who became wisdom to us from Godt, both righteonsness and sanctification, as well as redemption‡, that, as it is written 'He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."

* Became, or was caused to be.] Eyevŋŋ, as the aorist, refers to a past definite point of time when that spoken of was accomplished; viz., the time when we, through faith, became connected with the finished sacrifice on the Cross. The especial subject of the whole passage is the Cross and its results.

+ Wisdom from God—copia año Ocov.] Wisdom not springing from man, but coming from God, and known by us from its results, viz., the provision for us of "righteousness, sanctification, and redemption." In Scripture, because of the imperfectness of our understanding which admits not of our knowing things as they essentially are, they are frequently defined or described to us by their properties, or some of their results. Thus, in John xvii.; "but this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." We become acquainted with the "wisdom from God" that hath operated towards us in Christ, when we know the "righteousness, sanctification, and redemption " provided in Christ.

Redemption, arоλvтрwσis.] Whereby we are ransomed or bought back from wrath. This redemption is finished and everlasting: (auwvia Heb. xi. 12.) the result of Christ's work on earth. “In him we have redemption through his blood."

Righteousness.] Also the finished result of Christ's work on earth. It is called in the fifth of Romans "one righteousness” (di évos dikawμatos); and is, as such, contrasted with the "one transgression" of Adam: for the life of Christ from the cradle up to the moment when He bowed His head upon the Cross, was one continued act of obedience; and by that finished and complete obedience, we are "constituted righteous." Rom. v. 19.

It has been recently said that we are not constituted righteous before God by means of this "one obedience;" and it is further said that the righteousness of Christ is not spoken of in the Scripture, whereas Christ's " one righteousness" is the great theme of the latter half of the fifth of Romans: and in 2 Peter i. 1, rightly translated, we find that the elect of God "obtain precious faith in the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ." Faith in His righteousness imputed, is as clearly spoken of in Scripture as faith in His atoning blood and apart from it we cannot be justified. It is a question that concerns not the results of justification, but justification itself.

Sanctification.] Equally the result of Christ's finished work on the Cross. I understand it here to mean, precisely what it means in Heb. x. See first paper in this number.

ΤΕ

For the construction of re followed by Kai-kai see Winer, part iii. § 53; and Jelf, § 758. The Te and the first kat, group the words to which they are attached, and the second waι indicates that the clause following is to be viewed as something added to the first group; the respective importance of the things thus enumerated

being not determined by their connexion in this correlative form. Aνευραν την τε Μαριαμ και τον Ιωσηφ και το βρεφος-they found both Mary and Joseph, and likewise the babe; or, the babe as well. Some translate as-so also: "as righteousness and sanctification, so also redemption.” Compare Heb. xi. 22. Βαρακ τε και Σαμψων και Ιεφθάε Δαυιδ τε και Σαμουηλ και των προφητών.

Notes on Zechariah XIV.

THE whole of this chapter is as yet unfulfilled. It belongs to the very conclusion of the period called in Daniel," the last end of the indignation" against Jerusalem-when Israel after having returned in hardened unbelief to their own Land (an event, probably, not far distant) will be there made to drink for the last time the cup of trembling from the righteous hand of the Lord their God. The last verse of the preceding chapter is, "And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people, and they shall say, Jehovah is my God." The fourteenth chapter is an amplification of this verse. It describes the characteristics and results of that great day of visitation in which the remnant of Israel are refined and forgiven.

Behold a day cometh for Jehovah,* and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee, &c.] That is, a day is at hand when Jehovah shall act in vindication of His own great name and outraged Truth; when "He shall take to Himself His own great power and reign," and "shall destroy them that destroy the earth." See Rev. x. 17. "It is time for thee, O Jehovah, to work, for they have made void thy law."

"Behold I will gather all the Gentiles against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken and half of the city shall go into captivity," &c., &c.] This siege and captivity although immediately preceding "the day of the Lord," belong not to "the day of the Lord." That day will bring deliverance-not captivity to Jerusalem ; and destruction-not triumph to her enemies.

•We find

the interposition of

continually used to denote "the day of the Lord:" but between and in the present case, favours the translation above given. Bengel translates, "behold a day cometh for the Lord Jehovah"-Ecce, dies venit Domino Jehova. Erit dies quo patefiet Jehovam vera dixisse, per prophetas, et per se omnia expediturum.

As far as I am aware, this first verse of Zechariah xiv. is the only place in Scripture in which this last triumph of the Gentiles over Jerusalem is described. Many passages describe in much detail, the final assault of the Gentiles on Jerusalem (an assault of which this capture is the immediate precursor) but in that final assault the Gentiles do not triumph. They do not capture Jerusalem or lead her people into captivity. On the contrary, Jerusalem is delivered, and they utterly destroyed. (See all the subsequent part of this chapter, as also Zech. xii.-Joel ii. and iii.-Isaiah xxix. and many other like passages.)

Behold, I will gather all the Gentiles.—ñavтa тα eovn.] παντα τα έθνη.] "Jerusalem," said our Lord, "shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." There are a certain selected body of Gentile nations (the book of Daniel defines them) to whom the office of afflicting and "treading down" Jerusalem is, for a limited period, assigned. "The ten kingdoms" into which the whole Roman World (ñaσa i okovμevy) is finally to be divided, are they that will exercise this power against Jerusalem for the last time. Their history concludes "the times of the Gentiles." Whenever, therefore, this expression "all the Gentiles" is applied to the Gentiles. nationally as putting forth their lordly power over Jerusalem, it is limited to the nations which form the subject of Daniel's prophecythe nations of the prophetic earth, as they are sometimes called. It should also be observed that when nations are described as being gathered as nations, it is not meant that every individual comes, but they who are governmentally and executively the constituted representatives of their power.

The nations spoken of in this verse are, in a subsequent part of the chapter, referred to as a limited number, for they are described as the nations that have fought against Jerusalem, by which it is implied that there will be other nations which will not have so fought. In Rev. xvi. where the gathering of these same Gentiles is described, they are said to be the kings and armies (πασης της οικουμένης) of the whole Roman World-kings who are elsewhere mentioned (see Rev. xvii. 12) as being ten.

We are not expressly told what it is that at that moment excites the rage of Antichrist and of the ten kingdoms against Jerusalem. We know, however, how of old the Jews continually wavered in their allegiance to their first Chaldæan masters, even when the yoke put upon them was comparatively light. See II Kings xxiv. and xxv.,

and Jeremiah xl., xli., &c. We may well imagine, therefore, how they will writhe under the pitiless power of Antichrist who "will tread them down like the mire of the streets." And when we remember, likewise, that Antichrist, at the moment to which this chapter refers, is engaged in gathering all the strength of the Roman World to Armageddon, with the view of meeting his Asiatic enemies who will be threatening his great eastern city, it is not likely that he would leave behind him in the rear of his march, a people like the Jews whose fidelity he suspected. Besides which, "the two witnesses" (Rev. xi.) will have produced by their testimony no little effect on Jerusalem. They will there have defied the power of Antichrist; and it is probably in relation to this very siege and capture that Antichrist is said "to make war upon them and kill them." But whatever the reasons, it is evident that Antichrist and the kings of the Roman World, whilst the gathering at Armageddon is taking place, attack and capture Jerusalem. "The city shall be taken, the houses rifled and half the city shall go into captivity, but the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city."

The sparing of "a residue" is one of the characteristic circumstances by which the futurity of this passage is proved; for when the Romans last took Jerusalem in the time of Adrian, not a single Jew was left in the city. "The subject here," says Bengel, " is not the siege by the Romans, but another siege of Jerusalem yet future.

The residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city, for salvation from the Lord shall intervene."-Bengel in locum.

And Jehovah shall go forth and fight against those nations as when He fought in the day of conflict."] Close consecution is often expressed in Hebrew by-by our translators rendered in this passage "then." A very brief period will intervene between the carrying away half the city into captivity, and the final assault of Antichrist. He will assault Jerusalem, not with the view of securing his hold upon it (for he will already have it in his grasp) nor with the object of simply scattering the remnant who had been left. His purpose will go far beyond that. He and those with him, will say, "come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance."-Ps. lxxxiii. Antichrist will know that whilst the names of Jerusalem and of Israel continue in the earth, there will remain a living memento of the name and power of Jehovah. This he will abhor. Like Haman, his object will be to exterminate the