all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him" (v. 22). What a bright example of steady, strong, and lively faith! Such a believer was Ezra. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord; and whose hope the Lord is!

Lastly, examine the truths on which that faith was exercised. Do you seek the Lord? Do you seek him as your Saviour, guide, protector, defender? The hand of our God is upon all them, that thus seek him, for good. You will not seek him in vain. On the other hand, do you forsake the Lord? Do you lay aside his truth, and put your trust in an arm of flesh? His power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him. Cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. (Jer. xvii. 5-8.) Unlike to Ezra, such a man shall be like "the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh;" whilst he, that trusts in the Lord, shall be blessed and preserved, lying down and rising up, going out and coming in, now and evermore. O Lord of hosts! blessed is the man that trusteth in thee. (Ps. lxxxiv. 12; and cxxi. 7, 8.)

NOW

CHAPTER IX.

1 Ezra mourneth for the affinity of the people with strangers. 5 He prayeth unto God with confession of sins. OW when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.

2 For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.

3 And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied.

4 Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those

that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice.

5¶ And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my 'heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my. knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God,

6 And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.

7 Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.

8 And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us 'a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.

9 For we were bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.

10 And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments,

11 Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness.

12 Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth for ever: that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever.

13 And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this;

14 Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping?

15 O LORD God of Israel, thou art

In the last chapter we followed Ezra in his preparations for his journey, and his return to his country. We are now to consider, and improve, what took place when he came there. The state of things in Jerusalem, at that time, was sad to behold. If such were the state of the city, what must have been the condition of the land? This filled the heart of Ezra with grief; and he took immediate measures to arrest the evil, and to humble himself before God.

The great evil which then existed, was mixing with the wicked. In other words, it was what we should now call conformity to the world. They had not kept up that separation from the heathen, which they ought to have done. They mixed with the people of the lands. They lived with them, and among them. They imbibed their maxims; they imitated their works; they did according to their abominations. Besides which, they took their daughters for themselves, and their

sons.

The holy seed was mingled with the wicked inhabitants. Yea, the hand of the princes and rulers had been chief in this trespass (v. 1, 2). This was a sad state of things for Ezra to behold. It pained and grieved him to his heart. He knew how contrary it was to the word and will of Almighty God. He knew, also, how hurtful it was to themselves, both in body and soul. He knew, moreover, that such a state of things must not be sanctioned, or allowed to continue, if they would escape the divine displeasure, or live in the enjoyment of the divine blessing. He, therefore, at once set himself firmly and resolutely to the task of suppressing the evil, asking for pardon, and craving the divine blessing (v. 3—15).

Now, does not this circumstance convey a loud warning to ourselves? What is one of the greatest blots lying on the face of the visible Christian church to this day? Worldly

conformity. What is one of the greatest hindrances to the furtherance of divine truth at this time? Worldly conformity. What is that thing which eats out the power of vital godliness, and leaves to multitudes, who are called Christians, nothing but the bare shell of a worthless profession, or a mere name to live while they are really dead? Worldly conformity. What hinders many in their Christian progress; draws numbers from the right way; is the common parent of backsliding; and the fruitful source of apostasy? Worldly conformity. Oh, what a deadly and destructive evil is worldly conformity! How ought we to grieve over the numbers that are caught in this snare of the devil; to mourn over their condition before God; and set ourselves also boldly to the work of resisting and opposing this direful calamity!

In this matter Ezra did not labour in vain. When the people saw how deeply he was affected, they began to feel for themselves. All that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, on account of this transgression, assembled unto him. It was a season of grace. God touched their hearts; and they united with him in prayer and supplication (v.4-15). And, oh! what a prayer is here! How this man of God is humbled! How he confesses their sin! How he pleads for mercy! How he acknowledges the Lord's goodness, and their ungrateful abominations! Read through the chapter. This is prayer. This is drawing nigh unto God. This is wrestling with the Holy One for his blessing. Ah! do you know what it is to be thus humbled; thus abased; thus prostrated in the dust; thus to blush with shame and confusion of face before God for all your sins; yet not lost in despair; but still pleading for mercy? Have your own sins, and the sins of others, thus grieved your soul, and led you to cry for mercy, as did this holy man of old? Search and see the state of your heart. God will revive the humble; pardon the penitent; and save the lost and undone, when they thus cry unto him.

But how much that is called prayer, at the present time, is utterly unlike this supplication of Ezra! The way in which many draw nigh unto God, often leaves the impression on the mind, that they feel no sense of sin,

make no humble confession, and utter no cries for mercy. And as for our public seasons of humiliation before God, the prayers offered, on such occasions, appear to be so framed as to say the least that can be spoken, and to give no offence to unhumbled hearts by the use of unfashionable expressions. May God give us all the mind of Ezra; and then shall we speak, act, and pray, without respect of persons, as he did on this occasion!

CHAPTER X.

1 Shechaniah encourageth Ezra to reform the strange marriages. 6 Ezra mourning assembleth the people. 9 The people, at the exhortation of Ezra, repent, and promise amendment. 15 The care to perform it. 18 The names of them which had married strange wives.

[OW when Ezra had prayed, and when

N

he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people 'wept very sore.

2 And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.

3 Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God 'to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.

4 Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it.

5 Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do according to this word. And they sware.

6¶ Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.

7 And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem;

8 And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated

3

from the congregation of those that had been carried away.

9 Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling because of this matter, and for 'the great rain.

10 And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.

11 Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange

wives.

12 Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do.

13 But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, neither is this a work of one day or two for 'we are many that have transgressed in this thing.

14 Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us.

So.

16 And the children of the captivity did

And Ezra the priest, with certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all of them by their names, were separated, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.

17 And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.

18 ¶ And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives: namely, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.

19 And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass.

20 And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah.

21 And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.

Ezra before us, have called on the name of the Lord, and have been saved. They can all say, "The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. The Lord hath heard my supplication. The Lord will receive my prayer." This fact is clearly established. God heareth and answereth prayer. (Ps. vi. 8, 9.)

encouragement.

Secondly, but how may it be known when prayer is really heard and answered? The former question is intended for faith and This is designed for our comfort and consolation. When the blessing is given which you have asked, your prayer has been heard, and you may know it. "And this is the confidence that we have in him; that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us. And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we desired of him." (1 John v. 14, 15.) You pray for a new heart; and God gives it you. You

ask for wisdom; it is granted. You cry for pardon; your sins are blotted out. You pray for grace to withstand evil, and to stand in the day of trial; you are enabled to do so that is the answer to your prayer. You pray for faith; and you are enabled to believe. Ezra prayed that God would open a way for his return to Jerusalem; the king gave him leave. He prayed again that the Lord would give them a good way in their journey; and they were brought in safety to their land. In the chapter before this, he prayed that God would pardon their sin of mixing with the people, and cause them to break off their sinful ways by amendment of life; and here they come forward to do the very thing he asked God to bring to pass; and they freely enter into a covenant to abandon their sinful connexions. These are answers to prayers. By such fruits as these, as the case may be, we know that the Lord hears and answers the prayers of his people.

CHAPTER I.

1 Nehemiah, understanding by Hanani the misery of Jerusa lem, mourneth, fasteth, and prayeth. 5 His prayer.

TH

HE words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace,

2 That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.

3 And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.

4¶ And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,

5 And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:

6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine

eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned.

7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.

8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:

9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.

10 Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand..

11 O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire