during the time of the captivity. The Babylonifh captivity was no ftrange or unexpected

event

religion, and therefore, that thefe two good princes would certainly take all due care to recover the fcriptures, if it had been a poffible thing, which would have proved the beft help and most perfect model of that general reformation they had fo much at heart; and confequently, that their not fucceeding was a plain proof that no fuch copies of the law were then to be found in Judah or Jerufalem, except that which was afterwards accidentally difcovered in the temple. I answer, although it is evident that Manaffeh became a very fincere penitent after his return from Babylon, yet by what appears in the memoirs of his life now extant, 2 Chron. xxxiii. 11-25. It feems that the reformation he made in religion was very partial and defective, confifting only in the demolition of fome monuments of idolatry which he himself had erected, in repairing the altar of the lord, and restoring the public facrifices, and in general exhortations to his people to ferve the true GOD, in oppofition to idols. But as to any more circumftantial and exact reformation of worship upon the plan of the Mosaic ritual, we do not hear that he attempted it, or took any effectual measures to recover the Mofaic writings for this purpose. And as to the beginning of good Jofiah's reign, it feems probable, that the fcriptures had been, at that time, fo long in difufe at court, and that thofe about him had fuch a faint and obfcure idea of their contents, and of their utility in the bufinefs of a general reformation, as made them lefs jealous than they should have been in fearching after them, and more furprized than otherwife they would have been upon finding them and examining their contents. But be these things as they will, it is fufficient to our prefent purpose that the original copy of Mofes was at

that

event to the Jews: The true prophets of GoD were continually alarming them with repeated warnings of its approach, for above two hundred years before it happened. And as they were affured in general of the defolations which were coming upon Judea and Jerufalem, because of their rebellions and idolatries; fo they were told in particular, that Babylon fhould be the place of their captivity; that they fhould continue there exiles for the fpace of feventy years; and that, at the expiration of that time, they fhould be restored again to their ancient land and liberties; and Cyrus the Perfian, the celebrated reftorer of the Jews, was mentioned by name an hundred and fifty years before he was born. Nor were these revolutions predicted in an obfcure and enigmatical manner, but in the plaineft terms, and by a number of prophets'. And now, can it be fuppofed, that the Jews, who knew the reafon why God had delivered them up into the hands of their enemies, and were affured of a releafe and reftoration at the expiration of feventy years from the first carrying away by Nebuchadnezzar, and of fiftytwo from the utter deftruction of their temple; I fay, is it be supposed that these Jews would

that time found, and that, by the care and zeal of fo pious a prince as Jofiah, it did not lye long as a hidden treafore, or a private property, but was quickly tranfcribed and difperfed for the public benefit of his people.

See If. xliv. 24-28. xlv. 1—5. xxix. 5-8. Jerem, XXV. 1-14. xxix. 5-14. Hof. iii. 4, 5. and a multitude of other places.

utterly

utterly lose their language, laws and religion, Efpecially when they had two eminent prophets with them in Babylon, and a multitude of priefts, Levites, and other officers of the temple, who expected that their families would again be reinftated into their facred offices at their return from Babylon? Nay, fo far was it otherwife, that many of the priests, Levites, Nethinims, porters and fingers had carefully preferved their genealogies, in prospect of their being again admitted to their offices, and none but fuch were in fact admitted s.

No fooner were Zerubbabel and Jeshua arrived at Ferufalem with the firft divifion of the exiles, which were reftored by the favour of Cyrus's decree, but we find them fetting up the Mofaic inftitution of worship, building an altar, offering burnt offerings, obferving the new moons and all the fet feafts of the LORD, fixing the courses, offices, and habiliments of the priests, Levites, and fingers, and keeping the feast of tabernacles, and all these are exprefly said to be ordered according to the ancient custom, as it is written in the law of Mofes, the man of GOD, and according to the ordinance of David king of Ifrael; which is a manifeft proof that they had then in their hands the books of Mofes, and the first book of Chronicles, where thefe laws and ordinances were recorded.

THAT the law of Mofes and the book of Jeremiah were in the hands of the captives in Babylon, is alfo evident from Daniel's excellent prayer, where he tells us, that in the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede, he understood. by

⚫ Ezra ii. 59-62.

VOL. I.

See Ezra iii. 2—10. vi. 18. books

L

books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accom lifh feventy years in the defolations of Jerufalem. And he obferves, that this curfe and defolation came upon them for departing from GOD, and difobeying the voice of his prophets, as was foretold and threatened in the law of Mofes, the man of GOD".

Ir is faid, Ezra iii. 12. that many of the priefts and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men that had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when they faw the foundations of this fecond temple laid, being deeply affected with the great disparity which was like to be between these two temples in many respects, especially with regard to the many internal marks of the divine prefence and glory, which attended and beautified the firft temple. Now, fuppofing many of these men to be feventy or eighty years of age, and it is probable that many might be older, they must have been twenty or thirty at the demolition of the first temple; and can it be thought, that these men, especially fuch of them as were of the facerdotal order, would, in the course of about fifty years, have utterly forgot their language, loft the remembrance of the peculiar duties of their office, or neglected to preserve thofe holy books, which were to be their peculiar study, and from which they were

" See Dan. ix. 2, 11, 13. compared with Jerem. XXV. 12. xxix. 10. and Lev. xxvi. 14, &c. Deut. xviii. 15, &c. xxix. 20, &c. xxx. 17. xxxii. 19, &c. Lev. xxvi. 14. Deut. xxviii. 15..

folemnly

folemnly bound to teach the people knowledge? It cannot be imagined.

THAT these books were not loft or corrupted during the captivity appears farther from Ezra's diffolving the marriages contracted between the children of Ifrael and heathen ftrangers. The precepts against marrying with the heathen were violated by multitudes, not only of the common people, but even of the princes, rulers and priests, and Ezra's putting these laws in execution against them, was touching them in a very tender and fenfible part, wherein the honour and intereft of their families, and the affection of their wives was nearly concerned. Here are one hundred and fourteen perfons, of whom many were priests and princes of the people, fubmitting themselves to a violent feparation from their wives, and tolerating their very names to be recorded as tranfgreffors, for inftruction and warning to pofterity, and all this upon the authority of certain laws of GOD delivered by Mofes ", which laws, had they not then exifted, with good and fufficient evidences of their authenticity, certainly this prohibition of Ezra's would never have been fubmitted to by fuch a number of men, in fo delicate and interesting a point.

THE Jews during their captivity, being difperfed throughout Babylon and Chaldea, would in a great measure, lofe their own language and adopt that of their conquerors, through the neceffity of their conftant dealings and converfation with them; especially the young

See Ezra ix. 10-12. and x. compared with Exod. xxiii. 32. Deut. vii. 3. L 2

and