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 of the Church in the Israel of God. What is it that effectually obstructs the spiritual Christian in acquiring victories over his own evil loves, but these children of Ammon and Moab? With these false persuasions of mind which check the growth of Truth, and with those perversions of goodness which hinder the establishment of heaven in the heart, we are, like Jephthah, called to fight; and in the Lord's strength, and by His Spirit, to overcome.

When this warfare is over, and we return in peace to our own house, to reap the spiritual fruit of conquered sin, we shall do well to consecrate and devote, as Jephthah did his only daughter, our chief, our only darling affection, to the perpetual service of God. The natural mind may, like Jephthah, feel a little reluctance at consecrating all his love! it may trouble him, because he might wish something to be left for his own glory and strength; but if we are to be blessed, the whole life must be the Lord's. Reader! if thou canst see the spiritual import of Jephthah's vow, Go thou and do likewise!

HEN the Israelites journeyed from mount Hor, by way of the Red Sea, they, being much discouraged by the way, spake against God and against Moses. In their discontent, they said, "Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither water; and our