lamb. Love becomes e. cursed thing, near to hatred, when it is no better the.n a wild, unfettered passion. II. T~E SUBTLE SECRET OF THE SERPE~'T's TRAIL. This is a very ugly picture, from which we start back shuddering and in horror. There is a snake-like cunning in selfish lust that wickedly usurps the sacred name of love, when it is l'eally the very incarnation of hellish venom, seeking w allure its 1>rey to destruction. AU low, carnal lust is of the type of the serpent. 'l'he wild pa~sion tha~ fol_lows the ee.gle's flight may be dangerous, but the cold, loveless course of deilberate vice 1s deadly as that of a viper. III. 'l'HE UNCERTAIN VOYAGE OF TllE SHIP. 'l'he ship is a home on the waters. She carries freight and passengers-wealth and life. She sails from one port e.nd she seeks another in a far-off land. But she cannot see her distant haven; she knows not what fierce tempests she may have to encounter; her way is uncertain and dangerous. Married life is a voyage over unknown waters. But where there is true love the vessel is well ballasted; she carries a cargo richer than untold ingots of gold ; her crew work peacefully without fear of mutiny. Under such circumstances, though there is mystery, hearts that trust in God need fear no shipwreck of love and happiness. Vers. 24-28.-Four-weak thif'l.gs, and the greatness of them. The four little creaturee that are here mentioned all illustrate the wouderful way in which the disadvantages of weakness may bo overcome by some countervailing quality. In the spiritual world Christianity teaches us to look for the triumph of weakness-the weak things.of the world confounding the things which are mighty (1 Cor. i. 27). Now, we have illustra- tions from nature for the same principle. Each of the four creatures teaches us its own special lesson, as each conquers its weakness by some separate and distinctive quality. The ant succeeds by foresight, the coney by finding shelter, the locust by organization, and the lizard by quiet persistency, I. 'l'm!: ACHIEVEMENTS OF FORESIGHT. 1. This is a triumph of mind. The ant is in some respects the most wonderful creature in the world ; for it seems to be about equal in intelligence to the elephant, which is not only the greatest, but also the most intelligent of the larger animals. A bull, so immensely greater than an ant in body, is far smaller in mind. Similarly, man's lordship over the animal world is a triumph of mental power. The driver is weaker in body than the horse he drives, but be has a. stronger mind. We shall triumph in the world just in proportion as we develop our inner life. 2. This is a triumph of industry. The ant rebukes the sluggard (eh. vi. 6). 3. It is o. triumph of patience. The ant toils for the future. Herein is its true strength. Men who care only for the passing moment are shallow and weak. We are strong in pro- portion as we live in the future. II. THE SAFETY OF A BOUND SHELTER. " The conies are but a feeble folk," and they have not the compensating intelligence of ·the ants. But their instinct leads them to live among the rocks, and hide themselves in dark caves and inaccessible crevices. Thus the strength of the hills is theirs. When there iB no hope of holding our ground in the open field, we may find shelter in the Rock of AgeH. If souls have their instincts in a healthy condition, these will drive them to the true shelter, and there weakness will be safe. III. THE TRIUMPH OF ORGANIZATION. Though the locusts have no king, they are able to make successful marches over miles of country, and to completely devastate the lands they visit. They do not waste their time by flying hither and thither, and by opposing one another. They all move on in solid phalanx. This instinctive order secures success. It teaches us that the welfare of the individual must be subordinate to that of the community. If a small stream has to be crossed, the myriads of locusts who are so unfortunate as to be in the van of the mighty army fall in and fill up the bed till they make a causeway that can be used by their fellows. 'l'he victory of man is got through the suffering and death of many eelf-sacrificing heroes. In_the Church tho cause of Uhrist will best triumph when all Christians move together 1n harmony, all seeking to win the wor1d for the kingdom of heaven. IV. THE succEss OF PERSISTENCY. 'l'he little lizard is found in king's palaces because he can stick to the walls, and so run into unlooked-for places out of the way of men. It is a great thing to be able to hold on. Quiet perseverance wins mo.ny a victory. Patieut endurance is crowned in the end with glorious success. In the O.R, XXX, 1-33.] THE PROVERBS. 685
highest things, "he that endureth unto the end, the sa.me shall be saved" (Mark xiii. 13).