of us, the broken-heartedness, the confession, the putting away of evil, the fear and trembling, the crying to the Lord, and the presenting His perfect work in the sweet savour of it, which God so owned and blest at Mizpeh ! May these holy, gracious lessons, not be lost upon us; but may our hearts know the power of them, by the Spirit, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake! Amen.

THE TWO LAMECHS.

IN Gen. iii. we see what man, as a creature, was. How powerless, foolish, without purpose! Man, the good,-yet but a creature, left to himself, where every blessing was his, did not stand,—would not hold his blessing. And now he is out of Eden and is there where sorrow and trial make his corrupted self to feel the fall.

In Gen. iv. we see the course of man on the earth.-Out of Eden, God would still have to do with man, fallen though he was: but Cain had a way of his own, would not bow to God, and became the seed of the world, driven out from the presence of the Lord upon earth. Corruption marks the whole.

In Gen. v. we see the people, among whom God set light, in the family of Seth.—But how suddenly does the bright flame which flickers in Enoch expire! What a light was this Enoch! He names his son, too, who died just before the deluge, Methuselah: (At) his death, He sends (it).

In the family of Cain there was a Lamech (Gen. iv. 18, 19), and in the family of Seth there was a Lamech (Gen. v. 25, and 1 Chr. i. 3, and Luke iii. 26). Both held the place of last but one in the pedigree. And both evinced the same folly; that of allowing their own minds to make deductions from the truth of God. The first argued, and gave it out as a testimony, that as God was pledged to vindicate the wilful murderer, Cain, sevenfold; He would vindicate him (an unwilling man slayer) seventy times seven. The second cheered his friends by a testimony that Noah, his son, whose name was well called (Rest or) NOAH, "Shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed." But they were all swept away in the flood,-not when Noah comforted those to whom God had given sorrow, but-when God gave rest to Noah in the ark. In the infidel world there was a Lamech to reason upon Revelation; and in the Seth channel of light, there was a Lamech to do likewise: for man is ever a corrupter, and the corruption of religious man differs little from the corruption of irreligious man. Compare also Rom. i. 29-31, and 2 Tim. iii. 2—5.

May we take heed to the warning !

No. XXXIX.

PROPHECY, ISRAEL'S ENCOURAGEMENT TO BUILD THE TEMPLE. COMPARISON OF

EZRA, HAGGAI, AND ZECHARIAH.

THE peculiarity of the prophecies of Haggai and Zechariah is, that they present, especially, the Lord's recognition of a remnant in Judah, who were delivered from the Babylonish captivity, under Zerubbabel, and whose history is given in the early chapters of the book of Ezra, so far as it is connected with these prophecies.

a

The decree of Cyrus which gave the occasion, and the authority, for this movement on the part of the Jews is thus strikingly given in the words of the Persian conqueror. "Thus saith Cyrus, king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth: and he hath charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is the God) which is in Jerusalem."

This decree became a test of the moral condition of the people: for it presented, in the foremost place, an object attractive only to the heart that was in alliance with God; and could therefore esteem its own ease and comfort as nothing in comparison with His glory. The language of the decree was, "Who is there among you

a It should be observed that the prophesying of Haggai and Zechariah related only to the period of Zerubbabel's governorship; the history of which concludes with the account of the dedication of the house of God in the sixth chapter of Ezra according to the prediction of Zechariah; "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, his hands also shall finish it." The mission of Ezra, which is recorded in the seventh chapter, to the end, introduces us to a much later period;-perhaps near eighty years after the decree of Cyrus; and Nehemiah's coming to Jerusalem was a few years later. Malachi, presents us with the last inspired glimpse of this remnant which the Old Testament affords.

of all his people, his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel, which is in Jerusalem." This was the specific object for which deliverance was proclaimed for these captives:—and the result was, that the majority of the people preferred to remain in the ameliorated circumstances of an ignoble captivity in Babylon to going up to Jerusalem, for this at least, afforded them the means of present ease and comfort; which outweighed, in their esteem, all the honor and credit of building the house of God, amidst circumstances of trial and difficulty. This had its attraction only to the eye of faith. It required the spirit of Ezra to say, "Our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem." "A wall in Judah and Jerusalem" is estimated as a greater proof of God's mercy than a palace in Babylon.

The first movements of this remnant might be in weakness and indistinctness of apprehension regarding the purposes of the Lord;-as we see in the sorrow of

the ancient men when the foundation of the house was laid—so inferior was it in their eyes to the glory of the former house:-nor did the joy of those that shouted arise from a clearer view of its being again the resting-place of the divine glory. But when the light of prophecy and divine revelation began to shed its beams upon their undertaking, it was found that this feeble movement was connected with all God's future purposes relating to Israel's final blessing and glory.

"Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? [says the Lord by the prophet] and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing? Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work: for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts. According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not. For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens,

and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts."-Haggai, ii. 3—9.

This

There was one special object, which was to hold the foremost place in returning to the land of their fathers:it was "to build the house of God at Jerusalem." is alike marked in the decree which opened the door of their captivity, and in the prophecy which afterwards roused their spirit to the work. Upon this hung all their fortunes; and as it was prosecuted or neglected, their prosperity ebbed or flowed.

This is only in accordance with what Moses at the Red Sea, in prospect of Israel's entrance into Canaan, sang, "The Lord is my strength and my song, and He is become my salvation; He is my God, and I will prepare him a habitation." And now, on their return from captivity, which was a chastisement for their sins, the Lord says, "build the house, and I will take pleasure in it." However, it was not on their immediate return from Babylon that the direct encouragement of prophecy was given. This came in several years after the opposition of their enemies had caused them to relinquish the work which the Spirit of the Lord had led them to commence, but which their faith was not sufficient to continue.

For it will be seen-as is ever the case - when the light of God shines in, that it was the failure of faith, and not the power of the enemy, that led to the discontinuance of this work, which had so directly His sanction.

His secret power had been with them, as captives in Babylon, when "they hanged their harps on the willows,' and refused to sing "the Lord's song in a strange land." And it was his hand that led them forth on their return from captivity, however weak their condition, and contemptible their numbers. This was their strength. And it is said, on the passing of the decree, Ezra i. 5. "Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose

spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem."

It is only by the power of God that even his people's hearts are turned from the pursuit of their own selfish. objects, to be occupied in that which He can take pleasure in. Every true revival, in every age, must be traced up to GOD, and not to man; and it should be ever remembered, that it was said of Christians, and not of the world, "All seek their own, not the things that are Jesus Christ's."

As to this remnant, it may be said, the Word of the Lord was their guide in what they did, and they were marked by the spirit of dependence upon the Lord:the invariable characteristics which accompany a work of God-though, as it afterwards appears, they failed to apprehend how fully His presence was with them in the work.

Their first act when they reached Jerusalem, all unprotected as they were, was to "set the altar upon his bases (for fear was upon them because, of the people of those countries), and they offered burnt-offerings thereon unto the Lord." "And they kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and they offered the daily burntofferings by number," etc. "Their altar [as one has said] was to them in the place of walls." And surely the presence of God was their only adequate protection; though with that they might well be raised above the reach of

As afterwards, it was said, though their circumstances were unchanged, "Be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work: for I am with you, saith the Lord."

Still, when opposition presented itself, their faith did not rise high enough. They refused, it is true, to be confederated in building with those (whatever their pretensions) who were the "adversaries of Judah and Benjamin;" but through fear of their power and opposition, the work at length was caused to cease. Their

faith gave way under the storm, which the spirit of separation had raised. The same opposition was again