And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it.

The covenant was the same made with the Israelites in the wilderness, who promised observance of the Law of Moses, and were assured of free possession of the Land of Canaan, with the future hope of the Messiah, a hope now far more full and clear than it then had been. All the Israelites sealed the covenant for themselves. They had of course been admitted to it by circumcision in infancy; but they now renewed and confirmed it as we do by our covenant at our confirmation, and Nehemiah gives a full list of the Levites and elders who sealed it with him, adding"And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding."

Nehemiah's is the first name in the list as Tirshatha, but Ezra's is' not found there, probably because he was, as it were, in the place of Moses, who had administered the oath of the first covenant to the Jews. Neither is the name found of Eliashib, who was at present the high priest, for he, it afterwards appears, was not whole in heart with these reformers. He had helped to build the wall, and cared for the worldly prosperity and safety of Jerusalem ; but he was a friend of Sanballat and Tobiah, and did not care to be roused out of the idle and ungodly habits that unhappily prevailed, so that the great reform of Ezra and Nehemiah must have been all the more difficult.

LESSON XIX.

THE DEDICATION OF THE WALL.

B.C. 445-443.-NEHEMIAH xii. (abridged); PSALM cxlvii.

And the rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem: the rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts to dwell in other cities.

And the people blessed all the men, that willingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.

And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.

And the sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the plain country round about Jerusalem, and from the villages.

And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and purified the people, and the gates, and the wall.

Then I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall, and appointed two great companies of them that gave thanks....

And the singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer.

Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.

Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God;

For it is pleasant; and praise is comely.

The LORD doth build up Jerusalem:

He gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.

He healeth the broken in heart,

And bindeth up their wounds.

He telleth the number of the stars;

He calleth them all by their names.

Great is our LORD, and of great power:
His understanding is infinite.

The LORD lifteth up the meek :

He casteth the wicked down to the ground.
Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving;
Sing praise upon the harp unto our God:
Who covereth the heaven with clouds,
Who prepareth rain for the earth,

Who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains
He giveth to the beast his food,

And to the young ravens which cry.

He delighteth not in the strength of the horse:

He taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.

The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him,

In those that hope in his mercy.

Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem;

Praise thy God, O Zion.

For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates;

He hath blessed thy children within thee.

He maketh peace in thy borders,

And filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.

He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth:
His word runneth very swiftly.

He giveth snow like wool:

He scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.

He casteth forth his ice like morsels :

Who can stand before his cold?

He sendeth out his word, and melteth them:

He causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow.

He sheweth his word unto Jacob,

His statutes and his judgments unto Israel.

He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments,
They have not known them.

Praise ye the LORD.

COMMENT.-Jerusalem was still a dangerous place to live in, for it was the chief mark for the hatred of the enemy, and the high priest, Eliashib, was a secret traitor. Thus those who lived among the ruins were a sort of garrison, and had to be chosen by lot from among their brethren, every tenth man, and encouraged by a special blessing.

The walls, now complete, were dedicated by a great sacrifice and thanksgiving. Only a few months before Nehemiah had taken his melancholy midnight ride among the broken walls, and now he saw them built up again in all their strength, and collected the faithful priests and the choir of Levites to bless them, and praise God for their restoration. Round the walls went the procession, every station named by Nehemiah, and at the gates and towers the trumpets were blown and the Psalms were sung

The LORD doth build up Jerusalem :

He gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.

The joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off, as those white-robed choirs led the Psalm, and the whole people joined in chorus-"ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,” and trusting in the mercy that endureth for ever!

And thus it is, that those latter Psalms, from the 144th onwards to the end, have cast aside all notes of pain and sorrow and crying, and are one great Hallelujah, one song of praise to God, even unto the end.

For the restored and purified Jerusalem of Ezra and Nehemiah,

free for ever from the crime of idolatry, was the type of the Jerusalem which is above, and of her eternal walls.

And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.

The

And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth : and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.

And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;

The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

And I saw no temple therein: for the LORD God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it : for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.

And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

LESSON XX.

THE RELAPSE OF THE JEWS.

B.C. 433.-NEHEMIAH Xiii.

And Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah :

And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, and the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests.

But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king :

And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber.

Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meat offering and the frankincense.

And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them : for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field.

Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place. Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries.

In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals.

There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.

Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?

Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.

us,

And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of