Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-01-02
Synopsis of a Sermon
Delivered an the III. E. Church, Dec.
22d, 1872, by Rev. j. d. Cole.


with shall l save Israel? behold my family is
poor in Manasseh, and am the least in my iath-
er's house. -
be with thee. and thou shalt smlte the Mldlahl-
tes
II And he said unto him. IF now ha re found
grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou
talkest with me.
IS Depart not hence, pray thee, until come
unto thee. and bring forth my present and set
it before thee. And he said, | will tarry until
thou come again.-Judges 6:l5-lS.
A goddess band of uncircumcised
heather, Midianites and Amalakites,
according to their usual custom, had
gone over into the territory occupied
by the 1sraelites, for the express pur-
pose of plundering the country.
Gideon had raised little grain that
his family might have food, (like all
good men, he provided for his house
hold and in order to save his grain
from destruction and get it into eatable
shape, he concluded to thresh it. One
day while he was threshing, and the
great depths Of his soul was stirred by
the troubles that had come upon his
people, and perhaps thinking ii was nc
use to try any longer to save themselves,
for "God had withdrawn himself" An
angel spoke, aying. Jehovah is with
thee What a relief! What a let
ting up2
And now let us look at some of the
grand lessons taught in this narration
of Gideon and the angel.
The first lesson taught us is, that
Gods angels are present to help US
Gideon needed help, and the angel was
present for that purpose.
God sends his angels to supply the
felt needs of his children. When Lot
lacked will force to leave the doomed
city, the angel led him gently forth,
communicating strength, &c
Jacob in vision saw on the golden
ladder, angels descending from the star
rv-decked heavens, to aid man, ana as
cending thereon from man the pilgrims
all freighted with messages to the Fa-
ther.
We see at the end of a four-thousand
years rci gn Of sin, the world lapsing
into moral chaos. (apparently) about
to be fettered by the nj ightmare Of hell,
when 10. an angel appeared to Zacari-
as and communicated to the world com
forting words, telling it that it had
something to wake up and live for.
An angel communicated knowledge
to the world of the birth of Christ
An angel helped Joseph and Mary to
get out of Judea to save the child, and
then in due time told them to leave
Egypt and go back, for there was no
longer danger. Herol was dead.
And when the disciples were on their
way to Em-mans (deeply troubled) the
angel appeared.
When John was on the Isle of Pat
mos, the angel came to communicate to
him.
Another lesson: Poverty is not ne
cessarv barrier to success, but it may
be means Of grace. AS | look at
Gideon and his army when they are
marching up to the great host Of the
Mldianites with few rams-horns, pitch
ers and lamps, and only three hundred
men, [ say, aA me! the poceyty, but
there was aeeaAh in the triumph.
And then as | look little farther
back at Joshua and see him with few
priests, few soldiers, and their music
al instruments, | exclsim, alas! alas !
what porerty, but 0! what riches clus-
ter in the victory.
Christ's poverty is the source Of our
wealth (spirituol) The disciple were
poor. Being poor themselves, with joy
they accepted the wealth of another =
Paul, in the very midst Of the most alb
ject poverty Of weakness, exclaims,
''then am | strong" The Augustine
monk, Luther, was poor, as men term
it; but oh. God gave him the wcolh
of power, so that he shook the nations;
and the Papacy, reeling on its throne,
acknowledged his power: The Saint ol
God, standing or kneeling before biz
Maker, sways the sceptre Of a power
greater than an earthly empire. Ris-
ing from the very ashes Of self-poverty
in matches grandeur, is Seen the wealth
of power, of nobility of soul, at whose
feet blest world falls in profoundest
gratitude.
We are taught again the Importance
of bringing our presents to the Lord.
Gideon brought his presents in token
of his sincerity.
Bring your gifts into the storehouse
of the Lord Your time, your talents,
your property, your children, and, with
them, your entire beings.
And lastly, we are taught that Goa
cW accept them. Gideons presents
were accepted. God will accept yours
Try it; make a voluntary offering Of
your all, and God will enrich you, and