A SERIES of surprises, 124.
Abimelech, the bramble king, 51; son
of Gideon, 52; his ambition, 53;
ending of his dishonourable career,
58, 59.
Adversity, blessings in, 66.
Afflictions, origin of, 47.
After Abimelech, 61.
Amiability, exhortation to, 239; mis-
takes as to, 254.
Ammon, the children of, 69.
Ammonites, qualities of the king of,
306; Saul's answer to, 311.
Appearances, physical and social, re-
sponsibility of, 334.
Ark of God, the, 259; its meaning
considered, 261; its spiritual signifi-
cance, 262; fetched from Shiloh,
263; taken by the Philistines, 265.
BAAL, the appeal to, 15; adopted by
idolatrous Israel, 21; overthrow of,
45.
Bacon, Lord, on infidelity, 159.
Bad men, God's punishments of, 257.
Badness, no man elected to, 341.
Bible, danger of neglecting, 141; his-
tory, development of, 153; the
moral tone of, 229.
Boasting, what is impious, III.
Boaz a type of Christ, 204; a man
worth knowing, ib.; his welcome
to Ruth, 205; the Goel of his family,
206; a Menuchah, 209.
CARNAGE, physical, incompatible with
the Spirit of Christ, 325.
Cause and effect, so-called law of, 25.
Child-priests, appointed by God, 242.
Children, to what they should be dedi-
cated, 81.
Christian charity, the rule of, 117;
life, times of weakness in, 114; dis-
cipline, what is, 230.
Christianity, miracles of, 202; a battle
and a gospel, 157.
Christians, inconsistencies of, 300.
Church, loses by its fears, 28; disci-
pline, when defective, 256; has
room for all kinds of men, 324, 328;
creating fears, 326.
Communion, God's conditions of, 317.
Cross of Christ, the answer to every.
need, 131; the way to heaven, 247.
Curious signs, men chosen by, 26.
Curses, some, vindicate themselves, 58.
DAN, disappearance of tribe of, 155.
David anointed, 333; his harp-playing,
346; copes with Goliath, 347.
Devil's cup, hateful juices of the, 88.
Difficulties, the Bible to be consulted
in, 80.
Disappointments, meaning of, 23.
Discipline, 351; keenness of the di-
vine, 255; compatible with divine
election, 351.
Disobedience, followed by withdraw-
ment of best influences, 332.
EARNESTNESS, determination of, 44.
Election, doctrine of, discussed, 335,
et seq.; law of, 338; right apprecia-
tion of, 340.
Eli, charges Hannah with drunkenness,
221; the sons of, 228; overthrow of
the house of, 238; weakness of his
character, 239; causes of his over-
throw, 248; his good qualities, 249;
his treatment of Samuel, 250; his
interest in the ark, 251; his religious
impulses, 254; biographical note,
258; death of, ib.
Eliab, his kingly stature, 333.
Elisha, call of, 337.
Envy, mischief of, 89.
Ephraim, Gideon's. answer to, 31;
cowardice of, 157.
Ephraimites of to-day, who are, 86,
Evil, cannot escape the divine penalty,
327.
FACT and truth, difference between,
284.
Family life, some aspects of, 96.
Famine, first mentioned in the Bible,
195; God punishes by, ib.
Fight of life, the great, 349.
Formalities, their uselessness, 264.
GIBEAH, history of, 304.
Gideon, 2; his weary work, 6; the
angel's message to, 8; invents a test,
17; critical morning in the life of,
24; his belief in God, 35; his imper-
fectness, 36; tests the angel, 43;
his cautiousness, 44; his error, 49;
his dangers, 50; seventy sons of,
killed, 54.
Gilgal, a sanctuary, 313; history of,
314.
God, his plan unchangeable, 11;
variety of his punishments, 39; full
of compassion, 41; his call to men,
42; the only Judge of the world, 52;
providence of, in little things, 54;
how he has educated the world, 63;
goodness of, how to read, 101; the
sovereign King, 136; the Judge of
motive, 142; his unchangeableness,
245; startling communications of,
246; still small voice of, ib.; moral-
ity of, 252; his treatment of Eli,
253; terribleness of his displeasure,
256; law of, a terror and security,
261; withdrawment of, cause of,
263; his voice in human life, 275;
always nigh at hand, 283; men
fighting against, 287; angry with
the wicked, ib.; his remedy for sin,
289; works by a sovereign law,
337.
Godlessness, revivals of, 64.
Goel, the, meaning of, explained, 206;
function of, 207.
Goliath met by David, 347.
Gospel of Christ, its advantages, 271.
Grace, not hereditary, 281.
HANDFULS of purpose (Judges), 162.
Hannah, her prayer, 218; persecuted
by Peninnah, 223; her hymn, 226.
Heart, mystery of the human, 193.
Heathen idolatry, not to be flippantly
mocked, 126.
Hebrews, mustered at Mizpeh, 289.
Hell, a swift road to, 142; awfulness
of, 208.
Holiness, exhortation to, 20; required
by God, 244.
Holy Ghost, lying unto the, 285
Hope, Christians called to, 202.
Hophni and Phinehas, 229; their con-
duct, 258.
Households, disquieting elements in,
222; cure for, ib.
Humility, a source of strength, 296.
Husband and wife, the complement of
each other, 97.
IDOLATRY, enthusiasm of, 65; when
blasphemy, 127.
Infidelity, has no missionaries, 159.
Ingratitude, meanness of, 57; in chil-
dren, ib.; in nations, ib.; in congre-
gations, ib.
Insanity, worst form of, 200.
Insipidity, life redeemed from, 337.
Israel, oppressed by the Midianites, 3,
27; wickedness of, in asking a king,
321.
Issachar, fame of, 61.
JEPHTHAH, 74; his parentage, ib.; his
disadvantages, 75; his fortune, 76;
his rash vow, 79, 82.
Jesus Christ, the true Vine, 38; the
Eternal Rock, 58; our Goel, 207;
his priesthood and sovereignty, ele-
ments in, 208; our Menuchah, 210;
his spotless life, 235, 237; the
true King, 297.
Joash, a wise man, 15.
Jonathan, disorderly courage of, 327;
knit with the soul of David, 352.
Joseph, a blessing to Potiphar's house,
46.
Jotham's parable, 55; his magnificent
appeal, 56.
KINGS, prayer to be offered for, 317.
Kish, the asses of, 291.
Knowledge, temple of, open to all, 110.
LAUPEN and Morat, fields of, 310.
Liberty, what is, 219.
Life, the great aim of, III; the uncon-
scious losses of, 121; a fair picture
of, 125.
Love, Christianity worthless without,
194.
MAKING a king, 280.
Manoah's wife, 96; her hopeful turn
of mind, 99; an interpreter of the
divine thought, ib.
Men, typical names of, 29.
Mercies, how and when to be remem-
bered, 100.
Micah, the priest-maker, 126; ill at
ease, 128; his sorrow, 136; charac-
terised by Thomas Binney, 143.
Midianites, oppressors of Israel, 3, 27.
Ministers, influence of bad, 231; duties
of, 272; deceived by hypocrites,
285; shirking difficulties, 286; ap-
pointed to lead men, 293; how their
services should be requited, 295;
their cab fares, ib.
Ministry, the, its tameness, 241.
Moments, solemn, in life, 242.
NAHASH, cruelty of, 307.
Naomi, character of, 198; her sorrow,
199.
New birth, the, necessity of, 119.
OBEDIENCE, literal, required by God,
331.
Old men, an appeal to, 277.
One tribe lacking, 151.
Oriental hospitality, laws of, 13.
PAIN which leads to prayer, 67.
Palestine, invasion of, II.
Paul, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, 154;
speaking to Agrippa, 155; his influ-
ence, 278.
Pharisee and publican, the prayers of
the, 48.
Pious memories, how to be cherished,
Portraits, a gallery of, 31.
Practical royalty, 305.
Prayer, mystery of, 220.
Prayers. I, 12, 22, 30, 51, 60, 70, 93,
104, 115, 123, 132, 184, 196, 203,
215, 227, 238, 248, 259, 269, 279, 290,
298, 333, 343, 351.
Praying mothers, influence of, 225.
Preachers, how all may become, 201;
a solemn call to, 233.
Presumption, consequences of, 311.
Priests misjudging people, 221.
Providence, timid readers of, 98.
Pyrrhus, King, slain with a tile-stone,
58.
RAILWAY and cab fares, how ministers
should be treated with regard to,
295.
Recollection, God works through, 6.
Rejecting God, result of, 301.
Renouncing God, consequences of, 66.
Repentance, a call to, 257.
Right and wrong, cannot cohere, 267.
Ruth, Book of, introduction to, 173;
annotated, 177; reviewed as a whole,
211, 212.
Ruth, Wordsworth's description of,
185; her eloquence, 193; welcomed
by Boaz, 205.
SAMSON, a biographical note, 103; les-
sons from his life, 107; his riddles,
109; his strength, 110; confides
in Delilah, 112; a judge in Israel,
117; his blindness, 120; the sport
of the Philistines, ib.; his death, ib.
Samuel, birth of, 218; in office, 269;
his profound influence, 271; conduct
of his sons, 280; told to make a
king, 286; comforted by Jehovah,
289; his defence, 315; his valedic-
tory address, 316; his statesmanlike
speeches, 319.
Saul, 290; seeking his father's asses,
292, 297; a gentleman, 294; intro-
duced to Samuel, 295; his kingdom,
299; at Gibeah, 304; his anomalous
position, 305; his sublime enthu-
siasm, 309; his anointing, 313; at
Gilgal, 313, 314, 330; his kingly
work, 323; his mistakes, 326; erects
his first altar, 329; rejected, 330;
jealousy of, 353.
Searching questions for every man,
317.
Self-renunciation, heroism of, 315.
Self-sufficiency, how to be destroyed,
301.
Servants, not to be despised, 293.
Shibboleth, 85.
Sibboleth, use of the word, 91.
Silence, an expression of power, 305.
Simple duties, dignity of performing,
309.
Sin, not measured by its vulgarity, 255.
Society, cruelty of, 74.
Solitary power, 269.
Succoth, cruelty of the princes of, 34.
Suicides, how to be judged, 120.
THEBEZ, destruction of the temple at,
59.
Toulouse, siege of, 59.
Trees, the parable of, 55.
UNDECLARED royalty, 344.
Undisciplined life, insanity of, 302.
Unlikely men, God's call to, 337.
Unpardonable sin, anxiety as to the,
WIFE, husband's obligation to, 97.
Woman, the mission of, 102; the
rights of, ib.; said the finest things
in the Bible, ib.
Worldly men, requests of, 276.
|