A sermon preached at the christening of a certain Jew at LondonA sermon preached at the christening of a certaine Iew at London

For so many years did the merciful God of Israel, of his unspeakable bounty preserve that nation in peaceable tranquillity, not for any their deservings, but for his dear sons sake only, which was to issue out of that seed & generation. It remaineth now, that we make a proportionable comparison of the number of those years, with the records of the continual proceedings and successes thereof. First, this is a matter confessed: That the delivery of the Jews from their captivity, was by the Proclamation of Cyrus, the first year of his reign, at what time the foundation of the Temple was laid,¹ which being hindered with sundry interruptions, was yet at the last brought to full perfection, in the sixth or seventh year of Darius reign. The Temple being thus perfected in all furniture,² commission was given at length to Nehemiah, in the xx. year of the reign of the same Darius, with absolute authority to repair their city again. The same year in the 25. day of the month Elul, the wall was erected ⟨image 79⟩and finished: the whole doing whereof lasted 52. days only, as Esdras reporteth in his sixth chapter.³ But houses were not builded as yet, as appeareth in the seventh chapter: for accomplishment whereof were allowed xii. years more, as appeareth plainly in the fifth chapter of the same, where you may hear what Nehemiah him self speaketh after this manner:⁴ From the twentieth year (saith he) even to the xxxii. year of king Artaxerxes, that is xii. year, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor, &c. So that it is evident, that whiles the city was building, so many years passed over.⁵ For so we read, the Nehemiah gave his promise to return to the king and queen, as soon as the work was finished.

For so many yeres did the mercifull God of Israel, of his vnspeakeable bountie preserue that nation in peaceable tranquillitie, not for any their deseruings, but for his deare sonnes sake onely, which was to yssue out of that seede & generation. It remaineth now, that we make a proportionable comparison of the nomber of those yeres, with the records of the continuall proceedinges and successes therof. First, this is a matter confessed: That the deliuerie of the Iewes from their captiuitie, was by the Proclamation of Cyrus, the first yere of his reigne, at what time the fundation of the Temple was layd,