suc!1 a trust,. a company of no fewer (apparently) than twenty-four men (ver 24), tRkmg especial care to have among them two of those last-comers whose coming hnd been looked upon as so great n gain to them all. Further, all that was intrnsted to them he duly and carefully weig·hed (we are told of this twice) in their presence and then placed in their hands, evidently accompanied by a correct catalogue of th~ whole. And, finally, in handing it over, he sought to impress upon them n similar feeling of responsibility to that entertained by himself. "Watch ye and keep" (,·er. 29) these treasures. Do so (1) as a matter of principle. Ye yourselves are "holy," persons separated by your own office and by my choice for this work. The treasures, also, are "holy;" the vessels made for God's house, the money a" free- mll offering," i. e. something deliberately separated for his service whom we have worshipped so long. Nothing, therefore, can be plainer, nothing more solemn, than this trust. Do so (2) as a matter of prudence. You will be asked for an account of this stewardship; a very exact account (" by weight·'), a very public account (" before the chief of the priests," &c., &c.), a very solemn account, viz. in God's own city, in God's own house. Thus anxiously and scrupulously do w~ see him seeking to avoid any injury, or any occasion of blame, either to others or to himself in connection mth this trust. ' From the whole we learn-1. To avoid some common mistakes. Courage is not imprudence. Caution is not cowardice. It was brave conduct on Ezra's part to be afraid of the reproach of unfaithfulness or of bringing shame on God's cause. It was prudent conduct on Ezra's part to neglect human defence for Divine. 2. To make an important distinction. Precaution, in trusting God, is always weakness, generally folly, and sometimes sin. Precaution, in trusting men, even men of God, is none of the three. In such a case it is not unadvisable to associate men in com- panies so as to be checks and supports to one another (Luke x. 1); and to appeal to comparatively low motives, such as prudence and the fear of detection, and not only to high ones (Luke xii. 1, 2). 3. To recognise the spiritual unity of the Bible. In Ezra we find a man so identified with the "Law" that he has been called a second Moses. Yet the gospel itself could not teach us more than we have learnt here of the freeness of God's mercy. (So comp. Exod. xx. 6, in the very heart of the Deca- logue, with the Master's own words in John xiv. 15.)
Vera. 31-36.-.A.fter arriving. "We departed." "'\Ve came.'' Thus it is that Ezra here relates the rest of bis journey, the only thing worthy of note between Ahava and Jerusalem being this, that, through "the good hand of God" upon the travellers, they were kept in safety the whole way. This being acknowledged with a suitable note of thanksgiving, as something remarkable in such a journey (see end of ver. 31), the story goes on to tell us of the first doings of the pilgrims after reaching the place which they had sought and thought of so long. Some of these doings, we shall find, affect their position principally as travellers just arrived; and some have to do with them, on the other hand, rather as residents just admitted. I. TRAVELLERS JUST ARRIVED. Under this aspect we see them, very naturally, (l) enjoying their rat. For the first three days this is all that we are told of them, that they abode or" sat" in Jerusalem for that time (comp. Neh. ii. 11). We can imagine easily what took place: the stir occasioned by their arrival (Ruth i. 19; Matt. xxi. 10); the family inquiries and recognitions; the consequent dispersions and hospitalities ; and the final absorption and disappearance of all the newly-~rrived within walls. Tberll they would gradually recover from the effects of their long journey, and realise the grateful fact that they were no longer on the march. Those who have been long travelling, or otherwise labouring, in connection with God's service have a kind of right at times to such rest (Mark vi. 30, 31 ; Acts xxviii. 17), if only with the object of enabling them thereby to do better service in time to come. In the present instance we may well believe that ~ome part of these days of quiet was employed in this way, the result being that "on the fourth day'' we see these just-arrived travellers (21discharging their truBt. On that day there appears to have been a solemn gathering for this special purpose within the precincts of the temple. E7.ra and hie twenty-four trustees (ver. 24) would doubtless be on the one side to hand over the treasures ; and four representatives of the Jerusalem hierarchy, CH VIII. 21-36.] THE BOOK OF EZRA. 131