CHAPTER LIV.

THE REPENTANCE OF THE PEOPLE.

WHEN Ezra had finished his prayer, a great many of the people came to him, to the door of God's house. They were, like Ezra, sorry for the sinful things which had been done, and they came weeping very bitterly. They said, "We have sinned against our God; but there is yet hope for us We will make a covenant with our God; and promise to put away all that is displeasing to him, and mingle ourselves with the people of the nations no more. Arise and help us to do this, and we will be with thee." So Ezra arose, and went into a house; but he eat no bread, and drank no water; he was still mourning and fasting, because of the transgression of his people.

Then Ezra made a proclamation, that all the captives who had returned from Babylon, should come to Jerusalem in three days; and that those who did not obey this command, should forfeit all their possessions, and be sent

away in disgrace. The people were willing to attend to this proclamation. In three days. they were all gathered together at Jerusalem; and they sat in the street by the house of God. All looked unhappy. Why? Because they were thinking about their sins, and how they had displeased God. This made them tremble very much. The rain too was falling heavily, and the sky was black with clouds, and there was no pleasant sunshine to warm and cheer them; all was gloomy and sad. Then Ezra arose, and told the people of their sins, and asked them to make confession to God, and to pray for pardon. The people were very penitent; they felt what a sad thing sin is, and wished to have God's forgiveness and blessing again; and they cried with a loud voice, "As thou hast said, so we must do," They not only confessed their sin, but they were willing to put it away too. They separated from their idolatrous friends and companions, and made a covenant with God, and promised to serve him faithfully, with all their hearts.

This was the right way of shewing that they were truly penitent. Some people, when

they are reproved for doing wrong, say they are sorry, and cry very much; and then go away, and do the same things again. This is not the true sorrow for sin which God desires. It is not that, "Godly sorrow," which "worketh repentance to salvation." Those who are really penitent, do as the people did of whom we have just been reading. They are not only sorry for their sin, and confess it, and ask for pardon; but they pray for grace too, that they may be enabled, by the help of the Holy Spirit, to resist, and overcome it. God promises to forgive those who are thus truly penitent, and turn to him with all their hearts. "Whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sins, shall have

CHAPTER LV.

NEHEMIAH.

HAD all the captives now returned to Jerusalem? No; some still remained in Persia. Among them was a good man named Nehemiah. He was cup-bearer to the king Artaxerxes, the same king who is called Ahasuerus in the history of Esther. He was still reigning; and, perhaps, Esther and Mordecai were living too; but this the Bible does not tell us. Nehemiah was far off from his country; but he still loved it very much; and when he saw any of his friends who had been there, he used to ask them anxiously about Jerusalem.

One day, Nehemiah was told that the people in Jerusalem were in great trouble; and that the walls and gates were broken down, and burnt with fire. This was sad news for Nehemiah. When he heard it, he "sat down, and wept, and mourned many days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of Heaven." Like many other good people, of whom we have

often read in the Bible, Nehemiah had a friend to comfort him in all his trouble, and that friend was God. Nehemiah confessed before God all his own sins, and the sins of the people; and acknowledged that they deserved punishment for their forgetfulness of him. But then Nehemiah asked God to remember his promise made to Moses, many, many years before, that he would gather his people from all countries, and bring them to their own land. again. God had not forgotten his promise; he never does forget; but it was right in Nehemiah to speak of it in his prayer, because this showed his faith and trust in God. God likes us to remind him of his own promises, when we pray. Nehemiah prayed too, that he might find favour and mercy with the king. He was going to make a petition to Artaxerxes; and, like Esther, he would not do it without first asking help and wisdom from God.

It was a long time before Nehemiah could speak to the king; but at last he was called to give him wine; for this was the duty of the cup-bearer. Nehemiah looked very sad when