirmed in the faith of his 
 gospel, until at length he will receive us all into 
 his kingdom. Amen, 
 
 15 
 
A Sovereign Word. 
 
 T 
 
 Hear ye this, O priests ; and hearken, 
 ye house of Israel ; and s;ive ye ear, O 
 house of the king ; for judgment is to- 
 ward you, because ye have been a 
 snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon 
 Tabor. — Hosea v. i. 
 
 HE prophet here preaches against the whole 
 people ; but he mainly directs his discourse 
 to the priests and the rulers ; for they were the 
 source of the prevailing evils : the priests, in- 
 tent on gain, neglected the worship of God ; 
 and the chief men were become in every way 
 corrupt. . . . Even kings are not exempted 
 from the duty of learning what is commonly 
 taught, if they wish to be counted mem- 
 bers of the Church ; for the Lord would have 
 all, without exception, to be ruled by his word ; 
 and he takes this as a proof of men's obedience, 
 their submission to his word. And as kings 
 think themselves separated from the general 
 class ot men, the prophet here shows that he 
 was sent to the king and his counselors. The 
 same reason holds good as to priests, for as 
 the dignity of their order is the highest, so this 
 impiety has prevailed in all ages, that the priests 
 think themselves at liberty to do what they 
 please. Let us know that in the Church the 
 word of God so possesses the highest rank, 
 that neither priests, nor kings, nor their coun- 
 selors can claim a privilege to themselves, as 
 though their conduct was not to be subject to 
 God's word. 
 
 X6 
 
Prayer. 
 
 Gi 
 
 :RANT, Almighty God, that since thou con- 
 tinuest daily to exhort us, and though thou seest 
 us often turning aside from the right course, 
 thou yet ceasest not to stretch forth thy hand to 
 us, and also to rouse us by reproofs that we 
 may repent, — O grant that we may not be per- 
 mitted to reject thy word with such perverse- 
 ness as thou condemnest here in thine ancient 
 people by the mouth of thy prophet ; but rule 
 us by thy Spirit, that we may meekly and 
 obediently submit to thee, and with such teach- 
 ableness, that if we have not hitherto been will- 
 ing to become wise, we may not at least be 
 incurable, but suffer thee to heal our diseases, 
 so that we may truly repent, and be so wholly 
 given to obey thee, as never to attempt anything 
 beyond the rule of thy word, and without that 
 wisdom which thou hast revealed to us, not only 
 by Moses and thy prophets, but also by thine 
 only begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ. 
 Amen. 
 
 I? 
 
Ti 
 
 Kindness and Faith. 
 
 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice ; 
 and the knowledge of God more than 
 burnt offerings. — Hosea vi.6. 
 
 HIS is a remarkable passage ; the Son of God 
 has twice quoted it. The Pharisees reproached 
 him for his intercourse with men of bad and 
 abandoned life, and he said to them in the ninth 
 chapter of Matthew, * ' Mercy I desire apd not 
 sacrifice." He shows by this defence, that God 
 is not worshiped by external ceremonies, but 
 when men forgive and bear with one another 
 and are not above measure rigid. Again, when 
 the Pharisees blamed the disciples for gathering 
 ears of corn, Christ shows that those who make 
 holiness to consist in ceremonies are foolish 
 worshipers of God ; and that they also blamed 
 their brethren without a cause, and made a 
 crime of what was not in itself sinful, and what 
 could be easily defended by any wise and calm 
 expounder. These two clauses ought to be read 
 conjointly— that kindness pleases God — and 
 that faith pleases God. Faith by itself cannot 
 please God, since it cannot even exist without 
 love to our neighbor ; and then, human kindness 
 is not sufficient ; for were any one to abstain 
 from doing any injury, and from hurting his 
 brethren in any thing, he might still be a profane 
 man, and a despiser of God ; and certainly his 
 kindness would be then of no avail to him. It 
 is also worthy of being observed, that he calls 
 faith the knowledge of God. 
 
 i8 
 
Prayer. 
 
 VJRANT, Almighty God, that as we are prone 
 to every kind of wickedness and are easily led 
 away to imitate it, when there is any excuse for 
 going astray and any opportunity is offered, — O 
 grant, that being strengthened by the help of 
 thy Spirit, we may continue in purity of faith, 
 and that what we have learnt concerning thee, 
 that thou art a Spirit, may so profit us, that we may 
 worship thee in spirit, and with a sincere heart, 
 and never turn aside after the corruptions of the 
 world, nor think we can deceive thee ; but may 
 we so devote our souls and our bodies to thee, 
 that our life may in every part of it testify, that 
 we are a pure and holy sacrifice to thee in 
 Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. 
 
 19 
 
n 
 
 Sin and Punishment. 
 
 They have deeply corrupted them- 
 selves, as in the days of Gibeah : there- 
 fore he will remember their iniquity, he 
 will visit their sins. — Hosea ix. 9. 
 
 lOSEA declares here, that the people were 
 so sunk in their vices that they could not be 
 drawn out of them. He who has fallen can 
 raise himself up when one extends a hand to 
 him ; and he who strives to emerge from the 
 mire, finding a helper to assist him, can plant 
 his foot again on solid ground ; but when he is 
 cast into a gulf he has no hope of a recovery. 
 I extend my hand in vain when one sinks in a 
 shipwreck and is fallen into a vast whirlpool. 
 Let us hence also learn to rouse ourselves ; and 
 let us, in the first place, notice what the prophet 
 says of the Israelites, that they were deeply 
 engulfed ; for men must be filled with contempt 
 to God when they thus descend into the deep. 
 Let, then, each of us stir up himself daily to 
 repentance, and carefully beware lest he should 
 descend into this vast whirlpool. Let us know 
 that they are greatly deceived who indulge 
 themselves as long as the Lord mercifully bears 
 with their sins ; for though he may for a time 
 conceal his displeasure, at a time he will remem- 
 ber, and prove that he does so by executing a 
 just punishment. 
 
 20 
 
Prayer. 
 
 LjRANT, Almighty God, that as thou shinest 
 on us by thy word, we may not be bHnd at mid- 
 day, nor wilfully seek darkness, and thus lull 
 our minds asleep : but may we be roused daily 
 by thy words, and may we stir up ourselves 
 more and more to fear thy name and thus pre- 
 sent ourselves and all our pursuits, as a sacri- 
 fice to thee, that thou mayest peaceably rule, 
 and perpetually dwell in us, until thou gatherest 
 us to thy celestial habitation, where there is re- 
 served for us eternal rest and glory through 
 Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 
 
 31 
 
The Divinity of Christ. 
 
 Yea, he had power over the angel, 
 and prevailed : he wept, and made sup- 
 _» pUcation unto him: he found him in 
 
 5 Bethel, and there he spake with us ; 
 
 Even the Lord God of hosts ; the 
 Lord is his memorial. — Hosea xii. 4, 5. 
 
 It must be noticed that the prophet here testi- 
 fies that he was the eternal and the only true 
 God, who yet was at the same time an angel. 
 But it may be asked, How was he the eternal God 
 and at the same time an angel ? When the Lord 
 appeared by his angels, the name of Jehovah 
 was given to them ; not, indeed, to all the angels 
 indiscriminately, but to the chief angel, by 
 whom God manifested himself. It then follows 
 that this angel was truly and essentially God. 
 But this would not strictly apply to God, except 
 there be some distinction of persons. There 
 must then be some person in the Deity to 
 whom this name and title of an angel can apply ; 
 for if we take the name, God, without differ- 
 ence or distinction, and regard it as denoting 
 his essence, it would certainly be inconsistent 
 to say that he is God and an angel too ; but 
 when we distinguish persons in the Deity, there 
 is no inconsistency. How so ? Because Christ, 
 the eternal Wisdom of God, did put on the 
 character of a Mediator before he put on our 
 flesh. He was therefore, then, a Mediator, and 
 in that capacity he was also an angel. He was 
 at the same time Jehovah, who is now God 
 manifested in the flesh. 
 
 22 
 
Prayer. 
 
 V-XRANT, Almighty God, that inasmuch as 
 thou showest thyself to us at this day so kindly 
 as a Father, having presented to us a singular 
 and an invaluable pledge of thy favor in thine 
 only begotten Son, — O grant that we may en- 
 tirely devote ourselves to thee, and truly render 
 thee that free service and obedience which is 
 due to a Father, so that we may have no other 
 object throughout life but to confirm that adop- 
 tion with which thou hast favored us once for 
 all, until at length we shall partake of its fruit 
 when thou dost gather us into thine eternal 
 kingdom, together with Jesus Christ thine only 
 Son. Amen. 
 
 23 
 
A Gracious Reminder. 
 
 6 1 did not know thee in the wilder- 
 
 ness, in the land of great drought. — 
 Hosea xiii. 5. 
 
 liE says, "I have manifested myself to thee 
 from the land of Egypt, from thy very nativity. 
 Thou didst then begin to live, and to be some 
 sort of people, when I stretched forth my hand 
 to thee." The people were redeemed on this 
 condition that they should devote themselves 
 wholly to God. As we are at this day Christ's, 
 and no one of us ought to live according to his 
 own will, for Christ died and rose again for this 
 end, that he might be the Lord of the living and 
 of the dead : so also then, the Israelites had 
 been redeemed by God, that they might offer 
 themselves wholly to him. If this one God was 
 sufficient for redeeming his people, what do the 
 people now mean, when they wander and seek 
 aid here and there ? for they ought to render to 
 God the life received from him, which they now 
 enjoy, and ought to acknowledge it to be suffi- 
 ciently safe under his sole protection. We learn 
 that the worship of God does not consist in 
 words, but in faith and hope and prayer. 
 
Prayer. 
 
 CjRANT, Almighty God, that as thou dost so 
 kindly urge us daily by thy voice, meekly and 
 calmly to offer ourselves to be ruled by thee, 
 and since thou hast exalted us to the highest 
 degree of honor by freeing us from the dread 
 of the devil, and from that tyranny which kept 
 us in miserable fear, and hast also favored us 
 with the spirit of adoption and of assurance, — O 
 grant that we, being mindful of these benefits, 
 may ever submit ourselves to thee, and desire 
 only to raise our voice for this end, that the 
 whole world may submit itself to thee, and that 
 those who seem now to rage against thee may 
 at length be brought, as well as we, to render 
 thee obedience so that thy Son Christ may be 
 the Lord of all to the end that thou alone 
 mayest be exalted, and that we may be made 
 subject to thee and be at length raised up above 
 and become partakers of that glory which has 
 been obtained for us by Christ alone, our Lord. 
 Amen. 
 
 25 
 
The True King. 
 
 I will be thy king : where is any 
 other that may save thee in all thy 
 
 7 cities? and thy judges of whom thou 
 
 saidst, Give me a king and princes? — 
 Hosea xiii. lo. 
 
 v_JOD repeats what he had before declared, 
 that he would always be the same : "Though 
 the Israelites rail against me, that I do not pur- 
 sue my usual course of kindness, it is yet most 
 false ; for I remain ever the same, and am 
 always ready to show kindness to men ; for I 
 do not, as I have elsewhere declared, forsake 
 the work of my hands (Ps. cxxxviii, 8), See- 
 ing then that I thus continue my favor toward 
 men, it must be that the way to my favor is 
 closed up by their wickedness. Let them 
 therefore examine themselves, when they cry 
 and I answer not. When in their evils they in 
 a manner pine away, and find no relief, let them 
 acknowledge it to be their own fault ; for I 
 would have made myself the same as ever I 
 have been, and they would have found me a de- 
 liverer, had not a change taken place in them." 
 
 26 
 
Prayer. 
 
 CjRANT, Almighty God, that as thou hast 
 given us once for all thine only begotten Son to 
 rule us, and hast by thy good pleasure conse- 
 crated him a King over us, that we may be per- 
 petually safe and secure under his hand against 
 all the attempts of the devil and of the whole 
 world, — O grant, that we may suffer ourselves 
 to be ruled by his authority, and so conduct 
 ourselves, that he himself may ever continue to 
 watch for our safety : and as thou hast com- 
 mitted us to him, that he may be the guardian 
 of our salvation, so also suffer us neither to 
 turn aside nor fall, but preserve us ever in his 
 service, until we at length be gathered into that 
 blessed and everlasting kingdom, which has 
 been procured for us by the blood of thine only 
 Son. Amen. 
 
A Kind Invitation, 
 
 80 Israel, return unto the Lord thy 
 God ; for thou hast fallen by thine in- 
 iquity. — Hosea xiv. i. 
 
 H 
 
 .ERE the prophet exhorts the Israelites to 
 repentance, and still propounds some hope of 
 mercy. But this may seem inconsistent, as he 
 had already testified that there would be no 
 remedy any more, because they had extremely 
 provoked God. But the solution is ready at 
 hand, and it is this : In speaking before of the 
 final destruction of the people, he had respect 
 to the whole body of the people ; but now he 
 directs his discourse to the few who had as yet 
 remained faithful. And this distinction ought 
 to be carefully noticed, otherwise we shall find 
 ourselves perplexed in many parts of Scripture. 
 God had now, indeed, determined to destroy 
 them, and he wished this to be made known to 
 them by the preaching of Hosea. But yet God 
 had ever some seed remaining among his 
 chosen people ; some sound members remained, 
 as in a large heap of chaff some grains may be 
 found concealed. His discourse here ought to 
 be especially applied to the elect of God, who, 
 although they had fallen away for a time, and 
 had become entangled in the common vices of 
 the age, were yet not altogether incurable. The 
 prophet now kindly invites them, for he could 
 not succeed by severe words without mingling 
 a hope of favor, as we know that there can be 
 no hope of repentance without faith. 
 
 28 
 
Prayer. 
 
 V-JRANT, Almighty God, that as we now 
 carry about us this mortal body, yea, and 
 nourish through sin a thousand deaths within 
 us, — O grant that we may ever by faith direct 
 our eyes toward heaven, and to that incompre- 
 hensible power, which is to be manifested at 
 the last day by Jesus Christ our Lord, so that 
 in the midst of death we may hope that thou 
 wilt be our Redeemer, and enjoy that redemp- 
 tion which he completed when he rose from 
 the dead, and not doubt that the fruit which he 
 then brought forth by his Spirit will come also 
 to us when Christ himself shall come to judge 
 the world ; and may we thus walk in the fear 
 of thy name, that we may be really gathered 
 among his members, to be made partakers of 
 that glory which by his death he has procured 
 for us. Amen. 
 
 29 
 
Worship and Joy. 
 
 Is not the meat cut off before our 
 Q eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the 
 
 ■^ house of our God ? — Joel i. i6. 
 
 1 HE prophet here chides the madness of the 
 Jews, that they perceived not things set before 
 their eyes. He therefore says that they were 
 bhnd in the midst of Hght, and that their sight 
 was such that seeing they saw nothing ; they 
 surely ought to have felt distressed, when want 
 reached even to the temple. For since God 
 had commanded the firstfruits to be offered to 
 him, certainly the temple ought to have been 
 honored with its sacrifices ; and though mortals 
 perish a hundred times through famine and 
 want, yet God ought not to be defrauded of his 
 right. He afterwards adds that joy and glad- 
 ness were taken away ; for God commanded 
 the Jews to come to the temple to give thanks 
 and to acknowledge themselves blessed, because 
 he had chosen his habitation among them. 
 Hence this expression is so often repeated by 
 Moses, "Thoushalt rejoice before thy God ;" 
 for by saying this God intended to encourage 
 the people the more to come cheerfully to the 
 temple; as though he said, "I certainly need 
 not your presence, but I wish by my presence 
 to make you glad." But now when the worship 
 of God ceased, the prophet says that joy had 
 also been abolished ; for the Jews could not 
 cheerfully give thanks to God when his curse 
 was before their eyes. 
 
 30 
 
Prayer. 
 
 CjRANT, Almighty God, tha as thou seest 
 us to be surrounded with the infirmity of our 
 flesh, and so held by, and as it were, over- 
 whelmed with earthly cares, that we can hardly 
 raise up our hearts and minds to thee, — O grant 
 that being awaked by thy word and daily warn- 
 ings we may at length feel our evils, and that 
 we may not only learn by the stripes thou 
 inflictest on us, but also of our own accord, 
 summon ourselves to judgment, and examine 
 our hearts and thus come to thy presence, being 
 our own judges ; so that we may anticipate thy 
 displeasure and thus obtain that mercy which 
 thou hast promised to all who, turning only to 
 thee, deprecate thy wrath and also hope for 
 thy favor through the name of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ. Amen. 
 
 3« 
 
Sounding the Alarm. 
 
 Blow ye the trumpet in Zioti, and 
 sound an alarm in my holy mountain : 
 IQ let all the inhabitants of the land trem- 
 
 ble : for the day of the Lord cometh, 
 for it is nigh at hand. — ^Joel ii. i. 
 
 1 HIS chapter contains serious exhortations, 
 mixed with threatenings, but the prophet 
 threatens for the purpose of correcting the in- 
 difference of the people, who were very slow to 
 consider God's judgments. The object of the 
 narrative, then, is to make the people sensible 
 that it was now no time for taking rest. 
 
 The prophet begins with an exhortation. We 
 know, indeed, that he alludes to the usual cus- 
 toms sanctioned by the law, for, as on festivals 
 trumpets were sounded to call the people, so 
 also it was done when anything extraordinary 
 happened. Hence, the prophet addresses not 
 each individually, but, as all had done wick- 
 edly, from the least to the greatest, he bids the 
 whole assembly to be called, that they may in 
 common own themselves to be guilty before 
 God, and deprecate his vengeance. This pas- 
 sage shows that when any judgment of God 
 is impending, and tokens of it appear, this 
 remedy ought to be used, namely, that all must 
 publicly assemble and confess themselves 
 worthy of punishment, and at the same time 
 flee to the mercy of God„ This, we know, was 
 formerly enjoined upon the people, and this 
 practice has not been abolished by the gospel. 
 
 32 
 
Prayer. 
 
 CjcRANT, Almighty God, that as thou m- 
 vitest us daily with so much kindness and love, 
 and makest known to us thy paternal good-will 
 which thou didst once for all show to us in 
 Christ thy Son, — O grant that, being allured by 
 thy goodness, we may surrender ourselves to 
 thee and become so teachable and submissive 
 that wherever thou guidest us by thy Spirit 
 thou mayest follow us with every blessing. Let 
 us not, in the meantime, be deaf to thy warn- 
 ings ; and whenever we deviate from the right 
 way, grant that we may immediately awake 
 when thou warnest us, and return to the right 
 path, and deign thou also to embrace us and 
 reconcile us to thyself through Christ our only 
 Lord. Amen. 
 
 33 
 
The Outpouring of the Spirit. 
 
 And it shall come to pass afterward, 
 
 that I will pour out my spirit upon ail 
 
 _ _ flesh; and your sons and your daughters 
 
 I I shall prophesy, your old men shall dream 
 
 dreams, your young men shall see 
 
 visions. — ^Joel ii. 28. 
 
 1 HE prophet after having set before them the 
 rudiments as though they were children, now 
 brings before them a more complete doctrine 
 (for thus they were to be led) and affords them 
 a taste of the favor of God in its external signs. 
 "Ascend, then, now," he says, "to spiritual 
 life, for the fountain is one and the same, though 
 when earthly benefits occupy and engross your 
 attention ye no doubt pollute them. But God 
 feeds you, not to fill and pamper you, for he 
 would not have you to be like brute animals. 
 Then know that your bodies are fed, and that 
 God gives support to you, that ye may aspire 
 after spiritual life, for he leads you to this as by 
 the hand ; be this, then, your object." He be- 
 gan with temporal benefits, for it was needful 
 that an untutored people should be thus led by 
 degrees, that on account of their infirmity, slug- 
 gishness, and dullness, they might thus make 
 better progress until they understood that God 
 would for this end be a Father to them. 
 
 34 
 
Prayer. 
 
 VJRANT, Almighty God, that since we want 
 so many aids while in this frail life, and as it is 
 a shadowy life, we cannot pass a moment ex- 
 cept thou dost continually and at all times sup- 
 ply through thy bounty what is needful, — O grant, 
 that we may so profit by thy so many benefits, 
 that we may learn to raise our minds upward 
 and ever aspire after celestial life to which by 
 thy gospel thou invitest us so kindly and sweetly 
 every day, that being gathered into thy celestial 
 kingdom, we may enjoy that perfect felicity 
 which has been procured for us by the blood of 
 thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 
 
 35 
 
An Admonition. 
 
 And I will show wonders in the 
 heavens and in the earth, blood, and 
 fire, and pillars of smoke. 
 J 2 The sun shall be turned into dark- 
 
 ness, and the moon into blood, before 
 the great and the terrible day of the 
 Lord come. — Joel ii. 30, 31. 
 
 T 
 
 HE propnet had hitherto promised that God 
 would deal kindly and bountifully with his peo- 
 ple ; and everything he has said tended to elevate 
 the spirits of the people and fill them with joy. 
 But now he seems again to threaten them with 
 God's wrath and to strike miserable men with 
 fear, who had not as yet recovered breath ; for at 
 the time the prophet spoke the Jews, we know, 
 were in the greatest sorrow. But it is rather 
 an admonition than a threatening. The prophet 
 warns them of what would be lest the faithful 
 should promise themselves an exemption from 
 all cares and troubles : for we know how prone 
 men are to self-indulgence. Hence the prophet 
 reminds us that though God would bountifully 
 feed his Church, and testify by external tokens 
 his paternal love, and though he would pour 
 out his Spirit (a token far more remarkable), yet 
 the faithful would continue to be distressed with 
 many troubles. For God designs not to deal 
 too delicately with his Church on earth ; but 
 when he gives tokens of his kindness, he at the 
 same time mingles some exercises for patience, 
 lest the faithful should become self-indulgent or 
 sleep on earthly blessings, but that they may 
 ever seek higher things. 
 
 36 
 
Prayer. 
 
 VjRANT, Almighty God, that as we are now 
 surrounded on every side by so many miseries, 
 and as our condition is such that amidst groans 
 and continual sorrows our life could be hardly 
 sustained unless thou dost support us by spirit- 
 ual grace, — O grant, that we may learn to look 
 upon the face of thine Anointed and seek com- 
 fort from him in our misfortunes, and such a 
 comfort as may not engross our minds, or at 
 least retain us in the world, but raise our 
 thoughts to heaven and daily seal to our hearts 
 the testimony of our adoption, and that though 
 many evils must be borne by us in this world 
 we may yet continue to pursue our course and 
 to fight and strive with invincible perseverance, 
 until having at length finished all our struggles, 
 we reach that blessed rest which has been 
 obtained for us by the blood of thine only- 
 begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 
 
 37 
 
Calling on the Lord. 
 
 And it shall come to pass, that who- 
 soever shall call on the name of the 
 Lord shall be delivered : for in mount 
 I 2 Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliver- 
 
 ^ ance, as the Lord hath said, and in the 
 
 remnant whom the Lord shall call. — 
 Joel ii. 32. 
 
 G, 
 
 cOD declares that the invocation of his name 
 in a despairing condition is a sure port of safety. 
 What the prophet had said was certainly dread- 
 ful, — that the whole order of nature would be 
 so changed that no spark of life would appear, 
 and that all places would be filled with dark- 
 ness. Wiiat, therefore, he says now is the same 
 as though he declared, that if men called on the 
 name of God life would be found in the grave. 
 Since then God invites here the lost and 
 the dead, there is no reason why even the 
 heaviest distresses should preclude an access 
 for us or for our prayers. If there is promised 
 salvation and deliverance to all who shall call 
 on the name of the Lord, it follows, as Paul 
 reasons, that the doctrine of the gospel belongs 
 to the gentiles also. It would have been a 
 great presumption in us to present ourselves 
 before God, except he had given us confidence 
 and promised to hear us. We learn from this 
 place that however much God may afflict his 
 Church, it will yet be perpetuated in the world ; 
 for it can no more be destroyed than the very 
 truth of God, which is eternal and immutable. 
 
 38 
 
Prayer. 
 
 CjRANT, Almighty God, that as thou not 
 only invitest us continually by the voice of thy 
 gospel to seek thee, but also offerest to us thy 
 Son as our Mediator, through whom an access 
 to thee is open, that we may find thee a pro- 
 pitious Father, — O grant, that relying on thy 
 kind invitation, we may through life exercise 
 ourselves in prayer, and as so many evils disturb 
 us on all sides and so many wants distress and 
 oppress us, may we be led more earnestly to 
 call on thee, and in the meanwhile be never 
 wearied in this exercise of prayer ; until having 
 been heard by thee throughout life, we may at 
 length be gathered to thine eternal kingdom 
 where we shall enjoy that salvation which thou 
 hast promised to us, and of which also thou 
 daily testifiest to us by thy gospel, and be for- 
 ever united to thine only-begotten Son of whom 
 we are now members ; that we may be par- 
 takers of all the blessings which he has obtained 
 for us by his death. Amen. 
 
 39 
 
A Blessed Experience. 
 
 So shall ye know that I am the Lord 
 
 your God dwelling in Zion, my holy 
 
 \A mountain: then shall Jerusalem be 
 
 • holy, and there shall no strangers pass 
 
 through her any more.— Joel iii. 17. 
 
 1 HE prophet intimates that the favor of God 
 had been so hidden during the afflictions of the 
 people that they could but think that they were 
 forsaken by God. His word ought indeed to 
 be sufficient for us in the greatest evils ; for 
 though God may cast us into the deepest gulfs, 
 yet when he shines upon us by his word it 
 ought to be a consolation abundantly availing 
 to sustain our souls. 
 
 There is a twofold knowledge, the knowledge 
 of faith, received from his word, and the knowl- 
 edge of experience as we say, derived from 
 actual enjoyment. The faithful ever acknowl- 
 edge that salvation is laid up for them in God ; 
 but sometimes they do not by actual enjoyment 
 know God to be their Father. The prophet 
 therefore now treats of real knowledge when he 
 says that they shall know that they have a God. 
 How are they to know this? By experience. 
 This passage teaches us that though God 
 should not put forth his hand manifestly to help 
 us, we ought yet to entertain good hope of his 
 favor ; for the prophet spoke for this end, that 
 the godly might, before the event or the accom- 
 plishment of the prophecy should come, look 
 to God and cast all their cares on him. 
 
 40 
 
Prayer. 
 
 VjRANT, Almighty God, that as we have, in 
 this world, to fight continually, not only with 
 one kind of enemies, but with innumerable ones, 
 and not only with flesh and blood, but also with 
 the devil, the prince of darkness, — O grant that 
 being armed with thy power we may steadily 
 persevere in this contest ; and when thou 
 afflictest us for our sins, may we learn to hum- 
 ble ourselves and so submit to thy authority 
 that we may hope for the redemption promised 
 to us ; and though tokens of thy displeasure 
 may often appear to us, may we yet ever raise 
 up our minds by hope to heaven and from 
 thence look for thine only-begotten Son, until, 
 coming as Judge of the world, he assembles us 
 for the enjoyment of that blessed and eternal 
 life which he has obtained for us by his own 
 blood. Amen. 
 
 4t 
 
The Law of Worship. 
 
 And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving 
 with leaven, and proclaim cfid publish 
 
 I ^ the free offerings : for this likeih you 
 
 B 
 
 O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord 
 God. — Amos iv. 5. 
 
 I Y saying that the Israelites loved to do these 
 things, he upbraids their presumption in devis- 
 ing at their own will new modes of worship, as 
 though he said, "I require no sacrifices from 
 you except those offered at Jerusalem, but ye 
 offer them to me in a profane place. There- 
 fore regard your sacrifices as offered to your- 
 selves, and not to me." We, indeed, know 
 how hypocrites ever make God a debtor to 
 themselves ; when they undertake any labor in 
 their frivolous ceremonies, they think that God 
 is bound to them. "Ye ought to have con- 
 sulted me and simply to have obeyed my word, 
 to have regarded what pleased me, what I have 
 commanded ; but ye have despised my word, 
 neglected my law, and followed what pleased 
 yourselves and proceeded from your own 
 fancies. Since, then, your own will is your law, 
 seek a recompense from yourselves, for I allow 
 none of these things. What I require is im- 
 plicit submission, I look for nothing else but 
 obedience to my law ; as ye render not this but 
 according to your own will, it is no worship of 
 my name." 
 
 42 
 
_ Prayer. 
 
 CjfRANT, Almighty God, that as thou wouldst 
 have our Hfe to be formed by the rule of thy 
 law, and hast there revealed to us what pleaseth 
 thee, that we may not wander in uncertainty, 
 but render thee obedience, — O grant that we 
 may wholly submit ourselves to thee, and not 
 only devote our whole life and all our labors to 
 thee, but also offer to thee as a sacrifice our 
 understanding and whatever prudence and 
 reason we possess, so that by spiritually serv- 
 ing thee we may really glorify thy name, 
 through Christ our Lord. Amen. 
 
 43 
 
A Solemn Exhortation. 
 
 i6 
 
 Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O 
 Israel : and because I will do this unto 
 thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. 
 — Amos iv. 12. 
 
 T 
 
 HIS passage may be explained in two ways ; 
 either as an ironical sentence, or as a simple and 
 serious exhortation to repentance. If we take 
 it ironically the sense will be, "Come now, 
 meet me with all your obstinacy, and with what- 
 ever may serve you ; will you be able to escape 
 my vengeance by setting up yourselves against 
 me, as you have hitherto done ?' ' And certainly 
 the prophet, in denouncing final ruin on the 
 people, seems here as though he wished design- 
 edly to touch them to the quick, when he says, 
 " Meet now thy God and prepare thyself ;" that 
 is, "Gather all thy strength and thy forces and 
 thine auxiliaries ; try what all this will avail 
 thee." But as in the next chapter the prophet 
 exhorts again the Israelites to repentance, and 
 sets before them the hope of favor, this place 
 may be taken in another sense, as though he 
 said, "Since thou seest thyself guilty, and also 
 as thou seest that thou art seeking subterfuges 
 in vain, being not able by any means to elude 
 the hand of thy judge, then see at last that thou 
 meet thy God, that thou mayest anticipate the 
 final ruin which is impending." The prophets, 
 after having threatened destruction to the 
 chosen people, ever moderate the asperity of 
 their doctrine, as there were at all times some 
 remnant seed, though hidden. 
 
 44 
 
Prayer. 
 
 C-JRANT, Almighty God, that since by thy 
 word thou kindly invitest us to thyself, we may 
 not turn deaf ears to thee, but anticipate thy rod 
 and scourges ; and that when, for the stupidity 
 and thoughtlessness by which we have become 
 inebriated, thou addest those punishments by 
 which thou sharply urgest us to repent, — O grant, 
 that we may not continue wholly intractable, 
 but at length turn our hearts to thy service and 
 submit ourselves to the yoke of thy word, and 
 that we may be so instructed by the punish- 
 ments which thou hast inflicted on us and still 
 inflictest, that we may truly and from the heart 
 turn to thee, and offer ourselves to thee as a 
 sacrifice, that thou mayest govern us according 
 to thy will, and so rule all our affections by thy 
 Spirit, that we may through the whole of our 
 life strive to glorify thy name, in Christ Jesus, 
 thy Son our Lord. Amen. 
 
 45 
 
Herdman and Prophet. 
 
 Then answered Amos, and said to 
 
 Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was 
 
 I "7 la prophet's son ; but I was an herd- 
 
 ' man, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit. 
 
 — Amos vii. 14. 
 
 H 
 
 .AD Amos simply denied tliat he was a 
 prophet, he might on this account have been 
 thrust away from his office of teaching, for he 
 lacked a call. But he means that he was not a 
 prophet who had been from his childhood in- 
 structed in God's law to be an interpreter of 
 Scripture : and for the same reason he says that 
 he was not the son of a prophet ; for there were 
 then, we know, colleges for prophets, instituted 
 for this end, that there might be always some 
 nursery for the Church of God, so that it might 
 not be destitute of good and faithful teachers. 
 Amos says that he was not of that class. He 
 therefore honestly confesses that he was an illit- 
 erate man : but by this he gained to himself 
 more authority, inasmuch as the Lord had 
 seized on him as it were by force, and set him 
 over the people to teach them. It was a greater 
 miracle that Christ chose rude and ignorant 
 men as his apostles, than if he had at first chosen 
 Paul or men like him, who were skilled in the 
 law. If Christ had at the beginning selected 
 such disciples their authority would have ap- 
 peared less ; but as he had prepared by his 
 Spirit those who were before unlearned, it ap- 
 peared more evident that they were sent from 
 above. 
 
 46 
 
Prayer. 
 
 V-XRANT, Almighty God, that inasmuch as 
 thou dost give such loose reins to Satan, that 
 he attempts in all manner of ways to subvert 
 thy servants, — O grant, that they who have been 
 sent and moved by thee and at the same time 
 furnished w4th the invincible strength of thy 
 Spirit may go on perseveringly to the last in the 
 discharge of their office ; and whether their 
 adversaries assail them by plots or oppose them 
 by open violence, may they not desist from 
 their course but devote themselves wholly to, 
 thee with prudence as well as with courage that 
 they may thus persevere in continual obedience : 
 and do thou also dissipate all the mists and all 
 the wiles which Satan spreads to deceive the 
 inexperienced, until the truth emerge, which is 
 the conqueror of the devil and of the whole 
 world, and until thy Son, the Sun of Righteous- 
 ness, appear, that he may gather the whole 
 world that in his peaceful kingdom we may 
 enjoy the victory, which is daily to be obtained 
 by us in our constant struggles with the enemies 
 of thine only Son. Amen. 
 
 47 
 
The Power of God. 
 
 It is he that buildeth his stories In 
 
 the heaven, and hath founded his troop 
 
 -O in the earth; he that callelh for the 
 
 *0 waters of the sea, and poureth them 
 
 out upon the face of the earth : The 
 
 Lord is his name. — Amos ix. 6. 
 
 1 HE prophet in general terms describes the 
 power of God, that he might the more impress 
 his hearers, and that they might not heedlessly 
 reject what he had previously threatened re- 
 specting their approaching ruin ; for he had 
 said, " Lo, God will smite the land and it shall 
 tremble." This was special. Now as men 
 received with deaf ears those threatenings, the 
 prophet added, by way of confirmation, a 
 striking description of the power of God ; as 
 though he said, "Ye do hear what God de- 
 nounces ; now, as he has clothed me with his 
 own authority, and commanded me to terrify 
 you by setting before you your punishment, 
 know ye that ye have to do with God himself, 
 whose majesty ought to make you all and all 
 that you are to tremble. Ye exist only through 
 his power, and whenever he pleases he can with- 
 draw his Spirit and then this whole world must 
 vanish, of which ye are but the smallest parti- 
 cles. Since, then, he alone is God, and there 
 is in you but a momentary strength, and since 
 this great power of God, the evidences of which 
 he affords you through the whole order of na- 
 ture, is so conspicuous to you, how is it that ye 
 are so heedless?" 
 
 48 
 
Prayer. 
 
 Gi 
 
 :RANT, Almighty God, that as thou hast 
 showed to us by evidence so remarkable that 
 all things are under thy command, and that we 
 who live in this world through thy favor are as 
 nothing, for thou couldst reduce us to nothing 
 in a moment, — O grant that being conscious of 
 thy power we may reverently fear thy hand, and 
 be wholly devoted to thy glory ; and as thou 
 kindly offerest thyself to us as a Father, may 
 we be drawn by this kindness and surrender 
 ourselves wholly to thee by a willing obedience, 
 and never labor for anything throughout life but 
 to glorify thy name as thou hast redeemed us 
 through thine only-begotten Son, that so we 
 may also enjoy through him that eternal inher- 
 itance which is laid up for us in heaven. Amen. 
 
 49 
 
Wisdom Destroyed. 
 
 Shall I not in that day, saith the 
 _ _ Lord, even destroy the wise men out 
 
 19 of Edom, and understanding out of the 
 
 mount of Esau ? — Obadiah 8. 
 
 1 HOUGH men be in many respects blind, 
 whom God guides not by his Spirit, and on 
 whom he shines not with his word, yet the 
 worst bUndness is when men become inebriated 
 with the false conceit of wisdom. God indeed 
 permits the ungodly for a long time to felicitate 
 themselves on account of their own acumen 
 and counsels, as he suffered the Idumeans to go 
 on prosperously. But we are warned by these 
 words that if we excel in understanding, we are 
 not to abuse this singular gift of God, as we see 
 the case to be with the ungodly, who turn to 
 cunning whatever wisdom the Lord has be- 
 stowed on them. There is hardly one in a 
 hundred to be found who does not seek to be 
 crafty and deceitful if he excels in understand- 
 ing. We see that the world perverts this ex- 
 cellent gift of God ; the more reason there is 
 for us to labor, that our wisdom should be 
 founded in true simplicity. This is one thing. 
 Then we must also beware lest we trust in our 
 own understanding and despise our enemies, and 
 lest we think that we can ward off any evil that 
 may impend over us ; but let us ever seek from 
 the Lord that he may vouchsafe to us at all 
 times the Spirit of wisdom, that he may guide 
 us even to the end of life. 
 
 50 
 
Prayer. 
 
 CjRANT, Almighty God, that as thou hast 
 once for all received us under thy protection, 
 and hast promised that our salvation would be 
 so much under thy care, that whatever Satan 
 and the whole world may contrive thou wilt yet 
 keep us safe and secure, — O grant that being 
 endued with perseverance, we may remain 
 within our borders, and not be carried away 
 here and there either by craft or by wicked 
 counsels ; but be thou pleased to keep us in 
 genuine integrity ; that, being protected by thy 
 help, we may, by experience, find that true 
 which thou declarest in thy word — that they who 
 call on thee in truth shall ever know thee to be 
 propitious to them ; and since thou hast already 
 made open to us an access to thee in the person 
 of thine only-begotten Son, O grant that we, 
 the sheep, may rely on him as our Shepherd, 
 and resignedly abide under his protection until 
 at length we be removed from all dangers into 
 that eternal rest which has been obtained for us 
 by the blood of Christ thine only Son. Amen. 
 
 51 
 
A Fearless Preacher. 
 
 And Jonah began to enter into the 
 ^^ city a day's journey, and he cried, and 
 
 ■^" said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall 
 
 be overthrown. — ^Jonah iii. 4. 
 
 Jonah here relates that he went to Nineveh 
 according to the command of God. He shows 
 then how faithfully he executed the duty en- 
 joined on him, and thus obeyed the word of 
 God. Hence Jonah came and began to enter 
 into the city, and to preach on the first day. 
 This promptness proves clearly how tractable 
 Jonah had become, and how much he endeav- 
 ored to obey God in discharging his office. 
 For had there been still a timidity in his heart, 
 he would have inspected the city as careful and 
 timid men are wont to do who inquire what is 
 the condition of the place, what are the disposi- 
 tions of the people, and which is the easiest 
 access to them, and what is the best way and 
 where is the least danger. We now see how 
 prompt he was in his obedience who had 
 before attempted to pass over the sea ; he now 
 takes hardly a moment to breathe, but he be- 
 gins at the very entrance to testify that he had 
 come in obedience to God. 
 
 He says that he cried ; this freedom shows 
 that Jonah was divested of all fear, and 
 endued with such boldness of spirit that he 
 raised himself up above all the hindrances of the 
 world. No fear was able to prevent him from 
 doing his duty as a faithful servant, for he had 
 evidently been strengthened by the Lord. 
 52 
 
Prayer. 
 
 V-JRANT, Almighty God, that as there is so 
 much timidity in us that none of us is pre- 
 pared to follow where thou mayest call us, we 
 may be so instructed by the example of thy 
 servant, Jonah, as to prepare ourselves for 
 thorough obedience, and that though Satan and 
 the world may oppose us with all their terrors, 
 we may yet be strengthened by a reliance on 
 thy power and protection, v/hicli thou hast 
 promised to us, and may go on in the course of 
 our vocation, and never turn aside, but thus 
 contend with all the hindrances of this world, 
 until we reach that celestial kingdom, where we 
 shall enjoy thee, and Christ, thy only-begotten 
 Son, who is our strength and our salvation ; 
 and may thy Spirit quicken us and strengthen 
 all our faculties, that we may obey thee, and 
 that at length thy name may be glorified in us, 
 and that we may finally become partakers of 
 that glory to which thou invitest us through 
 Christ our only Lord. Amen. 
 
 53 
 
The Mercy of God. 
 
 Then said the Lord, Thou hast 
 had pity on the gourd, for the which 
 thou hast not labored, neither madestit 
 grow ; which came up in a night, and 
 
 ^ perished in a night : 
 
 ^ 1 And should not I spare Nineveh, 
 
 that great city, wherein are more than 
 six-score thousand persons that cannot 
 discern between their right hand and 
 their left hand; and a/^o much cattle? — 
 Jonah iv. lo, ii. 
 
 V-JOD shows here how like a father he pro- 
 vides for mankind. Each one of us is cher- 
 ished by him with singular care ; but yet he 
 represents here a large number, that it might be 
 more manifest that he has so great a concern 
 for mankind that he will not inconsiderately 
 fulminate against any one nation. God shows 
 here to Jonah that he has been carried away by 
 his own merciless zeal. Though his zeal arose 
 from a good principle, yet Jonah was influenced 
 by a feeling far too vehement. This God proved 
 by sparing so many infants hitherto innocent. 
 And to infants he adds the brute animals. 
 Oxen were certainly superior to shrubs. If 
 Jonah justly grieved for one withered shrub it 
 v/as far more deplorable and cruel for so many 
 innocent animals to perish. We hence see how 
 apposite are all the parts of this similitude, to 
 make Jonah loathe his folly, and to be ashamed 
 of it ; for he had attempted to frustrate the secret 
 purpose of God, and in a manner to overrule it 
 by his own will, so that the Ninevites might not 
 be spared, although they labored by true re- 
 pentance to anticipate the divine judgment. 
 
 54 
 
Prayer. 
 
 CjRANT, Almighty God, that as thou hast, in 
 various ways, testified and daily also dost prove 
 how dear and precious to thee are mankind, as 
 we enjoy daily so many and so remarkable proofs 
 of thy goodness and favor, — O grant that we 
 may learn to rely wholly on thy goodness, so 
 many examples of which thou settest before us, 
 and which thou wouldst have us continually to 
 experience, that we may not only pass through 
 our earthly course, but also confidently aspire 
 to the hope of that blessed and celestial life 
 which is laid up for us in heaven, through Christ 
 alone our Lord. Amen. 
 
 55 
 
A Prophet's Lamentation. 
 
 For her wound is incurable; for il is 
 ~^ come unto Judali ; he is come unto the 
 
 ■^•^ gale of my people, evtn to Jerusalem. 
 
 — Micah i. 9. 
 
 1 HE prophet here assumed the character of a 
 mourner that he might more deeply impress the 
 Israehtes ; for they were almost insensible in 
 their torpidity. It was therefore necessary that 
 they should be brought to view the scene itself, 
 that, seeing their destruction before their eyes, 
 they might be touched both with grief and fear. 
 Though the prophet here addresses the Israel- 
 ites, we ought yet to apply this to ourselves ; 
 for we are not much unlike the ancient people : 
 for however God may terrify us with dreadful 
 threatenings, we still remain quiet. It is there- 
 fore needful that we should be severely treated, 
 for we are almost void of feeling. The prophet 
 does here these two things, — he shows the fra- 
 ternal love which he entertained for the children 
 of Israel, as they were his kindred and a part 
 of the chosen people, — and he also discharges 
 his own duty ; for this lamentation was, as it 
 were, the mirror in which he sets before them 
 the vengeance of God toward men so extremely 
 torpid. He therefore exhibits to them this rep- 
 resentation, that they might perceive that God 
 was by no means trifling with men, when he 
 thus denounced punishment on the wicked and 
 such as were apostates. 
 
Prayer. 
 
 CjRANT, Almighty God, that being warned 
 by so many examples, the record of which thou 
 hast designed to continue to the end of the 
 world, that we may learn how dreadful a judge 
 thou art, to the perverse, — O grant, that we may 
 not at this day, be hardened against thy teach- 
 ing which is conveyed to us by the mouth of thy 
 prophet, but that we may strive to be so recon- 
 ciled to thee, that, passing by all men, we may 
 present ourselves unreservedly to thee, so that, 
 relying on thy mercy alone, which thou hast 
 promised to us in Christ, we may not doubt 
 that thou wilt be propitious to us, and be so 
 touched with the spirit of true penitence, that if 
 we have been to others a bad example, and 
 offense, we may lead others to the right way of 
 salvation, and each of us may so endeavor to 
 assist our neighbors in a holy life, that we may 
 together attain that blessed and celestial life 
 which thine only-begotten Son has procured for 
 us by his own blood. Amen. 
 
 57 
 
Strengthened by the Spirit. 
 
 But truly I am full of power by the 
 
 spirit of the Lord, atid of judgment, 
 
 2 2 and of might, to declare unto Jacob his 
 
 •^ transgression, and to Israel his sin. — 
 
 Micah iii. 8. 
 
 11 ERE Micah, in a courageous spirit, stands 
 up alone against all the false teachers, even 
 when he saw that they were a large number, 
 and that they appealed to their number, accord- 
 ing to their usual practice, as their shield. This 
 confidence is what all God's servants should 
 possess, that they may not succumb to the 
 empty and vain boastings of those who subvert 
 the whole order of the Church. Whenever, 
 then, God permits his pure truth to be cor- 
 rupted by false teachers and allows them to be 
 popular among those high in honor, as well as 
 with the multitude, let this striking example be 
 remembered by us lest we be discouraged, lest 
 the firmness and invincible power of the Holy 
 Spirit be weakened in our hearts ; but let us 
 proceed in the course of our calling and learn 
 to oppose the name of God to all the deceptions 
 of men, if indeed we are convinced that our 
 service is approved by him as being faithful. 
 Micah no doubt shows here, on account of the 
 necessity of the occasion, that he was not sup- 
 plied with ordinary or usual power ; for, accord- 
 ing as God employs the labors of his servants, 
 so is he present with them, and furnishes them 
 with suitable protection. 
 
 58 
 
Prayer. 
 
 G; 
 
 :RANT, Almighty God, that as thou wouldst 
 have us to be ruled by the preaching of thy 
 word, — O grant that those who have to dis- 
 charge this office may be really endued with 
 thy celestial power that they may not attempt 
 anything of themselves, but with all devoted- 
 ness spend all their labors for thee and for our 
 benefit, that through them we may be thus 
 edified so that thou mayest ever dwell among 
 us, and that we through our whole life may 
 become the habitation of thy majesty, and that 
 finally we may come to thy heavenly sanctuary, 
 where thou daily invitest us, as an entrance 
 there has been once for all opened to us by the 
 blood of thine only-begotten Son. Amen. 
 
 59 
 
A Fellowship of Nations. 
 
 And many nations shall come, and 
 say, Come, and let us go up to the 
 moTintain of the Lord, and to the house 
 ^ M of the God of Jacob ; and he will teach 
 
 ^4 us of his ways, and we will walk in his 
 
 paths : for the law shall go forth of 
 Zion, and the word of the Lord from 
 Jerusalem. — Micah iv. 2. 
 
 Ti 
 
 HE prophet shows in these words, that not 
 only each one would be obedient to God, when 
 called, but that they would also encourage one 
 another; and this ardor is what is justly re- 
 quired in the faithful ; they ought to animate 
 and urge on one another ; for it is not enough 
 for each of us himself to obey God, but this 
 zeal ought to be added, by which we may strive 
 to produce a mutual benefit. The manner of 
 the exhortation deserves to be noticed ; for each 
 one offers himself as a companion in the j'our- 
 ney. We see indeed that many are prompt 
 enough when others are to be stimulated in 
 their duty ; but they at the same time lie still ; 
 their whole ferv^or is consumed in sending 
 others, and they themselves move not, no, not 
 a finger ; so far are they from running with 
 alacrity in company with others. The prophet 
 shows here that the faithful will be so solicitous 
 about the salvation of their brethren that they 
 themselves also will strenuously run, and that 
 they will prescribe nothing to others but what 
 they themselves perform. 
 
 60 
 
Prayer. 
 
 G 
 
 :RANT, Almighty God, that smce, at the 
 coming of Christ thy Son thou didst really per- 
 form what thy servants the prophets had fore- 
 told so long before, and since thou daily invitest 
 us until now to the unity of faith, that with 
 united efiforts we may truly serve thee, — O grant, 
 that we may not continue torn asunder, every 
 one pursuing his own perverse inclinations, at a 
 time when Christ is thus gathering us unto 
 thee ; nor let us only profess with the mouth 
 and in words that we are under thy government, 
 but prove that we feel this very thing in real 
 sincerity ; and may we then add to the true and 
 lawful worship of thy name brotherly love 
 toward one another, that with united efforts we 
 may promote each other's good, and that our 
 adoption may thus be proved and be more and 
 more confirmed that we may ever be able with 
 full confidence to call on thee as our Father, 
 through Christ our Lord. Amen. 
 
 6i 
 
The Constancy of Faith. 
 
 For all people will walk every one in 
 _ jrf the name of his god, ami we will walk 
 
 2^ in the name of the Lord our God for 
 
 ever and ever. — Micah iv. 5. 
 
 iVllCAH, after having spoken of the restora- 
 tion of the Church, now confirms the same 
 truth, and shows that the faithful would have 
 reason enough to cleave constantly to their God, 
 and to despise all the superstitions of the 
 world, and that though they may be tossed here 
 and there by contrary opinions, they will yet 
 continue in true piety. This verse, then, is con- 
 nected with the kingdom of Christ, for until we 
 are gathered, and Christ shines among us and 
 rules us by his word, there can be in us no con- 
 stancy, no firmness. But when, under the 
 auspices of Christ, we join together in one body, 
 the Church, such then becomes the constancy 
 of our faith that nothing can turn us aside from 
 the right course, though new storms were at 
 any time to arise, by which the whole world 
 might be shaken, and though it were to happen 
 that the universe should pass away. 
 
 This passage shows that faith depends not 
 on the suffrages of men, and that we ought not 
 to regard what any one may think, or what may 
 be the consent of all, for the truth of God alone 
 ought to be deemed sufficient by us. How 
 much soever, then, the whole world may oppose 
 God, our faith ought not to be changeable, but 
 remain firm on this foundation — that God, who 
 cannot deceive, hath spoken. 
 62 
 
Prayer. 
 
 G; 
 
 RANT, Almighty God, that since under the 
 guidance of thy Son we have been united to- 
 gether in the body of thy Church, which has 
 been 30 often scattered and torn asunder, — O 
 grant that we may continue in the unity of faith, 
 and perseveringly fight against all the tempta- 
 tions of this world, and never deviate from the 
 right course, whatever new troubles may daily 
 arise ; and though we are exposed to many 
 deaths, let us not be seized with fear, such as 
 may extinguish in our hearts every hope ; but 
 may we, on the contrary, learn to raise up our 
 eyes and minds and all our thoughts to thy 
 great power, by which thou quickenest the dead, 
 and raisest from nothing things which are not, 
 so that, though we be daily exposed to ruin, 
 our souls may ever aspire to eternal salvation, 
 until thou at length really showest thyself to be 
 the fountain of life, when we shall enjoy that 
 endless felicity which has been obtained for us 
 by the blood of thine only-begotten Son our 
 Lord. Amen. 
 
 63 
 
God's Requirements. 
 
 He hath showed Ihce, O man, what 
 
 ^ 7.y^ood; and what doth the Lord re- 
 
 20 quire of thee, but to do justly, and to 
 
 love mercy, and to walk humbly with 
 
 thy God? — Micah vi.8. 
 
 It is evident that, in the first two particulars, 
 he refers to the second table of the law ; that 
 is, to do justice and to love mercy. Nor is it a 
 matter of wonder that the prophet begins with 
 the duties of love ; for though in rank the 
 worship of God precedes these duties and ought 
 rightly to be so regarded, yet justice, which is 
 to be exercised toward men, is the real evi- 
 dence of religion. The prophet, therefore, men- 
 tions justice and mercy, not that God casts 
 aside what is first in importance, — the worship 
 of his name ; but he shows by evidences or 
 effects, what true religion is. He afterwards 
 adds what in order is first, and that is, lit- 
 erally, "to be humble in walking with thy 
 God." No doubt as the name of God is more 
 excellent than anything else in the whole 
 world, so the worship of him ought to be re- 
 garded as of more importance than all those 
 duties by which we prove our love toward men. 
 But the prophet, as I have already said, was not so 
 particular in observing order. His main object 
 was to show how men were to prove that they 
 seriously feared God and kept his law ; he 
 afterwards speaks of God's worship. But his 
 manner of speaking, when he says, that men 
 ought to be humble, that they may v/alk with 
 their God, is worthy of special notice. 
 
 64 
 
Prayer. 
 
 VJRANT, Almighty God, that as thou hast 
 made known to us thy law, and hast also 
 added thy gospel, in which thou callest us to 
 thy service, and also invitest us with all kind- 
 ness to partake of thy grace, — O grant, that we 
 may not be deaf, either to thy command or to 
 the promises of thy mercy, but render ourselves 
 submissive to thee everywhere, and so learn to 
 devote all our faculties to thee, that we may in 
 truth avow that the rule of a holy and religious 
 life, has been delivered to us in thy law, and 
 that we may firmly adhere to thy promises, 
 lest through any of the allurements of the world, 
 or through the flatteries and delusions of Satan, 
 thou shouldst suffer our minds to be drawn 
 away from that love which thou hast once for 
 all manifested to us in thine only-begotten Son, 
 and in which thou daily confirmest us by the 
 teaching of the gospel, until we at length shall 
 come to the full enjoyment of this love in that 
 celestial inheritance, which has been purchased 
 for us by the blood of thine only Son. Amen. 
 
 65 
 
A Prayer for God's Heritage. 
 
 Feed thy people with thy rod. the 
 
 flock of thine heritage, which dwell 
 — _ solitarily in the wood, in the midst of 
 
 ^ / Carmel : let them feed in Bashan and 
 
 Gilead, as in the days of old.— Micah 
 
 vii. 14. 
 
 T 
 
 HE prophet here turns to supplications and 
 prayers, by which he manifests more vehemence 
 than if he had affirmed what he had previously 
 said of the restoration of the Church ; for he 
 shows how dreadful that judgment would be 
 when God would reduce the land. into a soli- 
 tude. This prayer no doubt contains what was 
 at the same time prophetic. He compares God 
 to a shepherd, and this metaphor often occurs. 
 By calling them the flock of his heritage, he 
 does not consider what the people deserved, 
 but fixes his eyes on their gratuitous adoption. 
 Since, then, it had pleased God to choose that 
 people, the prophet on this account dares to go 
 forth to God's presence and to plead their gra- 
 tuitous election, — "O Lord, I will not bring 
 before thee the nobility of our race, or any sort 
 of dignity, or our piety, or any merits." What 
 then? "We are thy people, for thou hast de- 
 clared that we are a royal priesthood. We are 
 accordingly thy heritage." How so ? " Because 
 it has been thy pleasure to have one peculiar 
 people sacred to thee." We now more clearly 
 see that the prophet relied on God's favor alone, 
 and opposed the recollection of the covenant to 
 the trials which might have otherwise made 
 every hope to fail. 
 
 06 
 
Prayer. 
 
 v_JRANT, Almighty God, that since we have 
 so provoked thy displeasure by our sins, that 
 a dreadful waste and solitude appear every- 
 where, — O grant that a proof of that favor which 
 thou hast so remarkably exhibited toward thine 
 ancient people may shine upon us, so that thy 
 Church may be raised up in which true religion 
 may flourish, and thy name be glorified ; and 
 may we daily solicit thee in our prayers, and 
 never doubt that under the government of thy 
 Christ thou canst again gather together the 
 whole world, though it be miserably dispersed, 
 so that we may persevere in this warfare to the 
 end, until we shall at length know that we have 
 not in vain hoped in thee, and that our prayers 
 have not been in vain, when Christ evidently 
 shall exercise the power given to him for our 
 salvation and for that of the whole world. 
 Amen. 
 
 67 
 
Nineveh's Fall. 
 
 But Nineveh is of old like a pool of 
 _0 water: yet they shall flee away. Stand, 
 
 ^O stand, shall they cry ; but none shall 
 
 look back. — Nahum ii. 8, 
 
 1 HE prophet here anticipates a doubt which 
 might have weakened confidence in his words, 
 for Nineveh not only flourished in power, but it 
 had also confirmed its strength during a long 
 course of time ; and antiquity not only adds to 
 the strength of kingdoms, but secures authority 
 to them. Accordingly, as the imperial city of 
 Nineveh was ancient, it might even seem to 
 have been perpetual. "Why! Nineveh has 
 ever ruled and possessed the sovereign power 
 in all the East. Can it be now shaken, or can 
 its strength be now suddenly subverted ? For 
 where there is no beginning we cannot believe 
 that there will be any end." The Ninevites, no 
 doubt, boasted that they had been eternal, and 
 as they were fixed in this conceit concerning 
 their antiquity, no one thought they could ever 
 fail. This circumstance shall not, however, pre- 
 vent God from now overturning its dominion. 
 How much soever, then, Nineveh took pride in 
 the notion of its ancientness, it was yet God's 
 purpose to destroy it. From this passage we 
 ought to learn that no trust is to be put in the 
 number of men, nor in the defenses and strong- 
 holds of cities, nor in ancientness ; for when 
 men excel in power God will hence take occa- 
 sion to destroy them, inasmuch as pride is 
 almost always connected with strength. 
 
 68 
 
Prayer. 
 
 CjRANT, Almighty God, that as thou con- 
 stantly remindest us in thy word, and hast 
 taught us by so many examples, that there is 
 nothing permanent in this world, but that the 
 things which seem the firmest tend to ruin, and 
 instantly fall and of themselves vanish away, 
 when by thy breath thou shakest that strength 
 in which men trust, — O grant that we, being 
 really subdued and humbled, may not rely on 
 earthly things, but raise up our hearts and our 
 thoughts to heaven, and there fix the anchor of 
 our hope ; and may all our thoughts abide there 
 until at length, when thou hast led us through 
 our course on earth, we shall be gathered into 
 that celestial kingdom which has been obtained 
 for us by the blood of thine only-begotten Son. 
 Amen. 
 
 69 
 
The Watch Tower. 
 
 I will stand upon my watch, and set 
 
 me upon the tower, and will watch to 
 
 2Q see what he will say unto me, and what 
 
 ' I shall answer when I am reproved. — 
 
 — Habakkuk ii. i. 
 
 1 HE prophet finding himself sinking, and as 
 it were overwhelmed in the deepest abyss, 
 raises himself up above the judgment and rea- 
 son of men, and comes nearer to God, that he 
 might see from on high the things which take 
 place on earth, and not judge according to the 
 understanding of his own flesh but by the light 
 of the Holy Spirit, For the tower of which he 
 speaks is patience arising from hope. If we 
 contend with Satan according to our own view 
 of things, he will a hundred times overwhelm 
 us, and we can never be able to resist him. Let 
 us therefore know, that here is shown to us the 
 right way of fighting with him. When our minds 
 are agitated with unbelief, when things are 
 so confused in this world as to involve us in 
 darkness, so that no light appears : we must bid 
 adieu to our own reason ; for all our thoughts 
 are worth nothing, when we seek, according to 
 our own reason, to form a judgment. Conse- 
 quently until the faithful ascend to their tower 
 and stand in their citadel, of which the prophet 
 here speaks, their temptations will drive them 
 here and there, and sink them as it were in a 
 bottomless gulf. The tower is the recess of the 
 mind ; but how can we ascend to it ? Even by 
 following the word of the Lord. 
 
 70 
 
Prayer. 
 
 CxRANT, Almighty God, that as thou seest 
 us laboring under so much weakness, yea, with 
 our minds so blinded that our faith falters at the 
 smallest perplexities, and almost fails alto- 
 gether, — O grant, that by the power of thy 
 Spirit we may be raised up above this world, 
 and learn more and more to renounce our own 
 counsels, and so to come to thee, that we may 
 stand fixed in our watch tower, ever hoping 
 through thy power, for whatever thou hast 
 promised us, though thou shouldst not imme- 
 diately make it manifest to us, that thou hast 
 faithfully spoken ; and may we thus give full 
 proof of our faith and patience, and proceed in 
 the course of our warfare, until at length we 
 ascend above all watch towers into that blessed 
 rest where we shall no more watch with an 
 attentive mind, but, see face to face, in thine 
 image, whatever can be wished, and whatever 
 is needful for our perfect happiness through 
 Christ our Lord. Amen. 
 
 71 
 
Punishment for Avarice. 
 
 Shall not all these take up a parable 
 
 against him, and a taunting proverb 
 
 y^ against him, and say. Woe to him that 
 
 5^ increaseth i/iai which is not his! how 
 
 long? and to him that ladeth himself 
 
 with thick clay! — Habakkuk ii. 6. 
 
 Ai 
 
 XL the people who had been collected, as it 
 were, into a heap, would take up a parable or 
 taunt in order to scoff at the king of Babylon. 
 What seems here to be the singing of triumph 
 before the victory is no matter of wonder, for 
 our faith, as it is well known, depends not on 
 the judgment of the flesh, nor regards what is 
 openly evident, but it is the substance of things 
 hoped for, and the evidence of things not 
 seen (Heb. xi. i). As then, the firmness 
 of faith is the same, though what it apprehends 
 is remote, and as faith ceaseth not to see things 
 hidden — for through the mirror of God's word 
 it ascends above heaven and earth, and pene- 
 trates into the spiritual kingdom of God — as 
 faith, then, possesses a view so distant, it is not 
 to be wondered that the prophet here boldly 
 triumphs over the Babylonians and now pre- 
 scribes a derisive song for all nations. The 
 prophet also intimates that tyrants and their 
 cruelty cannot be endured without great weari- 
 ness and sorrow ; hence, almost the whole 
 world sound forth these words, How long? 
 And this feeling, is it not implanted in us by the 
 Lord ? But let us in the mean time see that no 
 one of us should have to say the same thing to 
 himself which he brings forward against others. 
 
 72 
 
Prayer. 
 
 CjRANT Almighty God, that as thou deign- 
 est so far to condescend as to sustain the care 
 of this hfe, and to supply us with whatever is 
 needful for our pilgrimage, — O grant that we 
 may learn also to rely on thee and so trust to 
 thy blessing as to abstain not only from all 
 plunder and all other evil deeds, but also from 
 every unlawful coveting ; and to continue in thy 
 fear, and so to learn also to bear our poverty on 
 the earth, that being content with those spiritual 
 riches, which thou offerest to us in thy gospel, 
 and of which thou makest us now partakers, we 
 may ever cheerfully aspire after that fullness of 
 all blessings, which we shall enjoy when at 
 length we shall reach the celestial kingdom and 
 be perfectly united to thee through Christ our 
 Lord. Amen. 
 
 73 
 
Chariots of Salvation. 
 
 Was the Lord displeased against the 
 
 rivers ? was thine anger against the 
 
 _ _ rivers? was thy wrath against the sea, 
 
 y 1 that thou didst ride upon thine horses 
 
 anrfthy chariots of salvation? — Habak- 
 
 kuk iii. 8, 
 
 /\ QUESTION has much more force when it 
 refers to what is in no way doubtful. What ! 
 can God be angry with rivers? Who can 
 imagine God to be so unreasonable as to dis- 
 turb the sea and to change the nature of things, 
 when a certain order has been established by 
 his own command ? Why should he dry the 
 sea, unless he had something in view, even the 
 deliverance of his Church ? Unless he intended 
 to save his people from extreme danger by 
 stretching forth his hand to the Israelites when 
 they thought themselves utterly lost? He 
 therefore denies that when God dried the Red 
 Sea, and when he stopped the flowing of Jordan, 
 he had put forth his power against the sea or 
 against the river as though he were angry with 
 them. The design of God, says the prophet, 
 was quite another ; for God rode on his horses, 
 that is, he intended to show that all the ele- 
 ments were under his command, and that for 
 the salvation of his people. That God, then, 
 might be the redeemer of his Church, he con- 
 strained the Jordan to turn back its course, he 
 constrained the Red Sea to make a passage for 
 his miserable captives, who would otherwise 
 have been exposed, as it were, to slaughter. 
 
 74 
 
Prayer. 
 
 G. 
 
 :RANT, Almighty God, that as thou hast so 
 often and in such various waj^s testified for- 
 merly, how much care and solicitude thou 
 hast for the salvation of all those who may rely 
 and call on thee, — O grant, that we also at this 
 day may experience the same, and though thy 
 face is justly hid from us, may we yet never 
 hesitate to flee to thee since thou hast made a 
 covenant through thy Son, which is founded in 
 thine infinite mercy ; grant, then, that we, being 
 humbled in true penitence, may so surrender 
 ourselves to thy Son, that we may be led to 
 thee, and find thee no less a Father to us than 
 to the faithful of old, as thou everywhere testi- 
 fiest to us in thy word, until at length, being 
 freed from all troubles and dangers, we come 
 to that blessed rest which thine only Son has 
 purchased for us by his own blood. Amen. 
 
 75 
 
J2 
 
 Rejoicing in the Lord. 
 
 Although the fig tree shall not 
 blossom, neither shall fruit be in tlie 
 vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, 
 and the helds shall yield no meat ; the 
 flock shall be cut off from the fold, and 
 there shall be no herd in the stalls : 
 
 Yet 1 will rejoice in the Lord, I 
 will joy in the God of my salvation. — 
 Habakkuk iii. 17, 18. 
 
 1 HE prophet teaches us what advantage it is 
 to the faithful seasonably to submit to God, and 
 to entertain serious fear when he threatens them 
 and when he summons them to judgment ; and 
 he shows that though they might perish a hun- 
 dred times, they would yet not perish, for the 
 Lord would ever supply them with occasions of 
 joy, and would also cherish this joy within, so 
 as to enable them to rise above all their adversi- 
 ties. Though the land was threatened with 
 famine, and though no food would be supplied 
 to them, they would yet be able always to re- 
 joice in the God of their salvation ; for they 
 knew him to be their Father, though for a time 
 he severely chastised them. Our joy shall not 
 depend on outward prosperity, for though the 
 Lord may afflict us in an extreme degree, there 
 will yet always be some consolations to sustain 
 our minds, that they may not succumb under 
 evils so grievous, for we are fully persuaded 
 that our salvation is in God's hand, and that he 
 is its faithful guardian. We shall, therefore, 
 rest quietly ; yea, though God fulminated from 
 heaven we shall yet be in a tranquil state of 
 mind, looking for his gratuitous salvation. 
 
 76 
 
Prayer. 
 
 V-JRANT, Almighty God, that as we cease not 
 daily to provoke thy wrath against us, and as 
 the hardness and obstinacy of our flesh is so 
 great that it is necessary for us to be in various 
 ways afflicted,— O grant that we may patiently 
 bear thy chastisements, and under a deep feel- 
 ing of sorrow flee to thy mercy ; and may we in 
 the mean time persevere in the hope of that 
 mercy, which thou hast promised, and which 
 has once for all been exhibited toward us in 
 Christ, so that we may not depend on the 
 earthly blessings of this perishable life, but, 
 relying on thy word, may proceed in the course 
 of our calling until we shall at length be gath- 
 ered into that blessed rest which is laid up for 
 us in heaven, through Christ alone our Lord. 
 Amen. 
 
 77 
 
Pride and Destruction. 
 
 This t's the rejoiciriR- city that dwelt 
 carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, 
 and ihere is none beside me : how is 
 2 2 she become a desolation, a place for 
 
 ? ? beasts to lie down in ! everv one that 
 
 beasts to lie down in ! every one that 
 passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his 
 hand. — Zephaniah ii. 15. 
 
 1 HE prophet reminds them here that though 
 Nineveh was thus proud of its wealth, yet it 
 could not escape the hand of God ; nay, he 
 shows that the greatness, on account of which 
 Nineveh extolled itself, would be the cause of 
 its ruin ; for it would cast itself down by its own 
 pride, as a wall when it swells will not stand. 
 Such a destruction the prophet denounces on 
 the Ninevites and the Assyrians. Let us re- 
 member that in this city is presented to us an 
 example which belongs in common to all 
 nations, — that God cannot endure the presump- 
 tion of men, when inflated by their own great- 
 ness and power they do not think themselves to 
 to be men, nor humble themselves in a way 
 suitable to the conditions of men, but forget 
 themselves, as though they could exalt them- 
 selves above the heavens. If, then, we desire 
 to be protected by God's hand, let us bear in 
 mind what our condition is, and daily, yea 
 hourly, prepare ourselves for a change, except 
 God be pleased to sustain us. Our stability is 
 to depend only on the aid of God, and from 
 consciousness of our infirmity to tremble in 
 ourselves lest a fearfulness of our state should 
 creep in. 
 
 78 
 
Prayer. 
 
 (jRANT, Almighty God, that as thou triest 
 us in the warfare of the cross, and arousest 
 most powerful enemies whose barbarity might 
 justly terrify and dishearten us, were we not 
 depending on thine aid,— O grant, that we may 
 call to mind how wonderfully thou didst in 
 former times deliver thy people, and how sea- 
 sonably thou didst bring them help, when they 
 were oppressed and entirely overwhelmed, so 
 that we may learn at this day to flee to thy pro- 
 tection, and not doubt, that when thou becomest 
 propitious to us there is in thee sufficient power 
 to preserve us, and to lay prostrate our enemies, 
 how much soever they may now exult and 
 think to triumph above the heavens, so that 
 they may at length know by experience that 
 they are earthly and frail creatures, whose life 
 and condition is like the mist which soon 
 vanishes ; and may we learn to aspire after that 
 blessed eternity which is laid up for us in heaven 
 through Christ our Lord. Amen. 
 
 W 
 
Pure Lips. 
 
 For then will I turn to the people a 
 
 Mpure language, that they may all call 
 upon the name of the Lord, to serve 
 him with one consent. — Zephaniah iii. 9. 
 
 VJOD intimates that he would propagate his 
 grace wider after having cleansed the earth, for 
 he will be worshiped not only in Judea, but by 
 foreign nations, and even by the remotest. God 
 has in his own hand the means by which he will 
 vindicate his own glory ; for he will not only de- 
 fend his Church in Judea, but will also gather 
 into it nations far and wide, so that his name 
 shall be everywhere celebrated. God does not 
 without reason promise that he will turn pure 
 lips to the nations — that is, that he will cause 
 the nations to call on his name with pure lips. 
 We hence learn that God cannot rightly be in- 
 voked by us until he draws us to himself, for 
 we have profane and impure lips. As to the 
 word "all," it is to be referred to nations, not 
 to each individual, for it has not been brought 
 to pass that every one has called on God ; but 
 there have been some of all nations, as Paul 
 also says in the first chapter of the first Epistle 
 to the Corinthians, for in addressing the faithful 
 he adds, "With all that in every place call 
 upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both 
 theirs and ours" — that is, not only in Judea; 
 and elsewhere he says, "I will that men pray 
 everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without 
 wrath and doubting." I Tim. ii. 8. 
 
 80 
 
Prayer. 
 
 CjRANT, Almighty God, that since it is the 
 principal part of our happiness that while we 
 are absent from thee in this world there is yet 
 open to us a familiar access to thee by faith, — 
 O grant that we may be able to come with a 
 pure heart to thy presence ; and when our lips 
 are polluted, O purify us by thy Spirit, so that 
 we may not only pray to thee with the mouth, 
 but also prove that we do this sincerely, without 
 any dissimulation, and that we earnestly seek 
 to spend our whole life in glorifying thy name, 
 until at length being gathered into thy celestial 
 kingdom, we may be really and truly united to 
 thee, and be made partakers of that glory which 
 has been procured for us by the blood of thine 
 only Son. Amen. 
 
 8i 
 
Uses of Affliction. 
 
 I will also leave in the midst of thee 
 _ w an afflicted and poor people, and they 
 
 y^ shall trust in the name of the Lord. — 
 
 Zephaniah iii. 12. 
 
 It ought to have been a compensation to ease 
 their grief, when the godly saw that God would 
 be propitious to them, though he had treated 
 them with great severity. The Church could 
 not have been preserved without correcting and 
 subduing that arrogance, which arose from a 
 false profession as to God. Zephaniah takes it 
 now for granted that pride could not be torn 
 away from their hearts, unless they were wholly 
 cast down and thus made contrite. The Church 
 is subdued by the cross, that she may know her 
 pride, which is so innate and so fixed in the hearts 
 of men that it cannot be removed, unless the 
 Lord, so to speak, roots it out by force. There 
 is, therefore, no wonder that the faithful are so 
 much humbled by the Lord, and that the lot of 
 the Church is so contemptible ; for if they had 
 more vigor they would soon, as is often the case, 
 break out into an insolent spirit. We hence see 
 for what purpose God deprives us of all earthly 
 trust, and takes away from us every ground of 
 glorjdng ; it is, that we rely only on his favor. 
 This dependence ought not, indeed, to be ex- 
 torted from us, for what can be more desirable 
 than to trust in God ? But while men arrogate 
 to themselves more than what is right, and thus 
 put themselves in the place of God, they cannot 
 really and sincerely trust in him. 
 
 82 
 
Prayer. 
 
 CjRANT, Almighty God, that since the de- 
 pravity of our nature is so great that we cannot 
 bear prosperity without some wantonness of the 
 flesh immediately raging in us, and without 
 becoming even arrogant against thee, — O grant 
 that we may profit under the trials of the cross, 
 and when thou humblest us, may we with lowly 
 hearts renouncing our perverseness, submit our- 
 selves to thee, and not only bear thy yoke sub- 
 missively, but proceed in this obedience through 
 all our life, and so contend against all tempta- 
 tions, as never to glory in ourselves, and feel 
 also convinced that all true and real glory is laid 
 up for us in thee, until we shall enjoy it in thy 
 celestial kingdom, through Christ our Lord. 
 Amen. 
 
 83 
 
A Mirror for Ingratitude. 
 
 Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, 
 saying, This people say, The time is 
 not come, the time that the Lord's 
 house should be built. — Haggai i. 2. 
 
 ?6 
 
 W E may see here, as in a mirror, how great 
 is the ingratitude of men. The kindness of God 
 had been especially worthy of being remem- 
 bered, the glory of which ought to have been 
 borne in mind to the end of time. They had 
 been restored from exile in a manner beyond 
 what they had ever expected. What ought 
 they to have done, but devote themselves 
 entirely to the service of their deliverer ? But 
 they built, no, not even a tent for God, and 
 sacrificed in the open air ; and thus they will- 
 fully trifled with God. But at the same time 
 they dwelt at ease in houses elegantly fitted up. 
 No less shameful is the example witnessed at 
 this day among us. 
 
 But we may hence also see how kindly God 
 has provided for his Church ; for his purpose 
 was that this reproof should continue extant, 
 that he might at this day stimulate us, and ex- 
 cite our fear as well as our shame. For we also 
 thus grow frigid in promoting the worship of 
 God whenever we are led to seek our own advan- 
 tages. We may also add that as God's temple 
 is spiritual, our fault is the more atrocious when 
 we become thus slothful ; since God does not 
 bid us to collect either wood, or stones, or 
 cement, but to build a celestial temple in which 
 he may be truly worshiped. 
 
 84 
 
Prayer. 
 
 CjRANT, Almighty God, that as we must 
 carry on a warfare in this world, and as it is 
 thy will to try us with many contests, — O grant 
 that we may never faint, however extreme may 
 be the trials which we may have to endure ; and 
 as thou hast favored us with so great an honor 
 as to make us the framers and builders of thy 
 spiritual temple, may every one of us present 
 and consecrate himself wholly to thee ; and in- 
 asmuch as each of us has received some pecu- 
 liar gift, may we strive to employ it in building 
 this temple, so that thou mayest be worshiped 
 among us perpetually ; and especially may 
 each of us offer himself wholly as a spiritual 
 sacrifice to thee, until we shall at length be 
 renewed in thine image, and be received into a 
 full participation of that glory which has been 
 attained for us by the blood of thine only- 
 begotten Son. Amen. 
 
 85 
 
A Glorious Temple. 
 
 The silver is mine, and the gold is 
 2 n mine, saith the Lord of hosts.— Haggai 
 
 ii. 8. 
 
 W] 
 
 HY does the prophet mention gold and 
 silver? He did this in conformity with what 
 was usual and common, for whenever the 
 prophets speak of the kingdom of Christ they 
 delineate or foreshadow its splendor in figurative 
 terms, suitable to their own age. When Isaiah 
 foretells the restoration of the Church he de- 
 clares that the Church would be all gold and 
 silver, and whatever ghttered with precious 
 stones ; and in the sixtieth chapter he especially 
 sets forth the magnificence of the temple, as 
 though nations from all parts were to bring for 
 sacrifice all their precious things. Isaiah speaks 
 figuratively, as all the other prophets do. But 
 we must regard the spiritual character of the 
 priesthood, for since Christ has appeared in the 
 world it is not God's will to be served with gold 
 and silver vessels ; so, also, there is no altar on 
 which victims are to be sacrificed, and no can- 
 dlestick ; in a word, all the symbols of the law 
 have ceased. Thus we perceive how the glory 
 of the second temple is to be greater than that 
 of the first. For though they were to gather the 
 treasures of a thousand worlds into one mass, 
 such a glory would yet be corruptible ; but when 
 God the Father appeared in the person of his 
 own Son, he so glorified his temple that there 
 was nothing wanting to a complete perfection. 
 
 86 
 
Prayer. 
 
 vJRANT, Almighty God, that since we are 
 by nature extremely prone to superstition, we 
 may carefully consider what is the true and 
 right way of serving thee, such as thou dost de- 
 sire and approve even that we offer ourselves 
 spiritually to thee, and seek no other altar but 
 Christ, and relying on no other priest, hope to 
 be acceptable and devoted to thee, that he may 
 imbue us with the Spirit which has been fully 
 poured on him so that we may from the heart 
 devote ourselves to thee, and thus proceed 
 patiently in our course, that with minds raised 
 upward we may ever go on toward that glory 
 which is as yet hid under hope until it shall at 
 length be manifested in his own time, when 
 thine only-begotten Son shall appear with the 
 elect angels for our final redemption. Amen. 
 
?8 
 
 Abundant Blessing. 
 
 Consider now from this day and up- 
 ward, from the four and twentieth day 
 of the ninth month, even from the day 
 that the foundation of the Lord's tem- 
 ple was laid, consider it. 
 
 Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as 
 yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the 
 pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath 
 not brought forth : from this day will I 
 bless >'oz<. — Haggai ii. i8, 19. 
 
 1 HE "seed" refers not to what had been 
 gathered, but to what had been sown. The 
 prophet speaks of God's blessing on the har- 
 vest which was to come. As they were still in 
 suspense, he says that God's blessing was in 
 readiness for them. The truth of the prophecy 
 might be truly known when God fulfilled what 
 he had spoken by the mouth of his servant. It 
 was necessary for him to speak in a manner 
 suitable to the comprehension of the people, as 
 a skillful teacher who instructs children and 
 those of a riper age in a different manner. The 
 prophet dwells on two things : he condemns 
 the Jews for their neglect, and proves that they 
 were impious and ungrateful toward God, for 
 they disregarded the building of the temple ; 
 and then in order to animate them and render 
 them more active in the work they had begun, 
 he sets before them what had taken place. 
 
 88 
 
Prayer. 
 
 CjRANT, Almighty God, that as we are still 
 restrained by our earthly cares, and cannot 
 ascend upward to heaven with so much readi- 
 ness and alacrity as we ought, — O grant that 
 since thou extendest to us daily so liberal a 
 supply for the present life, we may at least 
 learn that thou art our Father, and that we 
 may not at the same time fix our thoughts on 
 these perishable things, but learn to elevate our 
 minds higher, and so make continual advances 
 in thy spiritual service until at length we come 
 to the full and complete fruition of that blessed 
 and celestial life which thou hast promised to 
 us, and procured for us by the blood of thy 
 only-begotten Son. Amen. 
 
 89 
 
Horns and Carpenters. 
 
 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, 
 and behold four horns. 
 
 And I said unto the angel that talked 
 with nie, What he these? And he 
 answered me. These are the horns 
 which have scattered Judah, Israel, and 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 And the Lord showed me four car- 
 2Q penters. 
 
 ^* Then said I, What come these to do? 
 
 And he spake, saying, These are the 
 horns which have scalleied Judah, so 
 that no man did lift up his head : but 
 these are come to fraj- them, to cast out 
 the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted 
 up their horn over the land of Judah to 
 scatter it. — Zechariah i. 18-21. 
 
 1 HOUGH enemies should rise up on every 
 side against the Church and cause it many 
 troubles, there was yet a remedy in God's hand, 
 as he would break in pieces all horns by his 
 hammers. He compares the gentiles, who had 
 been hostile to the Jews, to horns ; and he 
 afterwards compares to workmen the other 
 enemies, whose hand and labor God would use 
 for the purpose of breaking down the efforts of 
 all those who would be troublesome to the 
 Church. The import of the whole then is — 
 that though the Church would not be exempt 
 and free from many troubles, yet God would 
 have in his hand those remedies by which he 
 would check all the assaults of the wicked. 
 Though the prophet intended by this prophecy 
 to encourage and animate to patience his own 
 nation, yet there is here set before us by the 
 Lord, as in a mirror, the real condition of the 
 Church at this day. 
 
 90 
 
Gi 
 
 Prayer. 
 
 RANT, Almighty God, that as we are on 
 every side surrounded by many enemies and as 
 Satan never ceases to kindle the fury of many, 
 not only to be hostile to us, but also to destroy 
 and consume us, — O grant that we may learn 
 to raise up our eyes to heaven, and trusting in 
 thy protection may boldly fight in patience, 
 until at length that shall appear which thou 
 hast once for all testified in this remarkable 
 prophecy, that there are many smiths in thine 
 hand and also many hammers, by which thou 
 breakest in pieces those horns which rise up to 
 scatter us, and until at length having overcome 
 all the devices of Satan, we shall reach that 
 blessed rest which has been provided for us by 
 the blood of thine only-begotton Son. Amen. 
 
 91 
 
The True Priest. 
 
 And he showed me Joshua the high 
 .^ priest standing before the angel of the 
 
 *\^ Lord, and Satan standing at his right 
 
 hand to resist him. — Zechariah iii. i. 
 
 Z EC H ART AH labored to show that the faith- 
 ful were to look for more than they had reason 
 to expect from the aspect of things at the time, 
 and that they were to direct their eyes and their 
 thoughts to the power of God, which was not 
 as yet manifested, and which indeed God pur- 
 posely designed not to exercise, in order to try 
 the patience of the people. The vision was 
 given to the prophet for two reasons — that the 
 faithful might know that their contest was with 
 Satan, their spiritual enemy, rather than with 
 neighboring nations, and also that they might 
 understand that a remedy was at hand, for God 
 stood in defense of the priesthood which he had 
 instituted. That typical priesthood was a rep- 
 resentation of the priesthood of Christ, and 
 Joshua, who was then returned from exile, bore 
 the character of Christ the Son of God. Let us 
 then know that Christ never performs the work 
 of the priesthood, but that Satan stands at his 
 side — that is, devises all means by which he may 
 remove and draw Christ from his office. It 
 hence follows that they are much deceived who 
 think that they can live idly under the dominion 
 of Christ, for we all have a warfare, for which 
 each is to arm and equip himself. Let not our 
 thoughts be fixed on flesh and blood, for Satan 
 is the chief warrior who assails us. 
 
 92 
 
Prayer. 
 
 VJRANT, Almighty God, that as thou hast 
 made us a royal priesthood in thy Son, that we 
 may daily offer to thee spiritual sacrifices, and 
 be devoted to thee both in body and soul, — O 
 grant that we, being endued with thy power, 
 may boldly fight against Satan, and never doubt 
 that thou wilt finally give us the victory, though 
 we may have to undergo many troubles and 
 difficulties ; and may net the contempt of the 
 world frighten or dishearten us, but may we 
 patiently bear all our reproaches until thou at 
 length stretchest forth thy hand to raise us up 
 to that glory, the perfection of which now ap- 
 pears in our Head, and shall at last be clearly 
 seen in all the members, and in the whole body, 
 even when he shall come to gather us into that 
 celestial kingdom which he has purchased for 
 us by his own blood. Amen, 
 
 93 
 
The Day of Small Things. 
 
 For who hath despised the clay of 
 small things? for they shall rejoice, and 
 shall see the plummet in the hand of 
 A I Zerubbabel zvii/i those seven ; they are 
 
 ' the eyes of the Lord, which run to and 
 
 fro through the whole earth. — Zecha- 
 riah iv. lo. 
 
 VJOD, to exhibit the more his power, begins 
 with small things in building his spiritual tem- 
 ple ; nothing grand is seen to attract the eyes 
 and thoughts of men, but everything is almost 
 contemptible. God indeed could put forth his 
 power immediately, and tlms rouse the atten- 
 tion of all men and (ill them with wonder. But 
 his purpose is to increase, by doing wonders, 
 the brightness of his power, which he does 
 when from a small beginning he brings forth 
 what no one would have thought ; and besides, 
 his purpose is to prove the faith of his people, 
 for it behooves us ever to hope beyond hope. 
 Now, when the beginning promises something 
 great and sublime, there is no proof and no trial 
 of faith ; but when we hope for what does not 
 appear, we give due honor to God, for we de- 
 pend only on his power, and not on the proxi- 
 mate means. There is no one who does not 
 sometimes become cold when he sees the be- 
 ginning of the Church so mean before the world 
 and so destitute of any dignity. But we know 
 that Christ is the chief builder and that min- 
 isters are workmen who labor under him. 
 
 94 
 
Prayer. 
 
 CjRANT, Almighty God, that since Satan at 
 this day sets against us many terrors to cast us 
 down, and we are very weak, — O grant that 
 with our eyes Hfted above we may meditate on 
 that invincible power which thou possessest, 
 and by which thou canst overcome all the hin- 
 drances of this world, and then, when nothing 
 in this world but what is contemptible appears 
 to be capable of confirming and supporting our 
 faith, may we, nevertheless, by the eyes of faith, 
 behold thy hidden power and never doubt that 
 thou wilt at length perform what the world at 
 this day thinks to be impossible, and therefore 
 ridicules ; and may we so constantly persevere 
 in this confidence that every one of us may de- 
 vote to thee his labor to the end, and never 
 faint in the work of promoting the spiritual 
 building, until at length we ourselves shall be 
 assembled, and others also shall be gathered 
 through our labors, to offer to thee not only 
 spiritual sacrifices such as thou receivest now 
 from us, but also to offer to thee, together with 
 the angels, that eternal sacrifice of praise and 
 triumphant thanksgiving on seeing perfected 
 what at this day is only feebly begun. Amen. 
 
 95 
 
42 
 
 The Providence of God. 
 
 Then cried he upon me, and spake 
 unto me, saying, Behold, these that go 
 toward the north country have quieted 
 my spirit in the north country.— Zech- 
 ariah vi. 8. 
 
 r ROM this verse we learn that the chief object 
 of the vision was, that the Jews might know 
 that the dreadful tumults in Chaldea, which had 
 in part happened, and were yet to take place, 
 were not excited without a design ; but that all 
 things were regulated by God's hidden counsel, 
 and also that God had so disturbed and em- 
 barrassed the state of that empire that the end 
 of it might be looked for. There is, therefore, 
 no reason for any one too anxiously to labor to 
 understand the import of every part of the 
 prophecy, since its general meaning is evident. 
 But why does the angel expressly speak of the 
 land of the south rather than of the land of the 
 north, or of the whole world? Even because 
 the eyes of all were fixed on that quarter ; for 
 Chaldea, we know, had been, as it were, tlie 
 grave of the Church, whence the remnant had 
 emerged, that there might be some people by 
 whom God might be worshiped. The angel 
 then bids the Jews to continue undisturbed in 
 their minds, until these chariots had run their 
 course through the whole of Chaldea ; for what 
 the angel now says would be fulfilled, even that 
 the Spirit of God would be quieted, who seemed 
 before to be disturbed when he involved all 
 things in darkness, even in Judea itself. 
 96 
 
Prayer. 
 
 V_JRANT, Almighty God, that since we are 
 here exposed to so many evils, which suddenly 
 arise like violent tempests, — O grant, that with 
 hearts raised up to heaven, we may yet acqui- 
 esce in thy hidden providence, and be so tossed 
 here and there, according to the judgment of 
 our flesh, as yet to remain fixed in this truth, 
 which thou wouldst have us to believe — that all 
 things are governed by thee, and that nothing 
 takes place except through thy will, so that in 
 the greatest confusions we may always clearly 
 see thy hand, and that thy counsel is altogether 
 right, and perfectly and singularly wise and 
 just ; and may we ever call upon thee and flee 
 to this port — that we are tossed here and there 
 in order that thou mayest nevertheless always 
 sustain us by thine hand until we shall at length 
 be received into that blessed rest which has been 
 procured for us by the blood of thine only- 
 begotten Son. Amen. 
 
 97 
 
Brotherly Kindness. 
 
 Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, 
 . - saying, Execute true juclKtiient, and 
 
 ^^ show mercy and compassions every man 
 
 to his brother. — Zechariah vii. 9. 
 
 T 
 
 HE people were so devoted to their cere- 
 monies as to think that the whole of religion 
 consisted in fasting and in similar exercises. 
 And as we are by nature prone to this evil, we 
 ought carefully to consider what the prophet 
 has taught us — that fasting is not simply, or by 
 itself, approved by God, but on account of the 
 end designed by it. Having already shown to 
 the Jews their error in thinking that God could 
 be pacified by ceremonies, he now reminds 
 them of what God mainly requires in his law — 
 that men should observe what is just and right 
 toward one another. It is indeed true that the 
 first part of the law refers to the service due to 
 God, but it is a way which God has commonly 
 adopted, to test the life of men by the duties of 
 the second table, and to show what this part of 
 the law especially requires. Therefore God in 
 this passage, as in many others, does not com- 
 mend righteousness toward men so as to de- 
 preciate godliness ; for as this far excels every- 
 thing in the whole world, so we know that in 
 rightly forming the life the beginning ought ever 
 to be made by serving God aright. But as the 
 prophet had to do with hypocrites, he shows 
 that they only trifled with God, while they made 
 much of external things, and at the same time 
 neglected uprightness and the duties of love. 
 
Prayer. 
 
 CjRANT, Almighty God, that as thou hast 
 adopted us for this end, that we may show 
 brotherly kindness one toward another and 
 labor for our mutual benefit, — O grant, that we 
 may prove by the whole tenor of our life that we 
 have not been called in vain by thee, but that 
 we may live so in harmony with each other that 
 integrity and innocence may prevail among us ; 
 and may we so strive to benefit one another, 
 that thy name may be thus glorified by us, until 
 having at length finished our course, we reach 
 the goal which thou hast set before us, that hav- 
 ing at last gone through all the evils of this life, 
 we may come to that blessed rest which has 
 been prepared for us in heaven by Christ our 
 Lord. Amen. 
 
 99 
 
Deliverance by Covenant. 
 
 As for thee also, by the blood of thy 
 . . covenant I have sent forth thy prison- 
 
 44 ^rs out of the pit wherein is no water. — 
 
 Zechariah ix. ii. 
 
 H 
 
 .E addresses Jerusalem as though he had 
 said, "There is no reason for thee to torment 
 thyself with perplexed and anxious thoughts, 
 for I will accomplish what I have promised — 
 that I would become a deliverer to my people." 
 For this doubt might have occurred to them, 
 "Why does he exhort us to rejoice while the 
 Church of God is still in part captive, and while 
 those who have returned to their country are 
 miserably and cruelly harassed by their ene- 
 mies?" To this objection Zechariah answers, 
 in the person of God, that God would be able 
 to deliver them, though they were sunk in the 
 deepest gulf. The relation, we know, between 
 God and his people as to the covenant is 
 mutual ; it is God's covenant, because it flows 
 from him ; it is the covenant of the Church, be- 
 cause it is made for its sake, and laid up, as it 
 were, in its bosom. Now, since God receives 
 you into favor, that ye may be safe, he will 
 therefore deliver the captives of his Church. 
 In short, he means, first, that the Jews were 
 sunk in the deep ; and, secondly, that thirst 
 would consume them, so that death was nigh 
 at hand unless they were miraculously delivered 
 by God ; but he reminds them that no impedi- 
 ment would prevent God from raising them to 
 light from the deepest darkness. 
 
Prayer. 
 
 CjRANT, Almighty God, that as we do not at 
 this day look for a Redeemer to deliver us from 
 temporal miseries, but only carry on a warfare 
 under the banner of the cross until he appear to 
 us from heaven to gather us into his blessed 
 kingdom, — O grant that we may patiently bear 
 all evils and all troubles, and as Christ once for 
 all poured forth the blood of the new and eter- 
 nal covenant, and gave us also a symbol of it in 
 die Holy Supper, may we, confiding in so sacred 
 a seal, never doubt that he will always be pro- 
 pitious to us, and render manifest to us the fruit 
 of this reconciliation, when, after having sup- 
 ported us for a season under the burden of those 
 miseries by which we are now oppressed, thou 
 gatherest us into that blessed and perfect glory 
 which has been procured for us by the blood of 
 Christ our Lord, and which is daily set before 
 us in his gospel, and laid up for us in heaven, 
 until we at length shall enjoy it through Christ, 
 our only Lord. Amen. 
 
 lOI 
 
An Abundant Blessing.^ 
 
 For how great is his goodness, and 
 .^ how great is his beauty! corn shall 
 
 43 make the young men cheerful, and new 
 
 wine the maids. — Zechariah ix. 17. 
 
 1 HE prophet here exclaims at the incredible 
 kindness of God, that the Jews might learn to 
 raise up their thoughts above the world, as 
 though his words were, " No one ought to judge 
 God's favor, oi which I have spoken, according 
 to his own doings or conduct or experience ; but 
 on the contrary, every one of you ought to be 
 filled with amazement at God's incredible kind- 
 ness and at his incredible beauty." But by the 
 last word he understands the brightness or 
 splendor which appears in all God's favors and 
 gifts. He then concludes by saying, that the 
 abundance of corn and wine would be so great 
 that young men and young women would eat 
 and drink together, and be fully satisfied. But 
 he speaks not here of God's blessing as though 
 it were an incentive to luxury ; but what he 
 means is, that the abundance of provisions 
 would be so great as to be fully sufficient not 
 only for the old, but also for young men and 
 young women. 
 
 102 
 
Prayer. 
 
 VJRANT, Almighty God, that as we cannot 
 look for temporal or eternal happiness, except 
 through Christ alone, and as thou settest him 
 forth to us as the only true fountain of all bless- 
 ings, — O grant that we, being content with the 
 favor offered to us through him, may learn to 
 renounce the whole world, and so strive against 
 all unbelief, that we may not doubt that thou 
 wilt ever be our kind and gracious Father, and 
 fully supply whatever is necessary for our sup- 
 port ; and may we at the same time live soberly 
 and temperately so that we may not be under 
 the power of earthly things, but with our hearts 
 raised above, aspire after that heavenly bliss to 
 which thou invitest us, and to -which thou also 
 guidest us by such helps as are earthly, so that 
 being really united to our Head we may at 
 length reach that glory which has been procured 
 for us by his own blood. Amen. 
 
 103 
 
Promise of Restoration. 
 
 And I will strengthen the house of 
 Judah, and I will save the house of 
 Joseph, and I will bring them again to 
 place them ; for 1 have mercy upon 
 them : and they shall be as though 1 had 
 not cast them ofl : for I ain the Lord 
 their God, and will hear them. — Zecha- 
 rlah X. 6. 
 
 46 
 
 1 HE work of redemption, the beginning of 
 which the Jews saw, would not be incomplete, 
 for the Lord would at length fulfill what he had 
 begun. And this truth is very useful to us, for 
 we are wont to confine God's promises to a 
 short duration of time, and when we thus in- 
 clude him within our narrow limits, we prevent 
 him from performing what we desire. There- 
 fore, let the example of the return of the people 
 of Israel ever come to our minds, for the Lord 
 had promised by his prophets that they would 
 become very eminent, and in every way rich 
 and happy ; but when this did not take place 
 after their return to their country, many of the 
 Jews thought that they had been deceived, as 
 they had expected God to fulfill his word im- 
 mediately ; but they ought to have suspended 
 their hope and expectation until Christ came 
 into the world. The state of the people would 
 be happier than it had been since the ten tribes 
 separated from the kingdom of Judah or from 
 the house of David, for God would gather for 
 himself a Church from all the children of Abra- 
 ham. Though God had dealt severely with 
 that people, yet his vengeance would not be for- 
 ever, for he would give place to mercy, 
 104 
 
Prayer. 
 
 vJCRANT, Almighty God, that as we are con- 
 strained continually to groan under the burden 
 of our sins, and the captivity in which we are 
 held until now justly exposes us to continual 
 trembling and sorrow, — O grant that the deliv- 
 erance already begun may inspire us with a 
 good hope, so as to expect more from thee than 
 what we can see with our eyes ; and may we 
 continually call on thee until thou completest 
 what thou hast begun, and puttest to flight both 
 Satan and our sins, so that, being in true and 
 full liberty devoted to thee, we may be par- 
 takers of that power which has already appeared 
 in our Head, until, having at length passed 
 through all our contests, we may reach that 
 blessed rest where we shall enjoy the fruit of 
 our victory in Christ alone our Lord. Amen. 
 
 105 
 
Beauty and Bands. 
 
 And I will feed the flock of slaughter, 
 
 even you, O poor of the flock. And I 
 
 . took unto me two staves; the one I 
 
 4 7 called Beauty, and the other I called 
 
 Bands ; and I fed the flock. — Zechariah 
 
 xi.7. 
 
 VjOD here intimates that he had manifested 
 his care for the whole people, for he had hoped 
 that there were a few sheep yet remaining who 
 were worthy to obtain mercy. As then, some 
 poor sheep might have been found among the 
 impure flock, he did not deem it grievous or 
 burdensome to undertake the office of shepherd 
 in ruling the people. The prophet then says, 
 that he had taken two rods, that he might devote 
 himself in a manner not common to the office of 
 a shepherd. Shepherds were satisfied with one 
 crook ; for by rods he means here the crook 
 used by shepherds. As then, every shepherd 
 carried his own crook, the prophet says here 
 that he was furnished with two crooks, or shep- 
 herd's staffs, because the Lord surpassed all 
 men in his solicitude in the office of ruling his 
 people. Nothing could have been more perfect 
 in beauty than the government which God had 
 exercised over the Israelites ; and hence he 
 compares here his shepherd's staff to beauty, 
 as though he had said, "The order of things 
 was so arranged that nothing better could be 
 imagined." He then mentions unity or con- 
 cord ; and it was the highest favor that God 
 gathered again the scattered Israelites so as to 
 make them one body. 
 
 io6 
 
Prayer. 
 
 CjRANT, Almighty God, that as thou hast 
 hitherto so kindly showed thyself to be our 
 shepherd, and even our Father, and hast care- 
 fully provided for our safety,— O grant that we 
 may not, by our ingratitude, deprive ourselves 
 of thy favors, so as to provoke thine extreme 
 vengeance ; but, on the contrary, suffer our- 
 selves to be gently ruled by thee, and render 
 thee due obedience ; and as thine only-begotten 
 Son has been set over us by thee as our only 
 true Shepherd, may we hear his voice and will- 
 ingly obey him, so that we may be able to 
 triumph with thy prophet, that thy staff is suffi- 
 cient for us, so as to enable us to walk without 
 fear through the valley of the shadow of death, 
 until we shall at length reach that blessed and 
 eternal rest which has been obtained for us by 
 the blood of thine only Son. Amen. 
 
 107 
 
48 
 
 True Repentance. 
 
 And I will pour upon the house of 
 David, and upon the inhabilantsof Jeru- 
 salem, the spirit of grace and of suppli- 
 cations : and they shall look upon nie 
 whom they have pierced, and they shall 
 mourn for him, as one mourneth for his 
 only soti, and shall be in bitterness for 
 him, as one that is in bitterness for his 
 firstborn. — Zechariah xii. lo. 
 
 W E see here that not only an external grace 
 or favor was promised to the Jews, but an inter- 
 nal light of faith, the author of which is the 
 Spirit. The words, " They shall look upon me 
 whom they have pierced," are to be taken met- 
 aphorically, for the prophet expresses here that 
 the Jews would some time return to a sound 
 mind. For it is a true conversion when men 
 seriously acknowledge that they are at war with 
 God, and that he is their enemy until they are 
 reconciled ; for except a sinner sets himself in a 
 manner before God's tribunal, he is never 
 touched by a true feeling of repentance. John 
 says that this prophecy was fulfilled in Christ 
 when his side was pierced by a spear. John 
 xix. 37. It was necessary that the visible sym- 
 bol should be exhibited in the person of Christ, 
 in order that the Jews might know that he was 
 the God who had spoken by the prophets. The 
 Jews then had crucified their God when they 
 grieved his Spirit, but Christ was also as to his 
 fiesh pierced by them. Zechariah promises the 
 spirit of repentance to the Jews, and mentions 
 a particular kind of repentance. The begin- 
 ning of repentance we know is grief. 
 108 
 
Prayer. 
 
 CjRANT, Almighty God, that since thou hast 
 been pleased to adopt us as thy people, and 
 from being thine enemies, profane and repro- 
 bate, to make us the children of Abraham, that 
 we might be unto thee a holy heritage, — O 
 grant, that through the whole course of our hfe 
 we may so repent as to attain unto thy mercy, 
 which is daily set before us in the gospel, and of 
 which thou hast given us a sure pledge in the 
 death of thine only Son, so that we may become 
 more and more humble before thee, and labor 
 to form our life according to the rule of thy 
 righteousness, and so loathe ourselves, that we 
 may at the same time be allured by the sweet- 
 ness of thy goodness to call upon thee, and that 
 being thus united to thee, we may be more and 
 more confirmed in the faith, until at length we 
 shall reach that blessed rest which has been 
 procured for us by the blood of Christ, thine 
 only Son. Amen. 
 
 109 
 
Impure Worship Banished. 
 
 And it shall come to pass in that day, 
 sailh the Lord of hosts, that I will cut 
 ofi the names of the idols out of the 
 ^Q land, and they shall no more be lenieni- 
 
 ' ■^ bered : and also I will cause the pro- 
 
 phets and the unclean spirit to pass out 
 of the land. — Zechariah xiii. 2. 
 
 V_JOD cannot be rightly worshiped, except 
 all corruptions, inconsistent with his sincere 
 and pure worship, be taken away. But we 
 must at the same time observe, that this effect 
 is ascribed to God's word ; for it is that which 
 can drive away and banish all the abominations 
 of falsehood, and whatever is uncongenial to 
 true religion. As then, by the rising of the sun 
 darkness is put to flight, and all things appear 
 distinctly to the view, so also when God comes 
 forth with the teaching of his word, all the de- 
 ceptions of Satan must necessarily be dissipa- 
 ted. Whosoever then, desires to perform all 
 the duties of a good and faithful pastor, ought 
 firmly to resolve, not only to abstain from all 
 impure doctrines and simply to assert what is 
 true, but also to detect all corruptions which 
 are injurious to religion, to recover men from 
 the deceptions of Satan, and in short, avowedly 
 to carry on war with all superstitions. We may 
 learn how much purity of doctrine is approved 
 by God, since he would have us feel a horror as 
 at something monstrous, whenever the name of 
 an idol is mentioned. The Church cannot be 
 preserved in a pure state except the rashness of 
 those who pervert sound doctrine be restrained. 
 
Prayer. 
 
 CjRANT, Almighty God, that as thou hast 
 been pleased to draw us at this day by the light 
 of thy gospel, out of that horrible darkness in 
 which we have been miserably immersed, and 
 to render thy face so conspicuous to us in the 
 person of thine only-begotten Son, that nothing 
 but our ingratitude prevents us from being 
 transformed into thy celestial glory, — O grant 
 that we may make such advances in the light of 
 truth, that every one of us may be ashamed of 
 his former ignorance, and that we may freely 
 and ingenuously confess that we were lost 
 sheep, until we were brought back into the way 
 of salvation by thy hand ; and may we thus 
 proceed in the course of our holy calling until 
 we shall at length be all gathered into heaven, 
 where not only that truth shall give us light, 
 which now rules us according to the capacity of 
 our flesh, but where also the splendor of thy 
 glory shall shine in us, and shall render us con- 
 formable to thine image, through Christ alone 
 our Lord. Amen. 
 
Saved by Grace. 
 
 I have loved you, saith the Lord. 
 Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved 
 
 F'Q us? IVas not Esau Jacob's brothei ? 
 
 saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob. — 
 Malachi i. 2. 
 
 w, 
 
 HEN God says that he loved the Jews, his 
 object was to convict them of ingratitude for 
 having despised the singular favor bestowed on 
 them alone, rather than to press that authority 
 which he possesses over all mankind in com- 
 mon. The origin of all the excellency which 
 belonged to the posterity of Abraham is here 
 ascribed to the gratuitous love of God, accord- 
 ing to what Moses often said, " Not because ye 
 excelled other nations, or were more in num- 
 ber, has God honored you with so many bene- 
 fits, but because he loved your fathers." We 
 see that we differ from animals because God 
 was pleased to create us men. He therefore 
 will justly charge us with ingratitude if we do 
 not serve him, for it was for this end he created 
 us in his own image. But there is here men- 
 tioned a special favor — that the Lord took to 
 himself the seed of Abraham, as it is said in the 
 song of Moses, that all nations are God's, but 
 that he had cast his line to set apart Israel for 
 himself. Deut. xxxii. 9. By love he means 
 gratuitous favor. There is no reason for us to 
 seek any other cause for adoption except the 
 will of God. God's free favor and gratuitous 
 mercy prevails as to individuals. 
 
Prayer. 
 
 G 
 
 :RANT, Almighty God, that as thou hast 
 been pleased to adopt us once for all as thy 
 people for this end, that we might be ingrafted, 
 as it were, into the body of thy Son, and so be 
 made conformable to our Head, — O grant that 
 through our whole life we may strive to seal in 
 our hearts the faith of our election, that we may 
 be the more stimulated to render thee true 
 obedience, and that thy glory may also be made 
 known through us ; and those others also whom 
 thou hast chosen together with us may we 
 labor to bring with us, that we may with one 
 accord celebrate thee as the Author of our sal- 
 vation, and so ascribe to thee the glory of thy 
 .goodness, that having cast away and renounced 
 all confidence in our own virtue, we may be led 
 to Christ only as the fountain of thy election, in 
 whom also is set before us the certainty of our 
 salvation through thy gospel, until we shall at 
 length be gathered with him into that eternal 
 glory which he has procured for us by his own 
 blood. Amen. 
 
 "3 
 
The Calling of the Gentiles. 
 
 For from the rising of the sun even 
 unto the K<)'"K down of the same my 
 name shall be jjreat amoiif; tlie Gentiles ; 
 
 ?. and in every place incense shall be 
 
 A oflered unto my name, and a pure offer- 
 
 itij^ : for my name shall ^f*/' great among 
 the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts. — 
 Malachi i. ii. 
 
 Ti 
 
 HE prophets promised to the Jews that the 
 gentiles would become allied to them ; so does 
 Zechariah, " In those days it shall come to pass, 
 that ten men shall take hold ... of the skirt of 
 him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you : 
 for we have heard that God is with you " (Zech. 
 viii. 23). It would have been then the highest 
 honor to the Jews had they become teachers to 
 all nations, so as to instruct them in the true 
 religion. So also Isaiah says that those who 
 were before aliens would become the disciples 
 of the chosen people, so that they would will- 
 ingly submit to their teaching. But as the Jews 
 have fallen from their place, the gentiles have 
 succeeded and occupied their position ; accord- 
 ing to what Christ threatened to men of his 
 age, ** The kingdom of God shall be taken from 
 you and given to a nation bringing forth the 
 fruits thereof" (Matt. xxi. 43). The calling 
 of the gentiles is here clearly proved, because 
 the name of God cannot be great without the 
 teaching of the truth. It is therefore the same 
 thing as though the prophet had said that the 
 law which had been given to the Jews would be 
 proclaimed among all nations. 
 
 114 
 
Prayer. 
 
 C-JRANT, Almighty God, that since thou dost 
 not keep us at this day under the shadows of 
 the law, by which thou didst train up the race 
 of Abraham, but invitest us to a service far 
 more excellent, even to consecrate ourselves 
 body and soul as victims to thee, and to offer 
 not only ourselves, but also sacrifices of praise 
 and of prayer, as thou hast consecrated all the 
 duties of religion which thou requirest from us 
 through Christ thy Son, — O grant, that we may 
 seek true purity and labor to render our services 
 approved by thee by a real sincerity of heart, 
 and so reverently profess and call upon thy 
 name that it may be truly acknowledged as ful- 
 filled in us, which thou hast declared by thy 
 prophet — that undoubtedly thy name shall be 
 magnified and celebrated throughout the whole 
 world, as it was truly made known to us in 
 the very person of thine only-begotten Son. 
 Amen. 
 
 "5 
 
Christ's Forerunner. 
 
 Behold, I will send you Elijah the 
 -*~ prophet before the coming of the great 
 
 {) ^ and dreadful day of the Lord. — Mala- 
 
 chi iv. 5. 
 
 1 HE prophet having testified to the Jews, that 
 though God would for a time suspend the 
 course of prophetic teaching, they yet had in the 
 law what was sufficient for salvation, he now 
 promises the renovation of the Church, as 
 though he had said, "The Lord will again un- 
 expectedly utter his voice after a long silence." 
 Isaiah speaks on the same subject prophesying 
 of the return of the people when he says, " Com- 
 fort ye, comfort ye my people, will our God 
 say." Isa. xl. i. At the same time he shows 
 that the time would come, when his purpose 
 was to confirm and seal all the prophesies 
 by his only-begotten Son. Christ himself said 
 that John the Baptist was the Elijah who had 
 been promised. Matt. xi. 14. God intended 
 to raise up John the Baptist for the purpose of 
 restoring his worship, as formerly he had raised 
 up Elijah, for at the time of Elijah, we know, 
 that not only the truth was corrupted, and the 
 worship of God vitiated, but also that all relig- 
 ion was well-nigh extinct, so that nothing pure 
 and sound remained. At the coming of Christ, 
 though the Jews did not worship idols, but re- 
 tained some outward form of religion, yet the 
 whole of their religion was spurious, so that that 
 time may truly be compared, on account of its 
 multiplied pollutions, to the age of Elijah. 
 116 
 
Prayer. 
 
 C-JRANT, Almighty God, that as nothing has 
 been omitted by thee to help us onward in the 
 course of our faith, and as our sloth is such that 
 we hardly advance one step though stimulated 
 by thee, — O grant that we may strive to profit 
 more by the various helps which thou hast pro- 
 vided for us, so that the law, the prophets, the 
 voice of John the Baptist, and especially the 
 doctrine of thine only-begotten Son, may more 
 fully awaken us, that we may not only hasten to 
 him, but also proceed constantly in this course, 
 and persevere in it until we shall at length 
 obtain both the victory and the crown of our 
 calling, as thou hast promised an eternal inher- 
 itance reserved in heaven for all who faint not, 
 but wait for the coming of that great Redeemer. 
 Amen. 
 
 117 
 
INDEX. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Introduction, 3 
 
 The Solitary Lamb, Hosea 4 : 16 14 
 
 A Sovereign Word, 5:1 16 
 
 Kindness and Faith, .... 6:6 18 
 
 Sin and Punishment, .... 9^9 20 
 
 The Divinity of Christ, ... 12 : 4, 5 22 
 
 A Gracious Reminder, ... 13 : 5 24 
 
 The True King, 13 : 10 26 
 
 A Kind Invitation, 14 : i 28 
 
 Worship and Joy, Joel i : 16 30 
 
 Sounding the Alarm, .... 2:1 32 
 
 The Outpouring of the Spirit, 2 : 28 34 
 
 An Admonition, 2 : 30, 31 36 
 
 Calling on the Lord, .... 2 : 32 38 
 
 A Blessed Experience, ... 3 : 17 40 
 
 The Law of Worship, .... Amos 4:5 42 
 
 A Solemn Exhortation, ... 4 : 12 44 
 
 Herdman and Prophet, ... 7 • 14 46 
 
 The Power of God, 9:6 48 
 
 Wisdom Destroyed, . . . Obadiah 8 50 
 
 A Fearless Preacher, .... Jonah 3:4 52 
 
 The Mercy of God, 4 : 10, 11 54 
 
 A Prophet's Lamentation, . . Micah 1:9 56 
 
 Strengthened by the Spirit, . 3 : 8 58 
 
 A Fellowship of Nations, . . 4 : 2 60 
 
 The Constancy of Faith. . . . 4 : 5 62 
 119 
 
INDEX. 
 
 PAGB 
 
 God's Requirements Micah 6:8 64 
 
 A Prayer for God's Heritage, 7 ^ 14 66 
 
 Nineveh's Fall, Nahum 2:8 68 
 
 The Watch Tower, . . . Habbakuk 2:1 70 
 
 Punishment for Avarice, 2:6 72 
 
 Chariots of Salvation, . . 3 : 8 74 
 
 Rejoicing in the Lord, . . 3:17,18 76 
 
 Pride and Destruction, . Zephaniah 2 : 15 78 
 
 Pure Lips, 3 : 9 80 
 
 Uses of Affliction, ... 3 : 12 82 
 
 A Mirror for Ingratitude, . Haggai 1:2 84 
 
 A Glorious Temple, ... 2 : 8 86 
 
 Abundant Blessing, ... 2 : 18, 19 88 
 
 Horns and Carpenters, Zechariah i : 18-21 90 
 
 The True Priest, 3 : i 92 
 
 The Day of Small Things, 4 : 10 94 
 
 The Providence of God, . 6 : 8 96 
 
 Brotherly Kindness, ... 7 : 9 98 
 
 Deliverance by Covenant, 9:11 100 
 
 An Abundant Blessing, . . 9 ^ 17 102 
 
 Promise of Restoration, . 10 : 6 104 
 
 Beauty and Bands, .... n : 7 106 
 
 True Repentance, .... 12 : 10 108 
 
 Impure Worship Banished, 13 : 2 no 
 
 Saved by Grace, Malachi 1:2 112 
 
 The Calling of the Gentiles, i : 11 114 
 
 Christ's Forerunner, ... 4 : 5 116 
 
Date Due 
 
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 Scripture texts with expositions and 
 
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