of my first sewing machine.  Many years ago, when sewing machines were not as common as now, my husband sent to New York and purchased one for me.  I read the instructions, and followed them as I thought, but I did not succeed, the thread knotted up in heaps and it skipped stitches.  After repeated failures I set it aside, and plodded on in the old way, trying to do all the sewing of my large family by hand.  At last a lady from a neighbouring town came to visit me.  It so happened that she owned a machine of the same kind.  She sat down before mine, turned the screws, oiled it, put the work in, and sewed a long seam as by magic.  Then she patiently explained every little thing I needed to know.  It was a happy day to me when I could sew on it too, I assure you, and you all know from experience just what a comfort and help that machine was to me for years afterwards.  I am convinced that in like manner I groped and stumbled along a long time in my Christian life because I did not know how to use my Bible.”

“I am not sure,” said Miss McIntosh, “that I quite understand your illustration.  The sewing machine was, of course, no use to you until you had learned all its mysteries, it was the same as locked up to you, you needed a key, but here are our Bibles in plain English; if we read them I cannot see why we will not be benefited.”

“Yes, benefited in a certain way, just as any excellent book will lift one up, but I know people who are well versed in the historical parts of the Bible—­can repeat large portions of the Gospels, and yet are blind; they have not apprehended Christ in it all.  We need the Spirit’s teachings, or, plain as it is, we may go from Genesis to Revelation and never once look into the eyes of our Saviour with trusting faith, yet there he is on every page.  Food is nothing to us when hungry if we do not eat it, and truth will not save us if it be not realised.  ’Then opened he their understanding that they should understand the Scriptures.’  ’The things of God knoweth no man but by the Spirit of God.’  Not until that light shines upon the book do our souls cry out in joyful recognition, ‘Master’ and ’My Lord and my God.’  Not until that Divine touch opens our eyes can we say of his words, ‘I love them exceedingly.’”

“But you do not suppose,” said Mrs. Berkely, “that every one can have that wonderful insight into Scripture that some persons have, or that all are expected to really love to read it.  I never think that I ought to let a day pass by without reading my chapter, but I confess that I do it because it is my duty.  Everybody can’t be like one woman that I used to know.  She kept her Bible by her in her work-basket, every few minutes she would take it up and get a bit from it, then go on with her work.  Everybody called her a fanatic, but she seemed to enjoy herself, and was the best person I ever knew; I always supposed she possessed a sort of gift that is only given to a very few.”