lost sheep, and also about the prodigal son! Jesus was a great preacher, and he was not particular where he preached. Sometimes he preached in the temple, at other times in the streets and fields. And he could preach from almost anything. But though he sometimes took little things for his text, his sermons were always full of great and important truths. He loved open-air preaching, and was always pleased to see little children listening to him. He used, sometimes, to lay his hands on them and bless them. One time his stern disciples wanted to drive them away for fear they should teaze him, but he would not allow them to do so, but began to preach about them, and said: "Of such is the kingdom of heaven." So you see Jesus loves little children. And he likes to see them listening to his servants when they preach; for though he is in heaven and we on earth, he can see us every one. Now, will you please give me your attention while I try to talk to you about the little creatures named in my text. You will observe they are ants, conies, locusts, and spiders. We shall notice→

I. THE LITTLE CREATURES HERE REFERRED TO. 1. The Ants are a people not strong. The Ants of Asaiah and South America are much larger and stronger than the ants of England. But perhaps the largest ever seen would not measure more than three-quarters of an inch in length, and a quarter of an inch in height. The English ants are very tiny creatures, only about a quarter of an inch long and about as big round as a lady's needle. But though they are so very small they are "exceeding wise," as their history and habits prove. A great man was once so struck with their wisdom that he declared he thought they must have mind, reason, and memory. That they are very wise there is no doubt, but they can't reason and reflect like boys and girls, and like men and women. They don't grow wiser, but you should grow wiser every day. But they are very wonderful little creatures. Naturalists tell us their houses are built in regular order, one story above another, to the height of thirty or forty stories. Their buildings are more than

five hundred times higher than the builders. If men built their dwellings as high in proportion as the ants build theirs, they would be about four times higher than the pyramids of Egypt. The ants fit up their houses very comfortably, they make high lofty rooms, long passages, corridors, and galleries. They are very careful in the choice of their building material, which consists of earth, dry grass, leaves, and fragments of wood; these are all nicely prepared, tempered in the rain and dried in the sun before they are placed in the building. They are then so ingeniously worked in that their houses are very strong, compact and weathertight. But then they never improve; they build their houses now just as they built them thousands of years ago. But we are constantly making improvement; we have better homes and more comforts than our forefathers, for which we should be very grateful.

The ants are very kind to each other. They don't quarrel and fall out by the way like some naughty boys and girls. They nurse their young and their sick very tenderly, and thereby reprove some persons who are not so kind to the sick and helpless as they ought to be. The young ants are never rude to the old ones, but treat them with civility and courtesy; and this is the way young people should treat their parents, grand-parents and all old people. The ants are a very industrious people; they are up very early and they work very hard and long. Some people are very sluggish and idle, and Solomon tells them to "go to the ant, consider her ways and be wise."

They prepare their meat in Summer. In this respect they teach us a very important lesson. Now is our summer season,―our gathering time. The spring of youth, and summer of manhood are ours; and now is the time for us to make provision for the winter of old age, sickness and death. Let it be our chief business to "lay up treasures," not on earth, but in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. 2. The conies are a feeble folk. Conies are about as big as

hedgehogs; their feet resemble the feet of a bear, and their mouth and nose, or snout, that of a mouse. They are found in Judea, Palestine, and Arabia. They are exceedingly shy, timid, and feeble. They "make their houses in the rocks;" and when in their rocky homes they are always safe. The sportsman may be abroad, but he can't touch them. The storm and tempest may beat upon the rocks, but they are snug and safe. Now, we are very feeble and need a hiding place, for Satan goes about "like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour;" and there is a terrible storm coming on, the storm of affliction, death, and judgment. Where can we find a shelter? In Christ Jesus. He is our hiding place; a rock that is higher than we.

"Rock of Ages cleft for me

Let me hide myself in thee."

3. The locusts have no king, yet go they forth in bands. The locust is very much like the grasshopper in shape, but much larger. They are very numerous in the east; sometimes they come up in great swarms, and though they have no king or ruler, they are so united in their plans and movements, that they march forward in regular order like men of war, and clear the country as they go of every green thing, even the very bark of the trees. These creatures constituted the eighth plague of Egypt; and the prophet Joel gives a full description of their strength and destructive propensities. They are not easily frightened; and fire and water will not daunt them. They do just what God intended they should do, and no man can stop them.

Now it should be so with us. We should first find out what the will of God is concerning us, and what our duty is to God and our fellow creatures, and be determined to do it. Let us never be faint-hearted, discouraged, or frightened; but do what we know to be right in the sight of God, and he will help us. Then we should be united like the locusts. It is a good thing for a church, a school, or a family to be united in love, in sentiment, in practice. We should all act,

and is in kings'

and act together. When all Christian people put forth their strength unitedly they will soon take the world for Jesus. 4. The spider taketh hold with her hands, palaces. You all know what a spider is. Well, did you ever examine her web? How curiously and beautifully the threads are joined together; but her web is exceedingly frail, and easily broken or blown away. But no sooner is it destroyed than she sets to work and makes another; and there she sits in the centre of it watching for her prey. Presently a silly fly comes that way and gets entangled in the web, when she instantly pounces upon it and sucks its blood. Now let us ever remember that Satan watches for souls like the spider watches for flies; and, like the spider, he has his traps and snares cunningly laid; let us take care and not run into them. Public-houses, dancing saloons, &c., are the devil's webs, where he catches many a silly fly. Be sure never to enter them, for many young people have been ruined there. Then we should remember, too, that our life is like the spider's web, very frail, and will soon be blown away by the winds of death. And the false hopes of wicked people will be blown away, and they will have no resting place, but sink down into the blackness of darkness for ever. And now let us observe very briefly

II. THE LESSONS THESE LITTLE CREATURES TEACH US. We have picked up a few lessons as we came along, but just one or two more, then we shall have done.

1. They teach us the necessity of being "born again." Now the little creatures that we have been talking about all do the will of God. But wicked people have no inclination to do the will of God until their hearts are made the recipients of His grace. To carry out the will of God as fully in your sphere as ants, conies, locusts, and spiders do in theirs, you must be converted. And except you are converted and become " new creatures," you cannot enter the kingdom of

heaven.

2. Decision is another important lesson they teach us. They never put off until to-morrow what ought to be done

to-day. They go to their work in right good earnest and at the right time. And God says to us, "Behold now is the accepted time." To-morrow may not be ours; we might be dead and lost for ever. God has given us the present

hour for the very purpose of seeking salvation, and if we lose it we may never have another; therefore I entreat you to decide now: "believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved." A little boy in one of the schools on my station was in his class one Sabbath healthy and strong, and the following Tuesday morning he was dead. He was a good boy, and no doubt went to heaven.

3. Diligence is another lesson they teach us. How busy these little creatures are. How full of activity. How the little ants hasten to and fro, in and out of their little city, the ant hill; toiling and struggling for each other's common good. So it should be with you. "Be diligent in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." Plod hard at your lessons, learn all you can, get all the good you can, and do all the good you can. And let the careless and idleGo to the ants! for one poor grain

See how they toil and strive:
Yet you, who have a heaven to gain,
How negligent you live!
Will you continue sluggish still,

And never act your parts?

O, may the Holy Spirit fill,

And warm your frozen hearts.

THOUGHTS FOR LITTLE MINDS.

ON THE LION.

"The lordly lion stalks,

Grimly majestic in his lonely walks;

When round he glares, all living creatures fly;
He clears the desert with his rolling eye."-Young.