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EZRA COLLECTS THE WRITINGS

revision. Prideaux well remarks, “As it was necessary for the church of God that this work should be done, so also was it necessary for the work, that the person called thereto should be thus assisted in the completing of it." 4. The names of some places were changed, as Gen. xiv. 14. Dan, there mentioned, was not so called till after the death of Moses. Other instances might be referred to, but the design in all cases was to render the Scriptures more clear to the people.

Ezra is also considered, 5thly, to have written out the whole of the Scriptures in the Chaldee character, which from the time of the captivity came into general use among the Jews, while the Samaritans preserved the Hebrew character. This alteration was an important means for enabling the people at large to read the word of God for themselves; how different from the proceedings of those who would keep the Bible in a state in which it cannot be understood by the common people. How can we suppose that God has revealed his word for the general benefit of the human race, and yet confined the full use of it to a particular class of mankind, who are men of like passions as others; whose express commission is to set forth the gospel, not to restrict or confine it? “Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent," Acts xiii. 26. It clearly appears from history, that every attempt to conceal, withhold, or encumber the word of God, has been connected with some human device or worldly object.

Whether the Hebrew vowel points were now added or not, has been made a question. Most writers consider that they are of later date, not being added till several centuries after the Christian era, when it is supposed they were introduced to give a more certain and defined meaning to several passages, limiting them to the sense in which the Jews desired them to be understood. They also became necessary when the language ceased to be generally spoken. Prideaux, on the

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other hand, considers that these vowel points were introduced about the time of Ezra, or soon after. But the question need not be entered upon here; there is not anything about the great doctrines of Divine Truth depending upon them. It would be wrong to suppose that the meaning of any part of the Scriptures, as the word of salvation, ever was left uncertain. To Ezra, also, is attributed the regular introduction of reading the Scriptures in the synagogue worship, instituted after the return from captivity. The services are described in The Rites and Worship of the

Jews."

A brief sketch of the labours of Ezra has been given; but let no one suppose that the BIBLE ever was, or ever will be left uncertain or doubtful in its meaning, upon any point connected with the salvation of the soul. All the controversies which have arisen among men, will be found to proceed, either from a desire to explain away and to avoid the literal meaning, or else from a wish to draw the simple statements of Scripture further than originally designed, so as to make them subservient to the doctrines or views of men. This will explain the real history of many volumes of controversial divinity. But here, too often is forgotten that it is the best way to proceed by plain reference to the words of Scripture. Our blessed Lord silenced the adversary of souls, by "It is written." Whatever is contrary thereto, must be wrong; whatever goes beyond the plain meaning of Scripture, is of human device: it may be wrong, or it may be right; but, at any rate, there is no ground for teaching it as more than the commandments of men, of human beings liable to err, even when intending the best.

The proceedings of Ezra were the acts of one continually engaged in searching the Scriptures. We find them marked with that love for souls, and hatred for sin, which ever characterise those who really wish to walk according to God's holy word.

P

THE HISTORY OF ESTHER-THE DANGER OF THE JEWS, AND THEIR DELIVERANCE.

WHILE Ezra was engaged at Jerusalem in the important work of collecting the Holy Scriptures, a deep-laid design for the destruction of all the Jews throughout the Persian empire, had nearly been successful. The particulars are related in the book of Esther. Although that book does not make a direct mention of the name of Jehovah, nor fully express the feelings of his people; yet it is one of the plainest records in existence to show the manner in which Divine Providence turns the hearts of men, causing the contrivers

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of evil to be entangled and destroyed by their own devices. It shows how the rage and malice of persecutors is limited by Him, who says to the wind and the waves," Peace; be still." Or, as in Jeremiah v. 22:

Fear ye not me? saith the Lord:

Will ye not tremble at my presence,

Which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea
By a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it:

And though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail;

Though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?

This book conveys a striking lesson of the instability of all human greatness; nay, of its certain downfal, unless secured by God's blessing.

After Esther had been raised to the rank of queen, her uncle Mordecai, who previously possessed some office or appointment in the palace, discovered a plot against the life of Artaxerxes, formed by two of the royal chamberlains. He made it known to Esther, who informed the king; the guilt of the conspirators was proved, they were executed, and a record was made of Mordecai's service, but no reward was given to him at the time.

Not long afterwards, Haman, an Amalekite, was advanced at court. The reason for his elevation is not stated, but all were commanded to reverence the new favourite. Mordecai, mindful of the former enmity of the Amalekites against the children of Israel, was unwilling to honour one of that accursed nation; the honour required seems, also, to have been a Divine honour or worship, which the Jewish religion forbade him from rendering to a mortal man. Haman was enraged at this, the more when he found that Mordecai was a Jew. Influenced by bitter hatred of that nation, he resolved to destroy not only Mordecai, but the whole people of the Jews. With this view, he made a false statement to Artaxerxes, representing the Jews to be

a people hurtful to the king, offering to pay ten thousand talents, (almost two millions of pounds of our money,) from their spoils, if their destruction was

ordered. This shows that they had become wealthy colonists, and were not mere slaves. The king consented without inquiry; a royal decree to that effect was issued; the Jews throughout the empire were all to be destroyed on one day, and their property to be seized. The particular day for this slaughter Haman selected by a superstitious casting of the lot, a process still very frequent in the East, especially in Persia, when the lucky day and hour for any undertaking, whether public or domestic, is sought with much anxiety. The decree was passed on the thirteenth of