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

But matters of Order & Government they think of afterwards, and often fall into the right, by seeing their errors by degrees. Think not much therefore, that men call for (as most men do) a reformation of some things amiss in matters of worship & discipline, or an addition of some things; perhaps a Candlestick, or some other utensil or ordinance of Church-worship is found wanting. You will wonder, that all along during the reign of those good Kings, both David, Solomon, (who yet gave the pattern of, and also built the Temple) and those other Reformers among the Kings of Judah, there should something have been omitted about the Feast of Tabernacles, until their coming out of the Babylonish Captivity: Yet we find it was so, as appears by Nehem. 8. 16. and 17. verses, The people went forth, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their Courts, and in the Courts of Gods house, and in the streets; [and since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun, until that day, the Children of Israel had not done so.] This feast was kept (as is thought) by Solomon, ⟨p. 19⟩2 Chron. 7. 8. and by these same Jews, Ezra 3. 4. yet not in this manner, according unto the Law, and therefore at the 14. ver. of that of Nehemiah, it is said, They found it written in the Law, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths; which before that they had not done, although they might have kept that Feast. But now they had learned by a sad experience to keep it aright, with dwelling in booths, by having been lately strangers out of their own land; to signify which and to profess themselves strangers, was the intent of that Feast, and that rite of it, the dwelling in booths. And this reason is intimated in the 17. verse, All the congregation [that were come again out of the Captivity,] made booths, &c. They did read also every day out of the Law, ver. 19. which before, when that Feast was celebrated, they had not done.

But matters of Order & Government they think of afterwards, and often fall into the right, by seeing their errors by degrees. Think not much therefore, that men call for (as most men doe) a reformation of some things amisse in matters of worship & discipline, or an addition of some things; perhaps a Candlestick, or some other utensil or ordinance of Church-worship is found wanting. You will wonder, that all along during the raigne of those good Kings, both David, Solomon, (who yet gave the patterne of, and also built the Temple) and those other Reformers among the Kings of Judah, there should something have been omitted about the Feast of Tabernacles, untill their comming out of the Babylonish Captivity: Yet wee find it was so, as appeares by