of grace
be begun in his soul, and at once Satan will stir up the storm of
difficulty and opposition. Very often it begins, just as Nehemiah's
storm began, in laughter. It has been said that laughter hurts no one.
That statement might be true if we were all body, but inasmuch as we
have a spirit within us, it is not true that laughter cannot hurt.
Surely it stings, and cuts, and wounds the sensitive soul, just as heavy
blows sting, and cut, and wound the body. Satan knows this, and he makes
full use of the knowledge.

The man who sets out for heaven will scarcely fail, before he has gone
many steps, to come across a Sanballat. He will have his taunt and jest
all ready. 'What is this I hear of you? Have you turned a saint? I
suppose you are too good for your old companions now; you are going to
set the whole world to rights.' Or, if the words are unspoken, Sanballat
has the shrug of the shoulders, and the scornful gesture, which are just
as hard to bear. Nor must the man who has his face heavenwards be
surprised if he hears Tobiah's sneer. 'Ah, wait a bit,' says Tobiah;
'let us see if it will last. Even a fox will throw down that wall; the
very first thing that comes to vex him, the very first temptation,
however small, will be sufficient to overturn the wall of good
resolutions, and his religious professions will lie low in the dust, and
will be shown to be nothing but rubbish.'

It is well to be prepared for Sanballat and Tobiah, for any day we may
come across them. How shall we answer them? Let us follow in Nehemiah's
footsteps, let us turn from man to God. He hears the taunt, even as it
is spoken, and He says to each of His tried, tempted children:

'For My Name's sake, canst thou not bear that taunt,
That cruel word?
Is not the sorrow small, the burden light,
Borne for thy Lord?

For My Name's sake, I see it, know it all,
'Tis hard for thee,
But I have loved thee so, my child, canst thou
Bear this for Me?'

Sanballat and Tobiah have moved away from the walls of Jerusalem, and
the work goes on prospering; the gaps are being filled up, and already
the wall is half its intended height (iv. 6), for the people had a mind
to work, and much can be done in a short time when that is the case.
Not a word more has, for some time, been heard of Sanballat, and perhaps
the builders fancied and hoped they had seen the last of their enemies,
when one day, suddenly, dreadful news is b