so that he was at Jerufalem about 13 Years. He was carried away Captive after the Death of his Father, Anno 588; and if he lived till Nehemiah, 445, he must live 143 Years. Joachim, according to Mr. Marfbal's Tables, died 445; but according to Prideaux, 453; but the first is moft probable, and agrees with Jofephus. Efdras's Commiffion was as large as Nehemiah's, and there was no need of any new Commiffion till Efdras's Death. If we fhould fuppofe that Efdras lived to the finishing of the Wall, 434, then he would have lived 154 Years, which is poffible, but not fo probable; for Tobit lived 158 Years, and his Son 127.

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2. I fhall here obferve, that Ezra and Efdras were two distinct Persons, tho' ufually confoun ded For there were Two Ezra's, and neither of them Efdras; And Ezra a Priest, returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel, Nehem. 12. v. 1. But Efdras was then Captive in Media, till Artaxerxes, 2 Efd. ch. 1. and therefore he could not be Ezra the Prieft, in the time of Joshua the HighPriest, Neb. ch. 12. v. 13. There was also another Ezra in the time of Nehemiah, in the 36th of Artaxerxes, when the Wall was finifhed; and Efdras cannot be this Ezra, unless extream old, and contrary to Jofephus's Account; that Ezra is named Nehemiah, ch. 12. V. 33.

3. Jofephus tells us, that the Prophets of the Jews wrote the Hiftories of their Times, and till the times of Artaxerxes; but after his time there was no Succeffion of Prophets. Thus Efdras wrote in his time the History of the Return of the Jews, which is now called the First of Efdras in the Apocrypha; and it begins from the Passover of Jofiah, a little before his time, and it is continued till Nehemiah, who afterwards wrote his own Tranfactions: There Ezra is only an Epitome of Efdras, leaving out the Story of Jofiah, and that of the Captivity by Nebuchadnezzar, and the Dialogue about what was strongest, Wine, Women, or Truth; and the laft Chapter, in which Efdras read the Law; Which Alterations might be made by that Ezra the Priest in Nehemiah's time.

4. Efdras was first carried to Babylon, and there he might remain till thirty Years after the Ruin of Jerufalem, ch. 3. and then he began his Prophecies there, which was about the First of Nerigliffor; and probably he remained there till he was carried with Daniel into Media, by Darius Medus, after the taking of Babylon; and there he writ fome prophetick Dreams, ch. 3. and from ch. 9. all the other in the Field Ardath, which was near Babylon; but the First and Second Chapter in Media.

The

The Second Book of Efdras in the Apocrypha, being writ in Babylon, or Media, it was writ before the First Apocryphal, which could not be writ till after the Captivity, when Efdras was returned to Jerufalem, and the Temple was built. This fhews the Confufion in the mif. placing of these Books, either thro' the Malice of the Jews, who hated Efdras's Prophecies, because of his plain Account of the Death of the Meffiah ; or elfe, the Ignorance of Christians, who not understanding this Prophecy, call it a Fiction of a converted Jew.

5. Jofephus fays of Efdras, That he was a Prieft of the Jews, a juft Man, of great Reputation amongst them; and because he was skilful in the Law of Mofes, he was much esteemed by Artaxerxes, and was fent by him to appoint Judg es, establish his Religion, and convey many Prefents to the Temple: He reformed unlawful Marriages, read the Law to the People, collected the Holy Scriptures into one Volume, added all the Pfalms after the 72d, and made many Interpolations for the Explanation of the Text, and then had the Prophecy called Malachi, as I thall hereafter prove that Efdras was Malachi.

The First Apocryphal Book of Efdras was tranflated into Greek; and that Copy is extant; and the Second was writ in the fame Language, tho' the Greek is now loft; and the latter Copy

4

ftill remains, which has many Greek Words in it. Since Efdras lived in Chaldæa, he writ in that Language, as well as Daniel and Tobit: And Efdras writ his Prophecies for the use of the Jews in Chaldæa, that they might know they should return, and build Jerufalem, and then the Meffiah fhould come, and raife the Dead, as is declared Ifa. 26. V. 19. And ch. 66. v.8. A whole Nation is born in one Day.

6. The Subject of this Prophecy was,

First, To answer the Blafphemies of the Jews against Providence, upon the Account of their Subjection to the Babylonians.

Secondly, Efdras gives his Prophecies concerning the Desolation of Babylon, the Return of the Jews, and re-building their City, the Coming of the Meffiah, and his Death; the Old Roman Empire or Twelve Cæfars, the Rife of the Three Heads of the Eagle, the Conftantinopolitan, the Saracen and Ottoman Empires Rife and Fall, the Coming of Christ to destroy the Antichriftian Multitude, the happy State of departed Souls, and their Resurrection; and at laft, the Return of the Ten Tribes, and a happy future State of a Kingdom in Jerufalem.

Thirdly,

Thirdly, The Reftitution of fome of Mofes's Law, burnt or corrupted at Babylon.

Fourthly, The Return of the Two Tribes, and their re-building Sion is plainly distinguished from the Return of the Ten Tribes, which must not be till the Refurrection of the Juft, and then the Old Patriarchs and Prophets will lead them.

7. Efdras mentions Jeremy's Prophecy, ch. 2. He lived after the Siege of Jerufalem; but Efdras could not perfonally converfe with him, because he died in Egypt. Ezekiel was alfo in Captivity at the fame time as Efdras. Efdras calls Daniel his Brother, who was his Contemporary, and mentions Aggaus and Zachary. All these Prophets Prophecies must be known to Efdras, who took care to place them in the Order we have

them now.

8. The Second Book calls Efdras a Prophet, ch. 1. and v. 4. fays, The Word of the Lord came unto him. Ch. 2. Thus faith the Lord. V.1. ch.4. The Angel Uriel was fent unto him. Ch.15. v.1, 2. Speak thou in the Ears of this people, the Words of Prophecy, which I will put in thy Mouth, faith the Lord, and cause them to be written in Paper, for they are faithful and true. Ch. 12. v.42. For of all the Prophets, thou only art left us, as a Cluster of the Vintage, and as a Candle in a dark place. No Prophet was more esteemed by the Prince and People in his Life,

and