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newest fashion. And there is no child dressed better by his mother than our friend. Warm in winter, and not too hot in summer. Has he not a tail-coat with brown stripes? Has he not beautiful half-boots of brown morocco, and are they not brushed and shining, though he has no valet? And did you never look at the velvet cap on his head? His dress does not lose its colour, though he does not trouble himself with a parasol or umbrella. In spring and autumn he gets new clothes; in spring he loses the thick winter feathers, and in autumn the light summer's dress. He throws his old clothes away; he does not sell them. Why, a coachman or footman gets a livery but once a year, but the sparrow twice in one year, and has neither to drive nor serve. And how well his things fit him! He looks very differently from the shopkeeper, whose new coat has been spoilt by the fashionable tailor in our village, or the recruit, who must wear a uniform not made for him; his clothes fit as if he had been born in them and yet he is only a sparrow, and is worth only half a farthing.

3. His education. The sparrow has, by nature, a weak and unsteady head, and, as is the case with some students, no patience and perseverance. For this reason he is extremely ignorant. But he requires wisdom: for the cat, the owl, the marten, the hens,

the boys, are all after him, as if he were a gipsy and vagabond.

Now, who teaches him to defend himself against these enemies, so superior to him in talent? God Himself is his teacher, and has given him instruction. When a man or boy approaches, even within ten feet, He has taught him to fly away; when a cat comes near, He has taught him not to take his eye from her; but he is taught not to mind a hen at all when she interferes with him, but only to leap a little to one side.

And now, do not think that I have been merely trying to amuse you; my intention is very serious. God, who has created heaven and earth, and the sea, has made all things full of beauty, in order that men and angels should consider and admire it. For the whole visible world is like a large Bible,

full of parables, allegories, and doctrines, and everything in it has a deep meaning.

The stars of heaven, the beautiful white cloud in the dark-blue sky, the evening red, the storm, and the gentle and fragrant breath of blossom in the morning, the summer sun like a sea of fire, and the still stars in the clear winter's night, the roll of the thunder, and the chirp of the cricketin all this there is more than the eye sees and the ear hears. And the dark mountain forest, and the sturdy oak, and the poplar near the mill-stream, the hedge of thorns, the vine and the cornfield, the flowers of the field, the modest violet and fragrant rose-these are not merely for man's use and pleasure, but letters of a mysterious, wonderful work, written by God, and they express Divine

thoughts. And the roe with its gentle eyes, the nightingale in the wood, the lizard and the horn-beetle, the blind-worm and the tiny midges; all living things are not merely to eat, and drink, and grow, and die-they are living, walking, and flying writings of the Creator. They were written before there were men to read them, in order that after man's creation, he might immediately begin to learn and spell, as you have seen things written on the black board by a schoolmaster before the children assembled, so as not to lose any time, but to be able to begin his instructions at once.

But men have lost by sin their understanding of this language, and think that what exists is merely for food, and fuel, and clothing, and shelter. Therefore God sent His own Son into the world, even Him by whom all things were made. He came to be our Teacher as well as our Saviour, to show us the way to spell, and read, and understand God's writing, as well as to put away our sins by the sacrifice of Himself. He gives us His Holy Spirit to enlighten as well as to quicken us.

Do not wonder that the Saviour used such common illustrations. What the Father thought worthy of creation, the Son thought worthy of exposition. So be not too proud to learn from the sparrow, and believe that God is both able and willing to care for the least of His creatures, and to help them in all their troubles, and to provide for all their wants!

WHEN DID CHRIST PRAY?

Doubtless He who was filled with the Holy Ghost lived continually in the spirit of prayer, yet it is instructive to observe that on special occasions we are definitely told that "He prayed," thus indicating to us our need of having marked times for seeking communion with God.

The first is mentioned in Luke iii. 21, in which, during the baptism of Christ, the evangelist says, "He was praying," and "the heaven was opened," and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, "Thou art My beloved Son, in Thee I am well pleased." Here we find that the "praying" preceded the descent of the Holy Ghost.

In Mark i. 35, our Lord sets us an example of early morning devotion. "In the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed." If we read the foregoing part of the chapter, we shall see that the day before had been filled with incessant work, so that a long night's rest would seem to have been needful for the body; but in spiritual communion with His Father, body and soul were alike refreshed, and He was thus prepared immediately to respond to the call when Simon said, "All men seek for Thee."

was come, He was there alone" (Matt. xiv. 23, in connection with John vi. 15).

What a lesson for us when the commendation of men would tempt us to spiritual pride. On the other hand, when the Scribes and Pharisees, baffled in their attempts to accuse Him, were "filled with madness," His gentle soul was kept in peace by communion with God, for we read that " He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer" (Luke vi. 11, 12). We are reminded of the Psalmist's words, "Thou shalt hide them secretly in Thy pavilion from the strife of tongues;" and again, "Be Thou my strong habitation, whereinto I may continually resort."

2

It is worthy of notice, that on two occasions of striking contrast, the one preceding His glory on the Mount of Transfiguration, the other during His agony in the garden, our Lord was engaged in prayer. In Luke ix. 29, we read that "as He prayed, the fashion of His countenance was altered, and His raiment was white and glistening." Now, turning from the glory to the humiliation, we are told that "being in an agony, He prayed more vehemently." Whether we are exalted or abased, let us learn to be, like Christ, much in prayer.

How touching, too, is the recital of the prayers of Christ for others-for Peter (Luke xxii. 32), for His disciples, in that outpouring of His soul just before His crucifixion (John xvii.); for His enemies on the cross (Luke xxiii, 34). And oh, what a joy to remember that

for us" (Heb. vii. 25). We are not struggling alone against temptation, we are not alone in our hours of sorrow. As our Lord, when on earth, derived strength from intercourse with His Father, so may we from communion with Him.

M. E. BECK.

ANSWER TO No. VI., p. 120.

"FEAR NOT, LITTLE FLOCK" (Luke xii. 32).

1. Fortunatus.

2. E tam.

3. A mram.

4. R amoth Gilead. 5. N imrod.

6. O phir.
7. Tahpenes.
8. Lucas.
9. I chabod.
10. Thyatira.
11. Tyrannus.
12. L eah.

13. E paphroditus.
14. Felix.
15. Laodicea.

16. O rnan.

17. C huza.

18. K ohath.

No. VII.

1. A giant who "thought to have slain David."

2. In what gulf was Paul's ship driven up and down?

3. A Jew who was hated by Haman.

4. One of the three who were cast into the fiery furnace by Nebuchadnezzar. 5. Where did cedar trees grow in great abundance?

6. What did Jacob call the place where he wrestled with the angel?

7. One who helped to support Moses' hands when he was praying.

8. A king whose heart was perfect with the Lord his God.

9. A wicked queen who destroyed all the seed royal.

10. To what city was Jonah sent to preach repentance?

11. Which of Jacob's sons is described as a serpent by the way?"

12. A daughter-in-law of Naomi.
13. A priest and yet a king.

14. One of two men who prophesied in the camp of Israel.

15. At whose feet was Paul brought up? 16. Where Paul found an altar erected to the "unknown God."

The first letters form a title of the risen Saviour.

OD forbid" is an expression of horror. We can imagine men's throwing up their hands when they say it their being scared, frightened, very much in earnest. The expression is found several times in Holy Scripture, and is always connected with something very dreadful, and said by some one terribly in earnest. But what I want to show you is that men may say it never so much in earnest, and yet no good may come of it-as, certainly, it did not to these people of whom I am going to tell you now.

There were two of them-a man and his wife. They were intelligent people not "fools" by any means, in the common sense of the word-they knew "what was what," as people say; but that did not prevent their being ruined at the last.

The husband was a pensioner and a shoemaker, and could earn plenty of money when he chose to work. As to the woman, she had for a person in her position of life a great deal of money left to her from time to time-on one

occasion as much as £200. That was all drunk straight off, and all the furniture of the house, too: bed and bedding, frying-pan and chairs, poker, tongs and shovel-away they all went in one unbroken stream down these drunkard throats. Whether she promised to love and to "cherish" her husband I do not know; I only know that if she did, she had strange notions as to the doing of it, for she even took off his clothes and shoes while he was asleep, drunk, and sold them for drink.

Now this old man didn't throw religion overboard altogether; and when a friend used to remonstrate with him about his drunken habits, he would answer, "I do read my Testament, and I know what you say is quite true, for it says so in the book: No drunkard shall enter the kingdom of heaven.'

Just before the woman died (or rather killed herself with drink), their friend faithfully warned them of the fearful consequences of drink in this world and the next, telling them it might be with them as it had been with some of their neighbours, if they went "on the drink" again-they might die drunk.

They said, "God forbid."

Well, immediately after this, off they went on the drink again; and in about three weeks their friend went to see them, hoping by this time to find them sober.

What a sight met his eyes! The room door was open, and there stood the father (aged 70) and the son (aged 40), both drunk. The mother had been

dead just two hours. The man had shaken up the dead body to get up to have more drink.

The woman had died drunk, and in all probability the man did the same-anyhow, there is no doubt as to the woman: the very thing had happened concerning which they had said, "God forbid."

This kind of thing is happening every day-not merely in the case of drunkards, but of persons who would be shocked at drinking to excess at all; and whom it happens to, and what comes of it, I am going to say a word or two about. And I am going to say it, lest a like thing happen, dear friend, to you for would it not be shocking for that to happen to us, which we ourselves thought so dreadful that we said concerning it," God forbid "?

Think of these people think four things about them: their knowledge, their feeling, their folly, and their end.

They knew that it would be a bad business if they died in sin, and they knew that it was a possible thing. They did not dispute that; they only hoped, and so to speak in a kind of way prayed, that it should not be. They did not shut God out of the matter, as not having any rightful say in it at all, they only hoped that He would not allow death to come on them at that particular moment: though, living as they did, with their hearts in their sin, and with no determination to leave it, it practically mattered very little whether death overtook them drunk or sober.

These poor creatures were ruined in spite of their knowledge. Instead of giving up their sin, coming to the Saviour to wash them from its guilt, and to the Holy Spirit to give them strength to overcome it, they contented themselves with this poor, feeble "God forbid," which had no real meaning in it, and to which God paid no heed.

Do not be amongst those who know that sin in any form is a bad business, and whose only provision against it is a

feeble wish that God will not come down on them in the midst of it.

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These

Then as to their feeling. people do not seem to have been indifferent about being cut off suddenly in their sin. On the other hand, it seems as though they thought it would be very awful-so much so as to draw from them the exclamation, "God forbid." They did not want to die like that. They deliberately judged that it would be a bad, indeed a dreadful, thing so to do.

Remember, that feeling it would be dreadful to die in sin-that even hoping you may not die in sin that even going farther, saying, "I trust God will not let me die in sin," may all be of no good. These feelings are good so far as they go; but unless they lead you on farther to leave sin for the future, and to seek Christ's atonement for the past, they will do nothing for you.

Mark the folly of these people. They did not act either on their knowledge or their feeling. The word is, "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." They chanced it. They were fools enough to think that God would secure them from the consequences of their sin, and the peril of it, even though they continued in it.

And all this folly came out in the end. The very thing they feared-would have. avoided-hoped God would not let come upon them, was the very one which came.

No doubt, dear friend, you would from your heart say, "God forbid' that I should die in sin; that what comes of dying in sin should come to me;" but remember there is only one way of your insuring that God should forbid thisit is by doing what He bids. Let Christ's blood wash your sin away, and let the Spirit of God for ever teach its power; and if you put this meaning into the words, you will offer a prayer which will be heard, and answered, too, when you say:

"GOD FORBID.

1 John xiii. 17.