And the Midianites, and the Amelekites, and all the children of the east, lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea-side for multitude,

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 the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host and the host fled to Beth-shittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abel-meholah, unto Tabbath. And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites. . . . . And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing.

PROMISE-Isa. xl. 27-29; Ps. xxvii. 14.

Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord,-and my judgment is passed over from my God?

Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard,

That the everlasting God, the Lord,-the Creator of the ends of the earth,

Fainteth not, neither is weary ?-there is no searching of his understanding.

He giveth power to the faint ;-and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

Wait on the Lord;

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart-wait, I say, on the Lord.

D

HANNAH.

For a Man-child—Thanksgiving.

Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.—Matt. xii. 50.

1 SAM. i. 2, 10.

Hannah had no children. . . And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore. And she vowed a vow, and said,

PRAYER-v. 11.

LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man-child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

ANSWER-v. 19; chap. ii. 1.

And the Lord remembered her.

And Hannah prayed, and said,

PRAYER-v. 1-10.

MY heart rejoiceth in the Lord;-mine horn is ex

alted in the Lord;

My mouth is enlarged over mine enemies ;-because I rejoice in thy salvation.

There is none holy as the Lord :-for there is none be

side thee;

Neither is there any rock like our God.

Talk no more so exceeding proudly;-let not arro

gancy come out of your

mouth :

For the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.

The bows of the mighty men are broken,

And they that stumbled are girded with strength.
They that were full have hired out themselves for

bread;

And they that were hungry ceased:

So that the barren hath born seven;-and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.

The Lord killeth, and maketh alive:-he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.

The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich :-he bringeth low, and lifteth up.

He raiseth up the poor out of the dust,—and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill,

To set them among princes,—and to make them inherit the throne of glory:

For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he hath set the world upon them.

He will keep the feet of his saints,-and the wicked shall be silent in darkness;

For by strength shall no man prevail.

The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; Out of heaven shall he thunder upon them :

The Lord shall judge the ends of the earth;

And he shall give strength unto his king,—and exalt the horn of his anointed.

PROMISE-Ps. cxiii. 5, 9.

Who is like unto the Lord our God,-who dwelleth on

high,

Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth! .

He maketh the barren woman to keep house,—and to be a joyful mother of children.

Praise ye the Lord.

MANOAH.

Concerning the Promised Child.

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?—Luke xi. 13.

JUDGES xiii. 8.

Manoah entreated the Lord, and said,

PRAYER.

MY Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.

ANSWER-v. 9.

And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again.

PROMISE-PROV. ii. 6, 7.

The Lord giveth wisdom :-out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous :-he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.

SAMSON.

When athirst after smiting the
Philistines.

We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.-2 Cor. iv. 7.

JUDGES XV. 14, 18.

When he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him; and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burned with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands. And he found a new jaw-bone of an ass, and put forth his hand and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith. And he was sore athirst, and called on the Lord, and said,

THOU

PRAYER-v. 18.

HOU hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?

ANSWER-v. 19.

But God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw,* and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he revived.

PROMISE-Isa. xli. 17.

When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst,

* Margin, Lehi.