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the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me, and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up; and whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of the place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, besides the free-will offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem." Cyrus died, and the enemies of the Jews took advantage of this to hinder the work, and hired counsellors against the Jews, to frustrate their purpose, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia; but their opposition failed when Darius made a decree, and commanded Tatnai the governor, saying, "Let the work of the house of God alone. Let the governor of the Jews, and the elders of the Jews, build this house of God in this place." And Artaxerxes, his successor, went still further, and in his decree to Ezra, says, after having com

manded him to take all the silver and gold which had been offered, "whatsoever more shall be needed for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure-house." It was with emotions of gratitude to him who had thus influenced the heart of the king of Persia to aid him in his holy work, that Ezra burst out with the exclamation of the text, "Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem."

In our reflections upon the text we shall consider in the

First place: The gratitude of the prophet-" "Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers."

Secondly: His acknowledgment of the Divine guidance, superintendence, and direction of man's good intentions-" which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart."

Thirdly The subject of the prophet's gratitude" to beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem."

Let us, in the first place, consider the gratitude of the prophet. "Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers." If to confer benefits be to act like God, to be grateful for the reception is the most delightful feeling of humanity; it is true that it is more blessed to give than to receive; but when we have received blessings, it is the mark of uttter worthlessness not to be grateful to Him who has bestowed them. The encouragement of this feeling, so delightful to the human breast, is above all things desirable; and one great proof of the adaptation of our religion to satisfy the wants and desires of man in his original uncorrupted state, and to bring him back from the rebellion and ingratitude which is too prevalent in our corrupt nature, is the encouragement it gives to the cultivation of it. Man looks abroad upon creation, and he beholds everything around him made by his Creator for his

comfort and enjoyment-above, the sun shining in the firmament, imparting light and heat to all nature; the earth, bringing forth abundantly everything necessary for his health and sustenance; and if animated by the spirit of religion and devotion of the man of God, he is led continually to exclaim, with the Psalmist"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handy work. Day unto day uttereth speech; and night unto night showeth knowledge. If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there also ! If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me." But it is when he contemplates his Maker in the work of redemption that his gratitude becomes of the liveliest and deepest kind. He contemplates himself as a sinner before God-a rebel against his Maker; his anger ready to be poured upon him; shut out from hope in this

world, and black despair awaiting him in another. But religion points out to him a way of escape: one become the propitiation for sins-the Lamb sacrificed in his stead-the blood which speaketh better things than that of Abel, of whom the brazen serpent was but a type; to whom he has but to look and live-the great High Priest who has offered himself a sacrifice, and who, having entered into heaven once for all, hath obtained eternal redemption for him. Despair gives way to the brightest hope, and his deliverance from misery calls forth emotions of the liveliest gratitude. With the pious David, he exclaims, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and with tender mercies; bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion; bless the Lord, O my

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