John Trapp on Zechariah 1:7-8

Verſe 7. Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month] The third month after the former prophecy, when the Jewes probably had practiſed the doctrine of Repentance, ſo earneſtly preſſed upon them: and had humbled themſelves under the mighty hand of God, who was now ready to lift them up by this and the ſeven following moſt comfortable Viſions touching the reſtauration and reformation of the Church and State. The Devill and his impes love to bring men into the briars, and there to leave them, as familiars forſake their witches, when they have brought them once into fetters: as the Prieſts left Judas the traytour to look to himſelf, Mat. 27.4. and as the Papiſts caſt off Cranmer, after that, by ſubſcribing their Articles, he had caſt himſelf into ſuch a wretched condition, that there was neither hope of a better, nor place for a worſe;Melch. Ad. in vita. ut jam nec honeſtè mori nec vivere inhoneſtè liceret. But ſuch is not Gods manner of dealing with thoſe that tremble at his word, and humble at his feet. Deijcit ut relevet, premit ut ſolatia praeſtet, He comforteth thoſe that are caſt down, 2 Cor. 7.6. commandeth others to comfort the feeble-minded, 1 Theſ. 5.14. and noteth thoſe that do not with a black-coal,Nigro carbone notar. Job 6.14. See the workings of his bowels, the rowlings of his compaſſions kindled into repentance toward his penitentiaries, Jer. 31.20. Hoſ. 11.8. Eſay 40.1, 2. See how he comforts them with cordials according to the time wherein he had afflicted them, Pſal. 90.15. and in the very thing wherein he had abaſed them; as he once dealt with their Head, Philip. 2.7, 8.

Kerſe 8. I ſaw by night] The uſuall time for ſuch revelations. It may note (moreover) the obſcurity of the Prophecy: whence alſo the mention of myrtletrees (low and ſhady) and that in a bottom, as Calvin conceiveth: and all this, that he might give a taſte of good hope to the Jews by little and little.

and behold a man riding upon a red horſe] Not Alexander the Great, riding upon his horſe Bucephalus, and tranſlating the Empire from the Perſians to the Grecians, as Arias Montanus conceited it: But the Man Chriſt Jeſus, 1 Tim. 2.5. the Captain of the Lords Hoſt, Joſh. 4.14. and of our ſalvation, Heb. 2.10.

riding upon a red horſe] In the ſame ſenſe (ſaith One) that this colour is given to his garments, Eſay 63.1, 2, 3. and to the Angels horſe, Rev. 6.4. The wild Bull (ſaith Another) of all things, cannot abide any red colour. Therefore the hunter for the nonce, ſtanding before a tree, puts on a red garment; whom when the Bull ſeeth, he runneth at him as hard as he can drive. But the hunter ſtepping aſide, the bulls horns ſtick faſt in the tree: as when David ſlipped aſide, Sauls ſpear ſtuck faſt in the wall. Such an hunter is Chriſt: He lifted up upon the tree of his croſſe, had his garment dipt and died in his own blood, as one that cometh with red garments from Bozra. Therefore the Devil and his Angels (like wild bulls of Baſhan) ran at him with all their force, (in that three-hours darkneſſe eſpecially) but he delivering himſelf, as a mighty Conquerour, their horns ſtick faſt, as it were in his croſſe: as Abrahams ramme, by his horns ſtuck faſt in the brier, &c.

and he ſtood among the myrtle-trees that were in the bottom] Myrrhe-trees ſome render it. Here Chriſt, that horſeman and head of his Church, keepeth himſelf, as touched with the feeling of our infiunities, Heb. 4.15. as ſuffering and ſorrowing with his people, who are fitly compared to myrtles, that grow in a ſhady grove, in vallies and bottoms, and by waters ſides.— & amantes littorae myrtos. Virg. Georg. Bleſſed are ye that ſowe beſide all waters, Eſay 32.20. Myrtles alſo are odoriferous, and precious, Eſay 41.19. and 55.13. ſo are the Saints, Eſay 43.4. Coloſ. 4.6. they caſt a good ſcent where-ever they go, by the grace of God that is in them: as Alexander the Great is ſaid to do, by the excellent temperament of his body. Laſtly, Levit. 23.40. with Neh 8.15. the Jews at their joyfull feaſt of Tabernacles, uſed myrtle-branches among others, to teſtifie their thankfulneſſe for a ſettlement in the promiſed land, after ſo long wandring in the wilderneſſe. The Gentiles alſo in their ſolemn feaſts, enterludes, and —cingebant tempora myrto, wore garlands made of Myrtle.Virg. Georg: Let us keep the feaſt: Let us keep holy-day, ſaith the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 5.8. [non-Latin text not transcribed] who himſelf did over-abound exceedingly with joy, had an exuberancy of it, at that conſtant feaſt of a good conſcience. Diogenes could ſay, that a good man keeps holy-day,2 Cor 7.4. all the yeer about: Chriſt crowneth the Kalendar of his peoples lives with continuall feſtivals here: how much more in heaven? Pliny tells us,Plin. lib. 15. cap. 29. that ex myrto facta eſt ovantium corona, ſubinde & triumphantium; of Myrtle was made, among the Romans, the crown or garland, of thoſe that did ſhout for victory, or ride in triumph.

and behind him were there red horſes] i. e. horſe-men: Nam nimis craſſum eſt illud commentum, fuiſſe locutos equos, ſaith Calvin here. Theſe horſe men are Angels, as verſe 10. deputed to ſeverall offices, and executions, for judgement, fo[illegible: 1 letter] mercy, or both; ſhadowed by the divers colours of their horſes.