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sumed their idolatrous practices. They went after Baalim, and made Baal-berith, an idol of the heathen, their god. Ungrateful and disobedient to Jehovah, "who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side," they were equally unmindful of what they owed to Gideon, and treated his family in the most unkind and cruel manner, as we shall soon see.

Abimelech was a man of intrigue and a restless ambition. He went to Shechem, where his mother dwelt, to endeavor to excite in the minds of her kindred, and, through their influence, of the Shechemites generally, hostility to the sons of Gideon. He told them how much more prosperously they would live under the government of one man than to have seventy reign over them. Himself, of course, was to be that man. He scrupled not to urge such a claim, and to enforce it by declaring that he was one of their kindred, and on that account best entitled to the station.

The Shechemites yielded to his persuasions, and furnished him with silver out of the temple of their god Baal-berith, to assist him in his designs. It became the wages of iniquity. It enabled Abimelech to hire a band of idle and abandoned men to be his body-guard, and to follow him in the execution of a purpose, the aggravated guilt of which did not deter him from carrying it into effect. With these ruffians he went imme

diately to Ophrah, and slew all the sons of Gideon except Jotham, the youngest, who contrived to conceal himself and escape their fate.

So it is that one sin begets another. Ambition led to murder. Abimelech wished to reign, and because his brethren stood in the way of his ferment he put them to death.

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Nothing is more dangerous than a worldly, aspiring spirit. It exposes its possessor to the most grievous temptations. Under its influence, and intent on its gratification, he sacrifices conscience, duty, the friendship of God, and the hopes of heaven to its imperious demands. Does such a spirit, my young friend, ever dwell in your breast? Look at the consequences. See where it will lead you. Remember Abimelech, the ambitious son of Gideon.

CHAPTER XIV.

Abimelech made king. Jotham's parable. Disaffection towards Abimelech.

After the massacre of the sons of Gideon, the Shechemites came together, and all the house

of Millo, (probably a distinguished individual among them,) and made Abimelech king. As soon as Jotham, the youngest son of Gideon, heard of it, and before the concourse of people were dispersed, he took his stand on the top of Mount Gerizim, which was near by, and thus addressed them in a loud voice.

"Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you. The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive-tree, Reign thou over us. But the olive-tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honor God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

९९ And the trees said to the fig-tree, Come thou, and reign over us. But the fig-tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?

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Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us. And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine which cheereth God and man,†t and go to be promoted over the trees?

* Olive-oil was used in the service of God, and also to anoint priests, prophets, and kings.

+ God is figuratively said to be cheered with the wine offered to him in his worship, because he was pleased with

"Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us. And the, bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.*

The pertinency and force of this beautiful parable, the oldest extant, hardly needs illustration. It portrays, in a very striking manner, the fact that those who are the most worthy of being raised to places of power and distinction, are often the most reluctant to occupy them, well knowing the responsibilities of such stations, and content with doing their duty in a umbler sphere -and that the vile and intriguing who would thrust themselves into office, with those who are so foolish as to confer it, often prove to each other the sources of overwhelming wretchedness.

The moral of the parable was of easy applica tion. "Now, therefore," continued Jotham, "if ye have done truly and sincerely," (or as it the offering. It was very acceptable to him, if made in sincerity, and he received it graciously.

The bramble is here supposed to speak prophetically, and to say, that as Abimelech's being anointed king was an unwise and wicked measure, the result would be most disastrous to the distinguished individuals in the land, denoted by "the cedars of Lebanon:" coming to the throne unjustly, he would prove a terrible curse to his adherents, and especially to the prominent men among them.

might be rendered, if ye have acted well and without sin,)" in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal (or Gideon) and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands: (For my father fought for you, and adventured his life for, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian : and ye are risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maid-servant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother :) If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice. in you: but if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech."

On uttering these words, Jotham, well knowing the danger to which he would be exposed from an exasperated multitude, and especially from the resentment of Abimelech, quickly withdrew and fled to Beer, a city about ten miles north of Jerusalem, where he dwelt.

Abimelech maintained his authority for the space of three years, and exercised it with great severity. At the end of that period, God permit

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