hat will Tobiah do? What
will Geshem whisper? Now indeed we have no open rupture with the
governors, but who can tell what the result of our taking action in this
matter will be? Surely it is better to let well alone.'

A fourth would have given as his opinion, that what had served for 150
years would surely last their time. True, Jerusalem was forlorn and
defenceless, but they had grown accustomed to it now. It struck
Nehemiah, of course, coming as he did fresh from the glories of Shushan,
but they had become used to it, and he would soon do the same. There was
no need surely to make a disturbance about it or to run into any risk
about it.

A fifth would have suggested, with some warmth, that surely old
inhabitants of the city were better judges of its requirements than a
stranger, and that it was for the town council to propose such a scheme
if they saw the necessity for it, and not for a new-comer who had been
less than a week in Jerusalem.

These, and countless other objections, might have been raised, had the
meeting been called in our lukewarm days.

But the Jerusalem committee did not act thus, they did not fill
Nehemiah's way with difficulties and his soul with discouragement. A
plain bit of work lay before him and before them; he was ready to lead,
and they were ready to follow. 'Let us rise and build,' they cry. And
'they strengthened their hands for this good work.'

Let us take heed that we, as servants of Christ, follow their example.
Let us never be seen with the bucket of cold water, ready to throw on
the efforts of others for good. As 'iron sharpeneth iron, so a man
sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.' Let us ever be ready with the
word of encouragement, with the helpful hand, with the cheering spirit
of hope. There is work for us amongst the ruins of God's fair world, and
the labourers are few.

Let us then rise and build, each of us in earnest, each of us
encouraging his brother, each of us looking beyond the discouragements
of earth to the Master's 'Well done good and faithful servant.'

CHAPTER IV.

To Every Man his Work.

Once a year, in the University of Cambridge, there is a grand day called
Commemoration Day. On that day, in the middle of the service, in each
college chapel a list of honours is read out, a list containing the
names of all those who, in times gone by, gave money or help to that
college. The bodies of those whose names are read have many of them
crumbled t