THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND. READ LUKE vi. 39. HIS is one of the shortest and simplest of parables. Indeed, we should have rather called it a proverb, had it not been called a parable by Luke. It seems to have been spoken by our Lord on two occasions, as recorded by Matthew and Luke. There is no difficulty therefore in understanding this short parable. The blind leaders mean the Scribes and Pharisees; the blind who were led mean the ignorant Jews whom they taught; and by falling into the ditch we are to understand going astray as to spiritual things, wandering from true doctrine and practice, and so coming to ruin, or at least suffering danger and loss. The people therefore were not to follow such teachers; for, not knowing the way of God themselves, they could but lead others astray. The only true spiritual light comes from God, and this light He has given in His Word.. The Scribes and Pharisees were blind leaders, because they forsook the Word of God. This was their fault, and it was this that made them unsafe teachers. All who forsake or disregard the Word of God are but blind leaders, for that Word is still the only sure guide. Manners and customs, forms and ceremonies change, but the Word of God remains the same. The Jews had but a portion of it, Word. They doubt and cavil, and find fancied defects, and venture to set up their own little reason against the plain word of Scripture. Some, though sincere, have never sought the teaching of the Holy Spirit, and therefore the main truths of the Word of God are hidden from them. The light is before them, but the eyes of their understanding are darkened. Some are careless. Though by profession teachers of others, their heart is not in their work. They have no knowledge or love of Christ in their hearts, no concern for souls, no earnest desire to lead them aright. These are all blind leaders of the blind. They cannot teach what they do not know. They cannot lead others by a way which they have not found themselves. The poor and ignorant who go to them for guidance do not find what they seek. For surely one cannot lead another to Christ who has not sought Him for himself, and it is hard to think that a soul can receive spiritual light by means of one who shows no sign of having received it himself. The test to which all teaching should be brought is the Bible. "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it Kis because there is no light in them." All religious teaching should be judged by this rule. Scriptural truth is the point of first importance; and no teaching can be really good and wholesome in which this is lacking or even obscured. As it would be the height of folly to trust oneself to the guidance of a blind man, so it cannot be right or wise to listen to unscriptural teaching. A proud, we have the whole. The light which they enjoyed, | captious, criticising spirit must indeed be guarded though true, was but faint and dim, compared with the light of the Gospel. So that we may say, with even more confidence than David, "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." For there we find light indeed, and no darkness: the light of truth, the light of God, the light which never misleads, the light which guides, cheers, and comforts all who walk by it. Yet there are still blind leaders, and for the same reason as of old: they do not take the Word of God as their light. Some pay so much attention to forms of man's invention, that their mind is drawn off from the Word of God. Some refuse to submit their understanding to the against by hearers; but, in humility and sincerity, with an earnest desire to know the truth, and to be fed with spiritual food, it is not only their right, but their duty, to judge what they hear by the standard of the Word of God. Let those who are placed by God's providence where the truth is faithfully proclaimed, bless God for this great mercy, and seek earnestly to bring forth fruit to His glory. Let those whose lot is less happily cast make it a matter of continual and persevering prayer that God will give His Holy Spirit, and bring both teachers and hearers into true Gospel light. And let their prayer be the prayer of faith. Isaiah viii. 20. THE COST OF WAR. THOUGHTFUL perusal of the numbers of human beings killed and wounded during the late Franco-Prussian campaign is well calculated to quench the ardour of those who delight in war. From the report of the medical inspector-general of the French army, it appears that France lost no fewer than 138,871 men, while the wounded amounted to another 143,000. The losses on the German side were very considerably less-44,000 dead and 127,000 wounded. As many as 11,421 men in the French army were disabled by ill-fitting and defective socks or boots, a cause from which the Germans suffered only very slightly. It is a startling fact that 17,270 prisoners of war should have died in Germany. Disease, indeed, as in the Crimea and Italy, was much more fatal than bullet or bayonet, and at Gravelotte, the hottest battle of the war, only 1,220 Frenchmen were killed. To reflect how very little has been purchased by the lives of 183,000 soldiers, and the sufferings of the 290,000, may well make statesmen pause in those preliminary steps which lead to bitter hostilities. The truths contained in the following lines by Bishop Porteous should be pondered by all: The foulest stain and scandal of our nature New pains for life, new terrors for the grave- From universal ruin. Blast the design, to do to another as we would that another should do to us. You are kind enough to direct us in the right road, and the least we can do is to rescue your child from danger. The Holy Scriptures teach us these duties, and the Gospel presents us the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, when we were in ignorance and danger, came to our world to seek and to save that which was lost." "Ah! sir," replied the good woman, "you are very condescending, and what you say is true; but your language surprises me; it is many years since, in this village, we have heard such truths, and especially from the lips of a stranger." This led to further conversation, and, much to his delight and surprise, Mr. Wilder learned that, scattered over the mountains in that district, was a handful of three or four hundred consistent humble followers of the Lord Jesus. The termination of this extraordinary meeting was most affecting; tears of pleasure, gratitude, and regret streamed from the eyes of the mountaineers, while the travellers, more deeply moved by having seen the grace of God than by all the natural beauties through which they had passed, went on their way rejoicing. Some months after, having occasion to revisit this district, Mr. Wilder prepared a large case of Bibles, Testaments, and tracts, which was set up on end in the basket attached to the back of the diligence. The road lay through a part of the country inhabited by Roman Catholics, where the year before Mr. Wilder had distributed a number of Bibles and tracts, the reading of which he subsequently ascertained had been forbidden by the priests, who had consigned most or all of them to the flames. He thought it desirable, therefore, in this journey, to suspend the distribution in the immediate vicinity. But the providence of God so ordered it, that, without the instrumentality of men, the sacred records were spread among that people. On reaching the place of his destination at the foot of the mountains, and alighting from the diligence, Mr. Wilder discovered that the box had burst open at the top, and that Bibles and Testaments had been scattered along the way. These were picked up by those who were passing along the road. Both travellers and the inhabitants had been supplied by the diligence, as the books had fallen out whenever they descended a hill, or travelled over rocky and uneven ground. For several days afterwards, Mr. Wilder was waited upon by those who had thus accidentally become possessed of the Word of God, willingly offering to return them to Mr. Wilder, but which he as cheerfully requested them to accept. This apparently trivial circumstance led to many delightful meetings for conversation and prayer, and during his subsequent residence in Paris he had the satisfaction to find that persons from this district who came to solicit orders for their manufacturing establishments, also brought orders for an additional supply of the sacred volume. The events of these few days becoming widely known amongst the Roman Catholic population, the priests were on the alert, and endeavoured to counteract such heretical proceedings, but in vain. The deputy-mayor, who had been sent to put a stop to a meeting Mr. Wilder was importuned to hold in the village in the mountains, was so deeply affected that he went away wiping his eyes with the cuff of his sleeve, taking with him a Bible, and declaring that if what he now heard was true, so far from persecuting these harmless people, he would in future be their friend. Mr. Wilder never lost his interest in this people, whom he had been the means of more fully establishing in the fold of Christ. A Protestant Church was afterwards formed at St. Etienne, and schools were estab. lished among the neighbouring Roman Catholics. The Lord has continued to watch over and to bless them. THE CRY OF A QUAIL. GERMAN pastor re lates the follow ing very striking incident. He was appeinted the minister in a village of lawless and immoral people, who were entirely opposed to the Gospel. At length they went so far as to threaten him with bodily injury. He says:-I was not discouraged by this, but continued to preach the Gospel, and added to the usual Sunday services a Bible class in the week, which became the means of a great awakening. One evening during the Bible class, which I always tried to enliven by the introduction of Christian anecdotes, I related, from Schubert's Old and New, the story of a man who, in crossing a field one evening, on his way to commit a sin in a neighbouring village, heard in the field the regularly repeated cry of a quail, which seemed to him to say, "Where art thou going? Where art thou going?" This so struck him, that he acknowledged his sin, honestly repented, and forsook his sinful ways. I related the story from memory, and concluded my class at the usual hour. I had scarcely reached my home when I heard some one following me upstairs with quick and heavy steps. There was a knock at the door of my room, and before I could say, "Come in," a man of the parish, who had always been an inveterate foe of God's Word, entered. With angry countenance he came up to me and asked, "Who told you that story about me, Mr. Parson? I will know." I inquired, in surprise, "What do you mean, my good man?" 66 'Why, you know well enough. You related tonight before the whole congregation what occurred to me a few days ago about the quail." "To you, good man, did that happen? Do you think that any one told me about you?" "Yes, indeed. Don't keep it back. I will know who told you." I stood amazed and astonished. Without saying another word to the man, I fetched Schubert's work, opened it at the page, and gave it to the man to read. At first he did not know what to make of the book, he was boiling over with rage; but when he saw the page and read the story, his fury changed into the deepest emotion. He could scarcely hold the book, and told me, in a voice choked with tears, that the very same thing had happened to him when, with like intent, he was crossing the field in the evening, and had heard the quail's cry. Now I had an opportunity to work upon his heart, and the Lord blessed it. He who makes winds and flames of fire His servants, who aroused St. Peter through the crowing of a cock, here in two cases had used as His instrument the cry of a quail. Thus the Lord, whose name is Wonderful, helped me. That man did not leave my room until we had bent our knees before Him. This was the first case of conversion in my parish, and the Lord gave a Pentecostal air and the fire of His Spirit in further blessings. THE LOST AND FOUND CHAPTER. EAD the 'lost and found chapter' to me, if you please," was the request made by an invalid with whom I loved to read and pray and offer my few weak words of consolation. "What do you mean by the lost and found chapter?'" said I. "Oh, I mean the chapter about the lost sheep, the lost piece of silver, and the lost son-the fifteenth chapter of St. Luke's Gospel. See if I am not right in calling it the 'lost and found' chapter." So with fresh interest I opened the holy volume, turned to the chapter, and began to read the wonderful parables of Him against whom the Scribes and Pharisees had been murmuring because, as they said, "This Man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them." I felt, as I read, that I was among the friends and neighbours who rejoiced with the man who had found the sheep which was lost, and then with the woman who had been seeking diligently for the missing piece of silver; and my tears fell fast upon the sacred page as I mourned for the lost son, and went with the father who saw him a great way off, and rejoiced with him to meet the returning prodigal. "Thank you," said I, closing the blessed book. "I never before read those wonderful stories with half the interest. I shall always remember where to look for the lost and found' chapter." "Well," said my suffering friend, "I am sure I am very glad; for to me it is a most blessed and encouraging chapter. No doubt you have often noticed in the newspapers whole columns headed, Lost and Found.' Some one has lost a valuable watch, or article of jewellery, or a pocket-book containing money and papers; some a pet dog or bird; and sometimes even a lost child or missing friend is advertised; and their return is watched and waited for, often hopelessly, for a long time. And then again, among the notices, Found,' we feel glad with the owners. This chapter 6 is just like it. 'Lost and found' follow each other all the way through; and how thankful ought we to feel that there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.' "Yes, James, you have given me some new ideas," I answered. "Each and all of us were among the lost sheep; and Jesus Christ Himself has left His home of glory and blessedness to come to earth to seek and save us all. His offers are to all; and yet how many will not come to Him that they may be saved. It is marvellous to think that so many will persist, like the lost son, in taking all the good and perfect gifts which the heavenly Father sends to them, and waste these blessings in sinful and selfish indulgence, until at last body and soul are among the lost-lost for ever and All have erred and strayed like lost sheep; and we must pray that all may be brought back into the way of holiness, and there shall be one fold and one Shepherd." ever. MY BIBLE TELLS ME SO. THEN, faint and weary with the strife, Temptations to o'ercome, W I long to leave this toilsome life, That as my day my strength shall be: When sin brings clouds of doubt and fears, And faith grows weak, and scarce can pierce Yes, I will come, I'll trust Thee, Lord, I have a home beyond the sky: |