and they were to carry with them immense presents from the King, and many valuable freewill offerings from their wealthy Brethren.

In the middle of March, about the year of the World 3546. EZRA, fet out on his Journey, and he pitchedhis Tents, on the Banks of the River Ahavah, and waited there to collect and affemble all his Company.

EZRA here invited to join him two hundred and twenty Nethenims (a race of Gibeonites dedicated to the Service of the Altar) and a number of Priefts and Levites to officiate in the Services of the Temple. As foon as he had here affembled a large Body of People, EZRA iffued out a proclamation for a general Faft, and Days of Thanksgiving to implore the bleffing and Protection of God, he then proceeded on his Journey, and arrived with all his Company safe at Jerufalem, in the middle of the Month of July about four Months after he had fet out.

At Jerufalem, EZRA convened the Heads and Elders of the People, and as foon as poffible he formed an affembly, and before them all EZRA broke the Seals of his Commiffion, had it pub

lickly read, and delivered up to the Treasury and › Priefts all the offerings which had been made by the King of Perfia, the Nobles, and thofe of the Jews who chose to continue and refide at BabyJon. Ezra next, from among the wifeft of the People, appointed Judges and Magiftrates, and gave each of them their Commiffion, impowering them, not only to infli& Fines and Imprisonment, but even capitally to convict, a power of Life and Death.

EZRA maintained the Supreme Authority under his Commiffion from the Perfian Court thirteen Years, employing himself in the faithful difcharge of every part of his Duty with the most pious Zeal and affiduity, and yet EZRA does not seem to have had Power or Influence enough to make the neceffary Reform, and even the City fo comfortable and habitable as to invite a general Refort to the Metropolis, for the very Walls were yet in ruins.

At this time Nehemiah fucceeded him as Governor or Viceroy, and he brought with him a new Commiffion with Authority and fresh Powers from Perfia,

EZRA, with Piety and a graceful Condefcenfion, affumed now a fubordinate ftation, he acted as Prefident to the Sanhedrim, the Grand Council of the Elders, and employed his whole time in reforming the Jewish Church, restoring all its Rites and Difcipline. He carefully examined all the facred Books; revifed, corrected, and published a new Edition of them, and reduced the Mofaic Law to its primitive ftandard and purity, and he fixed the Number of the Books of the Old Teftament to twenty-two. EZRA was learned and well verfed in them all, his high Station and Authority enabled him to collect the best copies, EZRA was himself infpired, zealous for God, and he engaged in this arduous work three Prophets, HAGGAI, ŽACHARIAH, and MALACHI.

When NEHEMIAH was established in his new Government, EZRA, relieved from publick Duties and Affairs of the State, now brought forth his facred Volume, and expounded in it publickly from morning till noon, and that he might be better heard, he caused a Scaffold to be erectedin one of the wideft Streets of the City. EZRA himself stood leaning on a high defk in the middle, and on each fide of him ftoad fix Priefts, interpreters and affiftants, and as EZRA fpoke in He

brew

brew, the Priefts explained in the Chaldee, a language they had been lately ufed to. All the people (and fome came from very diftant parts especially on feaft days and holidays) could thus diftinctly hear him, and had the Law and their Duty explained and recommended fully to them. every day.

The last Work EZRA performed was reftoring to the People the facred Service of the Temple according to the original and ufual Form before the Captivity, he revised and amended all the Jewish Liturgy, adding to it many new Prayers and Forms of Thanksgiving, composed fince their return from Babylon, on the Bleffings of Liberty and Deliverance. This pious and truly good Man employed himself in composing a Service fuited to the Dedication of this new Temple, and as Pfalms and fpiritual Hymns entered into almost every part of the Jewish worship, he revised them all, and took the greatest Pains to methodize and collect them; he added alfo many of his own Compofition, and the order they are now placed in, Our Saviour, and after him his Apoftles, always referred to them.

EZRA had been now fome years fucceeded in his Government by NEHEMIAH, who had been

honour

honorably, usefully, and zealously employed under his new Commiffion from the Court of Perfia. EZRA had at firft introduced him, and given him all the affiftance in his power, after which he confined his usefulness, prefiding more particularly over the Church. Some Authors affert that he now died, and was buried in Jerufalem; but others fay, that in his old age he returned into Perfia, and that he died there at the age of one hundred and twenty. EZRA brings down the Hiftory of the Jews to the twentieth Year of Ahasuerus, the then reigning King of Perfia.

From the very firft of his Commiffion EZRA acted with great difinterestedness for the good of his Country, and continued his usefulness in the State as much by the Authority of the New Governor as before by his own, for his Succeffor had the fame Zeal for the Honour of God, and the fame patriotic endeavours for the Welfare of the People, and in right earnest coincided with him in the Work. EZRA, as a Priest, a Preacher of Righteoufnefs, and a skilful Scribe of the Law of God, unweariedly went on to perfect the Reformation he had begun, and spent almost his whole time preparing correct Editions of the Holy Scriptures, during the Babylonifh

Captivity