women who are not called to imitate the heroic career of Deborah may take example from the compnssion of Pharaoh's daughter, the nospitality of Abigail, and the charity of Dorcas. II. Tm: WC'MAN CHOSEN FOR THE DELIVERANCE OF ISRAEL WAS A MOTHER. The peculiar virtue of celibacy is a late invention which finds no basis in the Bible. There marriage is honourable (Heh. xiii. 4), and to mothers a peculiar honour is given (1 Tim. ii. 15). The joys and cares of maternity deepen the nature of women and develop the noblest and most Divine of all affections-a mother's strong, tender, devoted love. A true mother will not have the less affection for others because her first duty is to her own children. She is no perfect mother, even, whose whole affection and care is confined to her family. With her maternal affection is little more than a form of selfishness, the offspring being regarded as an enlargement of the personality of the parent. The true mother is motherly in her nature, and shows her motherliness in all relations of life ; so that to her friends, her nation, and the needy, her thought and care partake of the mother's fond, self-sacrificing devotion. Therefore patriotism is not antagonistic to maternal affection, but offers a. field for its noblest efforts. III. THOUGH A MOTHER JS CHOSEN FOR THE WORK OF DELIVERING ISRAEL, SHE IS NOT CALLED TO SACRIFICE ANY WOMANLY GRACE IN PERFORMING THE TASK. Deborah was no Amazon; Hers was not the fierce fighting of Barak. She was a. prophetess. 1. Her mission was to inspire and encourage. This is one of woman's noblest works. Women are unfaithful when they check their sons or husbands in the performance of dangerous duties. 2. Her mission was also to utter God's praises after victory had been secured. Women, more sensitive than men, should be able to arouse songs of thanksgiving, while men may be slower to awake to the full feeling of gratitude. In leading the praises of the Church women have a. truly womanly mission.-A. Ver. 9.-Self-dedication. Deborah's heart turns in motherly affection to those rulers of Israel who have willingly offered themselves to the service of their God and their country. It should be the aim of the Christian to emulate such self-devo- tion in the cause of Christ and of humanity. I. THE OFFERING WAS TO Goo AND THE coUNTRT. 1. It was to God. Though this fa.et is not expressly named here, a.s in the case of Jehosha.phat's captain, Amasia.h (2 Chron. xvii. 16), it is plainly implied, inasmuch as the people had been incited by a Divine messenger and were living under a theocracy. God was the King, and the soldier's fidelity to his king was fidelity to God. Men devote themselves to business, pleasure, art, literature, science. The highest object of devotion is to live to God. This may be pursued through the necessary earthly occupations, elevating and consecrating them by making them part of God's service. 2. The devot-ion was also to the country. Patriotism is a Christian duty. But the Christian is called to care for the large human world. We are called upon to live for the good of others, to aim at increasing their happiness and spiritual welfare. This aim is not divergent from that of serving God. We render him service by working for the good of others according to his will, and so as to render him honour. II. THE OFFERING OF THE GOVERNORS WAS OF THEMSELVES. God ill not satiefied with our gifts ; he asks for our hearts (Prov. xxiii. 26). The true preachers of God's will will say," We seek not yours, but you" (2 Cor. xii. 14). No gifts will be acceptable to God until we have first given our own selves to him (2 Cor. viii. 5). The sacrifice of self-dedication, which was symbolised to the Jew in the whole burnt offering, is a sacrifice still looked for under the Christian dispensation, not as a pro- pitiation for sin, but as a thank offering. This, and no less, constitutes our reasonable service (Rom. xii. 1). We offer o~rselves to. God w~en _w~ render _hi~ the homag_e of our hearts in love, when we sacnfice our wills to lus will m subm1ss10n and obedi- ence, when we make it the object of our life to please and serve and honour him. We cannot compensate for lack of personal devotion by payment, as in some countries the conscript can do in regard to military service. Our gifts will not take the plaee of our work. We cannot serve God by proxy. The work of the missionary or uf any professional agent of the Church must not bA regarded as a substitute for the work of the private Christian. God claims the personal service of all ~f us. 54 THE DOOK OF JUDGES. [en. v. 1-31.
III. THE OFFERING_ "'.As VOLUNTARY. Deborah rejoices in_the fact that the governors offered tl1emselves w1llmgly. 1. The only acceptable 8ervicc of God mU8t be willing service. God leaves us free to accept or reject his service, he uses no violent com- pulsion to drive us into it. There is no conscription for recruiting the regiments of the kingdom of heaYen; all soldiers in that glorious army are volunteers. This is impor:tant, because (1) only voluntary service can come from the heart,-God values d~,-otwn_ of the heart more_ th3:n wor~ of. the h~nds,-and (2) only voluntary service will be ngorous and ~nthus1astic and_ ms1;nr_ed with ~he devotion which insures success. 2. We have every 'TIWtive to render this willing service. We are free from compulsion but we are not free from obligation. We are to blame if we do not freely offer our~ selves, and if we persist in refusing it will g·o ill with us at the last. (1) Duty requires the service. The people were summoned by a Divine messenger. 'We are summoned . by the preaching of the kingdom. They were living under the rule of God : God 1s our Kmg and Lord. They were bound to defend their country in its need ; we are bound by nature and Christianity to help our fellow-men in their distress a~d. sin. ~2) Gratitude makes the seT_vice one of. love. The Jews had seen mighty D1nne dehver::mces ; we have the sacrifice of Christ for us and his love constraining us (2 Cor. v. 15 ). In application of these truths it may be noticed that some are waiting to be called into the Church or for service. Such waiting is a mistake. Christ is waiting for us. He has called us; he expects our free self-dedication. Let UB not wait to be sought or asked, but freely offer ourselves to his service.-A.