enemies, than could the blowing of trumpets to destroy the walls of Jericho, or the breaking of pitchers to subdue the armies of Midian and of Amalek. It is " by faith you are to walk, and not by sight:" and " according to your faith it shall be done unto you."]
You must further imitate,
III. His full determiuation never to relax his efforts — Gideon, " though faint " from the excess of his
exertions, " yet pursued" his enemies —
[A panic having struck the Midianites, they, by mistake, slew one another, so that not less than one-hundred-and-twenty thousand of them fell that night. The remaining fifteen thou- sand fled. Now Gideon might well have said. The enemy is so weakened, that they cannot invade us any more : I will now, therefore, with my little band of soldiers, take my rest. But he would not on any account act thus. As long as there were any of his enemies remaining, he would pursue them. Though he was quite "faint" with fatigue, he would not cease from his exertions; but followed them, and fell upon them, and slew them, and took captive both their kings, both Zebah and Zalmunna.]
What a bright example is here for us !
[There must, of necessity, be times and seasons when we are ready to faint in our great warfare, and to wish, as it were, for some relaxation from our labour. Who has not ex- perienced both weariness in duties, and dejection of mind, too, in the conflicts which he has had to sustain ? But it must be time enough for us to rest when we get to heaven. St. Paul was " troubled on every side, yet not distressed ; perplexed, but not in despair ; persecuted, but not forsaken ; cast down, but not destroyed <^ :" " for which cause he fainted not^." So must it be with us : whatever progress we have made, we must " forget the things which are behind, and press forward to that which is before." " We must never be weary in well- doing," or, if weary in it, we must never be weary of it. Who- ever sees us, must see us still "pursuing," and determining never to rest, till every enemy be subdued, and " Satan him- self be for ever bruised under our feet."]
Above all, we must follow him in,
IV. His assured expectation of ultimate success —
This was very conspicuous —
[His own countrymen, both of Succoth and Penuel, re- fused even to administer food to his weary soldiers, lest the
« 2 Cor. iv. 8, 9. f 2 Cor. iv. 16.