the battle of freedom; freemen alone are worthy to be the champions of truth; no slave, nor any with a bondsman's spirit, should ever be found among the followers of the Lamb. Better it was that all the fearful departed from Gideon's army, because their presence, though it made the appearance of greater strength, was in reality an element of weakness. It showed, in the first place, that they wanted faith in the Lord God of Israel, that they were afraid to trust themselves and the cause of their country in his hands; and, being so, they wanted that vital element which attracts omnipotence; they had that baneful ingredient of unbelief which repels God, and lays a moral arrest upon his power; so that while it prevails in an individual or among a people, God cannot interpose for their deliverance. In the second place, the fearful are always incompetent to do their own part; and as a frail link in a chain will cause the whole to fail when pressure is applied, so in conjoint action the failure of one to do his own part may discompose and thwart the most zealous efforts of his associates. And, in the third place, timidity is infectious. It propagates and spreads itself. As a few bold men will often breathe a courageous spirit into multitudes, and impart their lofty impulses to whole nations, so a few timorous and wavering minds may spread their base infection, until it leaven the whole masses with whom they are brought into contact. It was, therefore, not really for the advantage of the cause of Israel, nor is it for the good of any cause, to have timid and half-hearted followers, even though they augment the numbers. Better a few tried men, who are determined, in the strength of God, to meet all hazards, and face all dangers, than tens of thousands of irresolutes. It is shown in history what a few such men can do on the field of physical conflict; and in moral conflicts they are invincible. It is impossible that all the powers of heaven or hell can overcome those who, by divine grace, are resolved, through good report and bad report, living or dying, to stand by God and by the cause of God. While their hearts remain true, they cannot be overcome, and neither power nor policy can make them unfaithful without their own consent. It is, therefore, of the greatest importance that the adherents of God's cause should be men of courage, constancy, and heroic resolution. In order to effect this, God sometimes still proclaims by his providence as he did to Gideon's army: Whoso is fearful, let him depart.' He does so by placing them in difficult, disheartening, and embarrassing circumstances, and affording, at the same time, fair opportunities and plausible excuses, so that persons can withdraw with a good reputation. Such conjunctures are trying and testing times; they show of what materials men are composed; and whenever the church and people of God are placed in circumstances in which the hill of difficulty lies before them, filling the whole sphere of vision, while there are inviting out-gates for them on the right hand and on the left, then let them be assured God is proving and trying them, and that he is as really saying to them as he did to Gideon, Whoso is fearful, let him depart.'

6

In the sixth place, we see from this that God has more tests than

one to which he puts his people-that he often selects, as his test of men, something that is very small and trivial viewed in itself—and that it often happens that those who stand the greater tests may fail when the lesser is applied. After those who were afraid were permitted to depart, there remained with Gideon ten thousand men, and each of these was entitled to be called a tried man. God, however, sees meet to put another test to them; and therefore he said, Bring them down to the waters, and I will try them for thee there.' When brought down, the test put to them was seemingly a very trivial one; they were chosen or rejected according as they did, or did not, drink the water in a particular manner. This was, seemingly, a matter of no importance whatever, but it was the test God had appointed, in his sovereign wisdom; and though all the ten thousand were men of approved courage, only three hundred were found in all respects suited, in God's estimation, for the work. And God still puts many tests to his people. After they have stood one test, and are entitled to be called tried men, in their own estimation and that of others, God, who looketh into the heart, and not upon the outward appearance, may be saying, 'The people are yet too many; bring them down to the waters, and I will try them for thee there.' And many who stand the first test fail in standing the second. Let us never forget this in our own conduct. Although we have done well in the first trial, we must carry on, and end well, cheerfully submitting to every successive test which God, in his infinite wisdom, may appoint. It may seem a small thing, a thing entirely trivial, as the lapping of the water was to Gideon's men; the one way may appear just as good in itself, and as glorifying to God as the other; but if it is brought to us in the providence of God, and presented to our hearts and consciences, as a test in connection with his cause, however small the matter is in itself, to be on the one side is to stand the test, to be on the other side is to be found wanting.

In the last place, we learn from this passage, that God, after having repeatedly diminished the numbers of his people, until they have become very few, is able by these few to render his cause triumphant. Or, in other words, God often accomplishes his end by few and unlikely instruments. We see this principle pervading all the works of God. In creation the most splendid results often flow from a small beginning. The loftiest tree that ever towered in the wildernesses of America, or on the summits of Lebanon, sprang from a small seed. The mighty river traversing half a continent, on which navies ride, and nations war, tracked to its course, may be found issuing from a small fountain. All the waters in the Euphrates, the Mississippi, and the Amazon, fell in single drops from the heavens. So simple, while majestic, are the works of our Creator! And when God gives the word, the mightiest revolutions in the world or the church are produced by the simplest agency. Without God, all the resources of man will be expended in vain. Means will not gain their endmeans will wither as if they had been blighted, and become inoperative, as if they had been stricken with paralysis. 'Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it.' But by God

pro

strengthening them, his people can do all things. We have a notable example of this in Gideon and his three hundred men, who without bow, or sling, or sword, routed the myriad foe who had come up and overshadowed their land. This principle was interestingly symbolised in a dream, narrated in a subsequent part of this chapter. Going by night to spy out the state of the Midianitish army, when Gideon arrived at the camp, behold there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and lo, a cake of barley-bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it, that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along. And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon, the son of Joash, a man of Israel; for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.' It was a very romantic idea, that a cake of barley, a thing so small, so harmless, so fragile, that it should be endowed with motion, and go forth in the greatness of its career, overturning the tents into which it entered: this was something very surprising. But not less unlikely were the means by which the Lord conquered Midian. Who could have believed that three hundred men would route such an army? Who would not have nounced it madness both in the leader and his men to make the attempt? Especially would it have appeared insane to attempt to vanquish their enemies by the blowing of trumpets. This was the doing of the Lord, and it has been recorded in the volume of his book, and transmitted to us, not merely that it may be read as a wonderful story, but to teach us that in God's cause, and with God's call and co-operation, a few tried men can do with ease what hundreds of thousands would have of themselves attempted in vain. The unlikely means by which God has accomplished his grandest ends will be matter of adoring praise through everlasting ages, and men belonging to every era of the church will be able to join together in singing, "Great and marvellous are all thy works, Lord God Almighty.' Among other cases let us mention three of the grandest, merely human instances, in which God produced stupendous results by unlikely means. This was the case in the establishment of the Mosaic economy -in the introduction of the christian religion-and in the accomplishment of the glorious Reformation. The means which God employed to bring Israel out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage, were in themselves totally inadequate. Suppose that two men, well stricken in years, without influence, without followers, with nothing outward to rely on but themselves-suppose such persons to go to any of the cabinets of Europe, and demand of them, in the name of God, to liberate six hundred thousand of their subjects, would not the apparent meanness of the persons, contrasted with the magnitude of their demands, be certain to excite derision and contempt. Now, Egypt was the greatest of all ancient kingdoms, and when God would deliver the chosen nation from its bondage, he sent only two men, the one eighty and the other ninety years of age; but they went in the name of God, and God went along with them, and enabled them to bring forth his people in triumph. It is true he enabled them to work miracles, but even the miracles seemed to be inadequate. Fire and

brimstone did not descend from before the Lord, as it formerly had done on the cities of the plain; the stars in their courses did not fight against Pharaoh, as they afterwards did against Sisera; the battalions by which the haughty despot was chastised were the locusts, and the lice, and the frogs and the dust of the furnace scattered in the firmament. Thus, in the introduction of the Mosaic economy, we have an example of God's accomplishing grand ends by unlikely means. At the commencement of the christian era we have the most sublime example of this truth in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Go back in thought to Calvary, see the man of sorrows on the accursed tree, with no outward mark of dignity, surrounded with the badges of ignominy, deserted by his friends, insulted by his foes, apparently forsaken of his God, he yields up his spirit in seeming weakness, as if he had died a victim to the evil passions of mankind. Yet on Calvary, and on the cross, more glorious and godlike ends were accomplished than had ever been before or since, even by God himself. On that accursed tree the glory of God was manifested in the highest degree, the principalities and powers of darkness were spoiled, myriads of lost souls were redeemed, a new name was won for God, a revenue of glory was secured to him, which will flow into the treasury of heaven from all quarters of the universe, and through all the ages of eternity. And when his apostles went forth in his name, the strongholds of Satan fell before the words of their mouths, and the western world was revolutionised. And lest it should be said that this occurred in the miraculous era of christianity, we may descend fifteen centuries, and in Luther we see what God can enable one man to do, when he gives him his commission and leads him forth by his own strength.

In thus accomplishing his ends by unlikely means, God demonstrates his own existence, displays his power and wisdom, fulfils the promises of his word, answers the prayers of his people, and secures all the glory to his own great name. Hereby also he tries his professing people, and discovers what is really in their souls. He tries their faith, and makes it evident whether they are led by it or by sense, by its implicit dependence on God, or by the expedients of human policy. He tries their honesty and fidelity, and makes it apparent what value they attach to their professions and engagements. He tries their courage, and shows whether it be of an earthly or a heavenly temper-whether they are of the race of those elders who, through faith, obtained a good report, or whether they are to be ranked among the offspring of those who perished in the wilderness because of their unbelief. Hereby God shows what is gold and what is dross; he separates the wheat from the chaff, and thus puts honour, high, holy, lasting honour, on those who remain unshaken in their loyalty to him, amid all the vicissitudes through which they are called to pass.

A number of useful lessons are afforded by this part of holy writ. In the first place, it teaches us to have it for our chief concern to be on God's side, and have God on our side, and then to have no fear that we shall be borne through in everything about which he calls us to engage.

In the second place, it teaches us not to trust in numbers, because when confided in they are an obstacle to God's taking part with us, and when he stands aloof, even success is not a blessing.

In the third place, it teaches us not to be disheartened because of the want of numbers, when we are endeavouring to do what is right. If it be right, God is on the side of it, and its triumph is certain in despite of all obstacles, and ought to be regarded as being equally certain although it should be deferred for ages. Everything that is true shall triumph over everything that is false, because Christ is THE TRUTH, and he must reign till all his enemies are made his footstool.

In the fourth place, it teaches us not to be too much alarmed by breaking and dividing dispensations. God's ways are not as man's ways, and these are often in mercy, in order to beat pride out of men, to prostrate them in helplessness before the throne of the divine majesty, and thus prepare the church and make her fit for the gracious visitations of God.

In the fifth place, it teaches us the only way in which desirable success can be obtained-by being careful to give God the glory in every matter, and anxiously guarding against whatever would take the glory from him, or share it with him. God's glory is his end, and it ought to be our end in all that we do; and the more steadily we make it so, it will give the greater dignity and elevation to our minds, the greater weight to our characters, and the greater usefulness to our lives.

In the last place, this passage teaches us the spirit we must cultivate if we would do anything for God and man in our generation. We must attain a larger measure of confidence in God; we must look above the frail changeable, capricious nature of man, to Him who is the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever. In our calculations about success, we must look to God, and neither to our weakness nor our strength, neither to our achievements nor to our difficulties. And the more that we look above, and the more that we live above, and the more firmly we take hold on the mighty One who is on high, the more steadfast, and the more devoted, and the more faithful will we become. Let us seek then that our minds may rise above the clouds of sense and reason, to meet the Lord in the pure atmosphere of faith. When the soul, by spiritual light, gets a sight of his fatherly countenance, all difficulties vanish, and faith sees the hills bowing down before the Lord, and melting like wax at his presence. And this shows us the reason why we do so little. It is not because our numbers are so few, our wealth so limited, our political influence so small. We have already more of all these than we have of wisdom to apply them. The great want of the world, and of the church, is the want of faith. This makes the hands to hang down; this makes the knees to be feeble; this is the cause why so much labour is expended and so little fruit produced, and it never will be otherwise until the present dominion of materialism is overthrown, till faith in God and Jesus Christ takes the first place, and till self, with all its hopes and fears, its scheming and planning, shall be brought down and made to sit on the footstool.