'God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love which ye have shewed toward His Name.'-HEB. vi. 10.

'Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon His Name.'-MAL. iii. 16.

CHAPTER XV.

PRAYING TO THE LAST.

WE have been studying the example of Nehemiah as a man of work and prayer. The time came we know not whether it was in old age or not-when work ceased through failing power; but prayer continued longer. It is not making too much of the circumstance that the book closes with prayer to suppose that Nehemiah's life also closed with it, that he entered heaven with prayer.' Let us part from him thinking of the four ejaculations that occur in the supplement to his history of reforming labours.

1. The first suggests a question about the relation of works to grace. 'Remember me, 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.' The next petition will show us that he was humbly depending on the divine mercy for acceptance; he was not boasting of his good works to God any more than to man. But why should not he as well as Paul say, 'I laboured more abundantly than they all'? and why should he not devoutly regard the great principle that God is not unrighteous to forget any work and labour of love showed toward His name' (Heb. vi. 10). The matter in question is not a sinner's acceptance with God, but it is a believer's fellowship with Him in a time of public declension. Nehemiah's former good deeds were, he found, being 'wiped out' by the high-priest and by the timid time-servers who allowed him and Tobiah to profane the sanctuary; it was altogether fit, and very beautiful, that his heart should fly swiftly up to his God with the cry 'concerning this,' that He would not wipe out his good deeds from the book of His remembrance, nor suffer them to be wiped out and lost on earth. It is the very strength of the believer to be permitted to

pray thus. We ought not to expect—if we do, and are indeed God's servants, we shall be disappointed the unvarying smile of those about us, and often we may have to suffer cruel opposition; therefore our refuge must be in the Master who alone can make our work prosper, and whose smile is our true reward.

2. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of Thy mercy.' The point at which these. ejaculations occur is always to be marked. At whatever time Nehemiah made his record of the evils he found, and his correction of them, his heart was still full of them. The first prayer had special reference to the ordinances of the house of God, and he says, 'Remember me concerning this' now he says, 'this also,' both recalling the former prayer and specially commending to God his efforts to secure the 'sanctifying of the Sabbath-day.' The 'this' and the 'this also' contain instructive suggestions. Nehemiah's success began when he got to be so definite in his praying as to ask

for mercy 'this day in the sight of this man' (i. 11); and by the same precision of request he secures the abiding benediction of his God upon his last labours. Besides, one new request is not suffered to displace that which has gone before, but the former is remembered and pleaded afresh in saying, 'this also.' The successful worker is the man who accumulates definite petitions, leaving them before the throne of grace, but not forgetting them, asking God to remember him concerning this and this and this also. God delights to be reminded and inquired of as to this thing to do it for us' (Ezek. xxxvi. 37). Paul's greatest answer was obtained after he had besought the Lord thrice for this thing' (2 Cor. xii. 8).

Mark what it was that Nehemiah was now seeking, besides blessing on his work. To be spared' sorrow now and wrath hereafter. The phrase, full of tender meaning, of the pathos of a broken heart, was floating in the religious atmosphere of Jerusalem at that time:

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They shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels; and