Naphtali was the son of Bilhah, Rachel's bondmaid, through whom she sought to be fruitful. His name was given to show the spirit of rivalry there was between Rachel and Lean, and the struggle not to be excelled by her more fortunate sister. "With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister and prevailed ; and she called his name Naphtali." Emulation, struggle, bondmaid-of these we are reminded in Naphtali. Naturally, we do not wish to be excelled by others, and in spiritual attainments pride has its place as well as elsewhere. "Which should be greatest" was the subject of contention among our Lord's disciples-it did not cease with them. In this emulation there is the struggle, so different from "the peaceable fruits of righteousness." Effort speaks of human strength, of human resources. The law is that which is called upon for aid when natures strength is used. Nature never calls upon grace. So it is to her bondmaid that Rachel turns rather than to God, and through her Naphtali is born. In him, then, we have the natural man, born of the bondmaid, the law; and how significant is his name ! A wrestler. Nature can only struggle, the law produces not peace, but wrestling. With all her boasting, Rachel's child was the son of a bondmaid. And all man's boastings of the fruits of his efforts and struggles is only a confession that he is under bondage. Such was Naphtali by birth-by nature, a wrestler, -a stranger to peace-a child of bondage-at least such he was typically considered.

"Naphtali is a hind let loose; he giveth goodly words." (Gen. 49:21.) Instead of bondage and struggle, Jacob sees in Naphtali liberty and peace. Great as the contrast was with the literal Naphtali, how much greater is it in the case of the believer. He is no longer looked at according to his birth, a child of bondage ; but "according to his blessing." (Gen. xlix 28.) The blessing of grace has altered all for us. But these blessings are " in Christ " (Eph. 1:3), and He is the true Naphtali. Bound to the cross for our sins, He meets their full penalty and with the words, "it is finished" upon His lips, yields up His spirit. He is laid in the grave, redemption fully accomplished, unless indeed He is held in the bands of death. But it was not possible that He could be holden of them. The stone is rolled away, the hind, pursued by the unrelenting hatred of man and Satan, wounded unto death, is loosed, the "hind of the morning" (Ps. 22:, title), and comes forth, forever free from the power of death. And what goodly words does He give! " Mary "-personal recognition of His redeemed (" My beloved is mine, and I am His"); " My brethren "-association of His own with Him in resurrection, the fruit of the corn of wheat; " Peace be unto you"-the assurance of a relationship established on the ground of His death, which can never be set aside. Such are some of the goodly words given by our risen Lord,-Naphtali, the hind let loose ; and all the full and varied revelations of the Holy Ghost are but more of these "goodly words." So we see Christ risen, and hear Him ; but in Him we see ourselves, "risen with Christ." If He has been let loose, so have we. "Thou hast loosed my bands," is now our language. Sin no more condemns, the law cannot bind. Sin no more controls, and Satan and the world are like the amazed and helpless soldiers at the open tomb. These things have no power to hold us, we are forever free-" the snare is broken and we are escaped." What "goodly words" of praise and thanksgiving should now be given forth by us ! The heart set free-can the lips be silent? Surely not. Stones might well speak our shame did we remain silent. Testimony too follows. Goodly words of gospel to poor sinners; wholesome words of truth to a self-satisfied world.

The liberty wherewith Christ makes us free is thus in fullest contrast to the bondage of nature and the useless wrestlings and struggles of man under law. But there is not merely liberty-there is rest. " O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, and full with the blessing of the Lord ; possess thou the west and the south." (Deut. 33:23.) The wrestler is now at last satisfied. " Satisfied with favor "- God's favor, which is better than life ; that favor shown in His " unspeakable gift." Can we enumerate all that goes with this favor? Can we ever exhaust all the fullness of. that blessing of the Lord which indeed " maketh rich and He addeth no sorrow with it"? We can only, like David, sit before the Lord, and praise Him. There is not a need but has been met, not a craving of the renewed soul but has been provided for-more than provided for. " It. is enough." Naphtali can hold no more, his wrestlings are over. Have we journeyed from Naphtali in nature to Naphtali in grace ? Are we in the enjoyment of all that has been made ours? If so, there is still room for progress:"Possess thou the west and the south"-the salt sea, and desert south being but new fields for yielding more and more of "marrow and fatness."

Let us cease from all creature efforts, let us see our full liberty in a risen Lord, and let us be satisfied with the full favor in which we stand, and thus make daily progress.