We must not suppose from this case that Jesus is ever unwilling to hear and answer the prayers of those who seek him. He seemed to be so in this case. But then I suppose the reason for it was, that he knew how

strong this woman's faith was. He knew she would not be discouraged, or give up seeking him. And he wanted to hold her up to all people as an example of a persevering seeker.

"Perseverance Rewarded." Some years ago, in a manufacturing town in England, a young lady applied to the superintendent of a Sunday

school for a class. He told her he had no vacant classes; but that if she liked to go out and hunt up a class of boys for herself, he would be glad to have her help. She did so, and gathered a class of poor ragged boys. Among these, the worst, and most unpromising boy was one named Bob. The superintendent told these boys to come to his house during the week, and he would get them each a new suit of clothes. They came and got their clothes. After two or three Sundays, Bob was missing. The teacher went after him. She found that his new clothes were torn and dirty. She invited him back to school. He came. The superintendent gave him a second new suit. After attending once or twice, Bob's place was empty again. Once more the teacher sought him out. She found that the second suit of clothes had gone the same way as the first. She reported the case to the superintendent, saying she was utterly discouraged about Bob, and must give him up.

"Please, don't do that," said the superintendent, "I can't but hope that there is something good in Bob. Try him once more. I'll give him a third suit of clothes if he'll promise to attend regularly." Bob did promise. He received his third suit of clothes. He did attend regularly after that. He got interested in the school. He became an earnest and persevering seeker after Jesus. He found him. He joined the church. He was made a teacher. He studied for the ministry, and the end of the story is, that that discouraging boy-that dirty, ragged, runaway Bob, became the Rev. Dr. Robert Morrisson-the great missionary to China— who translated the Bible into the Chinese language, and so, "opened the kingdom of heaven" to the teeming millions of that vast country.

The wise men were persevering seekers.

In the third place they were-SUCCESSFUL SEEKERS.

Soon after they left Jerusalem, on their way to Bethlehem to seek the Saviour, we read that "the star which they saw in the East, went before them till it came and stood over where the young child was." Matth. ii: 9. It is very clear from this that the star which guided the wise men to Jesus was not a common or ordinary star. For it would be utterly impossible for an ordinary star to do what this star did.

Learned men have written a great deal about the different planets that were in the sky at this time, and the great brightness with which they

shone. But no matter how great the brightness of those planets might have been, what could that have done to point out to the wise men the

particular house they wished to find, and in which the infant Saviour lay? At the time when I was writing this chapter, four of our most beautiful planets were shining in the sky every night. These were Venus, and

Jupiter, and Saturn, and Mars. I gazed at them every time I saw them with great delight. But if I had wished to find out some person who lived several miles from my house, and whose residence I did not know, I could have no help from those planets. They could not have gone before me, as this star did to the wise men, till they came and stood over where the person was that I wished to find. No ordinary star could do this. And so, we know that this star which the wise men saw could not have been an ordinary star. It must have been a miraculous star-one sent by God for this special purpose. It must have been like what we call It might have been an angel that God sent to guide the wise men, and the angel made use of a bright, shining meteor for this purpose. This star, or meteor, must have moved along quite low down, not much higher than the tops of the houses, so that when it "came to the place where the young child lay," it could stop moving and shedding down its soft, pale light, like a silvery finger could point out the house or place in which the young King lay. And in this way they became successful seekers; they found what they had sought so earnestly, and so perseveringly.

a meteor.

And all who are as earnest and as persevering in seeking Jesus as the wise men were, will be as successful as they were in finding him. We may be sure of this, because God has promised it. In one place God's promise is given in these words:-"They that seek me early shall find me." Prov. viii: 17. Now, early seekers here, mean earnest seekers; and we see that the promise of finding is given to them. And then in another place the promise is given in this way:—“And ye shall seek me, and shall find me, when ye shall search for me with all your hearts." Jer. xxix: 13.

But when we do anything "with all our hearts," we are sure to be earnest and persevering. And so, in this promise, God gives us the assurance that when we are earnest and persevering seekers of him, we shall certainly be successful seekers.

The Ethiopian, of whom we read in Acts viii: 26-40, is a good illustion of a successful seeker.

His home was in Africa, down below Egypt. He had traveled all the way from there up to Jerusalem to worship God and get instruction about him. This shows that he was an earnest seeker of the truth. He had not

gained all the information he desired; and so, as he rode home in his chariot, he was reading the scriptures to try and get more knowledge about

the way of salvation.

Most

This shows that he was a persevering seeker.

persons would have waited till they reached home before reading the Bible any more. But this man was too anxious and earnest to wait. At