" Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Ps. 119:105.)

If a soul be led aright in his spiritual or ecclesiastical path, he must be led according to God's Word, and, of course, it is needful to take heed to that Word in order to have its leading. A person may be very sincere, yet if led by his own thoughts, they will likely be the thoughts of a heart which is not to be trusted, and the path chosen is one that suits the flesh, or the tastes of the person, and not the path of faith at all.

One cannot question the sincerity and earnestness of J. H. Newman, when, "becalmed at sea, in the Straits of Bonifacio, between Sicily and Marseilles, June 16th, 1833," he wrote the following beautiful lines:-

Lead kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom
Lead Thou me on.
The night is dark, and I am far from home;
Lead Thou me on.
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou
Shouldst lead me on. I loved to choose and see my path; but now
Lead Thou me on.
I loved the garish day, and spite of fears
Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years.

So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still
Will lead me on
O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till
The night is gone;
And with the morn those angel faces smile
Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile.

This hymn is given as it came from the pen of Newman. It is worthy of remark, however, that it does not afford any intimation that he was seeking to be led simply by the Word of God. And the way he was led would more than incline one to suspect that he was not thus seeking, for surely that Word could never lead into the church of Rome, where it has so little place, its place being usurped by papal tradition and dogmas.

A. Midlane, in noticing this lack of reference to the Word, and thinking of the way the author had gone, wrote a hymn, using the same meter, and style, but giving the Word of God its place. Being at West Cowes, Isle of Wight, on the morning of the Lord's Day, April 6, 1884, he writes, "I was meditatively wandering on the pebbly shore of the Solent, dwelling on the strains of Newman's hymn,-'Lead Kindly Light,'-and of the subsequent career of that highly intellectual man. I had previously seen him arrayed in all the glory of a cardinal, at a requiem mass, and I was wondering at the strange lead of that 'Kindly Light.' Burdened with this thought, I opened my pocket-book, and wrote the hymn as it now appears, before the time of the morning service." I give what he wrote.

Thy Word, Thy precious Word, alone,
Can lead me on;
By this, until the darksome night is gone,
Lead Thou me on!
Thy Word is light, Thy Word is life and power,
By it O guide me in each trying hour!

"Tis all I have; around no light appears-
O lead me on!
With eyes on Thee, though gazing through my tears,
Lead Thou me on!
The good and best might lead me far astray;
Omniscient Savior, lead Thou me, I pray!

Whatever my path, led by Thy Word 'tis good;
O lead me on!
Be my poor heart Thy blessed Word's abode,
Lead Thou me on!
Thy Holy Spirit gives the light to see,
And leads me, by the Word, close following Thee.

Led by aught else, I tread a devious way;
O lead me on!
Speak, Lord, and help me ever to obey;
Lead Thou me on!
My every step shall then be well defined,
And all I do, according to Thy mind. A. Midlane.

He says, "The thought my heart was wishing to give expression to was, that any light save from the Word of God must be a delusive one, and that only the light of life, the Word of God, can be a real 'Kindly Light,' and lead the soul on with Him who said, ' I am the light of the world.'"

Some who were contemporary with Newman, and equally learned, were, like him, deeply exercised as to their ecclesiastical path, and Rome was put before them; but being in subjection to the Word of God, and diligently and prayerfully studying it, they were led a very different way. One of them, who has finished his course with "intense joy," tells us in his writings that he was thus kept, and that the tenth chapter of Hebrews was specially helpful to this end. And well it might, for it assures us that Christ "by one offering hath perfected forever them that are sanctified,"-that their sins are remembered no more,-that "where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sins," and that they have " boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus;" thus needing no priest but the High-Priest, by whose blood they have this intimate and blessed nearness to God. Indeed they are the only priests recognized in the apostolic epistles, excepting, of course, the Peerless One " that is passed into the heavens."
Yes, the Word of God is alone authoritative. It is the beacon-light for our guidance through this dark scene. It is the only light we have; but, blessed be the Giver, it is like His grace, sufficient. We do well, then, to take all heed to it, until the day dawn, and the Morning Star shall arise to gladden the hearts of His waiting ones, when they shall be like Him and with Him forever. Surely, then, it is for each of His own to pray, while He tarries, "Order my steps in Thy Word;" "O send out Thy light and Thy truth; let them lead me; let them bring me unto Thy holy hill, and to Thy tabernacles." In this way we may count on God to lead us in " a plain path;" and also use us in aiding others who are seeking the true path in this day of difficulty, and want of subjection to His Word. R.H.