Zerubbabels encouragement to finish the temple. A sermon preached before the honourable House of…

And they ceased not here, but further, they incensed, and made the Court against them, (they growing potent there) both by hiring counsellors against them, ver. 5. and also by insinuating to those mighty Persian Kings, such suggestions as they knew would take with Monarchs, mis-representing these Jews unto them, as of a rebellious spirit, opposite to Kings and Monarchy; calling Jerusalem that rebellious and bad City, so ver. 12. hurtful unto Kings and Provinces, and that had of old time moved sedition, so ver. 15. (for even thus old is this scandal) and that therefore these Jews must be kept under: For if this City be builded, and the walls set up, & they once but get strength, then they will not pay toll, tribute, and custom, but withdraw their allegiance, so ver. 13. But on the contrary, for themselves, they profess that they are their faithful servants, v. 11. and that which made them speak, was only a tenderness of the Kings honour; so ver. 14. Now because we have maintenance from the Kings palace, (had their dependence wholly upon them) and it was not meet for us to see the Kings dishonour; therefore have we certified the King. And by these their flatteries and mis-representations they raised up so great a mountain of opposition, (as it is here called) that they frustrated the Jews good purpose of perfecting the building, (as the words are, ver. 5.) And though they could not prevail so far as to throw down the foundation laid; yet they made them to cease building any further by force and power, so ver. 23. And thus the work did cease, during all ⟨p. 6⟩the days of Cyrus, and the reign of one or two Kings more, even until the second year of Darius, ver. 5. and 24. and THEN it was that these Prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, did prophesy unto the Jews, as it follows in the very next words, Chap. 5. 1, 2. then when they had thus been overtopped by so potent a faction for many years, and with opposition wearied out, then it was that God stirred up our Zechariah to put spirits into them to revive the work again, and among other visions gave him this, (which is in this 4. Chapter) of all the most eminent, to strengthen them thereunto. And so I have brought you to Zechariah again, and unto the words of my Text; And now you shall see how necessary this story was to interpret this his Prophecy, for which simply I have related it.

And they ceased not here, but further, they incensed, and made the Court against them, (they growing potent there) both by hiring counsellours against them, ver. 5. and also by insinuating to those mighty Persian Kings, such suggestions as they knew would take with Monarchs, mis-representing these Jews unto them, as of a rebellious spirit, opposite to Kings and Monarchie; calling Jerusalem that rebellious and bad City, so ver. 12. hurtfull unto Kings and Provinces, and that had of old time moved sedition, so ver. 15. (for even thus old is this scandall) and that therefore these Jews must be kept under: For if this City be builded, and the walls set up, & they once but get strength, then they will not pay toll, tribute, and custome, but withdraw their allegeance, so ver. 13. But on the contrary, for themselves, they professe that they are their faithfull servants, v. 11. and that which made them speak, was onely a tendernesse of the Kings honour; so ver. 14. Now because we have maintenance from the Kings palace, (had their dependance wholly upon them) and it was not meet for us to see the Kings dishonour; therefore have we certified the King. And by these their flatteries and mis-representations they raised up so great a mountain of opposition, (as it is here called) that they frustrated the Jews good purpose of perfecting the building, (as the words are, ver. 5.) And though they could not prevaile so farre as to throw downe the foundation laid; yet they made them to cease building any further by force and power, so ver. 23. And thus the work did cease, during all