There was war in our gates,-till we cried to our God;-
He hath loosened the yoke, He hath broken the rod !
Oh sing, &c.

Awake, Jerub-besheth, arouse thee, O Gideon,
Lead captivity captive, thou queller of Midian;
Go up, ye three hundred, go up in your might;
The spoiler is spoiled, ye have conquered in fight.
When the chosen went down in the name of the Lord,
Then the lamp was their buckler, the trumpet their sword;
Then sank the pale coward, then trembled the brave,
And they called on their gods, but their gods could not save;
For the Lord had looked out from his glory on high,
The most Mighty had girded his sword on his thigh!

Oh sing that the Lord has redeemed us from Midian,
Shout, shout ye, "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon !"

IV.

But Gideon's heart is faithful yet,
He calls not this his own;
He knows his triumphs are a debt,
Due to the Lord alone.

What though the path of fame he trod?
'Twas not for fame he fought;

He fought for freedom and for God,
And glory came unsought.

Judges v. 8.

2 Sam. xi. 21.

V.

Triumph! Far other feelings now
Have set their seal upon his brow.
Behold the house of woe!-the spot,
His brethren's home, where they are not.
Ah, who will greet him now?-but one,
The sorrowing sire his only son.

Ye, who have seen earth close above
The friend, the brother of your love,
In his cold and narrow bed;

Seen him, in youth's unclouded morn,
From life, from hope, from friendship torn,
And number'd with the dead;

And felt, as ye have turn'd to part,

How large a portion of your heart

Lay buried with him there;

How much to which the mem'ry clings,

Visions of old familiar things,

Thoughts which were twin'd with your heart strings,

Which none but he could share;

Ye know how poor a thing appears

All the success of after years,

Now he is gone;

That fate's best blessings here below
Have less of pleasure than of woe,

Enjoy'd alone!

Nor will ye marvel if, 'mid all

The mirth of Israel's festival,

A thousand thoughts awoke that slept,
Past days return'd,—and Gideon wept.

VI.

No longer storms on Gideon lower;
Behold the crown within his power,
The sceptre at his feet!

How will he bear this tempting hour,
How this last trial meet?

When Israel's elders kneel before him,
In grateful homage, and implore him,
That Gideon,-aye, and Gideon's seed
Should rule the land that Gideon freed",
He felt no joy at the request;
His arms he folded on his breast,

And sternly thus he spake;

"Ask me not, brethren, 'tis in vain,
I will not over Israel reign,

Nor shall my son; and ne'er, I trust,
Shall Jacob's seed a son of dust

To be their ruler take!

The King of Kings shall be your King;
Oh may He keep you 'neath his wing
For your forefathers' sake!

7 Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, 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: the Lord shall rule over you. Judges viii. 22, 23.

But if your bosoms own a debt
To my poor arm uncancell'd yet,

And fain would ease the load,
Give me the ear-rings of your prey,
I own I'd gladly bear away
Some relic of the fight, that may
E'en to my children's children say,
"Your father triumph'd in the day
That broke oppression's rod;'
That to some holy use assign'd,
May help to sanctify the mind,
And raise it up to God."

VII.

So gradual are the steps that lead
Down to the depths of sin,

We deem no watchfulness we need,
While ev'ry step that we proceed
Plunges us deeper in.
How oft by virtue's lovely name

The tempter hides the bait;

Nor wake we to our guilt and shame,
Or only wake too late!

8

And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the ear-rings of his prey. (For they had golden ear-rings, because they were Ishmaelites.) And they answered, We will willingly give them, &c. Judges viii. 24, 25.

How prone, alas, are mortals blind
From simple faith to part,

And in their pride to make or find
An idol in the heart!

VIII.

So Gideon found! For even then
When faith so brightly burn'd,
When the most tempting gifts of men
Indignantly he spurn'd;

The germs of sin were lurking there,

Which strength'ning in their growth,
Prov'd to his careless feet a snare,
His and his people's both".

Alas, he fell!-but let us scan
Gently the faults of such a man,
And hope he was forgiven;

He fell, it may be but to show,
That the most perfect here below
Is far remov'd from heaven;
To teach us all to watch and pray,
That in temptation's evil day

We may have strength to stand,

May sink untroubled in the tomb,

And, when we meet the day of doom,

Be plac'd at God's right hand.

9 And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah; and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house. Judges viii. 27.