The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

This knowledge was yet further increased, in the days of Cyrus, who giving freedom to the Captives▪ to return to their own Native Country, giveth this confession; Thus saith Cyrus, the King of Persians, All the Kingdoms of the Earth, ¹hath the Lord God of Heaven given unto me, and hath commanded me, that a house be built to him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whosoever therefore of you, that are of his people, Let the Lord his God be with him, and let him pass up to Jerusalem, and let him build the house of the Lord God of Israel; for he only is God, that is in Jerusalem. Time will not suffer me to entreat the points of this confession, neither yet did I for that purpose adduce the History; But only, to let us see how constantly God kept his promise in increasing of his people, and in augmenting of his true knowledge, when that both they that were the seed of Abraham, and that Religion which they professed, appeared utterly to have been extinguished, above mens expectation; I say, he brought freedom out of bondage, light out of darkness, and life out of death. I am not ignorant, that the building of the Temple, and reparation of the Walls ⟨p. 108⟩of Jerusalem, were long stayed, so that the work had many enemies; But so did the hand of God prevail in the end, That a decree was made by Darius (by him I suppose, that succeeded to Cambises) not only that all things necessary for the building of the Temple, and for the Sacrifices that were to be there burnt,² should be ministered upon the Kings charges; but also, That whosoever should hinder that work, or change that decree, that a balk should be taken out of his house, and that he should be hanged thereupon; yea, that his house should be made a dunghill; and thereto, he addeth a Prayer,³ saying, The God of Heaven, who hath placed his Name there, root out every King, and People (O that Kings and Nations should understand) that shall put his hand, either to change, or to hurt this house of God, that is in Jerusalem. And so, in despite of Satan, was the Temple builded, the walls repaired, and the City inhabited, and in the most desperate dangers it was preserved, till that the Messiah promised, the glory of the second Temple, came, manifested himself to the world, suffered and rose again, according to the Scriptures: