Page:Visions and Prophecies of Zechariah (Baron, David).djvu/369



THE SHEPHERD-KING 353


 * here be among God s people who know Christ as the

Foundation of their hopes for eternity, but little as their Burden-bearer, " who bears their grief and carries their sorrows " ! Cast thy burden upon the Lord, O Christian, vhatever it may be, " and He will sustain thee."

But, secondly, the chief purpose of the nail, or peg astened in a sure place, is, that upon it may hang all the rtory of the house, " all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups (or goblets ) even to all the vessels of iagons." A great portion of the wealth of the ancient Orientals (and the same is still true in measure) consisted in gold and silver vessels and in changes of raiment. These, as well as shields, swords, and suits of armour taken n battle, they were wont, with Eastern ostentation, to hang )n the " pegs " in their tents or houses for the admiration of ill who entered.

And this, to pass from the figure to the great truth it s meant to represent, is what God expects us to do with Christ. When it is said, " They shall hang upon Him all he glory of His Father s house," it means that Israel shall et render to Him that honour and glory, that joyful .llegiance and willing consecration of themselves and their &gt;ossessions, to which He is entitled as the true heir of the Davidic " house," and Lord of the theocratic kingdom. \nd it is our privilege also even now, during the period of flis rejection, to " hang upon Him," that is, consecrate to iim and His service all that which we may regard as " our weakest of His redeemed people, who can say that he has lothing which he can dedicate to Him, for that which is nost precious in His sight is a loving, confiding heart and .n adoring spirit. But next to, and together with, the ffering of ourselves, we are to " hang upon Him " whatever lossessions or gifts or talents which He may have ntrusted to us. And it is precious and beautiful to note hat there is a place on the peg for " the cup or goblet " as /ell as for the " flagon " : and " the vessel of small quantity," /hen fully consecrated to the Master s use, is of greater use, 23
 * lory." Nor is there any one, even the least and the