for their severance from such connections to be made an occasion of public scandal? Must the names of each be m11de known? Must they be made known as those of offenders? Must men of such standing be openly bound over to reform their households? If these questions were ever asked, we see from ver. 19 how they wrre answered. If anything, the severest measure was dealt out to these distinguished offenders, They had to lead the way in repentance; also a written promise of amendment, and an open confession of transgression, were required in each case. On the other hand, there was no respect of persons with regard to the lowly (Exod. xxiii. 3). Whosoever had offended, whether priests (vers. 20-22), or Levites (ver. 23), or singers (ver. 24), or porters (ver. 24 again), or lay members of the house of Israel; and however difficult and painful in some cases the circumstances might be ( end ver. 44), there was but one measure for all. Thie, indeed, is what makes this catalogue here a fit conclusion to the whole. This apparently unnecessary list of names had great value in its day. It was the formal "report," so to speak, of Ezra and his brother "commissioners," the last part of their labours, the final proof of their care. That "report" being presented, the " commission" ceased to exist. Let us learn, in conclusion, the following lessons respecting the eradication of evil in God's congregation, viz.-1. Its peculiar difficulty. From the time when Ezra first heard of this mixed-marriages evil to the le.at day of the last month of that year, when the last case of the kind was disposed of, what a long succession of difficulties and obstacles he had to encounter and overcome I Also, what tears, prayers, fastings, watchings, efforts, and seeming extremity of severity on his part and that of others were required in order to overcome them I Yet, even so, some years afterwards, what do we find (Neh. xiii. 23-29)? 2. Its peculwr costline,ss. See what had to be given up in this particular case. It reminds one of Matt. v. 30; Deut. xiii. 6-11. The only way to prevent the destruction of the whole house of Israel and of each individual Israelite, by the spreading of the infection, was by "stamping it out," wherever found, and whatever the cost. 3. It.~ peculiar import- ance. If it costs much, how much more is it worth I Well does the account of the completion of this reformation come in at the end of this book. It is indeed "the crowning of the edifice," to borrow a modern phrase. All that we read of in the previous chapters would have been valueless without this. Of what avail the strongest fortification, if in treacherous hands, It was much to have restored to them the material house of God's presence. It was much more to have such a reformed spiritual "house," or congregation, rightly to use that material house for God's glory. So much more, in fact, this spiritual congregation, when it finally arrives at its best, will be without any house of that other kind (Rev. xxi. 22).
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vere. 1-5.-Tlie speech of Shechaniah. Ezra was a very remarkable man. He represented the Persian court as governor in Judma. But this was the least feature of hie distinction. He was a man of the most exemplary piety, a very profound scholar, and withal the subject of Divine inspiration. When it was noised in the city that such a man had rent hie clothes, there was naturally a vast concourse of people. In the presence of this assembly he offered his prayer to God, in the whole of which there is not an expression of hope. This stirred the soul of Shecbaniah to deliver his speech, which was eminently wise and most appropriate to the occasion. I. IT CONTAINED A FULL CONFESSION OF SIN (ver. 2). 1. This had been done before by Ezra. (1) He did this for himself, to express to God the grief of bis soul that the Divine honour should have been so insulted ; that his people should have been so wicked and foolish as to have exposed themselves to the vengeance of heaven. (2) But not on the part of the people who were involved in the crime. Ezrn had no ground for hope; for without repentance a sinner has no plea for mercy (Ps. !xvi. 18; Isa. i. 11-15). To Ezra, therefore, the smoke of the evening sacrifice could only be a symbol of wrath. 2. Now it is done on belialj of th.e people. He does not appear himself to have been guilty ; but his father nnd other members of hi>< family were implicnted (ver. 26). He was in 11 position to know that the "sore EZTIA. II 162 THE BOOK OF EZRA. [en. x. 1-44.