Nehemiah 13

The Lord's Day is a day of holy rest, all secular works must be forborne and suspended, it is a profaning of the day. (Nehemiah 13:15) "In these days saw I in Judah some treading wine-presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, as also wine-grapes and figs, and all manner o…

So on the contrary, if the Magistrate be negligent in his duty, he becomes the greatest sinner of all; for then the sins that are committed through his default, are ascribed to him. Nehemiah, reproving the Rulers, tells them that they broke the Lord's Sabbaths, Nehemiah 13:13; w…

How shall we prove it lawful to apply the seal of God's Covenant to Infants? Or to admit women to eat of the holy things; for the Scriptures of the New Testament do speak little in these cases; only the Scriptures of the Old Testament do give direction, and light about them (Lev…

Num. 1. From these premises thus laid, and, I suppose, by this time, removed out of the way, from being occasion of stumbling to any, he now proceeds to infer his conclusion, thus. Upon these, and many more the like accounts, the Epistles seem to me to be like the children that…

After God had revealed himself to Solomon, and converted him, after that time he did evil against his God. In fact, you read further (Nehemiah 13:26-27) that Solomon's wives turned away his heart from the Lord, though he was the beloved of his God. Though he were beloved by God,…

And it may be a question whether we are to understand this of Job's preeminence in the general or in regard of some one particular grace? We read of Solomon that there was none like him (Nehemiah 13:26): Among many nations was there no king like him who was beloved of his God. T…

"But if you will not hearken to me to hallow the Sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched." Indeed, God was so exacting about this, that he descends to a particular prohibition of seve…

Above all others, how well does it become those into whose hands God has put the power of magistracy, to show forth holy violence in causing the Lord's day to be strictly observed? What a rare pattern has Nehemiah set all good magistrates (Nehemiah 13:15). In those days saw I in…

From (2 Kings 23:8, 9) compared with (2 Chronicles 14:3, 5), (2 Chronicles 15:17), (2 Chronicles 33:17), it is evident there were in Judah two sorts of high places, some on which God was worshipped, others on which Idols were worshipped; the one sort was the high places of Idola…

By gates, in that place, are understood not only a particular family or city, but the whole country of any people, as (Genesis 22:27) He shall possess the gates of his enemies, and (Genesis 24:60), (Deuteronomy 24:24). So learned Rivet upon the 4th Commandement, by strangers wit…

And if God establish David's seed forever (Psalm 89:4) and the seed of his people shall possess the gates of their enemies (Genesis 24:60) and if he pour his Spirit upon the seed of Jacob (Isaiah 44:3) and circumcise the heart of the seed of his people (Deuteronomy 30:6) and put…

Nehemiah rebuked the Nobles for their Usury, (Nehemiah 5:7). And their Sabbath-prophanation, (Nehemiah 13:7). A sin-hater will not endure wickedness in his family, (Psalm 101:7).

As the love of pleasures went in, so the love of godliness went out by degrees, his zeal cooled, his forwardness slackened. The excessive use and love of lawful pleasures brought him first to a defective love of God's word, and from there to the love of unlawful pleasures in wom…

4th Commandment: Remember the Sabbath day, etc. He breaks this commandment: who labors in the servile works of his ordinary calling (Nehemiah 13:15); who travels abroad on his ordinary business (Exodus 16:24); who keeps fairs and markets on this day (Nehemiah 13:15); who works h…

The object or matter Circa quam of our good works, are First, the worship of God, and things subservient and conducive to it; as maintaining poor scholars in the nurseries of the ministry, and schools of the prophets; comforting and encouraging the able and faithful ministers of…

And as we are free from the curse of the law, so we look not for life and salvation from the keeping of the law; it is true, many temporal blessings we may get by it, yet it is not so much from the law, as from God's acceptance of our Evangelical obedience, but otherwise we chal…

Thirdly, another part of the ill frame of our hearts is, that even our best duties, that proceed from our best regenerate part, are imperfect, even our most gracious part, that helps us to preach and hear, to receive Sacraments, and the very graces of God in us are imperfect, an…

This the Lord did expressly forbid them by the Prophet Jeremiah, Thus says the Lord, Carry no burdens upon the Sabbath day, neither bring them in by the gates of Jerusalem, &c. (Jeremiah 17:21). And Nehemiah charged the men of Judah, with the profanation of the Sabbath in that k…

Are they, who, in their obedience, attain to the greatest height, which is possible in this life, so far from being able to supererogate, and to do more, than God requires, that they fall short of much, which in duty they are bound to do? Yes (Luke 17:10; Nehemiah 13:22; Galatia…

Is this Sabbath then kept holy to the Lord, when men after a due preparation, of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs before hand, do not only observe an holy rest, all the day from their own works, words, and thoughts, about their worldly employments, and recreati…

None of the Gentiles was of old compelled to be circumcised, but being circumcised he might be compelled to keep the Law of Moses. Also if strangers of the Gentiles were sojourning or trading in the land of Israel, they might be compelled to abstain from the public and scandalou…

I answer, 1. The object of that coercive power of Josiah (2 Chronicles 34:32) was generally the matter of the Covenant, that is, the taking away not only of Idolatry, but of all abominations, and a walking after the Lord, and keeping of his Testimonies, and Statutes, and Command…