revelation of the terribleness and gentleness of Jehovah. 'How often
would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth
her chickens under her wing?'--that is the New Testament modification
of the image. But you never could have had the New unless you first had
had the Old. And you are a foolish man if, in the name of the sanctity
of the New, you cast away the teaching of the Old. Keep both the
metaphors, and they will explain and confirm each other.

II. Here we have an illuminating thought of the meaning of life.

What is it all for? To teach us to fly, to exercise our half-fledged
wings in short flights, that may prepare us for, and make it possible
to take, longer ones. Every event that befalls us has a meaning beyond
itself; and every task that we have to do reacts upon us, the doers,
and either fits or hinders us for larger work. Life as a whole, and in
its minutest detail, is worthy of God to give, and worthy of us to
possess, only if we recognise the teaching that is put into picturesque
form in this text--that the meaning of all which God does to us is to
train us for something greater yonder. Life as a whole is 'full of
sound and fury, signifying nothing,' unless it is an apprenticeship
training. What are we here for? To make character. That is the aim and
end of all--to make character; to get experience; to learn the use of
our tools. I declare it seems to me that the world had better be wiped
out altogether, incontinently, unless there is a world beyond, where a
man shall use the force which here he made his own. 'Thou hast been
faithful in a few things; behold I will make thee ruler over many
things.' No man gets to the heart of the mystery of life or has in his
hand the key which will enable him to unlock all the doors and
difficulties of human experience, unless he gets to this--that it is
all meant as training.