The fly has lost its life, but the man has lost his ointment. The fly was not alone in the mischief it made. It brought ruin on itself, and it brought

mischief on the apothecary.

It is always so with our wrong doing. Just try to think of the scrapes you have got into by your own folly, and then try to think how many people you have wronged and made unhappy by it. I had a schoolfellow who was very fond of riding. He could never resist the temptation of a ride, no matter what it cost him. He caught a stray donkey by the roadside and mounted its back for a ride. The donkey refused to gratify him, so he beat it with a stick. The donkey, not liking his rudeness, lifted his heels very suddenly, and sent the boy at a great speed over his head. He fell very heavily and broke his arm. For weeks that arm was useless to him and painful. He suffered for his folly, but he was not the only sufferer. His poor, hardworking mother had to wash and dress her boy every day, and nurse him like a child. She had extra work and greater anxiety on account of his folly. His father was very unhappy about the accident, and had the doctor's bill to pay. So he had to share in the misfortune. The boy's brothers and sisters sympathised with him, and lost a great deal of enjoyment by the accident.

So you see the boy was not the only sufferer. He fell into mischief himself, and had to suffer for it, and he also dragged his family and friends into suffering through his folly.

You have seen a number of railway-wagons standing on the line, and one wagon has been shunted on the same line and has run against them with great force. The moving wagon struck the first wagon a tremendous blow, and caused it to strike the next a lighter blow, and the next a lighter still, until its influence had spent itself.

It is just so with our wrong doing. Every time we sin against God and bring ourselves into mischief and disgrace, our nearest and dearest friends suffer most; then the evil is felt by our neighbours and friends; and where the mischief ends God only knows.

We are so linked together as families and friends that any injury done to one is felt by all.

Suppose one of you boys were to steal something from a shop, and fall into the hands of the police, and be locked up in prison to-day.

You would

suffer, and serve you right. But somebody else would suffer as much or more. Your mother would have a sleepless night and a heavy heart. Your father

would be greatly distressed, and the happiness of your family destroyed. Then your uncles and aunts, and all your other relatives would be grieved to find they had a thief in the family. Where would the mischief end? You don't know. It would affect your family, your friends, your playmates, and your neighbours. Those who loved you most would suffer most. Your best friends would be sharers in your misery.

This lesson is true not only of stealing, but of falsehood, disobedience, and every other sin you can commit. I might give you many more examples to confirm this truth, but if you are thoughtful you will see that we are never alone in the mischief we make. We can never get into any scrape without dragging somebody with us.

The last lesson I want you to learn from the fly is:

IV.-Little sins make great mischief.

The dead fly in the ointment-pot is a very little thing, but you see it is enough to spoil the most precious ointment in the world.

Our text teaches us that as dead flies corrupt and ruin the costly ointment, so little sins will ruin the fairest child. A little folly will damage the character of "him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.”

How easy it is to lose a good character! Our characters are formed by our actions. If we are industrious, honest, truthful, thoughtful, and kind, people speak well of us. They give us a good character: we are in "reputation for wisdom and honour."

We need not

Now just think how easy it is to lose a good character. steal, or swear, or murder somebody in order to lose a good character. We need not commit any great sin. A very little sin will suffice.

We need only grow careless, or thoughtless, or heedless about our duties. People can soon see when a change comes over us for the worse. A straw will show which way the wind blows. People begin to say, "He is not as gentlemanly and respectful as he used to be." "He is not as kind and obliging as he used to be." "He does not work with the earnestness and spirit he used to display." "I saw him in loose company the other night."

These are all signs that "a little folly" has set in, and unless a change takes place "wisdom and honour" will soon be gone.

The most fearful thing about little sins is that they grow so fast. They grow from little sins to great sins before you are aware of it.

Look at that bloated, staggering drunkard. He pours whisky down his throat like water. He spends all his time and money on drink. He loves it. When he was a boy, and tasted it for the first time, it burned his mouth and scorched his throat, and forced the scalding tears into his eyes. He did not like it then, but he began to taste, then to sip, and then to drink, and now the love of drink has grown till it has ruined him. The habit might have been cured when he was young and took little, now it has gained the strength of a giant, and he cannot break it. It will kill him. Little sins make great

mischief.

Let us visit the prison and peep into the condemned cell. Here is a man condemned to death for the murder of his wife. What do you think of his history? He was once a little boy. He may have knelt at his mother's knee and learned to lisp that sweet child's prayer :—

Gentle Jesus, meek and mild,

Look

upon a little child;

Pity my simplicity,

Suffer me to come to Thee.

Fain I would to Thee be brought,
Lamb of God, forbid me not;
In the kingdom of Thy grace
Grant a little child a place.

He was once as happy and as good as most of you. How did he find his way here? His misery all began in little sins.

He was first careless and thoughtless. He neglected to say his morning and evening prayers. He neglected his little duties, and ceased to care whether his work was done or not. Then he became disobedient and heedless. He ceased to obey his father and mother. He set his teachers at defiance, and refused to obey them. and they warned him of his danger. them not. He would have his own way. he formed bad habits, and everybody saw his ruin was only a question of

They saw he was on the road to ruin, They tried to save him, but he heeded He associated with bad companions,