Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	day_n	sabbath_n	time_n	25,202	5	5.0710	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09268	The period of the Persian monarchie VVherein sundry places of Ezra, Nehemiah and Daniel are cleered: extracted, contracted, and englished, much of it out of Doctor Raynolds, by the late learned and godly man William Pemble, of Magdalen Hall in Oxford. Published and enlarged since his death by his friend, Richard Capel.	Pemble, William, 1592?-1623.; Capel, Richard, 1586-1656.; Rainolds, John, 1549-1607.	1631 (1631)	STC 19582; ESTC S114347	63,361	88

have seene doe in the Nationall and learned versions and translations turne it by words expressing Nobles Lords Worthies Heroicall persons Potentates Illustrious and the like Sith I say all these proofes meet as most pregnant to evince the true and full signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be Nobles the conclusion is ours That Nehemiah did contest not with all the Freemen but with the Nobles as men that were in place and power to redresse the Prophanation of the Sabbath day CHAP. XXI THe Argument to prove the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signify Freemen from the use of the Chaldee word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was not worth the printing What doth not that Chaldee come by etymology frō the Hebrew word and doth the Chaldee usually signifie Freemen and yet doe you say the Argument thence is of no force No. Of none at all For to passe it over that the Chaldee edition is but a Paraphrase no punctuall Translation neither is it as it is so exact so saith Bellarmine neither is it auncient enough to cary a conclusion for the use of a word for in so many hundred of yeares as the Chaldee is later then Nehemiah t is usuall for significations of words to change T is Vse rather then Grammar that brings in significations of words Vse is Norma Loquendi To passe over all this what if the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be used to signifie Nobles as well as the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where is all this boasting then Looke but in Dan●el 7.9 and Daniel lived about the dayes of Nehemiah and there only that I know we have the Chaldee wo●d It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies and is translated White just as the Hebrew word And Nobles using to apparell themselves in white thence they were both in the Chaldee and Hebrw words called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither doe we speake at randome For Schindler as great a Linguist as Christendome hath knowne dispraise to none doth assure us That the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie men of place he doth expresse the meaning of the Chaldee by three Latine words Principes Magnates Primates all which signifie great men And if the Chaldee Paraphrase may be heard for good then looke Ier. 27.20 wherfore our Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we translate Nobles of Iudah The Chaldee hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The Princes Both come to one Therefore the Chaldee himselfe being Iudge the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not Freemen but Princes But doth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Chaldee properly signifie a Freeman It doth Is it not derived by Etymology from the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I thinke so I grant it and yet all this comes not home to the point For words have the signification from the common use and the Chaldee comming in long after had some a●teration from the grammaticall signification And that I doe not onely say but prove For because the Chaldee doth not use to expresse the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but to shew a difference the Chaldee paraphrase is constant in using to render the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is indeed precisely a Freeman by the Chaldee word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was in the Language when the paraphrase wrote Freemen As Ez. 21.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hebrew in the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. the sonne of the Freeman Sith then the Chaldee doth not expresse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●ut by some other word s●gnifying Nobles but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he doth ever use to translate by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore I conclude that in the Iudgement of the Chaldee paraphrast himselfe our word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie Nobles and not Freemen To argue from the signification of a word that it now hath to prove the signification it had 400 or 500 yeares agoe is of no force sith the use of words doe come and goe almost as fast as the fashion of Clothes As it follows not that because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie a Tyrant now that therefore it doth never signifie a King Times doe change and words doe alter with Time both in pronunciation and signification And so I thinke that the Chaldee which in the Paraphrast his dayes did signif●e Freemen long before when it came first out of the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did signifie Nobles Howsoever men please to thinke of that Conjecture I have my desire in that the Chaldee himselfe doth not translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying Freemen though radically 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth derive it selfe from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they doe construe by words signifying Nobles Say then that Nehemiah had not testified against the Servants which the Text flatly sayth hee did and say that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did signifie Masters which we have proved to be very false yet thus to dispute He contested with the Masters Ergo the Masters were onely in the sinne And The Servants did not sinne because not contested with This I say is such an Enthymeme that a Freshman newly come from turning over Brierwoods Notes can tell how at the first sight with reason to deny the Consequence For Nehemiah did reprove the Nobles because they were in greatest fault to suffer it And in their hands it lay much to reforme it And Nehemiah would not be sayed in it but threatens them all rich and poore mighty and meane bond and free Master and Man one with another And he had his Will God gave him good successe For the Text saith That they went away and from that time forth they came no more on the Sabbath day And what a mercy were it if the Lord would be pleased so to order the hearts pennes and tongues of the Learned that from henceforth they would give over and speake and write no more against the Sabbath Day FINIS ●un●cius in Chronol comm lib. 2. Ezra 6.11.14 Nehem. 2.4 Diodor. Sicu● lib. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 chiefely about some pieces of yeares Herod●t in Thaliâ a inclusivè accipiendum more Heb. b vid. Herod principium polym●iae Zech. 4.9 Zech. 1.1 a Plin. lib 6. cap 13. b Herodot in Melpo●ene 7.1 4. Nehem. 12.10 22. Nehem. 6.15 ARGVMENT I. From the storie of Mordecay who they say was carried captive with Ieconiah from Ierusalem Mat. 1.12 2. Sam. 19.36 ARGUM. 2. Nehemiah is named among those that returned in the first yeare of Cyrus from Babylon Ezra 2. ● And this Nehemiah lived till the end of the Persian Monarchie Nehem. 12. therefore saith M

house of God and v. 9. they laid the foundation Ezra 4.5 And they hired counsellers against them to hinder their device all the dayes of l Cyrus K. of Persia even vntill the reigne of Darius K. of Persia. l The son of Hystaspes the third King from Cyrus who either for to curry favour with the people or for the loue of Atossa Cyrus his daughter whom after he had gotten the Kingdome he married did carefully ratifie euery thing that Cyrus had done that hereby he might establish himselfe and therefore in his time also those crafty vnderminers of the Iewes prosperity did preuaile 6 And in the dayes o● k Ahash●erosh in the beginning of his reigne wrote they an accusation against the Inhabitants of Iudah and Ierusalem k That is of Xerxes called Ahashuerosh or Assuerus q. d. an hereditary Prince both because he was borne after that Darius was King as also because he first was borne of A●ossa Cyrus his daughter and so seemed by subrogation and representation to succeed his grandfather Cyrus 7 And in the dayes of l A●tash ashte Mithridate Tabeël and the rest of the companions c. wrote vnto the King for the staying of the building of the Temple l Or Artaxerxes he namely that was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Longimanus the sonne of Xerxes by Amestris the daughter of Otan as Herod Polym● whom Ctesias calleth Amistris or Amystres the daughter of Onopha That is to say by Ester the daughter of Abi●hail Ester 2.15 Ezra 5.24 Then m ceased the worke of the house of God which was at Ierusalem and did stay vnto the second yeare of n Darius King of Persia. m About 41. yeares for Artaxerxes Longimanus reigned 40. whereunto must be added the first yeare of Darius n Namely Darius Nothus for a bastard was hee who before hee was King was called Ochus Ezra 5.1 Then Haggai a Prophet and Zechariah the sonne of Iddo prophecied vnto the Iewes that were in Iudah and Ierusalem Haggai 1.1 ●n the 2. yeare of King Darius in the 6. moneth in the 1. day of the moneth came the Word of the Lord by the ministry of Haggai the Prophet vnto Zerubbabel the sonne of Shealtiel a Prince of Iudah and to Iehoshua the sonne of Iehozadach the high Priest chap. 2. In the 7. moneth and 21. day of the moneth came the Word v. 4. Who is left a●ong you that saw this house in her first glory how doe you see it now Is it not in your eyes in comparison of that as nothing The hands of Zerubbabel haue laid the foundation of this house and his hands shall also fi●ish it c. In the 8. moneth of the second yeare of Darius came the Word of the Lord vnto Zechariah the sonne of Berechiah the ●onne of Iddo the Prophet And v. 7. In the eleventh moneth c. Zechar. 7.1 And in the 4. yeare of King Darius the Word of the Lord came vnto Zechariah o This and the verses following are spoken by way of preuention to comfort the Iewes dismayed at the consideration of the meannesse simplenes of this house in comparison of that which Solomon built purposedly done by the Prophet because about 106. yeares before this time the very like griefe possessed the hearts of good men Ezr. 3.12 Not that any of them that saw the first Temple were now alive but by an usuall Hebrew manner of speaking Quasi dicas Say that any of them were now alive how would they weepe Yet for all that saith the Lord Goe ye on For the glory of the second house shall exceed that of the first For those in Ezr. 3.12 were then sayd to be old Ezra 6.10 That they may offer sweet odo●●s unto the God of heaven pray for q the Kings life and for his r sonnes p viz. Darius Nothus which made this decree r Namely Arsaca afterwards called Artaxerxes Cyrus Artossa and Oxendrae perhaps if he were borne at that time Now this the King did more earnestly require because some other of his children had soone dyed Ctesias Ezra 6.14 So the Elders of the Iewes builded they prospered by the prophecying of Naggai the Prophet and Zechariah the sonne of Iddo and they builded and finished it by the appointment of the God of heaven and by the commandement of s Cyrus and t Darius and u Artashashte Kings of Persia. v. 15. And this house was finished in the 3. day of the moneth Adar which was the 6. year of the reigne of K. Darius and the 42. after their returne s viz. Cyrus the great who first gave commandment for the returne t viz. Darius Nothus v Or Artaxerxes namely Artaxerxes Mnemon who reigned together with his father Darius Nothus And therefore it is that Plutarch gives him 62. yeares reigne because from the beginning he was made Co-Emperour with his father by reason of the warres against Secundianus and other chiefe men of the Kingdome Ezra 6.23 And they kept the feast of unleavened bread 7. dayes with joy for the Lord had made them glad and turned the heart of the K. of x Ashur unto them to encourage them in the worke of the house of God even the God of Israël x Darius Nothus who dividing his Kingdome with his sonne Arsaca or Artaxerxes committed to his sons charge the more Southerne parts of the Kingdome and reserved to himselfe such Countries as lay more Northerly as more befitting his age experience in those quarters For whilst his father Artaxerxes Longimanus lived he was made Governour of Hyrcania where also he married Parysatis Now the Countries subject unto the Persian King are bounded within the two Seas Hyrcanum Persicum All that tract bounding Northward on the Caspian or Hyrcanian Sea is called Assyria The other lying Southward toward Mare Rubrum and Sinus Persicus is called Persia. But speciall mention is made here of the King of Ashur because that these Iewes which went with Ezra in the second returne from captivity did come out of those high Northerne Countries the former that returned under Zerubbabel out of the Southerne Countries That this is so appeares in the 8. Chapt. Ezra 7.1 Now after these things in the y reigne of Arthashash●● K. of Persia was Ezra the sonne of Seraj●h c. And ●e came to Ierusalem with o●her of the Iewes in the 5. moneth which was the 7 z year of the K. ver 9. For upon the first day of the first moneth he began to goe up from Babel and on the first day of the fifth moneth came ●e to Ierusalem according to the good hand of his God that was upon him Nehemiah 1.1 The words of Nehemiah the sonne of Hacha●iah in the moneth b Chisten c. in the 20. yeare c. v. 2. came Hanani one of my Brethren c. v. 3. And they said to me The residue c. y i. e. Of Artaxerxes Muemon when after his fathers decease he alone ruled

Vrim and Thummim was not to decide matters of doctrine but events and facts and successes in warre and peace as we see in David often vid. Numb 27.18 1. Sam. 23.5.9 30.7.8 And this was in x Ioseph Antiq. lib. 3. cap. 9. extraordinary cases In things ordinary the Prince was to have the Law before hisface Deut. 17. Ios. 1. but in extraordinary Accidents he was to seeke answer from God by the Vrim and the Thu●mim of the Priest 3 The Church was in as good case for certainty in things of salvation under the second Temple when the Vrim and Thummim was not as under the first Temple when it was That of Rabbi Talmud in Ion. cap. 1. fol. 21. that not only Vrim and Thummim Henry Ainsworth in Exod. 28.30 seemes to like too well this Rabbinicall Blasphemy as hee doth in his annot dote on the Rabbins too often but the holy Ghost was wanting in the second Temple is blasphemous For had not Christ and his Apostles the holy Ghost and did not they live under the second Temple Nay Is not more and more full revelation promised in the second Temple than in the first Hag. 1.8 Cap. 2.4.10 4 Besides after Vrim and Thummim was gone they had some Prophets as Haggai Zechariah and Malachy I confesse that Prophets by office and commission ended in Malachy Yet y Drus. 2. Pet. 1.21 there be that hold that after him there were now then some Prophets only by the Spirit I know there was a great silēce of Prophets after Malachy to prepare the people for to expect the coming of that great Prophet For though it were vox populi and a tradition among the Priests z Iohn 1.20.21 7.40.41 and Levites that the great Prophet was one distinct from the Christ the Messias yet I doubt not but the Church did understand Moses the great Prophet prophecyed of to be no other than the expected Messias And therefore the dampe that was of Prophets after Malachy turned to the good of the godly It taught them that Christ Iesus was now at hand And upon his comming we finde that the Lord stirred up two Prophets in a line a Maldonat in Ioh. 1.21 Zacharie the father and Iohn the Baptist his sonne to point out him Prophets by grace rather than by office And so I may say that the want of Vrim and Thummim did teach the Church that they were shortly now to expect the true Vrim and Thummim Christ Iesus the high Priest of their profession And besides it should have taught them to cleave the more to the written Oracles of God This Ieremy seemes to mee to shew in the losse of the Arke viz. That that losse should be no losse The people of God should not care to looke after the Arke any more but set their hearts on the true Arke Christ Iesus the Arke of Arkes This then the Church got by it That by the want of Vrim they learned that the Ceremonies were in going and the Messias in comming that salvation was not to be placed in the ordinances of Moses since Vrim and Thummim it selfe was utterly gone Lastly wee see that the Church did stand and was the pillar of truth without Vrim and Thummim The b Bellarm. de Rom. Pontif. lib. 3. cap. 4 §. quartà probatur Argument is loose that is made to prove the infallibility of the great Bishop of Rome from the Vrim and Thummim of the high Priest For beside that the Argument may follow from the c Heb. 4.14 8.1 Leviticall high Priest to Christ our high Priest of whom that high Priest was a Type and not of the Pope yet we see that the Church stood to the word when there was no Vrim Thummim from the taking of Ierusalem to the comming of Christ Iesus for in that interim the high Priest had no Vrim and Thummim And for that slender voyce called Bath-col mentioned by Tremelius in Act. 12.22 which Henry d on Exod. 28.30 Ainsworth would have to make some supply for the defect of Vrim it hath no ground and is to be turned backe to the foolish Rabbins from whom it came And therefore the Law and the Prophets was the standard and not the Vrim and Thummim I doubt not but the people had by some meanes perfect notice of the Revelation made to the Priest and they were absolutely to stand to the Oracles given by Vrim and Thummim from the mouth of God Yet me thinkes 't is hard to prove that the Priest did use it for matters of Religion and doctrine and not onely for matters of fact and event Next that the Priest had answere when he would though he himselfe were never so wicked or lastly That the sinnes of the people did not hinder the giving of the Oracle sometime 'T is enough that for some 550. yeares the high Priest was destitute of Vrim and Thummim and yet I hope the Lord did not leave his people without a sure and certaine rule of faith and direction of life which is the holy Word of God And Malachy doth tell us that though the Priests lips by that place and office should haue preserved knowledge yet often they did not And though while Vrim lasted it never gave any false or fallacious answers yet many times what for the sinnes of the Priest and what for the sinnes of the people the Lord refused to give any answer at all and the answers that were given were rather in matters of e Numb 17.21 1. Sam. 23.11 12. 30.7 8. fact than of doctrine and of faith The argument is too weake that the Cardinall doth draw from the Iewish Church to prove that the Pope hath the deciding Spirit and Voyce in matters of Faith sith from the destruction of Ierusalem to Messiah the Prince a space of some 550. yeares there was no Oracle by Vrim and Thummim no f Psal. 74.9 Wee see not our signes there is no more any Prophet succession of Prophets nor but a few Prophets at all from Malachy till Zachary the father and Iohn Baptist the sonne No miracles except the Poole of Bethesda graunted to the Iewes to strengthen them in the true worship of God under the persecution of Antiochus till the dayes of Zachary and Iohn Baptist and the Lord Iesus And yet the providence of God did not leave the Church for all that time without sufficient and ample meanes of their salvation In a word the losse of Vrim and Thummim the Arke and other Ceremonials taught them to looke off from the shadowes and to looke for the Truth the Lord Iesus CHAP. VI. CYrus after the Edict made in behalfe of the Iewes was called abroad to the warres He left his sonne Cambyses the power of a King at home and Cambyses hindred the execution of his fathers Proclamation 1 Not Darius Medus as Ben-Gorion saith for he was predecessor to Cyrus Now it is plaine by this Text that

year of his Kingdome of Persia but of his Monarchy when he had conquered Babylon Now how long he reigned after his Conquest precisely we cannot say Dan. 10.1 we read of The third year of Cyrus and some Chronologers think he lived not much above five or sixe yeares longer T is sayd The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus There be that say that Cyrus was converted because he is called The Lords annoynted and his Servant But Saul was the annoynted of the Lord yet none of the best men or of the best Kings Hee that doth looke over the stories of Cyrus shall find that hee lived and dyed a meere Heathen And the Prophet Isay cap. 45.4 saith in the name of God That Cyrus had not knowne him And therefore it was in respect of his office and the worke the Lord did designe him to though he never were really anoynted with oyle as Saul and David were I say in regard of his place and this great worke of the Lord in his hand he was called The annoynted of the Lord. Out of which we may see that the Lord doth many times doe great and famous matters for his Church by the hands of wicked men And their divinity is not sound who hold the contrary Tenet It was the mighty worke of God to bring this wise and great Prince in the very first entrance into his Monarchy before things were fully setled to dismisse so great so united a people as the Iewes were into their owne Country with such a faire and ample patent as hee did they being held among the Barbarians a People given much to insurrection But God must and will have his wayes take place There is no resisting of his will by any The will of men must goe after his decree Which decrees of God manifested no lesse than 170. yeares before did not leave this fact of Cyrus contingent but made it necessary They write that he was made to see the Prophecy of Isaiah where he finding his very name so long before he was borne was thereby moved to this great worke That might bee a perswasion but the cause we see was because the Lord by a potent worke of his spirit stirred up the heart of Cyrus to send forth so gracious an Edict And yet we must not thinke that this his being made acquainted with the will of Gods decrees gave to this his Act the Nature of Obedience Obedience being properly an act of ours when wee doe obey the will of Gods command he by it imposing on us and requiring of us the worke as a duty In the first of Kings 11. Ieroboam had it cleered to him that Gods will was hee should be King over the tenne Tribes yet because it was a will of Gods decree not of his cōmand as of a duty to be done by him he goes among Divines for an intruder and an usurper in and for that fact of his 'T is Obedience when wee obey a divine precept but not ever when wee follow a divine instinct 'T is a worke belonging immediately and onely to God to worke effectually on the Will and thus to stirre up the heart of a man Kings hearts are in Gods hands This shewes us that nothing that is once appointed by God in his worship say it be after used in Idolatrous worship as these vessels were can be defiled but it may must returne to 'ts ancient use and bee had in the worship of God againe Whereas wee reade 2. Kings 24.13 that Nebuchadnezzar did cut in pieces all the Vessels of gold which Solomon K. of Israel had made in the Temple of the Lord The meaning is That hee did curtaile as it were the Temple For 't is plaine hee did reserve those Vessels whole For Belshazzar did after drinke in them Dan. 5.2 And here wee finde that they were restored and brought backe to the house of God againe This Shazbazzar the Prince of Iudah was Zerubbabel called so in Chaldaea Iunius denies it but our English Annotations and that of Deodat's in the Italian doe with more likelihood affirme it He was by the King ordained head Conductor of those of his Nation who would be willing to returne Thus God kept the seignorie and the chiefe staffe of Authority in the line of Iudah No length nor change of time can eate out and breake off the decrees of God CHAP. V. This Chapter containes a list of such as returned to Ierusalem at the first going up and chiefly of those who offered presents for the reedifying of the Temple of the Lord. IN the numbers you may finde some differences from that Catalogue wee have Neh. 7. As for example Here v. 5. the Sons of Arah are said to be 775. There v. 10.652 Reconcile the places thus 775. gave their names in Babylon that they would returne only 652. mentioned in Nehemiah came up into Iuda●a the rest changing their mindes or dying by the way And where Nehemiah hath more it might be by joyning with them in the way The Answere that is made I thinke is sound That sith in Ezr. 2. the summe of the Principals of the whole Bodie that returned besides their followers were 42360. But now reckon we the numbers of Iudah and Benjamin by the pole which are punctually set downe Ezr. 2. and they come short of the totall summe a matter of 12000. Now these 12000. are those of other 10. Tribes besides Iudah and Benjamin Wee reade that so many went over of other Tribes to Rehoboam that as 't is said His Crowne was strengthened by them and many of Israel came over to Asa and in Hezekiah's dayes sundry of Ashur Zabulon and Manasse joyned themselves with Iudah And who can doubt but that in Captivity being Countrey-men in forreigne parts much of the 10. Tribes incorporated themselves into the two Tribes And no other but this is the meaning of that fift ver of the first chap. of Ez. Then rose up the chiefe of the Fathers of Iudah and Benjamin with all them whose spirit God had raised to goe up That is saith Deodate all those of other Tribes according as wee reade 1. Chron. 9.3 In Ierusalem dwelt of the children of Iudah and of the children of Benjamin and of the children of Ephraim and Manasse who no question in the Captivity for very conscience and Religion joyned themselves to Iudah By Province our English Annotations meanes Iudaea but Iunius and Deodate doe seeme to mee with more reason to understand by Province Babylonia that is saith Iunius those who inrolled their names in Babylonia called here a Province saith the Italian because the other Israëlites were dispersed in sundry other provinces Zerubbabel was son of Salathiel borne in Babylon and accordingly he had a Babylonian name He was a Chiefe in the first yeare of Cyrus and we find in sacred Story that hee lived to see the building of the Temple about the

6. yeare of Darius Nothus Now say he was but 14. yeares of age the first of Cyrus yet to Darius Nothus is a matter of 100. years as appeares by the Chronologie Hence wee see that the Lord gave him a life much longer than ordinary Wee reade nothing when hee dyed after the edifying of the Temple This cleares that in Zacharie 4.9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house his hands also shall finish it The very phrase doth tell us that the Lord did draw out his life of purpose that he might live to make up that goodly worke Like as Moses Deut. ult had a longer life than usuall given him that he might bring the People of God out of Egypt In that place of Zechary the Lord doth promise Zerubbabel some singular matter in that the Prophet affirmeth that the hands of Zerubbabel that laid the foundation the same hand shall finish it meaning an exceeding long life Thus we see how God doth cause some to live to be wondrous old above others because hee hath something to bee done by them Then age is a crowne indeed when it is thus found in the wayes of Righteousnesse Neither hath it a good savour for men to say of an old Zerubbabel when he is going hence What matter is it to heare of such an aged man dying or dead What doth not the Lord threaten it as a curse that he will take away whom the youth No the prudent and the ancient Isa. 3.2 This Nehemiah was not Nehemiah the famous but another of the same name as there were sundry of the same name One Ezr. 3. Another Ezr. 8.10 For this Nehemiah came up with Zerubbabel in the first of Cyrus and Nehemiah the great lived till the time of Darius the last beaten by Alexander which is two hundred yeares and upwards Now that in those dayes Nehemiah should live above 200. yeares sounds not likely Nehemiah was the penner of the booke called Nehemiah in the book mention is made of Iaddua the Priest of whom we reade in Iosephus that he did meet Alexander the great in his Formalities and stayd him from doing hurt to the Citie and the Temple Againe we reade that Nehemiah was cup-bearer to Artaxerxes and the Persians used to have young men for their Gentlemen about them But this Nehemiah comming up the first yeare of King Cyrus must needs be stricken in yeares in Artaxerxes time Hee was not Mordecay Esters Vncle but another of the same name For this Mordecay came up with Zerubbabel Now if Esters Mordecay had returned with Zerubbabel he would not have dwelt at Susis and trayned up Ester among the Heathen but rather in the holy Land among the people of God And 't is plaine that this Mordecay did returne into Iudaea Neh. 7.7 But that ever Esters Vncle came into Iudaea is unlikely Wee must know that it was a common thing among the Iewes to have more names than one or two Which we must consider lest it breed mistakes in reading the Scriptures In the Captivity the Priests being in a strange Land were not to offer any other sacrifices except it were spirituall sacrifices of praise Whereupon there being not that commodity made of it as was used to arise out of their slaine sacrifices some Priests who had married themselves into the Noble Family of Barzillai tooke scorne to be in the Register of the Priests in the time of the Captivity of Babylon and tooke the name of Barzillai after the Family of their wives Now after the returne from the Captivity the Priesthood growing into fame gaine and request againe and there being holy things to eate of these degenerate Priests would faine have taken place among the Priests of the Lord but the Magistrate would not suffer them because when time was they did scorne the Priesthood the Priesthood should now scorne them A iust reward of God and man for such proud and insolent kind of people 'T is common when men by their wit goe about to get a Name that they lose their Name After the flood they would needs build a tower to get a Name to themselves and not to God and it is their reproach to this day And this was all the use that those Creatures made of the late deluge the greatest judgement of God that ever was The Tirshatha It is a name of office viz. The Governour or Deputy of the King We see he was a man of power that could keep those great men from the Priesthood and forbid them to eat of the most holy things By Tirshatha I conceive the same who cap. 1.8 was called Shazbazzar as Daniel was called Balshazzar An use among the Chaldees to change the name of the Iewes Now Shazbazzar was Z●robbabel as we have shewed before Till there arose up a Priest with Vrim and Thummim viz. to aske the Lords advice and counsell By Priest is meant the high Priest for he had the Vrim and Thummim and none but he So when Saul murthered the Priests of the Lord Abtathar fled to t 1. Sam. 23 6. David with the Ephod saith the text that is with the Ephod of the high Priest and presently David began to enquire by the Ephod of the Lord. A great providence of God for the comfort of his poore servant David And hence it is that we reade that the Lord answered not Saul by v 1. Sam. 28.6 Vrim and Thummim for it was now with David not with Saul This Vrim Thummim was either lost or burned together with many other things when that the Chaldees tooke the City of Ierusalem was never found againe How then doth he here say Vntill there stand up a Priest with Vrim and Thummim 1 It may be that Zerubbabel did not know but that Vrim and Thummim might by the providence of God be had againe 2 Vntill that is Never An usuall Phrase in Scripture q. d. You shall never come to the Priesthood againe except God shall reveale his mind to be otherwise by Vrim and Thummim which will never be Vntill is thus taken in the word in many places 1 No. Was it not a great decay to Religion that Vrim and Thummim were lost Did not the Church now want a rule of certainty For the word of God was ever the lively Oracle the Rule of Rules that was the sacred Canon now the Scripture For the old Testament was compleat and when there was so much of the word written there was the lesse use of Vrim Thummim And therefore after the losse of Vrim and Thummim the Church was to keepe the closer to the Law of Moses as Malachy who lived after the losse of Vrim and wrote last of all the Prophets Mal. 4.4 did command Mal. 4.4 Remember the Law of Moses my servant which I commanded unto him in H●reb for all Israel with the statutes and judgements 2 For ought I see the

understood full well but the spirituall sense I cannot beleeve that the Iewes in Captivity lost the use of their native Tongue and I thinke it not credible that the Iewes in the space of seventy years should so forget their native Tongue they being a people so scrupulous as they were to haue no more commerce with strangers than needs must And lastly Haggai Zachary and Malachy who lived and wrote after the Captivity did speake and write to the people in the pure Hebrew Language Which they would not have done but that the people understood the Language The Hebrewes were in Egypt 220. in Chaldea but 70. In Egypt they were held to greater bondage than in Babylon yet they brought with them the purity of the Language out of Egypt What kept it 220. yeares in Egypt and not 70. yeares in Babel CHAP. XII That is hee gave him a faithfull heart first and then finds his heart faithfull not by nature but by grace and makes a Covenant with him So Augustine Pravenit hominis voluntatem nec eam cujusquam invenit in corde sed facit God doth at first not find but make our wills and hearts good So Aquinas God is sayd to give grace to the worthy not that they are worthy before hee gives them grace but because he by grace maketh them worthy who onely can cleanse that which is uncleane Hee then doth abuse plaine places of Scripture who doth hold that the spirit teacheth not but stirs up motions to learne It doth both It followes not to inferre that if wee say the Spirit teacheth we must grant Anabaptisticall Revelations Did wee say that the Spirit did teach by rote without the booke that were to joyne with the Anabaptists but to hold that the Spirit teacheth by the word is to speake with the Scripture Ephes. 1.17 The Spirit is called the Spirit of Revelation in the knowledge of him 1. Cor. 2.13 Which things also wee speake not in the words which mans wisdome teacheth but which the holy Ghost teacheth That men pretend the Spirit is no Argument against the teaching of the Spirit for men doe as much pretend the Church and doe father their fancies on the Church As for inward teaching without the word wee leave that to the Anabaptists and to the Papist who doth affixe and appropriate an infallible teaching to the private spirit of the Pope Which spirit the Papist in the Pope and the Anabaptist in his Enthusiast make the Standard of all truth and superior to the word But to say that the Spirit teacheth in and by the word by enlightening us and casting a cleering light on the word also is that which here we reade in Nehemiah and hath gone for good and sound doctrine till of late it hath beene otherwise taught without ground CHAP. XIII TIrshasha is a Persian word and signifieth a man in high Office about the Prince and such an one was Nehemiah Other there were that did beare the like office as Nehem. 7.70 't is said The Tirshasha gave to the Treasure a thousand drams of gold But this Tirshasha is some other officer and not our Nehemiah Wee see the great goodnesse of God who did preferre to great place and favour some of his servants about Heathen Princes And it is a comfort that if God send us or ours into the Countries or Courts of Pagans yet hee can preferre us then and preserve us there Nehemiah is very great and holds his goodnesse And Daniel with the rest were in as high place of dignity and command as ever they could have beene had the Court and Common-wealth of Israel stood Doubt nothing as long as wee follow God God can keepe us to our consciences and our consciences to him in Babylon it selfe Let us teach our posterity to pray and beleeve and though they have not one penny in their purses yet faith and prayer will carrie them all the world over And if God in his providence make them great in a land of Persians in the houses or Courts of Pagans faith will keepe them good This Feast of Boothes was a Feast of 7. dayes and it had these uses 1 That all Generations might by it understand that when Israël came out of Egypt the Lord made them to dwell in Booths 2 To remember their misery past 3 To look for redemption by the death of Christ. And therefore Zacharie makes the signification of this holy feast to be to shew us That the memorie of Christ redeeming us by his death is to be kept with all manner of spirituall joy 4 Of thankfulnesse for their fruits it being kept at this time But was this Feast disused since Iosua's time What for a matter of 1000. yeares such a Feast as this so expressely commanded by God so utterly omitted in the times of so many godly Princes and Priests I thinke not rather that it had not beene kept with such devotion and celebration from Iosuah till now which I thinke is the reason why mention is here made of the Feast of Booths For here we finde v. 18. That all the 7. dayes day after day the Booke of the Law of God was read and they had Congregations to that purpose each day and then they had a solemne Assembly on the 8. day according to the manner By which word we see that the manner had beene to have a solemne assembly on the 8. day But it seemes the manner had not beene to have Assemblies and reading from the first day to the last day no not from Iosua's time as it was now So that in Iosuah's time they did use to reade the Law in such order and manner as they did now In Levit. 23.35.36 there is required a holy Convocation onely the first day and the last 8. day Did they more now in this Feast than the very Law it selfe required If they did they must have warrant from the Spirit of God by some revelation made to Nehemiah Ezra or some other for it which appeares not or else who required this at their hands to doe more than God commanded And therefore I leave I●nius and Deodate in this and doe rather thinke that in the Feast of Booths by the very Law reading of the Word was required all the dayes though that the first last were dayes of restraint more solemne Convocations and great holy-dayes in which they might doe no worke as they might in the interim dayes And so Iohn 3.7 the last is called the great day of the Feast I thinke there had beene an omission of such reading of the Law viz. day after day which was required by the institution in the Law had beene in use till Iosuah's time but was discontinued from his time till now and now was brought into use againe The manner had beene continued to reade on the 8. day the solemne day but now it was done every day of the Feast of Tabernacles And therefore