ceased.

It doesn't take long to build the walls of a city if you can only
get the whole of the people at it. If the Christians of this country
would only rise up, we could evangelize America in twelve months.
All the Jews had a hand in repairing the walls of Jerusalem. Each
built over against his own house, priest and merchant, goldsmith and
apothecary, and even the women. The men of Jericho and other cities
came to help. The walls began to rise.

This stirred up Nehemiah's enemies, and they began to ridicule.

RIDICULE

is a mighty weapon.

"What do these feeble Jews?" said Sanballat. "Will they fortify
themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they make an end in a day?
Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which
are burned?"

"Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break
down their stone wall," said Tobiah the Ammonite.

But Nehemiah was wise. He paid no attention to them. He just looked
to God for grace and comfort:

"Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon
their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:
and cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out
from before: for they have provoked thee to anger before the
builders."

Young man, if you wish to be successful in this world, don't mind
Sanballat or Tobiah. Don't be kept out of the kingdom of God or out
of active Christian work by the scorn and laughter and ridicule of
your godless neighbors and companions.

Next, these enemies conspired to come and fight against Jerusalem.

Nehemiah was warned, and took steps to guard against them. Half of
the people were on the watch, and the other half held a sword in one
hand and a trowel in the other. There was

NO EIGHT-HOUR WORKING DAY

then; they were on duty from the rising of the morning till the
stars appeared. They did not take off their clothes except to wash
them. Fancy, this man who came from the Persian court with all its
luxury, living and sleeping in his clothes for those fifty-two days!
But he was in earnest. Ah, that is what we want! men who will set
themselves to do one thing, and keep at it day and night.

All the people were bidden to lodge within the city, so that they
should always be on hand to work and fight. Would to God that we
could get all who belong inside the church to come in and do their
share. "Happy is the church," says one, "whose workers are well
skilled in the use o