always ought, with the ministers of religion. Nothing can threaten deeper ruin to the interests of religion and morals, than when those, whose lips ought to keep knowledge, and whose spirit and conduct ought ever especially to reflect the image of the Master they profess to serve-when these fall behind in the great work of building up the church of the Redeemer. The corruptions of the priesthood in every age of the world, have supplied a sort of guage of the degeneracy and corruptions of the people. If the priests have been bad, the people have been worse. The worst state of the Jewish church, was when "the prophets prophesied falsely," as it is said by Jeremiah, and "the people loved to have it so."

On the contrary, brethren, nothing can promise better for the interests of a country and of the church, than when the priesthood, awakened in conscience, or touched in heart by the Spirit of the living God, awake from their slumbers, and pour their whole soul into the work of general and personal improvement. It was in the first and best ages of the English Church—and I feel it right to say, though at the risk of being thought to speak too favourably of my own order that perhaps there never was a period in the history of our national church, in which there was a larger, or perhaps so large, a body of ministers honestly devoted to the work of the Lord: I mean men (for what other men are of any value?)-men that preach the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in truth and sincerity; men that love to own a Saviour, and to commend the Gospel, the whole Gospel, and nothing but the Gospel, to the consciences and hearts of their hearers. No doubt we have many loiterers in the vineyard; many satisfied rather to gather the grape than to cultivate the soil. We have those, it is to be feared, who do the work of the Lord deceitfully, or carelessly, or not at all. We have some whose carelessness, or levity, or bigotry, are amongst the worst curses of the church and the country. There will be tares among the wheat in the present state of the church. There was a Judas amongst the twelve apostles; and there were large multitudes more, in those early days of religion, that were faithless to their great undertaking.

On the contrary, I may venture to say, no man who has looked carefully into the history and circumstances of his country can have failed, as I think, to be struck with the increase of holy and zealous ministers; of men, as I hope, determined to know nothing among their countrymen but Jesus Christ, and him crucified; of men whose first and last wish it is to glorify Him who has bought them with his own blood. May God multiply the number; and may your prayers, Christian brethren, ascend to the throne of grace from day to day, that God will supply his church with such men; that we may always hear the voice behind, say, "Woe unto them that preach not the Gospel!" and that we may be faithful to our high, and holy, and heavenly calling.

The priests, in this particular instance, are said to have builded and sanctified the sheep-gate. This is said to have been the gate by which the sacrifices were brought into the city and if so, they began by looking carefully to that which respected their own office: an example worthy imitation. Our first duty is to trim our own lamps; to take care of our own oil; to prepare the right sacrifices of the Lord; and especially to plead the great Sacrifice of Almighty God that taketh away the sins of the world; to make mention of His righteousness only;

to endeavour to make Christ precious to all, and to lay every one of you in the bosom of your Saviour and of your God.

It is said in the fifth verse of the third chapter that "the Tekoites repaired, but their nobles put not their necks to the work of the Lord." It is the only class of nobles, or persons of very high rank and property in the tribe, who appear to have shrunk from the general duty; the other nobles, it is mentioned more than once, were faithful to their work. And happy, brethren, were it for the public interests, that this offence were confined to a few of the higher orders. Scarcely any thing can contribute more to the safety and value of a work of religious reform, or of any endeavour to build up the church of Christ, visible or invisible, than when our proper leaders really take the lead, and fill the place which Providence assigns them. Unless they bow their necks to the work, they may soon have to stoop to a heavier yoke, a more intolerable burden. Such cannot make a greater mistake than in imagining, that it is not their highest interest to sustain the work of God in their country.

It is stated in several of the verses of the third chapter, that the rulers were active in the work: and this, no doubt, greatly contributed to the success of the undertaking. It is useful to measure the degree of influence which the higher orders of every country exercise over the lower. Are you a person of influence of property? Are you a father, or a master, or a teacher, or a guardian of others? Remember that in proportion to your power is your responsibility. Bow your neck to that work. Endeavour, as far as God shall enable you, to employ every faculty put into your hands to the glory of the Great

Giver.

It is said in the twelfth verse of the third chapter that the daughters of Shallum were fellow-labourers in the work. And thus St. Paul speaks of "devout women who laboured with him in the Gospel." And it is one of the characteristics of our own age, and a very important one, that half the funds of the numerous societies for the extension of religion are raised by women: they are to a great extent the builders and constructors of schools, the circulators of Bibles, the senders of missions: they assist to light the spark, and supply the fuel, of the fire which, I venture to hope, is destined to burn out the plaguespot of corruption and misery from our guilty country. What can be more lovely in itself, and what could afford better security for public prosperity and domestic joy, than to see women casting all their natural or acquired influence into the great scale; and escaping from the nonsense, and the dissipation, and the follies of life, to live for the glory of their crucified Lord; bringing to the aid of religion and benevolence all that wins the heart, and constrains the conduct, of the great multitude around them. The Gospel has done much for women, and women ought to endeavour to do much for the Gospel. Women in the first and best ages of the Church were the last at the cross, and the first at the grave. May it still be their characteristic that they love their Lord; that they rejoice to bathe his feet with the tears of penitential sorrow; that they delight to pour on his head the precious ointment of grateful charity-of simple, holy, devoted, affectionate services, lives, and conversations; to the glory of that dear Master who has loved them, and shed his precious blood for them.

Of some persons it is said, in several of the verses of this chapter, that they repaired over against their own houses :" and, says an old writer, in somewhat quaint, but very characteristic language," If every one would sweep before his own door, the street would be clean. If every one will mend himself, we shall all be mended." It is said of others of these labourers, that, when they had done their own work they helped their fellows. How valuable is this as an example to ourselves! Dear brethren, selfishness is the curse of every cause into which it enters. No great work can be accomplished, except by each man breaking from the narrow circle within which his self-love would confine him, and becoming a labourer in the common field of duty. It is of infinite importance for every one of ourselves to consider, how far the religion of Jesus is doing its proper work in our own souls as to this point. The language of St. Paul is, "The love of Christ constrains us, that we should no longer live unto ourselves, but unto Him that died for us, and rose again." Unless, therefore, this change is in some degree wrought-unless you love yourselves less, and other people better-unless a large portion is given, not to yourselves, but to the general welfare-unless you feel yourselves to be, as it were, stewards of the faculties, time, power, property, which God has given you-unless, when the stores are confided to your keeping, you delight to take your stand, like Joseph, at the door of the granary, and contribute to the hungry and the thirsty the bread and the water of life-unless this is the case, the spirit of religion is not in us, the spirit of our Master is not in us; and, whatever may be our opinion, we must come to the conclusion that our hearts are not right before God.

Brethren, there are certain selfish doctrines and sayings as to this point; such as, 66 Charity begins at home:" "Each man for himself, and God for us all;" which reduced into practice, according to the philosophy of this world, seem to mean little more than that each is to live for himself, and leave a hungry and suffering world to hunger and suffer as it may. There are certain sayings such as these which are leading articles in the creed of this world, and which tend to render society the distracted and turbulent scene which it is. Substitute for such maxims the two great maxims of the Gospel-" Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart"-" Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself;" and you would, under God's blessing, change the desert into a garden, beat the swords into ploughshares, make the earth a counterpart of heaven, and assist, under God, to bring on that moral millenium which is the morning of the resurrection, and the first dawn of the everlasting glory of the saints and servants of the Lord.

Having thus touched upon some of the different classes of persons stated to have been employed in this great and good work, I proceed to consider, more particularly, in the second place, THE SPIRIT BY WHICH THEY APPEAR TO

HAVE BEEN ANIMATED.

And here I may notice, in the first place, the spirit of prayer in which all the movements of Nehemiah and the people who co-operated with him, appear to have proceeded. No sooner had Sanballat, and other enemies of the Jews, heard that the walls were beginning to rise, than it is said they were wroth, and endeavoured, partly by mockery, and partly afterwards by threats, at once

to crush the work. "What" (said one) "do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?" "That which they build" (says another)" is so slight, that if a fox were to go up he would even break down their stone wall." Thus they had to encounter ridicule ; and soon after they had to encounter most decided opposition. In these circumstances the servant of God felt that his best refuge was where, brethren, alone safety is to be found. And accordingly it is said that he instantly "went into the presence of the Lord ;" and his language was, Hear, O our God, for we are despised." And afterwards he says, "We made our prayer to God, and set a watch against them."

What an inestimable privilege is prayer to every man who has approached God through a Saviour! You meet the man of God in some seemingly deep anxiety, and he accosts you perhaps with his spirit in some measure cast down, and his forehead shaded with the feeling of care or apprehension. In a few moments you see him with every care laid to rest, and his countenance lighted up with the beams of hope and joy. What is the cause of the change? He has been with God: that beam on his countenance is from heaven; he has drawn nigh to God through a Saviour: he has cast his burden in prayer upon the Lord; and in the multitude of his sorrows the comforts of God have refreshed his soul. Your friend was a man perhaps in the hour of his last sickness, and you had prepared yourself to encounter a scene of perturbation, and doubt, and gloom, and possibility of fear. You find him on the contrary full of peace, and joy, and gratitude: you find that his last moment is his happiest; you find that to him the sick-bed is no place of alarm; and that in that moment in which he is about to appear in the presence of a holy and heart-searching Judge, his accents of praise and of joy were never so loud. The truth is, the sickness that has shut him out from the world has brought him closer to God: that spirit of prayer which perhaps the hurry and bustle of life had, in some degree impaired, has now taken full possession of his soul; and in deep communing with the Father of spirits, he has discovered such new sources of hope and joy that his soul longs to be gone to hold uninterrupted intercourse with the Father of spirits; longs to escape from a world of clouds, and storms, and doubts, and temptations, to the country of the blessed, to the bright region where is the palace of the Great King, where God dwells in the unbroken tranquillity of his own glory, and greatness, and joy.

Brethren, if you would prosper in the work of the Lord, whatever be the character of the duties you are called to discharge, your strength is in prayer; you must le striving to live a life of faith in the Son of God, you must go to him with earnest supplication, with strong crying and tears; you must turn from the shallow streams of this world's strength and wisdom, to the deep and bright fountains of power, in the strength and wisdom of your God. "By prayer I conquered" might be written on the monument of every true servant of God.

But I proceed to notice the second feature of the spirit by which the Jews were animated in this work of God; I mean that which is especially referred to in the words which are employed in my text. It is there said, "So built we the

wall, and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof;" (or, in other words, it was built to half its height;) "for," he adds, "the people had a mind to work." And what, brethren, can be of more importance to the success of any work than a willing mind? Many appear to me to live under a great mistake as to that point. What is more common than to hear persons say, "We have the will to do right, but we cannot fulfil our own wishes?" The fact is, that a large number of such persons want the will: "Ye will not come unto me." They have no honest intention; if I may so express it, no thorough-going intention to do the will of the Lord. They may express many an idle wish to be Christians; they may indeed have the will to be Christians as far as it shall cost them nothing to become so: they would be willing to offer sacrifice to God of that which cost them nothing: they will not refuse the Gospel if you will sweeten the draught with self-indulgence. But they have no mind to forsake all and to follow Christ; to take up the cross in his service; to count every thing as dross and dung if but they may win Christ, and be found in him the objects of this grace, and the children of his family. In this sense of the word, they have not the will: the will is not right with God.

You observe, in the very Psalm we have been reading this evening, there is a remarkable account of the apostacy of the people, and their turning back in the day of battle; their various rebellions against God; and how it is added, as the very cause of that, that “ their hearts were not right with God." Brethren, rely upon it, that, in a great multitude of instances, the work of conversion, or reform, is begun too near the surface. You ask the hand to work, and what is wanting is the mind to work. What we want is, not a new power so much as a new disposition, to have the mind newly cast in the image and character of our God. It is in vain to change the hand of the watch, if the mainspring is defective: it is in vain to rectify the machinery, if the system is not brought to act upon it: it is in vain to heal the muscle or the sinew, if there is no life's blood in the heart: it is in vain to mould the mere image of a man, if the spirit of life is not communicated: and all these are but the type and the image of a man, without the mind, without the will. If you would be successful labourers in the work of the Lord, public or private, the work of personal religion following national reform, ask him to give you the willing mind; to work in you to will as well as to do; to prompt the heart as well as move the hand.

The third and last quality I would notice in these Jewish builders, is, their vigilance and courage in resisting the enemies of the cause in which their hearts were engaged. "Nevertheless," says Nehemiah-notwithstanding all this opposition" we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them." And again, "I set in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses." And again, "They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with