but there is every reason to suppose that Ezra knew of its appointment; and in that case he would doubtless enjoin the observance of it. However this may be, the twenty-fourth day of the month was fixed on for a solemn fast; most probably because many of the people were desirous of returning to their several cities. On this occasion the people confessed their sins and iniquities, with supplication to God, one fourth part of the day; and employed a similar portion of it in hearing his word. After this the Levites cried with a loud voice unto the Lord their God, and called upon the people to stand up and bless him. Then they began to set forth his glorious perfections as the Lord and Creator of all things, and to enumerate his mercies to the people of Israel from the calling of Abram. This chapter (the ninth of Nehemiah) contains a beautiful epitome of the Jewish history, with a confession of national sins, and an acknowledgment of God's merciful forbearance, and righteous dealings towards his rebellious people. I recommend you to read it very attentively; and to picture to yourself the occasion on which it was used, when every individual composing the vast assembly must have felt that his own personal guilt helped to make up the aggregate of national iniquity. We are too apt to regard our sins as injurious to ourselves alone; not considering in how many ways they may become so to others, who, swayed by our influence or example, may extend the bane around their several spheres also; and thus make us the ministers of evil to many whom we have never known. Those who have lived many years in this world, if they are instructed by the good Spirit of God, will feel and know that they have been rebellious like the Israelites, and have "wrought great provocations," by

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departing from God, and setting up idols in their hearts: and they will acknowledge the forbearance and mercy of the Lord in delivering them "many times," so that they have not been utterly consumed in the midst of their sins; but are still blessed with the means of grace and salvation. When the Levites had finished their confession, they entered into a solemn covenant in the name of the whole nation, to dedicate themselves to the Lord. This covenant, as a public act, was written and attested by the governor, the priests, the Levites, and the nobles; while the people gave a solemn assent to it, and "entered into a curse and an oath to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord;" to avoid all those national transgressions which had brought his judgments upon them, and to observe all the ordinances of his worship and service, towards which they agreed to contribute a yearly rate of half a shekel for each person. When this solemnity was ended, and the people were about to depart and settle again in their respective towns and villages, Nehemiah prevailed on the rulers to take up their future abode in Jerusalem. This induced many others to offer themselves willingly, for the repeopling of the city, by which they gained the blessing and good will of the inhabitants. Among the rest of the people, every tenth man was taken by lot, and obliged to build a house and settle with his family within the walls. By these means Jerusalem became very populous; and, being rebuilt in all parts, and adorned by the more opulent inhabitants, recovered no small share of its ancient splendour. Thus did the people again dwell at ease; their walls afforded them security against their enemies, and their God, to

whom they had returned by repentance, was their strength and their shield. He had caused the waste places of Judah to be inhabited, "the streets of Jerusalem to be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times."*

LETTER XXII.

WHEN Nehemiah reckoned the people according to their genealogies, he found it necessary to exclude several of the priests, whose register could not be found, to prove that they really were descendants of Aaron; telling them that they must no more officiate in holy things, nor partake of the offerings, unless it should please God to raise up a priest or prophet, by whom his will concerning them should be made known. After this, Nehemiah appointed the priests, Levites, singers, and Nethinims to serve in the temple, according to their courses: choosing from among them officers to superintend the treasures, offerings, and tithes, which the people brought gladly for the support of God's minis

ters.

Nehemiah remained twelve years in his government, during which time he effectually reformed all abuses, and maintained the laws and ordinances of God according to their original constitution. In these measures, however, he had not the hearty concurrence of all the rulers, for in the early part of his administration, many of the nobles held a secret correspondence with Tobiah, the Ammonite, who was allied by marriage to two of the principal families of Judah. As soon, therefore, as Ne

*Daniel ix. 25.

hemiah returned into Persia, this stranger, an inveterate enemy of the Jews, was not only admitted into the city, but had apartments assigned him in the temple by Eliashib the priest, who had also formed an alliance with him. Nehemiah having obtained a second commission from Artaxerxes, came again to Jerusalem about five years after his departure. It was not long before he discovered the profanation of the temple by the admission of Tobiah to reside in it; nor was he remiss in putting an end to the evil, which his office of governor enabled him to do, without the concurrence of Eliashib. He turned out the furniture from the apartments, and having caused them to be cleansed, restored them to their original use of store rooms for the Levites, singers, and porters. This was not the only evil he had to reform; for the Levites and singers who performed the service of the temple, had not been supplied with their daily portions, which had been withheld from them, either by the covetousness of the priests, or the neglect of the people; and the consequence was, that they had retired to their several homes, where they could procure food. The pious governor was much grieved at this neglect of the temple service; and justly censured the conduct of the rulers, in allowing the house of God to be thus forsaken. He settled the Levites once more in their several offices; and appointed men of piety and. integrity among their brethren, and the priests, to su perintend the distribution of their daily portions. Where- ! ever public worship is disregarded, the law of God is, speedily forgotten, or carelessly observed at best; and this was now the case in Jerusalem; for the inhabitants made no scruple of pursuing their customary employments, and buying and selling on the sabbath day.

Strangers also from Tyre were privileged to dwell in the city, and to carry on their traffic; and the people of Jerusalem and Judah bought of them on the sabbath day also. Nehemiah again admonished the rulers (who, if they did not sanction these practices, used no means to repress them), and set before them the evil they were bringing on the nation, by allowing themselves or others to commit those sins by which their forefathers had incurred the awful visitations of God's righteous displeasure. To put an end to this impious practice, Nehemiah ordered the gates of Jerusalem to be shut just before the commencement of the sabbath, and not to be re-opened till it was over. The buyers and sellers, however, were so regardless of the law, or so intent on their illegal traffic, that many of them lodged without the city, in order to carry it on. The vigilance of Nehemiah soon discovered and abolished this practice also. He threatened to punish those who were guilty of it; and appointed a guard of Levites about the gates to prevent the future profanation of the sabbath in this way. In the course of reading the law (which it would appear was appointed at regular intervals), it was found written that the children of Israel were not to intermarry with the Moabites or Ammonites. Nehemiah took occasion from thence to proceed in a work of great difficulty, which arose from a growing evil, not to be repressed without great care and caution. Among those who had at various times embraced the Jewish religion, were persons of several different nations, who are frequently mentioned in Scripture as "the mixed multitude." With the descendants of these proselytes, the Jews were allowed to intermarry, according to prescribed regulations; if they continued in the faith their ancestors