the foe. The 'great mountain' is primarily
the frowning difficulties which lifted themselves against Zerubbabel's
enterprise, and more widely the whole mass of worldly opposition
encountered by God's servants in every age. It seems to bar all advance;
but an unseen Hand crushes it down, and flattens it out into a level, on
which progress is easy. The Hebrew gives the suddenness and completeness
of the transformation with great force; for the whole clause, 'Thou
shalt become a plain,' is one word in the original.

Such triumphant rising above difficulties is not presumption when it has
been preceded by believing gaze on the source of strength. If we have
taken to heart the former words of the Prophet, we shall not be in
danger of rash overconfidence when we calmly front obstacles in the path
of duty, assured that every mountain shall be made low. A brave scorn of
the world, both in its sweetnesses and its terrors, befits God's men,
and is apt to fulfil its own confidences; for most of these terrors are
like ghosts, who will not wait to be spoken to, but melt away if fairly
faced. Nor should we forget the other side of this thought; namely, that
it is the constant drift of Providence to abase the lofty in mind, and
to raise the lowly. What is high is sure to get many knocks which pass
over lower heads. To men of faith every mountain shall either become a
plain or be cast into the sea.

Then follows, on the double revelation of the source of strength and the
futility of opposition, the assurance of the successful completion of
the work. The stone which is to crown the structure shall be brought
forth and set in its place amid jubilant prayers not offered in vain,
that 'grace'--that is, the protecting favour of God--may rest on it.

The same thought is reiterated and enlarged in the next 'word,' which is
somewhat separated from the former, as if the flow of prophetic
communication had paused for a moment, and then been resumed. In verse 9
we have the assurance, so seldom granted to God's workers, that
Zerubbabel shall be permitted to complete the task which he had begun.
It is the fate of most of us to inherit unfinished work from our
predecessors, and to bequeath the like to our successors. And in one
aspect, all human work is unfinished, as being but a fragment of the
fulfilment of the mighty purpose which runs through all the ages. Yet
some are more happy than others, in that they see an approximate
completion of thei