John Trapp on Zechariah 4:9

Verſe 9. The hands of [illegible: 1 letter]erubbabel have laid the ſoundation of this houſe: his hands &c.] Here the ſcope of this ſtately viſion i[illegible: 1 letter] plainly held forth, and without a parable. What the ſcripture ſpeaketh darkly in one place, it ſpeaks plainly in another. The Rabbins have a ſaying, that there is a mountain of ſenſe hanging upon every Apcx of the word of God. They have alſo another ſaying, Nulla [illegible: 1 letter]ſt ob [illegible: 1 letter]ctio in lege, quae non haber ſolutionem in latere, i. e. There is not any doubt in the law,Pemble of the Perſian Monarchy. but may be reſolved out of the law. Zorobal[illegible: 1 letter]cl is both founder and finiſher of the Temple (thoſe that will have it not to be finiſhed till about the ſixth yeer of Darius Nothus, make him to be very long-lived: and tell us that God granteth to one a longer life then ordinary, becauſe he hath ſomething to be done by them.) The diſtruſtful Jews began to deſpiſe thoſe ſmall beginnings of a building: and to deſpair of ever ſeeing it perfected, by reaſon of thoſe mountains of oppoſition they met with, and thought they ſhould never dig down or get over. The work ſhall the done ſaith God, and Zerubbabel, how unlikely ſoever, ſhall do it. Beleeve the Prophets, and ye ſhall proſper. It ſhall never be faid of Zorobabel, as of the fooliſh huilder This m[illegible: 1 letter]n began, but could not ſiniſh: Or as an out-lander ſeeing Chriſtchurch in Oxford, ſaid of it, Egregium opus: Cardinalis iſte inſtituit Collegium, Luke 14.30. Rod. Gualthe. & ab [illegible: 2 letters]boit culmam. A pretty piece of Work! A colledge begun, and a kitchin finiſhed. It was God that ſet Zerubbabel awork: and He doth not uſe do things to halves. He is Alpha and Omega, the Beginner and Ender, the Author and Finiſher. Heb. 12.1. I am conſident of this very thing, faith Paul, that he that hath begun a good work in you wil perform it Pſal. 1.6. And faithful is he that calleth you, who alſo will do it 1 Theſ. 5.24. And, the Lord will perſect that which concerneth me (ſaith David) ſorſake not the work of thine own hands, Pſal. 138.8. Look upon the wounds of thine hands, and deſpite not the works of thine hands, ſaid Queen Elizabeth. Thus if men pray in the holy Ghoſt, keep themſelves in the love of God, and look for the mercy of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt umo c[illegible: 1 letter]ernal life, they ſhall be builded up in their moſt holy ſaith, Jude. 20.21. where by Chriſt ſhall dwell in their hearts, as in his holy Temple.

and thou ſhth know] Thou Zachary ſhalt know, that the Lord of Hoſts hath ſent me] His Angel as his Internuncio. See Luk. 1.19. Or thou Zerubbabel ſhalt know, that I Za[illegible: 1 letter]hary come not to thee of mine own minde, but on Gods meſſage, and am therefore to be beleeved. When Ehud told Egion he had a meſſage from God, though he were an heathen and a fat unweildy man, he ſtood up to receive it Judg. 3.20. though that meſſage was a meſſenger of death, a ponyard in his bowels. Should not we harken to the Father of ſpirits and live? Heb. 12. ſhould the Conſolations of God be ſinall with us? Job. 15.11. Should we inſtead of wreſtling with God by prayer, (ſo putting his promiſes in ſuit) wrangle with him, by cavelling objections? l[illegible: 1 letter]ſe dixit among Pythagoras his ſchollers went currant: if their maſter ſaid it, 'twas enough: And ſhall we that are taught of God not give the like credit to our Maſter in heaven? ſhall we not yeeld him the obedrence of faith?