Of what does he make it?—Of nothing. God makes things of nothing. Jesus is God, and makes the corn grow; so you see that Jesus feeds you. If he did not make corn grow in the fields we should die. But he will not forget us. He even remembers the little birds. They are too silly to plow, or to sow corn, or to reap or to put corn into barns, yet God does not let them starve. The birds cry to God, and he hears them, and lets them find food. Now God loves us much better than he loves the little birds, because we have souls; so he will certainly hear us when we pray to him. If your mother had no bread in her cottage, and if she could get no money to buy some, yet God would hear her, if she loved him. He would not let her starve. Will you not ask God for bread every day, and say, Give me this day my daily bread? We ought to thank God for the food we eat: before we eat breakfast, or dinner, or supper, we should say, I thank thee, O Lord, for this nice food. Behold where on the green hill spread, Close by the water-side, The hungry multitudes are fed, At peaceful eventide. Upon the grass they sit at ease, In rows of ten times ten, Women with children on their knees, Besides five thousand men. In list’ning they had spent the day; Their homes far distant lie: They would have fainted by the way Without this kind supply. The Lord, whose words they came to hear Has pity on their need, He loves the weary heart to cheer, The hungry poor to feed. He gives them of his little store By his disciples’ hands: Though little, he can make it more, For all things he commands. ’Tis he provides the beasts with food, To him the ravens cry: He watches over us for good, And does our need supply. He once himself did hunger bear, For forty days alone: And still the hungry are his care; He hears them when they groan. LESSON XXV. THE KINDNESS OF JESUS. MATTHEW, xv. 21-28. MARK, x. 13-16. I TOLD you that the disciples were sometimes unkind; but Jesus was always kind. Once a poor woman came crying after Jesus, saying, O Lord, I have a little daughter who is very sick. Jesus did not answer her at first, and the disciples were unkind, and wished her to be sent away. She cried so loud, they said to Jesus, Do send her away. The poor woman fell down at Jesus’ feet, and said, Lord, help me! And Jesus had pity on the woman, and said, I will do what you wish. The poor woman was glad to hear this, and she went home, and found that her daughter was quite well. Another time the disciples were unkind to some little children. Some poor women brought their children to Jesus, but the disciples were standing round, and they would not let the women come near. Go away, they said; you must not bring the babies here to trouble us. But Jesus heard them speak, and was very angry with the disciples. Jesus would not let the children go away.