patience the race that is set before us^." I would notice him, therefore, under the two-fold character of A de- liverer to Israel, and A model to us: or, rather, instead of separating the two, I will combine them; that so the whole subject may come before us in a more luminous and useful point of view.
Let us, then, notice respecting Gideon,
I. His ready obedience to the divine call —
When convinced that God had called him to fight for Israel, he delayed not to execute his commis- sion—
[The Midianites had grievously oppressed Israel. By a kind of predatory warfare, they annually desolated the whole land. Gideon was threshing out some corn, in order to hide it from the Midianites: and God sent an angel to inform him, that, through his instrumentality, the country should be deli- vered from its invaders. This seemed to be an hopeless and almost mipossible event : but when God had shewn him, by repeated signs, that the office of delivering Israel was com- mitted to him, he cheerfully obeyed the call, and addressed himself to the work assigned him'' ]
- The same promptitude. Brethren, is expected at y ;ur hands —
[You are called to war against the enemies of God and his people. Satan has exercised a most tyrannic sway over the whole world, " leading them captive at his will." But the Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the trumpet to be sounded throughout all your coasts, that you may flock to his standard, and arm yourselves for the combat. Let none say, The enemy is too powerful for me; I cannot venture to oppose him. The command is absolute ; and every one of you must gird on his armour, and prepare to " war a good warfare." Let there be no reluctance. Brethren, no timidity, no " con- ferring with flesh and blood." It is a disgraceful bondage to which you have been subjected : and the time is come for you to free yourselves from it. I call on all of you, therefore, to obey the summons, and in every possible way to approve yourselves " good soldiers of Jesus Christ."]
But be sure to follow in this,
II. His simple dependence on divine aid —
Admirably did Gideon's faith display itself on this occasion —
a Heb. xi. 32, 33. and xii. 1. " Judg. vi. 1—35.