out; then the Prophecy of Ifaiah was fulfilled, Ifa. xlvii. 9. Two Things fhall come to them in one Day, the Lofs of Children and Widowhood. Darius took the City in the End of the fixth Year of his Reign, (at which Time the Jewish Temple was finished) he gave them up to the Plunder of his Perfian Army, impaled three thousand, who were chief Actors in the Revolt, beat their Walls down from two hundred Cubits high to fifty Cubits. After this, Babylon languished a while, and at laft ended in a perpetual Defolation.

13Q. What farther Encouragement did the Jews receive from another King Artaxerxes? A. Artaxerxes the fecond, King of Perfia, gave Ezra the Priest and Scribe a Letter and Decree, to encou→ rage the Jews yet remaining in Babylon to go up to Jerufalem and establish the Worship of the true God there, Ezra vii.

Note, This fecond Artaxerxes is supposed by Dr. Prideaux to be Artaxerxes Longimanus, as the Heathen Hiftorians call him, and to be that fame Abafuerus who made Efther his Queen, and fo became very friendly to the Jezus.

14 Q. How did the King enable them to fulfil this Decree? A. The King and his Counsellors freely offered much Silver and Gold for this Work, and being fenfible of the Greatness and Power of the God of the Jews, whom he calls the God of Heaven, he fought to fecure his Favour for him felf and his Family, and pronounced a fpeedy Sentence of Death, Banifhment, Lofs of Goods, or Imprisonment, on those who should dare to hinder this Building, ver. 15, 16, 17, 23, 26.

15 Q. What did Ezra do in his Journey to Jerufalem? A. He proclaimed a Day of Fafting and Prayer to feek the Affiftance of God; for he was afhamed to afk the King for Soldiers to be

their Guard, because he had told the King of the Power and the Mercy of their God, Ezra viii. 21, 22.

16Q. What did Ezra do when he came to Jerus falem? A. He delivered the Orders of the King to the Governors of the Provinces, and the Gold and Silver to those who had the Care of the Building, and fo promoted the Work, ver. 33-36.

17 Q. What Reformation did Ezra work among the People? A. When he was informed that many of the Jews had mingled themselves in Marriages with the Heathens, he, together with the more religious part of the Jews, humbled themfelves before God for all their former Iniquities in an excellent Prayer, and brought them into a Cove. nant and an Oath to put away their ftrange Wives, Ezra ix. and x.

Note, None of the Jews of either Sex might marry with Gentiles of any Nation, unless they were made Pro felytes: And even then they fuppofe the Canaanites of the feven Nations, Deut. vii. and the Males among the Moabites and Ammonites to be excluded for ever, as they interpret, Deut. xxiii. 3.

18 Q. Did the Jews rebuild the City of Jerufalem? A. Yes, for the Babylonian Army had broke down the Walls, and burnt the Gates of it, Ne hem. i. 3.

19 Q. Whom did God raife up to carry on the rebuilding of the City? A. Nehemiah the Jew who was Cup-bearer to Artaxerxes the King of Perfia, Nebem. i. 11.

20 Q. How was Nehemiah engaged herein? A. When he heard of the Continuance of the Defolations made by the Enemies, he fafted and prayed to God, and then he obtained Leave of Artaxerxes the

King to go up to Jerufalem, and rebuild the City of the Sepulchres of his Fathers, Nehem. ii. 1-7.

21 Q. What further Encouragement did Ńehemiah receive from the King? A. He received Orders for the Governors of the Provinces to affift him, and to give him Timber out of the King's Foreft, ver. 7, 8.

22 Q. How did Nehemiah begin his Work? A. He rode round the City by Night, and took a private Survey of the Ruins thereof, and appointed a particular Part of the Walls and the Gates to be repaired by particular Perfons and their Companies, Nehem. ii, and iii.

23Q. What Oppofition did the Jews meet with in this part of their Work? A. Sanballat the Samaritan, and Tobiah the Ammonite, and their Accomplices, at first laughed the Jews to fcorn, and then confpired to fight againft them while they were at work, Nehem. iv. 1-7.

24 Q: How did Nehemiah prevent the Mischief they defigned? A. He encouraged the Jews to truft in their God, and appointed every Man that: laboured in the Work to have a Weapon ready to defend himself, ver. xiii-23.

25 Q. What Reformation did Nehemiah work among them? A. He reproved thofe that took Ufu ry, and oppreffed their Brethren: and he fet himfelf for an Example, who, though he was Gover nor twelve Years, took no Salary, but maintained himself and one hundred and fifty Jews at his own Charge, Nehem. v.

26Q. In what manner did they worship God when the City was built? A. On the first Day of the feventh Month all the People were gathered together in one Street, and Ezra the Prieft

and

and Scribe read in the Book of the Law, and gave the Senfe of the Words, that they might fee their paft Sins and Errors, and might be inftructed to yield a more regular and exact Obedience for time to come: and this being done, he bleffed the great God, and all the People anfwered Amen, Amen, Nehem. viii. 1-8.

Note, 'Tis a Remark of Dr. Prideaux, that though Ezra's Authority and Government expired before this time, yet he went on as a skilful Scribe of the Law of God, to preach Righteousness, to perfect the Reformation, to gather the feveral parts of Scripture together, to fet forth correct Copies of them, and to bring all things in Church and State to the Rules thereof: And this he did by the Affistance of the next Governor Nehemiah, doing the fame things by his Authority, which before he did by his own.

27 Q. How did they keep the Feast of Tabernacles? A. By dwelling in Booths made of Branches of Trees feven. Days together, as God had commanded by Mofes, and they read in the Book of the Law every Day of the seven, and explained it, ver. 13-18.

28 Q. How did they keep a Faft on the twentyfourth Day of the feventh Month? A. One fourth part of the Day they confeffed their Sins, and another fourth part they read in the Book of the Law, and then they entered into a Covenant with an Oath to be the Lord's People, and the Princes and the Priests and the Levites fealed it, Nehem. ix. and x.

29 Q. How were the People difpofed of in their Habitations? A. The Rulers dwelt at Jerufalem: the reft of the Priests and the People caft

Lots

Lots to bring one in ten to dwell at Jerufalem, and nine Parts in the other Cities, that the Land might be peopled, Nehem. xi.

30 Q. How was the Wall of Jerufalem the holy City dedicated? A. The Levites came from all Places to Jerufalem, and joined with the Priefts and the Rulers in two large Companies, and gave Thanks, and offered Sacrifices, and fung the Praifes of God, fo that the Joy of Jerufalem was heard afar off, Nehem. xii. 27-43.

31Q. What farther Reformation did Nehemiah bring in among the People? A. He turned Tobiah. the Ammonite out of his Lodging in the Temple. which Eliafbib the High-Prieft had prepared for him; he established the Portion of the Fruits of the Earth which belonged to the Levites; he forbid the Profanation of the Sabbath, by buying and felling, and bearing Burdens; and punifhed the Jews who married ftrange Wives, Nehem xiii.

32 Q. What remarkable Inftance did Nehemiah give of his Zeal in punishing those who married Strangers? A. He drove away one of the Sons of Foiada the Son of Eliahib the High-Prieft, for marrying the Daughter of Sanballat the Horonite, who had hindered the Jews fo much in their building feveral Years before, vēr. 28.

Note, This young Man's Name was Manasfeh, as JoJephus informs us.

33Q. Had Nehemiah no Prophet to affift him in this difficult Work? A. 'Tis fuppofed that Malachi the last of the Prophets prophefied about. this Time, for he doth not reprove them for neglect of building, as Haggai did, Hag. i. 4, 9. nor does he speak of the finishing of the Temple, as Zechariah did, chap. iv. 7, 9. But fuppofing

that