n commission, nll required at that moment to be sustained. He "prayed to the Goel of henven." 'rhe answer was immediately sent, in the courage, the wisdom the self- devotion, the simplicity of tho cupbearer in the presence of an Eastern de;pot ask- ing to be intrueted with power that he might use 1t for God and his people. 4. There was a Providential conjunction of circum,gta,nces, both in the past and present. N eheminh was already in the palace to aid the important work of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. How little we can follow the working of the Divine hand l The answer to our prayer may be already provided, even before we present the petition. What seems hard to obtain is not hard for God to give. II. The DEVELOPMENT OB' CAPACITY ON THE BASIS OB' RELIGION. 1. The begin- ning of all, devoutness, intercourse with God, spirituality of aim and motive, large desires for the welfare of God's people, and so of the world. 2. On this is built the purity, and strength, and unselfishness which so wins confidence in others. Nehe- miah found favour with Artaxerxes because there was that in his very countenance which the monarch delighted to look upon. We should recommend religion by transparent honesty, cheerfulness, and unselfishness. 3. Intellectual power rests upon moral, and both upon s:piritual. The cupbearer could not have undertaken to be a ruler and leader of men lil most difficult circumstances unless there had been the making of a ruler in him. Some of our greatest statesmen have owed much of their superiority to their religion. " The entrance of thy word giveth light, it giveth understanding to the simple." 4. One who places himself in a position of great responsibility requires a far-seei-ng eye and a strong will. These are wonderfully helped by the cultivation of a deeper nature. •Nehemiah knew what to ask for, materials and men; foresaw the demands of the work and its dangers; with steadfast confidence in himself, and fearless trust in his influence over the king, he made great requests, and they were "granted, according to the good hand of his God upon him." The root of all his strength was his entire dependence upon God. 5. In the cha- racter of Nehemiah there is an illustration of the effect of religion in cherishing the higher elements of the nature, and keeping them in beautiful and powerful harmony, He loved "the place of his fathers' sepulchres," he loved his nation; but above all, he loved the Church of God. Personal feeling, patriotic enthusiasm, and religious faith, when they all unite together as active principles in one man, produce a loftiness and heroism which prepare him for the greatest efforts and successes.-R.
EXPOSITION. NEHEMIAH'S JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM the fact that " a man was come to seek the (eh. Iii, 9-11). On his way to Jerusalem, welfare of the children of Israel" by the Nehemiah would pass through the provinces delivery of the letters to him. The Roronite, Born, i. e., at one of the two Beth-horons, of various Persian satraps and governors. the upper or the lower, mentioned in Joshua. To those beyond the Euphrates he carried (xvi. 3, 6) as belonging to Ephraim, and letters, which he took care to deliver, though now under Samaria. Tobia.h the servant, by doing so he aroused the hostility of San- the Ammonito. It has been usual to regard ballat. Being accompanied by an escort of Tobiah as a native chief of the Ammonites, Persian soldiers, he experienced neither diffi. who, after having been a paae or other servant at the Persian court, had been made culty nor danger by the way, but effected his head of the nation. But it seems to bo journey in about three months. quite as likely that he was a servant of Ver. 9.-1 came to the governors beyond Sanballat's, who stood high in his favour, the river. Josephus gives the name of the gave him counsel, and was perhaps his satrap of Syria at this time as Adams (' Ant. secretary (eh. vi. 17, 19). It grieved them Juel.,' xi. 5, § 6, adjin.), but it is uncertain exceedingly. From the time that Zerub- on what authority. The other ''governors" babel rejected the co-operation of the Sa- he calls Hipparchs. maritans in the rebuilding of the temple Ver. 10. - Sanballat. According to Jo- (Ezra iv. 3), an enmity set in between the sephus, Sanballat was "satrap of Samaria" two peoples which continued till the de- under the Persians, and by descent a Cuthrenn struction of Jerusalem by Titus. The two r Ant. Juel.,' xi. 7, § 2). He was probably capitals were too near not to be rivals; and the greater (general) prosperity of J errn;alem 1nclu.cled among the "governors" to whom Nohemiah had brought letters, and learnt made Sa.maria the bitterer uuversary. NEHEMIAH, 0 18 THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH. [en. n. 9-20.