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Meanwhile, the Midianites and the Amalekites had gathered themselves together in the valley of Jezreel. "And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, and Abiezer was gathered after him." He called also the men of Manasseh, Asher, Zebulon, and Naphtali, who joined him; in all, an army of 32,000 men, whom he intrenched in a mountain above that valley where Midian and Amalek "lay all along, like grasshoppers for multitude." fore, however, he went up to battle, he once more asked God to give him a sign that Israel should be saved by his hand. God gave it, and Gideon now prepared for battle. Yet not in an

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ordinary way, nor by the ordinary means of a multitude of soldiers. What he wanted was a small band of faithful, true, and active followers, like himself. Neither was a large army permitted him, lest Israel should boast that they were saved by their own might. Therefore, by the counsel of God, Gideon proclaimed it aloud among his 32,000, "Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return. And lo! only 10,000 remained with him! But even these were too many in proportion to the courage and activity which they possessed, which he only wanted; and the 10,000 men were proved in the following Gibeon brought them all down from the mountain to the water, and bid them drink. All but 300 of them went down on their knees by the water, to drink largely and at their ease; but these 300, just stooping down a little, caught up water in the hollow of their hands, and threw it skilfully into their mouths, even as a dog laps with his tongue. They were the nimble, active

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men that he wanted; and them alone he reserved for all his army.

That very night, by the Lord's command, he went down with one follower to the camp of Midian, to ascertain their position and their discipline, and there heard, from the mouths of two of his enemies, a dream which promised victory to him. Encouraged yet more by this (as the Lord had said he should be), he returned up the mountain and summoned his men; these he divided into three companies, gave each man a trumpet, and a torch darkened in an empty pitcher; and so, leading them down in the dead of the night, stationed them about the camp of the sleeping Midianites.

Suddenly he gave his signal, "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon.' The three hundred dash down their pitchers, brandish their torches, and blow their trumpets. Up start the Midianites out of sleep, rush out, supposing that a vast army is about them, stumble over and slay each other in the confusion and uncertain light, and, in short, fly away on all sides.

Gideon pursued them hotly; other tribes of Israel, who had not joined him in the battle, joined him in the pursuit, slew multitudes of the Midianites and Amalekites, took their towns, and quite relieved Israel from their oppression. Then would the Israelites have made Gideon their king, saying, "Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also; for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian! And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you." And he returned to Ophrah, where he dwelt quietly for

forty years, during all which time Israel flourished in peace and security.

LOVE TO THE JEWS.

LAST ILLNESS OF THE REV. C. SIMEON.

THE Memoir of the late Rev. Charles Simeon, of Cambridge, has just been published. It is a work full of most deeply interesting matter, exhibiting the power and blessedness of the influence of the grace of God in the life and labours of one of his most devoted servants. We mention the work because of the love of its subject to the dispersed of Judah, and in order to introduce the last address which Mr. Simeon delivered in their behalf. This address was spoken in the chamber of sickness, on his dying bed. A friend wrote it down and afterwards communicated it to the Undergraduates of the University, for whose benefit it was intended. None, who ever heard him when full of life and vigour he pleaded the cause of Israel, will forget his energy, his warmth, his power; and now, when his bodily strength had failed him, his heart was still as warm, and his mind as full of vigour as in those days of health and activity.

Mr. Simeon was for nearly fifty-four years the Minister of Trinity Church, Cambridge. He died when in the seventy-eighth year of his age, on Sunday morning, November 13, 1846. About a fortnight before his death the circumstances occurred, which are thus related:-" As the time approached for the Meeting in behalf of the Society for the Conversion of the Jews, and for

the Anniversary Sermons at, his Church; his thoughts soon became engrossed with this great subject, to which he had so long devoted his warmest regards. He wished to deliver, he said, his dying testimony to its immense importance,' and prepared to compose an address to be read to the Undergraduates at their meeting on the following Monday. Being afraid he might not remember the texts, which he wished to refer to when he came to dictate the address, he ordered his attendant to get his small Bible, and directing her where to find them, he desired her to read them out, and then mark them down; saying, with great emphasis, Take care of these texts; they are gold every one of them.' He then dictated the following :—

"I wish to show you what grounds we have for humiliation, in that we have been so unlike to God in our regards towards his fallen people. See Jer. xii. 7: I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies;' and again Rom. xi. 28; as touching the election, they are beloved for their fathers' sakes.'-And to bring you into a conformity to God in relation towards them, so far as it respects your efforts for their welfare, and your joy in their prosperity, see Ezek. xxxvi. 22-24, 'Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I

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shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.' And again, Jer. xxxii. 41, Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart, and with my whole soul.' And lastly, see Zeph. iii. 17-20, The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden. Behold at that time I will undo all that afflict thee; and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame. At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the Lord.'

"On Sunday morning, (October 30,) when I came to him after hearing the Sermon on behalf of the Jews, and began to speak to him of the forcible manner in which the matter had been treated by Mr. Noel, he immediately rejoined by a comment on our ignorance, as well as want of feeling on the whole subject; and then, alluding to the texts before selected, he begged me to observe the strong expressions which God had been pleased to use when describing His intense and unalterable regard for his ancient people. "See," said he, "how wonderfully He speaks; He calls them, 1. The dearly beloved of my

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