It is true, Jordan rolls between; but "when thou passest through the waters, he will be with thee." It is true, there is yet the last enemy to be destroyed; but meet him only in the power of faith, and in dependence on the Captain of salvation, who has conquered him already, and then the apostle's song of triumph shall be thine: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me in that day." 150 SERMON VII. GIDEON'S VICTORY OVER THE MIDIANITES. JUDGES vii. 16-22. And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers. And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be, that as I do, so shall ye do. When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon. So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp, in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands. And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal; and they cried, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon. And they stood every man in his place, round about the camp : and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host. WE frequently have occasion to remark, how wonderfully the trials and encouragements of faith are blended together in the Christian's experience. The whole of Gideon's history proves this. Mark the quick succession of encouragement and trial in all that befals him. First, he is encouraged : "The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour;" and his sacrifice is accepted. Then he is tried; tried the same night; tried in the exercise of that "valour" for which he was before encouraged. The Lord said, "Throw down the altar of Baal, and cut down the grove that is by it." His encouragement is equal to his trial, his strength equal to his day; and he does it at the hazard of his life. Look at him in the next stage of his career, and you see the same truth exemplified, only the trial comes first. "All the Midianites, and Amalekites, and the children of the east, were gathered together against Gideon." But immediately comes the encouragement: "The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon," so that he had boldness to blow the trumpet for battle; and, in order to keep alive that confidence, God favours him with assurances from the miracle of the dew and the fleece. When he is made to 66 wax strong in the Lord" by this, he is tried again; he is called to exercise all the faith imparted to him, by witnessing the fearful consequences of his "proclamation," where twenty-two thousand men returned back from Mount Gilead; and, afterwards, when, by proving them at the water, he lost nine thousand seven hundred more. Is Gideon ready to faint at this? Then encouragement shall be mingled with the trial. Accordingly, they come hand in hand together: at the very moment when God says, “Proclaim, whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him depart, he says also, "It is because the people are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands." And, afterwards, when he commands Gideon to "send all those who had bowed down to drink, every man to his place;" he sweetens that trying command by saying, |