Page:Visions and Prophecies of Zechariah (Baron, David).djvu/236

 the impelling motive of love to the brotherhood. And let me remind you, dear reader, that Christians do have need to lay these moral precepts to heart, for though we are not under the law, the law of God is written on our hearts, and it is His purpose that the righteousness of the law should be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. Beside, whatever be our relation to the law of Moses, we are " under law to Christ," and it is in the New Testament that we are commanded to live and act justly and righteously, and to " have compassion one upon the other," and " to think no evil," which is the equivalent of the beautiful word we have in this passage in Zechariah, " Let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart."

But to return to our context. This was the summary of the teaching of the former prophets; the result is stated in vers. 1 1 and 12:" But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears that they should not hear. Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit by the hand of the former pro phets: therefore came there great wrath from the Lord of hosts?

We have already pointed out the parallelism between the line of thought in the consolatory message contained in chaps, vii. and viii. and that which is unfolded in the series of visions. The same is true also of the introductory addresses, or calls to repentance, which in each case pre cede the prophecies of hope and of future glory. The parallel to chap. vii. 814 is chap. i. 4-6. There also we read, " Be not as your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Return ye now from your evil ways and your evil doings; but they did not hear nor hearken unto Me, saith Jehovah." Here, however, the process of Israel's self-hardening and disobedience, which brought about the desolation of the land and the scattering of the people, is enlarged upon, (a] " They refused to hearken " or to give heed to the word of God