difficulty oJ: evangelising one's own neighbourhood; far less the world I Yet it has to be done, and it oan be done; but not in our own strength. Only as we submit ourselves wholly to God and his Son can we fulfil the mighty task. Let us too wait upon God, and pluck wisdom and heroism from defeat. The Spirit of God is with us, and the promise of Christ is ours.-M. Ver. 34.-" Tliey lcnew not that evil W(L(I near them." How descriptive this of all men I Our misfortunes often overtake us unawnres. There is no earthly security. The sinner especially should not encourage himself in fancied immunity. The Son of man cometh as a thief in the night, for judgment and for reward. J. THE UNCERTAIN NATURE OF THE FUTURE. II. THE IGNORANCE AND HEKDLESSNESS OF SINNERS RESPECTING Goo's JUDGMENTS. III. How TO BE DELIVERED FROM ll'EAR AND THE REAL EVILS OF THIS IGNORANCE. A righteous life the great safeguard. But how attained? Christ's the only authori- tative " Fear not." External evils will through him minister to our eternal welfare and well-being. This trust in him should be implicit, and an active force in every life.-M. Ver. 23.-Lessons of defeat. The Christian sometimes encounters defeat in the enterprises of spiritual warfare-in the battle of the inner life, in efforts to destroy the wickedness and misery of the world, in missionary campaigns. 1. DEFEAT SHOULD AROUSE REFLECTION. The Israelites had acted hastily under the impulse of sudden indignation. In defeat they were thrown back to think of the object and methods of their war. This war against a brother tribe was a terrihle undertaking. Was it necessary? No war should be undertaken till it is absolutely necessary. It may be our duty to oppose our own brethren; but this should be done only after serious reflection. We are sometimes allowed to fail that we may consider more deeply all that is involved in actions attended with serious con- sequences. II. DEFEAT SHOULD INDUCE HUMILITY AND REPENTANCE. The Israelites had been too self-confident. Enraged at the wickedness of one town, they had not realised their own sin, nor how this wickedness was but one act of national depravity. They were now the champions of justice. The position thus assumed by them would blind them to their own failings and stimulate pride. When Christian men do battle against some monstrous evil, they too are in danger of falling into similar failings of pride and self-righteousness. Defeat is then a wholesome humiliation leading to repentance. If we are to testify against the sin of others, we too must not forget that we also are sinners. III. DEFEAT SHOULD LEAD US TO SEEK COUNSEL 011' GoD. 1. The Israelites had consulted some oracle, some !_! gods," before going to war. After defeat they turned to the true God, the Eternal. We often need to fail before we will learn to pray. Then we see that our wisdom is to follow God's will. 2. The Israelites did not simply ask .for success. They asked whether or no they should go up to war. We should not pray for God's blessing on the enterprise which we are obstinately pur- suing irrespective of his will, but should first ask for light to teach us whether we should pursue it. 3. The Israelites did not nsk for God's strength, but only for his guidance. Perhaps if they had invoked his aid they would not have failed a second time. We need trust in God and reliance on his help for perfect success. IV. DEFEAT SHOULD LEAD TO RENEWED AND IMPROVED EFFORT. Through repeated defeats Israel persevered on to victory. So it is with the Christian. "Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down" (Ps. xxxvii. 24).-A. Ver. 47.-" An escaped remnant." I. THERE IS USUALLY AN ESCAPED REMNANT PROM THE MOST SEVERE PROVIDENTIAL ACT OF JUDGMENT. So it was in the flood, in the destruction of the cities of the plain, in the captivity, in the conquest of Jerusalem by the Romans. God does not totally destroy. Mercy is mingled with judgment. Though this is some mitigation of the calamity, it is no reason for rash indifference to danger, because (1) the remnant mny be but a small minority, (2) none can tell whether they will be included in it, and (3) the remnant, though escaping the worst fate, suffers great hardships. THE BOOK OF JUDGES. [cH. XXI. 1-25,
II. Tmi: REMNANT DOES NOT NECESSARILY CONSIST OF BETTER MEN THAN THOBIII WHO ARE DES1:ROYED. If one is taken and another left, this diversity of treatment is no proof of difference of character. As they who are subject to signal calamities a:e not to be regarded as especially wicked (e. g. Job, the men on whom the tower of Siloam fell, &c.), so those who are favoured by remarkable deliverances have no right to be considered especiall~- virtuous. Their position is one to excite special \jrntitude, but not to encourage pride. Sometimes, indeed, it is dishonourable to them. It ~nay be a result of cowardice, indolence1 or falsehood. The trnitor may escape while the true man falls. Barabbas escaped while Christ was crucified. In times of persecution the unfaithful are saved and the faithful suffer martyrdom. Ill. THERE IS A PROVIDENTIAL END TO DE SECURED BY THE PRESERVATION OF A REMNANT. The idea of" the remnant" is familiar to the reader of Scripture (e. g, Isa. ~- 9).. ~her~ must be som~ Divine pu~ose in it. Can we discover that purpose? Possibly 1t Is this-every nation, every tribe, every community of men which has 1,pecial characteris~cs. of its own has al~o ~ spe~ial mission to the world dependent on those characteristics. If, therefore, 1t 1s entirely blotted out of existence1 the fruits of that mission will be lost to the world. A remnant is spared that the sp ecial gifts may be tra.nsmitted through a small hereditary line, and thus be preserved and turned to the continued service of the world. Israel had a mission to the world dependent on her peculiar endowments. If the remnant of Israel had not been delivered from Babylon, this mission would have been destroyed, a.nd the human side of the origin of Christianity, such as we now see it, made impossible. Benjamin had a mission. From this tribe sprang the first king of Israel and the chief of Christ's apostles. If the 600 Benjamites had not been spared St. Paul would never have e.ppeared.-A.
EXPOSITION.