in God's Word; let us proceed to consider the subject selected for our present meditation, namely, THE PERSONAL PRESENCE OF CHRist IN ZION; and in so doing, it is my desire, and shall be my endeavour, to make Scripture speak for itself in all the particulars upon which it may be necessary to touch. This subject, however, is so closely connected with, and dependant upon others, that though I may be in danger of traversing the same ground with some who have preceded me, my apology must be that of the Apostle: "To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe," for all will readily perceive that the personal presence of Christ in Zion, during the Millennium, stands or falls with the proof of his personal coming PRIOR to that event.

The following points, then, are what I would endeavour to establish.

I. THAT THE WORDS OF OUR TEXT REFER TO CHRIST'S SECOND ADVENT.

II. THAT THIS ADVENT WILL BE PREMILLENNIAL.

III. THAT IT WILL BE A PERSONAL ADVENT.

IV. THAT ZION WILL BE THE PLACE OF CHRIST'S PERSONAL PRESENCE.

May the Lord guide, direct, and bless us, in the consideration of this subject, and grant that it may tend to the stablishing, strengthening, and settling us in the faith and hope of the Gospel, for Christ's sake!

We proceed, then, to the investigation of our first point.

I. THAT THE WORDS OF OUR TEXT REFER TO CHRIST'S SECOND ADVENT.

It seems, indeed, scarcely necessary to show that the verse before us, while recorded by the prophet, contains the address of the Lord himself; since it is so evident from the context. Let us only read from the eighth verse, and none can doubt who it is that here speaks: "For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me* unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye. For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me. Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD." That the Lord, then, is here speaking with reference to himself, is evident from the very

* Or, as some read it," After he hath sent me, shall be the glory, or a glorious time and state."-See Dr. Gill, Com. R 3

words used, and it is no less clear that they contain assurances of his Advent.

Since, then, there are two, and only two Advents of the Lord foretold, namely, his first coming in humility, and his Second Advent in glory, therefore our text must speak of one or other of these two events. Now, I think it is clear that the passage before us refers to the latter, namely, the second coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; and in using the expression Second Advent, I should wish to be understood as speaking in general terms, and as including both his appearance and actual descent to the earth, each being only part of one and the same great

event.

1. The first consideration by which I would endeavour to establish this point, is one which may be gathered from the condition of the Jewish nation, as described in the passage before us, at the time of the ADVENT here predicted. They are spoken of as dispersed amongst all nations, as a spoiled people; for thus are they addressed in the sixth verse: "Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the Lord. Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon." (For

an explanation of which expression I would refer you to Rev. xviii. 4.)

And here I might just observe, that by universal consent, Zechariah is considered to have delivered this prophecy after the restoration of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity, and, therefore, this exhortation cannot refer to their return at that period, and consequently, it must relate to some other event. But we do not find that there was any dispersion of the Jews after their restoration and establishment in their own land under Zerubbabel, till some years subsequent to the First Advent of Christ, when their city was destroyed by the Romans, and they were scattered over the face of the whole earth, as they are to this day.

This ADVENT, then, of our Lord, which is coincident with the re-gathering of the Jews from "the four winds," must yet be future, and therefore refers to his SECOND COMING. And, moreover, it must be evident to all, that there was nothing in the state and condition of the Jews at the time of our Lord's First Advent, that could at all agree with the description here given; then, though tributary to the Roman power, they were dwelling at Jerusalem as a nation; they had their priesthood, their Temple, and all the services connected with the same. But at the period to

which our text refers, how different is their condition! dispersed and scattered, as we have already seen.

But again, on the other hand, how remarkably does their state, as here set forth, correspond with what is implied by our blessed Lord's own words with reference to their condition, at the time of his future Advent. Speaking of that event, he says, in Matt. xxiv. 30, 31: "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." So that here, as in the passage connected with our text, they are dispersed and scattered till Christ shall appear the second time.

2. But, further, that our text speaks of the Second Advent, seems also clear, since the results that are to follow upon it, as regards the Jewish people, are so entirely dissimilar from those which attended and succeeded his first coming; then, notwithstanding all the evidences of his Divine commission, which were afforded by the literal fulfilment of prophecy as to his miraculous con