Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1907-03-21

H MH NNA lH''lNts HAA IT NbAA4 NATN
l3e enemy ana put them On their
guard y 81 cid not lead to an imne
dlate attack.
And how could he expect 20 win
ihe support ~ his people IN the face
81 such difficulties and dangers, How
much better it seemed he reasoned
70 himself. 20 secretly raise an army
and ran upon THE enemy unaw.res
and overcome them Then. would
b. time enough. be thought. 70 throw
down the altar Of BaI and 10 l.aild
a. altar % The Coo o. Israel
But came back the answer 70 his
conscience. can God give you the vic
tory while yet the high places o.
Baai remain in the midst o. Israel?
Where should reform begin II not IN
your own household How could
go out and claim that the God q Is
rael was with you while yet your
fathers household Is under the shad-
Nv Of the altar Of Basl and the
grove, Thus bis heart reasoned. and
soou he saw that Gods Slan. AID not
his must De followed
When be Welded 20 this c~ouv>ctic.
be arose and hurried 20 the place
whore IL had been agreed be should
meet his servants II was with some
uisEivinEs that he came before them.
How would they receive this new
plan, Would they stand with him.
These questions troubled him as be
faced them but as he began faithfully
and c-ouran-Dusly 70 relate al that
The Lord had said that be should do.
DO GAINED confidence and when be had
tuis he'd speaking withou, waiting FOR
reply. be- turned 20 go. saying. simply.
Come. let us do our work qul.k.y.
Jest The mornings light ind our
0ulraee fNl us aud the friends o.
h4ai prove TOO strong fUr Us
arf his servants. teu 10 number.
rose to a man and veut forth with
e- and ere the first rays o. light
s sliding THE eastern sky. ire
frees 1f the grove lay PROSTATE on
r ground the altar o. Basl was N
- lad TIE aesh o. the bullock
4f sma1r. upon the altar which h-d
erected 90 the God o. Israel
Silently and quickly the little band
each MAJ il the direction
d upou
So anal sur vas made When the
W Oatrah discovered upon The
ro-ruw what had beer done aud
vleu b. was rumosed that Gideon had
wruuErt the -ash DEED. tbey demand
GO ttat he De- brought forth and
killed
Tner e. vas that Jussh. the fa-te-
r Gideon awakened 20 the su which
ne had committed aEatnst Cod Il ra
hitting The sirar and grove 70 Hasl
-q - erected upon his land stood
boldly form and declared
y Ezal b. q goo Jet mn plead fu-
himself"
Ar these words The people gave &
shout rs approval p The spirit 81,
Cod coming uiau Gideon Ia uiev
his trumpet and The people wee
gathered after MIN Meanwhile his
messengers had gone unto - tribes
u ASHER and Zsbuiun and NsphtsH
aud in Response - their cal q great
company % fighting met were brought
together. fully = Toe men
When word % these things reach
I'd the MidisniteF they were wroth
aud Wors that Baa their god should
Dc avenged with mighty slaughter.
and they ent word tn the A~rnalakites
and 70 all the n~e.ghborinE peoples on
The cast o. the rebellion which had
broken out anon the israeliteE In
response thereto q great army was
gathered together. and il came and
eucsmped In the valley % Jezreel
which when The men % the army n
Israel saw many Of them began TO b
afraid. which thing troubled Gideon
greatly. surely he said 70 himself
II God would give Israel the victory
there must De other spirits IN tie
hearts Of our people"
And that night Gideon sought the
Lora and said:
II thou wilt saw Israel By NINE
hand. as thou hast said. behold. | vii
put q fleece Of wool il the floor; and
II the dew be upon the fleece only
and II il be dry upon all the earth be-
side. then shall ] know that thou wilt
save Israel by mine hand az thou hast
said
And ii was 50: for he arose up
early on the morrow. and thrust the
fleece together, and wringing the dew
Of the fleece. a bowlfull OF wate-
And Gideon said unto God: Let not
thine anger be hot against me. and l
viii speak but this once. let ne
prove. ] pray thee. but this once with
the fleece; let ii be dry only upon
the fleece, and upon all the ground let
there Be dew. And God did 50 tia,
night. 80 that Gideon knew the Lord
was surely with him in the great con
hiet which lay before him