( ver. 23) ? Artaxerxea had at least so much fear of the living God that he desired to propitiate him and to avert his wrath. This is, as it ever was, the chief note of pagan piety. It is a system of propitiating power and averting its anger rather than reverencing goodness and rejoicing in its love. " I will let you go," said the Persian king:; 11 take money, vessels, &c.; levy tributes at _the expense of my people, &c. _ sacnfice, pray ; for 'why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and hu ,ons 1'" Our missionaries continually witness the prevalence of this feeling of dread of the wrath of a higher power and attempts to divert it, as the sum total of pagan piety. Fear is not a false or wrung principle in religion. "Noah, moved with fear, prepared an ark," &c. (Heh. xi. 7). 11 Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry" (Ps. lxxvi. 7)? But, good so far as it goes, it does not suffice; it must pass on into that which is higher-into rever- ence, trust, love, obedience. Ill. lTs OCCASIONAL EXCELLENCY OF BEHAVIOUR (vers. 13---18; 21, 22, 25). Hardly anything could have been better-indeed, considering the light and the shade in which he lived, we may say nothing could have been better-than the king's conduct toward the people of God. He freely gave them up as his subjects (and they were valuable ones) to return to their own land (ver. 13); gave freely himself, and invited his courtiers to give also of their possessions towards the expenses of the exodus (vers. 14, 15) ; gave full permission to Ezra to get all he could from his own compatriots (ver. 16); gave wise directions as to the use of the treasure, with leave to regulate all things according to the " will of their God" (vers. 17, 18) ; took measures for the same succours to be granted beyond the river (vers. 21, 22), and charged Ezra with the exercise of political powers, bid- ding him also discharge his functions as a teacher of the law of God (ver. 25). Thus the pagan king did his best to serve the cause he espoused. "What his hand found to do he did with his might" (Eccles. ix. 10). Much more incumbent is it on us, who live in such brighter light than he, with whom so many shadows have flown away, to work with our whole strength, putting not only our hand, but also our mind and our heart, into any task we undertake for God and for his people. But of this pagan piety we must see- IV. ITS INSUFFICIENCY. Artaxerxes did well so far as he went; but he did not go far enough. He had faith enough in God to fear him ; and fear enough to take some considerable trouble, on one occasion, to avert his displeasure. But he did not yield to him the chief place in his heart. He had not such regard and reverence for God as to put away his superstitions and me.lpractices. We dare not inquire further into the particulars of his life. True piety is in giving to God, to the Lord Jesus Christ, the supreme place in our hearts ; making him, not ourselves, the King of kings and Lord of lords (ver. 12), Sovereign of our soul, Lord of our life. Not one tine spurt of zeal, like this of the Persian monarch, but a continuous regal force, uplifting our spirit day by day to hee.ven, regulating our feelings, controlling our will, shaping and guiding our words and deeds, in all relations and in every sphere-that is the piety which pleases God.-C.
Vere. 11-26.-Ezra's commi,ssion from Artaxerxes. After giving a gener11l account of the exodus of Israel from Babylon under his leadership, Ezra transcribes the letter of the king of Persia containing his commission. In considering this very remarkable document, we notice- I. THE GREETING. 1. The monarch announces himself. " Artaxerxes king of kings." (1) This, in its perfect sense, is a title of Messiah (see Rev. xvii. 14; :rix. 16). He is destined to become the universal monarch (Dan. vii. 14; Rev. xi. 15). Happy will this earth be under the sway of his intelligence 11nd grace (Isa. xxxv.). For any earthly potentate to affect this title, in its full sense, would be at once_ blas- phemous and ridiculous. (2) In o. limited sense Artaxerxes was "king of kings." This title was given to the king of Babylon by God himself (see Jer. xxvii. 6-11 ; Ezek. xxvi. 7; Dan. ii. 37). The Persians succeeded tu the empire of the Baby- lonians, (3) Artaxerxes used this title religiously. He acknowledged in it his vast indebtedness to the providence o_f God. So its equ_iva~ent was use_d bf Cyr~s. (see eh. i. 2). The whole tenor of this letter sustains this view. Glorymg 1s leg1t1mate 118 THE BOOK OF EZRA. [CII. VU. 11-28.