busy pursuits of the world, harassed by its perplexities, beset by its entanglements, and exposed to its pollutions, than that of Nehemiah, the son of Hachaliah, one of the children of the Captivity in Babylon. In his early life, elevated by the providence of God to an office of high trust and distinction in the service of the king of Assyria, being appointed his cupbearer, and thus surrounded by the seductions, and in contact with the defilements, of an idolatrous court; afterwards led of God; to repair to Jerusalem, for the purpose of rousing and succouring the remnant of his people to restore the desolated walls of the holy city; subsequently occupied in governing and establishing those whom he had rallied and organized; at one time, harassed by insidious and insulting foes, at another, embarrassed by the misconduct of his own subjects; now, redressing grievances, now, rectifying abuses -through all, and in all, he still demeaned himself as became a child of the Most High, and "served his own generation according to the will of God." Bearing adversity with fortitude, and prosperity with soberness, he manifested how a man may embellish with the beauty of holiness every situation in life, and pass through the vicissitudes of his career, so as to be true to his principles and faithful in his stewardship.

Behold, then, ye that are busied in the occupa

tions of the world, who have to fulfil your part on the perilous stage of public life-behold a beautiful study for you! Copy this model, through the power of the Spirit, and you will attain to that noble character-the character of a godly man of business; of one who uses the world as not abusing it -making merchandise for heaven in the commerce of earth.

It is with a special view to your instruction and admonition, that I propose addressing to my flock a series of lectures on the character of Nehemiah. God Almighty grant that my labour of love may be overruled to the advancement of His glory, and to the furtherance of your edification! Motives make the man. What the mainspring is to a piece of mechanism, that the master principle is to the life. What you are in your heart towards God, that you are in your character towards man, as estimated by Him with whom we have to do. If your eye be single, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye be evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. The vital question in character is, therefore-What sways the inner man? If that be wrong, it vitiates the whole; if that be right, God will have respect to his servant, even though there should be much of error in judgment, and of infirmity in conduct. The intention is the action, the principle the

practice, in the eyes of Him who "desireth truth in the inward parts."

In analysing the character of Nehemiah, we must therefore begin by ascertaining the ruling motive of the man. Nor can we be at any loss to determine the point. The mainspring of his life manifested itself perpetually throughout his career. The whole tenor of his conversation bespoke the supremacy of the fear of God in his soul. In the chapter, to a portion of which you have just hearkened, this transcendent principle of his heart appears in bold and impressive exercise.

Of those who had returned from the Captivity, many were destitute and distressed. Their poverty made them a prey to their richer brethren, who took usurious advantage of their exigencies. Neither had the governors who preceded Nehemiah treated them with consideration, but had exacted their dues to the utmost, allowing their very servants to bear rule over the people. Not, perhaps, that they had demanded more than they could legally claim, but they had failed to let mercy temper justice. The conduct of Nehemiah stood forth in glorious contrast to that of his predecessors; "for," says he, "so did not I." Far from oppressing his brethren, he did not even require his dues ; his own rights were forgotten in their privations. Noble disinterestedness! Yet had he stopped

there had he not disclosed the principle which actuated him—we might have filled up the blank in this wise:-"Because of the promptings of generosity; or, because of my high sense of honour; or, because of the patriotism which fired my breast; or, because of the compassion which melted my heart." But had any one of these been the commanding motive of his behaviour, though his actions would have been the same, their moral quality would have been utterly changed. They would at once have been lowered into mere manifestations of natural virtue -flowers of the desert, instead of flowers of Paradise, wild olive-berries, fair to the sight but sour to the taste, instead of fruits of grace from the tree of life. Thus, however, felt not, and thus spake not this holy man. "So," says he, "did not Ibecause of the fear of God." This gave the character of godliness to his conduct; this transmuted what would otherwise have been no better than fair tinsel, into the fine gold of the sanctuary. The flesh can exhibit the former, the Spirit alone can create the latter.

Such, then, was the governing principle of the son of Hachaliah; and we shall see it discovering itself more and more, as we pursue the illustration of his history.

My present purpose is to enlarge on the motive

itself its nature, and the efficacy and universality of its operation.

The fear of God in the Old Testament is equivalent to the love of God in the New. There is, indeed, little distinction between the expressions; yet if the general use of the former under the old, and of the latter under the new dispensation, has any special significance, it indicates the severer aspect of the one economy as compared with the more gracious aspect of the other. The saint of the Old Testament had more of awethe saint of the New Testament has more of confidence, in the service of God. This confidence, however, is chastened by reverence; whilst that awe was softened by affection. The one, no less than the other, is the gift of grace. Both are the fruit of promise. "I will put My fear into their hearts, that they shall not depart from Me," is the tenor of the ancient covenant. Utterly apart is this fear from that servile dread which sometimes scares and goads the wicked, or that terror, ending in despair, which worketh death. It is a filial fear, springing out of attachment, not aversion; a fear which has in it the comfort of the Holy Ghost; a fear which grows out of faith, justifying faith in Christ Jesus; a fear ever accompanied with a secret satisfaction, an ennobling sense of liberty; a fear which dis