EZRA’S PRAYER. 339

Jews, and gave them all the silver | people who truly served God, came
and gold they could find in Babylon, | to him, and sat down by him, and
to buy offerings for the temple of | wept too. Why were they all so
God in Jerusalem. God took care | unhappy? Because their brethren
of Ezra and his friends, and brought | had sinned against God. It is sad
them all safely to Jerusalem. They | to see those around us living in
had many enemies; but these good | wickedness; forgetful of that God
men knew who their best friend | who has been so kind, and done so
was, who could protect them from | much for them. But there is one
every danger; and they sought Him | thing we can do when we feel sorry
on their journey, and He heard | for wicked people; we can pray God
their prayer, and took care of them. | to pity and forgive them. And this
When we go on a journey, we may | was what Ezra did. In the evening,
meet with many dangers; and | when the sacrifice was offered, he
therefore we should never set off | arose, and fell on his knees, and
without first asking God’s blessing | spread out his hands unto God, and
and protection. We should say, as| prayed. Ezra confessed to God
Moses did, “If thy presence go not | how great had been the people’s sin.
with us, carry us not up hence.” | He said, “ O my God, I amashamed
Exodus xxxiii. 15. to lift up my face unto thee, for our
When Ezra came to Jerusalem, | iniquities are very great. Thdu
he heard much that made him very | hast given us deliverance, and let
sad. His people were not living in |; some of us escape, that we might
the fear of God. Many of them | build the temple again, and the
had mingled with the idolatrous | walls of Jerusalem. But what
people of Canaan, and married into | shall we say after this? We have
their families, and were beginning to | been very ungrateful to thee for all
learn their wicked ways. This was | thy mercies. We have forsaken thy
wrong. God’s people were to be a| commandments; we have mingled
holy people; they were to keep| with the people of the nations
away from the heathen nations | around us, and learned their evil.
around, and to have nothing to do | ways. Thou hast punished us less
with them. God had always com-! than our iniquities deserved, and
manded this; but His people had | given us great deliverance; but if
often disobeyed Him before, and | we again transgress, we shall make
made Him angry, and now they | thee still more angry, and how can
were doing so again. Ezra was a | we hope for mercy then? Wouldst
faithful and kind friend to these | thou not be angry with us till thou
forgetful, disobedient people. He | hast destroyed us; so that there
- would not let them do what was so | should be no more deliverance nor
wicked and displeasing to God; but | escape? O Lord God of Israel,
reproved and warned them. When | thou art righteous; behold we are
_ Ezra first heard what the people | before thee in our trespasses; for
had done, he rent his clothes, and | we cannot stand before thee because
tore off his hair, and sat down full | of this.”
of trouble. Then some of the This was Ezra’s humble confes-

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