2. Defrauding. "They will not pay toll." But does not the Church render unto God the things that are his, and to Cresar the things that are Cresar's? 3. Hypo- critical. They build not the walls of Jerusalem for God, but to shut out the king. 4. Wicked. They designate Jerusalem a" bad city." Thus the world maligns the Church; it spoke evil of Christ; it will undervalue his followers. V. THAT IT MAKES THE PRETENCE OF A DISINTERESTED MOTIVE. "It was not meet for us to see the king's dishonour" (ver. 14). The world will not allow that its opposition is angry or jealous. The most wicked plans seek the aid of righteous pleas. This opposition appears-1. IJuinterested. It does not seek its own, but the king's welfare. 2. Loyal. They had "the king's maintenance," and therefore inform the king of his peril. 3. Open. They will tell the king plainly of the matter, and he can decide. Thus would the world conceal its hatred to the Church. VI. THAT IT PUTS A FALSE INTERPRETATION UPON NATIONAL HISTORY. "That search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers" (ver. 15). 1. The his- torical record. The history of the Church is blended with the history of the world ; the Divine and human records move together. 2. The historical argument. 3. The historical pe:rversi,on. History, rightly interpreted, is on the side of the Church. 4. The historical vindication. We justify Israel now and condemn the Samaritans ; time will surely vindicate the Church.-E. Vere. 6-24.-Three thoughts from old documents. The determined attempts made by the Samaritans to prevent the Jews from building the temple and the walls of Jerusalem are well illustrated in the correspondence between them and the king of Persia. Documents passed between the two of which we have the superscription and contents in these verses. They remind us- I. THAT MEN MAY TAKE AN IMMENSITY OF TROUBLE TO DO OTHER PEOPLE HARM AND MAKE THEMSELVES INFAMOUS. These men, 11 in the days of Artaxerxes" (ver. 7), secured the sympathy and co-operation of the Persian "chancellor" and " scribe" (ver. 8); also of their "companions," various Persian colonists then living in Samaria (ver. 9), with "the rest of the nations" whom "Asnapper brought over and set in their cities" (ver. 10): with their aid and through their medium they gained access to King Artaxerxes, and induced him to listen to a long statement of complaint. They had a momentary success, as the king granted their prayer and arrested the work ; but in the end their evil designs were defeated, and those against whom they plotted gained their end. All that these malignant Samaritans did was to annoy and delay without defeating their neighbours, while they have earned for themselves a most unenviable immortality. This document is only read now by those who will con- demn their conduct. How often do we see men putting forth patient energy, expending great ingenuity and labour, to compass that in which it is best for them to fail, of which they will live to be ashamed. If there be a sense in which "all labour is profit" (Prov. xiv. 23), it is also painfully true that thousands of men are laboriously engaged in doing work which will perish, and had better perish ; in me.king a name and repute which they would be glad afterwards to hide. Well for those who are doing that which really serves, that which will stand, that for which other generations will not rebuke but bless them. Il. THAT A TIME OF SPECIAL ACTIVITY WILL PROBABLY PROVE A TIME OF UNUSUAL ENDURANCE (vers. 12-16). 'l'he Jews at this time were actively engaged in building- not merely in erecting stone walls, but in rebuilding a nation, in relaying the found- ations of the kingdom and cause of God. Thus employed, they found themselves exposed to bitter hostility e.nd deadly machination. Their nearest neighbours were p\otting age.inst them; e.nd now they were doing that which is always found very difficult to endure-they were misrepresenting and maligning them ; they were reporting them to the king as e. "rebellious and bad city" (ver. 12), bent on refusing to II pay toll, tribute, and custom" (ver. 13), "hurtful unto kings and provinces," intending to break off their allegiance, so that the king "would have no portion on this side the river." Though not incapable of turbulence, and not indisposed to throw off a foreign yoke when that should be possible, the Jews were not cherishing any purpoae of this kind ; they had been faithful subjects when in Persia, and they bad honourable and loyal intentions now. This II accusation" (ver. 6) was es~entially 58 TRE BOOK OF EZRA. [ott. IV, 17-24.
false ; it was a malignant misrepresentation. When men are actively engaged in building the kingdom of Christ, they may expect Samaritan misrepresentations. Things will be said by the ill-disposed which, as here, may have a colouring of truth, but which are essentially false. We must not mind misrepresentation when we are doing earnest and faithful work. The very excellency of our effort will bring down the hatred nnd opposition of those who are enemies of the truth, and our work nnd ourselves will be slandered ; we may find ourselves members of a "sect everywhere spoken against." ,v e shall not, then, forget who it was that we.a charged with sedition, and so far from being surprised that II the disciple is not above his muster," we shall rejoice that we are counted worthy to "p~ake of the sufferings of Christ." No truly great work has ever been wrought which he.a not been covered at times with black clouds of misrepresentation. III. THAT SELFISHNESS AND JUSTICE ARE SELDOM ASSOCIATED TOGETHER. The king listened to those who seemed so desirous of serving him; he was inclined to believe those that were anxious his "revenue should not be endamaged" (ver. 13), who did not wish to "see the king's dishonour" (ver. 14), and who took measures that he should not lose his II portion on one side the river" (ver. Hi). And search being made, it was easy to find some incidents which might be construed in the sense of these complainants: the city "of old time had made insurrection,ll&c. (ver. 19); there had been "mighty kings" to whom "toll, tribute, and custom" he.d been paid, &c.- there might be some possible danger too in the future; let the work cease for the present (ver. 21), for II why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?" (ver. 22). Rather send bitter disappointment to the holiest hopes of a province than endanger the prosperity of kings. Thus does self-interest pervert justice. To eave them- selves from slight, remote, and contingent harm, men will cause much present and certain injury to their fellows. Selfishness is unfair and often cruel. To be true and just one must be disinterested.-C.
EXPOSITION.