that is, forgiveness of sins and rising with him to life everlasting in heaven.

In the seventeenth verse, and the rest of the chapter following to the end, is almost no great matter to be noted, but the earnest diligence of the Levites and priests (which were some chief men and rulers, as appeareth here,) and their bond servants to set forward this building, and for the most part in repairing the innermost walls in the first and second ward. Whereby we shall learn, that they were not so beggarly as many would make them in our days, if they might have their will, but of good wealth. How vain are those foolish exemptions which the pope giveth to his shameless shavelings, that they should not bear the common burdens of the church and commonwealth! St Paul biddeth them and all others to "pay tribute and taxes to whom they be due," and shew their obedience to the higher powers in all godly things, as Matt. xvii. well as any of the laity. Our Saviour Christ "paid tribute for himself and Peter," and willed the Pharisees to do the like; but these unprofitable pharisaical drones, because they will be most unlike unto him, will pay none at all.

There is yet remaining here amongst us a sort, not popish, as they pretend, but earnest builders of God's house in their own opinion, where indeed they be the overthrowers of it; which are in effect as ill Pharisees as the papists be. They will take a benefice and cure of souls, promising solemnly to feed the flock; but when they have turned their back, they have a dispensation in a box to lie from it, and flock and flout whosoever would have them to continue there and do their duty, contending by law they may do it, and stand on their defence, Domine, nos exempti sumus. God for his mercy sake take away such laws, grant discreet officers, that will not dispense so unadvisedly with every one for small causes, as is too commonly used, and give those unprofitable caterpillars such remorse of conscience, that they will take pains to feed the flock as well as they feed themselves, eating until they sweat again, and become pillars to uphold God's church, and not pollers of his people, nor so greedy to pick their purses and pluck off the fleece, as painful to relieve and comfort the weak both in body and souls with wholesome doctrine and corporal food, as the great

God will ask a strait account of them at the last day, where their dispensation may not be pleaded, nor will be allowed, nor the dispenser can justly excuse himself nor them, but both like wolves and hirelings shall be charged, Væ pastor et Zech. xi. idolum derelinquens gregem, and, Sanguinem eorum de manu tua requiram, Ezech. iii. Full little do such men consider, what a jewel God hath committed to their charge; and less they regard the charge they have taken in hand. Jesus Christ came down from heaven to preach his Father's will unto his wandering sheep, and shed his precious blood to purchase us heaven: and these idle labourers will not take pain to visit, teach, or feed them whom our Lord God hath bought so dearly. God amend us all!

This "second measure," another part of building which is so oft spoken of here, is thought of the most part of writers to be the second ward and wall, which was called Secunda, where the Levites, prophets and learned men did dwell, and was divided into every man his portion to build; or else were they appointed first to build the half height of the wall for a time, to be some succour for them against the enemies. Some were so earnest in building, that they finished the second height unto the top of the wall afore other had built the half height. As in the twentieth verse Baruch "burst out in a heat," (for so readeth the Hebrew,) being angry both with himself and others, that were so slothful in working, and had done no more, and in a fume rose up, and finished his portion in a short time. Such anger is good, when a man is offended with himself or others, that they be so slow in serving their God and building his house: it will make him more earnest and diligent afterwards.

In the twenty-first verse Meremoth is commended, that he built so far as the house of the high priest raught. A small praise, if the house were not of some greatness. And so other priests, against their houses, in the verses following and in the twenty-eighth verse. I do but note it, because that many disdain that any ministers should have a house of any countenance. But among all builders, none are worthy more praise than these Nethinims be. They were no Jews born, but descended from those heathen Gi

beonites, which deceived Josue by putting on old shoes, and having fusty bread in their bags, clouted sacks, and broken bottles, feigning themselves to have come a long journey to be received amongst God's people. By law the Jews should have destroyed all heathen people at their entering into the land of promise; but where by this policy Josue had granted them life and liberty, and so could not destroy them for his promise sake, he "gave them to the Lord to serve the priests in carrying water, cutting wood," and such other drudgery works for the sacrifices. So that Hebrew word signifieth them that were freely given unto the Lord; and all this people from that time forth, as long as the commonwealth stood, served the Lord as faithfully as any Jews even in their captivity, never grudging that they were not called to no higher estate, nor disdained not at their drudging; never ran away in any troublesome time, as they might easily have done, nor claimed any liberty, nor wrought any displeasure to the Israelites, where they might have oft betrayed them, and now most earnestly fall to building, and serve the Lord. A strange example, that such a people continued faithful in the house of God so many years, and stood so stoutly in all storms: but when God calleth, he blesseth, and nothing is Psal. lxxxiv. painful, so they may serve the Lord; as David saith, “I had rather be a door keeper in the house of God than to dwell in the palaces of sinners." Saul would have destroyed

this people, but God saved them and plagued him.

If we look unto ourselves without flattery, we shall easily perceive how unlike we be unto them, how cold in serving the Lord, how soon weary of our estate, how desirous to climb higher, how changeable in every age, how fearful to profess our religion, how flattering to men, and how "carried away with every blast of new doctrine." God grant us to see it, to be ashamed of it, and to amend it! Our own days have given us too many examples of such wavering worldlings; and I fear our sins will shortly pluck the same plagues on our heads again: so little tokens of repentance appear amongst

us.

We be the right Nethinims, made free from sin, and servants to the Lord. God grant we be not found worse, (being called Christians, and living in the time of grace under

the bright light of Christ Jesus, declared unto us in his gospel, and by whom we be saved and made free, than these heathen people the Gibeonites were, living in bondage, under shadows of Moses' law.

Hanum, the sixth son of Salech, wanteth not his praise here; who, being a younger brother, falleth to work, and no mention made of the elder. There must be no courtesy making, who shall begin: God hath oft called the younger to serve him before the elder, as Jacob, David, &c.

Thus the Holy Ghost hath registered unto us the names and diligence of the builders of this earthly city Jerusalem, by the pen of his faithful servant Nehemiah, for our comfort; and to teach us, that much more he hath registered the names of the builders of the spiritual Jerusalem in the book of life, where no devil can scrape them out, but shall be the dear children of the Lord God, defended by him from all ill. Let us therefore cast away this slothful sluggishness, wherein we have lain so long, rise up quickly, work lustily, spit on our hands, and take good hold, that we fall not back again from our Lord God. It is more honour to be a workman in this house, than to live the easiest life that the world can give.

A PRAYER.

As thou didst choose unto thyself here in earth, O mighty Lord, a certain place and city, Jerusalem, whither thy people should resort to worship thee, to offer their sacrifices and make their supplications unto thee; and as long as they did it faithfully, thou didst bless and prosper their doings; when they offended and fell away from thee, thou laidst thy heavy hand and sharp scourge upon them; so grant unto us, O gracious God, whom thou hast made free by thy dear Son,

Christ Jesus, and not bound us to any one place, but hast left us free in liberty of conscience to assemble ourselves and call upon thee in every place and corner of the earth, to preach thy word, learn our duty, and set forth thy majesty, to receive thy sacraments, and offer ourselves, our souls and bodies, a sweet sacrifice to thee: grant us, we beseech thee, O merciful Father, thy loving countenance, to continue thy blessings amongst us, and deal not with us in thine anger, as we justly have deserved to be cast away from thee; but as thou in thine anger grievously punishedst thy people the Jews, burnedst their city, destroyedst their temple, spoiledst the country, leddest a great number into captivity, killedst more, and broughtest them all into bondage and slavery under heathen princes; so, loving Lord, we confess our horrible sins have deserved no less in justice at thy hands, but thy mercy, O God, triumpheth against justice: for as, after a few years' correction, thou movedst divers heathen princes to send home thy people with great gifts, to repair the broken walls, build the temple, inhabit the country, and restore thy religion; and stirredst up also thy people, priests, princes, nobles, worshipful rulers and private men, artificers, women, and of all sorts some, earnestly to work at the building of thy city; so, heavenly King, let us not be cast away in thy heavy displeasure, and be the first that cannot find favour in thy sight; but turn the hearts of christian princes to give free course and liberty to thy word of salvation, and raise up faithful workmen of all sorts and degrees to build thy spiritual Jerusalem: thrust forth true labourers into thy harvest; root out all slothful sluggishness from amongst us, that we be not unprofitable members of the church and commonwealth; and let all magistrates know that by thee they rule, that thou settest them in authority, and maintainest them that fear thee; and make them not only to offer unto thee their bounden duty and service in building and working themselves to the good example of others, but also in encouraging and defending the faithful labourers in thy vineyard, and compelling the froward diligently to set forward thy building. Grant us strong walls and bulwarks to keep out' Turk, pope, tyrants, atheists, anabaptists and libertines,