Tefament atfundry times. 4i I. In that he did preferve them from utter Defir,sflion ; yet not leave them altogether unpunifhed, nor make a full end of them, yer. 30. r o, a I. He reftrained the Enemy from wholly rooting out the Nation, Pfal. 1 ©6.46--gave them Favour in the fight of them that carried them captive. 2. In that he did convincethem, and left an everlaftingConviaionin the Heart ofthat people againft the grofler fort ofIdolatry : fuch an indelible Convi&ion as hath neverbeen blotted out to this day. Infomuch, that their great stumblingBlock at this dayagainft the Chriftian Religion is, the Idolatry of thePopifh Chriftians : For the poor blind Jews confider the Chriftian Religion no otherwife, but as corrupted with thole Antichriftian Abominations and Idolatries : And therefore their Converfion andReturn is not to be expe&ed till Antichrift, that great Rumbling Block, be removedout of the way. 3. The Lord gave them further and glorious Difcoveries, by railing up excellent Prophets to them : as Ezekiel, Daniel, 7eremy, force part of his Prophefies were after the beginning of their Captivity and Bondage to the Babylonians. This fad afffi&ive Difpenfation continued about feventy years, Ter, 29. Io. 4. Thefourth and laft of all the Old Teftament Difpenfations is that of the [condTemple, from the timeof their Return out o fBabylon, till the Mefliahs coming. And herein there are there remarkable paflàges. r. The Lord breaks the Yoke of Babylon, that his people might be delivered by the Hand of Cyrus, prophefied of by name force hundred years before his Birth, ¡fai. 44. 28. And as they were carried away at feveral times, fo they returned alfo at feveral times, and by degrees. Firft Zerubbabel, Ezra T. and a great company with him : Afterwards Ezra, Ezr. 7. I. after thefe things . Laftly, Nehemiah. 2. They built the Temple and the City ofGod again, Ezr. 3. Nehem. t, and 2. They met with many Difficulties and Obftru&ions in the Work ; but yet at laft it was done ; both begun and finifhed by Zerubbabel, Zach. 4. in forty fix years, Yob. 2. ao. feven weeks, Dan. 9. 25. that is, forty nine years ;viz. from theEdi& ofCyrus: after which, we may well allow one year ofpreparation for their Journey,another year for their Journey,anda thirdyear for preparing Materialsfor theTetnple, wherein David and Solomon fpent fo many years : And if wededu& three out offorty nine, the remainder will bebut forty fix, as 7obn 2. zo. It wanted fomewhat of its former Glory. As to the Struáure thereof ; theold menwept to fee howmuch Zerabbabels Temple fell fhort of Solo- mon's Temple, in Ezr. 3. i 2. As to the Vtenfils belonging to it ; the G Ark
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