we sought the blessing, we acknowledged ourselves utterly unworthy of it.

Brethren! business with heaven is best transacted with humility! "Behold, now," says Abraham, "I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes! Oh! Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but this once."

II. We remark, secondly, the FAITH of Ezra.

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What was his faith? It was that which the Apostle mentions in the eleventh chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews. It was "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." It was the viewing and taking hold of the protection of the invisible God: for "I proclaimed a fast, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way, for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance." It was as if Ezra had said, as Moses said before him, "If thy presence go not with us, carry us not up hence. We are going to Jerusalem: our intention is to set up the house of God: and to take advantage of his touching the heart of Cyrus and the other kings of the earth, who now begin to think of the honour of God, and to give us countenance. are going on this business, and there are multitudes of robbers in the way: if God protect us not by the way which we have to travel, if he turn not back the designs of the evil men through whom we must pass, with the treasure which we have to carry, it is in vain to attempt to make our way. But all things are in God's hand. He does as he will among the armies of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth. God only can afford us protection at this time: he only can teach us the right way: he only can guard us and cover our substance: he only can give us a right aim; and can enable us to place on him that simple dependence, which creatures ought always to place on God: he only can point out the right way,

for us, for our little ones, and for all our substance. My grand affair, therefore, is with him."

This is faith. This it is to endure, as seeing him who is invisible.

III. Let us proceed to his PRAYER.

So we fasted and besought our God for this.

No men seem more engaged in business, or more qualified for business, than Ezra, Nehemiah, and Daniel :-men in high offices, and men of eminent abilities. Do you recollect any instance, in which greater confidence was exercised, and a more entire looking to God discovered, than by Ezra? It was equally so with Nehemiah. He was a man of business: yet he seems to say, "I set myself to the work: my heart was in it: my plan was laid: but, before I spoke to the king on the business, I spoke to God. I said, 'O Lord, touch this man's heart, before he gives me the answer; that it may be thy answer though spoken by his lips."" So, in the case of Daniel, his heart was set on the honour of his God; and you find him treating with God continually, and carrying all his concerns to him: so that the transaction, from beginning to end, was a transaction with God. Now these are men of the highest eminence, and of first-rate abilities; but as eminent for faith, and for a spirit of prayer.

Are you a man of business?-Perhaps you say, "I am and so much a man of business, that I have no time for prayer in my family: I have no time for religion in private: I have no time at all for family government. I am so hurried, I live in such a bustle, I am carried from one concern to another in such a manner, that I can do nothing as to worship in my family."

Nay, you understand not your business : you know not how to transact your affairs. Instead of pleading your business, as the reason why you should not put up prayer in your family, and look to God for help,

the more business you have to transact, the more you ought to trust and to pray. It is the grand secret of a pious man in conducting his affairs, that he first treats with God about them. The wicked man, says Solomon, desireth the net of evil men: he would carry every point by crafty management-by sagacious plans -by artful expedients: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit: he is rooted and grounded in the care and favour of Him who has the keys of heaven and earth, and manages all the business in the world: fruit is, therefore, yielded to him, and he needs not the net of falsehood-the subterfuges and the miserable contrivances of an unbelieving heart. Ezra was thus a man of prayer.

IV. There is, in his character, a striking feature also of HOLY JEALOUSY.

I sought of the Lord "a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. For I was ashamed"-Pray attend to this: for there is herein great delicacy, and much holy tenderness of conscience. They expected to meet robbers in the way; and might, by asking, have obtained a band of soldiers of the king: but-"I was ashamed! I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen, to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king; saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him." As if he had said, "I would not have the king suppose while I profess to trust in God, and to teach others to trust in him, that I want this confidence myself. Should such a man as I flee? Should I tell him that I am afraid to take a step without his band of soldiers, while I am continually pointing out the power and providence of God over his people?-No! The honour of the cause, the glory of God, the truths which I have professed and preached, make me ashamed to ask for the soldiers. I must have recourse to prayer on this particular occasion."

It is a man's unquestionable duty to employ all means of safety, and to exercise all the prudence in his power: but under the peculiar circumstances of this case, Ezra rather chooses to expose himself to danger, than to have the honour of God and his cause called in question; especially as he had to do with those who did not see things as he did, nor believe in God, nor trust in his promises.

I principally insist on this part of Ezra's character, because there have been observed, in some persons professedly religious, an indelicacy,-a want of concern for the glory of God and the honour of his Gospel-unsubdued tempers-ill manners-rudeness: no tenderness with regard to the honour of religion-no anxiety to remove stumbling-blocks out of the way of those who know not the truth-no consideration like this of Ezra, "What will the world think? I must consider this and if the consideration cost me something, I must pay the cost. I must make sacrifices. I must not say, 'I will have my way and my will: I care not what others think or say."" Stumblingblocks have been thrown in the way of the people of the world, by this want of regard to that nice honour, of which holy Ezra is an example.

On the other hand, there is sometimes observed a criminal timidity. A man dares not to assert his principles. He will give place. He will appear inconsistent; though he will not, in word, deny the truth. Men of the world will ask concerning such a one, "Does the man believe what he professes? If he does, how is it that he bears with me in this, and goes with me in that?" Call not this prudence, Brethren! It is unworthy of that name. But in the character of Ezra, we see that the honour of his religion wholly possessed the man ; and whether he lost or suffered, he was determined that the honour of God and his Church should not suffer.

Brethren! Let your light so shine before men, that

others, seeing your good works, may glorify your Father which is in heaven.' Let them see your holy jealousy, your tender regard to the truth, and your love to God and his cause.

V. I proceed to consider the SUCCESS which attends such a man.

What need is there to dwell on this? Without the spirit of prophecy, any man might have foretold what would be the end of such a conflict as this. God had said long before, Them that honour me I will honour. We read accordingly in the thirty-first verse, "We departed from the river of Ahava, on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us; and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way."

You may, perhaps, see a man humbly looking to his God, as Ezra did; an upright man, engaged in the service of God with holy resolution: and yet, for a time, he may be under a very dark cloud. You see not the man as you will see him, if you wait patiently. But mark the event. Whatsoever thou dost, look to the end, says the Wise Man, and thou shalt not do amiss therefore, mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace. For there are two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie; and they shall afford him strong consolation while under the cloud. Has he fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before him?-Has he joined himself to the Lord in an everlasting cove nant, by faith in Christ Jesus ?-Has he taken God at his word? Has he put his hand into the hand of Omnipotence ?-and does he thus wait the event? Then he shall find every word that God has spoken at the beginning of the xxxviith Psalm to be literally true: "Fret not thyself because of evil doers, neither be thou envious at the workers of iniquity: for they shall soon be cut down as the grass, and wither as the