e. pract~ce of neglecting it on the pe.rt of Ver. 39.-The ohildren of Israel and the man)', if not of e.11. The natural result children of Levi shall bring the offering. would be the non-attende.nce of Levites at The priest.a were not to be troubled with tho Jerusalem, and so a falling - off in the conveyance of any of the offerings. Tho so~emnity and grandeur of the temple-wor- first-fruit.a and other oblations of the people ship (comp. eh. xiii. 10). It we.s now were to be brought to the temple by the covenanted afresh on the part of the people people themselves ; and the "tithe of the that they would resume the lege.l practice, tithe," which was the Jlriests' due, by the at any rate to the extent of paying what has Levites. Thus the priest.a would not be be.en called "the fin;t tithe," or that due to drawn away from their duty of ministering the Levites for their sustentation. In e.ll in the temple by secular employments and the cities of our tillage. The Levitical tithe matters of mere worldly business. We will 'lnl.S not taken to Jerusalem. but stored up in not forsake, or neglect, the house of our eome neighbouring, generally Levitical, city. ~od. ~e will not s~ffer, that is, any Ver. 38.-The priest . ... shall be with interruption of the continue.I service of the the Levites when the Levites take tithe. temple, we will not be pe.rties to any neglect Some representative (or representatives) of or slovenliness in the conduct of it. So fe.r the priestly order was to be present when- as we are concemed, everything she.11 be ever the Levites received their tithes, to take done to enable the priests e.nd Levites to note of the quantity, and prevent the Levites remain constantly at Jeruse.lem in full num- from depriving the priests of their due share bers, and to devote themselves wholly to -the tithe of the tithe. This tenth, being their sacred duties in God's house. With thus ascertained, was to be conveyed to J eru- this emphatic declaration of their intentions salem at the expense of the Levites, and the people concluded the enge.gements by deposited in its appropriate store-chamber. which they voluntarily bound themselves.
HOMILETICS. Ch. x.-.A solemn covenant. The public confession and ·recital of God's dealings with Israel, recorded in the previous chapter, concluded with a declaration of the making of " a sure covenant,'' written and sealed. Thie chapter .contains a particular account of the tJ"ansaction. I. WHY THE COVENANT WAS MADE. 1. For the reasons contained in the previous confession. " Because of all this" (eh. ix. 38). ( 1) The covenant of God with their fathers, and hie faithfulness to it. They had been chosen ae hie people, and now felt they ought to act accordingly. They held the land again by virtue of bis covenant and promises, and would forfeit it by unfaithfulness. (2) The manifold goodness of God tc them as e. nation throughout their history. "The goodness of God Ieadeth to repentance," e.nd they felt its influence for this end, as they recalled the displays of it to their fathers and themselves. (3) The long succession of their national departures from God. Showing bow prone they were to evil ; bow much they needed every safeguard against it. ( 4) The successive punishments inflicted upon them. Impressing them with the evil of sin, and the necessity of godliness e.nd righteousness to their happiness. 2. In the hope that so solemn an engagement would greatly a.id in i.nsuring their future obedience. Feeling that all that bad been said consisted of so many reasons for conformity to the Divine law, they are concerned to adopt what- ever means were likely to secure it. To this end they unite in a solemn public vow, written and sealed, by which they engage, not only to God, but to each other, to obey the Divine !awe e.nd maintain the Divine worship. And doubtless such a transaction wae adapted to strengthen their good resolutions, and promote the fulfilment of them. II. BY WHOM IT W.AB MADE, AND IN WHAT MANNER. By all the e.seembly-prieets, Levites, &c., and the whole body of the people, men and women, and their sons and daughters who were of understanding. Included amongst them were "they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God," partly, perhaps, proselytes from the. heathen, but including _probably the descend ante of Israelites who bad been left m the land by the Assynane and Cbaldaiane, and had become much mixed up with the heathen (see Ezra vi. 21). 1. The chiefs of the people e.£6..xed their seals to the document ( vers. 1-27~. At their be~~ was Nehemiah himself, as governor; then foll_ow the beads of the pnestly e.nd i:,ev!t1cal bo~ses, and after them the chiefs of the laity. 2. The rest of the people s1gmfied their solemn aasent by an oath with a curse. OH, X. 1-39.] THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH. 11~