John Trapp on Zechariah 1:14

Verſe 14. So the Angell that communed with me] See the Note on ver. 10.

cry thou ſaying] q. d. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, ſaith your God, Speake ye comfortably to Jeruſalem, ſpeake ye to her heart and cry unto her ſaying, that her appointed time is accompliſhed, that her iniquity is pardoned, and ſo the quarrell is ended: for ſhe hath received of the Lords hands double for her ſins. Nothing ſo much as I have deſerved ſaith ſhe Ezra 9.13. twice ſo much as ſhe hath deſerved, ſaith He. O ſweet contradiction! O beautifull contention! The ſame Hebrew word ſignifieth to repent and to comfort 1 Sam. 15.35. Eſay 40.1. Gods care is to comfort thoſe that are caſt down. His command to his Prophet is to cry comfort to the penitent with an extraordiny earneſtneſſe, from the God of all conſolation.

I am jealous for Ieruſalem and for Zion with a great jealouſie] Love is ſtrong as death, zeal, or jealouſie (for the ſame word ſignifieth both) is hard as hell. Cant. 8.6. Non amat qui non zelat ſaith Auguſtine. He loves not that zeales not. And Baſil venturing himſelf very farr for his friend, and by ſome blamed for it, anſwered, Ego aliter amare non didici, I cannot love a man, but I muſt do mine utmoſt for him. When one deſired to know what manner of man Baſil was, it is ſaid there was preſented in a dreame to him a pillar of fire with this motto, Talis eſt Baſilius, Lo, ſuch an one is Baſil. It is certaine that our God is a conſuming fire, who would ſet the briars and the thorns ſaith He, that is the churches enemies, againſt me in battel? Eſ. 27.4. I would go through them, I would burn them together. And yet he ſaith in the ſame place, Fury is not in me: Prov. 6.34. What will he do then when jealouſie is in him as here? Iealouſie is the rage of a man, and hath theſe three properties.

Firſt it is exceeding watchfull, and quick-ſighted: hardly ſhall the Paramour eſcape the husbands eye, a wanton glance is ſoon noted and noticed. God is no leſſe ſenſible and obſervant of the leaſt indignity done to his deare ſpouſe, his Hephzibah, Gen. 4.6. Eſth. 7.8. be it but in a frown or a frump. Why is thy countenance caſt down, ſaith God to that dog-bolt Cain? Why doſt lowre upon my righteous Abel? What will he force the Queen alſo before me in the houſe? If Davids enemies mow and make mouths at him,Pſal. 40.15. if they cry Aha, Aha, ſo would we have it, God will reckon with them for it. If Edom ſay jearingly to the Prophet, Watchman, what of the night? watchman, what of the night? If Ammon clap but his hands at Gods Iſrael, if he ſtamp with the feet, and rejoyce in heart only, when it goes ill with the church, God will ſtretch out his hand upon him, and cut him off out of his countrey, and he ſhall know that he is Jehovah, Ezek. 25.67. yea that the Lord God of Iſrael is a jealous God. He will be jealous for his land, and pitty his people Ioel 2.18.

Secondly jealouſie is violent: it is cruel as the grave, the coales thereof are coales of fire Cant. 8.6. The ſame word is elſewhere put for fiery thunderbolts, Pſal. 78.48. alſo for a carbuncle or burning feaver Deut. 32.24. Jealouſie puts a man into a feaver-fit of outrage: arms him with fiery darts, yea with lightbolts: makes him caſt firebrands, be ready to take any revenge: Think the ſame of God in a way of juſtice. He will ſpit in the face of a Miriam, that ſhall but mut[illegible: 1 letter]er againſt his Moſes: Num. 12.14. what then will he do, (or rather what will he not do) againſt Jezabel, Athaliah, Herodias &c?

Thirdly jealouſie is irreconcilable, implacable, Prov. 6.34, 35. He will not ſpare in the day of vengeance. He will not regard any ranſom, neither will he reſt content though thou give many gifts, what would not Balaac have given to have had his will upon Iſrael? What large offers made Haman? he would pay ten thouſand talents of ſilver to thoſe that had the charge of the buſineſſe to deſtroy the Jewes. Ahaſhueroſh yeelded: but ſo did not God.Eſth. 3.9. Eſth. 7.4. We are ſold (ſaid Eſther) I and my people to be deſtroyed, to be ſlain and to periſh: But God never conſented to the bargaine. He had warr with Amalec for ever, and laid his hand upon his own throne, as ſwearing to root him out Exod. 17.16. And this proud Agagite Haman ſhall feel the force of his curſe in his very bowels. Let the labouring Church but cry out, Help O King, heare O husband, give eare O ſhepheard of Iſrael, Iſa. 8.8. Iſa. 63.15: the enemy is come into thy land O Immanuel, and the ſtretching out of his wings filleth the whole bredth of it. Where is thy zeale (or jealouſie) and thy ſtrength, the ſounding of thy bowels, and of thy mercies towards me? are they reſtrained? Doubtleſſe thou art our Father, our Redeemer, or neer kinſman, nay, our husband. Thy church is unto thee A ſiſter, a ſpouſe: Eſay 58.7. 1 Cor. 6.17. Gen. 14. 1 Sam. 30.18. Ier. 12.7. Ier. 4.10. And canſt thou hide thine eyes from thine own fleſh? from her that is joyned to the Lord, and is one ſpirit? ſhall Abraham venture for the reſcue of his kinſman, David of his two wives, and wilt thou do nothing for the dearely beloved of thy ſoule? ſhall ſhe be given up into the hand of her enemies? ſhall the ſword reach unto the ſoule. Let Chriſt but heare ſuch words from the mouth of his Spouſe: and he will ſoon gird his ſword upon his thigh, he will act Phineas his part and execute judgement:Pſal. 78.66. he will ſmite his enemies in the hinder parts (whip them, as men uſe to do boyes) and ſo put them to a perpetuall reproach; ſhame them for ever, as a company of punyes or Zanies.