Vers. 1-7.-.Acceptable service. When the 42,000 Israelites arrived in the land whither they went forth, they took peaceable and glad possession of their old homes; many, if not most, of them returning to the very fields and homesteads from which their fathers had been led away. They then showed a piety which was partly the fruit of the long discipline they had passed through in Persia. Their service of Jehovah, on this their return, was characterised by- I. SPONTANEITY (vers. 1, 5). They must have had much to do to bring into good condition the long-forsaken fields ; agriculture must have been neglected, and there must have been a strong demand for the most active and unremitting labour. Never- theless, without any edict or decree from any spiritual or secular authority, "the people gathered themselves together as one man at Jerusalem" (ver. 1). A common impulse urged them all to leave business employments and household duties and repair to the sacred city for the worship of God. And when there, they "willingly offered a freewill offering unto the Lord" (ver. 5 ). Their service was, as ours will be, the more acceptable because unconstrained, spontaneous, the prompting of individual piety. Not the mandate of an earthly master, but the will of our Divine Lord, the lo'"e of Christ, should constrain us to activity and liberality. II. RIGHTNESS OF PLACE (vers. 1, 3). They gathered at Jerusalem (ver. 1), and built an altar on the very same basis as that on which the old altar had stood (ver. 3). They were right in this. For it had been very specially enjoined that only on that one site should sacrifices be offered unto God. They had regard to a precise injunc- tion in thus confining their offerings to one place. No such restrictions limit our worship. The hour has come when neither on one mountain nor another shall men worship the Father (John iv. 21). Wherever the people of God meet in sincerity and earnestness, there they '' behold his mercy-seat." " Every place is hallowed ground " to the devout heart. Yet there is such a thing as propriety of place. Still "the Lord loveth the gates of Zion," and to worship him regularly at his house, to unite regularly with his people at the table of the Lord, is a useful and acceptable service. III. UNITY (ver. 2). Jeshua and Zerubbabel stood together to build the altar of the Lord. It is a most excellent thing for any society when those who are influen- tial in the Church and those highly placed in the State unite and do not divide their influence, strengthen and do not weaken one another's hand_s, in the promotion of morality and religion. IV. READINESS THROUGH EAGERNESS (vers. 3, 6). After using Solomon's tempi, as their sacred edifice wherein to worship, it was natural that the people should d,·sire .;ornething wore than a rude altar reared under the skies, But ISO eage. were they to err. m. 1-7.1 THE BOOK OF EZRA. 35
return to the old eacrificee, which had eo long ceaeed to be offered, that they could not wait for the erection of a building; before the foundation of the temple wa1 mid (ver. 6) they began to preeent burnt offeringe unto the Lord. The apathetit eoul will be ready enough to find an excuee for irreligion, for leaving unoffered the sacrifice that ie due; but the eager-hearted will be prompt to eubetitute one inetru- ment for another, that the eervice may not be unrendered. A feeble piety will yield to the firet check. Spiritual earneetneee will be ingenioue to devise means, and will anticipate the hour when all outeide circumetancee compel to devotion. Do not let God'e praise remain uneung becauee a full-toned organ is not at hand for accompani- ment, nor let hie truth be unepoken because there are no fine walle to echo ite proclamation. Godly zeal will liIUl utterance whether art be present or absent. V. REGULARITY (ver. 4). 11 They offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required" (ver. 4). There muet be room left for eome play of spontaneity, or our epiritual life will become mechanical and loee its animation and elasticity and beauty. But there must be also regularity: constant eervicee, daily devotion, morning and evening prayer. Liberty and law must be reconciled and dwell harmoniously together, not only in every home, but in every heart. . VI. COMPREHENSIVENESS (vere. 3, 4). Oppoeite feelings led them to the mercy- seat: their fear led them to seek God-they eet up the altar for fear of the people by whom they were surrounded (ver. 3); and their joy also led to devotion-they kept the joyoue feast of tabernacles, and united in the eervice in which gladness of heart prevailed (ver. 4). The truly devout man ie be with whom all paths lead to the throne of grace ; to whom all thinge, however varied and unlike one another, suggeet the thought of God ; who bringe his burden of grief and fear, as well as his treasure of joy and·hope, to the feet of his Master.-C.