Vers. B-16.-Requiting ml for good, and good for evil. It was truly unhand- some conduct on the part of the men of Judah. They had received aid and service from Samson, and their enemies had been put to shame ; and now, when they are threatened with consequences for harbouring him from their foes, they are ready to betray him. . l. THOSE WHO HAVE RECEIVED THE GREATEST BENEFITS OFTEN BETRAY THEIB BENE· FACTORS. Wallace was betrayed by a Scotchman; Christ by Judas, and rejected by the Jews. This arises partly from failure to comprehend the work done by great men ; partly from ignoble nature, that fails to attain the level of heroic nction. II. A MAGNANIMOUS MIND WILL RATHER BUFFER EVIL THAN BE THE OCCASION OF IT TO OTHERS. III. MEN INJURE THEMSELVES WHEN THEY EVADE DUTY IN COMPROMISE. ·These 3000 men of Judah might have driven the Philistines before them, and delivered their land, had they been inspired by a heroic spirit. They afterwards discover that the work is done in spite of them which might have been done by them, and thus lose the .credit and blessing that might have been theirs. Samson is thus completely detached from the nation he was raised up to deliver. So Clirist stands alone as the Saviour of the world. IV. Goo MAY OVERRULE MEN'S MISDOINGS TO THEIR ULTIMATE ADVANTAGE.-~ Grace can extract a blessing even from sin. But atonement has been made, and the spirit purged from its mean and unholy disposition. The crucifixion of Christ, the work of men, is the means of the salvation of men. V. EXTERNAL D0NDS CANNOT EFFECTUALLY DIND THE SERVANT OF Goo. "Sto'r{e walls do not a prison make, Nor iron bars 11 cage." 1 ):ersecutions tend to further the influence of truth. God breaks the bands with which men confine his servants and his word.-M.
Vera. 4, 5.-lngenuity and originali,ty. I. INGENUITY IS OFTEN AS EFFECTIVE Ag STRENGTH. Samson is not merely the hero of brute force; he shows wit, intelli- gence, inventiveness. We constantly see how effective these faculties are in business, in war, in politics. The Christian needs the wisdom of the serpent (Matt. x. 16). In many of our Christian enterprises the requisite for greater success is not more money, more workers, nor even more zeal, but wiser methods. Samson's ingenuity wag wholly on the side of destruction. Would that the soldiers of Christ's army of sal- vation showed as much intelligence nnd wisdom in conducting the campaigns of the JODGF.S, M 162 THE BOOK OF JUDGES. [CR, XV. 9-20.
Church militant for the saving of men as the soldiers of the armies of ambitious monarchs display in their warfare, which brings little else th1m death and misery I Ingenuity is quickened by interest. If we had a more practical sense of the end of the Christian battle with the evil of the world, more earnest desire to effect real results more heart in the whole work, we should be more wise and thoughtful. It is th~ half-hcnrted who are dull and sleepy soldiers of Christ. II. ORIGINALITY OF METHOD IS OFTEN ONE GROUND OF SUCCESS. Samson showed grent originality; consequently his enemies were not provided against the novel attnck he made upon their land and its produce. Mere novelty is little recommenda- tion. But we are all too much wedded to old habits of life. _.. Novel methods in the work of the Church are sometimes advisable, (1) because th6 old may be effete, (~) because the old may haye lost their in_terest or be ,veil provided against by oppo- nents, (3) because there 1s room for variety of work even when the old ways of work- ing are ~uccessf~I, (4) because,_though th~ old style m:i,y be good, we should always be seekmg for 1~pro,ements till we attam to perfect10n, and ( 5) because new cir- cumstances require new treatment. We need no new gospel, no new Christ· but we do need fresh applications of the gospel, new adaptations to the wants of the times. There is room for the richest originality in those who have the moat loyal attachment io the ancient truths of Christianity.-A.