THE LITTLE PRINCE'S LABOR OF LOVE.

The late Comte de Chambord was always noted for amiability and kindness of heart, and was never embittered by the changed prospects of his life. Atsix years of age he was the little Duc de Bordeaux, the grandson of Charles X., and the hopes and expectations of France were fixed upon him. Like many other robust and easy tempered children, he considered lessons a terrible hardship, and particularly disliked writing. His copy-books were blotted and scrawled over dreadfully, to his father's great displeasure and the despair of the unfortunate tutor whose task it was to teach him to write. But the child was merry, asked pardon in such engaging tones, and made such good resolutions for future copies, that the writing-master could not look grave for long, and perhaps his royal pupil took advantage of him.

One morning, however, the child's playfulness failed to rouse him from a settled melancholy: there were even tears in the old man's eyes; and, although the little Duc de Bordeaux asked over and over again what ailed him, he could obtain no answer. After lessons, however, a servant told the boy that his tutor was responsible for a debt of one thousand francs incurred by his son, and saw no means of obtaining the money. When the royal family were assembled at the noonday breakfast, the little duke said, in his most coaxing tones:

"Grandfather, if I write well for a whole week, will you give me some thing?" "Yes."

"Will you give me fifty louis?"

That is a great deal of money," said the king. "What will you do

with it?"

"That is my secret," replied the child; whereupon Charles X. smiled and promsed.

The next morning the boy sat with his copy-book at the window overlooking the Tuileries- The birds sang, the tame pigeons came and perched on the window sill, merry children played under the trees, but for once he neither heard nor saw any of them, and actually accomplished a whole copy without mistake or blot. The tutor was astonished, and his amazement increased when his pupil's careful industry continued for a week. No sooner was the page finished than he took his copy-book to his grandfather, and in a few minutes returned, carrying in both hands the bag containing the fifty louis. His bright face was suffused with blushes as he gave it into the tutor's hands, saying:

"Here are my wages. Please accept them. I only worked that I might give them to you."-Selected.

LESSON X.

Sept. 7th, 1884.

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.

5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me; therefore will I

offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD. 7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.

9 Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.

11 Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.

12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.

13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Verse 1. My Light-this is the only time in the Old Testament that Jehovah is called the Light. Jesus said: I am the Light of the world. Strength-defence. 2. Enemies-Goliath, Saul, and others. Eat-figurative of beasts of prey. Stumbled and fell-failed and were destroyed. 4. One thing-the chief thing, above all others. Seek after-strive for continually. House of the Lord-the tent erected by David in Jerusalem for the Ark (2 Sam. 6: 17). Beauty of the Lord-both that of (1) the ordinances of worship, and (2)

the internal beauty of holiness and spiritual communion. Inquire-contemplate, commune. 5. Pavilion-booth; a dwelling-place made of boughs. The secret of His tabernacle-the holy of holies. 7. Hear-the Psalmist now turns to earnest prayer. 10. When-though; parents are the last to forsake a man; God will then still befriend us. 12. False witnesses rose against David, and also against Christ. 13. In the land of the living-in this life. 14. An exhortation to us to have confidence in the Lord. The promise: He shall strengthen.

V. 1. What is the Lord here called? Who is the Light of the world? What else? What is meant by strength of life? Need we fear any foe, then?

2. Tell what foes rose up against David. What became of them?

3. Could David overcome an entire host? Who only could protect him? What gave him courage and drove away fear?

4. What did he desire above all else? Was he satisfied with mere desire? What did he do? What was the house of the Lord at that time? Where was it? Who built it? What is the beauty of the Lord? 5. What would God do? What is the secret? On what would God set him?

6. Of what did he feel sure? What would he offer? Where? What else would he do?

7. To what does he now turn? For what does he plead?

8. Whose face ought you to seek? Do

you?

9. How many petitions are there in this verse? Repeat them. What does he call God?

10. Who are our most steadfast friends? Whose love outlives even that of parents?

11-12. Whose way ought you learn? Do you allow yourself to be led? What kind of witnesses rose against Christ? Must we all expect to be slandered? Do you indulge in false witness?

13. What faith sustained David? Is all faith strengthening?

14. What does he tell us to do and to be? What promise is added?

Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity.

This Psalm expresses confidence in God in the midst of dangers. The enemies of the Psalmist have been foiled, (V. 2), but they still threaten him. The recurrence of an attack is imminent, (V. 3); he is closely watched, (V. 6); he prays earnestly, not without a consciousness that he has incurred God's anger, (V. 9), but with a certainty that his prayer is heard, that he will be delivered, pass the rest of his life near the sanctuary, and offer sacrifices of thanksgiving in God's tabernacle (V. 6). The indications seem to point to the time when David was pursued by the army of Absalom-probably to the time when the last and decisive battle was to be fought.

V. 1. The Lord is my light. Light issues from God as a beam of His lightgiving countenance. As the light of the sun is the source of all life and growth in nature, so is it the source of all life and well-being in the heart. Hence it is the usual figure of life, success, joy and all good.

My Salvation (1) from sin, (2) from troubles, dangers and foes.

The Strength of my life-or, stronghold of my life, in which my life is preserved. Of whom shall I be afraid? No night of sorrow can be so dark, no evil so fearful, no enemy so dreadful, as to cause those to tremble, despair and perish who have God for their light, salvation and stronghold. "One, with God, is a majority."

Vs. 2-3. The wicked, mine enemies. "It is a hopeful sign for us when the wicked hate us; if our foes were goodly men it would be a sore sorrow; but as for the wicked, their hatred is better than their love."

They fell. None of David's foes triumphed over him. So Christ's foes fell backward, when they came to arrest Him in Gethsemane; and " herein He was a prophetic representative of all wrestling believers who, rising from their knees shall, by the power of faith, throw their foes upon their faces."

me.

Though an host should encamp against

These are the words of a leader of armies, who is courageous in spite of foes. In this will I be confident-or, in

to have confidence in God. From this he passes on to another characteristic of the believer, namely:

COMMUNION WITH GOD.

V. 4. One thing. "Divided aims tend to distraction, weakness, disappointment. The man of one book is eminent, the man of one pursuit is successful." Fix your heart on one thing the one thing needful. I will seek after. He is not satisfied with mere desire. Desires are mere seeds which must be sown in the good soil of activity or they will yield no harvest. Purpose and effort go together.

Dwell in the house of the Lord- this was his aim. The blessedness of a life devoted to God is meant-a constant habit of mind to worship God.

The beauty of the Lord-the grace, excellence, especially redeeming grace. To behold this beauty means to spiritually discern God in His manifold grace to man.

To inquire, or, to contemplate. Delight in the study of the word is implied. "The Christian sanctuary, the place of public worship, is the place where, if anywhere on earth. we may hope to have our minds enlightened, our perplexities removed, our hearts comforted and sanctified by right views of God."

V. 5. He shall hide me in His pavillion. The sanctuary is here characterized as a place of safety for those who seek refuge. The king's pavillion (booth, tent) was in the midst of all the other tents, surrounded and guarded by them. Hence, there was greatest safety.

In the secret of His tabernacle. "Were there no other place, He would put me in the holy of holies," where no enemy would dare to molest him.

Set me up upon a rock. This is fulfilled in the Christian, who is firmly built on Christ, the Rock of Ages.

V. 6. My head shall be lifted up. In affliction the head is bowed down; in prosperity it is lifted up. David is assured that his head shall be lifted upthat he shall have the victory. Therefore will I sing. I will not fail to give thanks to my Deliverer.

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V. 7. Hear, O Lord, when I cry. Hear my prayer for help. Have mercy also.