HOMILETICS. Vera. 1:--2~-:--Renewed effort after disaster. The Christian warfare, whether from a,n mdivtdual or from a general point of view, is _no record of invariable success. The career of each Christian, as of the Christian Church, is a cheque1·ed course. It has its periods of triumph and its moments of disaster. We learn here many valuable lessons as to our conduct under adverse circumstances. I. WE .AR!! NOT TO INDULGE DESPONDENCY. (1) In consequence of evil allowed to lurk within you, you have had a grievous fall. Your duty is plain : to examine carefully into yourself, with God's help, to detect the hidden evil, and to cast it out. This done, your next duty is to renew the strife. He who is cast clown by failure so much as to give up all effort, is lost. The only way to inherit the land of promise is to continue the strife ceaselessly until every one of God's enemies he destroyed. To Joshua, a catastrophe like that of Ai only occurs once. In the case of most ordinary Christians it occurs many times. But the same course is necessary, how many times soever it befalls us. Stone Achan with stones till he die ; then '' Fear not, neither be dismayed:" "Arise, go up to Ai; see, I have given it into thy hand.'' (2) The history of the Church is the same as that of the indindual. Its conflict is more prolonged, more mysterious, and more complete. Therefore it has many Achans, its failures like those of Ai are more numerous, and its need of such encouragement as is here given far greater. Whatever the strife may be, its failures are due.to the sins, sometimes unsuspected and undetected, though open, of the Achans of the flock. Many a generation of Christians has faileclin their strife against evil, because they llave not sought enlightenment from God, and so ha,e called good evil and evil good, have put darkness for light, and light for darkness. After a failure they have no't cast lots for the offender, and often they have gi,en up the fight. But the fight must never be given up. Whatever is recognised as not of God must be contended against to the last. If success seems to ha,e deserted us, let us look out for our Achan; try and find out the reasons for our failure. Somewhere or other, if we are sincere in the search, we shall find the hidden evil that paralyses our efforts. Our first task must be to cast it out; our next to renew the conflict with greater energy and more precautions. No amount offailure ought to daunt us. If still success does not crown our efforts, let us seek for new Achans, and immolate them to the justice of God. But our duty is still to persevere, still to arise up against Ai, and never to cease our eff~ts until it, and the king thereof, and all the souls that are therein, are involved in one common ruin. II. WE MUST GIVE HONOUR WHERE HONOUR IS DUE. Some successes are entirely God's doing. Man may not clitim credit or in any way seek profit by them. Others o.re due to man's individual energy and courage-God, of com·se, working with him, o,nd prospering his efforts. For these he may lawfully enjoy the credit, and be "held in reputation," provided he is careful "not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God bas tleo,lt to every mo,n the measure of faith.'' So the spoil of J ericbo, which God put into the hands of the Israelites, was devoted to Him. Achan, in seizing it for himself, was robbing God of His right. But the spoil of Ai, which God permitted the Israelites to to,ke by their own exertions, wa8 given into their hands. " God is not unrighteous that he should forget your works ancl labours of love." He or she ha,s a 1~ght to be " beloved" who has "laboured much in the Lord.'' III. YET MAN MAY NOT CLAIM UNDUE CREDIT FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE. Nothing can be done without God's help. Our greatest successes are the result of talents entrusted us by God. " What bast thou that thou hast not received?'' asks the apostle. Therefore "Not unto us, but unto God's name be the praise.'' The greatest sa,int must therefore preserve the grace of humility. While he joyfully employs the influence ancl authority his faith antl patience have won for him in God's cause, he must never forget who it was that enabled him to do what he has done; that if be has been "working out," either his" own salvation," or any blessed works for the sitlva,tion of others, it was through God who wa,s \Yorking in him. 136 'rHE BOOK OF JOSHUA. [ci1, Viii, 1-29,
J oshun could not take Ai, had not God given it into his hand. Therefore whatenr "We ha,·e done, we are still unprofitable servants. We have done no more than our dut.Y. '· Let us not be high-minded, but fear." IY. VYE MUST ASSAIL OUR ENEMIES INDIRECTLY AS WELL AS DIRECTLY, Joshua employs stratagem as well as force against Ai. It is to be fea,red tlmt Christian Cht~rches need_ no exh~1~atione to_ this colll:se. M_any have been the stratagems and deY1ces of Ynr1ous rehg1ous bodies to gam their ends, which haYe brought not success but disgrace upon the cause. Yet we may remember that it is not therefore necess!Lry to rush to the opposite extreme, and imagine that nothing but violent denunciation and open force are the methods to be employed. There is a wisdom of the serpent which may be lawfully employed in God's cause. The man who is not won by argument may be won by persuasion. The mind that is repelled by vigorous denunciation may be open to satire or raillery. We may frequently gain oYer antagonists by appearing to yield to them. Sometimes it is even the best way to remoYe an abuse by allowing it to have full course, and work out its own evil results, and then turning ro!llld and pointing out its true character. But strata- gems of the character of pious frauds, stratagems which do violence to the Chris- tian's character for truth and honesty, deliberate conceahnent of aims which should be avowed, compromises with error for the ultimate advantage of truth-these are predestined to fail. If they gain their immediate object, they will most certainly in the end be detrimental to God's cause.