A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Volume 3 · Appendix · Chapter 13
Nehemiah CHAP. XIII.
THIS Chapter conſiſts of Four Parts, namely; Of four Maladies that moleſted the Reformed Eſtate of the Jews during Nehemiah's Abſence from Jeruſalem, and of as many Remedies whereby Nehemiah Removed them all upon his Return.
The firſt Malady was the Violation of the Temple deſcribed in its four Adjuncts, as done 1ſt. Impiouſly, ver. 1, 2. 2ly. Seditiouſly, ver. 3. 3ly. Impudently, by Eliaſhib the High-Prieſt, whoſe Office was to keep it Sacred, ver. 4, 5. And 4ly. It was done Craftily, in taking occaſion of Nehemiah's Abſence, ver. 6.
Remarks firſt upon this firſt Malady are theſe; as Firſt, Nehemiah is twelve Years Governour of Judea (ſaith Dr. Lightfoot) before he returned again to the King of Perſia, for he went to Jeruſalem with his Commiſſion from the King in the Twentieth Year of Artaxerxes Darius, Chap. 2.1. and returns again into Perſia in the Two and thirtieth Year of that ſame King, Chap. 13.6. In this Term of twelve Years Time Nehemiah accompliſh'd all he judg'd neceſſary both for the Peace and Piety of both Church and State, and then returned according as he had been appointed, Chap. 2.6. 'Tis generally judged that Nehemiah ſtay'd but the ſpace of one Year in the Perſian Court; ſo [Ulekets Jomim] Hebr. the end of Days, ver. 6. is Interpreted by Vatablus, &c. becauſe a compleat Year conſiſts of all its number of Days. So 'tis taken Exod. 13.10. Levit. 25.29. Numb. 9.22, &c.
Remark the Second: In this Interſpace of Nehemiah's one Year's Abſence from Jeruſalem, Eliaſhib had prophaned the Holy Temple, ver. 4, 5. who having by his High Office the Overſight of all the Chambers in the Temple, and (thinking he might do what he liſted without controul in Nehemiah's Abſence) he prepareth a great Chamber, by taking down Partitions (ſaith Piſcator) and laying many little Chambers of the Levites all into one, and he furniſhed it alſo for entertaining his Friend and Ally Tobiah, a moſt invetrate Enemy to God's People, but one ſlye and ſubtile, ſeeking to inſinuate himſelf by allyances and ſwaſive Letters, &c. wherewith he had corrupted this pitiful High-Prieſt ſo far as to lodge Tobiah (when he came to Town) thus near him, for more free and ſecret communication with him in ſo private a place where the People might not come: Thus from this prophane High-Prieſt, not only the Temple it ſelf became prophaned, but alſo Prophaneneſs went from him [the Head] into all the Body of the Land, Jerem. 23.15. as appeareth in the three following Maladies. N. B. And thus the Sins of Teachers are well called Teachers of Sins, &c.
Remark the Third: This wicked Fact of Eliaſhib hath here a fourfold Aggravation; as 1ſt. 'twas Impious, ver. 1, 2. being done in deſpight of the Divine Law, which prohibits any Ammonite (eſpecially ſuch an one as Tobiah was) to come into the Congregation of God for ever, Deut. 23.3, 4. if not Proſelyted; yet this prophane Prieſt prophaned God's Law. 2ly. 'Twas a Seditions and Factious Fact, ver. 3. becauſe 'twas done without the conſent of the People, and quite contrary to that Solemn Covenant, into the Bonds of which Nehemiah had lately brought both Princes and Prieſts, and the People univerſally, Chap. 9.8, and 10. all. 3ly. 'Twas an Impudent and moſt Audacious Action, that he who was High-Prieſt and ſhould therefore have been the Belweather in that Glorious work of Reformation, as he had been in the Citie's Reparation, Chap. 3.1. ſhould now degenerate ſo, as to become the Ringleader to this ſordid Deformation, in daring to caſt forth thoſe Sacred Proviſions for God and his Levites, to make room and receive the prophane Houſhold-ſtuff of Tobiah to whom he was now Allied by Marriage, ver. 4, 5. 4ly. 'Twas a Crafty and Fraudulent Fact in committing this Sacrilege, having the opportunity of Nehemiah's Abſence, and thinking (ſaith Wolphius) he would no more return to Jeruſalem to Reprove him and redreſs it.
The Remedy to this firſt Malady falls next under Obſervation.
Remark the Firſt, Nehemiah's Return to Jeruſalem, ver. 7. He thought a whole Year (as the ſame Phraſe is uſed Jer. 25.29.) was time long enough wherein to pay his due Homage, and ſhew his dutiful Reſpect to his kind King of Babylon (ſo call'd here becauſe the Perſian Monarchy had now quite ſwallowed up the Babylonian, and now their Kings took the Title of it to themſelves) and to Negotiate Matters in the Perſian Court for the weal of his own Nation: Now having been thus long executing his Office of a Courtier (ſaith Grotius) in the Perſian Court, he longeth to return to Jeruſalem (for there was his Heart) but was afraid (having been twelve Years abſent) to ask again leave for his farther Abſence (ſaith Piſcator) ſo he imployed ſome other great Courtier to ask it for him, and this ſenſe [Niſhalti min Hammelek] Hebr. being of the Paſſive Voice, will the better bear, as if the King, being informed by his own Favourite and Nehemiah's Friend, how deſirous he was to be with his own People, willed him to return to his Government.
Remark the Second. Nehemiah no ſooner had got his Conge de lier or Commiſſion at Court, but he haſtens to Jeruſalem, tho' he lacked nothing for himſelf at the King's Court. N. B. Patriam quiſque amat, non quia pulchram, ſed quia propriam, Every Man naturally loves his own native Country; not ſo much becauſe it excells others, but becauſe it is his own proper Soil where he breath'd his firſt breath:
Neſcio quâ Natale ſolum Dulcedine cunctos
Ducit,
ſaith Ovid. Every Man hangs homeward.
N. B. Hadad had all things to make him happy in Pharaoh's Court; however (ſaith he) let me return home, 1 Kings 11.22. and ſo Nehemiah needed nothing with Darius, nevertheleſs his heart hangs Homeward, and he haſtens thither. Oh that our hearts could hang and haſten to our Heavenly Home, where there is a confluence of all Comforts, whatever the heart wiſhes or need requires, Heb. 11.14, 16. 2 Pet. 3.12.
Remark the Third: Learn we here how great is the loſs of a good Governour, tho' but abſent for a little time: None of thoſe Corruptions crept in by any Connivance of Nehemiah while he was preſent, but all Matters ſeem'd exceeding well ſettled before his departure into Perſia, both in Church and State. Therefore one may well wonder how in leſs than one Year's time ſo many weighty Matters ſhoul'd become miſ-managed, as appeareth by this firſt and all the other three following Maladies; for ſo ſoon as Nehemiah returned, he found all the Frame which he (before his departure) had framed, to be run out of Frame and notoriouſly disjointed, ſo falls afreſh to Reform; that as the Devil and his Inſtruments had notably beſtirr'd themſelves in hurling all into a Confuſion, and Deforming (during his ſhort abſence) what he had Reformed; ſo he upon his return as notably beſtirrs himſelf to Reform what they had Deformed.
Remark the Fourth: Some good Souls (to free themſelves from the guilt of ſinful Silence) inform Nehemiah what Eliaſhib had done: This they did, not to Diſgrace, but to Reclaim him, and not ſuffer Sin to lie upon him; this is Hatred, Levit. 19.17. This Information put the good Man into a Paroxyſm, ver. 7, 8. into a pang of Paſſion, that ſo Sacred a Place ſhould be Polluted by Tobiah, one who in many reſpects ought not to come there; 1. being no Preieſt, 2. but a Stranger, and not ſo much as an Iſraelite: 3. One of the worſt of Strangers, a curſed Ammonite; and 4. the worſt of Ammonites, a cruel Enemy to God's Church. No wonder if his Spirit was moved [foreign] as bleſſed Paul's was at the Idolatry of Athens, Acts 17.16. ſeeing this Pollution was performed by the permiſſion of the High-Prieſt himſelf, who ought to have puniſh'd the like Prophaneneſs in others and to Reform it, &c.
Remark the Fifth: Hereupon this Holy Man caſts forth Tobiah's Ʋnholy Houſhold-ſtuff out of the Holy Place; tho' his Stuff was Stately and ſo Copious as to furniſh many little Chambers of the Levites, the Partitions whereof were all pull'd down by Eliaſhib's order to make only an Apartment for his Alley Tobiah, a Room capacious enough to receive his Rich Furniture; yet out all goes by this good Man; and when tha… …as done, the Levites muſt Purifie it according to the Law, Numb. 19.9. and then fill it again with ſuch Sacred Stuff, ver. 9. as God had appointed. N. B. Oh that we could learn by this Example to empty our hearts of Sin, and being Purified, get them fill'd with Grace, Acts 15.9.
The Second Part of this Chapter relateth likewiſe the Second Malady, together with a Second Remedy, ver. 10, to 14.
Remark the Firſt, Relating to the Malady, to wit, God's Miniſters were defrauded of their due Maintenance allowed them by God's Law; As the People had heard out of Moſes's Law, that no Ammonite muſt enter God's Houſe, &c. ver. 1. this had ſtartl'd them about Tobiah's Entertainment, &c. ſo they had ſolemnly Sworn that the Levites Portions ſhould be duly and truely paid, leſt the Houſe of God ſhould be forſaken by them, Chap. 10.37, 39. Now is Nehemiah as much ſtartl'd to find them guilty of groſs Perjury in detaining the Levites Dues, and forcing them thereby to forſake the City and ſhift as they could in the Country. N. B. Want of maintenance forceth Miniſters to leave their Charges (ſaith Wolphius) and pick up a livelihood out of Ruſtick labours, &c.
Remark the Second: Many Conjectures are made, why the Portions of the Levites were not paid; as 1ſt. The People would not pay them, tho' they had lately ſworn to do it, becauſe the High-Prieſt Eliaſhib was now corrupted, and they might think he had corrupted the Levites under him; Like Prieſt, like Levite; therefore they detain'd their Portions that they might not be maintain'd in their corrupt courſes. 2ly. They ſaw that Eliaſhib took thoſe Portions paid in (as he had done the Levites Chambers) and converted them to his own private Service, employing them for the entertainment of Tobiah and his other great Allies. 3ly. Saith Wolphius, they might be ſenſible that Tobiah: himſelf or ſome of Tobiah's Servants, made a Seiſure on them for their own proper Service, which was a prophaning of Sacred things; and therefore they abhorred the Offerings of God, as others had done upon the like occaſion, 1 Sam. 2.17. When the High-Prieſt was ſo bad, they might well think that the Levites were little better; if the Head of a Fiſh do ſtink, the Body ſoon catcheth the putrefaction, &c. But 4ly. It might be (ſaith Wolphius) from the Covetouſneſs of the People, who took this occaſion of advantage to reſerve thoſe Portions to themſelves, contrary to their late Solemn Covenant, Chap. 10.37. N. B. Oh how apt are Men to Argue God out of his own Dues! and how witty will Perſons be with Excuſes to ſave their Purſes!
Remark the Third: Thoſe Levites that were thus defrauded of their Dues, were truly Religious; for 'tis expreſly ſaid ver. 10. that they did their Work, and therefore were worthy of their Wages; N. B. Even of that double Honour due to them, 1 Tim. 5.17. the Honour of Countenance and the Honour of Maintenance, which the Magiſtrate muſt manage, or Religion will run towards Ruine, as it did here till Reformed, &c.
Remarks relating to the Remedy are Firſt, Nehemiah's Expoſtulation with the Rulers, ver. 11. wherein he ſharply Reproved them for their Remiſſneſs and ſetting looſe the Golden Reins of Ruledom, ſwaying the Sword of Juſtice in vain, which Wolphius calleth the chief cauſe of all this culpable Miſcarriage, inſomuch as their paſſive connivence at leaſt ſuffer'd all this Sacrilege. Nor did Nehemiah reſt in Words only, but he added Deeds alſo, in collecting all the ſcatter'd Levites from their Country Glebes into Jeruſalem, that Gods Service might no longer be neglected, and his diſpleaſure provoked for breaking their Covenant, Chap. 10.38, 39. ſetting them all in their own Stations to exerciſe their Offices.
Remark the Second: This Remedy removed the Remora's, ver. 12. for then all Judah brought in the Portions of the Levites; not only becauſe they now were ſatisfied that they would be applied to their proper Uſe, and no more Abuſed by Eliaſhib, &c. as before; but more eſpecially from that Veneration they bare to their good Governour's Authority. N. B. Luther complaineth, If there were no Compulſory means by the Authority of Magiſtrates for the maintenance of Miniſters, and were they barely left to the Peoples Benevolence, they would meet with a ſorry pittance and be but poorly maintain'd: But here Nehemiah's Authority brought in all ſorts of Tythes into a Publick Treaſury, v. 12. a Place purpoſely appointed (ſaith Piſcator) for their Reception.
Remark the Third: Moreover Nehemiah conſtituted ſuch Treaſurers as were accounted faithful by common Fame (for no Man, ſaith Grotius, can Deceive all Men) becauſe he had found the former Truſtees perfidious in their Truſt; but theſe faithful Men he was confident, would make a due Diſtribution, ver. 13. N. B. 'Tis a point of very high Honour to be found faithful in Places of great Truſt, Numb. 12.7. 2 Kin. 12.15. and 22.7. 2 Chron. 19.9. and 31.12. and 34.11. Neh. 7.2. and 'tis Honourable to be accounted Faithful, as here and 1 Tim. 1.12. to be ſo is the duty of all Stewards, 1 Cor. 4.2. And thoſe Treaſurers here dealt faithfully; 1. In Receiving readily; 2. In Keeping carefully; and 3. In Diſtributing prudently to every Prieſt and Levite their Portion and Proportion.
Remark the Fourth: When Nehemiah had left nothing undone that might become a Vigilant and a Valiant Ruler, he ſhuts up all with this Holy Ejaculation, [Remember me, O my God, &c.] ver. 14. that his God (ſaith Wolphius) might put a Candid Conſtruction upon all his Kindneſſes (ſo the Hebr. is for good Deeds) to God's Houſe in Reſtoring all the Ordinances thereof to be duly obſerved, as he had done before, Chap. 5.19. See there, wherein N. B. he did what God hade him do, [Put me in Remembrance] Iſa. 43.20. and 62.6, 7. ſaying, Lord forget not my Labour of Love, Hebr. 6.10. Not that God needeth any of Man's Memento's; but ſpeaking after the manner of Men, he alludeth to the wipings out of a Table-Book: God is ſaid to have a Book of Remembrance, Mal. 3.16. and good Nehemiah would not be wiped out of that Book, nor blotted out of the Book of Life, Rev. 3.5. as Piſcator ſenſeth it here. N. B. This good Man was far from that curſed frame of the wretched Monk, who in his Dying hour blaſphemouſly belched out theſe words [Redde mihi Deus aeternam Vitam quam mihi Debes] God, give me Heaven which thou oweſt me. Not like that foul-mouth'd Vega (another Popeling) who cry'd, Coelum gratis non accipiam, I ſcorn to have Heaven as a free gift; quite forgetting that Eternal Life is the gift of God, and not any wage for Man's work, Rom. 6.23. Nor was Nehemiah here like that Third Popiſh Juſtitiary, who moſt daringly bluſter'd out [Non habeo Domine quod mihi Ignoſcas] which is in the Language of our late Executed Jeſuits, I die as Innocent as a Child unborn, and have no Sins for God to pardon: No, Nehemiah ſaid thus in the ſenſe of Auguſtin, ſaying, [Certum eſt nos facere quod facimus, ſed Deus facit ut faciamus.] Sure it is, we do what good we do, but 'tis God alone who cauſeth us ſo to do: 'tis God that works all our good works in us and for us, Iſa. 26.12. and without Chriſt we can do nothing, John 15.5. and from him alone is our Fruit found, Hoſ. 14.8. hereupon the Church in Canticles is no where commended for the beauty of her Hands (thoſe Acting Members) becauſe her Bridegroom alone wrought all her good works for her, and would rather have her to abound with good works in ſilence, than that ſhe ſhould boaſt of them at all; therefore ought we all to ſay in our loftieſt Enlargements and higheſt Attainments, [Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to thy Name be the Praiſe, Pſal. 115.1.] This is the Godly Man's Motto and his Daily Practice, Gen. 41.16. Acts 3.12, 16. 1 Cor. 15.10. 'Tis not our Pains, but Chriſt's Pounds that gains Ten Pounds, Luke 19.16. N. B. I am thus large on this Remark, for Refuting that Lying Doctrine of the Romiſh Merit, bolſter'd up by theſe words of Nehemiah. See more of this Point upon ver. 22.
The Third Part of this Chapter conſiſts alſo of a Malady and Remedy.
Remark Firſt, Upon the Third Malady, (to wit, the Prophanation of the Sabbath) are Firſt, The Matter that was done in Nehemiah's ſight, namely, Treading of Wine-Preſſes, bringing in S…eaves of Corn, lading of Aſſes, &c. ver. 15. all on the Sabbath-day, which were expreſly forbidden by God's Law, Exod. 20.10 and 34.22, &c. As their Aſſes ought to have Reſted on that Day, ſo their Wine-Preſs treading (ſaith Wolphius) might then have been waved without Damage, ſo could not be a Work of Neceſſity.
Remark the Second; The Perſons that Prophaned the Sabbath, ver. 16. The Men of Tyre, who being Infidels (ſaith Menochius) gave the Grand Occaſion of this grievous Sin; for Tyre, a near Neighbour to Judea, and famous for Fiſhing, becauſe it bordered upon the Sea, and a great Mart-Town for all manner of Merchandiſe, Ezek. 27.3, &c. yea, thoſe Merchants of Tyre had their Factors dwelling in Jeruſalem, who Sold all ſorts of Ware publickly upon the Sabbath-day unto the Jews, which they ought not to have done, for that was God's Market-day and not Man's: Nor ought the Jews to have bought them, for thereby they made themſelves worſe than the Tyrians, becauſe they, knowing God's Law, ought to have been better; had there been no Buyers, there would ſoon have been a ceaſing of Sellers, &c. Jeremy condemns it, Jer. 17.21.
Remark the Third, The Place where all this was done; 'twas in Jeruſalem, that Holy City, whoſe Citizens (ſaith Vatablus) ſhould more conſcientiouſly have kept the Commandments of the Lord, they being then the only People of God in the whole World, and where the Sanhedrim ſate and great ſtore of Prieſts and Levites to Inſtruct them. N. B. This is added as a notorious Aggravation of their Sin in a City where God's Houſe and Preſence was: So that this Prophanation of the Sabbath in ſuch an Holy City, was a manifeſt high Affront both to God and Man.
Remarks in the next place upon the Third Remedy, are Firſt, Nehemiah was Centoculus, had (as it were) an hundred Eyes, an Eye in every Corner, to obſerve whatever was out of Order; therefore 'tis ſaid, [He ſaw this Sin alſo in Judah] ver. 15. He ſits not down ſatisfied with Diſcovering and Redreſſing the two former Maladies, but quickly diſcerning this Third likewiſe, he ſmartly ſets himſelf to Remedy this alſo, chuſing rather (as a Learned Commentator Phraſeth it) to be accounted a buſie Juſtice than a quiet Gentleman: To which I add, This good Man was thus Seraphically blown up with ſuch a pious Zeal, as if he were reſolved it ſhould never be writ upon his Tomb-Stone after his Death, [This Man did no good among his People] Ezek. 18.18.
Remark the Second; He ſolemnly proteſted againſt theſe Sinful Actions, and admoniſhed them before Witneſs (ſaith Vatablus) to forbear, ver. 15. but he is more ſharp with the Rulers (ſaith Wolphius) than he was with the Vulgar Jews or Tyrians, the Buyers or Sellers, ver. 17. becauſe the Sin was committed either by the Countenance or at leaſt by the Connivence of thoſe Rulers, who ought to have reſtrain'd and ſeverely puniſh'd ſuch notorious Offenders; therefore in an high Tranſport he calls them a Company of Traitors to Church and State, ver. 18. Abetting their Predeceſſors Sins, which had ſo lately provoked God's Wrath againſt them, Jer. 17.27. and now daring Jehovah to a Duel (as Caligula did his Jove) in renewing the ſame Sins, as if ſtronger than God, 1 cor. 10.22, &c.
Remark the Third: This Godly Ruler (to prevent the Prophaning of the Sabbath) Commands the City Gates to be ſhut when it began to be dark the Evening before the Sabbath, ver. 19. beginning their Sabbath at the Evening before, Levit. 23.32, that there might be due Preparation, and that the Sabbath might be Sanctified without any Interruption, (ſaith Sanctius) and it ſoon began to be Dark at the Gates, even at the Sun-ſetting (ſaith Maſius out of Junius) by reaſon of the Mountains round the City, Pſal. 125.2. and miſtruſting the Fidelity of the Porters, he charg'd his own faithful Servants to ſee that the Gates be not open'd till the Sabbath were over, that all Prophanation of it might be prevented, and the Pious Exerciſes thereof perfectly preſerved.
Remark the Fourth, The Effect of this Remedy, ver. 20, 21, 22.
Mark 1. By this Expedient of ſhutting the Gates, the Merchants and Hucksters (whether Natives or Strangers) were ſhut out, and could not come in with their Vendible Commodities brought out of the Countrey over-night: But ſo greedy were they of gain, that they waited two Sabbaths (Week after Week) hoping they might meet with ſome opportunity to ſlip into the City with their wares, if the Gates had been open'd on any other occaſion.
Mark 2. When Nehemiah ſaw, that their Lust of Covetouſneſs was ſo Tenacious and Pertinacious (cleaving ſo cloſe to them, as to cauſe them to cleave cloſe to the Suburbs, Time after Time, and would not pack off) He, fearing the Suburbs might be Debauched by them, threatens to lay hold on them, put them in the Stocks, or caſt them into Priſon, and ſeize on their Goods, &c. by Vertue of that Power the Perſian King had given him, ſaith Grotius here; as alſo in ver. 8. This was a Charm that ſet them all a packing.
Mark 3. When thus fairly rid of thoſe foul Trouble-Towns, He (as Governour) commanded the Levites to come and keep the Gates of the Temple (that no prophane Perſon ſhould enter therein) and to ſanctifie the Sabbath, not only by ſeparating the Precious from the Vile, Jer. 15.19. but alſo by ſeeing that the whole Worſhip of God be rightly carried on, &c.
N.B. 1. Thoſe Priests and Levites, do not plead Exemption from the Power of the Civil Magistrate here, as Popiſh Prieſts do in our Day; to whom it may be ſaid [Ye take too much upon you ye Sons of Levi: Or rather, Ye Limbs of Antichrist.]
N.B. 2. Nehemiah explains his [Remember me, ver. 14.] with adding [O ſpare me] ver. 22. which plainly ſhews (ſaith Wolphius) that he fixed his Confidence, not in his own Merit, but in God's Mercy. Miſericordia Domini eſt Meritum meum, ſaith Bernardus, &c. God's Mercy is my beſt Merit, ſo Nehemiah craveth God's ſparing Mercy, being conſcious to himſelf of a multitude of Failures; which moved him to plead the multitude of God's Mercies, as David did, Pſalm 51.1. God's Mercy being great, is the beſt ground of Man's Hope, for the Pardon of our many and great Sins, &c.
The Fourth Part relateth to the fourth Malady and Remedy.
Remarks Firſt upon this Fourth Malady; as
Firſt, This quick-ſighted Governour (as before) ſoon ſaw ſome Jews that had Married Wives of Aſhdod, &c. ver. 23. that is, Daughters of the Philiſtines, &c. inveterate Enemies to Iſrael. N.B. One would wonder, that any Jews, who were of the Holy Seed, and profeſſed the true Religion durſt take outlandiſh Wives, of a falſe Religion (which was no better than Irreligion) and cauſe them to cohabit with them, as Hoſhebu N… ſhim, Hebr. ſignifies, eſpecially conſidering, how Ezra had Reform'd thoſe ſtrange Marriages, Ezra 10.10, 17, &c. and Nehemiah had ſo ſolemnly ſworn them by a Covenant to the contrary, Chap. 10.29, 30. but the wonder may ceaſe by the Apoſtles Diſtinction: Theſe were Jews outwardly only, Rom. 2.28.
Remark the Second, Nehemiah ſmartly obſerved alſo, How the Children of theſe mixed Marriages [Chat ſi medabbar, Hebr.] ſpake half the Language of Aſhdod, ver. 2…. which their Mothers had inſtilled into them together with their Principles and Manners, becauſe (ſaith Sanctius) Mothers are moſt familiar with Children, and ſo have the greater Advantage, either to perfume or to poiſon them: They could not ſpeak the Jews Language, though it was their Fathers Speech, but had a mixture both of their Mothers Speech and Spirit: Here Partus ſequitur Ventrem, the Birth follow'd the Belly, as the Concluſion follows the weaker Propoſition. N.B. All Evil is down Hill, with Wind and Tid…, ſo as Children are brought more eaſily by the Mother to learn Evil, than by the Father to learn any thing that is good: Children do more generally Matrizare than Patrizare, commonly take after the Mother (as did moſt of thoſe Idolatrous Kings of Judah) and follow the worſer ſide, though it be the weaker Veſſel, &c.
Remark the Third, This Fourth Malady of mixt Marriages, make Learned Men unanimouſly affirm, that this was the very Time, wherein God ſent Malachi (the laſt Prophet of the Old Teſtament Prophets) to reprove this very Sin (as well as Nehemiah to remove it) which he doth, Mal. 2.11. compared with Neh. 13.23, 28. and Dr. Lightfoot obſerveth other Harmonies betwixt theſe two, the Sacred Reprover and the Civil Reformer: As 1. In this of unlawful Marriages; ſo 2. Againſt their ſinful Detenſion of Tithes, Mal. 3.8. with Neh. 13.10, 11. and 3. Againſt other prophaneneſs, Mal. 1.13. and 2.8. with Neh. 13.15, &c. ſome indeed ſuppoſe this Malachi (which ſignifies my Meſſenger) to be Ezra, becauſe Ezra was the Lord's ſpecial Meſſenger, therefore many of the Ancient Fathers, and latter Writers ſuppoſe Ezra and Malachy to be one and the ſame Perſon, but that Matter is not material: Whoever he was, this Prophet of God found that Manoah could not cry loud enough, ſaying to his Son Sampſon [Is there never a Woman among the Daughters of thy Brethren, or among all God's People, that thou goeſt to take a Wife of the uncircumcis'd Philiſtines?] But thoſe Jews of this Day, turn'd the deaf Ear to Manoah's Cry, Judg. 14.3. Thoſe Jews here, when newly return'd out of their Captivity, and ſcarce well warm'd in their own Neſts at home, but fall afreſh into their old Trade of Treachery, and Work wickedly with both Hands earneſtly, in taking to themſelves Wives of the Philiſtines, who were of the curſed Canaanites, Joſh. 13.2, 3.
Sec…ndly, Remarks upon the Fourth Remedy follow; as
Firſt, Nehemiah's Severity againſt thoſe Delinquents to redreſs and reform that God provoking Malady, ver. 25. his Holy Zeal ſo tranſported him, that he with much earneſtneſs, executed unuſual Puniſhments upon them, ſaith Grotius: In the General, he inflicted juſt Puniſhment upon the Offenders, both by Deeds and by Words, 1. By Deeds in cauſing them to be excommunicated, and caſt out of the Society and Privileges of God's People: So ſay Sanctius, Vatablus, &c. and Wolphius adds, he ſpared not Princes nor Prieſts, no more than the common People; and 'tis ſaid; he ſmote ſome of the worſt of thoſe Sinners, which he might do as chief Governour, or cauſe it to be done, Deut. 25.2. Yea, and pluck off their Hair, as Baldneſs was a Badge of Slavery and Sorrow, Iſa. 3.24. and 15.2. Jer. 48.37. Ezek. 29.18. And 2. By Words ſharply reproving them for breaking their Oath, and bringing the Curſe they had imprecated upon themſelves, Chap. 10.29. and then makes them ſwear again, aggravating their Sin by an Argument from the greater to the leſſer, ver. 26, 27. ſaying, if none-ſuch Solomon (both for Wealth and Wiſdom) was drawn away by ſtrange Wives unto ſtrange Sins, if this befel ſuch a Green-Tree, what may Dry Trees expect? &c.
Remark the Second, Nehemiah's Severity in ſpecial, againſt one of the Sons of Joiada (Eliaſhib the High Prieſt's Son, ver. 28.) whom he baniſh'd for ever from all Civil Society, either at Court or in the City: This Prieſt is not named here, but Wolphius out of Joſephus, calls him Manaſſes, who Married Sanballat's Daughter, N.B. Who being baniſh'd to Samaria, Sanballat built him a fair Temple upon Mount Gerizim (near the City Shechem) and to keep him with his Wife, made him the High Prieſt thereof: Thus this Vile Apoſtate (Brother to Jaddua the right High Prieſt, who met great Alexander as before) drew many other prophane Prieſts like himſelf, and many People alſo, (who would not put away their ſtrange Wives) unto this Mock Temple of Sanballat; and ſo became the firſt Founder of that deadly Feud, and Sad Schiſm betwixt the Jews and the Samaritans, ſo as there was no dealings between them, John 4.9.
Remark the Third, Nehemiah (in his Vezakarah lehem, Hebr. Remember them O my God) ver. 29. turns the incorrigible of thoſe Prieſts (that hated to be Reformed) over unto God to be puniſh'd by himſelf for polluting the Prieſthood, and prophaning the Covenant of that ſacred Function, wherein God had promis'd to give them an Everlaſting Office, Numb. 25.12, 13. 1 Sam. 2.30. Mal. 2.4, 5. and wherein they had likewiſe reciprocally promis'd all faithfulneſs on their Part, according to the Holy Rules God gave them, Levit. 8.35. and 21.1, &c. and 22.2, &c. Vatablus ſaith here. N.B. Wo to thoſe Prieſts that ſhould outſhine all others in godly Patterns, yet dare to debauch the People by their wicked Practices: Corruptio optimi eſt peſſima, the ſweeteſt Wine makes the ſoureſt Vinegar, and a wicked Prieſt is the worſt of Mankind; and woe to ſuch prophane Prieſts whom God's People do thus turn over unto God to puniſh.
Remark the Fourth, Nehemiah's purging the Prieſt-hood, &c. ver. 30, 31.
Mark 1. He made all the Miniſters of the Houſe of God, put away their ſtrange Wives and the Children born of them, as Chap. 9.2. and ſuch as would not do ſo, he forced them to forſake both the Temple, and the Land of their Nativity, leſt they ſhould corrupt others.
Mark 2. When he had purg'd away all the filth and rubbiſh from the Prieſthood, and made clean Work, he ſets all ſuch as willingly Reformed in their ſeveral Stations, appertaining to them, in their ſacred Function, ſo cauſed the Prieſthood to ſhine again, as the Word here, Tahar, Hebr. ver. 30. ſignifieth.
Mark 3. He prepareth the Wood-offering, which (ſaith Vatablus) was the ſacred fuel to nouriſh the Coeleſtial Fire, to keep it always burning upon God's Altar: And the firſt-Fruits likewiſe, ſee Chap. 10.34, 35. Grotius out of Joſephus ſaith, there was a ſolemn Day appointed to be obſerved in Memory of this Wood-offering, call'd foreign, i. e. A bearing of Wood, obſerving both a Seaſon to cut it, and a Seaſon to carry it.
Remark the Fifth, The moſt ſweet Concluſion of the Old Teſtament Hiſtory, a ſacred Sentence of his fervent Supplication.
Mark 1. Nehemiah had prayed before, that God would remember thoſe prophane Prieſts for evil, ver. 29. and now he ſhuts up his hole Hiſtory with this pithy and pregnant Prayer for himſelf [Remember me, O my God for good] ver. 31. as he had done, ver. 15. and ver. 22. and Chap. 5.19. wherein he doth not Brag or Boaſt of his good Deeds, but only produceth them in his Prayer, as bleſſed Teſtimonies of his Sincerity, whereof he begs God's gracious acceptance; he prays with ſo much Reverence as to God, yet with ſo much Confidence as to his God, &c.
Mark 2. This Devout Sentence in Nehemiah's laſt Supplication, is the cloſing ſweet-bit of the Old Teſtament-Times upon ſacred Record, for though the Book of Eſther be ſet after this, yet is it an Hiſtory of many Years before this, as is aboveſaid: As for the Prophets, they all but the three Laſt, lived before the Captivity: Haggai and Zechariah propheſy'd while the Temple was in building, Malachy when it was builded (ſaith Mr. Pemble) reproving mixt Marriages, &c.
Mark 3. Learned Dr. Lightfoot excellently obſerveth, that though the Scripture be utterly ſilent, to expreſs the number of the Years of the Reign of Artaxerxes Ahaſuerus (who was Husband to Queen Eſther long before Nehemiah's laſt return to Jeruſalem) or of any of his Succeſſors, in clear Expreſſions, ſo that we are not told how long he Reigned: Yet the Scripture mentions Artaxerxes Darius his ſecond Year, Ezra 4.24. his fourth Year, Zech. 7.1. his ſixth Year, Ezra 6.15. his ſeventh Year, Ezra 7.8. his twentieth Year, Neh. 1.1. and 2.1. and his thirty ſecond Year, Neh. 13.6. but how long he farther Reigned, the Scripture gives no account, no more than of the former Kings, and here the Chronicle of the Old Teſtament-Times (as to any expreſs Terms) endeth.
N. B. 1. It ſeemed good to the Holy Ghoſt (as the Phraſe is, Acts 15.28.) and to his ſacred Penmen, to Name ſome ſeveral Years of thoſe Kings, intending to continue the Scripture Chronicle, until the City Jeruſalem was compleated, and the Temple thereof was compleatly Reformed, and its Worſhip reduced to its Primitive Purity of the legal Prieſthood; and there to end the Church's Annals, &c.
N. B. 2. The former of the two laſt Prophets; namely Zechariah, doth indeed Propheſy concerning the coming of Chriſt, of his Riding upon an Aſs, Zech. 9.1, 9. of his confounding the three Shepherds (to wit, the Phariſees, Sadduces, and Eſſeans) and of his being Sold for thirty pieces of Silver, Zech. 11.8, 12. and of his Diſciples to be ſcattered, Zech. 13.7. and of divers Jews mourning over him whom they had pierced, Zech. 12.10. as likewiſe of the City and Temple (now reſtored to their priſtine Beauty) their ſecond Deſtruction, Zech. 11.1, &c. becauſe of their unbelief: Though the Time of Zechary's propheſying be expreſs'd as above, yet have we no Hiſtory of the Time between theſe Times.
N. B. 3. The latter of the two laſt Prophets; namely Malachy, concludeth his Prophecy, Chap. 4. with an Exhortation to the Jews, to ſtudy well the Law of Moſes, and the Old Teſtament, and giveth them an Expectation of Elias's coming, namely John the Baptiſt at the beginning of the New Teſtament: Becauſe after the Death of this Prophet Malachy, the Spirit of Prophecy was to depart with this Malachy from the Jews, and was a Stranger among them, until the dawning of the Goſpel. 'Tis true, ſome Apocryphal Books were writ betwixt thoſe Times, but they all wanted the dictating of that Holy Spirit, which was now departed.
N. B. 4. Malachy concludeth the Canonical Books of the Old Teſtament, with a Prediction of Elias's the Baptiſt's coming, and with a Threatning of God's Curſe upon the unbelieving Jews, Mal. 4. ver. laſt. Sixtus Senenſis ſets this Prophet Malachy ſo low, as about five hundred Years before Chriſt. Alſted makes the diſtance of Time betwixt this ſecond and laſt Prophet, and the Birth of Chriſt, to be five hundred and twenty nine Years, Alſted Encucloppad. Lib. 33. Cap. 3. and ſo do other Authors: To write an Hiſtory of this interſpace, when the Spirit of Prophe…y was withdrawn, Hic Labor, hoc opus eſt, 'tis hard Work.