Tyrants’ hearts sometimes wonderfully mollified towards God’s people.
Secondly. Consider his acts of favour, and they will not amount to a positive command that any of the Jews should go up to build the temple, nor that any of them should practise his own worship, which he kept and judged the best for his own soul and people.
It is true, he freely permits them and exerciseth a bounteous assistance to them. All which argues no more, but that sometimes it pleaseth God to open the hearts of tyrants greatly to favour and further his people. Such favour found Nehemiah and Daniel, and others of God’s people have and shall find, so often as it pleaseth him to honour them that honour him before the sons of men.
Peace. Who sees not how little this scripture contributes to their tenent? But why, say some, should this king confirm all with such severe punishments? and why for all this should Ezra give thanks to God, if it were not imitable for after times?
Truth. The law of God, which he confirmed, he knew not, and therefore neither was, nor could he be a judge in the case.
Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, and Artaxerxes, their decrees examined.
And for his ground, what was it but the common terrors and convictions of an affrighted conscience?
In such fits and pangs, what have not Pharaohs, Sauls, Ahabs, Herods, Agrippas spoken? And what wonderful decrees have Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, Darius, Artaxerxes, put forth concerning the God of Israel, Dan. iii. and vi., and Ezra i. and vii., &c.; and yet as far from being charged with, as they were from being affected to, the spiritual crown of governing the worship of God, and the conscience of his people.
Ezra’s thanksgiving for the king’s decree examined.
It is true, Ezra most piously and justly gave thanks to God for putting such a thing into the heart of the king; but what makes this a pattern for the laws of civil governors now under the gospel? It suited well with that national state of God’s church, that the gentile king should release them, permit them to return to their own land, assist them with other favours, and enable them to execute punishments upon offenders according to their national state.