dently of each other, one stating what the rest omit, or omitting what they state, but always looking at the subject from his own point of view. The result is that they are found to strikingly harmonize with each other, and all the more strikingly because of their seeming inconsistencies. These the ordinary reader may sometimes be unable to explain, but he does well to bear in mind that they are wonderfully few in number, especially as compared with the thousands of points of marked agreement; and also that if we read the Gospels in the Greek, they show a remarkable sameness of expression which our Authorized Version does not always fairly represent. Many little differences between the Evangelists which mark our Authorized Version, find no place in the original Greek. Thus in Matthew xi. 4, Christ bids His disciples "Go and SHOW John again those things which ye do hear and see," while in Luke vii. 22 we read, "Go your way and TELL John," etc.; but in the original the same word is used in both cases. Nor is this all: Matthew does not use one word to express "go," and Luke another to express 66 go your way;" both fix on the same Greek word.

*

Had there been only one Gospel, we should have sustained another loss, far greater than the first. The differences in the reports which the Evangelists give of our Lord's addresses, may sometimes puzzle ordinary readers, but there is very I much to learn from them. When Matthew, for example, puts into

See Dr. Stroud's "Harmony of the Gospels."

Christ's mouth a certain word or phrase, and Luke another with a new shade of meaning, we must not hastily conclude that, if Matthew be right, Luke must be wrong. For that matter, the sentence used by Christ may well have conveyed both meanings, and if so, both Evangelists would be right, though each reported part only of what was said. Meanwhile it is well for us that Luke varied from Matthew's word or phrase and gave us a second, which puts Christ's teaching in a new light. Of cases of this sort Dr. Greswell observes: "It is easy to discover that, while the sense remains" (substantially) "the same, some new beauty, some force or propriety, is introduced by the change." These verbal differences are to the Gospels what parallelisms * are to the Old Testament had there been but one Gospel we should have missed them all, and with them many a valuable clue to Christ's meaning. Points which now stand out clearly, by comparing one report of an address with another, would then, in many cases, have lain in a comparatively dim light. Let those who wish to go a little further into the subject, first read the Parables in Matthew xiii., and then carefully compare them with the reports which Mark and Luke have given of them, and see what light is gained by ob

* A familiar instance of a parallelism occurs in the very ancient song of Lamech, in Genesis iv. 23,

"Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;

Ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech," etc.

Here the first half of the clause repeats the second, though in a somewhat different form.

33

serving differences of expression in the three Evangelists.

He who writes the life of another is bound to deal in nothing but facts; but in stating them he is, to a great extent, free to adopt what order he pleases. No one can blame him if he sometimes arranges his facts with reference to a given subject, and thus departs, more or less, from the strict order of time: this is just what Matthew sometimes does, and this habit of his explains certain puzzling differences between the order in which he narrates events, and that of the other Evangelists. For example, he places the voyage to the country of the Gergesenes (ch. viii. 23-34) before the healing of the paralytic, while Luke and Mark place the healing first; at the same time, we must be careful to bear in mind that Matthew does not profess to relate the incidents of the voyage in their chronological order. He merely says, "And when He was entered into a ship, His disciples followed Him," (ver. 23;) words which in no way fix the order in which the events occurred: and what is true of this case, is also true of others like it in the Gospels.

Whatever perplexity may result from the practice of St. Matthew, now under review, is amply atoned for in another way. Не delighted in grouping events and discourses systematically, and there is something grand and wonderful in his power of grouping, whether it deals with resemblances or with contrasts. Thus, he will "focus into one view discourses or parables or miracles, and often leads us from one to another, until we reach the crowning point of

interest or excellence....In the narration of certain facts, Matthew disposes them in very striking relationship: the picture of the wise men offering their gifts, side by side with the massacre of the infants in Bethlehem, is but one instance out of several striking contrasts presented by him, and which aid in giving a charm to his Gospel." In his eighth chapter he presents another contrast of dramatic power: after giving two short anecdotes which show the poverty of Jesus, and His utter isolation from merely worldly feelings and pursuits, he adds two more, which prove that, in spite of this, He had Divine power, and exerted it while on the lake and among the tombs, (ver. 23-34.)

As regards arrangement, St. Luke also has a peculiarity of his own. He seems to narrate his main facts in the order of time, but closes "the various periods of his history with a number of incidental circumstances and discourses which belong to that division of time, but the exact sequence of which he is not careful to specify." (Dr. Angus.)

Many rules might be laid down to aid the reader in harmonizing the Gospels, but I must content myself with one that can be dealt with in my remaining space. Beginners sometimes confound one utterance of Christ with another; and, in fact, puzzle themselves, by not bearing in mind that He often repeated His sayings. Thus He thrice predicted His sufferings and death: near Cæsarea Philippi,

"Methodist New-Connexion Maga

zine."

LOUIS HENRIE;

OR, THE SISTER'S PROMISE.

BY A. E. G.

CHAPTER II.

(Continued from page 13.) THE three lingered in the garden until the last rays of the setting sun had disappeared, and the tops of the distant hills were no longer discernible. Even then they were reluctant to leave the outer air for the cheerful parlour. However, fearing that her mother might take cold, Julie was the first to suggest the propriety of going in. Madame rose, and looking once more round upon the scenery so loved, and so well known that the dim light did not hide its beauties from her mind's eye, she ejaculated, "Thy will be done," and entered her door for the last time. She read prayers with unwonted solemnity, and blessed her children as she bade them good-night.

Julie rose early on the following morning, and was about to go for a walk to the shore of the lake, when old Babet burst into the room with a terrified expression of countenance, and exclaiming, in excited tones,—

"O, Mademoiselle Julie, will you come into Madame's room, she-"

There the poor old servant paused; she dared not say, Madame is dead; but Julie feared the worst, and throwing down her hat and cloak, entered her mother's chamber. Madame was in bed. She looked so peaceful, that Julie thought she slept; she went to the bed-side, and gently pressed her lips on her mother's brow. The cold touch of death made her start back; but she did not shriek.

The very quiet of the pale face on which she gazed, seemed to reprove any loud demonstrations. of grief. The tears flowed silently down her cheeks as she

thought, "Never more shall I hear my mother's voice; never more see her sweet smile; never again listen to the words of truth as they flow from her lips. O that I had heeded more what she said to me!"

As she stood unable to leave the dear remains, Louis came in. He had been called by Babet: he drew near Julie, and taking her hand, sank on his knees by the bed, and burying his face in the quilt, gave way to a burst of grief.

"O, Louis dear, do not weep so! our mother is happy."

Still Louis could not control his emotion. Old Babet took his arm, saying,

66

Come, Master Louis, you must not take on so. Come, you must leave the

room now to Babet."

He rose, and left the dead mother whose voice had been sweeter to him than the most pleasant music, but whose counsels he had so often disregarded. It was the thought of this that convulsed him with grief, and for a few hours made him regardless of his duties as a brother and the master of the house. But by degrees he regained composure. The two were not left alone with their sorrow; kind hands aided, and kind voices soothed, them in this, the first great grief they had known. The L-s, already mentioned, no sooner heard of the sudden death of their friend, than they hastened to offer sympathy and help to the bereaved.

Mr. and Mrs. L, with their two daughters, had been several months at Lausanne, and had through the intervention of a friend become acquainted with Madame Henrie, with whom they formed a more than common intimacy, prompted thereto by similarity of tastes and congenial pursuits, but more especially drawn together by the influence of Christian principle. Madame Henrie