John Trapp on Zechariah 4:6

Verſe 6. This is the Word of the Lord] that is, this Hieroglyphique containes the mind of God in it. This is the interpretation of the viſion, neither ſo conciſe, nor obſcure, ut Oedipo ſit opus (as a Lapide after Ribera here ſaith) that it can hardly be underſtood. For who ſeeth not by the oppoſition here made between humane help and divine, that in building and beautifying his Church with ſafety and ſalvation God will make bare his own holy arme; and do the work alone, or by the weakeſt meanes againſt the ſtrongeſt reſiſtance? Thus then have we (ſaith an Interpreter) in three words the ſcope of this whole viſion.Mr. Pemble. That as the making and maintaining of this Candleſtick and his Lamps, was without the art and cunning of man by means ſupernaturall; ſo Gods ſpirit without and above all humane helps, ſhould ſuffice for the reedification and preſervation of the materiall Temple, and true Church.

unto Zorobabel] The Tirſhata or chief magiſtrate Ezra 2.63. called alſo (as it is thought Shesbazzar, Ezra 1.8. He was a type of Chriſt: to whom alſo God the Father here ſpeaketh concerning his church to be gathered by the preaching of the Goſpell.

not by might, nor by ſtrength,] as Mahomet in the Eaſt, and the Spaniard in the Indies: but by the power of his ſpirit that great Wonder-worker, whereby the people fall under him Pſal. 45.5. and ſtrong holds are caſt down before him 2 Cor. 10.4. as once the walles of Iericho. Thus he unwalled all the children of Seth Num. 24.17. viz. by the fooliſhneſſe of preaching: and thus heſtill rideth upon his white horſes, his Miniſters, conquering and to conquer. Rev. 6.2. Britaniorum inacceſſa Romanis loca Chriſto ſubdita ſunt. Tertull. The Romanes could never ſubdue this Nation: but Chriſt could. The Germans and other Weſtern people embraced the Chriſtian religion in the yeer 772. when the Mahomitan impiety waſted the Eaſt. Gods ſpirit is irreſiſtible, compared to the wind Ioh, to a mighty ruſhing wind Act. 2. that beares all before it, therefore called a ſpirit of power 2 Tim. 1.7. of counſel and of might Eſay 11.2. and therefore here fitly oppoſed to an army, and to the arme of fleſh, to all humane power and policy whatſoever, though the gates of hell come to their help.

not by might nor by ſtrength &c.] Theſe two words ſome take to be Synonymas; Mercor ſaith that the former ſignifieth ſtout and noble acts: the later importeth power and faculty of doing thoſe acts; and is the ſame that [non-Latin text not transcribed] in Greek. By the Spirit of God we are to underſtand his power, providence, and Grace 2 Theſ. 2.8. Iſ. 11.4. &c. whereby he helpeth his people with a little help Dan. 11.34. that throug weaker meanes, they may ſee his greater ſtrength. Thus he helped David againſt Goliath, and the Iſraelites againſt the Philiſtines often: but eſpecially then, when unarmed they marched with their ſlings, and plow-ſtaves, and hooks, and forks, and other inſtruments of their husbandry, againſt a mighty and well-furniſhed enemy, and returned laden both with arms and victory. Sometimes againe, God helpeth his without any viſible help, as when he deſtroyed Senacherib's army by an Angel, ſwept away Siſera's army by the river Kiſon, and the Saracens and Perſians by the river Euphrates, in the dayes of Theodoſius, Anno. 394 Alſted. Chronol. p. 300. (ſmitten with a Panick terrour, they ran headlong into the river, and were drowned, to the number of an hundred thouſand) for whom alſo the winds ſought in that famous battle againſt Maximus; as both winds and waves did for us againſt the invincible navy.Aug. de Civ. Dei lib. 5. cap. 26. The Church alone deſerveth to be ſtiled invincible, that hath the Lord of Hoſts to be her Champion, who hath armies above, and armies beneath (as the Rabbines well obſerve) 2. generall troopes, as his horſe and foot,Magnleh cheloth & matteh cheloth. ready preſt; Legions of Angels, Millions of other creatures. the curtaines of the Tabernacle embroidered with Cherubims ſignified the ſervice and protection of the Church by the Angels. Let the Pope be the Sun, and the Emperour the Moon (as the Canoniſts ſtile them) yet the Sun muſt not ſmite the Church by day, nor the Moon by night: but the ſtarrs in their courſes muſt fight againſt Siſera, and both the Popes bull, and the Emperours thunderbolt tend exceedingly to the furtherance of the Reformation begun by Luther. Whereupon Scultetus makes this obſervation, Ecce tibi adimpletum Pſalmicum illud Pſal. 54.3. Behold that of the Pſalmiſt made good. He ſhall ſend from heaven and ſave us from the reproach of him that would ſwallow us up. Selah. God ſhall ſend forth his mercy and his truth. He ſhall: but when will he, may ſome ſay? Firſt when his people in diſtreſſe cry aloud, I came for thy word Dan. 10.12. He will come, but he will have his peoples prayers lead him. Secondly, when his enemies blaſpheme and inſult, ſaying, Where is now their God? When Rabſhakeh (a Renegado Jew, as the Rabbins report him) ſhall jear at Hezekiahs prayers as an empty buſineſſe, an airy Nothing, as words of the lips onely; whereas counſel and ſtrength are for the war (thus ſome read that text Eſay 36.5.) Thirdly when the the Church is at loweſt, and all ſeems loſt and deſperate: when the enemy is above fear, and the Church below hope; when ſhe is talking of her grave, like Iſrael at the red ſea: then is Gods ſeaſon to ſet in; it is his glory to help at a dead lift, to begin where we have given over, to relieve thoſe that are forſaken of their hopes, to come when we can ſcarce finde faith upon the earth: God ſees when the mercy will be in ſeaſon. When his people are low enough, and the enemy high enough, then uſually appears the Churches morning-ſtar: then Chriſt came leaping and skipping over the mountains of Bether, all impediments that might ſeem to hinder, (as ſins of his people, oppoſitions of his enemies) and make the Churches mountain to be exalted above all mountains, molehils in compariſon of her.