I. THE SPIRIT IN WHICH GREAT DEEDS ARE WROUGHT. The outburst has its source in Divine patriotism or religious enthusiasm. .A consciousness of a representative character and destiny animates the Israelites. Religious devotion binds them into complete communion. Private aims and interests are forgotten. 1. It is this spirit whu:h rescues the war of ddiverance from ob;'ections to war simply as such. As an act of self-devotion it was a truly devout, and therefore religiously legitimate, war. No Lope of personal gain animates the host of Israel. It is patriotism in its noblest form. These soldiers are all volrmteers ; they obey a Divine voice. How many wars would cease were such feelings consulted I The saints' contest with evil sb.)IJld be con- ducted from a like principle. We should know what "manner of spirit" we are of. 2. It was thi,s spirit which made so effectual the struggle in whuh they were engaged. They were desperate, devoted men. No half-measure would be tolerated. Having counted the cost, they were willing to carry it on a outrance. God's battle with error and wickedness has suffered because of the half-heartedness of those who wage it. 3. It was thi,s spirit whuh conferred upon the deed its msthetic beauty and epic grandeur. It is a fine question to deter_m!ne what t~at is that gives the essential charaeter to the noble, chivalrous, and religious enthusiasms of men. A careful survey of any considerable number of them will show that not only itnsel.fishness, but self• sacrifice, is their fundamental principle. Selfish aims, or the impulse of self-aggrandise- ment, vitiates the deed, however externally magnificent; and vice ·versa, the mag- nanimous forgetfulness of self, the conscious foregoing of personal ends and aims, will give nobility and piety even to works externally indifferent or apparently ignoble. The sentiment of a deed is its true character. Here it assumes a dignity and glory that command the admiration of the poet and the artist. It is part of the excellence of noble deeds to inspire. There is nothing so inspiring as self-devotion. But this is the vital breath of all true religion. Religious enthusiasm is contagious. The pious hero cannot long remain alone. True worship is the praise of the cross, where the power of darkness sustained its signal, final defeat. "By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.'' If we are truly religious our lives also will blossom forth in acts that poets might sing and orators extol. II. THE INSPIRER OF GREAT DEEDS. That they are not a spontaneous outgrowth of our nature is the general confession of those who have wrought them. The object of Israel's admiration and obedience was Jehovah. It was in the inspiration derived from l1im the deliverance was wrought. God in Christ, as embodying the highest excellency in sympathetic relation with ourselves, is an even more powerful stimulus to heroism and piety. "For Christ II sake" is a formula that covers a vaijt proportion 011, v. 1-31.J THE BOOK OF JUDGES. 49
of " whntsoever things nre true, whatsoever things are honeHt, whatsoever thinn-8 0 aro just, and pure, and lovely, and of good report," in the world's history.-M.
VerR. 6, 7.-National ruin and tlie true deliverer. The mighty deed of Shamgar did not avail to reduce the interior of Israel to a state of order and security. Who- ever Jae! (the Helper) may have been, whether Ehud, Shamgar, or some other hero even he was unable to restore confidence to the dwellers in the country, or to rende; communication between the towns and villages easy and secure. The description here reminds one of Germany in the tenth century, or Sicily and Greece in our own times. A strong hand and a central government are required in order to inspire confidence and to render the conditions of life uniform and reliable. A country may be great in military strength, and yet, socially and politically, at a standstill because of the absence of due internal administration, of public institutions, and zeal for the public welfare. We have here- I. A VIVID PICTURE OF NATIONAL DECAY. I. The means of inter-communication were rendered useless. "The highways were deserted." Main thoroughfares have ever been requisite for the proper inter-communication of tl;ie different parts and towns in a country. They are therefore one of the first means employed for opening up internal resources and developing commerce and civilisation. All really great governments have distinguished themselves in road-making; as, for instance, the Incas of Peru, the Chinese, and the Romans. It was the boast of the Roman writer that the circuit of the empire could be made through Europe, Asia, and Africa, with- out risk to life or property, by a private traveller. The sight of deserted highways suggests the collapse of commerce and social intercourse. It is more striking than the complete absence of roads would be. And highways that continued in disuse Vl ould soon get out of repair and be rendered impassable. In the present day a similar state of things prevails over a large part of Palestine and Asia Minor. Travellers make their journeys by night, and avoid the villages and public roads. The wandering Arab brings the desert with him wherever he goes. 2. The cou1itry districts depopu- lated. This would rapidly reduce the country to barrenness, and render the support of the nation more precarious. A. mere tithe of the population could then be supported, and the nation would be kept in a state of weakness. II. THE SECRET 011' NATIONAL REGENERATION. Deborah was a mother in Israel. The military hero played his part, but failed of highest success. It was for her, by wise and statesmanlike measures, internal administration, and a strong central govern- ment, to bring to the people's doors the fruits of military success. She fostered a national spirit, encouraged a respect for law, and rendered it as safe to dwell in the country as within the walled city. The continuous policy of Deborah achieved the reconstitution of the land and its freedom from internal lawlessness.-M.