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Ark, by which the ministers performed the service CHAR of God in relation to the people. And the seven pipes to the seven lamps, signified the various gifts, through which the ministrations of the spirit should be conveyed to the world.

25. The two olive trees answer to the two cherubims, and are the two anointed ones, who stand by the Lord of the whole earth; and by the spirit of the two anointed ones, the two witnesses prophesied. the two foundation pillars of the Church.

These are

Zech. iv.

26. And besides these two olive trees, are "two olive branches, which, through two golden pipes, empty 12. the golden oil out of themselves." Which signified the two first chosen vessels, whose correspondent union and relation is with the two anointed ones, and whom God raised up as instruments to gather into one, his people, and establish the order of the Church, in this day of Christ's second appearing.

27. Now that the purpose and promise of God, in relation to the two anointed ones, or foundation pillars of his spiritual building, were to be fulfilled in the order of male and female, may be clearly understood from the following prophecies unto Joshua, the type of Jesus the Saviour.

6,

28. "And the angel of the Lord protested unto JOSHUA, saying, Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, If Zech. thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk in among these that stand by."

29. The charge here given to Joshua, typically related to Christ Jesus, and which he punctually fulfilled during his ministry, in his first appearing, accor ding to his own words: I have kept my Father's commandments.—I do always those things that please him. I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. By which he laid and established the foundation of man's redemption; and God appointed him to be the head, and first heir of all things to his Church, and the judge and ruler in his spiritual house.

John vi

29, xv.10.

xvi. 4,

30. But the promise of God in Christ Jesus, respected also another, in a joint relation with the first. "Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou and thy Zed.

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CHAP fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at for behold, I will bring forth my servant the Micah iv. BRANCH. In that day saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine, and under the fig tree."

11, 12.

31. This prophecy concerning the BRANCH, alludes particularly to Christ's coming in the latter day, to set up his kingdom, and complete the order in the foundation of his spiritual building, when the promise of God should be fulfilled in both the anointed

ones.

32. Again, the word of the Lord came unto ZechZech. vi. ariah, saying, "Take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of JOSHUA-And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, Behold the man whose name is the BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord." So that ZERUBBABEL and the BRANCH are one and the same.

33. "Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his Zech. vi. throne: and the council of peace shall be BETWEEN THEM BOTH."

23.

34. Here then are two particular and principal persons spoken of. The first is JOSHUA, that is, JESUS ; and to him, and in him, was the promise of the second, who was called the BRANCH, who was to grow up out of his place and build the temple of the Lord.

35. Therefore, in this BRANCH there are two, as the branch and the root are two. I am the root and the offspring of David, said the Son of God. In him is the root, and in him is the branch; one in nature, union and essence, and in one joint correspondent relation; but two in their lot and order. The first, as hath been observed, is called, HE, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS; and the second, SHE, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

36. These are the two olive trees, from which the Church of God is nourished and supplied with the oil of joy, and from which the meek are beautified with salvation. These are THE TWO ANOINTED ONES, who stand by the Lord of the whole earth;

and the counsel of peace is BETWEEN THEM BOTH. And by and through these, the male and the female find each their correspondent relation to the great first cause, from whom all order and perfection flows, and their joint union and relation to each other in the work of eternal redemption.

CHAP.

15.

VIII.

37. And through these Two Anointed Ones, between whom the counsel of God is placed, God hath promised saying, And they that are far off shall come Zech. vi. and build in the temple of the Lord.-And their seed Isai. Ixt shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed.

9.

38. To the same spiritual union and relation, alludes the prophecy of Micah : “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Micah v. me, that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth 1,2,3,4 have been from of old, from everlasting." This part of the prophecy particularly alludes to Christ's first appearing.

ix. 25. xi.

& 2Thes.

.3.

39. "Therefore will he give them up, [i. e. they shall fall away] until the time that SHE which travail. See Dan. eth hath brought forth : then the remnant of his breth- 31. ü. 7. ren shall return unto the children of Israel." This part of the prophecy particularly alludes to Christ's second appearing. "And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord his God; and THEY [that is, HE and SHE, the TWO ANOINTED ONES] shall abide : for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.”

40. The same prophet Micah, also speaks of the most important parts of the prophecy as being fulfilled in the line of the female, which had not their accomplishment in Christ's first appearing; but are gradually and progressively accomplishing in this day of his second appearing.

41." And thou, tower of the flock, the strong Micalive hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, s to 13. even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem-Be in pain, and Labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go

Tt

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CHAP even to Babylon; [literally fulfilled in the Babylonian captivity, and spiritually in the dominion of Antichrist; there the Lord shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies."

See also Jer. li. 20 to 23

42. "Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look empar upon Zion. But they know not the thoughts of the Zech. xii. Lord, neither understand they his counsel: for he &Matt shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor. Arise xiv. 19, and thresh, O daughter of Zion; for I will make Rev.i. 7. thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass; and

to 14,

30. and

Zeph. iii. 9, 10.

thou shalt beat in pieces many people and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth."

43. Also the prophet Zephaniah " For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent. From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering."

44. It is further evident, not only from the writings of the apostles, but from the parables and testimony of Christ Jesus himself, that his second appearing was to be in the order of the female. The Mat.xxii kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain King, which made a marriage for his Son.

2.

45. Here the God of heaven is likened to an earthly king, and his Son, to the son of a mortal. But wherein does this likeness consist? The similitude is so natural and pointed, that it cannot be mistaken, nor misapplied without the greatest perversion.

46. It was Christ's usual manner to speak in parables, and to condescend to the state of mankind, and convey the nature of spiritual things by natural similitudes; and therefore, to speak after the manner of men, had the Son of God remained in his first capacity, without completing the order of his manhood, there could have been no similitude in the case of which he was speaking.

47. Christ Jesus entered the world in the morning of a great day, which was a day of preparation for his marriage, and the setting up of his everlasting kingdom and that day was to pass away before the

VIII.

solemn scene could commence: his oxen and fat- CHAP, lings were to be killed, and all things made ready.

48. Souls were not invited to come immediately into that kingdom; but they were taught to pray for it to come; and were invited to be ready, against the time when he should appear in his glory. And they were warned to watch and pray, and not to be overcome with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cures of Lukesxi. this life, lest that day should come upon them una- 34, 35. wares, like a thief. For as a SNARE, said Jesus, shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

49. To the same import is also the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, who, while the bridegroom Mat.xx. tarried, all slumbered and slept. There was to be it 14. a going forth to a spiritual marriage, after which the door was to be shut.

50. The wise and foolish virgins are not imaginary beings; they are real persons, wise and foolish professors of the Christian name, who equally expect Christ to make his second appearing.

51. The wise virgins are such as know that Christ is a Spirit, who never was, nor ever could be seen with the carnal eye; and therefore they have oil in their vessels with their lamps: their understandings being enlightened, by the Spirit of God, to discern 4 the bridegroom at his coming. The foolish virgins are those, who, being asleep in their dead professions, trust to their own human wisdom, in a false hope of seeing the bridegroom according to their own carnal expectations,

52. The bridegroom hath been long ascertained, to wit, the Lord Jesus. But who is the bride? She is neither the wise nor the foolish virgins, but a peculiar object distinct from both; an object which lay hid, until the fulness of time, when the revelation of God made her manifest, at the bridegroom's coming.

53. It may be said, that the Church is the bride; the Church is the daughter of Zion; the Church is the daughter of Jerusalem; the Church is the woman clothed with the sun, and so on. It is granted that the prophets and apostles frequently spake of the Church in the feminine gender.