massy only knows why she should And she did her best for Daisy's be, for they do say her husband's a mother too. good pervider.”

“I was bitter and proud,” said But Mrs. Hayward scarcely heard the poor woman, " and I did not the man's words. She had caught want to make friends. I thought her shawl and hood from a peg by you held yourself above me because the dresser, and was putting them you were happy and I was not. on with trembling fingers.

| You had all and I had nothing, and "Lucy!” cried Frank, “you I did not think I could bear being shan't go. You know it is conta- patronised. I envied you your lot, gious, and "

and contrasted it with my own, and "I can't forget-May," she said felt that-as you say—there was a with a sob, and was out of the door wall between us." before he could say another word to “ You never guessed how I envied stop her.

you your child," said Lucy. Mrs. Morgan sat in a large chair “No, I never thought of that. "I holding her child in her arms. She saw you were fond of your husband was gazing down at the little flushed and proud of him, while I--well, face with a look of stony despair, never mind, it is of no use to talk of and her heart was filled with bitter, that. I was sixteen wlien I married rebellious thoughts. She had held him, and I had had the advantages the child three days thus. She ex- of the best school in the town, but pected to see this precious life slip of course a girl of sixteen is no away from her-everything else had judge—and I had no mother. But slipped away.

I mean to act differently now. I Suddenly the bedroom door see things in a new light. Yes, I opened, and Lucy Hayward en went to church, but it never did tered. She walked right up to the me any good. I went to see if the desolate woman, knelt down by her, preacher would ever say anything and after one glance at the flushed that would touch my heart. But face of the child burst into tears. he never did. You are the only

“My only child died of scarlet one whose preaching ever did me fever,” she said, and she put her any good—who knew how to touch arms about the mother's neck and my heart. I think I know now sobbed.

what a Christian is. I never did She cried thus for a long time, and before. Thank God, I have at last hers were not the only tears which found one I can call a friend." fell. The fountain of Mrs. Morgan's " You see, Frank,” said Lucy, as heart was unsealed at last, and she they sat at their front door one wept as if her heart was breaking. evening of the following summer, The strain which she had endured and watched Mrs. Morgan coming up for so many years had been too the walk with a light, elasticstep, and much for her, and she had broken heard her gay laugh as she listened down when this sister with a sister to some quaint speech made by the sorrow had come to her.

child at her side, “ You see it was And the wall had broken down just as well that I didn't go on trytoo.

ing in my blind way to break down

that wall. I left it to God after I The old doctor said that it was failed, and it was levelled to the through Mrs. Hayward's good nurs- ground at one blow. If I had gone ing that little Daisy recovered. on trying my way I don't believeCertainly she did her best for the well, doesn't she seem bright and child,

| happy now?"

GROUPINGS FROM THE GOSPELS.
' BY THE REV. F. BOSWORTH, M.A..

1.-Grouped Parables. HOWEVER important it undoubtedly is to study and enforce the de. tached statements of the Gospels, it cannot but be admitted that by bringing together those passages that teach by additional illustrations the same thing, or present different aspects of it, broader views of truth, fresher trains of thought, and deeper conceptions of the meaning and power of the revealed word, are gained, both for ourselves and for all we wish to instruct. Confining our attention now to one part of our Lord's teaching-His parables—we shall thus be enabled to see for ourselves how, by this mode of treating them, they gain in meaning and impressiveness.

Our Lord frequently made use of two successive representations in one parable. This is the case with that of the builders, which so impressively closes the Sermon on the Mount, with that of the tares,* of the two sons, the rich man and Lazarus, the Pharisee and the publican, and the wise and foolish virgins. In each of these the two similes are contrasted, and are, taken together, all-comprehensive. As they are brought so near to each other, remarkable vividness is imparted to the representation, while the attention is aroused to penetrate beneath the figurative language to the grand underlying truths. In them all it is especially desirable that the contrasted representations should be united-never neglected.

More impressive still, perhaps, is our Lord's use of double, twin parables. In these the agreement and the difference are alike instructive. The first of them is that of the mustard-seed and the leaven. The first parable dwells upon the outward development of the trath, the second upon its inward assimilating power. In the one, the germinating process advances to large and full growth; in the other, the hidden influence extends till the whole is leavened. The two together embrace the whole truth. Assimilation and development are alike perfected. The next of these double parables is that of the hidden treasure and the pearl. Both teach the same truth. The treasure is of great value, it is hidden, all has to be given for it, its possession is & matter for joy. Yet there are specific differences. In the one, the treasure is found unexpectedly ; in the other, after search : hence the -treasure is prominent in the former, the seeker in the latter. Thank God, both are true, and are illustrated repeatedly in the history of the Church of Christ. The third is the twofold parable of the new cloth in the old garment, and the new wine in old bottles. The varying form of the familiar illustrations detains the mind, and gives emphasis,

* The bearded darnel, the only one of the grass tribe, as Schubert tells us, that is poisonous.

weight to the thought. There must be no patching but entire renovation; no seeking to confine the new, vigorous life within old limitations. All must be alike new. The fourth is that of the unfinished tower associated with the deprecated war. The former is an image of the Christian life on its positive side, the latter on its negative. In considering what to do to uprear the building of the life, “sitting down” and counting the cost ” ought to precede effort ; and so, too, in all conflict with evil, “sitting down” and “consulting" should prepare the way for the actual struggle. In what a setting are these two pictures found, being introduced by “Whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple,” followed by "Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." Gess says, “ These two parables show with what seriousness Jesus had Himself prepared for death.” The last of these twin parables is that of the talents and that of the pound. Of these, one was spoken in the house of Zacchæus, chief of the publicans, who therefore had to do with money ; the other is recorded by Matthew, who had been a publican too. It may, perhaps, be observed further, that Jesus before comparative strangers uses the smaller sum, the pound, while before His apostles, who were much better acquainted with His high claims, He employs the larger sum, the talent. Both show that, while the Lord bestows privileges upon His servants, He demands faithful service in return. Both alike teach that such service will be successful, and will receive reward. And both most impressively and at great length assert that the unfaithful will be punished. Yet there are differences. In the case of the talents, the gifts are unequal, and yet if employed aright the approval is the same; while in that of the pound, all the servants receive the same sum. Hence the one teaches that Christians differ from each other in the amount of the gifts they receive, one having five talents, another ten; the other, that they differ from each other in the diligence they display, the one making ten pounds, the other five, from the one originally given. They that have and use what they have shall have more. All came, every one in his turn, to receive his award. These last words for the parable of the pound is the last ever uttered by our Lord — should linger on the ear and stir us as with a trumpet's sound.

In all these twin parables, whatever impression is made by the first is increased by the second. The mind is thus with deepening interest led to dwell upon the theme so impressively presented. There is, too, real advance. Our Lord never merely repeats Himself. The one truth is presented in two aspects—its two—just those which render the one the complement of the other. Hence the representation is complete, as it is so often in Scripture with the twofold. In every instance but one all these double parables are found in company, thus urging us to their due consideration. In the instance of the talents and the pound—the one exception--their meaning leads us to study them

together; while the fact that the one is the last parable beyond Jordan, and the other the last ever uttered by Jesus—both spoken within a week, and that week ending three or four days before His deathconnects them with the impressiveness of last words—final utterances -till He come.

It may be added just here that, while at the commencement of His public ministry our Lord so frequently referred to sowing and to seed, at its close His illustrations were generally taken from barvest-time and the fruitage season, from fig-trees and their fruit, or want of it, and from vineyards and their produce. At first He spoke of beginnings, at last of issues.

A very remarkable group of parables yet remains to be noticed—the threefold group. These aro found only in the Gospel of Luke. They deal not so much with contrasts as with progression of thought, deepening till the end be gained, or with variety of illustration for the purpose of complete representation. The first group consists of three parables respecting prayer---the Pharisee and the publican, an importunate widow, and the friend at midnight. In each of these God appears in a different relation ; in the first as the object of worship, in the second as Judge, in the third as the Friend of man. At the same time there is a threefold view of man; as a sinner, as the victim of wrong, and as the friend of his fellow-man; needing pardon, then protection, and then help for others. Most wonderful are these parables in the deep, gracious truths they teach. The second group consists of three difficult and very remarkable parables, those in which our Lord illustrates His teaching by referring to the conduct of the wicked. They are those of the friend at midnight, the unjust judge, and the wicked steward. The first of these has already been considered in another relation, but it must also find its place here. We are at first startled by finding God compared to a churlish neighbour, who only gives to be freed from annoyance, and to an upjust judge, who yields to get rid of unpleasant importunity, and are perplexed at first by finding that the conduct of the wicked steward is, in some sort, held up for imitation. And yet how these parables on this very account impress us! If importunity prevailed even with the unwilling, will it not much more with God, who is waiting to be gracious ? If the unjust judge yields, not to right or law, but merely to be freed from further trouble, will not the righteous God be prevailed on by the faithful prayer He loves ? So, if men of the world are foreseeing and prudent in their interests and in their sphere, how earnest and thoughtful ought those to be who seek eternal things! Our Lord designedly chooses the case of two most unlikely to be influenced by importunity to illustrate the power of persistent prayer with Him who claims to be the hearer and answerer of prayer; and He depicts the character and condition of the unfaithful steward the more fully because one act of his is held up to view, with all the more startling effect, as instructive and stimulating to the children

of light. In all there is a natural and immediate rebound. We gladly pass at once from the figures in all their designed repulsiveness to the great truths they so impressively, startlingly teach. The third and last group may fittingly close our paper. It contains the three parables uttered at one and the same time and place in reply to the charge brought against Jesus of eating with sinners. Marvellous parables of grace! In this respect this assemblage of parables differs from the threefold groups we have been considering. In the first parable, in a flock of a hundred, but one is missing ; in the second, out of ten pieces of money, one is lost; while in the third, of a family of two sons, one is gone. Hence we have the progression-one in a hundred, one in ten, one in two. The circles are narrowing; and just where the loss is greatest, both in proportion and in kind, the human element comes in—a sheep, a piece of money, a son! It cannot but be noticed, too, tbat in all these parables the interest centres in one-one sheep, one piece of money, one son ; while in each the search is by one--one shepherd, one housewife, one fatber-for he, too, was so far seeking that the returning son was “ found.” Was ever teaching like this heard before ? Such a searching for the lost, such a finding, such a joy. All heaven glad over one sinner that repenteth. What a revenue of joy over all the saved! The gladdest of all, the Lord who sought and found, with His yearning love satisfied for ever !

THE VICTORY.

FOR THE YOUNG. It may not seem much of a vic. first thing, and when did the girls tory to you, but Sue thought at the fail to follow in Grace's lead ? time that it was the hardest thing That was just the trouble. Grace in all the world to do. Poor little had always been leader among the Sue! The girls were hard on her, I girls, partly because her father was harder than they thought, I am Mr. Dennis, the richest man in the sure. If they had realised how village, and partly because hers was they were grieving her tender heart, just the nature that other girls patsurely they would not have treated tern and follow after. And the her so, but I presume they never minute she saw her she felt a gave the subject half a minute's strong presentiment that the seemthought. And Sue never com- ingly quiet little figure, with such a plained—not she.

roguish twinkle in her eyes, would It was Grace Dennis's fault, to prove a dangerous rival unless begin with. If she had not given she was careful. So she utterly Sue the cold shoulder, the rest ignored Sue after a cool “ Goodnever would have thought of it. morning" nod. But Grace did decidedly, the very Sue 'sat in her seat alone that , * The writer gladly acknowledges his indebtedness to Dr. Calderwood's thoughtful papers on the parables.