and helped him to do wrong. At length his sins led him into danger. In one of his wicked adventures he took cold, and had a long and dangerous illness. For days he was raving and shouting like a madman. When the fever left him he was as weak as a child. He could not move hand or foot. He had to lie and think. It was a great disappointment to him to lose health and strength. It was a sharp thorn. But he was thankful for his life. For months he was not able to walk. He wondered why God had spared his life and saved him from the grave. He wondered what would have become of his soul if he had died. He felt he was a great sinner. He thought about the marvellous goodness and mercy of God.

He thought

on his ways and turned his feet into God's testimonies. After his conversion he began to recover his health. Before he was afflicted he went astray, but now he keeps God's commandments.

Sometimes God uses disappointments and losses as thorns in our nest. If we continue heedless and impenitent there are many thorns in store for us. Martin Luther used to say, "If a man will make his nest in this world, God will put a thorn in it."

It is a great mercy He does make us consider our ways, and takes such pains with us to bring us to repentance.

Why does the mother eagle rouse her young ones and make them uncomfortable? Is it because she hates them? No, it is because she loves them. Yes, and our afflictions are not a proof that God hates us, but a proof that He loves us.

When we get to heaven we shall find that many of our greatest trials have been Heaven's best blessings in disguise.

When the eagles are unable to rest any longer, and find no comfort in the nest, they must be taught to fly. That is done in two ways:

"She fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings;"-that is her example.

"She taketh them, beareth them on her wings ;"-that is her help. The young birds are provided with wings, but do not know how to use them. Her fluttering over them, and spreading abroad her wings, is an

example for them to imitate. It is their first lesson in flying. dull scholars, and so timid, they are almost afraid to stir. not follow her example unless they can be sure of her help.

They are very

They often will

She places them one at a time on her big, broad back, and flies away with the little one towards the clouds. It is a strange sensation for the timid little thing, and no doubt it clings as firmly as it can to its mother's back. But when she has reached a very great height, she drops one wing and rolls the little one off her back, and waits to see what it will do. Of course it tries to save itself from falling. It spreads its own little wings, and so it learns to fly.

4. So God sustains us by His example and help. When God has brought us to see our guilt and danger as sinners, and we have resolved to forsake our sins and lead a new life, we are often very timid and weak. We receive God's Word as our guide and teacher, we study the Saviour's life as our example, and we pray to God for help.

Now let us look at the power of example. A gentleman owned a large farm, and employed an overlooker to superintend it and see that all was done properly. He had a large number of labourers and servants, and spared no expense to make the farm pay. But every year when he took stock of the farm and balanced his accounts, he found he was losing. The farm cost more money than it made. He bore this state of things a long time, and at last he resolved to give up farming himself and let the farm to some one else. His overlooker, when he heard his master's intention, offered to pay a good rent for it. The master was greatly surprised at this, but gave up the farm to him. Year by year the tenant paid his rent regularly, and prospered. He increased his stock, improved his land, saved money, and became a rich man. The landlord was anxious to know the secret of this success, so he went to visit the farm, and see the evidences of prosperity himself. At length he said to his tenant, "This farm was always losing money when I was master, how is it the farm is making money now you are master?"

The tenant replied, "Sir, you said, 'Go.' I always say, 'Come!' That is the secret of it. If you had any work to be done, you called the men to your door. You said, 'Go into such a field, make such a drain, or clean out such a ditch, or mend such a fence.' Of course the men went to do it, but you did not go to see what they were doing. work when it was finished.

"I say to my men, 'Come with me.' spade, and work as hard as any of them. worth half the men's wages.

You only went to examine the

I pull off my coat and use my My presence and example are All the difference between losing and gaining, between becoming rich and becoming poor, lies in my example to the men." And so it is, my dear children, in God's service. We have difficulties, and trials, and disappointments, and hard work, but we have a bright example for our imitation. We have a Saviour who has travelled every step of our earthly experience. He has been in poverty and pain. He has hungered and thirsted, and wept, and prayed.

He knows what sore temptations mean,

For He hath felt the same.

He has left us an example that we should tread in His steps.

Now let us look at His help. There are two things about His help that I love to think about. He is able. He is willing. The religion of Jesus Christ differs from every other in the world because there is a power in it and a love in it.

A converted Chinaman, on one of our mission stations, preached a sermon on the love and the power of Jesus. He pictured a poor sinner convinced of his sin and seeking mercy. He was in a deep pit. His feet were sinking in the miry clay. He was crying for mercy. There came a priest from the School of Philosophy, and looked into the pit. The poor wretch cried, "What must I do to be saved?" The philosopher replied, "Friend, I have one bit of advice to give thee. If ever thou art fortunate enough to get out of that pit, take care thou dost not get into it again." With that advice he left him. Philosophy can advise, but it cannot help.

The next that passed by was a priest from the School of Morality. The poor wretch cried to him, "What must I do to be saved?" The moralist replied, "Friend, thou art in a sad plight. Just try to climb half-way out of the pit, and I think I can help thee the other half." The man replied, "I am helpless, and poor, and wretched. I cannot move a step nearer liberty

and life." So the moralist left him to his fate.

He heard the cry, "What must

But the Lord Jesus Christ came near. I do to be saved?" He put forth the great arm of His power. He laid hold of the helpless one. He lifted him out of the horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set his feet upon a rock, and established his goings. That is how the Lord helps. He has the power. He has the love.

Follow His example. Seek His help. But the figure breaks down here. goodness breaks down somewhere. love wherewith He hath loved us.

Every emblem of God's love and They all of them fall short of that great

When the young eagles are taught to fly the mother bird forsakes them. She never owns or helps them again. She ceases to love them or care for them.

5. God never leaves or forsakes His people. I have seen God's children. in strange and trying circumstances. I have seen them in poverty. A good man was thrown out of work by that sad cotton famine in Lancashire some years ago. He was eight weeks without work, and had spent nearly all he had to keep him from starving. He went one night to a missionary meeting, and when the collection was made he put twopence into the box. It was all he had in the world, and he knew not where the next money was to come from. But he was a good man, who trusted God, and believed the Lord would provide. He went home with an empty pocket and a light heart. Next morning the master of a cotton-mill in the neighbourhood sent for him to work. He had work from that day all the time the famine lasted.

I have seen God's people in pain. A little boy came to me one day and said, "Please, sir, there is an old man wants to see you at the workhouse. He is dying, and wants you to go directly." I went, and found the old man