The Babylonian Monarchy (Romes Type) had trod down the holy City, and laid waste the Temple and worship of God for seventy years; which being expired, the Jews had liberty and authority from the first Persian King, Cyrus, to build the Temple, and restore Gods worship, according to their Law. This is the sum of the first and second Chapters of Ezra. In the third Chapter you have an Altar set up, Sacrifices renewed, Feasts kept, and the foundation of the Temple laid, (which was as true a Type of that great Reformation from under Popery.) But after this work had been begun, and fairly carried on in all the Fundamentals of it, there started up a company of Samaritans, that were adversaries to the Jews, (as we read, Chap. 4.) Samaritans they were, as appears by ver. 10. They ⟨p. 4⟩were the Nations seated in the City of Samaria, brought thither, ver. 2. in the room of the ten Tribes. A generation of men, who were not heathens in their profession, for they professed the same Religion with the Jews. So they allege for, and arrogate to themselves in the afore-said verse, [We seek your God as you do, and we sacrifice unto him, and have done so long, from the days of Esar Haddon, who brought us up hither:] And yet they were not true Jews neither, nor perfectly of the same Religion, but of a mongrel and mixed kind between the Religion of the Heathen and of the Jews, intermingling Heathenish Idolatries with Jewish worship. So 2 Kings 17. ver. 33. and 41. compared, it is said, These Nations feared the Lord, and served their graven Images after the manner of the Nations. Yea, they expected the same Messiah that the Jews did; I know that the Messiah cometh, who is called Christ, (saith the woman of Samaria) and he will tell us all things, John 4. 25. Now these Samaritans were Adversaries to the Jews, (as they are called, ver. 1.) and so unto their Temple, and the finishing of it: And yet at first they were but under-hand adversaries, for they friendly offer to build with them, [Let us build with you, ver. 2.] but so as with an intent to have defiled and spoiled the work. Zerubbabel and those other builders refusing them, they grew thereupon enraged, and openly professed their opposition; both weakening and discouraging the hands of the people: and also when they could not altogether hinder it, then they troubled them (all they could) ⟨p. 5⟩in building, thus ver. 4.
The Babilonian Monarchy (Romes Type) had trod downe the holy City, and laid waste the Temple and worship of God for seventy yeares; which being expired, the Jews had liberty and authority from the first Persian King, Cyrus, to build the Temple, and restore Gods worship, according to their Law. This is the summe of the first and second Chapters of Ezra. In the third Chapter you have an Altar set up, Sacrifices renewed, Feasts kept, and the foundation of the Temple laid, (which was as true a Type of that great Reformation from under Popery.) But after this work had been begun, and fairely carryed on in all the Fundamentals of it, there started up a company of Samaritans, that were adversaries to the Jewes, (as we read, Chap. 4.) Samaritans they were, as appears by ver. 10. They ⟨p. 4⟩were the Nations seated in the City of Samaria, brought thither, ver. 2. in the roome of the ten Tribes. A generation of men, who were not heathens in their profession, for they professed the same Religion with the Jewes. So they alledge for, and arrogate to themselves in the afore-said verse, [We seeke your God as you doe, and we sacrifice unto him, and have done so long, from the dayes of Esar Haddon, who brought us up hither:] And yet they were not true Jews neither, nor perfectly of the same Religion, but of a mungrell and mixt kind betweene the Religion of the Heathen and of the Jews, intermingling Heathenish Idolatries with Jewish worship. So 2 Kings 17. ver. 33. and 41. compared, it is said, These Nations feared the Lord, and served their graven Images after the manner of the Nations. Yea, they expected the same Messiah that the Jews did; I know that the Messiah commeth, who is called Christ, (saith the woman of Samaria) and he will tell us all things, John 4. 25. Now these Samaritans were Adversaries to the Jews, (as they are called, ver. 1.) and so unto their Temple, and the finishing of it: And yet at first they were but under-hand adversaries, for they friendly offer to build with them, [Let us build with you, ver. 2.] but so as with an intent to have defiled and spoiled the work. Zerubbabel and those other builders refusing them, they grew thereupon enraged, and openly professed their opposition; both weakning and discouraging the hands of the people: and also when they could not altogether hinder it, then they troubled them (all they could) ⟨p. 5⟩in building, thus ver. 4.
