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Upon Wednesday, July 23d, those who had the work in design being met together, the minister began the day's work with prayer for special assistance to attain due preparation, and a suitable frame, throughout the whole solemnity: and thereafter had a prefatory discourse to the people, showing the nature of the work in general, its lawfulness, expediency, and necessity, from scripture precedents and approven examples of the people of God, adducing the 9th chapter of Ezra, Neh.
Neh. ix. 1 "Now, in the twenty and fourth day of this month, the children of Israel were assembled with fasting and with sackclothes, and earth upon them. Verse 2d, And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.
And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of Thy mercy. NEH. xiii. 15-22. Many religious and moral reformations depend for their vitality on one man, and droop if his influence be withdrawn.
Does any one inquire with interest, Did his cheerful, benevolent disposition, his readiness to impart and to receive happiness continue with him through life? It did in a pre-eminent degree. It is believed that even then "The joy of the Lord was his strength." Neh. viii. 10.
And moreover, they testify against, and condemn that ungodly and superstitious oath, practiced by that unhallowed club, called Free Masons: according to Deut. x, 20; Exod. xx, 7; Neh. xiii, 25; Ezra x, 5; Deut. vi, 13; Matth. iv, 35, 36; Ezek. xvii, 16, 17, 18, 19; Rev. x, 5, 6; Jer. iv, 2. and v, 2; Confess. chap. 22.
O Lord, I beseech Thee, let now Thine ear be attentive to the prayer of Thy servant, and to the prayer of Thy servants, who desire to fear Thy name: and prosper, I pray Thee, Thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer. NEH. i. 1-11.
And Nehemiah, with the returned captives, Neh. ix. 38 "And because of all this, we make a sure covenant."
Well for us if we go to ours, whether it be a day of crisis or of commonplace, in like fashion! Then we shall have like defence and like calmness of heart. 'It came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven. NEH. i. 4. Ninety years had passed since the returning exiles had arrived at Jerusalem.
A duty very clear in the scriptures; Judges v. 23; 1 Chron. xii. 1, 18; Neh. iv. 14; Prov. xxiv. 11, 12. But alas! how little conscience hath been made of this duty? "We have suffered many of our brethren in many parts of the land to be oppressed of the common enemy, without compassion or relief.
In Babylon the documents were often sealed with half-a-dozen seals or more. These were impressed on moist clay, and then the clay was baked, and the seals were each fastened to the parchment by a separate string. In this way any number of seals could be attached. We are given in Neh. x. the names of those who sealed, honoured names, for they made a brave and noble stand.
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