sibility of rising again after a fall, and going on to repentance. But this is certain,—every additional relapse weakens the sinner's powers of subsequent resistance to the attacks of the Evil One and deadens more and more his love for God.

God desires that His servants should steadily advance -upward and onward-in a life of justification. For this purpose He has given them His Word, the Holy Scriptures, and exhorts them to be doers of that Word and not hearers only. The difference between the two is well put by St. James: "If any be a hearer of the Word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was". "but a doer of the Word, this

man shall be blessed in his deed." Were a man to see by the glass his face defiled or blemished, and go his way without cleansing it, he would be like one who reads of sin in the Bible, or hears of it from the pulpit, but gives himself no further concern about the matter. But were

the man to do his utmost to cleanse his face from every stain of defilement, he would be as the doer of God's word, who uses his knowledge to avail himself of God's own appointed ways,—the Sacraments of Holy Church, the only means of Grace,-of having the Divine image in his soul cleansed and purified from all that has marred or dimmed its beauty.

God's word is a lantern unto the feet of such an one, and a light unto his path in the journey from earth to Heaven. It is the chart by which the wise steer their course to the harbor of the blessed Saints. "If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them," or, to quote the closing words of to-day's Gospel, "Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it."

I

THE FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT.

TEXT: And Jesus took the loaves; and when He had given thanks, He distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.-St. John vI. 11.

THE

By the REV. J. HOLLISTER LYNCH,

Rector of St. Mary's Church, Ottumwa, Iowa.

HE teaching of this miracle plainly is that God cares for them that seek Him. He provides for every need, both of body and soul. Jesus was generous. He did not refuse food to the large number of the multitude who were drawn by curiosity, who wanted to see some miracles. They all had followed to be with Him; they all had exhausted their supply and were hungry now; they all were unable to provide for themselves.

The Apostles, they who lately had been healed, the thoughtless thousands, all, save the little lad, were without food; and Jesus supplied what each of them needed. They even did not need to ask Him. The food was given freely and graciously. He was more thoughtful of them than they were thoughtful of themselves, and, certainly, far more than they were of Him. They thought of Him while He spoke to them, as He showed signs and wonders, when He fed them; He always had them in His heart and in His mind. He prayed for them, wept over them, fed them, taught them, died for them. He left undone absolutely nothing that could have been done to arouse them and win them for the Father who

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had sent Him. And when in following and serving Him, they needed anything, He was the first to recognize the need, and He was prompt to relieve it. The same God who had provided food and rest and safety for Elijah, under the juniper tree and in the loft, also gave food and strength to these thousands who were liable to faint because they had followed Him so far out of the beaten way, and He even now assures the welfare of all, the one man, and the multitude, who go apart to be with Him.

God does care for us and He is mindful of us. You know how thoughtful we are of them for whom we care. We work that they may have sufficient. We scheme and plan and enslave ourselves that they never may be in need. We seek to add luxury to plenty and to heap pleasure upon pleasure. For whom do we this? Almost always for them who have a claim upon us, whom we love, who return our love, who make us happy, who have attached themselves to us and for our sakes have come apart for a little way.

We do know that God cares for us and provides for us. Have we not plenty? Have we not an abundance? Have we suffered for anything? We never are hungry nor thirsty. We never are faint by the way. It is because God is mindful of us. It is He that gives the clear head and the strong arm and the skilful hand. It is He that multiplies the seeds we plant, and the miracle of seed-time and harvest is not less wonderful, though more slow, than that of the loaves and fishes. The God who created us, cares for us. Year by year He had fed these Jews who were now eating the multiplied loaves, and they had given Him few thanks. But now they will crown His Son their King, be

cause their eyes have seen the loaves and fishes in

crease at His touch. The miracle was strange to them but not to God. Always He had fed them. Why not that day? Was it not as easy for Him to multiply the grain baked in the bread as when planted in the soil? The five thousand saw God's hand more plainly then, because God usually fed them in another way.

For long years God has cared for us and fed us. He has given us the desires of our hearts and the pleasures our bodies crave. We have lacked for nothing, but we have given God few thanks. From the time of infancy's helplessness to this day, He has cared and thought for us, and we have taken it as a matter of course. Now let Him in an unusual way protect and nourish us for a single day, and we fall on our knees and cry, "It is the Lord"; and we do well to crown Him King of our lives.

But why have not we known the Lord long ago? Has He been distant from us? Has He been negligent and only to-day begun to care? Is this the first time we have profited by His bounty? Not at all. We are slow of understanding. Daily for years He has watched over us as a mother nourishes a child, and little recognition and little love has sprung up in our hearts. We take credit to ourselves and love ourselves.

Our hands and heads, our industry and frugality, we admire them and give them praise and thanks. We cry, "See what we have done!" We forget God. It was Moses who struck the rock in the wilderness; but it was God who made the rod and the rock, and who caused the water to flow. It was the wind that blew back the waters of the Red Sea, and blew onward the quails to the Israelites' feet; but it was God who made

them all and directed them all. You planted the seed, you kept the house, you taught the school, you sold the goods; but God made you and them, and the particular abilities and properties.

God does care for us and He gives us all things we need. He merits our recognition and thanks for to-day's blessings as much as for those that are more unusual and more startling. The Father's heart yearns for love from the children over whom He watches, and of whose every need He is mindful. Even the Jews who' crucified God gave Him praise and honor when He fed them. Can you and I do less than they? When we have been in need, we praise the man who puts us on our feet again. We are thankful to him. We are ready to speak good words for him. Can we do less for God?

The people ate eagerly of the loaves, but they did not so readily accept the teaching Jesus drew from the miracle. The day after the miracle they followed Him again. It was not because they had become His disciples and wished for further teaching. They followed Him because they liked to eat bread for which they needed not to toil. Jesus Himself said unto them, "Ye seek Me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled."

To free them from the necessity of laboring for food was not the purpose for which the Son of God came to earth. He did care for their bodies, but He cared more for their souls. He provided for the body through seedtime and harvest and a fruitful earth. The Son of God came to give Himself as Food for the soul. The people were quite ready to eat the fruits of the earth, but they were reluctant to accept the Bread from