A paraphrasticall explication of the twelve minor prophets. Viz. Hoseah. Joel. Amos. Obadiah. Jonah. Micah. Nahum. Habakkuk. Zephaniah. Haggai. Zechariah. Malachi. / By Da. Stokes. D.D.

CHAP. II.

1. (AFter what was told me of the four Carpenters, and as it were in confir∣mation of that) Another vision caused the lift∣ing up of mine eyes, where I beheld a man with a measuring line in his hand. ( A resemblance of Nehemiah, that was to take care for the employment of the builders of the City.)

2. To this man I presently applied my self, and said unto him, whither art thou going? And he returned me this answer: I am going to measure Ierusalem, that I may see what is the breadth, and what is the length of it.

3. (a) You may take notice, that, in the mean while, the great Angel, with whom I had

been entertained in discourse before, withdrew himself from the place where he then stood: and another Angel went out to meet him, and re∣ceive his commands.

4. To whom this was that, which the great Angel gave first in charge. Make hast, saith he, and deliver this Prophesie to that young man, (Zachariah, the young Prophet) and say. Ie∣rusalem shall be once again so populous, that many of her Citizens shall be fain to inhabite in the suburbs, and in the little villages all about them, because neither they, nor their cattle, and other wealth shall be able to be conteined within the walls. (In all which Jerusalem shall be but a type of a greater accesse of true converts to the Church of God, which is the true Jerusalem, the mother of us all.)

5. And to this Ierusalem (and to that which is figured by it) will I be like a wall of fire round about her (to defend her from all outward assaults) And within the Citie, I will be a glory to her in the many, and miraculous expressions of my power, and Majestie.

6. You therefore that account your selves in the number of the children of Israel, and are yet in the land of your captivity. Come, O come quickly to us out of those Northern cli∣mates, saith the Lord. For I will dilate and extend your habitations towards the four winds

of Heaven, and much inlarge the borders of your possession, saith the Lord.

7. Therefore make hast, Come away, come away you Citizens of Sion. Delight not to continue your captivity, and prolong the time of your banishment from your Jerusalem: but speedily come out of Babylon, you that hitherto have continued in that place. (Come out of your places of idolatrie, and seat your selves in the spatious limits of the true Church of God.)

8. For thus saith the Lord of hosts (the great Deliverer and Defender of his Church.) (b) Come after that glory, wherein I shall go before you, as your glorious guide and Cham∣pion, to conduct you safe to your Jerusalem (that here and that above) For (c) he that sends me (as his great Angel of the covenant, and commander of his Hosts.) hath sent me, upon this errand amongst the rest, to visit the nations that spoiled you to be avenged, and to deliver you out of their Tyrannie. Nor could you expect any lesse, since he that toucheth you, toucheth the very apple of his eye. He is as sen∣sible of your injuries, and sufferings, as if they

were his own, and offered to him in a part of the tenderest touch.

9. Therefore you may observe me already shaking my hand over them by way of menace. And accordingly them that have heretofore used you as Servants, I shall not fail ere long to make servants unto you, and some of them more then so (as in the time of the Maccabees) to be no better then captives, taken in warlike manner (which shall serve also as a type and figure of those that shall be taken into my service, when I send the rod of my power out of Sion, and when my spiritual souldiers shall bring them of all nations into the number of the true Israel of God) And, when they that I send, shall compasse so great atchievements, you will know assuredly, that it was the Lord of Hosts that sent me (the great Commander, not of those troops onely, that appeared in the first vision, but of all things that are in heaven, and earth.)

10. Rejoyce then, and be exceeding glad, O daughter of Sion: for, (d) which thou shalt see and wonder at, I will not onely vouchsafe to dwell in this Temple, that you are building, but I will further be pleased to come & dwell with you, visibly, & personally conversing among you

(in the sacred Temple of my flesh) saith the Lord Iehovah.

11. And many nations shall apply themselves to the Lord in those daies, and like true Pro∣selytes, and converts indeed, be joyned unto Him, (as souldiers to sight under his banner, and no longer as enemies to him and his Church) So shall they become my people, as you are, and true members of the true Jerusalem: And I will abide, and dwell in the midst of thee, and within thee (as my holy Temple, and my Heaven upon earth) And so thou shalt be more and more assured that it was the Lord of Hosts, that sent me unto thee, O thou daughter of Sion, (the Church and Congregation of the true servants of God.)

12. With this happy successe shall the Lord inherit Iudah again, as his peculiar possession, in the holy land, and again make choice of Ierusa∣lem, wherein to show his power, and glory.

13. Therefore let all (e) men be still, and show (f) fear and reverence before the Lord. For he will rise up from the throne of his glory, and show himself from his holy habitation, to (g) subdue his enemies under his feet, and be glorified in his servants.

Notes

• Nehem. 2. 13.
• (a)

  Ecce.
• (b)

  Rep r. ex v. praeced.
• (c)

  Sic Christus in Evang. non semel dicit se missum â Patre.
• Psal. 110. 2. &c.
• (d)

  Ecce.
• v. 10.
• (e)

  Caro 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 pro homine.
• (f)

  Silentium saepe pro timora & reverentia.
• (g)

  Psal. 110.