This Verſe isa Repetition of the Promiſe for the greater affurance of it, and ſeems to add but little to what was before promiſed, un- leſs it be the ſpeedineſs of what God doth for them, and the Com- prehenfiveneſs of it, he will turn back their Captivities, Zeb: plur, whether under Manaſſeh, or Fehojakim, or Fecomah, or Zedekiah; all which is confirmed with the.Broad Seal of Heayen, Thus ſaith the LORD. Bclieye then and rejoyce 1n it,
——
HA/GG A L
The ARGUMENT. AGGAI is the firft Prophet that {56 in the Name of ihe Lord of Hoſts, to awakengreprove,dire.gxhort and
encourage both the Governour, Hig
Prieſt and People, returned out of Captrotty,zo the reſtoring and ſetling the
Worſhip of God, to the re-building the 1; whoſe Fond ut ons, together with the Altar of Burnt-Offering, had been )
laid ſeventeen or eighteen Tears agon, but 1
e finiſhing of the Temple probivned by Cambyſes all the time of his beins
Vice-Roy to his Enher Cyrus, and during his own Reign , and negleted near two Nears in Darius Hyſtaſpis his time, through the Covetouſneſs of many, the Coldneſs of ſome, and the Cowardice of others among the Jews,who were all bent on their own private Concerns, and pleaded "twas not time to ſet avout the building of God's Temple, and who in all probability would bave deferred it much longer had they been let alone : now therefore the Lord doth in Zeal for his
. a . . . « : R h | own Glory, ard in Mercy to his People, ſend his Servant Haggal 10 awaken them to their Duty, which was this, The
bilding the '[emple, and reſtoring the pure Worſhip of God ;, reproves them for neglefling this, tells them this Sin was the Cauſe 6 he Penury and Scarcity which affiied them theſe fifteen or ſixteen Tears paſt, aſſures them that ſo ſoon as ever they begin the Work, their Ground, their Cattel, their Vines and Olroes ſhould wonderfully increaſe their Store ; promiſeth Gods Preſence with them, and with it a Supply of Gold and Sitver which are his ,, and he will, as be did by the Bounty of Darius, and the Contributions of others, bring in 10 them. And though the external Glory of this Temple were leſs than that of the firſt Temple, yet this 2d 1emple ſhould exceed the firſt in Glory, for ſo much as their expetted, longed for, and the blejjed Meſſiah ſhould appear in it. All which, as they were weighty Arguments in themſelves conſidered, fo through the —_ of the Spirit cf God, they prevailed with his Hearers, who ſet
about the Work , and when oppeſed by their
:nemies, who ſent to Dailus 10 ſolicit him to renew the Prohibition, he
on the contrary confirms and enlargeth their Charter granted by Graiid Cyrus, and annexeth ſevere Penalties on all that dare binder this Work. All which particularly, and at large are ſct dnwn in the 6th and 7th Chapters of Ezra : end ſo in four Tears time the Temple is finiſÞd, the Feaſt of Dedication 35 celebrated, and the final Iſſue anſwers to the Name of the Prophet, who, ſent of God, ſet it forwards, Haggai, whs hath his Name from the Word that ſigni- feet a Feaſt, as if we ſhould call him Feſtivus. He cioſeth all with a cloſe Predittion of many and long Wars, and Sed:tions to come among the Gentiles to the Overihrow of the Enemies of the Jews,
CHAP. 1
The Prophet reproveth the people for negle&ing to build the houſe of the Lord, 1 —6. and declareth that becauſe of their negled, judgments came on them. 6. He exhorteth them to re-aſſume the building, and perfect it, 7—— It, Zerubbabel being encouraged by God's promiſe, entereth on the wirh, 12——15.
N * the ſecond year of Darius 2 the king b, in the naxth month 55, in the firit day of the month, came the word c of rhe LOKD + by Haggai «
the prophet ce unto © Zerubbabel f ſon of Shealusl z
|
|| governour þ of Judah z, and to Joſhua & the fon of Jo-[ G caphi®*
ledech / the high prieſt m7, ſaying,
a Of this Name there were ſeveral, Darius Medus, Hyſtaſpis, N0- thus, Codomannus, one before Cyrus, wiz. that Darius which is diſtin- guiſh'd from the other by (Medus_) the Mede ; the next Darius was Son of Hyſtaſpis, and third King of Perſia (if we leave out Smerdis the Cheat, who on Cambyſes death counterfeited the true Smerdis, {lain by Cambyſes his order, got into the Thrane, but was diſcovercd and ſlain at ſeven Months end) of whom the Text ſpeaketh unleſs you can think Joſhua High Prieſt through 144 Years, and ſome con” fiderable numberof Fews to have lived 196 Years, and the returned Captives tov want a Temple for 112 Years at leaſt, which incre6t- ble things attend them who will haye this Darizs to be Nothus, - AS
| eg
Chap. |
Pratj', p Mark well. q I will deal with them, do their work for them, as T ich, of ve ſay, I will break their Power and diffolve their Kingdom. Baby- their ſha,
but. 29,
Ch:
ſo lire] tions y
--* ] T Con
þ 0! ſet you therefoz ceſs of : Care, an Labour and ho!
of. 4, 6 Y Mich, eat Þ 9 is, Ot fill,
bour, Car You are { have beer 15 evident du} of t doth not kineſs and Not your Your Spir ould no Wooll an You from tO gain an PUt inte a This fruit Ways, and
70 Ways , 4 Deha "hat will Evil Whic] of Tod, h Vo!
» Sam.
P' 3)
h, | y0.r Wt "n
, je
Chap. 1.
but. 29, of. 4, Is,
d. prer- binvgh,
; reateſt of that time, and by way of Eminency above _ ”s ul anſwering to part of our Auguſt and September. c The
man os had omitred to do.
HAGG Al.
d or Dire@tion what they ſhould do, and Reproof for what d We read nothing of his Parentage or
Country in the Scripturezke doted that thought him an Angel. e Inſpi-
red, ſent, appr ſpeaks either 45 ſome conje
oe adoptive Son to Shealtiel, being of the Royai Line, pro-
his Birth in Babylon, or his Intereſt and Power there, ure ; probably his Birth in Baty/on might be ground
ovedand affiſted of God in his Office. f Whoſe Name
him with the Government of Judah, to which he had
bably he was the chief Branch thereof ( Uncle to him ) but by Na-