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THE LION AND THE HAWK.

BY THE REV. ANDREW A. BONAR, FINNIESTON, GLASGOW. O you remember a story in Mr. Moffat's Missionary Labours and Scenes in Africa, about a lion lying in wait for a man? The man had gone to a pool of water, and then had lain down on a sloping rock to watch for any stray antelope that might come to drink; but while so doing fell fast asleep.

The heat of the sun reflected from the rock awoke him; but, when he would have risen from his position, he saw a large lion within little more than a yard of his feet, with its eyes glaring in his face. After a few moments he made a motion toward his gun, which he had laid down whilst he slept; but the lion no sooner

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saw him move than it gave a tremendous roar.

Again,

after an interval, he made the attempt, when again the lion started up as if enraged at his daring to seek a weapon of defence. The sun's rays soon made the rock like a heated plate of iron. At length the day closed. The night passed on, and yet every hour the lion was on the watch. The sun rose, the rock was soon as hot as yesterday, only by this time his feet had become past feeling, roasted by the intensity of the heat. About noon, the lion rose up and walked leisurely to the pool of water, eyeing the man all the while, so that when he once more stretched his hand toward his gun, the lion, enraged, made as if he would spring upon him. This day passed over, and another night also. But in the forenoon of the following day, the lion again walked down to the water, and while there was arrested by a noise from another quarter, which caused him suddenly to plunge into the bushes and disappear. It was only now that

the unhappy man was able to make his escape, worn out and only half alive.

It is thus that Satan watches souls; and if he sees one anxious to escape, oh how he springs forward in his rage. His tremendous roar has frightened many a soul that had nearly put its hand on the shield of faith. "It

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you become Christ's," he says, 'you must make up your mind to lose everything." In India, how he eyes every movement of those who have been made to feel the heat of wrath, and would fain escape. What uproar he excites! how incessant are his assaults day and night! Until the Lord interpose, arresting this mighty foe, the awakened soul is kept miserable, by fightings without and fears within; but the Lord does come in the hour of need by his Spirit, and it may be by his messengers too. Let us often pray, "Arise and disappoint the foe, and cast him down, O Lord" (Ps. xvii. 13).

A godly woman was one Sabbath afternoon returning home from church. Her way was up the slope of a steep hill, passing the ruins of a shepherd's cottage. It was a fine summer day, and she was slowly moving on, meditating on the word and ways of God, when her attention was directed to a hawk flying swiftly round and round the old hut. She wondered why the hawk should be thus circling the hut, but soon she noticed that he was in close pursuit of a little bird, which sought to escape by making for the broken window of the ruin. The little bird, however, in its alarm and trepidation could not make out the window, but flew past it again and again. But now, as the good woman who observed the scene drew nearer, the hawk's eye rested on her; his pursuit was not so keen as before-and while he abated his chase, the little bird got presence of mind to dart in at the broken window, and escape. The good woman found it fluttering and breathless, though in a few

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minutes it was able to fly off, unhurt, to its nest. said she thought of a poor soul awakened, anxious to enter into rest, and always looking towards Christ in whom the sinner is saved; but always prevented coming into the cleft of the rock by Satan hotly pursuing, raising up opposition, suggesting difficulties, and presenting wrong views of the Saviour. But at length, in a time of love, Jesus draws near; perhaps by sending some one like Philip (Acts viii. 29). Satan flees, and the soul finds the entrance.

Have we been writing to any of you, young readers? Is this your case? Has it ever been your case? I am sure if you have ever felt thus, you will pity others. You will have an intense desire to send to others such messengers of peace as Philip, who was sent to the Ethiopian eunuch; you will pray that such may be sent to souls at home, and to souls in heathen lands, and to any among the Jews who may be moaning, "Thou huntest me as a fierce lion" (Job x. 16); or as Jeremiah, "Mine enemies chased me sore, like a bird" (Lam. iii. 52); but who might soon sing, if you sent them the knowledge of the Saviour, "Our soul is escaped as a bird" (Ps. cxxiv. 7); ay, as the bird that, dipt in the blood of its fellow, was let loose in the open field-emblematic of a soul bathed in the blood of Him who was our fellow, and whose death is our life (Lev. xiv. 7).

"I PLANT FOR OTHERS."

A VERY poor and aged man, busied in planting and grafting an apple-tree, was rudely interrupted by this question:-"Why do you plant trees, who cannot hope to eat the fruit of them ?" He raised himself up, and leaning upon his spade, replied, "Some one planted trees before I was born, and I have eaten the fruit; I now plant for others, that the memorial of my gratitude may exist when I am dead and gone."-Children's Friend.

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NAGALINGUM, of whom the above is a likeness, is a fruit of the Free Church mission at Madras. The story of his conversion is one of deep interest. He belongs to a wealthy family, and in early youth he studied in a school conducted by Hindus who were still heathen. But the influence of missionaries has been felt even in these schools, for many of the books used in them have been compiled by men engaged in mission educational work. In these books there are always portions from the Holy Scriptures; but being otherwise better than any

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