desolations in their own hearts, it may be, or in the kingdom of Christ upon earthwere the following:

1. His godly zeal and perseverance until the work was brought to a happy consummation. His hand had found a work to do, and he did it with his might. He was not of a nature to look back when he had once put his hand to the plough; and although the work was, as he says, "great and large," and the builders so few that they were "separated upon the wall, one far from another ;" and although the adversaries were numerous, and powerful, and very unscrupulous, yet he was never dispirited nor discouraged for a moment; and his ready, hearty, cheery spirit spread its contagion to all around him, as "every one with one. of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon1."

2. His uncompromising honesty under all trials. He had a clear and well-defined principle of action, which he followed without swerving to the right hand or the left. All his most serious difficulties would have 1 Ibid. 17.

k Nehem. iv. 19.

vanished at once if he had cared to conciliate the Samaritans, and accepted their help in rebuilding the city. A nation of malicious and vindictive adversaries would have been converted into valuable allies and fellowworkers, only on the condition of admitting them to a communion of worship and other religious privileges. But the Samaritans were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, nearer akin to the heathen, notwithstanding their mixed worship. To recognise them as in any sense brethren, to admit them to any community of worship, would have been a profanation and a distinct violation of the Mosaic law, a compromise of principle for the sake of expediency, such as the Herodians set an example of to the men of their generation. Nehemiah was of another mind.

3. His manly courage in the midst of imminent dangers. Avowed enemies without, and false friends within, tried his constancy unceasingly, but always in vain. Again and again was he tempted by his crafty enemies to act an unworthy part. Five times did they endeavour to draw him

aside from his purpose, and to do him a mischief; but he sent messengers, saying, "I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to youm ?" So, again, when they had hired Shemaiah to tempt him to hide himself in the Temple, "that he might be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter of evil report, that they might reproach him," his answer was, "Should such a man as I flee? And who is there, that, being as am, would go into the Temple to save his life? I will not go in "." Not that he was indifferent to danger: no wise man can be so. He was so far from being careless and secure, that he took all possible precautions against the threatened attacks of his adversaries; and then, having done so, he carried in him a stout heart, as one who had "the God of Jacob for his help, and whose hope was in the Lord his God."

I

4. His spirit of constant prayer, and his habit of referring all to God. This was the secret spring of all his strength, this the n Ibid. 10, 11.

m

Nehem. vi. 2—5.

true source of all his success °.

No sooner

did he hear of the distress of his brethren in Judæa than he betook himself unto prayer P. Startled by the abrupt demand of the king, "For what dost thou make request ?" he prays to the God of heaven, and instantly makes his unpremeditated request, which the king immediately grants. And so throughout, his ejaculatory petitions on every emergency strikingly mark his habitual abiding sense of God's presence.

After twelve years of incessant, anxious, unselfish toil, during his short absence in Persia, the old abuses crept in again. It was a dreary task that awaited him on his return, but he set himself to it with his wonted vigour; and if, as is not improbable, his last years were cheered by Malachi's announcement of the near approach of the "Desire of all nations," "the Messenger of the covenant," who can doubt that his wearied spirit derived refreshment and peace from the healing wings of the Sun of Righteousness?

See, for example, Nehem. ii. 8, 18; iv. 20; v. 15, 19; vi. 16. P Ibid. i. 4—11. 9 Ibid. ii. 4.

Tracts for the Christian Seasons.

SUNDAY NEXT BEFORE ADVENT.

THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

PENITENT sinners, who desire to be free from sin, both as to its guilt and power, and to please God, and to serve Him faithfully, ought to set a very high value on the portion of Scripture read as the Epistle for this Sunday.

For the Spirit of God, speaking by Jeremiah, here assures us that the Lord Himself shall be "our Righteousness." Now by "the Lord" here is evidently meant the "Word," or "Son of God" incarnate, for the Divine Person, who is to be our Righteousness, is the "Righteous Branch" raised up to David.

When we are told in Scripture that God, or that Christ, shall have such or such a name, it of course does not mean that our God, or our Saviour, shall be familiarly

No. 79. THIRD SERIES.

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