Lt B. XXI. .r· A Contemplations. Zerubbabel andEzra. c HE firtl: tranfportatioo into B•IYJI••, under lth1iakim (wherein Danitl, "Er.tkitl, and many other ofthe betl: note, were driven intocaptivity) was (fome eleven years afrer) followed with a fecond, under Ztdtkiah l wherein the remnant of the now ruined ltr•foltm, ond IMd•h, were fwept away. Seventy years was the period oftheir longe!l fervirude: whiles Baby/on was a ~cone, Illliab washer val!all: when that proud Tyronnelfe fell, Gods people began to rife againe : The Babyloni•n Monarchy was no fooner fwallowed up ofthe Pufi••, then the D Itwts felt the comfort Gflibercy. For Cyrfll conquoting B•bylm, and finding the Jewes groaning under that captivi· ty, !lraight releafes them, and fends them, under the Conduct oftheir CaptlincZt-< nbbmJ, back to their almo!l-forgott<n country. The world !lands upon viciflitudes; Every nation hath her turne, and mutl: make up her meafure :Thrccfcore and ten years agoe , it wa• the courfc of I•d•h; the iniquity ofthat rebellious people was full. Somehundred ood thirty years before that, was the turne of s,,..,;,, and her Ili:adites : Now the !laffe is come ro the doores of 81byu11, even that wherewith I•dlh was beaten: and thofe Ptrfi'"' which are now victorious, mull have their tcrme alfo. It is in vaine for any earthly (bte to promife to it felte an immutable condition. At la!l the rod that lcourged Gods children, is E catl: intothe fire: Th•• h•ft rtmtmbrtd, o LorJ, thechiiJrtll •fEtlttHin tht tl•y ofleru- (1/tm, h1w thry foid,Ditf>nt with it, downt with it, ''"tn 11 lht gro•llli: 0 tl••ghttr ofB•- ~JIO» '"')I'd with•i(try,ho,. hapn iJ he th.r "'"'rdtlh thtt"" th•• h•JI (ervtd them! It is CJrlt4 that harh wrought this revenge, this refeu<. Doubrleffc, it did not • little move cyrw to this f•vour, that he found himfelfc hooorably forenamed iotbefe Jewi(b prophecies, and fore-appointed to this gloriou• fcrvicc, no leffethen an hundred and fevcnry ye•rs, before he w•s:Who would not Ef•1#· air. be g13d to make good fo noble •nd happy adelliny ( 0 God, ifwe hearc that thou hallordained us ro life, how ~ladly, howcarefully lhould we wotke our our falvari• on! if togood workes, how lhould we abound! In the fir!lyeareof his Monarchy, dorh CJriM both make proc13mations,'tnd ublillr
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