The Temple in the Days of our Savior Described, Chapter 20

The Temple in the Days of our Savior Described · Chapter 20

p. 117CHAP. XX. Of the gate of Nicanor, or the Eaſt gate of the Court.

THe Court of the Women which was of the platforme that hath been deſcribed, was parted from the Court of Iſrael by a high wall: namely of thirty two cubits and an half high from the floor of the Court of the women, yet but onelyonly twenty two cubits high from the floore of the Court of Iſrael it ſelfe; for ſo much higher was the ground in that Court, then in the other.

Juſt in the middle of this wall, was the gate that conveyed out of the one Court into the other:[a][a]Mid. per. 2. Ioſephus de bel. lib. 8. cap. 14. to which gate there was a riſing of fifteen ſteps, every ſtep halfe a cubit high, the whole riſing ſeven cubits and a halfe in all (ſo high was the Court of Iſrael above the Court of the women.

[b][b]Succah per. 5.Theſe fifteen ſteps, (ſaith the Treatiſe Suceah) were anſwerable to the fifteene Pſalmes of degrees in the booke of Pſalmes foreign becauſe upon theſe the Levites ſteed and ſought Not in the daily ſervice, or in the ordinary courſe of the Temple muſicke, for their place of ſtanding in that, was in the Court (as ſhall be ſhewed) but onelyonly on that ſolemne feſtivity at the fidſt of Tabernacles, which was called foreign The rejoy … at the … and pouring out of water: of which we give account in its due place.

[c][c]Mid. ubi ſupr.Theſe ſteps that roſe up to the gate, went not laid in a ſquare, or ſtraight, as ſteps are ordinarily laid, but they were laid in a semicircle. And one reaſon of that may be for the p. 118gaining of roome on either ſide them:[d][d]Ibid. For on either ſide of the gate and of the ſteps, there were under-ground chambers in the wall, whoſe roofe was even with the floore of the Court of Iſrael, the doores opening into the Court of the women; in which roomes the Levites uſed to lay up their muſicall inſtruments when they had done ſinging in the daily ſervice in the Court of Iſrael: They came downe the fifteene ſteps out of the Court, and at the bottome, ſtepping off either on the right hand or the left, there were doores in the wall, into chambers where they laid their inſtruments up.

This gate that we are now entering, or the gate betweene the Court of the women, and the Court of Iſrael [e][e]vid. Kimchi in Jer. 19.2. & in 2 King. 11. & R. Sol. in 2 Chron. 23.Jer 19:22 Kgs 112 Chr 23is held by ſome of the Jewes to have been called by ſeven ſeverall names (beſides the gate of Nicanor, which in Herods temple was the moſt common and knowne name of it) of ſome of which the matter indeed is cleere, but of other there is doubting.

1. It was called The upper gate of the Lords houſe. 2. King. 15.35. 2 Chron. 27.3. and ſo the treatiſe Succab in the place cited before, doth expreſſely call it.[f][f]Succah ubi ſupr. The upper gate that goeth downe out of the Court of Iſrael, into the Court of the women: and the eaſt gate that went out of the Court of the women into the Chel, was called[g][g]Mains. in kel. Mikdaſh per. 7. the lower. Now whereas it is ſaid that Jotham built the upper gate, it inferreth not, that there was no gate before, but it meaneth that he repaired it, or that he added ſome buildings to it.

2. It is called the new gate, Jer. 26.10. & 36.10. in both which places the Chaldee paraphraſt expreſſely calleth it the Eaſt gate of the Sanctuary of the Lord: It is apparent by that latter place in Jeremy, that it was the gate that went into the upper Court, or the Court of Iſrael, and ſo it both appeares that it was the gate that we are about, and alſo the reaſon of the title of the new gate, may be collected from what was ſpoken a little before, namely becauſe it had been repaired by Jotham. [h][h]Kimch. in foreignSome give this reaſon of the title foreign, namely, That it was called new, becauſe the Scribes did there deliver new traditions … for there ſate the Sanbedrin: but this derivation is far fetcht.

3. The gate Harſith, Jer. 19.2. is underſtood by ſome to p. 119mean this Eaſt gate of the Court of Iſrael that we are upon, though both the very text of Ieremy himſelfe, and alſo the Chaldee parapbraſt and other Jewes with him, doe not clearly allow of ſuch a conſtruction, but place the gate Harſith in another place.

1. The text of Ieremy doth place Tophet at the entry of that gate Harſith, which how improper it is to apply to the Eaſt gate of the Court of Iſrael is eaſie enough for any one to judge, that doth but know that there were two gates betwixt this Court gate, and the valley that lay before the Temple, if that valley had been Tophet. But 2. Tophet or the valley of the Sons of Hinnom, lay a good way upon the right hand as you ſtood in the Eaſt gate of the Temple, as was obſerved before, and faced the city Ieruſalem, and not the Temple, and ſo the gate Harſith muſt be one of the gates that went out of Ieruſalem into that valley, and not out of the Temple. 3. The Chaldee paraphraſt doth call it foreign which David Kimchi expoundeth, the Dungport, and beleeveth it to be the ſame Dung-gate that is mentioned in Neb. 2.13. though I beleeve Nehemiabs dung-port was in another quarter. The word Harſith is of a twofold conſtruction: namely, either as derived from Heres foreign which ſignifieth the Sunne, and ſo out Engliſh in the margin hath rendred it the Sun-gate, having tranſlated it the Eaſt-gate, in the text: or from Heres foreign which ſignifieth a Potſheard; for there (ſaith Rabbi Solomon) they caſt out their broken Potſheards. We ſhall not need to be inquiſitive from whence this gate did beare its name (whether from the Sunne riſing upon it, or from ſome. Idolatry committed to the Sunne neare to it, or from the pots houſe hereabout, or from caſting out of broken pitchers at it) ſince it is not that gate that we are about in the Temple, but a gate of the city Ieruſalem, which wee have not now to doe withall.

4. Some of the[i][i]Kimch. in Ier. 19. R. Sol. in Bzek. 40.Jer 19 Hebrew writers do underſtand foreign The gate of entrance ſpoken of Ezek. 40.15. to meane the gate that we are about, namely the Eaſt gate of the Court of Iſrael: for which reaſon it may be the Chaldee parapbraſt hath tranſlated it foreign The middle gate, as being betweene the gate that cometh into the Court of the women, and the gate of p. 120the porch of the Temple it ſelfe.

5. Among the ſeven names that are given by the Rabbins to this gate, that name of the middle gate was one, as appeareth by the authors in the places alledged, & this was the reaſon of the name, and we need to ſeek no further for it.

6. They alſo conceive that it was called the gate Sur, 2 King. 11.6.[k][k]Id. in 2 Chron. 23. ex. Jeruſelami.2 Chr 23 or the gate of departure, becauſe there thoſe that had been uncleane, were ſeparated and put aſide, and might goe no further, till their atonement was made.

7. And likewiſe the gate of the Foundation, 2 Chron. 23.5. but of theſe two we ſhall have occaſion to ſpeak afterward, and ſhall there examine whether this gate have thoſe names or no.

8. But the name by which it was moſt famouſly knowne in the laſt daies of the temple (and which it carried to its grave, or till the Temple and it were buried in ruine) was the gate of Nicanor. [l][l]Maim. in kele Mikdaſh per. 7.The upper gate (ſaith Maymony) is the gate of Nicanor: And why is it called the upper gate? Becauſe it is above the Court of the women: And to the ſame purpoſe, and in as plaine tearms ſpeaketh the gloſſe upon the treatiſe Sotah, [m][m]Sotah per. 1 gloſſe. Ibid.The gate of Nicanor was the upper gate which was betweene the Court of Iſrael, and the Court of the woman, [n][n]Mid. per. 1. & per. 6.And ſo the treatiſe Middoth, whenſoever it reckoneth the gates of the Court of Iſrael, it ſtill maketh the gate of Nicanor to be the Eaſt gate: And that Maxime in the Jeruſalem Talmud foreign [o][o]Talm. Jeruſ. in Sotah per. 1.Every place where it is ſaid, Before the Lord, it meaneth the gate of Nicanor, confirmeth the ſame things, as appeareth by the cleanſing of the leper, and the triall of the ſuſpected wife, both which were ſet in this gate, and are ſaid to be ſet before the Lord Lev. 14.11. Num. 5.18.

And to take up, what is copiouſly ſaid by the Talmudiſts concerning this gate, and concerning the reaſon why it was ſo called, from the mouth of one man to ſave more labour let us heare the author of Juchaſin concerning this matter, ſpeaking thus at large.

[p][p]Juchaſin fol. 65. vid. etiam Talm. Jeruſ. in Joma. per. 3. Toſaphta ibid. per. 2. & Mid. per. 2. Aruch in voce Nicanor.Nicanor was in the time of the ſecond Temple: and I wonder at Rabb, that he did not mention him in the Catalogue of thoſe men that are upon record for religiouſneſſe: As he mentioneth Hananiah the p. 121Son of Ezekiah, the Son of Garon, in the beginning of the treatiſe Shabbath, into whoſe chamber the Schollers of Shammai and Hillel came: And ſo Aba Saul ben Batuith, in the end of the treatiſe Shabbath. Now this Nicanor that is often mentioned in the Miſhueb was one of the Chaſidim (or religious) but the common people are not ſo. He is mentioned in the firſt and ſecond chapters of Middeth, as that there is a gate in the Court on the Eaſt, which is the gate of Nicanor, and that it had two wickets, one on the right hand, and another on the left. And ſo it is ſaid in the 6. Chapter of Shekalim, and that is ſet over againſt the moſt holy place which was weſtward where the divine Glory dwelt: And therefore in the end of the treatiſe Beraceth, it ſaith, Let not a man uſe irreverence before this gate of Nicanor, or the Eaſt gate: And ſo in the firſt chapter of Sotah. In the gate of Nicanor, they make the ſuſpected wife drinke the bitter water, and they purifie women after Childbirth, and lepers. And in the end of the chapter foreign (or the ſeventh chapter of the treatiſe Peſachin) It is ſaid, that the gate of Nicanor were not holy (as the Court) becauſe lepers ſtood there, and put in their thumbs and great toes into the Court: And ſo in the third chapter of Joma, and the ſecond chapter of Toſaphta there it is ſaid, there were wonders wrought with the doores of Nicanor, and they mention it renownedly: And if ſo, then had it been fit to have recorded him. The ſtory is thus. This Nicanor was one of the Chaſidim, and be went to Alexandria in Aegypt, and made there two brazen doores with much curioſity: intending to ſet them up in the Court of the Temple, and be brought them away by ſea: Now a great ſtorme happening, the mariners caſt one of the doores over board to lighten the ſhip: and intended alſo to throw over the other alſo. Which when Nicanor perceived, he bound himſelfe to the doore with cords, and told them, that if they threw that in, they ſhould threw him in too: And ſo the ſea ceaſed from her rage: And when he was landed at Ptolemais, and bemoaned the loſſe of his other doore, and prayed to God about it, the ſea caſt up the doore, in that place where the holy man had landed. But ſome ſay a great fiſh caſt it up: And this was the miracle that was done about his doors, and they ſet them up on the Eaſt ſide of the Court, before the Temple. But in the booke of Ioſeph ben Gorion, be ſaith, That the gate of Nicanor was ſo called, becauſe a wonder was done there, for there they flew Nicanor a prince of the Grecians in the time of the Aſmoneans, and ſo it ſeemeth in the latter end of the ſecond chapter of the treatiſe Taanith. Thus Iuchaſin.

p. 122I ſhall not inſiſt upon it, to diſpute it out, whether of theſe things alledged were the cauſe of the name of this gate, or whether ſomething elſe: Some other conjectures might be added, as whether Nicanor that ſent the doores from Alexandria were not he that was the kings chief Maſter of the Ceremonies there, of whom Joſephus maketh mention[q][q]Joſ. Ant. lib. 12. cap.2. and relateth how he provided chambers & diet for the Septitagin… tranſlaters: or whether this gate were not ſo called in honour of Seleucus N…canor the firſt king of Syria, who was a great favourer of the Jewiſh Nation[r][r]Ibid. cap. 3. as the ſame Joſephus alſo relateth: But I ſhall leave the ſearching after the Etymology and originall of the name to thoſe that have minde and leaſure thereunto: it ſufficeth to know the gate by its name which was ſo renowned and famous in all Jewiſh writers: onelyonly as to the ſtory about Nicanor a Grecian prince being ſlaine here, compare 1 Maccab. 7.33, 34. &c. Joſeph. Antiq. lib. 12. cap. 17.

Before we part from this gate, we muſt remember to ſay ſomething about the gate Sur, and the gate of the foundation of which there is mention 2 King. 11.6. & 2 Chron. 23.5. becauſe that theſe are held by ſome, as was ſhewed before, to have but names of this Eaſt gate of the Court that we are about.

The texts where theſe names are mentioned do ſpeak to this purpoſe in our Engliſh tranſlation.

2 King. 11.

Ver. 5. A third part of you that enter in on the Sabbath, ſhall even be keepers of the watch of the kings houſe.

6. And a third part ſhall be at the gate Sur: and a third part at the gate behinde the guard, &c.

7. And two parts of you that goe forth on the Sabbath, even they ſhall keepe the watch of the houſe of the Lord, about the King, &c.

2 Chron. 23.

Ver. 4. A third part of you entering in on the Sabbath, of the Prieſts and of the Levites ſhall be porters of the doors.

5. And a third part ſhall be at the Kings houſe, and a third part at the gate of the foundation, &c.

The two courſes of the Prieſts and Levites now preſent, p. 123namely that courſe that came in on the Sabbath, and the other that had ſerved their weeke and were now going out, Jeboiada divides either of them into three parts, into ſix in all. They that came in on the Sabbath were to be: 1. A third part of them for the Altar and ſervice, the Prieſts for the ſacrifices, and the Levites for ſingers and porters as in the conſtant duty and attendance. For it was now the Sabbath day, and had it beene any other day, it is not to be imagined, that Jebo…ada would neglect the affaires of God though he went about the affaires of the King: But he provides for both, ſo that the Temple ſervice may have its due attendance, as well as the Kings coronation. And therefore ver. 5. of 2 King. 11. is neceſſarily to be rendred thus, A third part of you ſhall be thoſe that come in on the Sabbath: that is, a third part of you ſhall be as thoſe that come in on the Sabbath to attend the ſervice as at other times. And ſo is 2 Chron. 23.4. to be tranſlated, A third part of you ſhall be thoſe that come in on the Sabbath, for Prieſts, and Levites, and Porters: that is, to attend the Altar, ſong and gates as in the conſtant ſervice.

2. Another third part, for keepers of the watch at the Kings houſe.

3. And another third part at the gate Sur which is alſo called the gate of the foundation.

Thus the tents in the two bookes laid together doe plainly diſtribute the courſe that was to come in on the Sabbath, as he will ſee that will carefully compare them together in the originall.

The courſe that was going out on the Sabbath was diſpoſed, 1. One third part of them to the gate behinde the guard, 2. Two third parts to keepe the watch of the houſe of the Lord for the ſafety of the Kings.

Now the very diſpoſall of theſe guards will help us to judge concerning the gates that we have in mention, and will reſolve us that they were not any gates of the Temple at all, but that they ſtood in ſome place elſe. For the gates of the Temple were guarded by the Porters of the courſe that came in as in the ordinary manner: and there was an extraordinary guard added beſides throughout all the mountaine of the houſe, and p. 124in the Court, of that courſe that was going out, 2 King. 11.7, 8.11. Therefore the gate Sur or the gate of the foundation, which was guarded by a third part of thoſe that come in on the Sabbath, cannot be ſuppoſed for any gate of the Temple, ſince the Temple was guarded by two parts of thoſe that went out. So that were I to deſcribe the city as I am now about deſcribing the Temple, I ſhould place the gate Sur ſomewhere in Sion, and there alſo ſhould I place the gate behinde the guard: and it would not be very hard to gather up faire probability of their ſituation there. Now though ſo ſtrong guards were ſet both in the Temple and in Zion, yet Athaliah for whom all this adoe is made, comes up into the Temple, ſo far as to ſee the young King at his pillar in the Court before the Eaſt gate, and no man interrupts her, partly becauſe ſhe was Queene, partly becauſe ſhe came alone, and chiefly becauſe they knew not Jehoiadas minde concerning her. But when he bids have her out of the ranges, they laid hold upon her, and ſpared her till ſhe was downe the cauſey Shalletheth, and then they ſlew her.

If by the ranges, the rankes of men that ſtood round about the mountaine of the houſe, be not to be underſtood, I ſhould then thinke they meane either the ranks of trees that grew on either ſide that cauſey, or the railes that were ſet on either ſide it for the ſtay and ſafety of thoſe that paſſed upon it. And to this ſenſe Levi Gerſhom doth not unproperly expound thoſe words in 1 King. 10.12. Of the Al…g trees the King made foreign for the houſe of the Lord and for the Kings houſe. The word foreign doth properly ſignifie a Prop or Support: yet is expreſſed in 2 Chron. 9.11. The King made of the Algum trees foreign high waies to the houſe of the Lord: And [q][q]Ralbag in 1 King. 10.1 Kgs 10I think (ſaith the Rabbin) that in the aſcent that he made to gee up to the houſe of the Lord from the Kings houſe, he made as it were battlements (that is railes on either ſide) of the Almug trees, that a man might ſtay himſelfe by them, as he went along the highway of that aſcent. And ſo in other aſcents of the houſe of the Lord or of the Kings houſe, where there were not ſteps, at the riſe of the Altar, &c.

p. 125SECT. I. Aeredible wonder of the brazen gate.

VVE will leave the belief of that wonder that hath been mentioned about the brazen doore of Niconer in its ſhipwrack, to thoſe that record it: but wee may not paſſe over another wondrous occurence related by Joſephus, of the brazen gate (whether this of Nicanor, or the other which hee calleth the brazen gate, as by its proper name, wee will not be curious to examine) which is a great deale more worthy of belief, and very well deſerving conſideration: Hee treating of the prodiges and wonders that preſaged the deſtruction of Jeruſalem, amongſt others hee relateth this. foreign, &c. The Eaſtgate of the inner Temple, being of braſſe and extream heavy, [a][a]loſ. de bell. lib. 6. cap 31.and which could hardly bee ſhut by twenty men; being barred and bolted exceeding ſtrong and ſure, yet was it ſeene by night to open of its owne accord: which the ſimpler and more fooliſh people did interpret as a very good Omen, as if it denoted to them, that God would open to them the gate of all good things: But thoſe of a deeper reach and ſounder judgement, did ſuſpect that it preſaged the decay and ruine of the ſtrength of the Temple.

And with this relation of his doe other writers of his owne nation concurre, who report,[b][b]Iuchaſm. ſol. 21. That forty years before the deſtruction of the City, the doores of the Temple opened of their owne accord: Whereupon Rabban Jochanan ben Zaceai (afterward chieſe of the Sanhedrin) cryed out, Open thy doores O Lebanon that the fire may devoure. And from that time the great Sanhedrin fitted from the room Gazith, and ſo removed from place to place. The like ſaith Rabbi Solomon on Zeob. 11.1. Open thy doores O Lebanon: [e][e]R. Sol. in Zech. 11.Zech 11Hee prophecieth (ſaith hee) of the deſtruction of the ſecond Temple: and forty yeares before the deſtruction, the Temple doores opened of their own accord: Rabban Iochanan ben Zaccai rebuked them: and ſaid, O Temple, Temple, how long wilt thou trouble thy ſelf? I know thy beſt is to hee deſtroyed, for Zechariah the ſonne of Iddo prophecied thus of p. 126thee, Open thy doores O Lebanon that the fire may devoure thy Cedars, &c.

There are three remarkable things which the Jews doe date from forty years before the deſtruction of the Temple: namely this of the Temple doores opening of themſelves, and the Sanhedrins flitting from the roome Gazith, and the Scarlet liſt on the Scapegoates head not turning white, that are as Teſtimoneyes againſt themſelves about the death of Chriſt, which occurred exactly forty years before the Temple was deſtroyed: Then the Lord ſhewed them by the Temple doores opening, the ſhaking of their Eccleſiaſticall glory, and by the flitting of the Sanhedrin, the ſhaking of their Civill, and by the not whitening of their Scarlet liſt which had denoted pardon of ſin, their deep die of ſin and guilt for the death of Chriſt. Compare this ſelf-opening of the Temple doores with the renting of the vail of the Temple of its one accord, and they may helpe the one to illuſtrate the other. And mee thinkes the words of Rabban Iochanan upon the opening of the doores, O Temple how long wilt then diſquiet thy ſelf? doe ſeeme to argue that before that opening there had been ſome other ſuch ſtrange trouble in the Temple as that was, which might be the renting of the vail.

SECT. 2. A Sanhedrin ſitting in this Gate.

THis Gate of Nicanor or the Eaſt-gate of the Court, was the place where the ſuſpected wiſe was tryed by drinking of the bitter waters and where the Lever cleanſed ſtood to have his atonement made, and to have his clenſing wholly perfected, the rites of both which things wee have deſcribed in their places. In this Gate alſo did women after child-birth appear for their full purification; here it was that the Virgin Mary preſented her child Jeſus to the Lord, Luk. ….22.

[a][a]Talm in Sanhedr. per. 11.In this gate of Ni…an…r (not in the very paſſage through but in ſome room above or by it) there ſate a Sanhedrin of p. 127three and twenty Judges: Now there were three ranks of Judicatories among the Jews. A Judicatory or Conſiſtory of three. A Iudicatory of three and twenty: and the great Sanhedrin of ſeventy one. In ſmaller towns there was a Triumvirate or a Conſiſtory ſet up conſiſting only of three Judges:[b][b]Ibid. per. 1. theſe judged and determined about money matters, about borrowing, filching, damages, reſtitutions, the forcing or inticing of a maid, pulling off the ſhoe, and divers other things that were not capitall, nor concerned life and death, but were of an inferiour concernment and condition. In greater cities there were Sanhedrins of three and twenty, which judged in matters of life and death in ſome caſes; but raught not to all: And there was the great Sanhedrin at Jeruſalem which was to Judge of the greateſt matters. Now a Sanhedrin of three and twenty was not ſet up in any great City, but onelyonly in ſuch a one as in which were 120 men fit to bear office. foreign How many are to …hee in a City that it may bee fit to have a Sanhedrin ſet up in it? It is a queſtion of the Talmud, own propoſing, and it giveth this anſwer, That there are to be 120. compare Act. 1.15. And into what offices or places theſe are to be diſtributed, might be alleadged out of the Gemariſts and Maymony if it were pertinent to this place: Only theſe many let us name of them.[c][c]Maym in Sanhedr. per. 1. Every Sanhedrin of three and twenty, had three fourms of Prebationers of three and twenty in every fourne … And when there was need of a man in the Sanhedrin, the higheſt in the firſt …ourm was fetched in, and made Judge: and the highest in the ſecond fourm came in and ſate loweſt in the firſt fourm: and the higheſt in the third fourm came up and ſate loweſt in the ſecond: and ſome other man was found out from abroad, to ſit loweſt in the third four fourm: and ſo the Sanhedrin and the fourms were ſtill kept ſult.

Now as the grean Sanbedrin ſate in the Temple, ſo alſo did two leſſer Sanhedrine of three and twenty a peece, the one in the gate Shuſham or the gate of the mountain of the Houſe, and the other in this gate of Nicanor or the gate of the Court: And their riſing to be Judges in the higheſt Court of ſeventy one, was firſt by degrees through theſe two.[d][d]Id. ibid. per. 2. Whoſover was found a … of fit and competent qualifientions, he was firſt made a Judge in his own p. 128City: and thence he was promoted into the Judicatory of the gate of the mountain of the houſe, and from thence into the Judicatory in the gate of the Court, and ſo at laſt into the great Sanhedrin. In ſome of theſe Judicatories in the Temple our Saviour ſhewed his wiſdome at twelve years old, Luk. 2.46. And ſome of theſe Judges were they that tempted him with the queſtion about the woman taken in Adultery, which was brought to be judged before them, Ioh. 8.4, 5.

In the times before the captivity into Babylon the great Sanhedrin it ſelf ſate in theſe two Gates, ſometimes in the one, and ſometimes in the other, as they thought good, Ier. 34.4. & 26.10. & 36.10, but in after times when the room Gazith was built, and the great Sanhedrin of ſeventy one betooke it ſelfe thither, theſe two gates were furniſhed, either of them with a leſſer Sanhedrin of three and twenty: The place of their ſitting was in ſome room over the gate: for as it was not poſſible for them to ſit in the very paſſage through which people went and came, ſo was it not lawfull for them to fit in the gate of Nicanor, in that part of the gate that was within the Court; for within the Court might no man ſit but the King only. Yet might they ſit in the upper rooms though they were within the compaſſe of the Courts, for they held them not of ſo great a holineſſe as was the ſpace below.

This is the gate of which Ezekiel ſpeaketh, chap. 46.1, 2. The gate of the inner Court that looketh toward the Eaſt, ſhall bee ſhut for the ſix working dayes: but on the Sabbath it ſhall be opened, and in the day of the New Moon it ſhall bee opened: And the Prince ſhall come by the way of the porch of that gate without, and ſhall ſtand by the poſt of the Gate, &c. Before this gate within had Solomon pitched his brazen Scaffold, on which he kneeled & prayed at the Conſecration of the houſe. 2 Chro. 6.13. compared with 1 Kin. 8.22. and in after times the Kings entring in at this gate had their ſtation within it, as he had given them example, and there ſtood the Kings pillar as it is called, 2 Chron. 23.13. that is, his ſeat was ſet within this gate in the Court by one of the pillars that bare up the Cloiſter: For as this Eaſt quarter of the Court was the moſt proper place for the people to worſhip in, ſo moſt eſpecially in that place of it which did moſt directly face the p. 129doore of the Temple and the Altar before it, and that was in the very entrance up from the gate it ſelf, and here was the King ſeated by one of the pillars. Something according to this diſpoſall of the King in his place in the Court doth Ezekiel ſpeak, though in his deſcription there is ſome kinde of difference for myſtery ſake. You may obſerve in him, that the Eaſt gate of the outer Sanctuary was contiuually ſhat, and the Eaſt gate of the inner was ſhut all the ſix dayes of the weeke, which were not indeed ſo in the common uſe of the Temple as it ſtood, for both the gates were dayly opened, but hee hath ſo charactered them for the higher magnifying of that glory which he ſaith was now entred into the Temple: And whereas indeed the King in his worſhipping did go within the Court, or within the gate and there worſhip, and there fit downe in the time of Divine Service, hee hath brought in the Prince but to the poſts of the gate and there ſtanding whileſt his Sacrifice was offering: By his deſcription every one that came up to this gate, muſt either enter at the North gate or South gate of the Court of the women, becauſe the Eaſt gate was ſhut, chap. 44.1. and hereupon is that injunction, that when the people of the land come before the Lord in the Solemn Feaſts, hee that entereth in by the way of the North-gate to worſhip, muſt go out by the way of the South gate, and hee that entreth by the way of the South gate, muſt goe forth by the way of the North gate: he muſt not return by the way of the gate whereby he came in. Ch. 46.9. Whereas in the common acceſſe to the Temple as it ſtood either before or after the captivity, the Eaſt gate of the Court of the women was conſtantly open and their moſt ordinary coming in was at that gate, & ſo they went up through the Court of the women to the gate of Nicanor, yea and oftentimes within it into the Court: Yet did they imitate and follow this preſcript of the Prophet, under the ſecond Temple, in not returning and going out at the ſame gate at which they had come in; The Talmudiſts have this Tradition about this matter. foreign [e][e]Mid. per. 2.All that come to the Temple according to the cuſtome of the place, come in at the right hand, and fetch a compaſſe and go out at the left, which meaneth not (as the Gloſſaries do explaine it) that a man was always p. 130to goe out at the gate oppoſite to that gate at which he camein, but that he may not go out at the ſame gate at which he came in but at ſome other: as came hee in at the Eaſt gate, hee muſt not goe out at the Eaſt gate againe, but at the North or South: OnelyOnly they give exception in two ſorts of perſons foreign to whom particular occurrences had befallen, for they went about ſtill to the left hand. What is the matter with thee that thou goeſt that way? Becauſe I am a mourner. Now hee that dwelleth in this houſe comfort thee. Or becauſe I am an excommunicate: Now he that dwelleth in this houſe put into thy heart that thou mayeſt hearken to the words of thy fellowes, and they may receive thee.

So that the common and ordinary way of coming into the Temple to worſhip, was to come in at the Eaſt gate of the Court of the women, and up to the gate of Nicanor, and there to worſhip and ſo back again, and out at the North or South doore of that Court: The Phariſee in the parable went up to this gate as farre as hee could goe, becauſe hee would put his ſeeming devotion to the fartheſt, but the poor Publican ſtood a far off. Luk. 18.13. Even the King himſelf though hee came in on the Weſt quarter of the mountain of the houſe, yet came hee down hither to goe into the Court of the women, and ſo up through the Eaſt gate of the Court, to his ſeate which was before that gate. The ſtationary men, of whom wee have ſpoken in due place, they went within the gate into the Court of Iſrael, and ſo did other Iſraelites at the ſolemn feſtivials when there were abundance of Sacrifices, eſpecially at the Paſſeover, and hee that brought a ſingle Sacrifice, went into the Court at one of the North gates of it, of which wee ſhall ſpeak when its courſe comes: but ordinarily a man that came into the Temple to pray or to worſhip, and brought not a Sacrifice, hee worſhipped before the gate of Nicanor which faced the gate of the Temple, and ſo returned.