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 ...

Nehemiah CHAP. VI.

AS the Fourth Chapter gives an Account of the first Impediment Nehemiah met with, which was External; and the Fifth Chapter of the second, which was Internal; so this sixth Chapter is a Narrative of his third Impediment, which was mixed, and made up of both the two former, being partly External, and partly Internal. The External by the known Enemy was twofold; First, By Secret Craft and Treachery. And Secondly, By publick ••hreats in an open Letter.

Remark the First, Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem craftily send a Summons to Nehemiah (before he had set up all the Doors of the Gates) to come down to them at some Vil∣lage in the Tribe of Benjamin, that they might Consult together about some friendly Accommodation for the satisfaction of the King of Persia, who was both their Master and his also, ver. 1, 2. here was fairly pretended an amicable Conference, but they foully intended to do him Mischief, either by Murdering him, or by Imprisoning him, before he bad hang'd the City-Gates upon the Hinges.

Remark the Second, But Nehemiah here became Wise as a Serpent, Matth. 10.17. and smelt the Rat of their Design for either killing him or captivating him before his good Work was compleated, therefore he sent a Messenger, but went not himself, though the Place appointed was near to Jerusalem, that he might the sooner be decoyed to come: His Message was [I am doing a great Work, so that I cannot come down] ver. 3. that is, my weighty Employments must not give way to your empty Complements. Erpen∣nius excellently observeth here, that this was indeed one, but not the only Cause, or principal Reason of his Refusal, which was his discerning their Treacherous Design to take him out of the way, and then the Work would cease to purpose, &c. nor did he desire the Society of such wicked Associates and Infidels, &c.

N.B. 1. Nehemiah thought it not necessary to declare the whole Truth concerning his excusing denial to them, yet is not he to be accused of Lying, no more than Samuel was, when at God's Command, he told the Bethlemites He was come to Sacrifice, 1 Sam. 16.2, 3. which was true, as here, but is silent in the most obnoxious Mes∣sage, &c.

N.B. 2. Learn we to answer the Tempter thus, I am doing a great Work, &c.] when he would inject some wandring thoughts to divert us from our earnestness in praying-work, say [We cannot attend thee O Tempter, while we are attending our God] let us learn also to cry with David [Our Hearts are fixed upon our God, once and again, Psalm 57.7. and 108.1.

Remark the Third, Nehemiah's not only Prudence in sending such a Prudent, yet true excuse for his Absence from their Conference and Consult, but also his Constancy in refusing to go notwithstanding their many Solicitations of him thereunto, ver. 4, 5. those sordid and sorry Sycophants Sanballat, &c. solicited this good Man four several Times into their Society, thinking to prevail with him by their Importunity, they had learnt that Lesson from their Master Beelzebub, which signifies [The Lord of flyes] of which small Infects Pliny affirmeth, Quo mugis, abiguntur, eo magis premunt: The more they are driven away, the more they press upon you. N.B. This holds most true of the Master fly the Devil, who will not be easily turn'd off from the Bait until well beaten, nor hardly then without returning again and again, as smarting Experience tells us in the fre∣quent returns of wandring Thoughts in Prayer upon us.

Remark the Fourth, But Nehemiah proved as resolute in his Divine Purposes, as they were in their Diabolical Plots: They found him, Hominem quadratum, a four square piece, that lays firm on all sides, and not so easily moved as Globular Matters, of which the Phi∣losopher affirmeth, they are removed with the least touch, Quia tangunt cerram tantùm in puncto, they touch the Earth only in a Point, which is the Reason, why a Sledge (that lays all along upon the Ground) requires a stronger Draught, than a Wheel of either Car•• or Coach: Those often soliciting Adversaries found Nehemiah as unmoveable as a Rock, so firm to his Principles, that four Times he answer'd them in the same Manner; which when Sanballat saw, he tries a fifth Trick, in leaving out his Comrade Geshem, ver. 2. and sending a Letter from himself alone, and that by the Hand of his own Ser∣vant, that it might be less suspected and the better received; so restless in Sanballat, sub ascensore Diabolo (as Bernard Phraseth it) having Satan riding upon him, and born kicking and pricking him forward; and our Phrase is, They must needs run whom the Devil driveth, &c.

Remark the Fifth, This Letter came open and unsealed, as if it had been no Secret to be concealed, but a common Matter every where divulged, the Contents whereof was a Threatning Nehemiah with a pretended Treason, ver. 6, 7. alledging from common Ru∣mour (which commonly is a loud Lyar) that he designed to set up himself the King of the Jews (the same was cast upon our Blessed Saviour, John 19.12.) and that he had not only builded the Walls for this purpose, but had also hired Prophets to preach him up as King, possibly mistaking the Prophecies of Haggai and Zechariah, who prophesy'd that the Kingdom of Christ was near at hand, but he had no better Witness hereof than his fellow Conspirator Geshem, ver. 1, 2, 6. This Gashma's or Geshem's Tongue was no slander, for he was known to be one that had taught his Tongue the Art of Lying, Jer. 9.3, 5.

Remark the Sixth, Though Sanballat had surely learnt Machiavel's Rule [Fortiter ca∣lumniare & aliquid sultem adhaerebit] Slander stoutly, and something will stick; yet was not Nehemiah much concern'd to wipe off the Slander: His clear Conscience made him carelesly Confident, well knowing, that though Dirt may stick to a Mud-Wall, yet it cannot do so upon Marble, and that this misreport was so transparent a Lye, that it might easily be seen through; then deals he plainly with him (which oft puts wicked Craft out of Countenance) that for a need Sanballat was such an one as could suck such a Lye out of his own Fingers-Ends, as he had done before, in Ezra 4.13. Vatablus saith, Nehe∣miah's Answer to Sanballat, ver. 8. was Tu mentiris, 'tis a Fiction of thy own framing, and Geshem must be its Patron, &c. yea he passeth his Judgment upon the Plot, ver. 9. that it was only to make them afraid, while he thus Ranted at randome, that the King of Persia would not only judge him and the Jews, but also himself and his Samaritans (saith Osiander) on this Report. However at this pinch (saith Masius out of Junius) Nehemiah da••teth out a short but Pithy Ejaculation (in four Words, Hebr.) to the Lord: Saying [These Men would weaken my Hands, but thou the Captain of my Salvation strength∣en thy Soldiers Hands.]

Having dispatch'd the External Impediment, we come to the Internal.

Remark the First, When the Devil found his Tools from without, Sanballat, &c. to fail him, he now (that he might not starve his Work for want of Instruments) makes a new Experiment of other Tools from within, the Principal whereof was Shemaiah a Priest, who only pretended himself a Prophet (though only made so by Tobiah's Gold, that had hired him to this pretence) and who (like a grand Devotionist) shut himself up in his Cham∣ber, that he had in the Temple among all the other Priests Chambers, here (saith Meno∣chius) he pretended to Pray for the Preservation of Nehemiah, who (as he Prophesy'd) was in great Danger of Death that very Night, ver. 10. and therefore perswades him to secure himself in the Temple, which was (saith Wolphius) as a strong Castle (beside the sacredness of the Place, which Sanballat durst not attempt) especially while the City-gates

are not yet Compleated: Oh deep Dissimulation, however Nehemiah, looking on him as a Friend, went to him to know the meaning of his becoming an Anchoret, who then would make him believe his eminent and sudden Danger, to which he was subborn'd by San∣ballat, in Imprisoning himself from pretended fear, &c.

Remark the Second, Nehemiah rejecteth the Counsel of this false Prophet from many To∣picks: As 1. Because it was base, and below his Dignity to embrace it, ver. 11. he accounted it better (saith A Lapide) to dye bravely like a Captain, than to fly basely like a Coward, and as a Malefactor take Sanctuary in the Temple, &c. 3. Because it was false, ver. 12, 13. his Sagacity discerned that Shemaiah was but Sanballat and Tohiah's Hireling, a meer Mercenary, that had sold his Tongue to tell Lies Nehemiah perceiv'd it false Counsel, because (saith Wolphius) it was quite contrary to God's Counsel given to him to Compleat the City, &c. N.B. God's Word is the best Touch-stone to try Truth by. And 3. Because it was Impious Counsel, to make him Sin out of fear, ver. 13. which be was most afraid to do, but resolves against it, and to commit himself to God, who had hitherto so protected and prospered him, and not to Sin by distrust as this Priest did, &c.

Remark the Third, Then makes he God his Chancellour, being yet unable to relieve him∣self by Law, he remits Justice into God's Holy Hands, for revenge upon Tobiah and San∣ballat Enemies without, and upon Shemiah and his Mistriss, and false Prophetess Noadiah, Traitors within, and many more pretending Prophets, all Pensioners to the Publick Adver∣sary. ver. 14. which Nehemiah would not Name (saith Wolphius) prudently yielding so far to the sad Circumstances of his Day, his Dolour in pacifying the late Sedition, Chap. 5. made him thus wary, well-knowing, how many were still discontented; some, be∣cause so much as they would, was not given them; and others, because more than they thought just was taken from them; these were brib'd to betray and disgrace him, so he remits all to a just God.

Remark the Fourth, The wonderful and quick dispatch of Nehemiah's Compleating the Walls and Gates to the confounding of all his Enemies, ver. 15, 16. All was perfected in fifty two Days in Elul, or sixth Month our August, &c.

Mark 1. Lyra and other Learned Men render Reasons of this speed. As 1. For Accom∣plishing Daniel's Prophecy, Dan. 9.25. 2. The Date is from Sanballat's Letter to Nehe∣miah. 3. Only, breaches here and there in the Walls were repaired, having most of the ma∣terials still remaining in the Rubbish. 4. The Multitude of Men employed to carry on each their Part, and Princes present to prick them on. 5. The Gates are not said (saith Sancti∣us) to be built a new, but only the Doors. 6. But above all, God help'd them, as their Enemies confess'd, therefore Josephus is mistaken in saying, it was two Years and three Months in doing: Sanctius saith, Nehemiah made this haste for his returning the sooner to the King and Queen to both whom he was exceeding Dear, so would not be longer absent from them. N.B. Beda adds, it was done i•• all Parts in the sixth Month, both to Answer the six Days of God's working to make the World, after which a Rest followed: And also the six Ages of the World spent in Tail and Travel, then cometh the Sabbath of Rest in a better Age. N.B. This sixth Month was call'd Elul, Hebr. the Radix or Root whereof signifies Nothing, because (as is supposed) their Corn being all at that Time Reaped, there remained then [Nothing] upon the Ground.

Remark the Fifth and Last upon the sixth Chapter is, The Conspiracy of the Nobles or White-ones, Hebr. with Tobiah, &c. ver. 17, 18, 19.

Mark 1. Those Nobles cloath'd with White Garments, had black and sooty Souls un∣der them, in Confederating with the Churche's Enemies, even in a Time when the Walls were built, and Nehemiah was still present, saith Masius.

Mark 2. These Nobles are named and branded as Pensioners to Tobiah, not only cor∣responding with him by Letters, but also had sworn to be true to him against Nehemiah, and against their own City and Nation, and the Church of God.

Mark 3. Some of those Nobles had seemed forward for the Work, and had help'd to build the Wall, Chap. 3.4. yet now shew themselves in their Colours, discovering, that they were but painted Hypocrites.

Mark 4. 'Tis said of them [Tobathau Omerim] Hebr. they spake good of Tobiah, alluding to his Name, though he had little enough of goodness, and they (Hypocrites) had as little skill to judge aright of it, but this Corruption came in as a curse upon them for their mixt Marriages with the Pagans, which is noted here, to shew how necessary it had been in Godly Ezra to disanull all such unlawful and mischievous Matches.