Wesley Corpus

O my Lord - This was Christ, the Lord of hosts. What are these - What is the meaning of these appearances. The angel - Christ, the angel of the covenant. These - Horsemen, are angels, who are ministers of the Divine Providence in the government of the world. Is at rest - All men sit still to take their ease. All is peaceable. This was the state of the empire which at that time ruled all. Angel of the Lord - The angel, the Lord Christ. Cry thou - Now publish what thou hearest, and assure my poor captive church, that God will do good for her. A little displeased - With mine own people, that is, in comparison of the anger I bear against the Heathen. Helped forward - Attempted to destroy whom I would but correct. A line - The builder's measuring line shall be stretched out, to mark out the walls, gates, streets, and houses in Jerusalem. Through prosperity - Through increase of families, they shall send forth colonies, and plant new cities, and thro' increase of wealth, and cattle, be able to build their cities, and stock their colonies. Four horns - Emblems of the enemies of the Jews. The horns - Powers, states, and kingdoms, which have from all sides pushed at, broken and tossed my people. Judah - The two tribes. Israel - The ten tribes. He - Christ. These - He first points to the four horns. But these - These carpenters are emblems of those instruments God will employ in breaking those destroyers. Who lift up - Who employed their arms and strength against the kingdom of Judah, to drive them out of God's inheritance.