and thorns of the wilderness, and briers, and with them he taugh [vi1, caused them to know to their cost. Rightly read b English version: for commonly Scripture, in referring to th same fact, varies the word, in order to bring out a fresh tru (compare Ps. lvi. 13 with exvi. 8). The reading, thres from ver. 7, seemingly adopted by the Septuagint and Vulga version, and approved by Speaker's Commentary, is just wha copyist would insert to harmonise ver. 16 with ver. 9 (compa Prov. x. 13, xix. 29, xxvi. 3). Dame Experience keeps a d school, but fools will learn in none other] the men of Succoth. ( And he beat down the tower of Penuel [compare ix. 46, 4 and slew the men of the city [the representative men, elders, as in the case of Succoth (ver. 5, 6, 8, 9). These possession of the tower, and so could domineer over the peo As judge of Israel, Gideon punished them]. (18) Then said unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men (were t whom ye slew at Tabor? [whither Gideon's brethren had fled hide in the dens of the mountains from before the Midiar (vi. 2), but were caught and slain]. And they answered thou (art), so (were) they; each one resembled ["like the of "] the children of a king. (19) And he said, They (were brethren, (even) the sons of my mother [a closer relationship brothers only by the same father (Gen. xliii. 29; Ps. lxix. (as) the LORD [JEHOVAH] liveth, if ye had saved them al would not slay you [the Midianite kings had not slain the open battle, but murdered them in cold blood. They the must pay with their blood the innocent blood they (Gen. ix. 5; 1 Sam. xv. 32, 33)]. (20) And he said Jether his first-born, Up, (and) slay them [Gideon devolves son his own duty of avenging his brethren's blood (2 Sa 30) on the Midianite kings, in order to add to death the di of their falling by a boy's hand; also in order to give h a share in the honour of slaying the foes of God. So shall honour His saints (Ps. cxlix. 6-9; Rev. xix. 13 but the youth drew not his sword; for he feared, because h yet a youth. (21) Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Ris and fall upon us; for as the man (is, so is) his streng strength to kill speedily belongs to men of full age, boys] And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments ['little moons' or crescent-shaped ornaments of silver or gold, worn as amulets round the neck (ver. 26; Isa. iii. 18). The custom prevailed among the Arabs as late as Mahomet's time] that were on their camels' necks. THE DEFEAT OF MIDIAN A TYPE OF THE OVERTHROW OF So 1. We observe the men chosen to conquer in the wars of the LORD. The 32,000 Israelites thought themselves too few, and therefore were 'fearful;' Jehovah thought them too many. in the gospel warfare, it was when the disciples were few and weak, that the Lord wrought mighty results by them (Acts iv. 13-31). Deborah blamed those who "came not to the help of Jehovah;" yet here He sends away those who come. For God would show that He can make the weakest mighty, through God, to the pulling down of Satan's strongholds (2 Cor. x. 4, 5). The believer who would conquer, must be stripped of every creaturely confidence. There is a continual tendency in the natural heart to "vaunt itself against Jehovah, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me" (compare Habuk. i. 16). Yet the same heart is as easily cast down unto unbelieving terror, like the fearful Israelites who shrank from battle. "So bladderlike is the soul, that, filled with the wind of vain-glory, it grows great, and swells in pride; but if pricked with the least pin of grief or fear, shrivelleth to nothing" (Trapp). He who seeks either glory or salvation in the Christian warfare, must glory in the Lord alone (see 1 Cor. i. 26-31). He who will not give God the honour of the victory, is shut out from the honour of His service. At the same time, He will not be served by those who in fear shrink from the good fight: "The fearful and unbelieving shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone" (Rev. xxi. 8). He seeketh as His soldiers those who take earthly refreshments as necessaries by the way, like the three hundred, but do not rest in them. The process of judgment and testing is even now going on, whereby "the precious are taken forth from the vile" (Jer. xv. 19; John ix. 39, xii. 47, 48). Those alone who in the streng of the Holy Spirit are "zealously affected always in the good cause (Gal. iv. 18), and who can master themselves, shall mast the prince of this world (1 Cor. ix. 25-27; 2 Tim. ii. 3Tit. ii. 12). Many are called, but few chosen. If those call prove unworthy, the Lord will raise up other instrumer Hence we can understand why at times He allows 1 supporters of His church to be so diminished; it is that may be exalted in His own strength (Ps. xxi. 13). 2. The weapons of their warfare.-The accoutrements Gideon's band were as strange, and as little likely to ens success, as the band itself was in numbers seemingly power to meet the numerous foe. (1) Each man took no more vict than he could carry in his hand, thus living literally from h to mouth. So the Christian must live each day content v God's provision for the day, as to both soul and body. manna of to-day will not suffice for to-morrow. He must on God afresh to-morrow for the things of the morrow Matt. vi. 11, 34; Deut. xxxiii. 25; 1 Kings viii. 59, ma (2) Each man bore a trumpet in his right hand. So soldier of Christ carries the gospel trumpet. The min especially must lift up his voice as a trumpet (Isa. lvii As the walls of Jericho fell by the trumpet blast, so Sa kingdom must fall by the preaching of the everlasting g (Rev. xi. 15). (3) Each man bore in his left hand an ea pitcher, with a torch light hidden within. So we Chris have "the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who i image of God," whilst we are still in a fragile body ( Cor. iv. 4-18). The pearl of great price is often hidden unsightly oyster shell. The breaking of the vessel, so far quenching the light, only brings it to view-flashing destr to the foe, salvation to the Israel of God. So it is often the believer's body is breaking up, that the light fro spirit within shines the brightest. The light beamed from Stephen's face just when he was about to be crush the stones hurled by his persecutors. The gospel t sounds at the same time that the light shines forth. preacher's words are as thunder, whose life is as the lig "Look on me, and as I do, so shall ye do," is the word of command to us from the Captain of our salvation, the antitype to Gideon (John xiii. 15; Heb. xii. 2). "Looking unto Jesus,” and doing as He did, we shall find Him "the Finisher," as He is "the Author of our faith." (2) It is a victory of The Midianites them 3. The complete victory which crowns their conflict.—(1) It is a victory gained by the Lord for man, and through man. The sword which smote Midian was the sword of Jehovah; without Jehovah in the forefront, Gideon's name would have been but a worthless cipher, without the figure which alone could give it value. So man can do nothing severed from Christ; yet Christ will have man, when made willing in the day of His power, to be His instrument; therefore it is added, "the sword of Gideon." God first worketh in His people to will and to do: then they must in His strength work out that which He has wrought in them (Phil. ii. 12, 13). faith through hearing the word of God. selves betrayed their sense of inability to withstand the God who was with Gideon; so the powers of darkness cower before Jesus (Matt. viii. 29). The rock of worldly men's confidence is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges (Deut. xxxii. 31; Jer. xl. 3). Gideon went down as his own spy, to hear for himself: so faith comes by hearing (Rom. x. 17), (3) It is a victory in which saint combines with saint. Phurah accompanied him, for two are better than one: and the Lord Jesus sent out the seventy two by two. Phurah was but a servant, yet his name will be immortal, when mighty kings and conquerors shall be forgotten, because he was associated with Gideon. So the Lord will give unto those now associated with Him in the heavenly warfare an everlasting name (Isa. lvi. 5). (4) It is a victory with the sword of the Spirit, the word of God. The sword of Gideon hung idle at his side. It was the shout, "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon," that won the victory. So the sword which routs Satan's hosts, is the sharp two-edged sword which goeth out of the mouth of Him who is the Word of God (Rev. xix. 13, 15, 21; Isa. xi. 4; 2. Thess. ii. 8; Heb. iv. 12). The barley-cake, rolling down from above, overturned Midian's tents. So He who fed five thousand with five barley loaves, makes the preaching of th cross, which is to them that perish foolishness, to be unt us which are saved, the power of God (1 Cor. i. 18). Th Israelites needed but to stand still in their places, and to se the salvation of the Lord. Jehovah did all for them. One them chased a thousand: and whithersoever their enemies fl from death, they ran into it. So it shall be in the great da of the Lord. At the blast of the archangel's trumpet (of whi the trumpets of Gideon's 300 were the type), the ungod Ishall hide themselves in the rocks of the mountains from t wrath of the Lamb (Isa. ii. 21; Rev. vi. 15-17). As Or had formerly forced Israel to hide in the rocks, so was he sla at the rock Oreb (vi. 2); and as Gideon was formerly for to hide his corn by the wine-press (vi. 11) from the Midiani so their prince Zeeb was slain by the Israelites at the wi press of Zeeb. The places of their shelter became the pla of their slaughter. They were punished in kind, the inst ment of their sin being made the instrument of their puni So it shall be in the final award. "The Lord of h shall stir up a scourge for "Antichrist," according to the slaug of Midian at the rock of Oreb" by Ephraim (Isa. x. 26). transgressor's own wickedness shall reprove him; his sins find him out; and he shall too late see, to his eternal reproach and remorse, that it was an evil thing and bitter he forsook the Lord (Jer. ii. 18; Isa. iii. 9; Prov. i. 31; xxii. 11. ment. FINAL TRIUMPH OF THE MEEK: CHASTISEMENT OF MOCKE RETRIBUTIVE BLOOD-SHEDDING OF THE BLOOD-SHEDDER 1. The meek and lowly King of glory hath said, “B are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" (Matt. To conquer self in the strength of Jehovah, and "not overcome of evil, but to overcome evil with good," is a gran victory, and prepares us for greater victories. One of S favourite devices is to sow discord among those who are br in the common war against the powers of evil. Ephraim against Manasseh (Isa. ix. 21); and Gideon, "Why has |