A compleat history and mystery of the Old and New Testament logically discust and theologically improved : in four volumes ... the like undertaking (in such a manner and method) being never by any author attempted before : yet this is now approved and commended by grave divines, &c. / by Christopher Ness ...

Ezra CHAP. VI.

THIS Chapter contains the Removendo Prohibentia, and the Applicando Auxiliatoria, the Removing of Rubbs and the Applying of Helps in the Rebuilding of the Temple.

Remark the First; This Darius (who is call'd also Artaxerxes, the common Name of the Kings of Persia, as Pharaoh was of the Kings of Egypt) makes search for Cyrus's Decree in the House of the Rolls, and found it in Echatana, one of the Provinces of Babylon, (if taken properly) or in a Coffer (as the word signifies) if taken Appellatively, ver. 1, 2. The Contents of Cyrus's Decree are recited, ver. 3, 4, 5. where Wolphius well observeth, that it is very improbable Cyrus should confine the Jews to an exact Longi∣tude, Latitude and profundity of their Temple, but rather left it to their Power and Pleasure, and to the Achitectors whom they employed: He only fixed such limits, that it might not be made in the form of a Strong Tower, lest they should hereafter turn it into a Place of Defence against himself: But this is manifest (saith Masius) that those proportions here differ much from those of Solomon's Temple, which was but 30 Cubits High (excepting the Porch which was 120) and but 20 Cubits Broad: Tho' this Second Temple consists here of 60 Cubits High, and 60 Cubits Broad, (nothing being said here of its Length) yet was it less than that of Solomon's, Ezra. 3.12. Hag. 2.3. there∣fore these Cubits of Solomon were larger likely, as Sacred above common Cubits.

Remark the Second; Darius, having perused this former Decree of Cyrus, and re∣solving to make him his pattern for Imitation, immediately passeth a New Decree to Reinforce the former, from ver. 6. to ver. 12. wherein he 1. commands Tatnai, &c. not to come near the Builders to discourage them, nor to meddle in disturbing them, &c. ver. 6, 7. 2ly. The King commands moreover, that those Adversaries should supply the Builders with Materials and Money out of his Royal Tribute and Treasury, that it may stop no more for want of Necessaries, but be compleated with Expedition, that therein they might Pray for the Life of the King and his Sons, ver. 8, 9, 10. N. B. Whence Wolphius Notes well, That as it is the duty of all pious Minds to pray for Magistrates, so 'tis the Interest of Magistrates to desire the Prayers of pious Persons, both for them and for theirs, &c. N. B. But above all, he observes how this Pagan King of Persia condemns all Will-worship, in prescribing no Sacrifices for the Temple, but such as the Law of God had precisely pre∣scribed, not mixing the least Dram of Persian Superstition with God••s own Institution by his command: Which sheweth, that nothing ought to be Added to or Subtracted from God's Word; and that all Divine Worship must have Divine Warrant: He names Calves

and Lambs only which God appointed. Yea, and Grotius excellently observeth here, that this Darius exceeded and excelled Cyrus himself in this respect of his Royal Be∣neficency; for Cyrus only permitted the Jews to be Contributers unto this Great Work, but this King Darius Contributes himself much also out of his own Treasure, as farther appeareth Chap. 7.20, 21, 22. and Neh 11.23. 3ly. This New Decree of Darius doom∣eth all Persons (both Gentle and Simple, &c.) that dared to disturb the Builders of the Temple, to have their own Houses pull'd down as a Penalty, ver. 11. and themselves to be Hang'd (saith Vatablus) upon some piece of their own Timber of the House: Or it inti∣mateth (saith Wolphius) that the Body of such a Transgressor shall be beaten and broken to pieces with his own Wood, &c. which could not but be a most cruel kind of Death; yea, and his House be turned into a Dunghil or Jakes, exposed (saith Osiander) to all manner of Violence and vilest Ʋses, &c. 4ly. Darius adds also a most sad Impre∣cation of the severest Curses to befall all Kings and People that durst presume to Discou∣rage or Disturb the Builders of God's Temple, v. 12. Here Darius (saith Wolphius) makes a Candid Confession of his Faith in the True God, of his Power and Justice, clearly distinguish∣ing him from all false Deities. N. B. There is no doubt but this True God (whom Darius thus solemnly Invocated) said Amen to his dreadful Curse. Let all Persecutors of God's Church and Children (be they high or low) Tremble at this direful Im∣precation; for in all Ages God's Hand hath been exceeding heavy upon their Persons and Posterities. Let Kings and all Princes (saith Wolphius) learn to be Wise, and not dare to thrust their Sickles into God's Harvest, the Lord of it will not see his Harvest spoil'd before his Eyes by the Wild Beasts of the Wood or World.

Remark the Third; Behold how the Adversaries of the Jews do truckle and bow before the Authority of this Decree of Darius! ver. 13. No sooner had the King (saith Wolphius) quite excluded all Exception, and universally commanded a speedy Executi∣on, but the very Toparchs or Persian Governours, presently bend and buckle to promote that Building of the Temple, which before they had bandied together with all their Craft and Might to Obstruct. Now Tatnai and Shetherboznai did Advance it, because they durst do no otherwise; their Obedience is now wrung out of them as Verjuice is out of a Crab, or Distill'd Waters by the force of Fire: They dare not disobey the Direction of the Decree, lest they should lie under the lash of the Law and Correcti∣on of it; to wit, Their Houses to be pull'd down, &c. No doubt but they undertook this Work as Aukardly as Haman did in his Honouring of Mordecai at that juncture of time, when it was in his heart to Hang Mordecai up out of his way: Thus those Mongrel-Samaritans were forced to sear the Lord because of his Lions, 2 Kings 17.33, 34. N.B. (Saith Wolphius) here, All Humane Affairs are so over-ruled by a Divine Providence, that as we cannot expect any Good by the Benevolency of Friends, so nor need we fear the least Dram of Evil from the Malice of our Enemies; unless it be the good-will and pleasure of our good God that it should be so. God compells the Ʋnwilling here, as he oft doth elsewhere, to help his Church, whose hearts were more to hinder it.

Remark the Fourth; Now all Impediments being Removed, all the Helps are Applied, and the Building of the Temple goes bravely forward, and in due time was finished, ver. 14, 15. the Apostle faith, [That which now letteth, will let, until it be taken out of the way,] 2 Thess. 2.7. Hitherto (saith Dr. Lightfoot) had the Jews been building God's House at the instigation and encouragement of God's Prophets Haggai and Ze∣chary; but now they have a Commission from the King that removed all Remora's out of their way.

Mark 1. The Elders of the Jews now did prosper in their Building Work; even those very Men whose Names their Adversaries (the Informers) had taken (saith Wol∣phius) and sent them upon Evil Designs to King Darius, that he might order his Officers to Apprehend them and clap them up close Prisoners, &c. but now their Work was be∣come Glorious which before had been Dangerous.

Mark 2. Their prospering in this Building Work was not to be ascribed to Chance or Fortune, nor to Dariu's good Humour, but unto God only, who both sent his Pro∣phets to prompt them forward in their present proceedings, and by his Almighty Power so disposed Darius's Heart, as to publish this his Noble Decree for promoting it by Royal Authority; therefore 'tis said to be done [by the command of the God of Israel,] ver. 14.

Mark 3. Because 'tis added [by the command of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, &c.] ver. 14. Some suppose this third King was Darius's Son Xerxes, who was a favourer of the Jews▪ (saith Josephus) and as his Father's Vice-Roy promoted this favourable De∣cree; thus saith Masius out of Junius. But the most likely opinion is that of Dr. Light-foot, concurring herein with Wolphius, who saith, that Darius and Artaxerxes were but

one Man; for the Hebrew Vau before Artaxerxes is used there not for Conjunction but for Exposition; as if it were said [Darius, who is also call'd Artaxerxes', which was the common Name of Persian Kings.

Mark 4. Those two Persian Kings Cyrus and Darius, were of great Renown both in Sacred and Civil History; Plato makes them the two grand Restorers and Inlargers of of the Persian Monarchy, &c. and Herodotus testifieth, that these two were highly Ho∣nour'd among the Persians for their Kingly Munificency. These Testimonies are the better, because they hold consonancy with Sacred Writ, which gives an high and honourable Character upon both those Kings; they both Honour'd God, and there∣fore God Honour'd them, 1 Sam. 2.30. but such as will not serve the Church shall perish, Isa. 60.12.

Mark 5. Darius's Decree was issued forth in his third Year, and the Temple goeth for∣ward that Year and his fourth and fifth Year without any Interruption from the Horns that were now broken, &c. and it was finish'd in his sixth Year, ver. 15. in Haman's lucky Adar or February: So that it was four Years in building (saith Sanctius) and about twen∣ty Years after the Foundation had been laid, saith Salmeron) the Jews therefore were out in their Account of forty six Years, John 2.20. unless they meant it of Herod's Temple, which was long in Building and Beautifying, whereby he sought to ingratiate him∣self with the Jews.

Ramark the Fifth, Is the Dedication of the Temple as soon as it was finish'd, ver. 16, 17, 18. wherein the Priests and Levites did Solemnly set it apart for Sacred Service (saith Wolphius) and for no other Use whatsoever, using all those Rites and Ceremo∣nies which the Lord had appointed for that purpose; and this they did with great Joy, as Solomon had done at the Dedication of his first Temple, 2 Chron. 7.10. Thus God had required that his Worship should be celebrated with Joy, Deut. 12.7. and had made it a Condition of an Acceptable Service, Deut. 26.14. because (saith Wolphius) Joy exhilarates Mens Minds, which Sorrow suppresseth. As they had laid the Foundation with Joy, Chap. 3.11, 12. so much more now when they had laid the Top-Stone, and in Consecrating it to God's Worship, which they did by an Hecatomb, (so famous in Homer, and over all the World, saith Wolphius) that is, an hundred Bullocks, tho' it was small to Solomon's, 1 Kin. 8.63. yet highly accepted in Heaven, because they did what they could, Mar. 14.8. Lev. 14.22, 32, &c. and by twelve He-Goats for the Twelve Tribes of Israel. N. B. Tho' Ten of the Tribes were gone off and dispersed they knew not where, yet will they remember them in their Prayers, as we ought to do for all the Israel of God in all places. This whole Matter was manag'd after the manner of the Law of Moses.

Remark the Sixth: The next Consequent (after the Dedication of the compleated Tem∣ple) was their Solemn Celebration of the Passover in it thus Consecrated, ver. 19, to 22.

Mark 1. This probably was the first Passover (saith Sanctius) because no Time before was peaceable enough to suffer it, nor any place capacious enough to contain so vast a Multitude; nor indeed were they before so Purify'd to keep it, as ver. 20.

Mark 2. Not only the Priests and Levites did Purifie themselves, but also the People to partake worthily of this Solemn Passover, N.B. which now minded them of a double Duty: First, Their Fore-fathers Deliverance from Egypt; and Secondly, Their own Deliverance from Babylon; but above all, Thirdly, It was for confirming their Faith in Christ the True Paschal Lamb. They were all Sinners, so needed a Saviour.

Mark 3. Many Proselytes (who had lived among the Jews and were converted from polluting Paganism by their pious Instructions and Conversation) did Purifie themselves.

Mark 4. All those together kept the Passover joyfully, because God had turned the King's heart toward his Temple, and made their Enemies to be at Peace with the Jews, &c. N. B. Darius is call'd the King of Assyria, ver. 22. for tho' Persia was his Hereditary Kingdom, yet the God of Israel had made him Head of that grand Assyrian Monarchy, and therefore is he so styled; and his now strengthening the Jews hands did more Ennoble him than any thing else.