stroyed all the goodly vessels thereof; and them that had escaped from the sword, carried he away to Babylon, where they were servants to him and his sons, until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: to fulfil the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years."

Frank. But it does not say there that they put out Zedekiah's eyes? I think it must be mentioned in the Kings, for I am sure I remember it.-Yes, here it is in 2 Kings xxv. 7. "And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon."

Mamma. When we were speaking of Christ's restoring sight to the blind, I meant to have asked you whether you recollected any prophecies in the Old Testament which declared that he should do so?

4

Frank. I think there are some in Isaiah; I should like to find them,—may I?

Mamma. Yes; do so.

Frank. Here is one, mamma, in the 35th chapter, 5th and 6th verses. "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped: then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert."

Mamma. Yes, that refers to Christ's coming.

Emily. I have found a text, too, in Isa. xlii. 6, 7. "I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the

Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house."

Mamma. You must not suppose that these texts refer merely to the miraculous powers which our Lord employed in opening the eyes of the blind; they mean something more than that. What do you think it is?

Frank. I suppose it means that he gives light to our minds.

Mamma. Yes, we are all by nature in a state of darkness; that is, we do not see, and cannot love things which are spiritual and holy,-things which concern God and heaven. The prophet Isaiah, speaking of the state of the earth when Christ came, says, (chap. ix. v. 2,) "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." And again, (Isa. lx. 1, 2.) "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee." You will find another passage like this in Isa. xlii.

Frank. Let me try and find it. Is it in the 6th and 7th verses?

Mamma. Yes.

Frank. "I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house."

Emily. Tell me where to look for another verse,

mamma, will you?

Mamma. In the 49th chapter.

"And he said, It

Emily. Here it is the 6th verse. is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel; I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth."

June. Do, mamma, tell me where to look too?

Mamma. From whence is it, Jane, that light comes to us?

Jane. From the sun.

Mamma. Yes; then look in the last chapter of the of the last book in the Old Testament, and see what Christ is called there.

Jane. It is Malachi, mamma; I have found it in the 2nd verse. "Unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings."

Mamma. Now can you tell me of any passages in the New Testament where Christ is spoken of in like manner?

Frank. Yes, mamma, I know one; it is the same we read in Isaiah; it was what Simeon said when he took Christ into his arms. It is in Luke ii. 32. "A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel."

Mamma. And Jane, if you look at Matthew iv. you will find the text which we read in Isa. ix. 2, applied to Christ.

Jane read Matt. iv. 16. “The people which sat in darkness saw great light: and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up.

Frank.

Mamma, I recollect some more verses that you explained to us not long ago on this subject, in the first chapter of St. John's Gospel, 4—9 verses. "In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world."

Emily. Yes, and in the account of the man who was born blind, in John ix. 5, Christ says, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Mamma. In the eighth chapter also he uses similar terms.

Frank. Let me try and find where. I think it must be in the twelfth verse. "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

Emily. And in the 12th chapter, verse 36, there is something like that. "Then Jesus said unto them. Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While he have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light." And in verse 46, Christsays, "I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness."

Mamma. Yes; and let me point out to you some verses which you have passed by; they are in the latter part of chap, ix.

Frank. May I read them, mamma?

Mamma. Yes, dear, from verse 39 to the end.

Frank read—" For judgment am I come into this world, that they that see not might see; and that they that see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which came with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, if ye were blind, ye should have no sin but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin

remaineth."

Mamma. By the answer the Pharisees gave, we find that they were quite ignorant of their own state, and fancied themselves to be very wise and good; though our Lord, who reads the heart, thought them both blind and sinful. So it is with every one of us, till Christ, who is "the true light," shines within us, and then we find out that we were before only dark and evil. Satan, our great enemy, is called "the prince of darkness," because he likes to keep us from knowing our real condition.. Frank. I think there is a text where he is said to have made people blind,-where is it?

Mamma. You will find it in 2 Corinthians, in one of the earliest chapters.

Frank. Here it is: 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4, 6. "But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost : in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine into them. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."