THE LOAVES AND FISHES.

THE success of our Savior's teaching among the people continued to be very great, and the crowds which were constantly coming to Him for instruction and relief prevented Him and his disciples from taking the rest and refreshment which were necessary.

He therefore called the disciples together, and getting into a boat, desired them to row across the sea of Galilee to the opposite shore, where they might enjoy a little quiet after all the fatigue of the day.

But He did not go unobserved, for the people had watched Him; and when they saw Him get into the boat, they guessed where He was going: and they ran round on foot, and arrived first at the landing place, so that when our Lord came there in the boat, He found the beach already crowded with people waiting to receive Him, for they loved Him, and were delighted with his gentle way of teaching them, so unlike the Jewish scribes they had been accustomed to hear.

Notwithstanding that He had come for the purpose of retirement, yet when our Lord saw these poor people so

anxiously waiting for Him, He had compassion on them, healed all the sick, and again instructed them in the Christian religion.

But the day was now fast closing in, and evening at hand, and the people were in want of food; for in their hurry to follow our Savior, they came away without provisions. So the disciples told Him their distress, and begged Him to send them away to the villages round about to buy themselves food. But He said, 'They need not depart; give ye them to eat.'

The disciples were very much surprised at this command, knowing they had no food to give them; and Philip, one of the twelve, said, 'Even if we were to buy two hundred penny-worth of bread, it would not be enough for so great a multitude.'-'How many loaves have ye?' said our Lord; 'go and see.'

Upon inquiry, it was found that there was a lad among the company who had five barley loaves and two small fishes; and the Lord commanded them to be brought to Him.

He then desired His disciples to make the crowd all sit down on the grass: so they sat down in rows, to the number of five thousand. Then taking the loaves in his hands, He looked up to Heaven, and gave thanks to God, and broke them in pieces, which He gave to his disciples, who

distributed them among the people. After this, He also divided and distributed the fishes in the same way.

And although there were only five little loaves, our Savior continued breaking and giving more and more, till all the five thousand people were satisfied.

When they had finished, He desired that the remains might be picked up, in order that nothing should be wasted; and they actually filled twelve baskets with what was left of the five loaves and two fishes.

This was a great miracle. We must not expect to see such things in our time, for miracles are not performed now; they were then wrought to testify that Jesus Christ was the promised Savior, the Son of God. But that having been proved, there is no longer need of a continuance and repetition of such miracles to teach us what we already know.

We should learn from our Lord's example to return God thanks for the food with which He daily supplies us. We pray for our daily bread;' and it is surely very ungrateful, when we have received it, to neglect to return thanks to the bountiful Giver of it.

I hope in future you will be careful never to waste any thing, since you find that our Lord, who could command more whenever He wanted it, desired the remains of the bread to be picked up, in order that nothing might be lost.

The people were so convinced by this that Christ was

indeed the Savior, and they had so long believed that, when the Savior came, He would be an earthly Prince, that they prepared to take our Lord by force, and proclaim Him King.

This was not, however, the will of the meek and lowly Jesus; and He therefore sent them away, and desired His disciples to return to the other side of the sea, and promised that He would follow them. He then retired to a mountain alone to spend part of the night in prayer to God.

When shall we learn from our Master to disregard the grandeur of this world, and to seek our crown of glory in the next? When shall we learn to consider the name of a Christian to be the highest title on earth, since that title alone will admit us into the kingdom of heaven, and every other can last but a few years here below?

When shall we lay up our treasure in heaven, and place our hearts there too? It is a difficult lesson for us, poor sinful beings, to learn; but let us remember our Lord's example, and pray to Him who will enable us to do so.

S

THE STORM.

OUR Savior's disciples, as I told you, had entered the boat according to his command, and left Him on shore. While He was alone on the mountain, they were toiling across the lake with great difficulty; for the night was very dark and stormy, and the wind blowing strong against them, so that the boat was tossed about with the violence of the waves.

While they were thus employed in rowing, they perceived the figure of some one on the water approaching them; but, from the darkness of the night, they could not see clearly who it was, and they were so much frightened that they cried aloud. Their fear was, however, soon changed to joy when they heard a well-known voice exclaim, Be of good cheer: it is I, be not afraid.'

It was indeed their Master. He had followed them on foot across the lake, walking on the waters, and was now close beside the boat.

Delighted to find his beloved Master so near, Peter, in the ardor of his affection, called out to Him, 'Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee upon the water.'—And his Master bade him come.