14 And the LORD's ſtirred vp the ſpirit z of Ze- rubbabel the ſon of Shealtiel # governour x of Judah, and the ſpirit of Joſhua the ſon of Joſedech »y the high prieſt, and the ſpirit of all the remnant 3 of the peo- ple, and they came @ and did work 6 in the houſe c of the LORD of hoſts 4 their God e : |
s This is the firſt notable Effet of God's Preſence with them, a ſenſible performance of his Promiſe. God inclined their Minds, fix'd
their Reſolutions, and inſpired them with Courage for this Work; whereas the ſtouteſt of them before had no mind to ſet on this Work,
& 4: L
ſaw and took notice of at ſixteen,-or could make that Judgment of the Diſproportion between the two Temples? ch. 2.4. Or can it be ſuppoſed that Zechariah, ch. 1. 12. would have accounted but {«- venty Years Deſolation, when he might have more than doubled the Years, and have reckon'd 169 Years? would not the Argument this have been more moving ?
CHAR»
The Prophet exhorteth Zerubbabel, Foſhua, and the people, to 89 forward with the works promiſing greater glory to the new than the old temple 1 —9. reproveth their bypocriſie in the type of holy and unholy things, which hindred the forwardneſs of the work, 1o — 19, God's promiſe #0 Zerubbabel, 20 — 23. |
N the ſeventh a month, in the one and twentieth b dy
the propher Haggai c, laying,
a Which the Hebrews called Tiſri, and Ethanim, and it anſwers to part of our Septemberand to part of OFober. b Some ſeven weeks af. ter the firſt, mentioa'd 1n the firſt Chapter, and about one Month af. ter they began to build, or at leaſt prepar'd for building the Temple. E Vid. ch. 3-w. ie bc, & & | |
2 Speak now d to Zerubbabel e the fon of Shealriel f governour g of Judah, and to Joſhua the ſon of Joſe.
| dech the high prieſt þ, and to the reſidue 7 of the people,
laying, |
_ d Once again acquaint them with what I now impart for their Encourapement. e Vid. ch. 1.1.tet.f. f Ibid. let.g. & Ibid. let, þ, h Vid. ch. 1.1. let. þ,l,m. See alſo ch. 1. 12, where thefe Perſons
now the weakeſt are forward to it, and bold init, #7 The Heart,
Mind or Inclination. # See ver. 12.let.b. x Seever. I.let.h. y See
wer. 1. let. Land ver. 12. let. m. x See wv". 12,let. ec, f- a Immedi-
ately, without delay, and unanimouſly without any viſible Diſſent,
b Every one ſer their Hands to it in ſuch manner as was fit for
them, Govcrnours did overſee, dire& and cncourage the Workmen ;
Artificers framed and prepared, and the People all lahoured. c Which was now to be built upon the old Foundations, laid ſome | ſeventcen Years before, when Cyrus gave the. Fews leave to return | and build their City and Temple. 4 By which Name he delights ro
be known among the returned Captives;z and it was a Name beſt
ſuted to their preſent State, compaſſed on all Hands with Enemies,
and in perpetual danger by them. e Vid. ver. 12. let. h. 15 In the tour and-twentieth f day ' of the ſixth
month. in the ſecond year of Darivs g the king.
F It appeareth then that Zerubbabel and Foſhua, with the People, did reſolve on the Matter quickly ; for in three Weeks and three Days, they are at the Work, as is evident, ch. 1.1. on the firſt Day Hageai preach'd, on the twenty fourth Day of the Month the People are at work, ver. 15. g Vid. ver. 1. let.a. Now this Darius was not Darins Nothus, bur Darius Hyſtaſpis, as will appear by conſidering well the following Scheme of Years, from the Captivity to the par-
are mentioned, # See ch. 1-12. let. e, f. | 3 Who zs letr among. you # that ſaw / this houſe x in her firſt 2 glory ? and how do you ſee it now ov ?
thing q © |
þ There are ſurely ſome that are of rhat Ape as to have ſeen the Temple which our Father's Sins, God's juſt Diſpleaſure,and the Cha/- dean Malice burnt, who are they ? and where may they be found ? this Queſtion implieth there were ſuch, and by Zxra 3. x2, 13. ap- pears there were many, for the Cries and Sobs of them equall'd the Shours of the younger, who rejoyced to ſee the Foundations of the ſecond Houſe laid. / Took notice of it then, and remember it now, that were of ſuch Age and Knowledge as to remember what was ſtanding in its Glory, (one hundred and fifty Years ago, if ſome con- Je&ure aright, but what 1s nearer to Truth ) who remember ſome fourſcore Years paſt , who are about one hundred Years of Ape. m The Houſe of God, the Temple built by Solomon. 7 In the ſtately Stru&ure of it, in the rich Adornings of it, in the unparallel'd Skill and Curiofity of irs Workmanſhip , when 'twas the Glory of the World. o Doyou ſee the ſame glorious Struſture going forward ? Have you Expeation of one equal to the former Temple? þ You cannot but recal the former to mind,and make your Judgment of this
ticular Years of cach of theſe two Darznus's. Suppoſe we therefore the Computation of theſe Years according toeither of theſe Schemes, it will appear-that there is no likelihood this Darius in the Text ſhould be Darius Nothus.
SC 3359) =C 3350 YL 3420 & © Noth. 3529. Helv. 'J S by T
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2 =) QC / E
EC 3398 35 C3416 0C 3458 96 CH 3485. Uſb.
by that. q Do you not judg this ſecond nothing comparable with the firſt ? you are ready to fay (in proverbial Speech) it is nothing toit.
4 Yet now » * be ſtrong 's, O Zerubbabel, ſaith the L ORD, ard be ſtrong, O Joſhua, ſon of Joſedech the
| high prieſt ; and be ſtrong, all ye people of the land,
faith the LORD, and work z : tor I az with you #, faith the LORD of hoſts; _
y In this Junure, though old Men weep for the Diſproportion of the two Temples yet now, s be of good Courage your ſelves, O Ze- rubbabel, and thou O Zaſhua, and encourage others by your Example,
This latter Account begins the Captivity at the fourth Year of Zehoia- bim, the former begins it at thefirſt of Feconzah's Reign, as Ezehiel al- ſo doth, ch. 1. 2.& 40 1+ Hence. that difference which is in the Ac- count of the Years between the beginning of the Captivity,and the burning of the Temple; the former Account makes it eleven Years, the latter makes it eighteen, for it begins ſeven Years ſooner. In what follows, we ſhall find both agreeing well enough to clear the uplikelmhood of Darius Nothus being the King intended here.