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