CHAPTER II. CHAPTER IV'. The Expostulation 18 Bochim ... 19 The V11riety of God's Instruments. The Preaching of Repentance 20 The Weakness of God's Instru- Influence 21 ments 40 The Force of Pe:·sonal Testimony aml Temporary Influences and ll Perma- Influence 23 nent Tendency ... 41 Israel's Apostasy ... 23 The Battle of the Brook Kishon, or The Goodness and Severity or God 24 Material Force 'IJeTS'lt3 Spiritual 42 Mercy in the midst of Judgment 26 Deborah and Barak 43 Tested by Temptation 26 Patriotic Troachcr;r u . 11 INDEX.
CHAPTER V. THEME rAoR "l'HEMB T'AG1l. Following up Advantage 83 Self-Sacrifice and its Inspirer ... 48 Gideon's Ruse ... 83 National Ruin and the True Deliverer 49 The Peril of National Irreligion ... 49 CHAPTER VIII. Testimony and Thanksgiving the Duty The Blindness of Self-Love ... 84 of the Redeemed 50 Dealing with Obstructives 84 tional Defence a Common Respon~: " Faint, yet pursuing" 86, 87 bility ... ... ... . .. 60 The Complete Revenge 89 The Hopelessness of Opposition to God 51 Prosperity ... 92 The Curse of llferoz 51 Noble Self-Abnegation ... The Conduct of J ael ••• •• • 93 51 The Mistake of 11 Good Man 94 The Sunlike Life 52 The After Life ... 94 A Mother in Israel 6~ The Consequence of the.. imperf~~t Self-Dedication 53 Recognition of Jehovah .. . 95 Literary Occupations 54 Gideon and the Theocracy .. . 95 Indolent Indecision 55 Forgetfulness and Ingratitude 96 The Cnrse of Meroz 65 The Trinmph of the Chnrcl~-- 56 CHAPTER IX. CHAPTER VI. Self-Aggrandisement 98 Ambitious Usurpation .. . 99 The Fruit of Ingratitude 57 Unrighteous Claims of Kindred ... 99 Israel's Extremity ... 58 Shortcomings of Unscrupulous Schemes 100 Di.:ine Mercy: its Adaptation and Sufficiency Abimelech ... ... ... 100 58 The Handwriting on the Well ... 102 Merciful Reproof ... 59 Jotham's Fable; or, Popular Election God Songht and Found in Times of its Dangers and Abuses ... . -~ 103 Trouble 59 Strength in Weakness 104 The Preparation ... 61 Jotham's Parable ... 104 The Call of Gideon 62 Be sure yonr sin will find yon out 108 The Paradox of the Divine Presence ... 63 The Nemesis of Usurpa.tion . .. 109 The Assuring Thought of God's Servant 63 A Worthy Serva.nt of II Worthless Asking for a Sign ... . .. 64 Master 109 The Sign-the Present tnrned into a. Without a. Leader... 110 Sacrifice 0 64 Reputation 110 Jehovah Shalom, or Spiritual Forebo d.: ings stilled 65 CHAPTER X. Diffidence 65 The Action commenced 67 The Lull 111 The First Work . . . . .. 68 The Calm after the Storm ... 112 Who hath done this Thing I 69 Quiet Times 112 Jerubbaal, or, Is an Idol Anything I 69 The Ethiopian's Unchanged Skin 114 Gideon the Iconoclast 69 Recnrring Habits of Evil ... 116 The Divine Side of Human History 71 Immediate and Effectual Retribution 116 The Crisis and the Confirmation 72 God answering Hardened Transgressors 116 "Works meet for repentance" 116 CHAPTER VII. Faith restoring Courage and Might 116 The Sifting 74 From God to Ba.al 117 Divinely-ordained Tests 75 The Test of Trouble 117 " Mine own hand hath saved me" 76 Repentance 118 Success not Dependent on Numbers ... 77 Faith. . .. 79 CHAPTER XI. The Crowning Sign ln.sJJired Tactics ... 81 82 I The Controversy ... Tlie Shaping Influences of Life 121 129 INDEX. iii
THEME PA.OE THEME PAOB Magnanimity of Patriotism... 123 The Fearlessness and Modesty of the Uecognition of God in Positions of Spiritual Hero .. . 152 Honour and Responsibility 124 The Mystery of Spiritual Might 152 The Model Diplomatist 124 Recalling Past Deliverances 152 '.l'he Friend in Need 124 Samson and the Lion 153 J:luman Perverseness embittering the Another View of Married Life 155 Sweet Cup, 126 Samson's Riddle ... 156 The Spirit of Sacred Warfare 127 Unlawful Methods of interpreting Di- Jephthah's Vow ... 128 vine Mysteries ... 157 The Spirit of the Lord 129 Ploughing with Another's Heifer 157 Jephthah's Vow ... 130 How Confidence in Wicked Men is Rewarded 157 CHAPTER XII. Samson's Riddle 157 The Envy of the Small Great e.t the Great Deeds of the Small ,131 CHAPTER XV. Ingratitude the Frequent Reward of The Progress of the Fend ... 159 Benefactors 132 Atonements of the Unrighteous 160 The Reproach of the Righteous 133 God's Servant set Free by the Provi- Shibboleth :-The Importance of Little dences of Life . . . 160 Defects, Faults, &c. 133 Foxes and Firebrands 160 Tests : their Good e.nd Evil 134 Those who have Occasioned Evil pun- "Vaulting Ambition," which "o'er• ished for those who Caused it 161 leaps itself" 134 Reqniting Evil for Good, and Good for Jealousy... 135 Evil ... 161 Shibboleth 136 Ingenuity and Originality ... 161 The Calm after the Storm 137 Man without God, and Man with God 163 Imperfect Means made Effectual by CHAPTER XIII. Divine Inspiration 165 Married Life 140 The Self-Refreshment of Divine Service 165 A Natural Desire e.nd its Gracious Ful- The Jawbone of an Ass 165 filment 141 Distress after Triumph 166 The Difficulty of Salvation ... 142 God's Use of Unlikely Means for Gra- CHAPTER XVI. cious Ends 143 Presumption leading to a Fall 168 Divine Punishment and Preparation of God redeeming the Error of His Ser- Deliverance Simultaneous 143 vant ... 170 Repetition of Divine Favours 143 Samson's Betrayal and Fall 171 Parental Anxiety and its Satisfying 144 "And he wist not that the Lord (Je- The Wonderful Name 144 hovah) was departed from him" 172 Reassurance of Divine Favour l 45 Samson's Weakness 172 Fulfilment of Promise 145 God's Departure from the Soul un- Samson the Naze.rite 145 recognised 173 The Training of Children 146 The Short-lived Triumph 175 The Mystery of e. Name 147 A Hero's Exodus ... 176 The Fear of the Vision of God 148 Samson's Heroic Death 176 The Young Samson 148 CHAPTER XVII. CHAPTER XIV. The Superstitious Worship of the True The Link of the Chain 150 God 179 Human Desire overruled for Divine The History of a Man-made Ministry : Ends ... 151 1. Its Genesis ... 181 The Lion in the Way 152 Avarice and Superstition 182 iv INDEX.
THDIB PJ.OB 'rREMB PAO ■
No King 183 The Duty of considering Painful Sub- Feith in the Priest 18' jects ... 197