THE FAMILY ALTAR
July 7.
"Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose
one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek
diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she
calleth her friends and her neighbors together, saying, Rejoice
with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost."
Luke 15:8-9.
Our Lord here emphasizes the painstaking care with which
He seeks and saves that which is lost, and again teaches us what
great value a single soul has in the eyes of God. If God, if Jesus,
if the angels in heaven rejoice when sin-lost souls are saved by
faith in their Redeemer and are made blessed heirs of heaven,
ought we not rejoice when we read of the success of our Gospel-
missions among the heathen or the Xegroes or the outcasts in our
big cities? There would be more love among us for the Savior's
mission- work if more of us would read our church -papers more
diligently that bring us news from our mission-fields. Robert
Maguire has some very fine verses on "The Lost Piece of Money"
as mentioned in the Savior's parable, which we will read.
Tis lost! one silvered treasure of the ten,
From the lone widow's scanty stock and store;
For this she searched with diligence, and then,
Soon as she found it, she rejoiced the more,
Xot for the nine, but for the tenth, the lost,
She sought, and sighed, and agonized the most.
For this she lit the candle and the light,
And sought and searched in every darkened place;
For this she swept till, brought at last to sight,
Joy beamed upon the anxious widow's face.
Who have but little have the less to share;
And loss of aught is more than they can spare.
Like that lo«t coin, the soul by nature lies
In dark and dust, all-passive of its state;
Unsought, it cannot of itself arise;
Unfound, abides unconscious of its fate;
Such loss to lose, but, oh! 6uch gain to find;
How great the love of Jesus and how kind!
His fold is but a "little flock," indeed;
His sheep are numbered, like the widow's gain;
One lost is missed, and must be sought in speed,
Till, found. He brings it to the fold again.
Rejoice with Me; that which was lost is found;
Like angels' joy, so let your joy abound!
