How he apportions out the work! How he entreats! How he supports, and how he encourages! The good cause, as in every instance, had to encounter most inveterate and crafty opposition. With what noble dignity he scorns the threats of the adversaries! With what presence of mind he penetrates their designs, escapes their snares, and skilfully defeats their projects! They thought, that as a fox's tread would break down Nehemiah's wall, so the blast of their nostrils would crush his spirit. They are miserably disappointed. Nehemiah presents to them the front of battle; and the man who had never, or scarcely known war, held his sword in one hand, and fearlessly built with the other. The work went on. Never before had a greater work been undertaken with smaller means, and never were mightier efforts crowned with higher success.

Nehemiah's first object is, to build the wall of the city of his God, and to rear a bulwark, at once to separate most effectually, and to defend the Church from her enemies. In fifty and two days it is done. His second object is, having completed her wall of defence, to establish within her the ordinances of Zion, in the number, and purity, and life of their dispensation. This also is accomplished. His third object is, to institute a scrutiny amongst the multitude in Jerusalem, and faithfully to separate between those who were Israelites and those who were not. His fourth object is, having formed his Israel, compacted by that which every joint supplieth, to bind the whole together in close, harmonious, and solemn union to one another, and to the common cause. His last object, which closes the mighty enterprise, is, to lead the whole body, thus re-established, into the beauty of holiness. It is done also; for, as Nehemiah trembles even at the usury which had made its appearance in the city, the people shake it off: as he gives them a charge to sanctify the Sabbath, the people obey.

In Nehemiah we find exemplified the association of the public cause with every feeling, and with all that conduct, which are most generous, and opposite to the narrow and selfish partialities of our nature. We admire in him, the disinterestedness of the governor, the hospitality of his house, the bounty of his table. In him we find exemplified, the association of high interest in the cause of God, with that consciousness of rectitude and benevolent design, which opens the heart to the most unhampered frankness, places it above fear, inspires it with that high dignity which looks the foe in the face, and dictates the lofty sentiment, "Should such a man as I flee?"

The example of Nehemiah's public character is particularly suited to us, in the present dispensation of grace. Nehemiah

put in motion only those common means which were ordained by God, in the ordinary state of His Church, and which were similar in their appointment to those that still belong to us. Let us แ go and do likewise."* Imitate Nehemiah, in his dauntless courage, his ardent zeal, his unfeigned piety, and unwearied perseverance for the good of our New Testament Jerusalem; so doing, we may be followers, not only of him, but of all those "who through faith and patience are now inheriting the promises." Amen.

EXERCISES.

When, and by what means was it, that Daniel understood that the seventy years of captivity were about to end? In whose reign was it that the first decree was issued concerning the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and the liberation of the captive Jews? Who was Cyrus? By whom was it prophesied that he would be the instrument in God's hand to do these things? Who was the leader of the Jews on their return to Jerusalem? What was he called by the Persians? Who then acted as high-priest? How was the money raised for the rebuilding of the temple? What was the conduct of the old men when they saw the foundation of the temple laid? Name some of those things which the Jews supposed to be wanting in the second temple, which belonged to the first? From whom did the Jews meet with opposition in rebuilding the temple? When was it finished, and dedicated? From what king did Ezra receive a letter and decree, to encourage the Jews then remaining at Babylon to go up to Jerusalem and establish the worship of the true God? How did Ezra act when he arrived at Jerusalem? Wherein lies the difficulty in adjusting the exact time of all these events? How did Nehemiah act when he had learned that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down, and that the gates thereof were burnt with fire? What encouragement did he receive from his sovereign to go to Jerusalem? How did he begin his work? By whom was he opposed? How did he prevent the mischief that his enemies designed? How long did they take to rebuild the walls of the city? In what manner did they worship God, when the work was finished? Mention some of the reformations which Nehemiah wrought among the people? Give an outline of the character of Ezra and Nehemiah. In what respect should we imitate Nehemiah? What is the meaning of the word, Amen?

CHAPTER XVIII.

Job, one of the Greatest Men of the East, Stripped of all his WealthIn Great Bodily Affliction-Three Friends Visit him-Elihu, a Fourth Friend-God Answers Job out of the Whirlwind-Job Re

The Rev. Mr Jameson of Methven.

pents-Job's Three Friends Reproved-Job's Wealth is Doubled before he Dies.

Although the last chapter brought to a close the Bible history of God's transactions with men, particularly with His own people, the children of Israel, yet there are some other historical matters related in the Bible that concern particular persons. The most remarkable of these, not already noticed, are the histories of JOB, JONAH, and ESTHER.

We do not pretend to tell when, or by whom the book of Job was written. Many of the ancients are of opinion that it was written by Moses, and some think that Elihu was the penman of it. Its marks of antiquity are very many, and there can be no doubt concerning the record :-" There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man feared God. And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and a very great household: so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east. And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day, and called for their sisters to eat and to drink with them. And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all."

In the midst of all this prosperity God permitted the wicked one, by kindling of lightning, and stirring up robbers among his heathen neighbours, to bereave him of all his cattle and his wealth in one day, and to destroy all his children, by a tempest, which blew down the house in which they were feasting. When thus stripped of all his wealth, and bereft of all his sons and daughters, he "rent his mantle, shaved his head, fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, and said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." In addition to all this, Satan was permitted to smite Job" with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes. Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips." Job having three friends at a distance, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite,

they, upon hearing of all his affliction, "made an appointment together to come to mourn with him, and to comfort him. Having come unto him, they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great. After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day."-Job iii. 1, &c.

When Job's three friends saw him "full of tossings to and fro," and wincing under the direst affliction, they rashly concluded that he was a hypocrite, and had been guilty of very great sins, notwithstanding his outward profession of piety. Having taken this false view of Job's character, they severely reproved him for his grievous complaints; and thus they became "miserable comforters." Against all their charges and arguments Job maintained this great truth, "that God did sometimes afflict those who were innocent, for wise and unsearchable reasons ;" and he vindicated his own innocence, placing his trust in God.-See chaps. ix., xxxi., &c.

Against the just, th' Almighty's arrows fly,

For he delights the innocent to try;

To shew their constant, and their godlike mind,
Not by afflictions broken, but refin'd."

Under the violence of his distress, and the most unjust accusations of his friends, Job sometimes spake words of unreasonable despair, and sometimes used rash and unbecoming language against the great God, and vindicated himself too much, as though he had been perfectly innocent before God, as well as before men.-Job vi., &c. Nor were his friends less guilty, in the heat of their disputations, of using harsh and intemperate language. In chap. iv., Eliphaz begins with a very modest preface:-"If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking? Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands," &c. How soon does he touch another string, saying, "Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same." In chap. viii., Bildad is still more severe upon Job, saying unto him, "If thou wert pure and upright, surely God would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous. Can the rush grow up without mire? can the flag grow without water? Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb. So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish: whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider's web." Thus we have seen Eliphaz hard upon Job, Bildad harder, and Zophar, the hardest of the three, falls upon him without mercy, gives him very ill language,

him everything but a saint; or, in Scottish mode, anything but a gentleman; saying unto him, "Should a man full of words be justified? Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?" &c.— Job xi. 2, 3. On what we have here quoted from Zophar, the Rev. Matthew Henry justly puts the question," Is this the way to comfort Job? No, nor to convince him neither: doth this become one that appears as an advocate for God and his justice? They that engage in controversy will find it hard to keep their temper." Hence a little further on in the dispute, we find Job paying back his friends in their own coin, saying unto them, "What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you. Ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value." After this manner a lengthened and keen controversial contest was kept up between Job and his three friends, in which many great and solemn truths were stated in language most poetical and sublime. But the grand mistake was, they were not applicable to Job; nor did they receive the approbation of God, as we shall afterwards see.

In Job, chap. xxxii., we are informed, that "These three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu against Job, because he justified himself rather than God. He was also angry against his three friends, because they had found no answer, and yet they had condemned Job." They had adjudged him to be an hypocrite, and a wicked man, and would not prove him so, nor disprove the evidence he produced of his integrity. There is seldom any quarrel begun, and more seldom carried on to such a length as this was, but there are faults on both sides." This fourth friend of Job, Elihu, though younger than any of the other three, " appears to be a man of great sense and courage, one that knew well when and how to speak, and when and how to keep silence. Though he had so much respect to his friends as not to interrupt them with his speaking, yet he had so much regard to truth and justice-his better friends,- -as not to betray them by his silence." Having listened to the controversy with youthful modesty and great patience, till patience failed, he breaks silence, tells his old friends, that "Great men are not always wise; neither do the aged understand judgment. Behold, I waited for your words; I gave ear to your reasons, whilst ye searched out what to say; and, behold, there was none of you that convinced Job, or that answered his words. Then I said, I will answer also my part, I will shew mine opinion. For I am full of matter, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles.