to the disciples, and they gave them to the people. And great as that
multitude was the supply did not fail. This was wonderful! Those
loaves were very small. They were not bigger than a good-sized roll.
The whole of the five loaves and two fishes would not have been
enough to make a meal for a dozen men. And yet they were made
sufficient to feed more than five thousand hungry people. How strange
this was! The mighty power of Jesus did it. We are not told just
_where_, in the interesting scene, this wonder-working power was put
forth. It may have been that as Jesus brake the loaves and gave the
pieces to the disciples, the part left in his hands grew out at once,
to the same size that it was before. Or the broken pieces may have
increased and multiplied while the disciples were engaged in
distributing them. It is most likely that the miracle took place in
immediate connection with Jesus himself. The power that did it was
his: and in his hands, we may suppose that the wonderful work was
done. As fast as he broke the loaves they increased, till all the
people were fed. This was indeed not _one_ miracle, but a multitude
of miracles, all performed at once. The hungry multitude ate till all
were satisfied: and yet the fragments left filled twelve baskets.
Five thousand men were fed, and then there was twelve times as much
food left as there was before they began to eat. All this was done to
satisfy that hungry crowd, and to teach them, and us, what power this
glorious Saviour has to comfort those who are in need or trouble.

And when he healed the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman, as we
read in St. Matt, xii: 21-28; when he healed the lunatic child, as we
read in St. Matt, xvii: 14-21; and when he raised Lazarus from the
dead, after he had lain four days in the grave, as we read in St.
John xi: 1-54, he was working miracles to show his power to comfort
those in trouble.

And we see him using his power still to comfort persons who are in
distress. Here are some illustrations of the way in which he does
this:

"Shining in Every Window." A Christian lady, who spent much time in
visiting among the poor, went one day to see a poor young girl, who
was kept at home by a broken limb. Her room was on the north side of
the house. It did not look pleasant without or cheerful within. "Poor
girl!" she said to herself, "what a dreary time she must have!" On
entering her room she said:

"I am sorry, my friend, that your room is n