A paraphrasticall explication of the twelve minor prophets. Viz. Hoseah. Joel. Amos. Obadiah. Jonah. Micah. Nahum. Habakkuk. Zephaniah. Haggai. Zechariah. Malachi. / By Da. Stokes. D.D.

CHAP. I.

1. IN the second year of Darius Nothus, in the sixth moneth which hath part of Au∣gust, and part of September) in the first day of the moneth (which the Iews observed, in every moneth as a festival day (the Lord spake by Haggai the Prophet, unto Zerubbabel, * 1.1 the Son of Shealtiel (or Shalathiel) Governor of Iudah, and to Iosuah, the son of Iosedec the High-Priest (who had both become too remisse in urging, and promoting forward that good work of reedifying the Temple, after they perceived the slowns and backwardness of the people in that task.)

2. And this was the sum of that which the Lord of Hosts so * 1.2 spake to them two, in the audience of many other of the Jews. This my people, that should be most forward to advance any work about my house: yet, for their pri∣vate ease, and interests, can be content to say, The time is not yet come, the fit season, wherein the Lords house is to be built. (There is no such hast, but that we may stay well enough for a

quieter, and fitter opportunity, wherein to enter upon it, without fear of interrup∣tion.)

3. Whereupon the word of the Lord came to them by me his Prophet Haggai, saying.

4. * 1.3 O you covetous people, and flow to all that is good! Is it a seasonable time for you to dwell in your fair seiled houses, while my sacred House must lie open and wast (with nothing but a mere foundation of the structure, and an altar for the holocausts) Have you lea∣sure, and will, and money enough for your own houses, and nothing for mine?

5. Now therefore, saith the Lord of Hosts, (whose command all things obey) Consider well the unadvised courses, that you have fol∣lowed hitherto, and the successe, that hath insued upon them, answerable unto your deserts.

6. You have sowed much in your fields, and brought in little into your barns (your harvest hath no way answered the expense of your seed-time.) God would rather revenge your neglect of him, and his house, then give a prosperous issue of your labours, which were untertaken onely in a greedy desire of your private gain. Or, if you got enough to feed

you, yet nature hath not thrived, and been sa∣tisfied with that food, which wanted my bles∣sing upon it. And therefore also the good drink that you had could not chear the heart, and make you merry, nor your wonted apparel keep you so warm as it used to do. And your money which you gathered together with much labour, and industrie, you found to be so sodainly va∣nished away, and exhausted (with so many se∣veral waies of losse, and expense) as if it had been put into a bag so full of holes that nothing could be long kept within it.

7. Therefore (a) 1.4 once again doth the Lord of Hosts advise you to take these things to heart, and seriously consider this unexpected event of your own waies.

8. And, when you have done, so then (by way of amendment) go into these mountainous places, that are best stored with timber, and furnish your selves with so many cedars from thence, as will be needful toward the building of my house. And then raise up that structure as it should be, fit for my publick service, and I will geatiously accept of that cost and labour of yours, and requite it with many blessings, for which (b) 1.5 you shall have just occasion to glo∣rifie my holy name.

13. For, hitherto indeed you have looked carefully (c) 1.6 to the increase of your estate, spe∣cially for your crop abroad, and have taken the best course for it, as you thought: yet you cannot but see that I brought all that great care, and expectation to little, or nothing. And when you had fetched home your gains, and your wealth so carefully purchased; I made it to vanish aud flie away with the least blast of mine anger, as easily as the dust is blown away before a mighty wind. And why did I this? saith the Lord of Hosts (what is the reason of this curse?) I will tell you why I did it. Because you let my house lie desolate, and unbuilt, while you were all too hastily, and wholly taken up with the building and adorning of your own private houses. So your neglect of me and my ser∣vice produced my neglect of you, and your profit.

10. That is the reason, why the Heavens, that are above you, were prohibited to supply you with that dew, which should help on the growth of those things, that spring out of the earth. And the earth, that is under you, had the like prohibition from affording her usual increase of fruit.

11. And I commanded a drought and barren∣nesse to come upon all the land, specially upon the mountainous and most eminent parts. A barrennesse both of the corn, and the new wine, and the oyl. And this barrennesse extended to all that, which is brought forth of the ground, or (d) 1.7 of men, or of cattel: and so to every thing that mny be esteemed as a fruit of the labour of your hands. So that nothing that you went a∣bout did any way seem to prosper.

12. These words of the Prophet wrought so with Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Iosuah the son of Iosedech the High-Priest, and the remnant of the Iews that returned out of the captivity; that they readily obeyed what God had injoyned them to do; and to what his Pro∣phet Haggai had delivered to them, they gave great attention, and respect, (e) 1.8 because the Lord, their God, had set him upon that message. And so the people humbled themselves in the fear of the Lord, and submitted to what had been said against them, and to what was not requi∣red of them.

13. Whereupon Haggai, that had delivered the former message from the Lord, spake again to them, by vertue of a further commission, and deputation from God himself, and said, I will

be with you, saith the Lord, not onely to pardon all that is past, but to prosper also what you readily undertake, for the reedifying of my Temple.

13. In prosecution of which promise, the Lord stirred up the spirit (i. the will and cou∣rage) of Zorobabel, the son of Shealtiel, Gover∣nour of Iudah, and the spirit of Joshua, the son of Josedec, the High-Priest, and the spirit of all the Jews, that remained after the captivity of Babylon. And they began to compose, and pre∣pare themselves for that work, in the house of the Lord of Hosts, their God.

15. And what was thus resolved on, was accordingly begun, upon the 24. day of the sixth moneth (which hath part of our August, and part of September) in the second year of Darius the King.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Luk. 3. 27.
• * 1.2

  Ex v. 12.
• * 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ô ves.
• (a) 1.4

  ut v. 5.
• (b) 1.5

  Or, I will show my glory there.
• (c) 1.6

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ad rem augendam.
• (d) 1.7

  repete 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• (e) 1.8

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉