heritage left us by our fathers, who were too busy to feed them; the multi- plying thousands of immigrants from other shores, sent to us by God's provi- dence ^because we were so slow in giv- ing to them; these millions beyond the sea, with hungry hearts and saddened souls. Send them away. Why should we be tormented with this everlasting cry for money for the spread of the Gospel; we want time to eat and drink, to buy and sell, to make merry with our friends, to lay up treasures for our chil- dren. Where is their memory. Have they forgotten the five thousand and the five loaves and two fishes? Where is their compassion? Have they been so long with Him and yet have imbibed so little of Himself, so little of His mercy, His tenderness, His compassion. Where is their faith? Have they for- gotten His wondrous works, his match- less power in healing and helping? How is it that they are yet men of little faith? The faithful Friend. I have com- passion. Thank God, one heart always beats true. No night so daTlc, no need so great, no task so difficult, but that He will say I have compassion. Hear Him, helpless, hopeless, friendless hun- gry souls, He has compassion. Finding food. " H ow many loaves have y e ? " They find seven loaves and a few fishes. ' ' What are they among so m a n y ?" Barley loaves were given as food in punishment to the Roman soldiers. They were the food of the very poor in Palestine. How inade- quate, how insignificant; it seems like a mockery to bring to Him such a mea- ger supply with which to minister to a multitude. Gould He not have fed the people without the loaves as He did the children of Israel in the wilder- ness? Yes, but He prefers to associate their scant supply with His blessed bounty. He takes their bread into His own hands, blesses, breaEs, bestows. Even when He feeds them He thinks of their comfort. He bids them recline upon the grass and rest. He uses His disciples as the medium through which the need is supplied—and all are fed. The world is a barren desert, there is nothing in it to satisfy the soul of man. We are unable, in ourselves, to do any- thing. We have but a few poor barley loaves. How hopeless the outlook! He says, " B r i ng them to m e . " He takes
us into His own hands, blesses us, breaks us, bestows through us, His Own life. There is sufficiency in Him for all, of the want of the world, both soul and body. He would gladly supply -the life if He could find the channels through which to do it. He might do without us, but He has ordained it otherwise. We are always questioning as to resources. What we need is not a larger store house but a fuller faith. Moses does not need eloquence or an army, only a rod. Joshua needs but a few rams' horns. Gidean a few lamps and pitchers. David a sling and a stone. Daniel a clear-eyed vision of his God. How inadequate it all seems. A few fishermen, a erucified Leader, but He came down from heaven to give life to a world (Jno. 6:33). From Cal- vary flowed the blood, adequate for all sin, for all time. From the tomb came a man, sovereign in His Sonship. From heaven came the Spirit, potent in power. The frag- ments of His broken body and the drops of His shed blood have been passed on and on through the centuries. What- ever the failure here, we know and recognize the cause to be in the failing faith of His followers, never in our God. What a beautiful picture is here. The King, mighty, merciful, humble. The multitude in companies, suggesting order and fellowship of the churches; the chosen disciples, meekly, joyfully, ministering: all fed—all filled. MINDFUL OF FRAGMENTS. "They took up the fragments." There is no waste in nature. God utilizes all natural resources and makes them contribute to the need of the world. We live in a day and a land of luxury and of waste. It is lawful to contemp- late the waste in the lives and homes of believers—waste of time, waste of talents, waste of treasures—proof of prouigality abounding everywhere. What is more criminal than this waste of the life of God. He never gave us His life to keep for ourselves. He pours out His life into us, we are to pour it out to others. The whole scene suggests that we, first see the need—get a vision; second, recognize the call; third, bring our re- sources, poor as they are, to Him; fourth, take from His hands the needed supply; fifty, distribute to the world as f ar and fast as possible; sixth, con- serve all our powers and possessions for
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