Vera. 1----39.-Solemn engagement to mainmin the house of God. I. ALL SHOULD PLEDGE THEMSELVES "not to forsake the house of our God.'' Those who are first in position, influence, capability should be leaders in caring for God's house. Distino- tion of rank is lost in the unity of dedication. The service of God will call to itself all the variety of human faculty. Where there is the heart "to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our God," there will be found an office or a post fot each one, from the nobles to the children. II. THE JlOND WHICH Jl!NDS us TO THE HOUSE OF Goo AND HIS SERVICE should be regarded as THE MOST SOLEMN AND IBBEVOCA~LE. 1. ,ye should be ready to give our name and take upon us the vow_ of a rubhc P:ofess10_n. The Jew placed himself under the oath and curse. We are m a dispensation of liberty, but our liberty is not license. The bond of love is the strongest of all bonds. We are made free by th~ Son of God ; but our freedom is the surrender of our all to him, that we may take his yoke upon us, and bear his burden. 2. We shall separate ourselves from the world that we may be faithful to God. We cannot serve God and mammon. We must be free from entanglements, that we may be good soldiers of Jesus Christ, enduring hardness. 3. Our consecration to God will include the consecration of our substance. With ungrudging liberality we shall fill the "treasure house of our God," that there may be no lack in his service, that every department of Divine worship may be praise to his name. While the proportion of contributions was a matter of written prescription under the law, for the guidance of the people in their lower stage of enlightenment, let us take care that with our higher privilege, and our larger know- ledge, and our more spiritual principles, we do not fall below their standard. Our hearts should not require any formal rule ; but it is well to systematise our giving for our own sake, for human nature requires every possible assistance, and habit holds up principle and fortifies feeling. The effect of a universal recognition of duty in giving to God's house would be immeasurable. Any true revival of religion will certainly be known by this test. The larger hearts will secure a larger blessing in the futnre.-R.
PART III. E:RLARGEMENT OF THE POPULATION OF JERUSALEM, WITH THE NUMBER OF THE ADULT MALES, AND TBE NAMES OF THE CHIEFS, VARIOUS LISTS OF PRIESTS AND LEVITES AT DIFFERENT PERIODS (CH. Xl. 1 XII, 1-26).
EXPOSITION. of capitals by transfers of this kind were not CHAPTER XI. uncommon in the ancient world, where the THE 11e.xw, of eh. xi.. is with eh. vii strength of states was considered to depend 4, 5. Having spoken in that place of the very greatly upon the size and predominance insufficiency of the population of J eru- of the capital. Thucydides attributes the salem, Nehemiah now proceeds to explain greatness and prosperity of the Athenian the steps which he took to remedy it. community to an arti.ficfa.l enlargement of He made, it would seem, a census of the the population of Athens which he ascribes entire nation, and required each town and to Theseus. Other notorious instances are district to transfer one-tenth of its popula- those of Syracuse, Megalopolis, and Tigra- tion to the capital The men in the various nocerta.. In Jerusalem at this time the localities determined among themselves by special need of an increase in the number of lot who should stay and who should go, and the inhabitants wa.s probably the defence of Nehemiah no doubt made the necessary the walls. These had been rebuilt on the arrangements for the reception of the new- ancient foundations,-their circuit was not comers e.t JerQSQ}em. Forced enlargements muc}l less the.ii four 111iles,-and to mq C!l. XI. 1-/itJ '!'HE BOOK'. or NEHEMIAH. 117