Let us learn a lesson of humility from the failure of the disciples. Let us strive to realize every day our need of the grace and presence of Christ. With Him we may do all things. Without Him we can do nothing at all. With Him we may overcome the greatest temp- tations. Without Him the least may overcome us. Let our cry be every morning, " leave us not to ourselves — we know not what a day may bring forth — if thy pre- sence go not with us we cannot go up."
Let us learn, in the second place, from these verses, how early in life we are liable to be injured by Satan. We read a fearful description of the miseries inflicted by Satan on the young man, whose case is here recorded. And we are told that he had been under this awful visi- tation from his very infancy. It came to him, "of a child."
There is a lesson of deep importance here which we must not overlook. We must labor to do good to our children even from their earliest years. If Satan begins so early to do them harm, we must not be behind him in diligence to lead them to God. How soon in life a child becomes responsible and accountable, is a difficult question to solve. Perhaps far sooner than many of us suppose. One thing, at all events, is very clear : it is never too soon to strive and pray for the salvation of the souls of children — never too soon to speak to them as moral beings, and tell them of God, and Christ, and right, and wrong. The devil, we may be quite sure, loses no time in endeavoring to influence the minds of young people. He begins with them even " of a child/' Let us work hard to counteract him. If young hearts can be filled by Satan, they can also be filled with the Spirit of God.