édicts of the Perfian monarch obtained in confequence of them. When thefe could not be procured, they were put off with interdicts, and wearied out with delays. Cambyfes, the fon of Cyrus, fucceeded his father in the Empire; and, as refpect for his father's memory forbade him to revoke the edict which had been granted in their favour, fo the infinuations of the Samaritans eafily prevailed with him to defeat its defign. But his fucceffor, SMERDES the magian, who, in the facred page, is ftyled Artaxerxes, unmoved by fuch regard, and unawed by the fear of God, readily hearkened to the accufations of the enemies of the Jews, and ftrictly prohibited them from proceeding any farther in building the temple. This put a ftop unto that work until the fecond year of Darius Hyftafpis. How often have fycophants tried, and with too much fuccefs, to perfuade weak princes that the profperity of the Church is incompatible with the interefts and prerogatives of majefty! How often has God tried the faith and раtience of his children, by permitting his work, when happily begun, to be, for a time, marred and reproached, both by pretended friends and open enemies! 5. HAGGAI and Zechariah could scarcely prevail with them to renew their endeavours, even after the decree of the MAGIAN might have been fuppofed to have expired with him, felf. felf. The chain of providences which iffued in finishing of the temple was truly wonderful: The fraud of Smerdes being detected, and Darius, by ftratagem, established in his ftead; and the Jews having put hand to the work under his aufpices, the Samaritans practifed inceffantly on the governor of Syria, perfuading him, that the conduct of the Jews was not only without all authority, but also directly oppofite to the intereft of the empire. When he enquired at the Jews themfelves, they referred him to the edict which Cyrus had granted in their favour: But, diftrufting their veracity, he wrote to the court, that he might be certified as to what they afferted. Darius, having fearched the records, found the decree of Cyrus; and, as he had married Cyrus's daughter, he thought he could not do lefs honour to his father-in-law, than confirm and enlarge the edict he had granted. He bestowed on the Jews more ample revenues, for defraying their expenfes; and greater fecurity than Cyrus had granted: So that they built and finished. 6. AFTER the dedication of the temple, the Jews, by the good hand of God upon them, had enjoyed their privileges, and celebrated their ordinances for the space of fifty years. The temple was dedicated in the fixth year of Darius: He reigned, in all, thirty-fix years. Xerxes, his fon and fucceffor, twenty-one years: And this tranfaction obtained in the feventh or eighth year of Artaxerxes Longimanus, who came to the throne immediately after him. Such a long space of public tranquility, and the countenance and protection of the civil powers, could fcarcely fail of producing confiderable corruption of manners. It feldom happens, at least, that fuch a long fcene of profperity has been fuitably improved. We find the Jews greatly funk in various corruptions when Ezrah came to Jerufalem. They are charged with mingling themselves with the people of the land, and doing according to their abominations,-taking of the daughters of the land for themfelves, and their fons, for wives: So that the holy feed was greatly corrupted; and the hand of the 'princes was high in the provocation. Such univerfal corruption rendered a reformation highly proper ;-fuch finful mixtures rendered a feparation abfolutely neceffary. 7. THE Lord, in divine fovereignty, had conferred recent favours upon this finning people. Artaxerxes Longimanus, who is probably the Ahasuerus mentioned in Scripture, granted unto Ezrah, and the whole Church and nation of the Jews, an edict, attended with greater folemnity than ufual; being given by the Perfian monarch and his feven counsellors, the highest authority of the empire; and containing more ample grants than those of any former monarch, empowering Ezrah to cele brate brate the Jewish worship at the public expenfe; and alfo, to fet up courts of the laft refort, according to the Jewish conftitution *. Thus was Jerufalem built, not in refpect of its walls and bars, indeed; but in respect of its polity, laws, and governours: For it is rule and government that constitute a city. This was the BUILDING OF THE CITY foretold by Gabriel, I prefume; and the commencement of the feventy weeks, or four hundred and ninety years, which fhould elapfe prior to the excifion of the Mef-. fiah. FIFTHLY, The CONFIRMATIONS of this Covenant is the next branch of our fubject. And it will be found to have been ratified, 1. By folemn promife, " And Ezrah the prieft ftood up and faid unto them, Ye have tranfgreffed, and taken ftrange wives, to en crease the trefpafs of Ifrael. Now, therefore, make confeffion unto the Lord God of your fathers, and do his pleafure, and feparate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the ftrange wives. Then all the congregation anfwered, with a loud voice, As thou haft faid, fo must we do t." 2. IT was a SWORN Covenant, "Then Ezrah arose, and made the Chief Priefts, and the Le * Ezr. vii. 25, 26. † Ezr. x. 10, 11, 12. vites, and all Ifrael, to SWEAR, that they should do according to this word; and they swARE." 3. As Ezrah was well acquainted with the example of the Church in former times, we have reafon to conclude, that it was a WRITTEN Covenant, as well as former ones; but, as this circumftance is not recorded, we fhall not infift on it. It is now time to finish this fubject with a very few REFLECTIONS. 1. THE Church may, and ought to covenant with the living God, when many genuine faints neglect, or hefitate as to this duty, on the one hand; and enemies make great oppofition to it, on the other. Not a few of the Jews preferred a place in Babylon unto their own poffeffion in the promised land; and, by this means, deprived themselves of an opportunity of joining in this work: Yea, more Jews probably staid in Babylon than those who returned. 2. GREAT deliverances call for fuitable improvement, and grateful remembrance. If perfons are delivered by God, is it too much. for them to be devoted to him? It was long before the Jews made this return; but providence compelled them to do it at the last. 3. SOLEMN COVENANTING may be performed, when the civil powers of that people who * ૧૧ Covenant |