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A. Ruin and Destruction.
Q. By whom?

A. By the Medes and Perfians, ver. 8.

Q. How may a Man prove the Power of his Faith?

4. If with the Prophet he can

rejoice with the Lord, when the Fig-tree doth not bloffom, and when there is no Fruit of the Vines, when the Olive fail, and the Fields yield no Meat, when the Flocks are cut off, &c.

told, the Deftruction of the Affyrians, who carried the ten Tribes Captive; fo Habakkuk foretells the Judgments that should come upon the Chaldeans, who compleated the Captivity of the two remaining Tribes. This Prophet lived in Judea the Time of the Captivity, and carried Food to Daniel in the Lion's Den, remarkably fet forth in the apocryphal Book of Bell and the Dragon..

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Zephaniah prophefied in the Reign of Jofiah, as himself informs us, be fore the 28th Year of that Prince, A. M. 3381, and before the taking of Niniveh in 3378. He prophefied chiefly against Judah, who continued very corrupt, notwithstanding the King's pious Zeal for Reformation, and the good Example he gave to his Subjects.

The Book of the Prophet HAGGAI.

Q. WHICH are the three to encourage them to hafte the Building of the Temple.

laft Prophets?

A. Haggai, Zacharia, Malachi.
Q. When were these fent?
A. After the feventy Years of

Captivity was expired.
Q. For what Caufe?

Q. Were they lack in that Bufinefs?

A. Yes, preferring their own private Gain, in toiling for Wealth, and building them

A. To comfort the People, and felves fine Houfes, before the

Glory of God.

Q. What

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build this Houfe, and I will be favourable unto it, ver. 8.

Q. Who were the chief of the People in this Work?

A. Zerubabel the Son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the Son of Jebofadak, the High Priest.

Q. What was the Promife of God unto them?

A. That altho' this Houfe feemed nothing like fo fumptuous and beautiful as that which Solomon built, yet, if they would have Patience, the Time fhould come, that he would make it far more glorious.

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Q. How is that to be under

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Haggai was brought to Jerufalem, A. M. 3414. He returned from the Captivity in 3468, and prophefied in the fecond Year of Darius, Son of Hyftafpes, A. M. 3484. Of what Family this Prophet was he hath given us no Intimation, but the Time when he prophefied he has diftinctly noted, viz. in the fixth Year of Darius Hyftafpes. The Occafion of this Prophecy was the Stop that was put to the building of the Temple, after. the Foundation had been laid, according to the Commandment of Cyrus, about 17 Years before. He was Cotemporary with Zachariah, who in one Part of his Prophecy is the fame with this of Haggai, viz to encourage the Jews to go on with rebuilding of the Temple, by giving them Affurance of God's Afliftance and Protection: from whence he proceeds to foretel the Glory of the Chriftian Church; the true Temple or Houfe of God,

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nor Thanksgiving to the Lord Intent of the Heart, and not the but with a pure Heart; for the Word of the Mouth, justifieth.

under its great High Prieft or Governor, Chrift Jefus; of whom Zerubabel and Jeremiah were Figures.

The Book of the Prophet ZACHARIAH.

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A. The Son of Barachiah. Q. Why was he fent? A. To inftruct and comfort the People.

Q. How did he inftruct them? A. That they fhould avoid the Wickedness of their Fathers. Q. How did he comfort them? A. By telling that God would be merciful unto them; affift them in their Work, chap. i. 16. put back their Enemies. ver. 15. fill them with all Plenty of Grace, ver. 17. be a Wall of Fire about his Church, and a continual Light in the Midft thereof, chap. ii 5. and that Zerubabel, as he had begun, fo fhould he finish the Temple against all Hinderances whatfoever, chap. iv. 9.

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Q. If they did ferve the Lord, upon whom would be turn their Affliction?

A. Upon their Enemies. Q. How Should their Zeal to God's Service be manifested? A. By their Works, chap. i. .3. Q. What should be their best Cloathing?

A. Not Silks nor precious Stones, but Righteousness thro' Christ, chap. iii. 4.

Q. What doth be prophesy of Chrift?

A. That he fhould be both King and Prieft, by the Crowns that were fet upon the Head of Fofbua, chap. vi. II.

Q. Why Should thofe Titles be attributed unto him?

A. To fignify all Power was given unto him, fpiritual and temporal.

In what Manner was Chrift promifed to come?

A. Humbly, and in great Poverty,riding upon an Afs, chap.ix. Q. And why?

A. Becaufe the Prophet had fet forth his Kingdom without Majefty and Power: Yet that his Dominion fhould stretch from. Sea to Sea, ver. 10.

Q. But wherein was the Er

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proving of thei Faith: Only A. Either the Wickedness of fuch as had believed, had the the Jews thould be restrained by Peace of Conscience. Enemies, or the Cruelty of the Enemies by God.

Q. Against What Sins did the Prophet proclaim Fudgment? A. Against Stealing and Perjury.

Q. What is their Punishment? A. A Curfe goeth forth againft them, and they fhall be cut off, chap. v. iii.

Q. What is the Punishment of a foolish Shepherd?

A. His Arm fhall be dried up, and his Eye darkned.

Q. What meaneth the Prophet by that?

A. He fhall have neither PowQ. What are we to understand er nor Understanding to instruct by the Woman in the Epbah? the People.

Zachariah, Son of Barachiah, and the Grandson of Iddo, prophefied at the fame Time as Haggai, and it seems a little after his Decease. Grandfons are frequently in Scripture called Sons, as in Ezra, ver. 1, 6, 14. and Daniel v. 2. Tho fome have difputed here of the Difference of Time, and miftaken Darius Hyftafpes, to be Darius Nothus: And likewife concerning our Prophet being Iddo's Grandfon, &c. But this I refer to Dr Allix and others, who have difputed upon this Head.

The first Part of this Prophecy I have taken Notice of in Haggai; the latter Part from Chap. xix. probably relates to the Jews under the Maccabees, and then foretell the rejecting the Meffias, and their Converfion afterwards, and fome remarkable Paffages that should happen to them in the latter Ages of the World.

The Book of the Prophet M ALACHI.

Q. WHAT was the first Sin
Malachi reproved?
A. Obftinate Hypocrify.
Q. Wherein?

A. In that the Jews were manifest Offenders, and yet feemed to justify themselves, chap. i. 6. Q. If we make God our Father, what doth he require of

us ?

A. Honour.

Q. What if we make him our Lord?

A. Fear, ver.6.

A. Carelefnefs in the Priefts, that thought anySacrifice was fufficient, and did not examine whe ther it were according to the Law or not, ver. 8.

Q. What was required in the Priest?

A. A Care in his Heart to ferve God aright, and his Lips to be a Treafure of Knowledge to inftruct the People.

Q. What is the third Sin the Prophet reproved?

A. Their marrying Wives of

Q. What is the Second Sin an idolatrous Generation.

Malachi reproved?

Q. What

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A. As done to himfelf: Ye have robbed me.

Q. What was the Punishment of that Sin?

A. A Curfe on the Nation. Q. What the Promise on chearfully paying that Debt?

A. The Windows of Heaven opened, and a Bleffing poured out, that there fhould not be Room enough to receive it, ch. x. Q. Who should be the next Prophet to fucceed them? A. John Baptift.

Q. Wherein hould his Office confift?

A. In joining the People together in one Unity of Faith, and pronouncing God's Judgments against fuch as fhould refufe to receive Christ, ch. iv. 5.

Q. Who fhould be the last?

A. Chrift Jefus, the true Son of Righteoufnefs; whofe comfortable Beams of Mercy fhine upon our Souls to eternal Happines.

The Prophet Malachi was in all Likelihood cotemporary with Nehe miah. His Prophecy fuppofes the Temple to be built, and the Worship of God fettled there; but blames the Priefts and Levites for not attending upon the publick Worship, chap. i. 10. and the People for offering the Lame and the Blind, ver. 7, 8. and robbing God of his Tythes and Offerings, chap. iii. 10. which agrees with Neh. x. 33, 39. and xiii. 10, 11, 12. Compare chap. ii. 11. to Neb. x, 3. and xiii. 23, &c. Bifhop Lloyd dates this Prophecy fomething later than Nehemiah's Time, about 97 Years before Chrift, when the first seven of Daniel's Weeks, or 49 Years, were expired, for fealing up the Vifion and Prophecy, Dan. ix. 24. i. e. for compleating the Canon of the Old Teftament. The Words of Malachi, chap. iv. 4, 5. import, that after him the Jews were not to expect a Succeffion of Prophets; exhorting them to obferve the Law of Mofes, and to look for no other Prophet, till Elias the Forerunner of the Meffiah fhould come.

APOCRYPH A.

Q. WHAT do you call Apo-
crypha?
A. Books whofe Origin is not

known, their Authority dubious; and therefore are not received by a common Confent of the Church,

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