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I. GOD WAGES WAR WITH PRIDE IN EVERY FORM.

1. There is, perhaps, no greater wonder than that man should be proud. Turn where we will, everything seems to teach humility. The grass whispers, "You are dependent on us for food." The beasts say, "You have to borrow our strength." The clouds drop down a voice: "If we descend not upon you, you die."

2. And God, from time to time, makes man learn this lesson, whether he be His friend or foe. Frogs, flies, lice, locusts — all petty in themselves, become terrible to proud Pharaoh; and worms become fatal beneath the royal purple, when the proud Herod is to be destroyed.

3. To none does God more unmistakably teach the folly of pride than to His own people. A great part of life's discipline is just a self-emptying in this respect — that man may learn that God is all-in-all. The greatest of God's servants are, from time to time, reduced to be dependent upon the poorest earthly instrumentality — Elijah upon a handful of meal; Jeremiah upon old rags and clouts, as he is drawn up out of the pit; Paul upon a basket. God so often uses poor instrumentalities for accomplishing the deliverance of His people, because the tendency of man is to glorify the instrument (Habakkuk 1:16).

4. God will fix man's eye upon Himself.

5. God would show His lordship in energising them.

II. THE GOOD EFFECTS OF A KNOWLEDGE OF THIS. If we see plainly that God often uses very poor earthly instrumentality —

1. We shall not despair in great troubles, because great ways of deliverance are not opened up before us. Goliath, armed in his panoply of brass, must surely be met with something in proportion; but God teaches the secret of the smooth stones of the brook — the proportion that He knows of, though we knew it not. Many a child of God is like the lion entangled in the meshes of the net, that found deliverance by the nibbling of the mouse.

2. We shall be very cheerful in our times of trial, feeling that there are possibilities of deliverance all around us. "With God all things are possible." The man of God is taught that he has resources in everything.

3. We shall be in a very humble frame of mind, ready to receive help from any direction. Sometimes God has to make His people ready. The spirit of Naaman is too much in them; they have Abanas and Pharpars of their own, which they think better than anything else, unless it be something very striking and grand. And, sometimes, our blessing comes by a very humble hand. During one of his severe illnesses, Bengel, the great commentator, sent for a student, and requested him to impart a word of consolation. The youth replied, "Sir, I am but a pupil; I don't know what to say to a teacher like you." "What," said Bengel, "a divinity student! and not able to communicate a word of Scriptural comfort!" The student, abashed, contrived to utter the text, "The blood of Christ, the Son of God, cleanseth us from all sin." "That is the very word I want," said Bengel; "it is quite enough"; and, taking him affectionately by the hand, dismissed him. The great commentator was ready to receive the blessing from the hand of the humble student; and God was ready to give it.

4. We shall be hearty to use the means we have at hand. We never know what such means will do until we try. There is a wonderful elasticity in little means, when God is giving them His blessing. In taking down the scaffolding of a huge mill chimney, the men forgot to affix the rope by which the foreman, directing their operations from the top, was to descend. Amid the frantic cries of the poor fellow above, and of the crowd below, the shrill voice of his wife was heard exclaiming, "Tak' off thy stocking, lad, and unravel it, and let down the thread with a piece of mortar." Presently the little thread came waving down the chimney, and reached the outstretched hands waiting for it; then it was attached to a ball of string, which Jem was asked to pull gently up. To the end of the string was attached the forgotten rope, which was drawn up in turn, and amidst cries of "Thank God!" was fastened to the iron, and bore the man safely to the ground. That is as good an instance as we could find anywhere of making good use of little means, and let us follow it ourselves.

5. The circle of possible aids will be enlarged. We are very apt in time of trouble to take very contracted views of the circle in which God is likely to work. We shut out all the little ways of help, and then the great ones are reduced to very few indeed; and as a necessary consequence, down sinks our heart in distress. We need continually to be reminded that even the stones can be made bread.

6. We shall be kept. humble in the day of prosperity, not knowing when, and for how much, we may be indebted to little things.

(P. B. Power, M. A.)

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KJV: And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:

WEB: When many days were fulfilled, the Jews conspired together to kill him,