2 And he set the priests in their charges, and encouraged them to the service of the house of the LORD,

3 And said unto the Levites that taught all dIsrael, which were holy unto the LORD, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; it shall not be a burden upon your shoulders: serve now the LORD your God, and his people Israel,

4 And prepare yourselves by the houses of your fathers, after your courses, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomons his son;

5 And stand in the holy place, according to the divisions of the families of the fathers of your brethren the people, and after the division of the families of the Levites:

6 So kill the passover, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren, that they may do according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

7 And Josiah gave to the people, of the flock, lambs and kids, all for the passover-offerings, for all that were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bullocks: these were of the king's substance.

8 And his princes gave willingly unto the people, to the priests, and to the Levites: Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, rulers of the house of God, gave unto the priests for the passover-offerings two thousand and six hundred small cattle, and three hundred oxen.

10 So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites in their courses,' according to the king's commandment.

11 And they killed the passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood from their hands, and the Levites flayed them.

12 And they removed the burnt-offerings, that they might give according to the divisions of the families of the people, to offer unto the LORD, as it is written in the book of Moses: and so did they with the oxen.

13 And they roasted the passover with fire, according to the ordinance: but the other holy offerings sod they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and "divided them speedily among all the people.

14 And afterward they made ready for themselves, and for the priests: because the priests the sons of Aaron were busied in offering of burnt-offerings and the fat until night; therefore the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests the sons of Aaron.

15 And the singers the sons of Asaph were in their **place, according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king's seer: and the porters waited at every gate; they might not depart from their service; for their brethren the Levites prepared for them.

16 So all the service of the LORD was prepared the same day, to keep the passover, and to offer burnt-offerings upon the altar of the LORD, according to the commandment of king Josiah. 9 Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethaneel 17 And the children of Israel that were present his brethren, and Hashabiah, and Jeiel, and Joza-kept the passover at that time, and the feast of unbad, chief of the Levites, "gave unto the Levites, leavened bread seven days. for passover-offerings, five thousand small cattle, and five hundred oxen.

ec. 23. 18. d Deut. 33. 10. c. 30. 22. Mal. 2. 7. e 1 Chr. 23. 26.1 Chr. 23. 25. g c. 8. 14. Ps. 134. 1. • house. †sons of the people. i c. 30. 3, 15. Ezra 6. 20. offered. k c. 7. 8-10. 30. 24.

passover was the chief; it began them all in the night wherein Israel came out of Egypt. It concluded them all in the night wherein Christ was betrayed; and in the celebration of it Hezekiah and Josiah, those two great reformers, revived religion in their day. The ordinance of the Lord's supper resembles the passover more than it does any of the Jewish festivals; and the due observance of that ordinance, according to the rule, is an instance and means both of the growing purity and beauty of churches, and of the growing piety and devotion of particular Christians. Religion cannot flourish where that passover is either wholly neglected, or not duly observed; return to that, revive that, make a solemn business of that affecting binding ordinance, and then, it is to be hoped, there will be a reformation in other instances also.

It was

18 And there was no passover like to that kept in Israel, from the days of Samuel the prophet;

$ offered. ofered. Ezra 6. 18. m c. 29. 22, 34.
n Lev. 3. 3. o Ex. 12.
8, 9. Deut. 16. 7. p 1 Sam. 2. 13–15. ¶ made them run. station. g 1 Chr.
25. 1, &c. r 1 Chr. 9. 17. 11 found.

were discharged from this burden of the ark, they must be care-
ful in other services about it.

3. He charged them to serve God, and his people Israel, v. 3. Ministers must look upon themselves as servants both to Christ, and to his church for his sake, 2 Cor. 4. 5. They must take care, and take pains, and lay out themselves to the utmost, (1.) For the glory and honour of God, and to advance the interests of his kingdom among men. Paul, a servant of God, Tit. 1. 1. (2.) For the welfare and benefit of his people, not as having dominion over their faith, but as servants of their holiness and joy; and there will be no difficulty, in the strength of God, honestly to serve these two masters.

4. He charged them to sanctify themselves, and prepare their brethren, v. 6. Ministers' work must begin at home, and they must sanctify themselves in the first place, purify themselves from sin, sequester themselves from the world, and devote themselves to God; but it must not end there, they must do what they can to prepare their brethren by admonishing, instructing, exhorting, quickening, and comforting them. preparation of the heart is indeed from the Lord; but ministers must be instruments in his hand.

The

In the account we had of Hezekiah's passover, the great zeal of the people was observable, and the transport of devout affection that they were in; but little of that appears here. more in compliance with the king that they all kept the passover, (v. 17, 18,) than from any great inclination they had to it themselves. Some pride they took in this form of godliness, but little pleasure in the power of it. But whatever defect there was among the people in the inside of the duty, both the magistrates and the ministers did their part, and took care that the ex-fortably to them, as Hezekiah did, ch. 30. 22. He promised ternal part of the service should be performed with due solemnity. I. The king exhorted and directed, quickened and encouraged, the priests and Levites to do their office in this solemnity. Perhaps he saw them remiss and indifferent, unwilling to go out of their road, or mend their pace; if ministers are so, it is not amiss for any, but most proper for magistrates, to stir them up to their business. Say to Archippus, Take heed to thy ministry, Col. 4. 17. Let us see how this good king managed his clergy upon this occasion.

1. He reduced them to the office they were appointed to by the law of Moses, (v. 6,) and the order they were put into by David and Solomon, v. 4. He set them in their charge, v. 2. He did not cut them out new work, nor put them into any new method, but called them back to their institution. Their courses were settled in writing; let them have recourse to that writing, and marshal themselves according to the divisions of their families, v. 5. Our rule is settled in the written word; let magistrates take care that ministers walk according to that rule, and they do their duty.

2. He ordered the ark to be put in its place, which, it should seem, had of late been displaced, either by the wicked kings, to make room for their idols in the most holy place, or by Hezekiah, to make room for the workmen that repaired the temple. However it was, Josiah bids the Levites put the holy ark in the house, (v. 3,) and not carry it about from place to place, as perhaps of late they had done, justifying themselves therein by the practice before the temple was built. Now that the priests

5. He encouraged them to the service, v. 2. He spake comthem his countenance. Note, Those whom we charge, we should encourage. Most people love to be accosted kindly, and will be wrought upon by encouragements more than by threats. II. The king and the princes, influenced by his example, gave liberally for the bearing of the charges of this passover. The ceremonial services were expensive, which perhaps was one reason why they had been neglected. People had not zeal enough to be at the charge of them; nor were they now very fond of them, for that reason. And therefore,

1. Josiah, at his own proper cost, furnished the congregation with paschal lambs, and other sacrifices, to be offered during the seven days of the feast. He allowed out of his own estate, 30,000 lambs for passover-offerings; which the offerers were to feast upon, and 3000 bullocks, (v. 7,) to be offered during the following seven days. Note, Those who are serious in religion, when they persuade others to that which is good, should make it as cheap and easy to them as may be. And where God sows plentifully, he expects to reap accordingly; it is to be feared that the congregation, generally, had not come provided; so that if Josiah had not furnished them, the work of God must have stood still.

2. The chief of the priests, that were men of great estates, contributed toward the priests' charges, as Josiah toward the people's. The princes, (v. 8,) that is, the chief of the priests, the princes of the holy tribe, rulers of the house of God, bore the priests' charges. And some of the rich and great men of the Levites furnished them also with cattle, both great and small,

neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a pass- | died, and was buried in one of the sepulchres of his over as Josiah kept, and the priests, and the Levites, fathers: and all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for and all Judah and Israel that were present, and the Josiah. inhabitants of Jerusalem.

19 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover kept.

20 After all this, when Josiah had prepared the *temple, Necho 'king of Egypt came up to fight against Charchemish by Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him.

21 But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house twherewith I have war; for God commanded me to make haste: forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not.

22 Nevertheless, Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.

23 And the archers shot at king Josiah: and the king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore wounded.

24 His servants therefore took him out of that had; and they brought him to Jerusalem, and he

2 Kings 23. 29, &c. house. Jer. 46. 2, &c. ↑ of my war. ‡ made sick, 1 Kings 22. 34. § or, among the sepulchres."

25 And Jeremiah lamented "for Josiah; and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel; and, behold, they are written in the lamentations.

26 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his goodness, according to that which was written in the law of the LORD,

27 And his deeds, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. CHAPTER XXXVI.

We have here, T. A short but sad account of the utter ruin of Judah and Jerusalem, within a few years after Josiah's death. 1. The history of it in the unhappy reigns of Jehonhaz, for 3 months, v. 1-4. Jehoiakim, v. 5-8, for 11 years; Jehoiachin 3 months, v. 9, 10. and Zedekiah 11 years, v. 41. Additions were made to the national guilt, and advances toward the national destruction, in each of those reigns. The destruction was, at length, completed in the slaughter of multitudes, v. 17, The plundering and burning of the temple and all the palaces, the desolation of the city, v. 18, 19, and the captivity of the people that remained, v. 20. 2. Some remarks upon it; that herein in was punished. Zedekiah's wickedness, v. 12, 13. The idolatry the people were guilty of; v. 14. And their abuse of God's prophets, v. 15, 16. The word of God was herein fulfilled, v. 21. 11. The dawning of the day of their deliverance in Cyrus's proclamation, v, 22, 23.

THEN "the people of the land took Jehoahaz the

son

father's stead in Jerusalem.

u Zech. 12. 11. Lam. 4. 20. Matt. 9. 23. to Jer. 22. 20. | kindnesses, c. 32. 32. & 2 Kings 23, 30, &c.

belonged not to him. But here it looks worse; for, it seems, the king of Egypt sent ambassadors to him, to warn him against this enterprise, v. 21. He argues, 1. From principles of justice. The king of Egypt professes he had no design to do him any hurt, and therefore it was unfair, against common equity and the law of nations, for Josiah to take up arms against him. If even a righteous man engage in an unrighteous cause, let him not expect to prosper; God is no Respecter of persons. See Prov. 3. nay, He commanded me to make haste, and therefore, if thou retard my motions, thou meddlest with God." It cannot be that the king of Egypt only pretended this, (as Sennacherib did in a like case, 2 Kings 18. 25,) hoping thereby to make Josiah desist, because he knew he had a veneration for the word of God, for it is said here, (v. 22,) that the words of Necho were from the mouth of God; we must therefore suppose that either by a dream, or by a strong impulse upon his spirit, which he had reason to think was from God, or by Jeremiah, or some other prophet, he had ordered him to make war upon the king of Assyria. 3. From principles of policy. "That he destroy thee not; it is at thy peril, if thou engage against one that has both a better army, and a better cause, and God on his side."

for offerings, v. 9. For those that sincerely desire to be found in the way of their duty, Providence sometimes raises up friends to bear them out in it, beyond what they could have expected. III. The priests and Levites performed their office very readily, v. 10. They killed the paschal lambs in the court of the temple, the priests sprinkled the blood upon the altar, the Levites flayed them, and then gave the flesh to the people according to their families, (v. 11, 12,) not fewer than ten, nor more than twenty, to a lamb; they took it to their several apart-30.-25. 8. 2. From principles of religion. “God is with me; ments, roasted it, and ate it according to the ordinance, v. 13. As for the other sacrifices that were eucharistical, the flesh of them was boiled according to the law of the peace-offerings, and was divided speedily among the people, that they might feast upon it as a token of their joy in the atonement made, and their reconciliation to God thereby. And, lastly, The priests and Levites took care to honour God by eating of the passover themselves, v. 14. Let not ministers think that the care they take for the souls of others, will excuse their neglect of their own; or that being employed so much in public worship will supersede the religious exercises of their closets and families. The Levites here made ready for themselves and for the priests, because the priests were wholly taken up all day in the service of the altar; therefore, that they might not have their lamb to dress when they should eat it, the Levites got it ready for them against supper-time. Let ministers learn hence to help one another, and to forward one another's work, as brethren, and fellow-servants of the same Master.

IV. The singers and porters attended in their places, and did their office, v. 15. The singers with their sacred songs and music expressed and excited the joy of the congregation, and made the service very pleasant to them; and the porters at the gates took care that there should be no breaking in of any thing, to defile or disquiet the assembly, nor going out of any from it, that none should steal away till the service was done. While they were thus employed, their brethren the Levites prepared paschal lambs for them.

V. The whole solemnity was performed with great exactness, according to the law, (v. 16, 17,) and, upon that account, there was none like it since Samuel's time, (v. 18,) for in Hezekiah's passover there were several irregularities. And Bishop Patrick observes, that in this also it exceeded the other passovers which the preceding kings had kept, that though Josiah was by no means so rich as David, and Solomon, and Jehoshaphat, yet he furnished the whole congregation with beasts for sacrifice, both paschal and eucharistical, at his own proper cost and charge, which was more than any king ever did before him.

V. 20-27. It was thirteen years from Josiah's famous passover to his death; during which time, we may hope, things went well in his kingdom; that he prospered, and religion flourished: yet we are not entertained with the pleasing account of those years, but they are passed over in silence, because the people, for all this, were not turned from the love of their sins, nor God from the fierceness of his anger. The next news therefore we hear of Josiah, is, that he is cut off in the midst of his days and usefulness, before he is full forty years old. We had this sad story, 2 Kings 23. 29, 30, here it is somewhat more largely related. That appears here, more than did there, which reflects such blame on Josiah, and such praise on the people, as one would not have expected.

I. Josiah was a very good prince; yet he is much to be blamed for his rashness and presumption in going out to war against the king of Egypt, without cause or call. It was bad enough, as it appeared in the Kings, that he meddled with strife which

It was not in wrath to Josiah, whose heart was upright with the Lord his God, but in wrath to a hypocritical nation, who were unworthy of so good a king, that he was so far infatuated, as not to hearken to those fair reasonings, and desist from his enterprise. He would not turn his face from him, but went in person, and fought the Egyptian army in the valley of Megiddo, v. 22. If perhaps he could not believe that the king of Egypt had a command from God, to do what he did, yet, upon his pleading such a command, he ought to have consulted the oracles of God before he had gone out against him. His not doing that, was his great fault, and of fatal consequence. In this matter, he walked not in the ways of David his father; for, had it been his case, he would have inquired of the Lord, Shall I go up? Wilt thou deliver them into my hands? How can we think to prosper in our ways, if we do not acknowledge God in them? II. The people were a wicked people; yet they are much to be praised for lamenting the death of Josiah as they did. That Jeremiah lamented him, I do not wonder; he was the weeping prophet, and plainly foresaw the utter ruin of his country following upon the death of this good king. But it is strange to find that all Judah and Jerusalem, that stupid senseless people, mourned for him, (v. 24,) contrived how to have their mourning excited by singing men and singing women; how to have it spread through the kingdom: they made an ordinance in Israel, that the mournful ditties, penned on this sad occasion, should be learned and sung by all sorts of people. They contrived also how to have the remembrance of it perpetuated; these elegies were inserted in the collections of state poems; they are written in the Lamentations. Hereby it appeared, 1. That they had some respect to their good prince, and that though they did not cordially comply with him in all his good designs, yet they could not but greatly honour him. Pious useful men will be manifested in the consciences even of those that will not be influenced by their example; and many that will not submit to the rules of serious godliness themselves, yet cannot but give it their good word, and esteem it in others. Perhaps those lamented Josiah when he was dead, that were not thankful to God for him while he lived. The Israelites murmured at Moses and Aaron while they were with him, and spoke sometimes of stoning them, and yet, when they died, they mourned for them many days. We are often taught to value mercies by the loss of them, which,

2 Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.

3 And the king of Egypt put him down at Jerusalem, and condemned the land in an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

4 And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and turned his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt.

5 Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God.

6 Against 'him came up Nebuchadnezzer king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon.

7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.

8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.

9 Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.

• removed him. ↑ mulcted. b2 Kings 24. 13, &c. tor, chains. Foretold, Hab. 1. 6, &c. $or, Jeconiak, 1 Chr. 3. 16, or, Coniah, Jer. 22. 24. c 2 Kings 24.8, &c. at the return of the year. vessels of desire. d Dan. 4. 1, 2. 5. 2. ** or, Mattaniah, his father's brother, 2 Kings 24. 17.

when we enjoyed them, we did not prize as we ought. 2. That they had some sense of their own danger, now that he was gone. Jeremiah told them, it is likely, of the evil they might now expect to come upon them, from which he was taken away; and so far they credited what he said, that they lamented the death of him that was their defence. Note, Many will more easily be persuaded to lament the miseries that are coming upon them, than to take the proper way by universal reformation to prevent them; will shed tears for their troubles, but will not be prevailed upon to part with their sins. But godly sorrow worketh repentance, and that repentance will be to salvation.

NOTES TO CHAPTER XXXVI.

V. 1-10. The destruction of Judah and Jerusalem is here coming on by degrees. God so ordered it, to show that he has no pleasure in the ruin of sinners, but had rather they would turn and live, and therefore gives them both time and inducement to repent, and waits to be gracious. The history of these reigns was more largely recorded in the three last chapters of the second of Kings,

1. Jehoahaz was set up by the people, (v. 1,) but in one quarter of a year was deposed by Pharaoh Necho, and carried a prisoner to Egypt, and the land fined for setting him up, v. 2-4. Of this young prince we hear no more; had he trodden in the steps of his father's piety, he might have reigned long, and prospered; but we are told in the Kings, that he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and therefore his triumphing was short, and his joy but for a moment.

10 And "when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the LORD, and made **Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.

11 Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign; and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.

12 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet, speaking from the mouth of the LORD.

13 And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the LORD God of Israel.

14 Moreover, all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much, after all the abominations of the heathen, and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.

15 And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling-place.

16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

17 Therefore he brought upon them the king

with his doom, Dan. 5. 3, &c. In the reference to the book of the Kings concerning this Jehoiakim, mention is made of that which was found in him, (v. 8,) which seems to be meant of the treachery that was found in him toward the king of Babylon; but some of the Jewish writers understand it of certain private marks or signatures found in his dead body, in honour of his idol; such cuttings as God had forbidden, Lev. 19. 28.

3. Jehoiachin, or Jeconiah, the son of Jehoiakim, attempted to reign in his stead, and reigned long enough to show his evil inclination; but, after three months and ten days, the king of Babylon sent and fetched him away captive, with more of the goodly vessels of the temple. He is here said to be eight years old, but in Kings he is said to be eighteen when he began to reign, so that this seems to be a mistake of the transcriber, unless we suppose that his father took him at eight years old to join with him in the government, as some think.

V. 11-21. We have here an account of the destruction of the kingdom of Judah and the city of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans. Abraham, God's friend, was called out of that country, from Ur of the Chaldees, when God took him into covenant and communion with himself; and now his degenerate seed were carried into that country again, to signify that they had forfeited all that kindness wherewith they had been loved for the father's sake, and the benefit of that covenant into which he was called; all was now undone again. Here we have, I. The sins that brought this desolation.

1. Zedekiah the king, in whose days it came, brought it upon himself by his own folly. For he conducted himself very ill 2. Jehoiakim was set up by the king of Egypt, and reigned both toward God and toward the king of Babylon. (1.) If he eleven years. How low was Judah brought when the king of had but made God his Friend, that would have prevented the Egypt, an old enemy to their land, gave what king he pleased ruin. Jeremiah brought him messages from God, which, if he to the kingdom, and what name he pleased to the king, v. 4. had given due regard to them, might have secured a lengthening He made Eliakim king, and called him Jehoiakim, in token of his tranquillity; but it is here charged upon him, that he of his authority over him. He did that which was evil, (v. 5,) humbled not himself before Jeremiah, v. 12. It was expected nay, we read of the abominations which he did, (v. 8,) he was that this mighty prince, high as he was, should humble himself very wild and wicked; idolatries generally go under the name before a poor prophet, when he spake from the mouth of the of abominations. We hear no more of the king of Egypt, but Lord; should submit to his admonitions, and be amended by the king of Babylon came up against him, (v. 6,) seized him, them, to his counsels, and be ruled by them; should lay himself and bound him with a design to carry him to Babylon; but under the commanding power of the word of God in his mouth: it seems he either changed his mind, and suffered him to reign because he would not thus make himself a servant to God, he is as his vassal, or death released the prisoner before he was made a slave to his enemies. God will find some way or other carried away. However, the best and most valuable vessels to humble them that will not humble themselves. Jeremiah, as of the temple were now carried away, and made use of in a prophet, was set over the nations and kingdoms, (Jer. 1. 10,) Nebuchadnezzar's temple in Babylon, (v. 7) for we may and, as mean a figure as he made, whoever would not humble suppose, no temple in the world was so richly furnished as themselves before him, found that it was at their peril. (2.) If that of Jerusalem. The sin of Judah was, that they had he had but been true to his covenant with the king of Babylon. brought the idols of the heathen into God's temple; and now that would have prevented his ruin; but he rebelled against him, their punishment was, that the vessels of the temple were though he had sworn to be his faithful tributary, and perfidiouscarried away unto the service of the gods of the nations. Ifly violated his engagements to him, v. 13. This was it that men will profane God's institutions by their sins, it is just provoked the king of Babylon to deal so severely with him as with God to suffer them to be profaned by their enemies. he did. All nations looked upon an oath as a sacred thing, These were the vessels which the false prophets flattered and on those that durst break through the obligations of it, as the people with hopes of the return of, Jer. 27. 16. But Je- the worst of men, abandoned of God, and to be abhorred by all remiah told them that the rest should go after them, (v. 22,) mankind; if therefore Zedekiah falsify his oath, when, lo, he and they did so. But, as the carrying away of these vessels to has given his hand, he shall not escape, Ez. 17. 18. Though Babylon began the calamity of Jerusalem, so Belshazzar's Nebuchadnezzar was a heathen, an enemy, yet if, having sworn daring profanation of them there filled the measure of the ini- to him, he be false to him, he shall know there is a God to whom quity of Babylon; for when he drank wine in them to the ho- vengeance belongs. The thing that ruined Zedekiah was, not nour of his gods, the handwriting on the wall presented him only that he turned not to the Lord God of Israel, but that he VOL. I.-131 ( 1041 )

AN

EXPOSITION,

WITH

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS, OF THE BOOK OF

E Z RA.

THE Jewish church puts on quite another face, in this book, from what it had appeared with; its state much better, and more pleasant, than it was of late in Babylon, and yet far inferior to what it had been formerly. The dry bones here live again, but in the form of a servant; the yoke of their captivity is taken off, but the marks of it in their galled necks remain. Kings we hear no more of, the crown is fallen from their heads. Prophets they are blessed with, to direct them in their re-establishment, but, after a while, prophecy ceases among them, till the great Prophet appears, and his forerunner. The history of this book is the accomplishment of Jeremiah's prophecy concerning the return of the Jews out of Babylon, at the end of seventy years, and a type of the accomplishment of the prophecies of the Apocalypse, concerning the deliverance of the Gospel church out of the New-Testament Babylon. Ezra preserved the records of that great revolution, and transmitted them to the church in this book. His name signifies a helper; and so he was to that people. A particular account concerning him we shall meet with, ch. 7. where he himself enters upon the stage of action. The book gives us an account,

I. Of the Jews' return out of their captivity, ch. 1. 2.

II. Of the building of the temple, the opposition it met with, and yet the perfecting of it at last, ch. 3.-6.

IV. Of the good service he did there, in obliging those that had married strange wives, to put them away, ch. 9. 10. This beginning again of the Jewish nation was small, yet its latter end greatly increased.

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, his God be with him, and let him go up to Jeru