death-bed, and witness against you at the judgment seat; but solace the one with sweet remembrances, and witness for you before the other, that you received not the grace of God in vain. "So shall an entrance be ministered to you abundantly—into the rest that remaineth to the people of God."

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LECTURE XIV.

NEHEMIAH'S HOPE WHEN HE HAD DONE ALL

66 Remember me, 0 my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy."-NEH. xiii. 22.

THE bird which soars the highest, builds the lowest nest. Who is there that loves the green fields in the vernal season, but must have watched with interest the joyous lark? Her nest is down in the grass, whilst her flight is up in the sky. Now she is hidden in the brightness of the sunbeams, and can be traced only by the gushing music she pours from on high-now she drops down again, fleet as the flight of an arrow, into her own secret home in the earth. How apt an emblem of him who is taught effectually by the Spirit of God! The more he is lifted up in communion with heaven, the deeper is his abasement in his own eyes. The more he is enriched

with the treasures of grace-the more he abounds in the fruits of holiness-the more will he disclaim all merit of his own, and prostrate himself at the foot of the cross. You may have marked the ears of barley how they grow. When they first appear, and whilst their grain is light, they lift their heads towards the sky; but as they fill with corn, they bend towards the dust; and the heavier their freight, the nearer they stoop to the ground. Even so with "the children of the kingdom;" the holiest are the humblest, those who bear most fruit have least "confidence in the flesh." It was so with the great apostle of the Gentiles. In his earliest stage of faith, he styled himself "not worthy to be called an apostle." In riper maturity of grace, he described himself as "less than the least of all saints." But when he had become such an one as Paul the aged, and was not a whit behind the very chiefest of the apostles-when he had "fought a good fight, and finished his course, and kept the faith "—he spake of himself in yet lowlier style, saying "Of sinners I am chief." Thus, as he ascended in holiness he descended in humility; the more he was honoured of God, the more he abased himself.

Distinguished as we have seen Nehemiah to have been by other graces of the Spirit, we should have been sorely disappointed had we not found

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him adorned with this crowning virtue-a grace of which Augustine said, when he was asked, "What is the first thing in religion?"-"humility." "What the second?"-"humility." "What the third?"—"humility." But we trace in the model which we are commending to you, a beautiful humbleness of mind. There are those, indeed, who find fault with some of his expressions, such as, "Think upon me, O God, for good, according to that I have done for this people;" and such as the one in this very chapter-"Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof." They think that such sentiments savour of self-righteousness-that they have more of the spirit of the Pharisee than that of the publican in them. But such persons do not understand the consistency of deep humiliation on account of the flesh, with joyful consciousness of the work of the Spirit, in the divine life. A believer may mourn over his secret corruptions, at the same time that he rejoices at what God has wrought in him. Not to recognise and acknowledge the Spirit's work in the soul which he is sanctifying, is to grieve the Holy Spirit of God, whereby we are sealed unto the day of redemption; and is only less blind than for the saint to arrogate to himself what he owes to the Comforter.

In proportion to the progress of renewal, will be the progress of spiritual sensibility and discernment in the soul; and in proportion as these are matured will be the perception, as of the old man that still hinders and harasses the new man; so also of the new man which is winning the victory over the flesh. The same apostle that said, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief;" said also, "Our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to youward.” The two sentiments perfectly harmonized in his breast. He knew that in him (that was, in his flesh) dwelt no good thing; and yet he was equally assured, that by grace he was what he was, and that the grace given to him had not been in vain.

It does not therefore surprise us that Nehemiah should have had a clear sense of the works which God had wrought in him and by him; and that he should beseech the Lord that those works might be registered in heaven, and adduced at the last day in proof that he had not received the grace of God in vain. For as some one has said excellently, "The works of the righteous do not go