rure, or by Generation, Son of Pedajah; or elle there were two Ze- vubbabel's,Sons of two Brothers, Pedajahand Shealtiel. b Appointed to this by the Perſian King, under whoſe Power the Fews were now fallen, and at whoſe Pleaſure Governours were placed or diſplaced. ; Over the Remnaitrerurned out of Babylon, and once at laſt ſerled in the Land of Judah. k A Type of the great Deliverer; one Joſhua leads them 1nto Canaan,another reſtores the Temple. { Whoſe name did portend Good to this People, and beſpoke God's Righteouſneſs; his Father Serajah was High Prieſt and flain by Nebuchadnezzar. m By lineal Deſcent according to the Law, chief of Power in Church-mat- ters, as Zerubbabel was chief in civil Things; to theſe the Prophet is ſent to ſtir themup to the Building of the Temple.
2 Thus ſpeaketh # the LORD of hoſts, ſaying, This people x ſay y, The time is not come 2, the time that the LOR D's houſe ſhould be built.
« By way of Reproof, and toawaken the drowſie Jews; he who knew their Heart tells them what they both thought and ſpoke. .» Whom Mercy preſerved in, redeemed out of Babylon, and brought ;nro their Land on purpoſe to build the Temple. This People whom C745 by Proclamation ſent to do this, who ſeemed to long tor a Temple when they were in Babylon. y Diſcourſe thus among them- ſelves, and diſcourage all thar were forward. x The proper Seaſon of re-building the Houſe of God ſeems to be not come; for fince the prohibition by Cambyſes in the Days of Cyrus, and through all the time of Cambyſes, and in the firſt Year, and part of the ſecond of Darius, we have no Commiſſion to do it, but are required not to do any thing in this Affair withour farther order, Ezra 4. 21,
3 Then @ came the word of the LOR D 6 by Hag- g41 the prophet c, ſaying,
a When the People were thus ſluggiſh, made Excuſes and delayed doing their Duty, then at that time. 6b Chap. 1. 1. let. a. c Vid. chap. 1. ver. 1. let. d.
4 * Is it time d for you e, Q ye, to dwell f in your
p.Plal ceiled g houſes Þ, and this houſe /ze waſte 7 — * 4 You think it full time to build your own Houſes, you judge it
ſeaſonable enough to lay out much coſt on adorning them ; whar pretence can you make that 'ris not ſeaſonable to build my Houſe ? e Jews who were by a Kibg (that knew not your God) ſent to build my Houſe, you unthankful and forgetful Ones. f To ſettle your ſelves ſecurely and for continuance with ftatelineſs. g Arched and with Cedar Wainſcot, curivuſly caryed and covered, and as richly adorned, as if you were full of Treaſures. þ It ſeems to intimate ſome of them had more than one Houſe, a City and a Country: houſe ; and whilft God's Houſe lay waſte, they thus laviſh out their Wealth on private worldly Conveniences, but grudge the Charge on God's Hcuſe. Can you thus live without a Temple, an Altar, a Sacrifice, and yet cannot live without ſtately Houſes ? Do you owe ſo much to your ſelves and ſo little to your God ? So much to your Bodies, ſo little to your Souls? 7 In its Rubbiſh, or in bare, naked Founda- tions without any Superſtrufure.
5 Now therefore & thus ſaith the LORD of hoſts /,
t Confider your ways 7, h Or And now, or but now, Heb. it is time for you to confider, to ſet your Heart to that I propoſe. / The great God ſpeaks, hearken
=
was. therefore. m Ponder well the Courſe you have taken and the ſuc-
ceſs of it, what you have deſigned, how you have ſucceeded, what Care, and what Diſappointment, what Labour, and how fruitleſs your Labour hath been : Conſider how you have carried it toward God, and how God hath carried it towards you.
6 Ye have * ſown much 7, and bring in little 0: ye f, but ye have not enough q : ye drink, bur ye are not filled with drink 7: ye clothe you, but there is none warm s : and he that earneth wages, earneth wages 70
pat it into a bag F with holes 7.
n The Prophet doth help them, or direfts them what in particu- ar they ought to conſider, and fo debareth it with them z your La- bour, Care and Charge hath been great in ploughing and ſowing, that you are ſenſible of: But whar Harveſt have you had ? o Your Barns have been far from full, you have reaped and brought in little, this 15 evident to all, p You feed on the Fruit of your Labour and pro- duft of the Earth. q But what you eat doth not nomiſh you, it doth not ſuffice 3 you are hungry and meagre ſtill. r The like emp- tneſs and unprofitableneſs in your Drink, your Water quencheth Not your Thirit, your Wine does not refreſh your Heart, or revive your Spirit, or you dare not eat or drink ſufficiently for fear you ſhould not have enough, leſt your Store ſhould fail you. s Your Wooll and Flax is not what was uſed to be, ſufficient ro defend Jou from the Cold, *twill not warm-you. # Who labours or trades i gain and lay up, loſeth all his Labour, it runs from him as Money Pet into a Purſe or Pocket that hath no bottom, that cannot hold it. Ttys. fruitleſs Labour you will ſoon diſcern, if you conſider your Waz*, and what think you may be the Cauſe of this ?
7 < Thus faith the LOR D of hoſts, Corfider your ways A, Vid. V. 4,
4 Debate it with your ſelves, both as to what is already paſt, and «hat will >x for time to come 3 it hath not been a Chance, or an Evi] which none can te{l whence it proceeds, 'tis from your neglect
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v God, his Temple and Worſhip. Vol. 1
41.4»
Ss Go x up to the mountain y,and bring wood 2, and build 2 the houſe 6 ; and I will take pleaſure © in ir, and | will be glorified d, faith the LORD.
x Delay no longer, ſpeed ye up. y Moriah, or Sion, better L25.1- non, where beſt and greateſt itre of Cedars were to be had, whence came the goodly Cedars which built $92mon's Temple, 1 Kings 5. 14, 15. and where they had ( before che Building was forbidden } furniſh'd themſelves, Ezra 3.7. 7 Provide all forts of Timber for this future Edifice. a Go on with the Work, the Foundation where- of hath been laid ſome Years, but the Superſiruture omitted. 5 Of God, the Holy Temple. c This a very gracious Promiſe revived, and Afſurance that God will dwell in it,and afford his Preſence there: I will meer you there, and there I will bleſs you, there I will ac- cept your Offerings, hear your Prayers, forgive your Sins, and ſatisfie you with the Fatneſs of my Houſe ; much che ſame Promiſe with that, 1 Kings 8. 25. and 9.3. d Shew my Myeſty, and a:count my ſelf glorified by you alſo.