t;l8 'ontemplations. Lza.XXI. - publith them in writing thorow all his Kiogdome:; wherein he both profefft1h his A~ zeal?us refolutions, and defires, to buil~ up G?~s houfe in Itrufoltm, and injoynes, - and mcourages all the Jewes, thorow h1s domm10ns, to addrefle themfelves to that facred worke; and incites all his fubjeas to aide them with filver, and gold and goods, and beafts. Howgracious was the command ofthat,whereofthe very ailowance was a favour ~ Was it CJriH that did this~ was it not thou, 0 God, in whofe hands are the beam ofKings, that ftirredft up the lpirit ofthat Ptrfi•ll; as ifhe had beene more then a fon ofthy Church, a father~ How eafie is it for thee to make very Pagans proceaors to to thy Church;enemiu, benefaC!ors ~ Not with an empty grace doth this great King difmiffe the Iewtt ,but with a royall bounty; He hrlngs forth the veffeUs •[the h••ft •fthe L~rd, which Neboch.Jnezzar h•d B hrought forth"" •f Itr~folem, 1111d had put them in the hDuft •f hu gods; •nJ caofis them 11 be numbred bJ h/G Tre-fimr ID th1 hands •f Shefbb•r.r-.r the Princeofl•dah, fir the •fo •f the Temple; m fewer then five t.~••f'lld •nd foure h•ndred ve[fils ofg•ld Anti ftiver. Certaindy, this great Monuch wanted not wit to thinke ; It is a rich booty that I finde in theTemples of l!AhJIDN ; by the lawofconqueft it is mine; having vanquilbt their gods, I may well challenge their fpoile; how feafonably doth it now fall into my hands, upon this vidory, to reward my foldiers, to fettle my new Empire~ whar if this treafure came from Ierofolem ~ the propriety is now altered ; the very place . (according to the conceit ofthe !ewes) bath profaned it;' The true God,I have h.,rd, is curious; neither \Vill abidethofe velfels, which have been pollured with idolatrous c ufes: It thall be enough ifl loofethe bonds ofthis miferable people: Ifl give liberty, let the next givewealth: they will think themfcives happy in barewalls, in their nativeearth: To what purpofe thould I pamper their penury with a fudden 1\ore ~ But the Princely heart of cyrou wou.ld admit ofno fuch b~fe facrilegious thoughts ; Thofe velfcis that he findes ftampt With Gods marke, he Will returne ro their owner; neither his owneoccafions, nor their abufe thall be any colour oftheir detention. 0 cyrtH, how many clofe-handed, gripple-minded Chriftans thall once be choked in judgementwith the examte ofthy juft munificence~ thou reftoredll: thatwhich we purloine: woe be to tbo e houfes that are ftored with the fpoiles ofGods Temple: woe be IQ tbofe fingers that are tainted with holy treafures; Kings can hardly doe good.alone, their !awes are not more followed, then their D examples: No fooner doe thechiefeof the fathers of Iutl•h and BeDjAmln, and the Priells, and Levites fet their faces towards Ier•folem for the building ofthe Temple, f ~hen the liberall hands oftheir Pagan neighbours furoith them with gold, and filver, and precious things.Every Perft•n is glad to bear the chargeof laying aftonc,in Gods houfe. The fame God that had given them thefe metals, out of his coffers of the earth, gives it outoftheir coffers to hi~ Tem.ple.Hethartookeaway by the chaltlw, gives by the Ptrjians: Wh<re the Almtghty mtends a work,therecannot be any want ofmeanes. Thus heartened, thus Jaded, doe the joyfull families of Iutl•h returne to their old home ; H9wmanle thoufands ofthem.were worne out, and loft in that feven~y ~ears fervitude ~ How ew ofthem yet furv1ved, that couldknow the place oftheu bmh, E Bclide! ftrvanu and habitation, or fay, Here ftoG>d the Temple, here the Palace ~ Amongft thofe 7337· forty and two thoufand, three hundred and threefcore I~wes, that r~t~~ned in this fil'ft expedition , there were, whom the confufion ofthe1rlong capt1vme ~ad ro~- bed oftheir pedegree 1 They kne~ them~cives Itwes, but could not ~cnve t~cu line: thcfewereyetaolmitted, Without ddliculty J But thofeofthePneftly mbe, which could not deduce their genealogic from the regifter, are catheired as uncleane. Then God would be ferved in ablood, now in a due fucccf!ion : If we could not fetch the line ofour pedegree from Chrift, and his Apoftles, we were not fit for theEvangelicall altars. Theircalling was by nature,ours bygrace; The grace ofinward abilities, ofoutwardordination; ifwe cannot a!J:rove bot~ thefe, we are juftly abandoned· now had the children of lfml tsken owne then Harps from . *
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