The Resurrection Revealed, Book 3 · Chapter 2 · Section 50
SECT. L.
§. 1 THe ſixt and laſt place in Zechariah is in chap. 14. from verſ. 3. to the end of the chapter; which hath been anciently, afore Jeroms time (as he confeſſeth) urged both by Jewes and Chriſtians, for the glorious time yet to come, of which we treat. And to me it ſeems ſo full for it, that I know not what conſiderable thing can be rationally ſaid againſt it. As for quibling Jerom (I grudg almoſt here to call him Saint Ierome, becauſe in his notes on this place, inſtead of demonſtration, he jeers, and that very obſcenely) we ſhall talk with him after, and moſt juſtly arraigne him, upon his owne confeſſion.
§. 2 Ver. 3. Then ſhall the Lord goe forth, and ſight againſt thoſe Nations, as when he fought in the day of foreign Kerab. which word as it ſignifies conflicting, ſo alſo beginning, or approaching near; and may be aptly ſo rendred and applyed here (according to the ſence that moſt underſtand) to Gods aſſiſting the Iews in the beginning of their Wars, as againſt Amalech, and Og, &c. when they approached near towards Canaan. Which words, as that ſame [THEN] mindes us, points at the after times following that Coming up of all Nations againſt Ieruſalem to Battle, rifling, raviſhing, and captivating it; which ruine was to come to paſſe in long proceſſe of time after this Propheſie, as tis hinted in the future expreſſion of the firſt verſe, the Prophet having diſpatched in the thirteenth chapter next afore the Propheſies that did belong to the time of Chriſts paſsion, ver. 1. and v. 7. of that 13. chap. For it was a long time after Chriſt ere all Nations (confining our all, to the all of the foure Monarchies) did ſo miſerably ruine (mark the phraſe) Ieruſalem. For the Romans did it not the firſt time, till ſeventy years afore Chriſts incarnation: they did afore that, ſome hurt to the Country, as we ſaid afore, but did not miſerably ruin Ieruſalem. Nor the Romans the ſecond time, till one hundred thirty three years after the ſaid incarnation. Nor did the Saracens of Aſia till the year one thouſand and nine (thereabouts.) But however, let the reader fix the depredation, and devaſtation of Ieruſalem, by all Nations ſince Zecharies Propheſie where they will, yet we are at a loſſe, and all our books cannot help us to tell when, yet to this day, The Lord went out to fight all thoſe Nations, that fought againſt Ieruſalem, as he did at firſt when he overthrew Amalech, and Og, &c. as the Iews approached near Canaan. Surely we have had a ſad account to the contrary, in the very next preceding Section, §. 4. in a ſhort, but full Chronology, from Zecharie to this very day. And a meer ſpirituall notion will not help us out, ſeeing the Text expounds it ſelfe, That the Lord will goe out, and fight againſt the Nations that ſpoile Jeruſalem; how, or in what manner? As he fought at firſt, when the Iewes approached Canaan, or (to keep to our common tranſlation, as when he fought in the day of battle. Which expoſition needed not to be added, if a ſpirituall ſence had been mainly intended. Which if it were, yet that is not to this day fulfilled; that the enemies of Jeruſalem are either converted by grace, or confounded in hell.
§. 3 Tis true, that as not any Propheſie (hardly) ſo nor is this likely without ſome allegory; But to convert all into a ſpirituall ſence, ſeemes to me impoſſible, without ſelfe-contradiction, or contradicting the Text. For how can we preſume upon a ſpirituall ſence, when it is ſaid, ver. 4. HIS FEET ſhal stand upon the MOUNT of Olives, which is before Jeruſalem on the Eaſt &c. which ſhall cleave in the midſt. And ver. 5. Yee ſhall flee to the VALLEY OF THE MOUNTAINS, which ſhall reach to Azal, &c. as yee fled from the EARTHQUAKE in the daies of Uzziah, and the Lord ſhall come and ALL HIS SAINTS with him? Or how can that be taken in a ſpirituall ſence in ver. 7. That there ſhall be a diſtinct ONE day, and knowne to the Lord, that ſhall not be day nor night, but the evening ſhall be light? Surely, if the light of the time of the Goſpell muſt bemeant, as ſome will, it is no diſtinct time, nor one meaſured day of a round number of years, be it of few or many, for it hath been now above one thouſand ſix hundred and twenty years, ſince the firſt preaching of Chriſt, continued to this day, which hath been as well known to us, as to the Lord? And how ſhould that in ver. 9. be comelily, and compleatly cloathed, and covered with a meer ſpirituall notion, That the Lord SHALL be King OVER ALL the earth? And at THAT day he muſt be the one, and onelyonly Lord, and his name one? For the Lord from the beginning hath been King of power, and King of grace; ſecretly ordering, and ſanctifying whom, and whereſoever he liſted, over the face of the earth. Therefore this ſame ſhal, muſt import his yet future viſible Monarchy, before which all muſt ſo fall down, that they caſt away all their Idols, ſeeming Deities, and different formes of worſhip, and adore him alone with one uniforme way of worſhip according to his will; which thing to this day is deſired, being never yet injoyed. And as difficult it is, if not impoſſible, with cleare reaſon, to faſten a ſpirituall ſence upon the reſt of the chapter. That all the Land ſhall be turned, or compaſſed AS A plaine (pervious and profitable for habitation) FROM GEBA TO RIMMON, SOUTH OF JERUSALEM. So that it ſhall be lifted up or exalted (in the opinion of men) and inhabited in her place, FROM BENJAMINS GATE unto the place of the FIRST GATE, unto the CORNER GATE, and from the Tower of HANANIEL unto the KINGS WINE. PRESSES. And men ſhall dwel in it, and there ſhall be NO MORE utter deſtruction, but Jeruſalem ſhal be SAFELY inhabited. And this ſhall be the plague wherewith the Lord will ſmite all the people that fight againſt Jeruſalem; THEIR FLESH SHALL CONSUME AWAY WHILE THEY STAND UPON THEIR FEET, and their EYES SHALL CONSUME AWAY IN THEIR HOLES, &c. And ſo ſhall be the plague of the HORSE, of the MULE, of the CAMEL, of the ASSE, and of all the BEASTS that ſhall be in theſe Tents, as THIS PLAGUE. …oo wonderfull and induſtrious a circumſtantiating of all places, plague, things &c. to ſignifie meer ſpirituals.
§. 4 Men may phantaſie to themſelves a ſatisfaction, that ſpirituals are here meant, becauſe of the next verſe, that the reſidue of the Nations that came up againſt Ieruſalem that is left, ſhall go up from year to year to worſhip the Lord, & to keep the feaſt of Tabernacles. But we did before give a rule, and proved it, that even in the Old Teſtament as wel as in the New, the moſt Goſpel Truths are ſometimes cloathed with Jewiſh language, and Leviticall phraſes*Lib. 3. Cha. 2. Sect 44. §. 2. P. 330. See alſo Juſt. Martyrs excellent Note in this third Book, Chap. 3. Sect. 2. S. 3. and P. 2.. Nor indeed is there any Goſpell expreſſion ſcarcely in all the New Teſtament, that is not dreſſed forth with one or more Tropes and figures. As Come to me all yee that are weary and heavy laden, &c. Matth. 11. And a bruiſed reed he ſhall not breake, &c. Matth. 12. Chriſt being no Porter, nor Chriſtians reeds, in a literall ſence. Beſide for the words of Zecharie themſelves, there is no more expreſt but goe up, and once a year, and at the feaſt of Tabernacles; as to ſignifie our deliverance from the Egypt of the world; as Iſrael going out of Topal Egypt, firſt pitched in Succoth, that is Boothes; And in memorial of that deliverance, praiſed God yearly in the feaſt of Boothes. As we hereafter ſhall often congratulate our LORD with HALELUJAHS for our deliverance from the Egyptian world, frequently propheſied in the Revelation. To this day we pray in hope; but then, when the great reſtauration of the Church, and Reſtitution of all things is come, we ſhall praiſe with joy. And whoever will not, ſhall be plagued with temporall plagues, ver. 17, &c. For all that then will exiſt in peace, muſt be holineſſe to the Lord, they and their imjoyments, ver. 20.
§. 5 If all thoſe aforeſaid Material expreſsions, and corporal circumſtances will not awaken ſome men, but they will fall aſleep, and dream pleaſant dreams of all figurative meanings, and will not ſenſibly ſee the viſible glory here propheſied; then I would entreat them to tell us their dreams, from point to point upon every Verſe, when all Nations obſtinately at enmity with the Jews were ſpiritually deſtroyed? when the reſt that came in to cloſe with them, did joyntly with them own the LORD as King over all the Earth, in one way of worſhip? when was Jeruſalem ſafely inhabited, as free from ſpiritual evils? And how could the Horſe, and the Mule, and the Camel, and the Aſs, and all Beaſts, be ſpiritually plagued?
§. 6 There is but one thing more that I will adde, and that is this, That thoſe of the Learned, that have gone about to ſqueeze out of this Text a ſpiritual meaning, have (I know not how) been forced to let fall from them many conſiderable paſſages for a literal ſence. A Lapide applauds Jerom for his ſpiritual interpretation of this propheſie. Quocirca verè S. Hieron hic ad verſ. 11. haec inquit, &c. that is, Therefore Jerom ſaith truly upon the eleventh verſe, the Jews and our Chiliaſts dream theſe things, ſhall be literally performed; but let us interpret Jeruſalem to be the Church, which walking in the fleſh, yet doth not live according to the fleſh, whoſe freedom is in Heaven, &c. So he; and yet within a very few lines after the ſame, A Lapide hath theſe words. Dico ergo, &c. that is, I ſay therefore according to the Letter, it is here ſignified, that Jeruſalem is to be taken by Antiochus Epiphanes, and to be reſtored by the Maccabees. Which, how untruly it is aſſerted, we have afore demonſtrated; onelyonly, we alleage this to inſtance how A Lapide falls from his ſpiritual to a litteral ſence. Mr. Calvin whiles mighty much for a ſpiritual ſence of this propheſie, hath to this effect on thoſe words in the third verſe [The Lord ſhall go forth and fight againſt thoſe Nations, as he fought in the day of battel.] Zechary (ſaith he) tells the Jews, Certamen ſaepe vobis fuit, &c. i.e. You have often fought with the ſtrongeſt enemies; they have been conquered, and that when you have been by far unequal in number and power. Seeing therefore the Lord hath ſo often, and ſo many ways caſt down your enemies, why ſhall ye not hope for the ſame thing from him; So he. Our new Annotations have many touches of a ſpiritual ſence; but many alſo for a literal, expreſly or implicitly. On the ſecond verſe this, Here the laſt deſtruction of Jeruſalem ſeems more plainly deſcribed then afore. On the third verſe this, As when he fought in the day of battel; that is, not ſlightly but earneſtly, as he did for Gideon, and divers others, Judg. 7.22. On ver. the fourth, Gods coming to defend his Church, ſhal be conſpicuous and glorious. On ver. the fift, the very Jews themſelves ſhall be afraid at the preſence of Gods appearance. It were needleſly tedious to recite the many paſſages more they have, to the ſame effect, though they are very conſiderable to our purpoſe, ſeeing the Reader knows where to finde them.