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ligious, like their master; yet the mis-devotion of Joash and the Ophrathites was not obstinate. Joash is easily persuaded by his sons, and easily persuades his neighbours, how unreasonable it is to plead for such a god as cannot speak for himself; to revenge his cause, that could not defend himself. Let Baal plead for himself. One example of a resolute onset in a noted person, may do more good than a thousand seconds in the proceeding of an action.

Soon are all the Midianites in an uproar to lose their god. They need not now be bidden to muster themselves for revenge. He hath no religion, that can suffer an indignity offered to his god. Judges vi.

GIDEON'S PREPARATION AND VICTORY. Of all the instruments that God did use in so great a work, I find none so weak as Gideon; who yet, of all others, was styled va liant natural valour may well stand with spiritual cowardice. Be fore he knew that he spake with a God, he might have just colours for his distrust; but after God had approved his presence and almighty power, by fetching fire out of the stone, then to call for a watery sign of his promised deliverance, was no other than to pour water upon the fire of the Spirit. The former trial God gave, va nished; this, upon Gideon's choice and intreaty. The former miracle was strong enough, to carry Gideon through his first exploit of ruining the idolatrous grove and altar; but now, when he saw the swarm of the Midianites and Amalekites about his ears, he calls for new aid; and not trusting to his Abiezrites and his other thousands of Israel, he runs to God for a further assurance of victory.

The refuge was good, but the manner of seeking it savours of distrust. There is nothing more easy, than to be valiant when no peril appeareth; but when evils assail us upon equal terms, it is hard and commendable not to be dismayed. If God had made that proclamation now, which afterwards was commanded to be made by Gideon, Let the timorous depart, I doubt whether Israel had not wanted a guide: yet how willing is the Almighty to satisfy our weak desires!

What tasks is he content to be set by our infirmity! The fleece must be wet, and the ground dry; the ground must be wet, and the fleece dry: both are done: that now Gideon may see whether he would make himself hard earth, or yielding wool. God could at pleasure distinguish betwixt him and the Midianites; and pour down either mercies or judgment where he lists; and that he was set on work by that God, which can command all the elements, and they obey him. Fire, water, earth, serve both him, and, when he will, his.

And now, when Gideon had his reciprocal proof of his ensuing success, he goes on, as he well may, harnessed with resolution, and is seen in the head of his troops, and in the face of the Midianites. If we cannot make up the match with God, when we have our own asking, we are worthy to sit out.

Gideon had but thirty two thousand soldiers at his heels; the Midianites covered all the valley, like grasshoppers: and now, while the Israelites think, "We are too few;" God says, The people are too many. If the Israelites must have looked for victory from their fingers, they might well have said, "The Midianites are too many for us ;" but that God, whose thoughts and words are unlike to men's, says, They are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands. If human strength were to be opposed, there should have needed an equality; but now God meant to give the victory, his care is not how to get it, but how not to lose or blemish the glory of it gotten. How jealous God is of his ho nour! He is willing to give deliverance to Israel, but the praise of the deliverance he will keep to himself; and will shorten the means, that he may have the full measure of the glory. And if he will not allow lawful means to stand in the light of his honour, how will he endure it to be crossed so much as indirectly: it is less danger to steal any thing from God, than his glory. As a prince, which if we steal or clip his coin, may pardon it; but if we go about to rob him of his crown, will not be appeased.

There is nothing that we can give to God, of whom we receive all things: that which he is content to part with, he gives us ; but he will not abide we should take ought from him, which he would reserve for himself. It is all one with him to save with many, as with few; but he rather chuses to save by few, that all the victory may redound to himself. O God, what art thou the better for praises, to whom, because thou art infinite, nothing can be added? It is for our good that thou wouldst be magnified of us. Oh teach us to receive the benefit of thy merciful favours, and to return thee the thanks.

Gideon's army must be lessened. Who are so fit to be cashiered as the fearful? God bids him therefore proclaim licence for all faint hearts to leave the field. An ill instrument may shame a good work: God will not glorify himself by cowards. As the timorous shall be without the gates of heaven, so shall they be without the lists of God's field. Although it was not their courage that should save Israel, yet without their courage God would not serve himself of them. Christianity requires men; for if our spiritual difficulties meet not with high spirits, instead of whetting our fortitude, they quell it. David's royal band of worthies was the type of the forces of the Church; all valiant men, and able to encounter with thousands.

Neither must we be strong only, but acquainted with our own resolutions; not out of any carnal presumption, but out of a faithful reliance upon the strength of God, in whom when we are weak, then we are strong. O thou white-liver! doth but a foul word or a frown scare thee from Christ? Doth the loss of a little land or silver disquiet thee? Doth but the sight of the Midianites in the valley strike thee? Home then, home to the world; thou art not then for the conquering band of Christ: if thou canst not resolve

to follow him through infamy, prisons, racks, gibbets, flames, depart to thine house, and save thy life to thy loss.

Methinks now, Israel should have complained of indignity, and have said, "Why shouldest thou think, O Gideon, that there can be a cowardly Israelite? And if the experience of the power and mercy of God be not enough to make us fearless, yet the sense of servitude must needs have made us resolute; for who would not rather to be buried dead, than quick? Are we not fain to hide our heads in the caves of the earth, and to make our graves our houses? Not so much as the very light that we can freely enjoy; the tyranny of death is but short and easy, to this of Midian; and yet what danger can there be of that, since thou hast so certainly assured us of God's promise of victory, and his miraculous confirmation? No, Gideon, those hearts, that have brought us hither after thy colours, can as well keep us from retiring.”

But now, who can but bless himself, to find, of two and thirty thousand Israelites, two and twenty thousand cowards? Yet all these in Gideon's march made as fair a flourish of courage as the boldest. Who can trust the faces of men, that sees in the army of Israel above two for one timorous? How many make a glorious shew in the warfaring church, which, when they shall see danger of persecution, shall shrink from the standard of God! Hope of safety, examples of neighbours, desire of praise, fear of censures, coaction of laws, fellowship of friends, draw many into the field; which, so soon as ever they see the adversary, repent of their conditions; and if they may cleanly escape, will be gone early from Mount Gilead. Can any man be offended at the number of these shrinkers, when he sees but ten thousand Israelites left of two and thirty thousand, in a morning?

These men, that would have been ashamed to go away by day, now drop away by night; and if Gideon should have called any one of them back, and said, "Wilt thou fly ?" would have made an excuse. The darkness is a fit veil for their paleness, or blushing fearfulness cannot abide the light. None of these thousands of Israel, but would have been loth Gideon should have seen his face, while he said, "I am fearful;" very shame holds some in their station, whose hearts are already fled. And if we cannot endure that men should be witnesses of that fear which we might live to correct, how shall we abide once to shew our fearful heads before that terrible Judge, when he calls us forth to the punishment of our fear? Oh the vanity of foolish hypocrites, that run upon the terrors of God, while they would avoid the shame of men!

How do we think the small remainder of Israel looked, when, in the next morning-muster, they found themselves but ten thousand left? How did they accuse their timorous countrymen, that had left but this handful to encounter the millions of Midian! And yet still God complains of too many; and upon his trial dismisses nine thousand seven hundred more. His first trial was of the valour of their minds; his next is of the ability of their bodies. Those, which, besides boldness, are not strong, patient of labour

and thirst, willing to stoop, content with a little (such were those that took up water with their hands) are not for the select band of God. The Lord of Hosts will serve himself of none but able champions: if he have therefore singled us into his combat, this very choice argues that he finds that strength in us, which we cannot confess in ourselves. How can it but comfort us in our great trials, that if the Searcher of hearts did not find us fit, he would never honour us with so hard an employment?

Now, when there is not scarce left one Israelite to every thousand of the Midianites, it is seasonable with God to join battle. When God hath stripped us of all our earthly confidence, then doth he find time to give us victory; and not till then, lest he should be a loser in our gain: like as at last he unclothes us of our body, that he may clothe us upon with glory.

If Gideon feared when he had two and thirty thousand Israelites at his heels, is it in any wonder if he feared when all these were shrunk into three hundred? Though his confirmation were more, yet his means were abated. Why was not Gideon rather the leader of those two and twenty thousand runaways, than of these three hundred soldiers? O infinite mercy and forbearance of God, that takes not vantage of so strong an infirmity; but instead of casting, encourages him! That wise Providence hath prepared a dream in the head of one Midianite, an interpretation in the mouth of another, and hath brought Gideon to be an auditor of both, and hath made his enemies prophets of his victory, encouragers of the attempt, proclaimers of their own confusion. A Midianite dreams; a Midianite interprets. Our very dreams many times are not without God: there is a providence in our sleeping fancies: even the enemies of God may have visions, and power to construe them aright. How usually are wicked men forewarned of their own destruction! To foreknow and not avoid, is but an aggravation of judgment.

When Gideon heard good news, though from an enemy, he fell down and worshipped. To hear himself but a barley cake troubled him not, when he heard withal, that his rolling down the hill should break the tents of Midian. It matters not how base we be thought, so we may be victorious. The soul, that hath received full confirmation from God in the assurance of his salvation, cannot but bow the knee, and by all gestures of body tell how it is ravished.

I would have thought, Gideon should rather have found full confirmation in the promise and act of God, than in the dream of the Midianite, Dreams may be full of uncertainty; God's undertakings are infallible: well therefore might the miracle of God give strength to the dream of a Midianite; but what strength could a Pagan's dream give to the miraculous act of God? yet by this is Gideon thoroughly settled. When we are going, a little thing drives us on; when we are come near to the shore, the very tide without sails is enough to put us into the harbour,

We shall now hear no more of Gideon's doubts, but of his at. chievements; and though God had promised by these three hun

dred to chase the Midianites, yet he neglects not wise stratagems to effect it. To wait for God's performance in doing nothing, is to abuse that divine Providence, which will so work, that will not allow us idle.

Now, when we would look that Gideon should give charge of whetting their swords, and sharpening their spears, and fitting their armour, he only gives order for empty pitchers, and lights, and trumpets. The cracking of these pitchers shall break in pieces this Midianitish clay: the kindling of these lights shall extinguish the light of Midian: these trumpets sound no other than a soul-peal to all the host of Midian: there shall need nothing but noise and light, to confound this innumerable army.

And if the pitchers, and brands, and trumpets of Gideon, did so daunt and dismay the proud troops of Midian and Amalek, who can we think shall be able to stand before the last terror, wherein the trumpet of the archangel shall sound, and the heavens shall pass away with a noise, and the elements shall be on a flame about our cars?

Any of the weakest Israelites would have served to have broken an empty pitcher, to have carried a light, and to have sounded a trumpet, and to strike a flying adversary. Not to the basest use will God employ an unworthy agent: he will not allow so much as a cowardly torch-bearer.

Those two and twenty thousand Israelites, that slipped away for fear, when the fearful Midianites fled, can pursue and kill them; and can follow them at the heels, whom they durst not look in the face. Our flight gives advantage to the feeblest adversary, whereas our resistance foileth the greatest: how much more, if we have once turned our backs upon a temptation, shall our spiritual ene mies, which are ever strong, trample us in the dust! Resist, and they shall flee: stand still, and we shall see the salvation of the Lord. Judges vii.

THE REVENGE OF SUCCOTH AND PENUEL. GIDEON was of Manasseh: Ephraim and he were brothers, sons of Joseph: none of all the tribes of Israel fall out with their victorious leader, but he. The agreement of brothers is rare: by how much nature hath more endeared them, by so much are their quarrels more frequent and dangerous.

I did not hear the Ephraimites offering themselves into the front of the army, before they fight; and now they are ready to fight with Gideon, because they were not called to fight with Midian: I hear them expostulating after it; after the exploit done, cowards are valiant. Their quarrel was, that they were not called it had been a greater praise of their valour, to have gone unbidden. What need was there to call them, when God complained of multitude, and sent away those which were called? None speak so big in the end of the fray, as the fearfullest.

Ephraim flies upon Gideon, whilst the Midianites fly from him. When Gideon should be pursuing his enemies, he is pursued by

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