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the temple, was a most daring and haz ardous act (1 3 :7 -8 ); to banish his grandson and chase him ou t of the country, required almost as much firm ness and resolution (v. 28). In enforc ing the observance of th e Sabbath, and dissolving th e mixed marriages, and ejecting the heathen wives, perhaps even more moral courage was shown (v. 3; 17-22, 25-28) inasmuch as those acts ran counter to a spurious sentim ental ism, which had taken a strong hold of some sections of the community.— Rawlinson. ' Few Old Testam ent characters are more in teresting or instructive thaln th a t of Nehemiah. He illu strates the effective and happy combination of many desirable quali- DEVOTIONAL ties. He was a man COMMENT of gentleness and firm- Dr. F , W. F a rr ness, of p ray e r' and push, of faith and works, of caution and courage, of deep .piety and prompt action. He was un selfish, generous, hospitable, prudent, reticen t and vigilant. He was blame less in conduct, broad-m inded, inde pendent of man and dependent on God. He was an organizer and an adm inis trato r. Nehemiah and E zra complemented each other. The one was a political leader and sagacious statesm an, able to grapple w ith practical difficulties and dangers. The other was a capable teacher able to instruct, persuade, con vince and guide in th e way of tru e knowledge and pure religion. Nehe- m iah’s practical good sense showed him when he had conquered the external difficulties of the situation, th a t th e in tern al difficulties were th e greatest afte r all and to cope w ith then! suc cessfully he needed a man like Ezra of sp iritu al insight and influence w ith the people. Some one has said th a t .the g reat th ing in th is world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving. To reach th e p o rt of Heaven we must sometimes sail w ith
m ournful words to th e nobles, “Ye see the distress we are in, how Je ru sa lem lieth w aste,” and again in th e in dignant address to th e enemies of Judah-—“We, his servants, will arise and build, bu t ye have no portion, nor righ t, n o r memorial in Jeru salem .” W hat a patriotic fire burns in the prayer, “Hear, O our God, for we are despised; and tu rn th eir reproach upon th e ir own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity; and cover no t th eir iniquity, and let no t th e ir sin be blotted out from before thee, for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders” (4 :4 -5 ). How deep th e fel low-feeling which resounds in the battle cry: “ Be no t ye afraid of them ; re member th e Lord who is g reat and te r rible; and fight for your breth ren , your sons and your daughters, your wives and your houses” (v. 1-4). His physical courage is strongly m arked in th e dntire a c co u n t‘of th e re building of th e wali. There was no call upon him to expose his person, much less to be ever placing himself in the forefront of peril. But he will allow himself no immunity. He takes his position w ith the armed force— he moves from place to place and tak es his trum peter w ith him to summon aid where it may be most wanted (4 :18 -20 ). He is there, watching, encou rag ing ! overseeing, night and day, and scarcely takes off his clothes while the peril con tinues (v. 23). Such courage is unusual even in a commander who is a trained soldier; in Nehemiah, th e royal favorite, th e dainty courtier, the cup-bearer, it is astonishing. Nor does his moral courage fall sho rt of his physical. Considerable moral courage was shown when,- notw ith standing th a t he “was sore afraid ” (2 :2 ), he made his requ est for leave of absence of the King. Still more was it exhibited when to the scornful words of Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem— “W hat is th is thing th a t ye do? W ill ye rebel against th e king?” (v. 19)— he an swered— “The God of heaven, he will prosper us; th erefo re we his servants will arise and build” (v. 20). As bold and fearless was the rejoinder, when, for the second time, th e same Sanballat brought forward the same accusation: “There are no such things done as thou sayest; b u t thou feignest them out of th ine own h e a rt” (6 :8 ). To beard the high priest w ithin his own stronghold,
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