John Trapp on Zechariah 3:8

Verſe 8. Hear now, O Ioſhua the high Prieſt] Hear a ſermon of Chriſt, the Fountain of all this mercy beſtowed upon thee, and yet further promiſed unto thee. Hear for thy ſelf, hear for thy whole Society. Thou and thy fellows, thy fellow-friends, the reſt of the prieſts, thy fellows in ſervice, though inferiour in Office (for there was a ſubordination of prieſts, both before the Temple, Num 3. and 1 Chron. 23.4, 5. and under the Temple, 2 Chron. 35.8, 9.) Types alſo of Chriſt, and partakers of the benefit, 1 Tim. 6.2.

for they are men wondered at] Erant omnibus probroſi, ſaith Calvin, They departed from evil, and thereby made themſelves a prey, Eſay 59.15. they were for ſignes and for wonders in Iſrael, Eſay 8.18. hiſſed and hooted at, Pſal. 71.7. as thoſe that affected to be ſingular, and ſeraphicall, They think it ſtrange, ſaith Saint Peter to his holy converts, that you run not with them to the ſame exceſſe of riot: ſpeaking evill of you, as if you were no better then mad-men, Eſay 59.15.1 Pet. 4.4. robb'd of your right minds as the word ſignifieth. It is a French proverb, He that would have his neighbours dog hang'd, gives out that he is mad. The primitive perſecutours uſed to put Chriſtians into bears and dogs skins, or ugly creatures, and then bait them: ſo graceleſſe perſons put the ſaints of God into ugly conceits, look upon them as ſtrange creatures, and then ſpeak and act againſt them. In our wretched dayes (as the Turks count all fools to be ſaints, ſo) people account all ſaints to be fools; and the more zealous among them monſters and miſcreants.Holy Stat[illegible: 1 letter]. As for Athanaſius, and Marcellus who have impiouſly blaſphemed againſt God, and have lived as wicked miſcreants, and are thereupon caſt out of the Church, and condemned, we cannot receive them to the honour of Epiſcopacy, ſaid thoſe fourſcore Biſhops in the mock-Synod of Sardis. And Bede teſtifieth of the ancient Brittains immediatly before their deſtruction by the Saxons, that they were come to that height of wickedneſſe, as to caſt reproach upon the profeſſours of religion, as upon the worſt of men. Doth not Saint Paul ſay as much, 1 Cor. 4.9. We are made a theatre, or are ſet upon the ſtage for a laughing-ſtock unto the world, and to Angels, and to men, &c?

For behold, I will bring forth my ſervant the BRANCH.] The ſame that grew out of the root of Jeſſe, when that goodly family was ſunk [illegible: 1 letter]o low, as from David the King, to Joſeph the Carpenter. See Eſay 4.2. and 11.1. and 45.8. and 53.1. Ier. 33.15. where the Chaldee for Branch rendreth it Meſſiah, as here alſo he doth: And ſome have obſerved that themagh, a Branch, is by tranſpoſition of letters, the ſame with Maſciach, Meſſias: Samech and tſade, being neer akin; and of the ſame ſound almoſt. A ſervant Chriſt is called by reaſon of his Mediatorſhip, taking upon him the form of a ſervant; yea, of a faulty ſervant that was to be beaten: yea, that being cruelly beaten was brought forth to the people with an Ecce homo, Behold the man. Behold, ſaith God here,Joh. 19.5. I will bring forth my ſervant the Branch: bring him forth, out of the boſom of his Father, out of the womb of his Mother, out of the types of the Law, &c.