temptation." You must not expect that Satan will suffer his vassals to cast off his yoke, without many earnest endeavours to reduce them to their former bondage. And he has "wiles and devices" innumerable, whereby to assault our souls. He can even put on the aspect of an angel of light, in order the more effectually to beguile unstable souls. He will even make use of your own friends, yea, and of pious persons too, to draw you aside from the path of duty. It was no other than Peter, the bold and zealous Peter, whom he instigated to dissuade our blessed Lord from subjecting himself to the pains which were necessary for the redemption of a ruined world. But our Lord withstood him, saying to this favoured disciple, "Get thee behind me, Satan; thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men!." So be ye also on your guard not to follow implicitly the advice even of good men; but weigh every sentiment in the balance of the sanctuary, and conform yourselves in every thing to the mind and will of God.] 2. In every circumstance place your entire confidence in God [This was Nehemiah's excellence. He knew in whom he had believed; and that, whatever conspiracies might be formed against him, he was safe in God's hands; "nor could any weapon that was formed against him prosper." Thus then do ye. 66 Say not, A confederacy to all them that say a confederacy: neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid: but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dreadm." This your holy profession indispensably requires. When Ezra went from Babylon to Jerusalem with all the vessels of gold and silver which had been carried thither by Nebuchadnezzar, and was in danger of being plundered by robbers who infested the road, "he was ashamed to ask from Artaxerxes a guard of soldiers for his protection; for, says he, I had said to the king, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him "." And do not ye profess the same truth, that God is the protector, and friend, and portion of all that seek him? Whom then will ye fear? or what will ye desire for your comfort, when ye have such an all-sufficient Friend ever at hand? "If He be for you, who can be against you?" or, if He be your Shepherd, what can you want?? Only "be strong in i Eccl. ii. 1. k 2 Cor. xi. 14. m Isai. viii. 12, 13. See also Ps. xi. 1-4. • Rom. viii. 31. 1 Matt. xvi. 23. n Ezra viii. 22. P Ps. xxiii. 1. faith, giving nor shall so much as a hair of your head glory to and be in perfect peace;" perish." Your trials may be multiplied to the most fearful extent: but "you shall not be ashamed or confounded, world without end."] CCCCXLIV. THE EXPEDITION WITH WHICH THE WALL OF JERUSALEM WAS BUILT. Neh. vi. 15. So the wall was finished days. in fifty and two A MERE historic record of the time occupied in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem appears at first sight to be an uninteresting subject for a popular discourse but it will be found replete with interest, when the circumstances connected with it are taken into the account. The extremely dilapidated and ruined state of the fortifications at that time, the weakness and poverty of those who undertook to rebuild them, and the opposition which they met with from numerous and potent enemies, combine to render the record in our text almost incredible. For the completion of such a work, two and fifty weeks would have been a very short time; but two and fifty days seem utterly insufficient for it: such expedition appears perfectly beyond the physical powers of the persons engaged in it: yet in that time the wall was finished: and it will be very profitable to inquire, I. How it was completed in so short a time— To enter fully into the subject, the six first chapters of this book should be carefully read. In them we shall find that the means whereby this great work was accomplished, were, 1. The wisdom and energy of the governor [In every step which Nehemiah took, we are struck with his consummate wisdom. When first he made known to the Persian monarch his desire to undertake the work of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, he kept out of sight every consideration which might tend to create jealousy in the monarch's mind, and mentioned only such as were likely to produce in him a favourable impression. With this view he speaks of Jerusalem, not as the city of the great God, which had been so great and powerful in former times, and was yet ordained of God to become the capital of an independent nation, but simply, as "the city of his fathers' sepulchres." Having obtained permission to execute his purpose, and come to Jerusalem for that end, he again shewed his wisdom in concealing from the people the reason of his journey, till he had personally himself inspected the walls, and was thereby qualified to obviate all objections which indifference or despondency might suggest. The way in which he counteracted all the plots of his enemies, still further marked the depth and solidity of his judgment. He forbore to use any irritating expressions, notwithstanding the multiplied provocations which he met with: and whilst his enemies wasted their time in plotting how to arrest his progress, he occupied himself in the prosecution of his work, augmenting his exertions in proportion as they increased their efforts to impede him. Yet it is worthy of particular observation, that he neither trusted to his own exertions, nor yet neglected them under an idea that he should be protected by his God: but he combined a dependence on God with a diligent use of all proper means of self-defence; thereby setting us an example which we shall do well to follow in every difficulty which we may be called to encounter. Nor was the energy of Nehemiah less admirable than his wisdom: we see throughout the whole of his conduct as much promptitude as consisted with sound discretion, and an invincible firmness in executing whatever his deliberate judgment had dictated. So intent was he on the prosecution of his purpose, that neither he, nor those under his immediate influence, ever put off their clothes for several weeks together, except for the purpose of their being washed. And when a proposal was made to him to hold a conference with some adversaries in an adjacent village, his reply was, "I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?" Yea, when the same message was sent four times, he repeated the same answer: and when at the fifth time it was accompanied with a letter containing many accusations against him, he contented himself with exposing the falsehood of them, and more determinately than ever besought the Lord to strengthen his hands for the work in which he was engaged. a Neh. ii. 5. Neh. ii. 19, 20. e Neh. iv. 23. b Neh. ii. 12-18. d Neh. iv. 9. On the failure of that device, his enemies sought to intimidate him by reports of a conspiracy against his life, and advised him to take refuge in the temple: but he, with a fortitude worthy of his high character, answered, "Should such a man as I flee? And who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go inh." It is in connexion with this anecdote that our text informs us, "So the wall was built in fifty and two days:" and certainly to this extraordinary combination of wisdom and energy in him we must ascribe it, that the wall was erected in so short a time.] 2. The union and perseverance of the people [An individual, however good and great, can do little, unless he is seconded by those who are under his direction: but in this case Nehemiah found instruments well fitted to his hands. No sooner did he make known to the rulers of Jerusalem the commission which he had received from the king of Persia, and call for their assistance in the execution of it, than they said, "Let us rise up and build:" and "immediately they strengthened their hands for this good work!." It is true, there were some exceptions, some who were too proud and fond of ease to work*; and others, who yielded to despondency; and others who actually carried on a treasonable correspondence with Nehemiah's most inveterate enemies m: but, on the other hand, there was such a zeal amongst the great mass of the people, that some performed double the work allotted them", and even ladies of the highest rank combined their utmost efforts to assist in building the wall, not accounting any service either derogatory to their honour, or unsuited to their sex, if they might but encourage their brethren, and advance the glory of their God. And to this union is the success expressly ascribed: "So built we the wall; for the people had a mind to work P." There was also among them astonishing perseverance: for when they were menaced with a sudden assault, and were told ten times over, that an armed host would come suddenly upon them to destroy them, they persisted resolutely in their work, arming themselves for their defence, setting alternate watches for their preservation, and working with a trowel, as it were, in the one hand, and a sword in the other, determining rather to sacrifice their lives, than be deterred from the service in which they had embarked. Had they yielded to indolence or fear, the work could never have been carried forward but by h Neh. vi. 10, 11. 1 Neh. iv. 10. 。 Neh. iii. 12. i Neh. ii. 17-19. m Neh. vi. 17-19. P Neh. iv. 6. a Neh. iv. 11-13, 16-18, 21. k Neh. iii. 5. this zealous co-operation of all ranks and orders among them, all difficulties were overcome, and the wall was built with an expedition almost incredible.] 3. The peculiar blessing of their God [To this above all must the success be ultimately ascribed; for to this were owing the desire of Nehemiah to rebuild the wall, the consent of Artaxerxes to the plan proposed, the wisdom and energy with which Nehemiah was inspired', the cordial co-operation of so many people, and the defeating of all the plots which were devised to retard the work". Even the very enemies themselves were so convinced that the work exceeded all the power of man, that they were constrained to acknowledge God himself as the author of it, since none but God could have carried them through such labours, or delivered them from such perils, or given a successful issue to such hopeless exertions. It is of infinite importance that we notice this; for otherwise we shall be ready to give to the creature the honour that is due to God only. Throughout the whole work, application was made to God for his direction and blessing: it was not undertaken without prayer, nor carried on without prayer": but a reliance was placed on God as an all-sufficient Helpera; and he shewed himself worthy of the confidence reposed on him he shewed that "none who trust in Him shall ever be confounded."] Having thus traced Nehemiah's success to its true cause, we proceed to set before you, II. The important lesson which we are to learn from it We might with great propriety direct your attention to those wonderful events which occupy the attention of the public at the present hour: for certainly, whether we consider the union which has been produced amongst all the allied powers, or the wisdom and energy with which their efforts have been combined, or the rapid and complete success with which their labours have been crowned, there occurrence which more strongly never was an r Neh. ii. 12. u Neh. iv. 15. y Neh. i. 4-11. a Neh. ii. 20. s Neh. i. 11. with ii. 4, 8. t Neh. ii. 18. x Neh. iv. 1-3. with vi. 16. z Neh. ii. 4. and iv. 4, 5, 9. and vi. 9, 14. b June 23, 1814, a day or two after peace had been proclaimed. |