LznXXI. Zerubbabel and Ezra. A the Willowcs which grew by the waters of Bah-Jio., and could, unbidden fioa the true fongs oftheir recovered Sion: They arc newly fctlcd in their old ,;,anfions when upon thcfirll publike fca!l,in the Aot•mne immediatly following their return/ they flock up to lerofolem: their firll care is their publik<facrifice; That School of their Captivity, whereinrhcyh:>vebccnc long trained, both taught them to begin with God : A f0rccd difcontinuancc,makcs devotion more favory, more fweet to religions beam ; whereas in an open freedomc, piety doth too often languifi1. . I•Jb• Athc Priell,and Zorohahelthc Prince are fitly joyned in the building of the Altar: neither oftheir hands may be out ofthat facred workc: no fooncr is that fct upon the ba(cs, then it is imployed to the daily burnt-offerings: The Altar may not fray thelcifurc ofthcT emplc; Gods Church may not want her oblations ; He can B be none ofthe fonncs of Ifratl, that doth not every day rcnuc his acknowledgements ofGod. How feelingly doth thcfc Term keepc their fcall ofTabernacles, whiles their fojourning In Ba"JIM was llill in theirthoughts! whiles as yctthcir Tents muiHupply their ruined houfc:s ~ The fidl: motions afzeale are commonly firong, and krvt"nr; How c.arcfully do thefc Govcrnours & Priclls make prtparation for Gods Temple~ Carpenters and Mafons arc hyred; T1ria~ workmen arc againc call<:d for, and L thanD1J is now anew lolidtcd for Cedar trees. The materials arc ready ; Every Ifr.elitt, withfuch courage addrdfcs himfelfero this fcrvice, as ifhis life lay in thofe !lanes : And now, whiles the foundation ofrhc Temple was laying,the l'rie!ls !land in their habits, with Trumpets, the Levitcswirh Cymbals, interchanging their holy C Muficke, and Melodioully finging praifc:s to the God ofifrael, who had turned their captivity as the !lrcamcs in the South, and honoured their eyes and hands with the fir!llloncs of his hoof< : The people feconds their fangs with !hours; the earth founds,and heaven rings with the joyfull acclamations of themultitude;It is no fmal comfort in agood atlion, to have begunwell; The entrance ofany holy enterprifcis commonly encountrcd with many difcouragcmems, which if we have once overcome, the palragc is fmooth. How would thcfc men havelhouted at the laying on of the la!lllonc of the battlements; who are rhus joyed with laying the firft llonc:s ofthe foundation~ The end ofany thing is better then the beginning: that hath certainty, this danger; this labour, that reil: little did rhefc men thickthat, fJr all tbis, few ofrhem lhould live to D fee rheroofc. What different affedions !hall we fee produced in men by the fame occalion ~ The younger JcwsiiJOutedat this fight, the elder wept: The yongcr lhouted ro fee a newfoundation; The elder wept to remember the old : They who had feen no better, thought this goodly; They who had feencthc former, thought this meanc, and homely; more farrowing for what they had loll, then rejoycing in fo uncquall areparation. As it may fall out, it is fame peccc ofmifery to have been happier; every abatement of che degrees ofour former height laies liege to our thankfulnclrc, fJr lelrer m~rcies. Sometimc:s, it proves an advantage to have knowne no bGrrer ; he .fhall more comfortably enjoy prefent benefirs, who rakes them as they arewirhout any E other comparifons,then ofrhc weaknclle ofhis owne ddcrvings. It is notbing to me what my felfc or others have bcene, foibcnow well: Neither is it othcrwifc in particular Churches, ifone be more glorionfly built then another, yet if thefoundation be rightly laid in both; one may notinf..!r, the other may not repine.:Each mu!lccn· gratulate the truth to other, eachmullrhanlcfully injoy it felfe. · The noife wasnot more loud,then confufcd; herewas adifcordant mixture o(.lamentation, and !houting; it was hard to fay whether drowned the other. This alfembly oflcwnvas atrue image ofGods Churchon earth; one lings, another cryc:s; never doth itall either laughor mourn atoacc. It lhaH be in our triumph that all teares !hall bewip't from our eyes; till then our paffions mull be mixed, -ac. carding to the occafions. The Jews arc bufic at worke, not more full af joy, then hopes ; and now that · the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=