I have less sense than a poor creeping ant,

If I take not due care of the things I shall want,
Nor provide against danger in time.

When death or old age shall stare in my face,
What a wretch shall I be in the end of my days,
If I trifle away all their prime!

Now, now, while my strength and my youth are in bloom,
Let me think what will serve me when sickness shall come,
And pray that my sins be forgiven.

Let me read in good books, and believe and obey,
That when death turns me out of this cottage of clay,

I may dwell in a palace in heaven.

。

LESSON II.

WHAT THE CONY TEACHES.

Text:-"The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks."-PROVERBS XXX. 26.

OUR next lesson is on another of the "four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise." The conies are animals of the rabbit kind, and in appearance and habits they bear some resemblance to our English rabbits.

They have no strength to defend themselves. Some animals, as the elephant, the lion, and the horse, are so powerful that they are well able to take care of themselves. They fear no enemy, for they are strong and can defend themselves. But the conies have no strong limbs or large bodies. They "are but a feeble folk."

They have no weapons to defend themselves. Other animals have an armoury of horns, teeth, claws, or stings; and many of them use these terrible weapons successfully when they are in danger. But the conies have no weapons. They cannot fight. They are "but a feeble folk." They are surrounded by enemies. On land and in air they have foes who seek to kill them. Beasts of prey will devour them if they can catch them. Eagles, vultures, and other birds of prey will destroy them. They are always in danger. They cannot fight, and their only hope of safety lies

C

in making their escape. They have only one chance, and they know it. This brings us to our first lesson:

I. We should know ourselves.

The conies are "but a feeble folk," yet they know their own weakness, and that knowledge helps them to save their lives, and find a place of safety.

There are many reasons why we ought to know ourselves.

1. We may save ourselves from ridicule and pain. Many a boy in school has thought himself very clever, and treated his school-fellows with pity and contempt. I knew a boy who never would confess his own ignorance. If you asked him a question and he did not understand you, he would be foolish enough to try to answer. He had not courage enough to say, "I don't know." He would try to make you believe he knew a great

deal, when he knew very little. He had to prepare for an examination with the boys in his class, and he was always boasting about his knowledge. He would be first on the list, and carry off all the prizes.

Nobody else had

a chance of beating him, he said, and he almost made some of the other boys envious. But he studied nothing thoroughly. He read a little out of one book, and a little out of another, and was always boasting how hard he worked, and how sure he was of success. The examination day passed