HERE A LITTLE AND THEEE A LITTLE OR, SCRIPTURE FACTS W THE AUTHOR OF " THE FEEP OP DAT," K LINE UPSN L!r«,* " PRECEPT UPON PRECEPT." VU».0UNN1. !••»'' NEW YORK: CHARLES SCRIBNER, 145 NASSAU STREET. 1853. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill http://archive.org/details/herelittletherelOOmort CONTENTS Fags. THIS WORLD, • - 5 THE OLD SERPENT, - - - 10 THE FIRST MURDER, - " . -' - - 15 THE GREAT RAIN, ... .... 20 THE FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN, , . - - 26 THE RAVENS, 31 THE BURNING FIERY FURNACE, 37 THE DEN OF LIONS, 43 THF HEAVENLY BABE AND ITS MOTHER, 49 THE HAPPY NIGHT, 54 THE OLD MAN AND THE BABE, 60 THE KING OF THE JEWS, 65 THE HEAVENLY BOY, 71 THE HEAVENLY DOVE, ..... 76 CHRIST IN THE WILDERNESS, 81 THE HEAVENLY LAMB, 86 THE MAN UNDER THE TREE, 91 THE WOMAN AT THE WELL, 96 THE FOUR FISHERMEN, 102 THE WIDOW AND HER SON, 107 THE WOMAN WHO WASHED THE SAVIOUR'S FEET, 112 THE WILD MAN, 117 THE CHILD WHO DIED AND LIVED AGAIN, - - 122 THE DANCING GIRL, 127 THE SUPPER ON THE GRASS, 132 CHRIST IN THE STOEM 137 CONTENTS. Pag* THE PRAYING MOTHER, 143 CHRIST SHINING ON THE MOUN1AIN, 147 THE MISERABLE BOY, 152 THE TWO SISTERS, 157 THE CRIPPLE, 162 THE BLIND BEGGAR OF JERUSALEM, ... 167 LITTLE CHILDREN, 172 THE TEN SICK MEN, .177 THE BLIND BEGGAR OF JERICHO, * - ■> MB THE MAN IN THE TREE, 187 CHRIST IN THE GARDEN, 192 THE MAN WHO SAT BY THE FIRE IN THE HALL, 197 THE MAN WHO HANGED HIMSELF, 202 THE JUDGE, 208 CHRIST ON THE CROSS, 213 THE DYING THIEF, 219 CHRIST IN THE TOMB, 225 THE WOMAN WEEPING AT THE TOMB, 229 THE HAPPY MORNING, 234 THE HAPPY EVENING, 239 CHRIST GOING UP TO HEAVEN, 244 THE HOLY SPIRIT COMING DOWN FROM HEAVEN, 249 THE TWO LIARS, 054 THE MAN IN THE CHARIOT, 259 THE MAN WHO SAW TJJE GREAT LIGHT, - - 264 THE MAN WHO SAW HEAVEN BEFORE HE DIED, 269 THIS WORLD. Once there was a deaf and dumb boy who used to wonder how the world was made. As he was deaf, he had never heard anything, and as he was dumb, he could not ask any body. At last he was taught to understand signs with the fingers, and then he was told who made the world. How much delighted he was to find that God made the world — God, who is so very good. What is God like? Nothing that you ha\e seen. A picture of him could not be drawn because he has not a body like you and me ; he is a spirit — he is everywhere. But there is one place in which he lives ; it is called hea- 1* 6 THE WORLD. ven. I cannot tell } r ou where it is. No bird could fly to that place ; but angels often come down from heaven into this world. And what are angels ? They are spirits. There are good angels in heaven. Though they have no bodies, yet they shine like the sun. Who made the angels? It was God. Once God was alone in heaven. But he did not choose to be always alone. He made the angels. Some of them grew wicked, and he turned them out of heaven. Those wicked angels are called devils. At last God made the world — this world in which we live. Of what did he make it ? Of nothing. How did he make it? By speaking — he said, " Let there be light, and there was %ht. This world is very large. What shape is it ? You have seen the moon — this world is the same shape as the moon. Do you think it is flat, like a plate, or a shilling? Oh, no; it is round, like an orange. Many children think the world is flat, and then they wonder what is at the edge of the world. They think to themselves, " If I were to travel a great way, at last I should come to the edge ;" but they never would. If a fly were walking on an orange, would it ever come to the edge ? No ; when it had gone a great way, it would come round to the same place again where it was at first ; and so would you, if you were to travel a very long THE WORLD. 7 way without ever turning back. If you could measure the world, you would find that it is twenty-five thousand miles around it. Most of the world is covered over with the great sea, but part of it is dry land. Once the land was all bare, but God spoke, and it was covered with grass, and flowers, and trees, and corn. Once it was empty ; no one lived in it ; but God spoke, and fishes swam in the waters, and birds flew in the air, and reptiles crept upon the ground, and beasts walked there. But not one of all these creatures could understand. They could eat and drink, some could swim, some could climb, some could run, and some could sing, but not one could understand. Then God made a man. He took the dust of the ground, and made a body for the man ; and then he breathed into him, and he gave him a soul. The man could un- derstand, and think of God. His name was called Adam. God took a rib out of his side, and made a woman ; and she, too, could think of God. Can you, my dear child, think of God ? I am sure you can. You listen now that I am telling you about him. If I were to talk to a little dog, or to a cow, or to a sheep, about God, would it listen ? Oh, no. If I offered a dog some food, it would look up and seem pleased, but it could not understand about God. What is the reason of this ? The dog has a body, but it has no soul. You, my 8 THE WORLD. child, have a soul. God gave you a soul as well as a body. I once heard of a little child of two years old, who said to her mother, " Who made me ? some one must have made me." Her mother said, "It was God, my child." "Then," said the little darling, looking up quite pleased in her mother's face — " then I love him." And well she might love God, for he not only made her, but he did more than that for her. God sent his Son to die for her, and for you, and for me. Yes, my child, this is true ; I cannot tell you all about it now, but some day I hope you will hear a great deal about God's kindness in sending his dear Son Jesus Christ into this w T orld. God loves us very much, and he wants us to be happy. The devil wants us to be un- happy. The devil hates us, but you need not be afraid of the devil. Ask God to help you, and no one can hurt you. Whenever you like, you may speak to God. He is always near, and can hear you. I know you have done many naughty things, but God is willing to forgive you. Here is a little prayer just fit for you and me : " O heavenly Father, forgive me, for the sake of thy dear Son Jesus Christ." A minister once came to see a child who was dying. He saw that the child wanted to speak to him. He stooped down to listen to its THE WORLD. 9 weak voice, and he heard it say, "God is love !" If you have a Bible at home, you may read in the beginning of the book about God mak- ing the world. Behold the daisy where you tread, That little lowly thing J Behold the insects overhead, That play about in spring : Though we may think them mean ax*. 1 ' Yet God takes notice of them all. And will he not as surely make A feeble child his care 1 Yes; Jesus died for children's sake,, And loves the infant's prayer. God made the stars and daisies, ti»c» And watches over them and yo'i. THE OLD SERPENT. When children are very little, they begin to do wrong. A child will sometimes, when its mother is not looking, slyly take a pinch of sugar out of the basin ; or when its mother is out of the room, it has been known to go to the cupboard and help itself to sugar, fruit, or nice red jam. Is it not very naughty in these little children to behave in this way ? But this is not all. When a little child is caught in doing wrong, it will often tell lies. If the mother finds it at the cupboard, it will say it has not taken anything, when it has. It would be well if children were ashamed of their naughtiness. but they will often laugh about it. When I have spoken about stealing, I have seen chil- dren look at each other and laugh. How wicked that was ! Is it children only who are wicked ? Do not men and women do many wrong things ? Yes ; there are men and women who swear, who cheat, who call names, and tell lies. How is it people are so wicked ? Did God make them wicked ? Oh, no ! God is good ; he never made anybody wicked. It is the THE OLD SERPENT. 11 devil who makes people wicked. I will tell you how he made the first man and woman wicked. Their names were Adam and Eve. God made their bodies out of the dust of the ground. He gave them souls as well as bodies ; and they could think of him, and un- derstand what he said. Beasts and birds have no souls : they cannot think of God. Adam and Eve were very good. They loved each other, and they loved God better still. They were very happy. They lived in a sweet gar- den, called the Garden of Eden — or Paradise. You never saw 7 such a garden as that. It was full of fruit trees. God allowed them to eat the fruit. But he told them not to eat of the fruit of one tree which grew in the mid- dle of the garden. He said, if they ate the fruit of that tree they should die. The devil did not like to see Adam and Eve so happy. He is very miserable himself, and he wishes everybody to be miserable. Once he was a good angel, and lived with God, but he grew wicked, and was cast down to hell. The devil came into the Garden of Eden. He is called the Old Serpent, because, he is so sly. He said to Eve, " Has God said you shall not eat of every tree of the garden ?" And Eve told him that they might eat of the fruit of all the trees, except of one. But God had said, if they ate that, or even touched it, they should die. Then the serpent said, they should not die, 12 TH3 OLD SERPENT. but if tliey ate of that fruit they should become wise like God. The serpent told a lie. Why did Eve be- lieve him sooner than God ? She took some of the fruit, and she gave some to Adam. They soon found out how foolish they had been. They were not happy now ; they were sinners ; they had disobeyed the command- ment of God. When they heard God speaking in the gar- den, they were frightened, and hid themselves among the trees. How foolish it was to think they could hide themselves from God ! Can- not God, who made the trees, see through the thickest boughs ? God might have left Adam to himself, and let the devil take him away to hell. But God is very good and kind : he spoke to Adam, and said, " Where art thou ?" Adam was obliged to answer God, but he did not speak as he ought ; he said that the woman had given him of the fruit — that was a bad excuse. Why did he take the fruit ? Eve said the serpent had told her lies — that was a bad excuse. Why did she believe the ser- pent ? God was most angry with the serpent ; he cursed him. But he did not curse Adam and Eve. He told Adam he must work hard to get his bread, and he told Eve that she would have much sorrow with her little children ; and he turned them both out of the garden, THE OLD SERPENT. 13 and sent an angel to stand at the gate tc keep them out. But God did not curse Adam and Eve ; he loved them, and wished to save them from going to be forever in hell with the devil. God has an only Son, whom he loves. He has sent this only Son to die instead' of Adam and Eve, and their children. How kind it was in God to send his dear Son to die for us, that we might not be cursed for ever ! We are Adam's children, and we should go to hell if it were not for Jesus Christ, the Son of God. We are sinners, like Adam and Eve. Why is it that children steal and tell lies ? Because they are the children of Adam and Eve, who took the fruit. Your bodies must turn to dust in the grave — will you souls go to hell ? I hope not. There is one who can save you. Go to Jesus. He is in heaven now, but he can hear you. Say to him, " Pardon a sinful child." Ask him very often to forgive you. Ask God, his Fa- ther, to forgive you for the sake of his deal Son Jesus ; and ask for the Holy Spirit to make you good. Then you will hate steal- ing and lying, and all wicked ways. „ I will tell you a sweet verse out of the Bible, and I wish you would learn it ; " God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16. Should you not like to learn a pretty hyn 22 2 14 TILE OLD SERPENT. about all this? Well, then, here is one. Pray read it, and try to remember it. Our father ate forbidden fruit, And from his glory fell ; And we, his children, thus were broagh To death, and near to hell. Blest be the Lord, that sent his Son To take our flesh and blood ; He for our lives gave up his own, , To make our peace with God. He honor'd all his Father's laws, Which we have disobeyed ; He bore our sins upon the cross, And our full ransom paid. THE FIRST MURDER. Have you ever heard an account of a mur- der ? I know you have. Almost every week we hear of some horrible murder, and soon afterwards we hear of the murderer being caught and hanged. Who was the man who dared to commit the first murder ? His name was Cain ; his father and mother were called Adam and Eve, and they were the first man and woman whom God made. Cain was their first baby. His mother was pleased when she saw her baby, for she did not know what a wicked man he would grow up. When we see little children, we cannot tell what sort of people they will become. Eve had another son, whom she called Abel. He grew up to be a good man. God had given Abel his Holy Spirit to make him good, and Abel loved God and tried to please him. Cain soon found out that God loved Abel better than himself, and this made him angry. Why did not Cain ask God to give him his Holy Spirit, too ? Then ne would have been good like Abel. I dare say you have sometimes seen a 16 THE FIRST MURDER naughty, sulky child sitting in a corner of the room, not choosing to speak to anybody, or, if he spoke, grumbling and calling names. That naughty child was like Cain. God in the sky sees all the people in this world. He sees the wicked thoughts in their hearts, as well as their wicked looks. This great God spoke to wicked Cain, and said, " Why are you angry ? Why do you look displeased ?" It was very kind in the great God to speak to this sinful man, but Cain would not mind, he went on in his wickedness. Sometimes a kind teacher goes up to a naughty child, and begs it to try to be good, and says, "It is not too late ; wipe away your tears, and behave as you ought." But often the naughty child goes on frowning and pout- ing, till his teacher is forced to punish him. It was in this way Cain behaved. He went on feeling angry with God for loving Abel. One day he was with Abel all alone, when a dreadful thing happened. Perhaps you wonder that Abel would be alone with Cain, but I sup- pose he often tried to persuade his brother to be good. While they were talking, Cain rose up against Abel and killed him. I do not know how he killed him, whether with a stone, or a great stick, but that is no matter — poor Abel lay bleeding on the earth, the blood ran into the ground. Oh, it must have been a dreadful sight ! How did Cain fe^l when he THE FIRST MURDER, 17 saw his brother's blood, and that good brother cold, and pale, and still, like a stone ? Cain thought he could hide his sin from every eye, because he was alone. Bnt he for- got that God saw him. Soon God spoke to him ; he said, " Where is Abel thy brother ?" Cain answered, " I know not. Am I my brother's keeper ?" You see he told a lie to God. Then God told him that he should wan- der about the world. Cain was not to live any more with his father and mother, and his brothers and sisters, and their children. He was to go to some place far off, where he would hear of God no more. He did not like this ; for though he did not love God, he was afraid of being sent far away ; he thought, also, that anybody who found him, would kill him. But God set a mark upon him, to show people that Cain was not be killed. So Cain went a great way off, and he had a wife and children ; and he built a city for his grandchildren and great- grandchildren. But was he happy? Wicked people cannot be happy. God let him live, and and gave him children, but God did not love him. What becomes of liars when they die, and what becomes of murderers ? They go to hell! That is a horrible, dark, and burning place, far off from Gocl. The devil is in hell . he is the father of liars and murderers. Abe) did not go to hell when he died ; his body lay bleeding on the earth, but his soul went up to 18 THE FIRST MURDER. God in heaven. There he saw his Saviour, the Son of God, who had promised to die for his sins. Abel was a sinner, but God had pardoned his sins. There are a great many angels in heaven who have never sinned, or done one wrong thing. All men, women, and children, are sinners ; yet God will pardon their sins, if they ask him, because the Son of God was nailed to a cross of wood that sinners might be pardoned. Abel has been singing in heaven a long while. He was the first who began to praise God for pardoning his sins, and now there are hundreds and thousands joining in his songs. I hope the child who reads this book will one day be praising God in heaven with Abel, and will say, " Praise him who loved us, and wash- ed us from our sins in his own blood." If you- want to go to that happy place, go and pray to God alone, and say, " great God, pardon all the naughty things I have done, and make me good by the Holy Spirit, be- cause thy dear Son died upon the cross foi me." And canst thou, wilt thou yet forgive, And bid my crimes remove ? And shall a pardon'd rebel live To speak thv wondrous love l THE FIRST MURDER. 19 Almighty; grace, thy healing power, How glorious, how divine ; That can to bliss and life restore So vile a heart as mine. Thy pardoning love, so free, so sweet* Dear Saviour, I adore ; Oh keep me at thy sacred feet, And let me rove no more. HEAVEN AND HELL. There is beyond the sky, A heaven of joy and love, And holy children, when they die, Go to that world above. There is a dreadful hell, And everlasting pains \ There sinners must with devils dwell, In darkness, fire, and chains. Can such a wretch as I Escape this cursed end ; And may I hope, whene'er [ die, 1 shall to heaven ascend ? Then I for grace will pray, While I have life and breath Lest I should be cut off to-day, And sent to eternal death. THE GREAT RAIN. Sometimes we hear it said, "A boy has fal- len into the water, and is drowned." Perhaps he was sliding on the ice, when it broke, and he fell in ; or, it may be, he was walking on a plank into a ship, when his foot slipped, and he went over ; or, it may be, he was bathing, when he got out of his depth, and was drown- ed. There is much reason to be afraid of the water. How many ships full of people have sunk into the great deep, and been seen no more ! Sometimes rivers overflow their banks, and a whole town is laid under water, and thousands perish in a day. This is a dread- ful event. It happened in a great city, called Petersburgh, some years ago. But a more dreadful event happened once. The whole world was drowned. Yes, all the people in the world were drowned, and all the beasts and birds, except one family, and a few beasts and birds with them. How did this happen ? Did you ever hear about it ? It is called the Flood. It happened four thousand years ago. The world was full of people then, as it is now, and it was full of wicked people. THE GREAT RAIN. 21 The great God who made the world cannot bear wickedness ; he looked down and saw the people fighting, and stealing, and killing each other. At last he said he would drown them all, except one good man, and his wife and children. The name of this man was Noah. God told Noah to build a great house called an ark. It was to be built so that it could float on the water like a ship, only it was not to have a mast or sails like a ship. The ark was to be made of wood, and covered with pitch, and lined with pitch, to keep out the wet. There were to be three great rooms in the ark, one above the other, and there was to be a window at the top, and a door at the side. God told Noah to take some of all sorts of beasts and birds into the ark w T ith him ; but first he was to get food for them, such as hay for the horses, and seed for the birds. When the ark was finished, God told Noah to go in, and to take the beasts and birds in with him. What a strange sight it must have been to see the beasts and birds going into the ark ! If God had not made them quiet and obedient, Noah never could have brought them in ; but. He, who made them all, could easily teach them to be tame and gentle. Noah had three sons, and they had three wives, so that there were eight people who went into the ark. None of the wicked people went in. Noah had often begged them to repent and to turn to God, but they had not minded. They would 22 THE GREAT RAIN. not believe that they should at last be drown- ed. They thought that one day would be like another, and that no sad day would ever come ; so they built houses, and planted gardens, and married wives, and ate and drank, and never thought of God, or thanked him for giving them food and all their pleasures. They did not wish to go into the ark with Noah ; they liked much better staying in their fine gardens and houses. As soon as Noah was in the ark, God him- self shut the door. No one could get into the ark after God had shut the door. That day the rain began to pour down from the sky, and the water came up out of the ground. All that day it rained, and the next, and the next, and every day for nearly six weeks. Such rain was never seen before, nor ever will be seen again. Everybody was drowned, and every beast and bird. If people climbed to the tops of trees, the water soon reached them, and if they mounted the high hills, the w r aters at last covered them ; there was no way of es- caping from + he anger of God. Once God would have neard the prayers of these sin- ners, but now it was too late — they were all drowned. For nearly a year, Noah rode in his ark upon the waters. Once he sent out a raven to see whether the land was dry, but the bird never came back. Another time he sent out a dove, and this sweet bird came to the window again, THE GREAT RAIN. 23 and Noah put out his hand and pulled her in. The poor little dove had found no bough on which to rest, and she liked to return to the ark, while the raven chose to fly about till the earth was dry. Noah waited one week, and then he sent out the dove again, and this time she returned with the branch of an olive-tree in her beak ; then Noah knew that the tops of the trees were seen. In another week he sent out his good little dove again, and this time she came back no more. Still Noah would not leave the ark till God told him. At last God said to him, " Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee, and the beasts, and the birds, and the creeping things." Then they all went out. How fresh and green the earth must have looked that day! How glad must the stag have been to bound once more in the forests, and the noble horse to gallop on the plains, and the harmless sheep to lie down on the meadows ! How glad must the eagle have been to soar once more in the air, and how sweetly the lark must have sung as it flew out of the window and saw again the bright sun ! But were beasts and birds as glad as Noah ? Oh, no ; he knew who had saved him from dying in the waters. He loved God for his goodness, and praised him and prayed to him ; and God promised he never again would drown 24 THE GREAT RAW. the world, and he gave him a sign that he would remember his promise : that sign you have seen — it is the beautiful rainbow which shines in the sky so often when the sun is be- ginning to shine, and the showers are almost over. That rainbow puts us in mind of God's kindness to Noah. But I have not told you of all his kindness. Did you ever hear how he sent his only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die for wicked men ? Yes, he did send him, and Jesus was nailed to a great piece of wood called a cross. He died instead of you ; he is willing to save you from going to hell. Do you wish to turn from all wicked ways ? Do you wish to be saved as Noah was ? A dreadful day is coming, when the w T orld shall be burned up. There will be terrible noise and scorching heat, but those, who love God as Noah did, shall be caught up and saved from the fire. What I am now telling you is quite true. Do believe me. The people would not believe Noah, and they were drowned. All I have told you is written in the Bible, which is the book of God. See Genesis 6, 7, 8 ; 2 Pet., last chapter. Oh say, shall I be there, To see the dreadful glare, . The dreadful sound to hear, The dreadful heat to hear, Of falling crags and rocks, $f roaring seas, Of smoking hills, and flaming earth and skies * THE GREAT RAIN. 25 Oh, yes ! I shall be there ; The graves shall open'd be; . All shall the trumpet hear, The Judge's face shall see : In vain shall some upon the mountains call, To hide their heads from Him who judges all. 3 THE FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN. Do you think any one ever heard God speak? Should you be frightened if God were to speak from heaven where he lives ? Yes, I know you would. Once God spoke to a great many people ; he spoke in a very loud voice, so that they could all hear. Who were these people ? They were called the people of Is- rael , they did not live in a town ; they were among the hills ; at night they slept in their tents. They were going to a country a great way off, and they moved their tents from place to place. There was a good man who took care of them, called Moses. God was their King. How could these people get food every day ? for there were no shops among the hiljs. and there were no cornfields. God rained down bread, called manna, every morning ; the people of Israel went out every morning with their baskets and picked up the little bits of nice, sweet bread, and took it to their tents to eat. How kind it was in God to feed them. He is kind to us, too, for it is God who makes the corn grow. One day God told Moses he would speak to THE FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN. 27 the people of Israel. One morning there was a noise of thunder, and the sound of a trum- pet, very loud indeed. The people heard the noise in their tents, and they trembled, for they knew that God was coming to speak to them. Moses told the people to come out of their tents to see God ; so all the people stood round about the mountain. What a sight they be- held ! The Lord had come down in fire, and there was a great deal of smoke, and the mountain shook. You never saw such a terri- ble sight. There was also a dreadful sound. The noise of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was, and listened to his words, and wrote them down in a book. The people of Israel saw him go up the mountain, till he was hid by the greal cloud of smoke. All the time Moses was on the mountain, there was a great fire burning at the top, and God was in that fire. You see how dreadful God is ! He can punish wicked people, and there is a hell where he will put them at last. But God is very kind. You see how kind he was to Moses ; he did not hurt him while he was in the moun- tain, but talked to him as a man talks to a friend. When Moses came down from the mountain, his face shone like the sun, so that the people of Israel could not bear to look at 28 THE FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN. him, he was so bright; then Moses put a veil over his face. Moses wrote the ten laws upon two great pieces of stone. Sometimes they are copied out, and written up at one end of the church. I heard of a thief who once went into a church, not to pray, but to steal. He meant to put his hand into people's pockets, and take away their handkerchiefs and their money. But before he began to steal, he looked up and saw the ten laws. One of them is, " Thou shalt not steal." The thief had never heard this law before. He felt frightened, and did not dare to put his hand into anybody's pocket. He went home, prayed to God, read the Bible, and left off stealing. Do you wish to keep God's laws ? You have done a great many naughty things. God could punish you, but he is very kind. He sent his own dear Son to die upon the cross, that he might forgive you all your naughti- ness. The Son of God minded all the ten laws, yet he suffered for our sins. You have not minded God's laws ; you have often been naughty, yet God will forgive you, because his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, died for you. Here is a little prayer for you : " O God, forgive me all my sins, because Jesus died for me." I hope you will soon be able to learn the ten THE FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN. 29 laws, or commandments, and I hope you will try to mind them. You may read about Mo- ses in the Bible in Exodus 19 and 20. These are the ten commandments : I. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. II. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth be- neath, or that is in the water under the earth • thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them ; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me ; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. III. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain : for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. IV. Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work ; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God : in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates : for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day, and hallowed it. V. Honor thy father and thy mother ; that 3* SO THE FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN. thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. VI. thou shalt not kill. VII. Thou shalt not commit adultery. VIII. Thou shalt not steal. IX. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. X. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's. Here are the Commandments in verse : 1 . Thou shalt have no more gods but me ; 2. Before no idol bow thy knee ; 3. Take not the name of God in vain ; 4. Nor dare the Sabbath-day profane; 5. Give both thy parents honor due; 6. Take heed that thou no murder do ; 7. Abstain from words and deeds unclean ; 8. Nor steal, though thou art poor and mean ; 9. Nor make a wilful lie, nor love it ; 10. What is thy neighbor's dare not covet. THE SUM OR MEANING OF THE COMMANDMENTS. With all thy soul love God above, And as thyself thy neighbor love. Dr. Watta. THE RAVENS. . The first thing that children want, when they get up in the morning, is their breakfast. They go to their mothers, and say, " Give me a piece of bread, please mother;" or else their kind mothers, even without being asked, give them a piece. It is a sad thing when a child ets up in the morning and has no breakfast, id you ever go without your breakfast ? Did your mother ever say to you, "My child, I have no bread in the cupboard ?" If she ever did, I know you cried to hear it, and I dare say she cried too, fo»* mothers like to feed their 5 32 THE RAVENS. children, and they will often go without break- fast that they may give their children more. Many people have as much bread every day as they can eat. How much bread it must take to feed so many people ! While we are sleeping in our beds there is one above the sky who is making the food to grow out of the earth. It is God who makes the little seed of corn grow in the ground, and spring up into a tall stalk, and even then turn yellow, and bend under the weight of the grain at the top. When the corn is ripe, the reaper comes and cuts it down and binds it into sheaves, and fills the wagon, and lays it by in the barn ; then the thresher beats out the grain from the husks. Then the corn is put into a sack and carried to the miller to grind into flour ; then the flour is put into a sack and carried to the baker, and it is baked in the oven ; when it is taken out, it is fit to be eaten. Was it men w T ho made the bread, or God ? It was God who made the corn to grow ; if God were not to make the corn, we could have no bread to eat. Sometimes God will not make the corn grow. Why? Because men are wicked, and God is angry with them. There is a country a great way ofT which is very hot. One year God sent no rain to make the ground soft, so the corn did not grow up. The people in that land w r ere very wick- ed. They bowed down to images of wood and stone, and prayed to them and said, THE RAVENS. S3 " Take care of us ; you are our gods." That is very wicked. It is called worshipping idols. We ought to worship none but that great God whom we cannot see. There was a good man in that land who loved God. His name was Elijah. When there was very little bread God would not let him starve. He told him to go and live by the side of a certain brook or pond, and he said, " I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there." What, birds to feed a man ! I have often heard of a man feeding birds, but I never heard before of birds feeding a man — and such birds, too, as ravens ; not gentle birds, but fierce creatures, ready to pick out your eyes with their great beaks. Elijah believed what God said, and he went to live by the side of a brook or pond, among the trees. I do not think he had any house there, but it was a warm country, and he could sleep out of doors. He was quite alone, yet he could speak to his friend in heaven, I mean his God. Did his heavenly Father keep his promise ? Oh, yes. In the morning the birds came. I cannot tell how many, but there were more than one. What did they bring with them ? Pieces of bread and of meat. I suppose they carried them in their beaks. God had sent his birds to feed his dear son Elijah. The ravens were the servants of Elijah. In the evening they came again, and brought oi THE RAVENS. Elijah his supper. Every morning and every evening they came ; they never missed. His Father in heaven never forgot to feed Elijah. He gave him two meals every day, breakfast and supper. Most people have dinner, too, but Elijah was content with what God gave him. He drank nothing but cold water. Every day there was less and less water in the brook, for the sun dried it up, and there was no rain to fill it again. At last all the water was gone ! What use was food to eat if he had nothing to drink? He would soon die of thirst. But his God remembered him, and told him to go to another place. How much care God took of Elijah. At _ast he took him to heaven to live with him. But you will be surprised to hear that Elijah never died. He was carried up to heaven by bright angels in a chariot of fire. How won- derful ! Why was God so very kind to Elijah ? Why is God kind to anybody? We are all sinners, but God has given his only Son to (lie upon the cross that we- may not be sent to hell. If you ask God to forgive you for Christ's sake, he will do it, for he loves his Son Jesus Christ. When a famine comes, those people whom God has forgiven need not be afraid. Here is a promise which God made them, which you will find in the Bible : "Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his THE RAVENS. 35 mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine." — Psalm 33: 18, 19. The history of Elijah and the ravens is written in I. Kings, chap. 17. God is in heaven ! Can he hear A little prayer like mine ? Yes, thoughtful child, thou need'st not fear, He listeneth to thine. God is in heaven ! Can he see When I am doing wrong ? Yes, that he can ; he looks at thee All day and all night long. God is in heaven ! Would he know If I should tell a lie? Yes, though thou saidst it very low, He'd hear it in the sky. God is in heaven! Does he care — Does he provide for me 1 Yes ; all thou hast to eat or wear, 'Tis God that gives it thee. God is in heaven ! Can I go To thank him for his care ? Not yet ; but love him here below, And he will take thee there. 38 THE RAVENS. God is in heaven ! May I pray To go there when I die ? Yes ; love him, seek him, and one day He'll call thee te the sky. THE BURNING FIERY FURNACE. There is a place in London called Smith- field. It is a market for cattle. On market- day it is full of lowing oxen, bleating sheep, and grunting pigs. Each beast is shut up by itself between some posts and wooden bars, and a little gate. The butchers hasten early to the spot to buy beasts for the slaughter. But in that very place crowds of people used once to come — not to buy beasts, but to burn men, and see them burned. How dread- ful ! Was it wicked men who were burned — thieves, or murderers ? No, it was good men, who loved their Bibles, and would not pray to images. Yes, they were burned. But I am not going now to tell you about the men who were burned at Smithfield : I am going to speak of some men who lived at a great city called Babylon, a more beautiful city than London. There was a great king in Babylon, and this king had a great image made — a very tall image — as tall as a church steeple, and it was made of gold. Oh, what a rich king he must have been, and what a fine image ! It was not *et up in the town, but in a great place called a 4 38 THE BURNING plain, which was like a larcre field without hedges. There everybody could see the great image quite well. The king desired all the lords, and judges, and captains in his kingdom to come to the plain. When the rich lords were come together, they all stood round the image. There was a band of musicians there, with many kinds of instruments, the harp with its sweet strings, the flute on which men breathe to make it sound, and many other instruments of which you have never heard. And the king was there, the proud king who did what he pleased. A man cried out with a loud voice, and told them that as soon as the music began to be played, everybody must bow down to the golden image that the king had set up ; and if any one did not bow down, he should be throwri immediately into a burning fiery fur- nace. Presently the music struck up, and the people fell down and worshipped the golden image. Do you know that it is very wicked to wor- ship images? Yes, we ought never to bow down to any one but God, and he is in heaven, and cannot be seen by us. The angels see him, but we cannot. God likes to see us kneeling down, and looking up to him in the heavens. Did I say that all the people bowed down to the golden image ? Almost all — all but *hree. Scon some of the king's servants came FIERY FURNACE. 39 to him and said, "0 king, there are three men here who have not bowed down to the image. Those men are not people of this land of Babylon — they are Jews." Then the king was in a great passion, for wicked people fall into a passion just as little children do. Oh, it is a horrible thing when a man falls into a passion and especially a king. What mischief he can do in his rage, for he cannot be shut up like a naughty child. This king desired the three Jews to be brought to him. When they came, he spoke very angrily to them, and asked if it was true they had not bowed down to the image. He told them that if, when they should hear the music again, they did not fall down and worship the image, they should be cast into a burning fiery furnace, and that their God would not deliver them out. But these three Jews were not frightened by the king's words. They said, they would not worship the image, and their God was able to deliver them from the burning fiery furnace, and he w T ould deliver them. Then the king was in a greater passion than before. It w r as terrible to see his face! for passion makes the face look very red and ugly. But still the three Jews were not afraid. The king de- sired that the furnace might be made seven times hotter than before. This was foolish in him, because a very hot fire would kill the poor Jews more o x uickly than a little fire. But I 40 THE BURNING suppose in his passion he forgot that. Then he desired the strongest soldiers he had to cast the Jews into the flames. First their legs and arms were tied down, that they might not struggle when put in, and all their clothes were left on, their cloaks, and their turbans, and their stockings, and all. Then the strong soldiers took hold of them and threw them into the fire, but the flames were so fierce that they caught hold of the soldiers and burnt them up. What became of the poor Jews ? They fell down in the midst of the furnace. Were they alive or dead ? Such a fire would soon turn a man black as a cinder. The king came to look at the three Jews ; but oh, how much surprised he was to see them walking about in the fire, not only alive, but loose ! for the fire had burned their bands, but not their clothes nor their bodies. How won- derful ! But there was one thing which sur- prised the king still more. There were four men walking in the fire. The king called to his lords and said, " Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire ?" They said, " True, king." Then he said, " Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." Was he the Son of God ? Oh, yes ; for the Son oi God loves us. Once he died for us upon the cross, that we might not be cast into hell, and he always cares for his people when they are FIERY FURNACE. 41 in trouble, and now he was walking in the fire with the three young Jews. That was the reason they were not burned ; God the Father had sent down his Son to keep them from harm. How happy they were in the midst of the fire! They felt no pain. Now the king saw that the God of the Jews could save them, and he came near to the door of the furnace — not so near as to be burned, as his soldiers had been — and he called the three Jews by their names, " Ye servants of the Most High God, come forth, and come hither." And they came out- — yes, they walk- ed out. Then all the great lords came round them to see whether they were hurt, but there was not even the smell of fire on them, not one hair was singed — and you know how easily the hair catches fire — and their clothes were not even scorched. Then the king began to praise their God, and to praise tkem, too, for not worshipping the image. And he sent round to all the towns in his kingdom, and commanded that if anybody spoke against their God, he should be cut in pieces, and his house made into a heap of rubbish ; for the king said, " There is no other God who can deliver after this sort." Neither is there any god who can deliver at all except the true God, who made the world, the sun, moon, and stars. Did the king of Babylon leave off worship- " ig images or idols ? No ; I fear he went 4* 42 THE BURNING F ERY FURNACE on in his wicked ways for some time longer, till at last God made him like a beast, and he ixte grass; afterwards he was sorry for his wickedness. Do you love God as those young Jews did ? If you do, I count you a happy child. There are many good people who have been burned in the fire. I told you about the fires in Smithfleld. Good people were burned there, but only their bodies — their souls went to heaven, to God. If you love God, your soul will be happy forever, and your body will be taken one day out of the grave and made new again. You will find the history of the three young Jews in Daniel 3. THE DEN OF LIONS. VJH&B&*' The lion is generally called the king of beasts. There is no beast that looks so like a king as he does, for though the elephant is much larger, he is not so terrible. With what a stately air the lion walks ; how proud is his look ; what strong teeth he has ! How fierce his eyes seem, glaring in the midst of his yel- low hair ! When he is hungry, how horrible is his low growl — it is like the rumbling of thun- der before a storm ! But when he is angry and utters his loud roar, all the beasts of the forest tremble. Perhaps you have seen a lion in a den ; you knew he could not hurt you, 44 THE DEN OF LIONS. and therefore you were not afraid lo look at him. But would you have gone into his den ? Oh, no, even if the lion's mouth had been tied up, you would not have liked to be shut up with him. I am going to tell you of a man who was shut up with a lion — not with one lion only, but with many lions — with hungry lions with open mouths, in the night, alone, at-the bottom of a deep den under ground. Why was he shut up there ? I will tell you why. He had done nothing wicked. He was a very good man, who loved God, but there were some wicked men who hated him. There was a great king who was kind to the good man, and the wicked men did not like that. They want- ed the king to be fond of them, but the king loved the good man best. The good man's name was Daniel. And why did the king love Daniel best ? Because Daniel did the king's business best; he wrote letters for him, and paid money for him ; he never told lies, nor cheated, nor was idle, nor careless. So the king trusted him with everything, and made him a great lord. Then the wicked lords hated Daniel, only because the king loved him best. They were envious. What made Daniel so good ? It was the Holy Spirit of God that made him good. Daniel used to pray to God three times every day to make him good, and keep him from telling lies, and stealing, and all sorts of wickedness. That is the way to THE DEN OF LIONS. 45 be good, to pray to God, for we all have wick- ed hearts. But God can make our hearts good ; he sent his dear Son Jesus to die for us that we might not go to hell, and he gives us the Holy Spirit to make us fit to go to heaven, fit to be in that sweet place with the holy angels. The wicked lords knew that Daniel prayed to God. As for them, they prayed to idols ot wood and stone. All the people in that coun- try prayed to idols, except Daniel and his friends. It is no use to pray to images or idols, for they cannot hear us when we call. The wicked lords wanted to get good Dan- iel into disgrace with the king, so they made a very sly plan. They went to the king and asked him to make a law that no one should pray to any god, or to anybody for thirty days except to him, and to command that, if any- body disobeyed this law, he should be cast into the den of lions. The king said he would make this law. Oh, he did not know what a cruel plan the lords had settled between them. Daniel soon heard of this new law. Would he leave off praying to God for thirty days ? Oh no, not for one day. He still went into his room when the windows were open, and knelt down and prayed, morning, and noon, and evening. The wicked lords heard that Daniel went on praying, and they went to the king, and told him that Daniel, though he had 46 THE DEN OF LIONS. heard of this law, which could not be changed, still prayed three times a-day. How sorry the king was when he heard this sad news ! He loved Daniel ; he could not bear to have him cast into the den. But what could he do ? It was not yet time to cast him in ; the evening was the time ; and till the evening came, and the sun had set, the king tried to think of some way of saving Daniel. But he could think of no way. As soon as it was dark, the lords said, " O king, you cannot change the law." The king knew that, and he sent for Daniel and commanded him to be cast into the den; but before he was put in, the king said to him, " Thy God, whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee." This was the only comfort the king had; he hoped that the God of Daniel would save him from the lions. After Daniel had been thrown in, a great stone was laid on the top of the den, and a seal was put upon it, that nobody might come in the night and take Daniel out, and the king sealed the stone with his own seal. What a miserable evening the king passed ! He could eat no supper. Usually sweet music was played to him in the evening, but he desired that the musicians should not play : and when he went to bed, he could not sleep. Very early in the morning he got up. He went in haste to the den, and cried out in a most sorrowful voice, "O Daniel, is thv God, whom thou THE DEN OF LIONS, 47 servest continually,- able to deliver thee from the lions ?" Oh, how the king did listen for the answer ! What if he should hear nothing but the growls of the beasts ! But he heard a voice say, " O king, live for ever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, and they have not hurt me, because I have done no hurt." Oh, how glad the king was ! Immediately he commanded the ser- vants to take Daniel out of the den. When he came up, people looked to see whether the lions had bitten him, or scratched him, or bruised him. But no, there was not the least hurt found upon him. Some men would have been killed by the fright, if they had been shut up with lions ; but Daniel had trusted in his God. He knew his God loved him, and would save him. What did the wicked lords say when they saw Daniel come up out of the den ? They had not much time to speak, for the king com- manded them to be cast into the den, and their wives and children with them. It was cruel to cast the poor wives in, and the little chil- dren ; but as for those wicked men, they well deserved to be eaten up. Now it was seen how hungry the lions were, for before the men could get to the bottom of the den, the lions sprung up and seized hold of them, and with their strong teeth broke and ground their bones to pieces. So, though the lions had gone without their supper, they had a good break- fast the next morning. God punishes wicked 48 THE DEN OF LIONS. people when the)* have tried to hurt good peo- ple, and he often lets them fall into the very same trouble that they wanted to get the good people in. There is a place called hell, much more hor- rible than the lion's den. It is filled, not with lions, but with devils, and all wicked people will be cast there some day, and there they will stay forever. Are you, my child, afraid of going there ? I wish you to be afraid, be- cause I want you to ask God not to send you there. You may pray to God as well as Dan- iel j God will hear you as well as him. Dan- iel prayed to God when he was a child, and he found that God took care of him. He was only a slave when he was young, and he was far away from his father and his mother ; but he looked up to God, and asked him to be his friend. His history is to be found in the Bible. See Daniel 6. THE HEAVENLY BABE AND ITS MOTHER. Did you ever see an angel ? I know you never did ; neither did your father ever see an angel, nor your mother, nor your grandfather — none of these ever saw an angel. But some people have seen angels. Angels are very bright creatures ; they live in heaven with God, and they shine like the light. They know about us ; they know that there is a world fall of men and women and children. They pity us. Why ? Because we are sinners. We do wrong things ; we sin against God. Angels are not sinners. Though they have lived so many, many years with God, they have never done one wrong thing, and they never will. Angels will always be happy. But shall we ? We shall die one day. Shall we be happy after we are dead ? Will God let sinners live with him ? My dear child, did you ever think to yourself, " Shall I go to heaven when I die ?" There is a dreadful place called hell, and there are many sinners there burning in the flames. You would not like to go there. I hope you will not. 50 THE HEAVENLY BABE I will now tell you what God has done for us miserable sinners. A -long while ago he told one of his bright angels to go on a mes- sage. He sent him from heaven, to a woman named Mary. The angel's name was Gabriel. What had Gabriel to say to Mary? Wait, and you shall hear. When the angel came into the place where Mary was, he told her the Lord was pleased with her, and was going to do her a great favor. Was Mary delighted to hear this ? No, she was frightened ; she could not think what the angel meant. Then the angel said, "Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God." Then the angel told her that she should soon have a babe ; and that he should be the Son of God; and that his name should be "Jesus." This was a very wonderful message. Why was the Son of God to be a babe ? God his father sent him to be a babe, that he might grow to be a man, and then suffer instead of us sinners. How good it was in God to send his only Son to save us from going to hell ! Mary believed what Gabriel told her. Soon the sftigel went away. At last the babe was born. Where do you think it was born ? You will be surprised to hear — it was born in a stable ! Mary had taken a long journey, and when she came to the end, she went to the inn, but there was no room for her there. There were so many travellers at the inn, that Mary was obliged to go into the stable. Where the AND ITS MOTHER. 51 oxen and the asses fed that night, her babe was born. Mary wrapped him in long clothes, and laid him in the manger. What a place for the Son of God ! The children of the queen lie in beautiful cradles, hung with muslin, and silk, and satin. But this babe was the Son of the King of kings, and he lay in a manger. The people in the inn did not know that the Son of God was in the stable, but Mary knew who her babe was. She called him her God and her Saviour ; she knew he had come down from heaven to save her and many people from hell. And did he suffer for our sins when he grew up to be a man ? Oh, yes. He was nailed to a cross of wood. The nails went through his hands and through his feet, and his blood was spilled upon the ground. Mary, his mother, stood near the cross. Oh, how unhappy she felt to see her son dying. He felt sorry for her, and told his disciple John to take care of his dear mother. After Jesus was dead he was buried, and in three days he was made alive again. Mary saw him once more. Oh, how happy she was then ! Very soon Jesus went up to heaven in a cloud back to his Father. Mary still staid in this world. Then she prayed to her son Jesus, and thanked him for saving her soul. At last she died and went to heaven, to live there with God the Father and God the Son, and there 52 THE HEAVENLY BABE. We ought never to pray to any one but God Mary was a sinner once. Jesus saved her. Mary cannot save us. Only Jesus can save sinners. You will like to see Mary in heaven. Bless- ed was she among women. Of all the woman who ever lived she was the most blessed, 01 happy. Jesus loved his mother very much, but he will love you as much if you wish to please God. He knows who wishes to please him. He has said, " Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother/' Jesus has only one Father — God — but he has many brothers, and sisters, and mothers. There are a great many wicked people in the world who swear, and steal, and tell lies ; but there are some who love God, and pray to him, and believe in him, and try to please him. Jesus counts them his brothers, and sisters, and mothers. Would you like to be the brother of the Lord Jesus ? Would you like to be his child ? What a dreadful thing it is to be the child of the devil. THE HEAVENLY BABE. 53 A MOTHER'S SONG TO HER BABE IN THE CRADLE. Soft and easy is thy cradle — Coarse and hard thy Saviour lay, When his birthplace was a stable, And his softest bed was hay. Blessed babe ! What glorious features, Spotless, fair, divinely bright ! Must he dwell with brutal creatures % How could angels bear the sight? Was there nothing but a manger, Thankless sinners could afford, To receive the heavenly stranger ? Did they thus affront the Lord % Soft, my child, I did not chide thee, Though my song might sound too hard % Tis thy mother sits beside thee, And her arm shall be thy guard. 5* THE HAPPY NIGHT. In the night very dreadful things often nap- pen. Sometimes a fire breaks out in the night. 1 remember having heard of a fire in a street, and of a house being burned to the ground ; four little boys and their mother were all smo- thered in the smoke, and the father only and one child escaped. Sometimes thieves and murderers break into a house in the night. It is well to Jock the doors fast, and to bar the windows ; but even then we are not safe, unless God take care of us. But I am not going to tell you of anything horrible, but of a very delightful night — yes, of the happiest night which has ever been since the world was made. Some shepherds were in a field taking care of their flocks. It was night, and they were watching to prevent the wolves, and bears, and lions coming to devour their pretty lambs and harmless sheep. These shepherds were good men ; they loved God. When wicked men are sitting up together, they often amuse them- selves with singing wicked songs, and with drinking and swearing, and they often end by THE HAPPY NIGHT. 55 quarrelling and fighting. But these shepherds were different men from those, and had differ- ent ways from theirs ; they were men who loved singing hymns, and talking about God and heaven. Avery wonderful thing happened that night ; such a thing as had never happened to them be- fore — an angel came ! What a glorious crea- ture an angel is ! I never saw one, but I know that angels are bright like the sun, and their clothes are white like snow, and they are so good, so gentle, and so kind. Yet when the shepherds saw this angel, they were very much frightened. But the ange told them not to be afraid, " Fear not," he said ; " I bring you good tidings of great joy. Unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord ; and ye shaJJ find him lying in a manger." This was good news indeed. A long while before, God had promised to send his own Son down from heaven to be a babe. And why ? That he might die instead of us wicked creatures, and save us from going to hell. These shepherds had often heard of God's kind promise, and now the angel told them this babe was really born. Yes, the babe that was to save them from never-ending pains. When the angel had done speaking, the most beautiful sight was seen. A number of angels suddenly appeared ! How bright they must have shone in thaf d?,rk night ! To see angels 56 THE HAPPY NIGHT. is charming, but what must it be to hear them sing ! These angels began to sing. How sweet the sound must have been ! It is sweet to hear children sing ; it is sweet to hear them sing, " That will be joyful," or " Glory, glory ;" but what is children's singing compared to the singing of angels ! What is the cawing of a rock compared to the warbling of a nightingale, and what is the singing of a sinful child com- pared to the singing of a glorious angel ! I can tell you the very words these angels sang, but I am not sure that you will under- stand them. This was their song : Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good- will towards men." It was because the Son of God was born that they sang this song — Jesus, the Son of God : he came to bring glory, and peace, and good-will, and all happiness into this wicked world. The angels did not stay very long. How sorry the shepherds must have been when the song was over, and the angels were gone back into heaven. Could they ever forget that song ? I think not. Well, I hope we may hear angels sing one day, and that we may sing with them. Now we could not sing an angel's song, but one day we shall be able, if our sins are forgiven. See the good shepherds in the field alone with their sheep. — What did they talk of now ? Of that sweet babe who was lying in a manger. They knew he was in the next town, a very THE HAPPY NIGHT. 57 ittle way off, and they said one to another, " Let us go and see him." So they left their sheep, very quickly indeed. There were other babes in Bethlehem, but most babes lie in soft cradles, or on their mother's pillow ; but there- was no cradle and no bed for this babe, only a manger full of straw or hay. The shepherds knew in which stable the babe was, and they w T ent in. And what did they see ? There, in the midst of the oxen, and the cows, and the asses, they saw a babe, and near him was his mother, a poor woman, named Mary. His Father was in heaven, for God was his Father ; but there was a good man in the stable named Joseph, and he was the husband of Mary. All kind people like to look on a little helpless in- fant. Do not you like to look at a babe, and to take it in your arms ? But there never was such a babe as this. Though he was so weak and small, he was the Son of God, and had made the world, and the moon, and the stars. How did the shepherds feel as they looked at him ? They knew he loved them, and had come down from heaven to save them. how they loved that babe ! Did they take him in their arms ? Did they kiss his sweet forehead ? I cannot tell you, for it is not written in the Bible. The shep- herds did not know all the pain that tender babe would have to bear when he was grown to be a man. Those little hands with fingers folded up, afterwards had nails thrust through 58 THE HAPPY NIGHT. them ; and those tender feet, which had never touched the ground, were afterwards fastened to the cross of wood. Oh, to have looked upon that babe, and to have thought of all he would suffer, might have made the hardest heart feel sorry ! But that babe is happy now — Oh, very happy ! After dying upon the cross he was made alive again, and he went up into heaven ; and there he is now, and the shepherds are with him there, singing the angel's song. And Jesus will one day come to this world again, shining brighter than angels do, and the shep- herds will come with him, and all people who have ever loved him. If you grow to be a man, I hope you will be like one of those good shepherds. Perhaps you will not have to take care of sheep. I can- not tell what you will do, whether you will make things, or sell them, or work in the fields, or go to sea ; but whatever you do, I hope you will be a good man and love God. Those shepherds often talked about Jesus; they told every body about the babe in the manger, and about the angels in the sky, and they praised God with all their hearts for having let them see and hear such wonderful things. You have heard about the babe in the manger, though you have not seen him. There are many children who have never heard about him. God has been very kind to you in letting you hear about him. I hope you love Jesus. Some children do. If they were to die, the THE HAPPY NIGHT. 59 angels would come and take their souls to be with Jesus in heaven. This history is written in Luke 2: 8-20. See the faithful shepherds round him, Telling wonders from the sky ; Where they sought him, there they found him. Wich his vrgin mother by. THE OLD MAN AND THE BABE. Most children love little babies. A babe of six weeks old is very little indeed ; it cannot sit up ; it lies in its mother's arms, and its head rests upon her hand ; it can open its eyes and look about, and it is pleased with the light of the candle; but it does not know its mother from a stranger, and it will go to any body without being frightened ; it never laughs, but it oftens cries. Perhaps some of you, dear children, have got a little baby brother or sis- ter at home whose cradle you rock. I hope you take great care of the baby when your mother lets you nurse it. I am going to tell you now about the sweetest babe of six weeks old that was ever seen in this world. Who was this babe? Was he a prince, the son of a king or of a queen ? He was not called a prince, yet he was greater than any prince in this world — yes, greater even than the prince of Wales, the son of the queen of England. Who was this babe ? He was the Son of God. He came down from heaven to be a babe. And why ? that he might grow to be a AND THE BABE. 61 man, and then die upon the cross for our sins. Oh, how kind to come down to die for us, that we might not be punished! But I am not going to tell you now about his dying, but about his being a babe. The name of his mother was Mary — she was a good woman ; his Father was God. Mary had a husband called Joseph, and he was very kind to this sweet babe. The babe was born in a stable, but when he was nearly six weeks old, his mother took him a little journey ; she went to a town eight miles off, called Je- rusalem. She went into a beautiful place there called the temple, where people often prayed to God, as they do in church. She took her little babe in her arms when she went to the temple. Joseph was with her. Why did Mary take her babe to the temple ? To give him to God, because he was her first child. And she brought with her two young pigeons to give them to God. They were to be killed and burnt, but the babe was not to be killed. When Mary was in the temple, an old man. came in. Who was this old -man ? He was, a very good man, and his name was Simeon. When men are old, their hair turns white like, silver, and their backs are bent, and their knees are weak, and they cannot walk fast ; but good old men are very happy. They know the} 7 shall soon die, and they are not afraid, for they wish to be with God. Simeon knew he should soon die, but God had promised him that before 6 02 THE OLD MAN he died he should see the Son of God. When Mary brought her babe into the temple, God told Simeon to go in and look at his Son. How glad Simeon was to go ! As soon as he saw Mary, he knew who she was, and who her babe was. He took the babe in his arms, and began to pray to God. Would you not like to have seen that good old man praying to God, and holding that lovely infant in his arms ? You cannot see him, but you may hear what he said, he told God that he was now ready to die, because he had seen the Saviour of all people. Mary and Joseph, who were standing by, were much surprised to hear what the old man said. Simeon then began to talk to Mary, and told her a great deal more about her child. While he was speaking an old woman came in. I believe she was more than a hundred years old, and she had been a widow a very long while indeed. She lived close to the temple, and. was very fond of being there, and of pray- ing to God. Her name was Anna. When she saw the babe, she began to praise God for having sent his Son from heaven to save peo- ple from going to hell. There were other peo- ple in the temple who heard what Anna said, and who were glad to think that the Saviour was come. Would you like to see that babe ? You can never see the babe, but you may see the Son of God The babe grew to be a man, and AND THE BABE. 63 when he was a man he was nailed to a cross He died, but God made him alive again. His name is Jesus ; he is in heaven now with his Father, and he will come one day into thir world, and then you will see him. Dead peo- ple will see him then, and living people, too. Every body will see him, but every body will not be glad to see him, for he will be angry with wicked people. But, if you ask him, he wik forgive you all the naughty things you have done, for he died that he might forgive sins. Ask — ask him very often to forgive you. Ask him every day. Kneel down when you are alone, and say, " Forgive me, Oh, forgive me ! Have mercy on a sinful child !" Jesus has forgiven a great many people. He likes to forgive, he is so kind. When he comes again, he will speak sweetly to all people whom he has forgiven. He will say, " Come ye blessed of my Father !" How dreadful it would be to hear him say, "Go away." How sweet to ■ hear him say, " Come !" I hope he will say "Come" to you. If you love him, I know he will. lou may read the history of Simeon in I »ike 2 : 22-38. i4 THE BABE. Little chi.i, do you love Jesus % Oh, how lie loves ! Do you wish to go to heaven ? Oh, how he loves ! First of all ask his forgiveness, With your heart, although quite helpless ; Jesus little children blesses — Oh, how he loves I He will listen to your prayer ; Oh, how he loves J Feed you by his tender care ! Oh, how he loves! He became a child just like you ; Here he suffer 1 d to redeem you, And at last he died to save you — Oh, how he loves ! Trust him, he will ne'er forget you . Oh, how he loves I No, he never will forsake you : Oh, how he lcves ! None from his strong arm can pluck you ; His almighty arm protects you ; Loving once, he ever loves you — Oh, how he loves I THE KING OF THE JEWS. The Jews are scattered over the world. Their own land is a great way off, and it is full of strangers. There is a city in it called Je- rusalem. Some people say it is the most beau- tiful city in the world, but the people in it are very poor. Once it was full of Jews ; once there were kings there, who were called kings of the Jews. I will tell you about one of these kings. He was a very wicked man ; his name was Herod ; he lived at Jerusalem. One day some men came to his city, and said, "Where is he that is born King of the Jews ? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to wor- ship him." But was not Herod king of the Jews ? Yes. he was ; but a babe had been born whom God sent to be King of the Jews. This babe was the Son of God. Very few people knew anything about him. But God had made a star shine in the sky to show these men where his Son was born. These men were w T ise men ; they had learned a great deal. They were good men also, for they loved the Son of God, and wanted to see him. They had come a 6* G6 THE KING OF THE JEWS. great way on purpose to find him. They knew he was^ somewhere near Jerusalem, but they did not know exactly where, so they asked every body " Where is the King of the Jews ?" King Herod heard that some wise men had come from a long way off, and were asking for the King of the Jews. Herod was very sorry to hear this ; he did not like hearing of another king. He did not know where the King of the Jews was, but he asked some of his friends to look in the Bible to see where God had said he should be born. They looked, and they found that God had written in his book (which is the Bible), that the King of the Jews should be born in a place called Bethlehem. Now Beth- lehem is a village near Jerusalem. Herod was glad to find out where this king was born, and he called the wise men who had come to Jerusalem, and he told them that this little king was born at Bethlehem. He said to them, " Go, and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also." But did Herod wish to worship this lit- tle king? Oh, no; he wanted to kill him; but he pretended to love him, that he might find out which child he was. The wise men believed what Herod said, and they meant to come back and tell him. They went to Bethlehem ; they had only seven miles to go But how could they find out the little king ? God made the star to shine again THE KING OF THE JEWS. 67 in the sky ; the star moved along, and showed the wise men the way, and at last it stopped just over a house in Bethlehem. Oh, how very glad the wise men were to see the star again ! They went into the house, and they found there a young chi/d about a year old. He was the King of the Jews ; he was the Son of God, and had come down from God his Father in heaven. And why? That when he was a man he might die upon the cross to save us from going to hell. Oh, how kind he was ! This glorious babe had a mother. Her name was'Mary. She took care of him : she dressed him in long clothes, she put him to sleep, she nursed him and loved him. Oh how she loved him, for she knew he was the Son of God. The wise men saw her in the house with the little king. What was this king's name ? It was Jesus. The first thing the wise men did was to worship him. That was right ; they knew he was the Son of God. All the angels in heaven worship him. Do you wor- ship him? These wise men were rich; they had brought beautiful things with them from their own land : they made presents to the king : they opened their boxes, or bags, or baskets, and they took out the most precious thing in the world — gold; they also took out sweet- smelling gums, whicn flow from trees, and are called frankincense and myrrh. Mary was very popr but God had sent b*f C8 THE KING OF THE JEWS. some gold. The wise men remembered what Herod had said. They meant to go back and tell him they had found the child. But they had a dream, and in that dream God told them not to go back to Herod ; so they w r ent back to their own country, and they did not go back to Jerusalem. Happy wise men! you saw the Lord of glory ! Could they ever for- get that sweet, that lovely babe ? But he is more lovely now. He is in heaven, on the throne with God, and he will come down here some day, shining brighter than the sun. But what did wicked Herod do when he found that the wise men did not come back ? He was very angry. He was a very passion- ate man, and when he was angry every body might well be frightened. Herod said, "I will kill all the babes in Bethlehem, then I shall be sure to kill this young king among the rest." What a cruel man this Herod was ! He sent his soldiers to Bethlehem to kill all the little children under two years old. It was of no use for mothers to hide their babes ; the sol- diers would find them out. It was of no use for mothers to hold their babes fast, the sol- diers would pull them away. Oh, what screams, what bitter sobs must have been heard that day ! Mothers love all their children, but the babe is so helpless, that they think more about it thdii about the rest. If you have a little baby brother or sister, you know that your THE KING OF THE JEWS. 69 mother loves it very much indeed. Does she not call it many pretty names? Does she not often take it in her arms, and kiss it? Do you not pity the poor mothers of Beth- lehem ? And did Mary lose her babe, and was the Son of God killed ? Oh, no. Before Herod sent his men, God had sent an angel to Beth- lehem. He came one night to Joseph ; this good man was Mary's husband, and he loved the Son of God. The angel said to Joseph, " Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee unto Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word ; for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him." So Joseph got up that night, and told Mary to get up, and to bring the babe with her ; and they all sat out that night upon their long journey. Herod did not know that the little king was gone away, and that it was of no use to kill all the babes in Bethlehem. God knows what wicked men will do. If a wicked boy were to intend to hurt you, God could get you out of his way. No one could kill the Son of God till he chose to die. At last he was nailed to a cross and died, but he was soon alive again, and he will never die any more. He is the King of the Jews, and he is the King of all people. Pray to him, and he will hear you ; praise him, and he will be pleased; trust him, and he will save you; 70 THE KING OF THE JEWS. obey him, and he will remember you when he comes again. You may read this history in Matthew 2 : 1-16. WORDS WRITTEN ON AN INFANT S TOMB. It died, for Adam sinned ; It lives, for Jesus died. THE HEAVENLY BOY When you walk in the streets of a great city, you see many boys playing about. Some of these are wicked boys, who swear, and steal, and tell lies. But there are some boys who fear God, and who speak the truth; yet even they sometimes do wrong. I never heard of more than one boy who always did right. This boy came down from heaven ; he was the Son of God, and he is called the Lord Jesus Christ. The people in the town where he lived did not know that he was the Lord. They knew his name was Jesus, but they did not call him the Lord Jesus. He was a poor boy, and lived w'th a man called Joseph, who was a carpenter. Joseph, was not his father. God was his Father. He had a mother named Mary ; she was a very good woman ; she knew her little son came down from heaven. Nordr Then why should I so long delay. What others learned so soon ? I would not pass another day, Without this wort regmi. THE HEAVENLY DOVK Were you ever in a church ? Do you re- member the first time you went to church or chapel ? You saw a man standing in a pulpit in the midst of the church ; you heard him speak loud, so that everybody could hear him — that man was the preacher. Did you hear anything he said ? Do you remember any- thing ? I know what he talked about. He spoke of God. It is to tell people about God, that preachers go up the stairs and stand in the pulpit. I am now going to tell you of a preacher who did not stand in a pulpit ; he did not preach' in a church or a chapel, but out of doors ; he did not preach in the streets, but in the country, far away among the green hills. His name was John ; he did not wear a white gown, nor a black gown, as many preachers do, but he dressed in very coarse clothes, and had a leathern band round his waist. He lived in a place called a desert, where there were no houses, and he ate the honey that he found in the holes of the rocks. A great many people came to hear John. What did John say to them ? He said, " Re- THE HEAVENLY DOVE. 77 pent." "What does that mean ? It means, " Turn f:om your wicked ways." John told the people that God hated sin — all kinds of sin, stealing, lying, swearing, and fighting. Some of the people wished to turn from their sins, and to please God. Then John took them to the edge of the water, and told them to go in. Why did he tell them to go in ? Not to make their bodies clean, but to show how God cleansed their hearts from sin. This was called " baptizing.' 5 John baptized everybody who was sorry for their sins. Would you like to have been baptized ? Are you sorry for your sins ? God can make your heart clean. Among the people who came to be baptized, at last there came one who had never done anything wrong. Who could that be ? All men have done w T rong many times, but this man was the Son of God ; he had come down from heaven, that he might save us from going to hell. His name was Jesus. After Jesus had been baptized in the water just as he was coming out of it, and as he was praying to his Father, a very wonderful thing happened — the heavens w 7 ere opened. How bright it would be, if we could see the place where God the Father lives beyond the sky ! This is what John saw. Out of the heavens there came the Holy Spirit of God. He came down like a dove, and rested upon Jesus. Oh, what a lovely sight ! Then a voice was heard 73 THE HEAVENLY DOVE. ■ — it was the voice of God the Father in hea- ven : he said, " This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Would you not like to have been there to have seen the Son of God, and the Spirit of God, and to have heard the voice of God ? 1 hope you will one day see that glorious sight, and hear that heavenly voice. Jesus is in heaven now with God his Father, and he is still a man, as well as the Son of God. He died for sinners like you and me upon the cross, and he was buried ; but he rose out of his grave, and went up to heaven. And now he asks God to forgive sinners. Does God hear what his Son says ? Oh, yes ; you know the Father loves his Son, for he said, " This is my beloved Son." Only ask Jesus to pray for you, and I know he will do it, and your sins shall be forgiven. Perhaps you feel, " I am a wicked child ; I am not fit to live with God." Well, I am glad if you feel you are a sinner ; but do not be afraid, Jesus can wash away all your sins, and make your heart clean. You know how clean very dirty things are made by the water. Jesus is better than water, he can wash all stains out of the heart. I know you wish to be happy, you may be happy. There are horrible beasts called lions, tigers, wolves, and bears. Perhaps you have seen them shut up in cages. Wicked people are like wild beasts. There is a gentle bird called THE HEAVENLY I OVE. 79 a dove. It is a sweet, harmless creature. The Holy Spirit of God is like this dove. II this Holy Spirit were to come into your heart, you would grow gentle like a dove, and then you would be happy. But will the Holy Spirit come ? Yes, Jesus has promised to send him into the hearts of all people who ask him. What a happy child you might be, if your sins were forgiven, if your heart was made clean, and if the heavenly Dove was with you. Should you not be happy ? Oh, yes, even now you would be happy. But you would be happier still one day, for one day you would live with God. I know not where your home is — whether in a garret, or a kitchen, or a prett} cottage, or a neat house. But if your home were a prison, you would be happy with the heavenly Dove, the Holy Spirit in your heart ; and if you lived in a palace, if you were wicked, you would be unhappy, for God has said, " There is no peace to the wicked/' Read this history in Matt, 3 : 13-17 ; Mark 1: 9-11 ; Luke 3 : 21, 22. 80 THE HEAVENLY DOVE. A CHILD-S PRAYER. Lcrd, teach a little child to pray, Thy grace betimes impart, And grant thy Holy Spirit may Eenew my infant heart. A sinful creature I was born, And from my birth have stray'd I must be wretched and forlorn Without thy mercy's aid. But Christ can all my sins forgive, And wash away their stain, And fit my soul with him to live, And in his kingdom reign. To him let children come, For he hath said they may ; His bosom then shall be their home j Their tears he'll wipe away. CHRIST IN THE WILDERNESS. What is that large house with hisfh walls all round ? It is big enough for a palace for the queen, but it is not pretty enough ; there are no pleasant gardens near, no balconies nor ve- randahs, nor carved pillars. Is it a hospital for sick people, or a school for orphan children ? No, for I see little windows with bars before them, and great iron spikes longer than your arm at the top of the w T alls. Is it a prison ? Yes. How many wicked people there must be to fill so large a place, and how unhappy they must be shut up there ! Why did they steal ? Did they not know that if they w r ere found out they would be sent to prison ? Yes, they knew it ; but there is a person who goes about teaching men to be wicked. Who is that? It is not a person you can see. No, he has not a body like yours, but he has a mind, and a wicked mind. His name is Satan, and he is often called the devil. He is very miserable and he tries to make everybody miserable. He often puts it into the mind of a boy to wish to steal. When the boy sees nice rosy apples hanging on a tree, the devil 82 CHRIST IN THE WILDERNESS. says, " Take them, they are so nice ; nobody will see you." But we ought not to please the devil, but to please God. It is God who made us, and we ought to obey him. When the devil wants you to be naughty, then say to God, " O keep me from sin." Satan is very bold. He tries to make everybody wicked. He tries to make ladies and gentlemen proud and un- kind, and he w r ishes little beggars to swear, and to fight, and to tell lies. Is there anybody who has never done what Satan wished? No, everybody has done many wrong things. Have not you ? Have you never told a lie ? Have you never been cross, and rude, and pert. But there once was a man in this world who never did one wrong thing. This was the Son of God. He came down to live for a lit- tle while, and then to die ; his name was Jesus : he knew we were wicked, and must be pun- ished, so he said he would be punished, in- stead of us. But he was not wicked like us. Satan wanted to make him wicked. Once Jesus went into a place quite alone ; it was called a wilderness. No body lived there ; there were no cornfields nor fruit trees, no sheep or cows, only lions and bears, who howl- ed and roared ; and there were stones upon the ground, not flowers — and deep pits, but no rivers, nor running brooks — and stinging scor- pions and biting serpents. Jesus was a long CHRIST IX THE WILDERNESS. &S while in this horrible place quite alone, and ai' the time he ate no bread and drank no water. He was there forty days without eating or drinking anything. You would die very soon, if you had nothing to eat: you would not live four days, perhaps — you would certainly die in seven days. But Jesus lived forty days with- out food. It was God, his Father, who kept him alive. At last Jesus was very hungry, and then the devil came to him. And did he dare to speak to the Son of God ? Oh, yes. I told you he is very bold. He asked him why he did not make the stones into bread. Jesus could make stones into bread, but he would not because it was not the will of his Father. So, though he was very hungry, he would not make the stones into bread. The devil then tried another plan. He took Jesus to the top of a very high place. Have you ever been to the top of a church ? It was to such a high place that Satan took Jesus. Then he asked him to throw himself down from the top; and told him that God would tell his angels to keep him from being hurt. But it is very wicked to throw ourselves down from high places, and Jesus would not do it. Then the devil took him to the top of a very high mountain. Were you ever at the top of a high moun- tain ? There are some mountains five miles high, and it would take you two days to climb 84 CHRIST IN THE WILDERNESS. up to the top; but I do not think a child like you could get up at all. Jesus did not climb up this mountain, Satan took him there all at once. Jesus let Satan take him there. When you are at the top of a high mountain it is very fine to look all round, and to see the fields and the towns a great way underneath. But no one ever saw so many beautiful sights as Jesus saw from the top of this mountain. He 'saw all the most beautiful things in the world, such as grand houses and sweet gardens, and armies of soldiers, and ships with flags, and carriages with horses, and tables covered with gold and silver cups, and thrones of ivory where kings sit, and crowns of jewels which kings wear. Then the devil told Jesus that he would give him all these things, for they were all his, and he gave them to whom he would. Was that true ? Oh, no ; the devil tells lies — everything belongs to God, for everything was made by him. Then Satan promised Jesus to give him all these grand things, if he would kneel down and worship him. Would Jesus do that ? No, he would worship no one but God his Father. It is very wicked to bow down to images, or to pictures, or to pray to any body but God. When the devil found lie could not make Jesus do one wicked thing he went away. But Jesus was very weary — God his Father knew that, and he sent his angels to feed him. Oh, now pleasant it must be to be fed by angels! —those kind and bright creatures who live CHRIST IN THE WILDERNESS. SO with God. It was much better to be fed by angels than to turn the stones into bread. How glad I am that Jesus did not do what Satan asked ! If Jesus had been wicked like us, he could not have saved us from going to hell to be with the devil ; but now he can. Do you want to be saved ? Would you like to live witl^ Jesus ? I know you would be very miserable in hell. Now is the time to ask God to save you. God wishes to save you, Jesus wishes to save you, but the devil wants to tor- ment you. If you do what the devil bids, you will go to hell What can you do ? Ask God to save you. 8 THE HEAVENLY LAMB. Did you ever spend a happy day ? Perhaps you will say, "I have spent a great many hap- py days." What made those days so hp/ppy ? Was it that you went into the country to play on the green grass ; or was it that you saw some fine sights; or was it that you had a new book; or was it that you saw again your kind grandmother, or your eldest sister, or your brother who had been absent ? I do not know what made you happy on your happy days. I am going to tell you of a happy day which two men spent — I think you will say, " It must have been a happy day." Once there was a good man who preached to a great many people. He did not wear a black silk gown as some preachers do, but only coarse clothes; he did not preach in a pulpit, but under a tree, or by the water-side. His name was John ; there were some men who liked to be with him, and these men were call- ed his disciples. Once he was standing in the country with two of his disciples, when he saw a man walking along a little way off. When John siw mis man he looked at him and then said to his disciples, "Behold the THE HEAVENLY LAMB. 87 Lamb of God." What did John mean ? Was it a lamb he saw? No, it was a man. Why did he call him a lamb ? I will tell you why. That man was God as well as man ; he was the Son of God, and he was come down from heaven to die — yes, to die for our sins. God his Father sent him down to die for us, that we might not go to hell, and be punished for- ever and ever. The Son of God was like a sweet and gentle lamb, and w T as willing to die for us, though he had done no sin. How much pleased John was to see him ! John loved him, and he wished his disciples to love him too. One of those two disciples was called An- drew. I do not know the name of the other. If you had been Andrew, what would you have done when you heard John say, " Behold the Lamb of God ? I think I hear you answer, "I would have gone after that gentle Lamb." That is what Andrew did. The two disciples went after the Son of God. His name was Jesus. While they were walking behind him, Jesus turned and said to them, " What seek ye ?" How kind it was in the Son of God to speak to these poor men ! They answered, " Master, where dwellest thou ?" Jesus said, "Come and see." Was not this kind? The two men went to the house where Jesus lived. Did he ask them to come in ? Yes he did, and he let them stay with him all the rest of the day. Must not that have been a happy day? It 88 THE HEAVENLY LAMB. was a day spent with the Son of God. You never spent such a day as that. Yet Jesus could make you happy every day, for he can come into your heart. Should you not like to see the house where Jesus lived when he was in this world ! I cannot show that, but I can tell you where Jesus is now. He is in heaven. If you wish to see him, ask him to take you there when you die. He is very kind, and hears children when they pray to him. I have a little more to tell you about An- drew. He loved Jesus so much, that he want- ed his brother to know him too. He had a brother called Simon, and he said to him, " We have found the Christ/ 5 It was Jesus that he meant ; he called him the Christ. Si- mon did not know where Jesus lived, but An- drew did, and he showed his brother the way. How pleasant it is when brothers are kind to each other! As soon as Jesus saw Simon, he knew who he was, without being told, and he knew the name of his father, too, and he said, " Thou art Simon, the son of Jonas." Jesus knows the name of every one. He knows your name, and your father's name, and your mother's name. 'Jesus gave Simon a new name; he called him Peter. Why? There is a meaning in the word Peter; it means "a stone." Christ knew that Simon would be like a "stone." Is it good to be like a stone? A stone is very useful. Ask the mason whether a sto'ie is not. useful. Christ knew that Simon THE HEAVENLY LAMB. 89 would be a preacher, and do a great deal of good, so he called him " a stone." Wicked people are not like stones, but like rubbish, for they are of no use ; they are like briars and thorns which prick, or like scorpions which sting, or like serpents which bite, or like wolves and lions, and bears which devour, or like dogs and pigs which eat vile food. But good people — what are they like ? They are like fruitful trees, like harmless sheep, like stones, or silver or gold. My child, what are you like ? Are you a child of God, or a child of the devil ? If you are a child of God, you are like a gentle lamb, and Jesus is your shepherd, and carries you in his arms. If you are a child of the devil, then you are like the devil. How horrible he is. He loves sin and hates God. I love the Lamb who died for me, I love his little lamb to be ; I love the Bible, where I find How good my Saviour was and kind I love beside his cross to stay, I love the grave where Jesus lay ; I love his people and their ways, I love with them to pray and praise ; I love the Father and the Son, I love the Spirit he sent down ; I love to think the time will come, When I shall be with him at home. 90 THE HEAVENLY LAMB. THE LAMB OF GOD. ' Sinners, " behold the Lamb of God," Who takes away our guilt ; Look to the precious, priceless blood, That Jews and Gentiles spilt. From heaven he came to seek and save, Leaving his blest abode : To ransom us himself he gave — " Behold the Lamb of God !" Sinners, to Jesus then draw near, Invited by his word ; The chief of sinners need not fear — "Behold the Lamb of God!" In every state, and time, and place, Naught plead but Jesus' blood ; However wretched be your case, " Behold the Laid) of God !» NATHANAEL. Nathanael was a good man. He lived in those days when the the Lord Jesus was walk- ing about this world, and he lived in the same country as the Lord, and in a town very near the place were the Lord dwelt. Did Natha- nael see him ? Yes, he did. Should you like to hear how it was he saw him first ? Nathanael had a friend named Philip. These two friends, Nathanael and Philip, had often heard the Bible read out loud, and they had listened while it was read. There was one promise in the Bible which they had taken much notice of — it was this, that God would one day send i x is Son into the world. Natha- nael and Philip thought this a great promise, and they wished to know the Son of God. 92 VATHANAEL. One day Philip came to Nathanael and said, " We have found him ; it is Jesus of Nazareth/' Was this true ? Oh, yes; Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God. At first Nathanael thought that Philip had made a mistake, and that he had not really found the Son of God. Nathanael had heard that a great many wicked people lived in Nazareth, and he thought that the Son of God could not come from such a wicked city ; so he replied, " Can any good thing come out of Nazareth ?" Philip gave a very short answer — it was this, " Come and see/ 5 Philip thought that if Nathanael were just to see Jesus, he would then be sure that ne was the Son of God ; for though Jesus had a body like ours, and though he was poor, and weak, and sorrowful, he was so wise and so good, that there was no one ever seen like him. Philip knew where to find Jesus, and he took Nathanael with him. How much Philip hoped that his friend would believe in the Saviour ! At last the two friends came with- in sight of Jesus. Did the Lord know who that man was walking with Philip ? Oh, yes, he knew who he was ; he had made him ; he gave him breath every moment ; he could look into his heart ; he knew all about him. As soon as he saw him coming near, he said, "Be- hold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile," or deceit. What did he mean by an Israelite ? There was a good man called Israel, who prayed very earnestly. NathanaeJ NATHANAEL. 93 was like that Israel, for he had prayed earnest- ly, and so he was an Israelite indeed. But he was quite surprized to hear Jesus speak ot him as if he knew him, and he cried out, " Whence knowest thou me ?" Then Jesus answered, " Before Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig-tree, I saw thee." Had Nathanael been alone under a fig-tree ? And what for ? People who love God get often alone to pray to him, and God sees them and hears them when they are praying by themselves. Jesus had seen Nathanael hid under the thick branches of a shady fig-tree, when n© one else saw him, and we may be quite sure that he saw him praying, and asking God to forgive his sins. Nathanael knew that no one but God had seen him under the fig-tree ; so when he heard what Jesus said, he knew that he was God, and he cried out, " Master, thou art the Son of God ; thou art the King of Israel." How happy Nathanael was to find the Saviour! Jesus soon made him such a sweet promise ! He said, " Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descend- ing upon the Son of Man." Nathanael has been dead a long while, but we are sure that he is now with Jesus in heaven, and that he will come again with Jesus and the angels at the last day. Would the child who reads th's book like to see angels, and to see Jesus ? 94: NATHANAEL. If you would, then go like Nathanael and pray all alone by yourself. You cannot go under a fig-tree, but there may be some bush behind which you can creep to pray, or you might pray by the side of your little bed when no one was near. God does not mind what place you are in. If you pray with your heart, he will hear you. I have heard of a little black girl who often crept behind the bushes, and said, " Lord help me ; Lord, teach me ;" and God did help her, and sent her a good man to teach her about Jesus. Cannot you pray as that poor little black girl did ? You can say to God, " O Lord, pardon my sins, because Jesus died upon the cross. Give me the Holy Spirit to make me good. May I live in the happy place with thee for ever and ever." God would be pleased to hear your young lips repeat such a little prayer as this. If you wish to read the history of Natha- nael in the Testament, look for John 1 : 43, to the end. We're travelling home to heaven above ; Will you go? To sing the Saviour's dying love ; Will you go ? Millions have reach'd that blessed shore, Their trials and labors all are o'er, But still there's room for millions more : Will you go ] NATI ANAEL. 95 We're going to walk the plains of light ; Will you go ? Far. far from death, and curse, and night ; Will you go ? The crown of life we then shall wear, The conqueror's palm we then shall bear, And all the joj s of heaven share ; Will you go % We're going to see the bleeding Lamb ) Will you go ? With joyful songs to praise his name ; Will you go ? Our sun will then no more go down, Our moon no more will be withdrawn, Our days of mourning past and gone : Will you go ? The way to heaven is straight and plain ; Will you go 1 Repent, believe, be born again : Will you go 1 The Saviour cries aloud to thee, " Take up thy cross and follow me," And thou shalt my salvation see : Will you go ? could I hear some sinner say, " I will go ?" could I hear him humbly pray, " Make me go." And all his old companions tell, " I will not go with you to hell, 1 long with Jesus Christ to dwell : " Let me go." THE WOMAN AT THE WELL. Did you ever take a journey, and how did you travel? The quickest way of travelling is by the railroad train. You may go in that way twenty-five miles in one hour. An- other way of travelling is in a coach or omni- bus. But people often go in a wagon, while others go on foot — that is a very slow way in- deed. Twenty miles in a day is a good jour- ney for a man, and as for a child, I do not think he could walk ten without being very much tired. I am now going to tell you of a poor man who travelled on foot. Where was he going ?' Was it to his home ? He had none. He was always going from place to place to teach peo- ple about God. This poor man was a very good man ; he would often preach while people stood around and listened. I hope you never laugh at any poor man you see preaching in the streets. This poor man did not travel alone ; there were twelve other poor men who went with him ; they were his friends ; they THE WOMAN AT THE WELL 97 liked to be with him, and to hear what he said about God and heaven. One day this poor man was making a jour- ney with his friends. It was very hot, and about the middle of the day ; he was tired, and hungry, and thirsty ; he saw a well of water just under a hill, and he sat down by it to rest himself. There was a town a little way off, and his friends went to the town to buy some food, so the poor man was all alone by the side ot the well; but though he was thirsty, he could not drink, for the well was deep, and there was no bucket there. Very soon a woman came to the well with a jug to fetch water; the poor man said to her, " Give me to drink." He always spoke kindly, yet this woman be- haved very rudely to him. She saw that this poor man was a Jew, and she did not like the Jews. I hope you do, for God loves the poor Jews. The woman would not give the thirsty traveller any water, because he was a Jew. Was the poor man angry ? Oh, no ; he was a meek, gentle, and patient man : he only told the woman, if she had asked him for water, he would have given her living water. The woman was surprised to hear this, and asked how he could give her water, when he had no jug, or bucket, and the well was deep. Then she began to say what good water there was in the well, and she was sure that the good man could not give her any better water. But the poor man told her that he could give her bet- 9 98 THE WOMAN AT THE WELL. ter water than that; "for," said he, "who- soever drinketh of this water shall thirst again, but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst." Then the woman thought she would like such water as that, for she could not bear the trouble of com- ing to the well every day to fill her jug ; so she said, " Sir" (for she w r as more civil now than she was at first,) " give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw." But instead of giving her any w T ater, the poor man began to talk to her about her sins, for he knew she was a wicked woman, and had done many wrong things. She was quite surprised to find that the stranger knew all about her — knew things which other people did not know. At last she said, " I see you are a prophet ;" and so he was — the woman was right in think- ing the poor man was a prophet. But still she did not guess who he was. At last he told her ; and who do you think that poor man was ? The Son of God ! Oh, wonderful ! The Son of the great God a poor man, sitting by a well ! It is wonderful, yet it is true. When the woman knew it was Jesus Christ w T ho was talking to her, she left her jug and ran very quickly into the town. What for ? To call the people to see the Lord Jesus Christ. She said to them, " Come, see a man who told me all things that ever I did : is not this the Christ ?" The people of the town went back with the woman to the well. Would you THE WOMAN AT THE WELL. 9C have gone back wiih the woman ? I think you would. The poor man was still sitting by the well, and his twelve friends were with him. But he had not eaten any dinner — he could not, for he was so glad about this woman and about the people of the town, for he was going to teach them, and to save their souls from going to hell. He liked saving souls. It was his delight. He had come down from heaven on purpose to save us. The people from the town begged him not to go on his journey, but to stay with them ; and so he went to the town and stayed there two days. How much he talked to the people while he was there ! He told them about God his Father, and about sin and Satan, and hell, and that he had come to save them by dying for them. A great many of the people believed what he said, and loved him. Some had not believed when the woman said, " He has told me all I ever did." But they did believe when they heard him speak themselves. " Now" they said, " we believe that this is the Saviour of the world." Did the poor man give water to the people ? Yes, he gave them water from heaven. What do I mean by "water?" " The Holy Spirit of God." When people have the Holy Spirit in their hearts, they are happy, for then they love God. People who do not love God, are not happy; they are always trying to be happy, but they cannot be happy. Can money make 100 THE WOMAN AT THE WELL. people happy ? No. Can cakes and fruit ? Can new coats and frocks ? Can picture-books ? Can fine sights ? None of these things can make you happy always. They please for a little while, but the pleasure is soon over. But if you love God, you will always be happy — you will thirst no more. Should you like to be happy ? I know you would. Then go to Jesus. He is not sitting by a well now, yet you may find him, though you cannot see him. He is sitting on a throne in heaven. If you were to speak to him he would hear you. Say to him, " O Lord Jesus, make me happy. Give me thy Holy Spirit. I want to live with God, and not to go to hell." Jesus knows all the naughty things we have done. If he w T ere to .come into this room, he could tell you a great deal that I do not know. He saw one child go to the cupboard, when its mother's back was turned, and steal sugar. He heard another tell a lie — nobody found him out, but God knew it. He observes the spiteful pinch ; he knows when big girls shake the little ones; he hears wicked children when they call their parents bad names — such names as I would not like to repeat; and he hears, too, when they speak any bad word : all, all is written down in God's book — nothing is forgotten, and all will be read out one day. But if you ask God now, he will forgive you all. Oh, ask him — ask him ; he has promised to forgive you, if you ask, because Jesus died THE WOMAN AT THE WELL. 101 for you. He forgave the woman at the well, though she was a very naughty woman. Read John 4 : 6-43. 'Tis religion that can g'.ve Sweetest pleasure while we live ; 'Tis religion must supply Solid comfort when we die. After death its joy will be Lasting as eternity. Be the living God my friend, Then my bliss shall never end. 9* THE FOUR FISHERMEN. There were once four fishermen, two of them were brothers, and the other two were brothers. Two brothers were called John and James, and two were called Andrew and Si- mon Peter. These four fishermen were friends ; they shared with each other all they caught, for they were partners in trade. They had two fishing boats, or little ships ; they lived by the seaside. The best time for fishing is in the night. These men used to go fishing in the night. A fisherman leads a hard life. When the wind blows and makes the sea rough, he is tossed about : his little boat is borne up by a high wave, and then it sinks into a deep place where the water rolls over it. The poor fish- erman is wet to the skin, and has no fire by which to dry his clothes. He does not care for that, for now he sees a great wave rolling towards him which may perhaps swallow him up. When the sea is smooth he lets down his net to catch fish, but sometimes he cannot catch any ; he takes it up out of the water, and finds it empty. While his children are sleeping in their little beds in his hut, he is toiling hard on the great sea. In the morning "ie returns THE FOUR FISHERMEN. 103 home chilled with the cold winds. If he has plenty of fish in his boat then he is glad, for he sells them to buy bread for his wife and chil- dren. The four fishermen of whom I have told you, went one night in their two little ships to catch fish, but they could not catch any at all. In the morning they left their ships and went on shore, where they began to wash their nets. There came to the place where they were, a man whom they knew well and loved much. He was greater than any man upon earth yet, he was the friend of the fisherman. He looked like a poor man, yet he had made all things. Who could this be? It was Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He had come down from heaven to live in the world a little while. He preached very often to poor people. He was standing by the seaside, and a great crowd of people were standing round him, and they stood very close to him, listening to what he said. Jesus wished to get out of the crowd, that he might preach to them more easily. He saw the two ships ; he knew whose ships they were. He saw Simon Peter very near, wash- ing his net, and he said he would go into his ship, and he told Simon to push it a little way into the water. When he was got into the ship, he sat down and preached to the people who were standing on the land. Now they could hear him very well, and they could see 104 THE FOUR FISHERMEN. nim better than before. It was a good plan to eit in a ship and preach. The two brothers Simon and Andrew were in the ship with Jesus. These poor men must have felt tired after the sleepless night they had passed. Jesus knew all their troubles without their telling him, for he knew all things, because he was God. After he had done preaching, he told Simon to make his ship go further into the water, and then let down their nets to catch fish. Simon answered that they had been trying all night to catch fish and had not caught any, but that they would do what he told them to do. The Lord Jesus was pleased with Simon for doing what he told him. It is always best to do what he bids. Simon and Andrew let down their net, and then tried to pull it up again, but in trying to pull it up the net broke. What could they do now? All their fishes would soon get' out of the net, if they did not make haste. They made a sign to John and James, who were in the other ship, to come and help them. Then all the four fishermen lifted up the net and took the fishes out of it: and there were so many that both the ships were filled, and were so heavy that they were beginning to sink. Then it was that Simon Peter fell down at the knees of Jesus, who was sitting in the ship, and said, " Depart from me, for I am a sinful man." Why did he ask Jesus to go away from him ? Did he not love him ? Had THE FOUR FISHERMEN. 105 not Jesus been very kind to him, in letting him catch all these fishes ? Yes, it was because Jesus had been so very kind that Simon asked him to go away, for he felt that he was not good enough to have such a friend. Perhaps Simon Peter, when he could not catch fish in the night, may have thought that God was un- kind, and that he would let him starve ; but now he saw how kind God was, and he was ashamed of himself. Have you never thought God unkind ? It is a great sin to think so. God sometimes seems unkind, but he always has some wise reason for what he does. Now Simon Peter knew why he had caught no fish in the night. It was that he might see in the morning how wise, and strong, and kind the Lord Jesus was. Did Jesus go away from him ? Oh, no ; he knew that Peter loved him. He said to him, " Fear not ; from henceforth thou shalt catch men." What did he mean by catching men ? He meant that Peter w r ould catch the souls of men. He meant that Peter would tell men that Jesus was come down from heaven to die for their sins upon the cross, and save them from go- ing to hell. Afterwards Peter was a preacher, and a great many men believed what he said, and turned to God, and were saved. So he did catch men, and so did Andrew, and John, and J ames ; these four fishermen left off fishing, and became preachers. When they had hrought their two ships to *06 THE FOUR FISHERMEN land, they left them, and went aftei Jesus They followed him from place to place, and listened to his kind voice, and saw the wonders he did. At last they looked upon him as he was hanging on his cross, and they stood near when his body was put into the grave. When he was alive again, they saw him and were glad, and now they are with Jesus in heaven. When he comes again, they will come with him. It is a happy thing to belong to Jesus. Happy are the fishermen who love him now, and happy are the fishermen's children who love him, and happy are all the poor little boys who love Jesus ! This history may be found in Luke 5 : 1-11. Hosanna to the Son Of David and of God, Who brought the news of pardon down And bought it with his blood. To Christ the annointed King, Be endless blessings given ; Let the whole earth his glories sing, Who made our peace with Heaven. THE WIDOW AND HER SON. When a child dies, who is it sheds the most tears ? Is it not the child's mother ? If it be an only child who has died, how very unhappy the mother is ! And if that mother be a widow, she is the more to be pitied, because she has no husband to weep with her. A long, long while ago a widow lost her only son. He was a young man. I do not know whether he was a good son or not, but this I know, his mother loved him. Soon after he died, he was put in a coffin, and carried by some men to be buried. The coffin had no lid — it was not like the coffins in this country, for they are screw- ed down. The men were taking him out of the town where he had died into the country to be bu- ried, and his mother walked near him, crying very much, and a great many people followed. They met on the road another crowd, who were going towards the town. There was no dead person in that crowd, but there was a very wonderful man called the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He had come down from heaven, and was living in the world ; and he did such wonderful things that people fob lowed him about from place to place. He saw 108 THE WIDOW AND HER SON. the poor widow weeping*. He knew all about her trouble without being told ; he knew she had lost her only son, and he felt very sorry for her. He came up to her and said, " Weep not." But how could the poor mother help weeping ? Jesus could make her happy. He went up to the coffin where the young man was, and touched it. Immediately the men who carried it stood still. Then he said, "Young man, I say unto thee, arise." The young man w T as dead, how could he get up out of his coffin ? But the dead hear the voice of Jesus, because he is God. The young man sat up, and began to speak. I wonder what he said. Did he praise God, or did he ask to see his mother ? Do you think the widow left off weeping now ? If she shed tears now, they must have been tears of joy. Jesus himself gave the young man back to his mother. How happily Xhe widow and her son must have v alked home together ! Every one who saw this wonder was very much surprised, and felt afraid. Many people said. " A great prophet has risen up amongst us." They thought that God had sent him. And so he had ; the Father in heaven had sent his Son down into this world : and why. To die. Jesus came to die for sinners. Why did he give life to the young man ? To show peo- ple that all he said was true. He could make all dead people alive now, but he lets them lie THE WIDOW AXD HER SON. 109 in their graves till the day when he will come again. " Then all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth." What a day that will be! We often see a churchyard filled with graves; there are stones over some graves, but the green grass grows over many a coffin. The ground is full of dead people. What a sight it will be when all these dead people come up out of their graves ! They will see Jesus seated upon a throne of glory, with all his bright angels round him. Then Jesus will judge the dead. ■ He will say whether they shall go to heaven or to hell. Whom will he take to heaven ? Those w T ho believe that he died upon the cross to save them ; those who love him, and serve him, and wish to see his face. Whom will he cast into hell ? Those who forget him, and do not care for him. Pray to Jesus to take you to heaven when you die. Some persons will be alive when Jesus comes again. He will judge them as well as the dead. If they love him, they shall have bright and glorious bodies like the body of Jesus. And the dead people, too, shall have new bodies. The young man whom Jesus made alive again had his old body still, and at last he died ao;ain ; but those who are made alive at the last day, shall never die any more. The wicked shall be unhappy forever, and that is the worst sort of dying. It is called the second death. May you, my dear child, never feel what it is ! 10 110 THE WIDOW 4ND HER SON. You may read the history of the widow'i son in Luke 7: 11-16. Here we suffer grief and pain, Here we meet to part again ; In heaven we part no more, Oh, that will be joyful ! Joyful, joyful, joyful ! Oh, that will be joyful ! When we meet to part no more ! All who love the Lord below, When they die, to heaven will go, And sing with saints above. Oh, that will be joyful! Joyful, joyful, joyful ! Oh, that will be joyful ! When we meet to part no more. Holy children will be there, Who have sought the Lord by prays From every Sunday school. Oh, that will be joyful ! Joyful, joyful, joyful ! Oh, that will be oyful ! When we meet to part no more. THE WIDOW AND HER SON. Hi Teachers, too, shall meet above, And our pastors, whom we love, Shall meet to part no more. Oh, that will be joyful ! Joyful, joyful, joyful ! Oh, that will be joyful ! When we meet to part no more. Oh, how happy we shall be ! For our Saviour we shall see, Exalted on his throne ! Oh, that will be joyful ! Joyful, joyful, joyful ! Oh, that will be joyful ! When we meet to part no more. There we all shall sing with joy, And eternity employ [n praising Christ the Lord, Oh, that will be joyful ! Joyful, joyful, joyful ! Oh, that will be joyful ! When we meet to part no mors. THE WOMAN WHO WASHED THE SAVIOUR'S FEET. When the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son oi God, lived in this world, some people hated him, and some people loved him. Do you think } t ou should have loved him ? He was very kind, and gentle, and meek. You think you should have loved him. But I must tell you something else about him — he hates sin ; he has seen all the naughty things you have 'done. Should you love him ? I will tell you the reason why some people iOved him, and why some people did not. It is this : people who were sorry for their sins, loved him ; people who were not sorry, did not. There was a woman who had committed a great many sins. People thought her very bad. One day, when Jesus was sitting at din- ner in a rich man's house, she went in, and she come behind him, and she stood there cry- ing. What made her cry ? It was her sins ; she was sorry that she had often been very wicked. Jesus was reclining at dinner, for it is the custom in some hot countries to lie down when you eat. He was not lying down quite flat ; he sat up, resting on his elbow, but his THE WOMAN, ETC. 113 feet were upon the sofa. The poor woman began to wash his feet — not with water, not in a basin — but with her tears. And how did she wipe them? With her own long hair. Then she kissed his feet, and poured sweet ointment on them. The man who had invited Jesus to dine with him was called Simon ; he was a proud man ; he was angry when he saw the poor woman showing so much love to the Lord, and he thought in his heart, " If Jesus w T ere really so wise as people think, he would know what sort of a woman that is, and he would not let her touch him." Did Jesus know what sort of a woman she was ? Oh, yes ; he knew all the bad things she had ever done, and he had forgiven her — quite forgiven her. Jesus saw into the woman's heart ; he saw that she loved him for having forgiven her. He saw into the heart of the proud Simon ; he knew all he was thinking about, so he asked him a ques- tion. First he told him a little history. He said, there were two men who owed some money; one owed a great deal, the other a very little. A kind man to whom they owed the money, said to both the men, " You need not pay me." " Which would love the kind man the best ; the man who owed much, or the man who owed little ?" Simon answered, " The man who owed much will love the most." Was that a right answer? Jesus said it was a right answer. 10* 114 THE WOMAN WHO WASHED Why did Jesus ask Simon this question? To show why the woman loved him so much. She loved him because she felt she had done a great many bad things, and that Jesus had for- given all. And why did not Simon love him? Because he did not think he had done bad things ; he thought he was very good, but he was not really good ; he had behaved very rudely to the Lord. It was the custom in that hot country always to bring water in a basin to wash the feet of your friends before they sat down to dinner ; and it was the custom to kiss your friends when they came to see you, and to pour some sweet oil upon their heads. Simon had done none of these things to Jesus. But the woman had washed his feet with tears, and had kissed them, and had poured ointment on them. And why did the woman love the Lord so much ? Jesus told Simon the reason ; " Her sins, which are many, are forgiven." That was the reason she loved the Lord so much. Then Jesus said to the woman, " Thy sins are forgiven." How glad that poor woman must have been to hear Jesus, with his own kind and gentle voice say to her, " Thy sins are for- given ! Would she ever forget those words ? Would she be afraid to die ? But the men who sat at the table were angry when they heard those words ; they thought that Jesus could not forgive sins ; they did not believe that he was the Son of God ; they did THE SAVIOUR'S FEET. 115 not Know that his Father had sent him down here to be nailed to a cross of wood, and to die for our sins. Jesus did not answer those wicked men, but he spoke again to the woman. He said, u Thy faith hath saved thee ; go in peace." Oh, what a happy woman she was! she was saved from hell by faith, that is, by believing in Jesus. This is the only way to be saved. We have all done more sins than there are hairs upon our head, but if we believe that Jesus died for our sins we shall be saved. It is not enough to say, " We believe," we must believe with our hearts ; then we shall love Jesus, and hate sin. A little girl of five years old once said to her mother, " Do you know when I feel the hap- piest ? Her mother answered, " I suppose when you are good." "No," said she, "but when I feel very sorry for having been naugh- ty, and that God has forgiven me." That young child was like this poor woman ; she knew she was a sinr er, and she loved her Saviour. You may read this history in Luke 7 : 36, to the end. 116 THE WOMAN, ETC. Oh, teli me who is standing there, With weeping eyes and flowing hair, And box of ointment sweet : Now on the ground she's bending low, Her tears yet fast and faster flow — They fall on Jesus' feet. Ah, she whose love is now so strong, Has wander'd far, has wander'd long, And from her God has gone • But now with willing feet returns, And now with deepest sorrow mourns The deeds that she has done. To her dear Lord such love she bears, His feet she washes with her tears, And wipes them with her hair ; And then, with pious tenderness, Fond kisses ceases not to press, And pours the ointment rare. THE WILD MAN. There is one creature who hates men, and who is always trying to do them harm. He is not a man, he is a spirit, and he can go about without being seen. His name is Satan ; he is very wicked. God is very angty with him, and will not let him live in. heaven with the good angels. Satan has a great many ser- vants. He and his servants are cailed devils, and they all agree together to try to hurt us poor creatures upon earth. But God, who made us, can take care of us. Let us pray to him. Then all the devils can never do us harm. A long while ago there was a man whom the devils made very miserable. The devils were in him. This man would not wear any clothes ; he would not live in a house, but he went to places where dead people were buried. There were no churchyards in those days. Dead bodies were buried among the hills and rocks, where no one lived. It was in those lonely places that this man liked to be. Every one was afraid of passing near the place where he was, for he was very fierce. Sometimes people got hold of him, and put chains round his hands and feet; but he was so strong that 118 THE WILD MAN. he broke them and got away again, and then he cut his own flesh with sharp stones, so that his body was covered with wounds and blood. It was dreadful to see him — and then to hear his cries, that was dreadful ! You would have thought it was a wild beast, if you had heard his howls and his screams as you were walk- ing among the lonely hills at night. I do not believe that there is any man now in the world in such a dreadful state as this poor creature was in, for there were a great many devils in him. No doctor could have made this man well. But there was one person in the world who could do everything : Jesus, the Son of God, w r as then living in the world ; he was a man, like your father or your uncle, only he was quite good. Jesus is a man still, as well as God, but he lives in heaven now with God his Father. It was a happy thing for that miserable man that Jesus came near the place where he was. He ran to Jesus, fell down at his feet, and wor- shipped him. Then Jesus said, " Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit." He answered, " What have 1 to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God ? Art thou come hither to torment me before the time ?" It was the devils in the man who made him speak, for they made him do all they pleased. The devils did not like to be sent out of the man, and they begged Jesus not to send them quite away, but THE WILD MAN. 119 to let them go into a great herd of swine that were feeding among the hills close by ; and Jesus said, " Go." As soon as the devils were in those poor swine, a very strange thing happened. The swine no longer fed quietly on the grass, as they had done before, but they began to run violently all together down a steep hill into the water which was at the bottom, and they were all choked in that deep water and died. In a few minutes two thousand swine were destroy- ed. There were some people who were paid to look after the swine. When they saw that the poor beasts were all drowned, they were very much frightened, and ran into the town and told everybody what had happened. Soon there was a great crowd of people standing near Jesus, and there was one sitting at the feet of Jesus who looked gentle and harmless. Who was that man ? It w T as the same who had once been like a wild beast, fierce, and naked, and miserable. Now he was clothed, now he was quiet, now he was happy. People remembered his face, and asked how he came to be so quiet. When they heard how Jesus had told the devils to come out of him, and how the devils had gone into the pigs and destroyed them, the people were frightened. Why were they frightened ? Ought they not to have been pleased ? A man is worth more in God's sight than all the beasts in the world, because he has a soul, which beasts have not 120 THE WILD MAN. — because he will live forever, which beasts will not — because he can think of God, which beasts cannot. The foolish people begged Jesus to leave them. Why did they not bring their sick children to him to be made well? Why did they not bring their blind and lame parents to be cured ? They were foolish in- deed. I am afraid that they were too sorry at having lost their pigs, and were afraid of losing other beasts. Jesus would not stay with them, as they did not want him. He had come in a ship over the water, and he got into a ship to go away. But before he went there was a poor man who asked to go with him. You can guess who it was. But Jesus said, " Go home to thy friends, and tell them what great things the Lord hath done for thee." So the man went home, and told everybody in the town how Jesus had made him gentle and happy. I do not wonder that poor man wanted to be with the Lord Jesus, but it was better to stay behind and tell his friends about him. Jesus will do great things for vou, my child, if you ask him. He can keep you from the devil, and from going to hell to burn forever. Jesus came into this world that he might take us away from the devil. Jesus was nailed to a cross and died, that we might not be sent to hell. Satan is very angry with Jesus, and he wants nobody to love him. But. if you pray to Jesus to forgive your sins, and to give you his Holy Spirit, Satan will not be able to hurt THE WILD MAN. 121 you. Would you like to live with Jesus? It you were to see him, would you do as the poor man did ? Would you wish to follow Jesus, or would you do as the foolish people did ? Would you beg Jesus to go away ? Ask the Lord Jesus now to come into your heart; say, " Come, Lord Jesus." This history may be found in Matthew 8 : 28, to the end ; Mark 5; 1-20; Luke 8: 26-40. I hate the Tempter, and his charms, I hate his flattering breath ; The serpent takes a thousand forms To cheat our souls to death. Now he persuades : " How easy 'tis To walk the road to heaven ;" Anon he swells our sins, and cries, " They cannot be forgiven." Thus he supports his cruel throne By mischief and deceit; And drags the sons of Adam down To darkness and the pit. 11 THE CHILD WHO DIED AND LIVED AGAIN. Did you ever see a, person who was dead ? Perhaps you have seen one of your own bro- thers and sisters lying on a death-bed. What a change takes place when we die ! No more breath comes out of the mouth, no color is seen on the cheeks ; the eye can look on us no longer, nor the tongue speak to us ; the body soon grows cold and stiff; it has no more feel- ing than the ground on which we tread. And why ? Because the soul is gone out of the body. While the soul or spirit is in us, we are alive ; but when it is gone out, then we are dead. The soul can never die, but the body is only made of dust, and it soon crumbles away and becomes dust again. No one can make a dead person alive again. Yet once there was a man in this world who made dead people alive. Who was that man ? He was called Jesus ; he was not only a man. he was God, too ; he was the Son of God. Most people would not believe that he was the Son of God, though he said he w T as. Yet we are sure he said true, for if he had been a wicked man he could not have made deadpeo- THE CHILD WHO DIED, ETC. 1 23 pie alive again. God his Father was with him, and this was the reason he did such wonderful things. One day a rich man came to Jesus, and fell down at his feet, and begged him to come to his house. He said, " My little daugh- ter is dying." He was very unhappy, he loved his little girl very much, and she was his only child. His name was Jairus, but I do not know the name of his little girl. I do know her age, she was twelve years old. The fa- ther thought if Jesus only put his hands upon her he could make her well. The Son of God was very kind to people m trouble. He went with the father, and a great crowd followed him. As he went along the road, he was pressed on every side by those who wanted to see him and to hear what he said. Before he reached the rich man's house, some people came and said to the father, " Thy daughter is dead." They told him it was now of no use for Jesus to come. They little knew what he could do ; but Jesus told the Father not to be afraid, for she should be made well. When he came to the house, he only allowed three of his friends to come in with him. Their names were Peter, James and John. There was k great noise and bustle in the house ; there were men playing music, and people weeping and crying out with loud voices be- cause the girl was dead. When Jesus came into the room where she was lying, he said 124 THE CHILD WHO EIED to these people, " Why make ye this ado and weep? The damsel is not dead but sleepeth." Then they began to laugh at him for they knew the child was dead. Why did Jesus say she slept? Because she was soon to be made alive. Her death was like sleep. Jesus would not let the people who mocked stay in the room, but he let the girl's father and mother be there, and his own three friends. There were just these five in the room with him when he went to the bed and took hold of the girl's hand, and said, " Damsel, I say unto thee, arise." Immediately her spirit (or her soul) came again into her body. Then she was alive. She was now quite well ; she was not weak now, as she had been; she got up out of her bed and walked about. Then Jesus de- sired that something might be given her to eat. Her parents were very much surprised. They had been afraid that Jesus would not be able to make her alive. They did not know he could do every thing. He made all our bodies and gave us souls, and one day he will call all the dead people out of their graves. I wonder whether that young girl loved Jesus. She was old enough to understand what he said. At twelve years old, children can understand almost as well as men and women can ; they learn more quickly, and re- member better. Though they love play still, yet they have a great deal of sense. Some chil- dren at twelve years old begin to take great AND LIVED AGAIN. 125 pains with their learning; then they get on very fast. Some begin to be very useful ; they can do more now than take care of the baby, or run upon errands. If they are steady, and tell no lies, they are trusted and get on well in the world. Some children at twelve years old think about their souls, and say, " What would become of me if I were to die ?" They go and hear ser- mons, and they can understand them. They look in the Bible, and they can understand a great deal which they read. Then some begin to pray, and to say, "Merciful God, give me thy Holy Spirit, for the sake of Jesus Christ." But there are some who, at twelve years old, will mind their parents no longer. They say, " We are not little babies now, we will do as we please." They forget all the kindness their parents have shown them for twelve years, and they forget the words that God has spoken, " Honor thy father and thy mother." You can read the history of the daughter of Jairus in your Bible, in Mark 5, verses 23, 24, and 35 to end ; Luke 8 : 41, 42, and 49 to end. 11* 126 THE CHILD WHO DIED, ETC. THE DYING CHILD. Why do you weep ? I am falling asleep, And Jesus my Shepherd, Is watching his sheep; His arm is beneath me, His eye is above ; His Spirit within me Says, " Rest in my love : With blood I have bought the?, And washed thee from sin ; With care I have brought the« My fold to be in ; Refreshed by still waters, In green pastures fed, Thy day has gone by — I am making thy bed," THE LANCING GIRL. A long time ago, there was a young girl who could dance very well. Her name was Salome. Her parents were rich and great, but they did not love or fear God, and they had brought up their child in a foolish, wicked manner. Her uncle was a king. His name was Herod. One day, king Herod made a great supper to his lords and captains. It was his birthday, and this was the way in which he kept the day. While the lords were eating and drinking, and making merry, in came a young girl. What business had a young girl to come in at such a time ? She ought to have been at home with her mother. • It was Salome who came in. She began to dance before the lords. Her uncle was much delighted with her dancing, and so were the lords. But oh, what a bold girl she was! She ought to have been asham- ed to dance before all those gentlemen. It was her mother who had brought her up in this wicked manner. Her uncle Herod wished to reward her for dancing, and he said, " Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee." Was He- rod a kind uncle ? It is not kind to encourage 128 THE DANCING GIRL. the young in foolish ways. I cannot call him kind. What should you think Salome would wish to have? Some children would have asked for a doll, some for a new frock, some would have asked to ride out with their uncle the next day, and some would have asked for a holiday. But you could never guess what Salome asked for. She knew not herself what to ask for, but she ran to her mother and told her what the king had said. Now her mother was a very wicked woman indeed, much more wicked than King Herod. Her name was Herodias. She soon told the little girl what to ask her uncle for. There was a good man shut up in prison. Why had he been put in prison ? He was not a thief, or a murderer ; he had done nothing wrong, but he had offended Herod? How? He had told the king of his wicked ways. The king in anger had shut him up, but he did not intend to kill this good man ; he was afraid of doing that. Now Herodias hated this holy man very much, and she told her daughter to ask the king to give her the head of John the Bap- tist in a great dish. Oh, what a dreadful thing to ask for ! I wonder the girl could do it. It was right in her to ask her mother's advice, but when she heard her mother speak such wicked words, she ought to have said, "Oh, mother, I cannot ask for that good man's head ; let me rather ask. that he may be let out of prison. " But Salome was quite ready to do what her THE DAXCIXG GIRL. 129 mother wished ; she ran quickly back to the king, and said, " Give me the head of John the Baptist in a dish." The king was very sorry to hear this speech, but he thought to himself, "I must keep my promise ; I have said I would give Salome what- ever she asked, and I must do it; if I do not, the lords sitting at the table will laugh at me." What a foolish man Herod was ! He ought not to keep a promise to do a wicked thing. It is better that men should laugh at us, than that God should be angry. Herod im- mediately commanded a man to go and cut off the head of John the Baptist. The man went, and with his sword cut it oft'. Do you think John was frightened when the man came with the sword to kill him? Oh, no ; I am sure he was ready to die, for he knew that God had pardoned all his sins and that he would take him to heaven. His head was placed in a dish, and given to the cruel girl. How could she bear the sight of that bleeding throat ! She carried the dish to her mother. I do not know what that wicked woman did with the bloody head. No doubt she was pleased to look upon it, and to think that the tongue that used to speak against sin could speak no longer. But she will not be pleased at the last day, when the Lord Jesus comes to judge the world. Jesus once died for sinners upon the cross, but when ha Loi) THE DANCING GIRL. comes again he will punish those who go on in their sins. What became of the body of John the Bap- tist? His friends came to the prison and asked for his body, and they took it and laid it in a grave; and then they went and told the Lord Jesus all about the death of John, for Jesus was then walking about this world, though now he is in heaven with God his Father, and the soul of John is with him there. One day Jesus will call the body of John out of the grave where he is laid, and he will give him a new body, all glorious, that will never die. If you love Jesus, you will be happy for ever and ever. Perhaps you may die when you are young; perhaps wicked people" may shut you up in prison and kill you, but you need not be afraid. You may read this history in your Bible, in Matthew 14: 6-12; Mark 6 : 21-29. Happy the children who are gone To live with Jesus Christ in peace, Who stand around his glorious throne, Redeemed by blood and sav'd by grace The Saviour, whom they loved below, Hath kindly wiped their tears away j No sin, no sorrow, there they know, But dwell in one eternal day. THE DANCING GIRL. 13 J There to their golden harps they sing, While tens of thousands join their songs, Hosannas to the immortal King, To whom immortal praise belongs. O glorious Lord, and when shall we Be brought with them in bliss to joi.v Thy lovely countenance to see, And sing thy mercies all divine ? THE SUPPER ON THE GRASS. It is very pleasant to feed hungry people. Teachers are very much pleased to see poor children at a feast, drinking milk or tea, and eating cake, or bread and butter. They like to see them sitting on the grass in summer, and the kettle boiling on a fire of sticks. Kind teachers like to hear their little scholars sing- ing thanks to God in some sweet verse that they have learned. This is a verse that I have heard children sing before their meals : M Be present at our table, Lord, Be here and everywhere adored ; These creatures bless, and grant that we May feast in paradise with thee." THE SUPPER OX THE GRASS. 133 Bread and milk are God's creatures, for God created them. You are his living creatures. I hope you may live with him in heaven in paradise. And this is another verse that I have heard children sing after their meals : " We thank thee, Lord, for this our food, But more because of Jesus' blood ; Let manna to our souls be given, The bread of life sent down from heaven." Do you know that the Son of God once came down to be a man, and to live in this world ? He was called Jesus Christ. He once fed a great many hungry people. These people had come from a great way off; they had left their cottages, and had walked among the green hills. Many of the mothers had brought their little children with them. All day long the people had been among the hills. They had seen Jesus curing sick people, and they had heard him talk about God his Father in heaven. They liked to be near him ; they stayed till it was getting dark, and till they were quite hungry. They had not brought enough food with them, and there were no houses nor shops there. What could they do ? They had a great way to go home, and the little children would be very tired, and would be crying for their supper, and the mothers would not be able to carry them, and even the fathers would be quite weary. Jesus was 12 134 THE SUPPER ON THE GRASS. very kind. He pitied the poor people. He said to one of his friends named Philip, " Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat ?" Philip was surprised that his Master should talk of buying bread for so many peo- ple, for there were more people than you ever saw at church ; there were enough to fill ten churches. But Jesus did not mean to buy bread for them ; he had another plan in his mind. His friends told him to send the people into the villages near, that they might buy bread for themselves. But Jesus said, "No, they need not go away. How many loaves have ye?" One of his friends, named An- drew, said, " We have only five loaves and two little fishes ; but what are they among so many ?" You know, dear children, how soon five loaves are eaten up. A school of fifty children would soon get through five loaves. But Jesus told his friends to make the people sit down on the grass. Soon the green grass was covered with people sitting in rows, as children do at school, fifty men in every row. There were in all one hundred rows of men, besides women and children. How many men were there ? Five thousand. Then Jesus took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looked up to heaven and gave thanks to his Father, and brake the bread, and gave a piece to each of his friends, and a little piece of the fishes. Then the twelve friends went to the men sitting on the grass, and gave THE SUPPER ON THE GRASS. 135 some to each. How surprised everybody was to find that this little bread was enough for the suppers of all these people — yes, and more than enough. This was the great wonder that Jesus did, for he is God and can do every- thing. He made us, and keeps us alive. The people could not eat all the bread. A great deal was left. What was done with it ? Jesus would not let it be wasted ; he told his friends to take some baskets, and to gather up the bits of bread and fish. Twelve baskets were filled with these bits. Everybody was astonished to see what had been done that evening ; they had never seen anything like it before. That evening they talked a great deal about Jesus, and said they felt sure that God had sent him into the world. And so he had. Do you know why ? Was it to teach people that Jesus came down here ? It was not only to teach them as I teach you, it was to do something else that I could not do for you — it was to die for them. Men are wicked ; they have offended God, and they deserve to die. But God is kind and merciful, and he gave up his only Son, and said Jesus should die instead of men — and Jesus has died ; he was nailed to a cross of wood. Do you not think those lit- tle children loved him who sat on the grass by the water-side, and who ate the bread that Jesus gave ? Yes, I think they did. And will not you love him too, now that you hear he died for you? He is alive now. 136 THE SUPPER ON THE GRASS. He is sitting in Heaven on his Father's right hand; he knows whether you love him; he gives you food every day, for it is he makes the rain to fall and the sun to shine upon the corn growing in the fields ; he puts it into the hearts of rich people to give bread to little fatherless children. But if you love Jesus, you will try to please him. He hates wickedness. Do not swear, do not steal, do not tell lies, do not fall into a passion, do not call names, do not be rude, or pert, or disobedient. Be gen- tle, like the lambs that sport in the spring among the buttercups ; be gentle, like the doves that moan so softly among the trees. Jesus is gentle, like a lamb. The Holy Spirit is gentle, like a dove. Jesus calls the children who love him, his lambs ; and like a kind shepherd, he carries them in his arms. Here is a verse out of the Bible about Jesus : " He shall gather the lambs with his arms, and carry them in his bosom/' — Isa. 40 : 11. You may read about the five loaves in four parts of the Testament: Matt. 14: 15-21; Mark 6: 35-43; Luke 9: 12-17; John 6: 3-14. CHRIST IN THE STORM. There are a great many troubles in this life. — ask your father and your mother whether this is true. Your father will say, " I have had a great many troubles ;" perhaps he will say, "I have found it hard to get bread for my children." Your mother will say, " I have had a great deal of sorrow in bringing up my lit- tle family." My dear child, have you had any troubles ? I am sure you have had some. Have you ever felt great pain ? Have you lost a little brother or sister ? Have you got into disgrace ? Have you been punished for your faults? There is one Friend to whom every one may go in every trouble. It is Jesus, the Son of God. When we are unhappy, if we cry unto him, he will hear us and help us. Once he lived upon this earth, and was a man. Now he is in heaven, and he is a man still, as well as God. I will tell you how he helped some of his friends out of trouble when he lived in this world. His friends were called disciples. One evening they went into a ship. Jesus did not go with them ; he stayed where he was, 12* 138 CHRIST IN THE STORM. and spent the night alone on the top of a mountain, praying to his Father. God was his Father. The disciples were in their little ship on the water, when the wind began to blow very hard indeed. The waves rose high, and the ship was tossed about. Every moment the poor men were afraid that the water would fill their ship, and that they should sink to the bottom of the sea. All night long, the disciples were in sad dis- tress, trying with all their might to row their ship to land, but all they could do was of no use. At last they saw a man walking on the sea. There he was in the midst of the great waves, walking as on the dry land. He went faster than the ship, and seemed as if he would pass by it. The disciples did not know who it was. They thought it could not be a man with a body like ours ; they supposed it was a spirit, who has no body. They were very much frightened, and they cried out in their trouble. Then they heard a voice saying, " It is I; be not afraid." Whose voice was that ? You know, and they knew ; it was the voice of Jesus. Though the winds were whistling and the waves roaring, his voice could be heard. One of the disciples, named Peter, said, " Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water." Jesus said, " Come." So Petei got out of the ship and walked on the water to go to Jesus. He believed that Jesus could help him to walk on the water, and Jesus did help CHRIST IN THE STORM. 139 him. But when Peter saw how high the wind was, he began to be afraid. This was wrong. He ought to have trusted in Jesus. Soon he felt that he was sinking, and he cried out, " Lord, save me." Jesus heard that short prayer ; he was very near, and he stretched out his hand, and caught hold of Peter. Trusting in God is called faith. Peter had a little faith, but not much. So he was able to walk on the water a little way, but not far. Jesus went into the ship and took Peter with him, and as soon as he was there the wind left off blowing. Then all the disciples came round him and worshipped him, saying, " Truly thou art the Son of God." It is this Jesus who can help you in your troubles. Will .you trust him ? Do not be like Peter and only trust him a little while, but go on trusting in him, and you will find that he will keep you safe and make you happy. He forgives sins, which no one else can do, because he died upon the cross to save us from our sins. When we are dying he will not leave us if we trust in him, but he will comfort us and take us to heaven. This history you will find in Matthew 14 : 22-33 ; Mark 6 : 45-52, 140 CHRIST IN THE STORM. I lay" my sins on Jesus. The spotless Lamb of God ; He bears them all, and frees us From the accursed load I bring my guilt to Jesus, To wash my crimson stains White in his blood most precious^ Till not a spot remains. I lay my wants on Jesus, All fulness dwells in him, He healeth my diseases, He doth my soul redeem. I lay my griefs on Jesus, My burdens and my cares ; He from them all releases, He all my sorrows shares. I love the name of Jesus — Immanuel, Christ, the Lord! Like fragrance on the breezes, His name is spread abroad. I long to be like Jesus — Meek, loving, lowly, mild ; I long to be like Jesus — The Father's holy chill. CHRIST IN THE STORM. 141 I long to be with Jesus, Amid the heavenly throng, To sing with saints his praises, To learn the angels' song. MY FATHER'S AT THE HELM. 'Twas when the sea with horrid roar, A little bark assail'd, And pallid fear, with awful power, O'er each on board prevail'd ; Save one — the captain's darling child, Who fearless view'd the storm, And, playful, with composure smil'd At danger's threat'ning form. " Why sporting thus," a seaman cries, " Whilst sorrows overwhelm ?" " Why yield to grief ?" the boy replies, " My father's at the helm !" Safe in his hands whom seas obey When swelling surges rise, He turns the darkest night to day, And brightens lowering skies. Then upward look ; howe'er distress'd, Jesus will guide thee home To that eternal port of rest Where storms shall never come. THE PRAYING MOTHER. Can we pray too much? No, we cannot God likes to hear us pray ; he is never tired of listening to us. Is he not kind ? Men are soon tired of hearing beggars ask for money, but men are not like God. When Jesus the Son of God was in this world, he cured a great many people who were sick ; he just spoke, and they were made well.. Sometimes he wished to be alone, for Jesus was a man as well as God, and he had need of food and sleep. One day he went into a house, and he did not want any body to know where he was gone. But people soon THE PRAYING MOTHER. 143 asked each other where he was, and they found out the place. There was one poor woman who longed very much to see him. I do not think she had ever seen him, but she had heard of him. She had been brought up to worship idols ; she did not belong to the people of Israel, who worshipped the true God. No, she was a poor heathen, but Jesus cares for the poor heathen ; and you will see how kind he was at last to this woman. She had a little girl very ill at home. A wicked spirit, called a devil, tormented her, The mother knew that Jesus could make her little daughter well, so she went to the house where he was. I do not know whether Jesus was still in the house. I think he had come out of it, and was walking. His friends were with him. There were twelve men who went about with Jesus from place to place, and he called them his friends, and his disciples. When the poor woman saw Jesus, she cried out, " Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David ; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil," Why did she call Jesus the son of David? David was a great king, who had long been dead, and Jesus was one of his children's children. Jesus liked to hear peo- ple call him the son of David. What did he say to this poor woman, when she seemed so unhappy ? He said nothing at all ; so she went on crying out for mercy. 144 THE PRAYING MOTHER. The disciples did not like to hear the poor woman crying out, ' Have mercy on me!" As they walked along with Jesus, the poor woman followed them with her cries. So the disciples went to Jesus, and said,-" Send her away, for she crieth after us." How unkind this was ! How selfish the disciples were ! Instead of begging their Master to have mercy on the poor mother, they wanted him to tell her to go away. They knew she was a poor heathen, so they despised her. But Jesus did not despise her ; he loved her very much indeed. Yet at first he seemed unkind, for he said, " I am not sent unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." This poor woman was not an Israelite. Did she go away when she heard Jesus speak in this way ? No, she did not ; she came nearer than before ; she fell at his feet and worshipped him, saying, '•' Lord, help me." What a short prayer — only three words ! but it came from the heart ; it was such a prayer as God likes to hear. Yet Jesus still seemed unkind, for he said, " It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs." Did he mean, that this poor woman was a dog, and that the people of Israel were his children? Oh, no, he did not really think this woman was a dog; he only spoke so, that she might go on praying. She made a very sweet answer this time. She said, " The dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs." Was not that a meek THE PRAYING MOTHER. 145 answer, and a wise answer ? She did not say she was not a dog; she meant to say, " If I am a dog, may I not have crumbs ? Though you love the people of Israel best, yet you will have pity on a poor heathen like me." This is what she meant to say. Jesus left her waiting no longer. He said to her, " O woman, great is thy faith ; go thy way, the devil is gone out of thy daughter." So the woman went home, and found her daughter lying on the bed. The devil had left the girl at the very moment when Jesus spoke. Then the girl grew quiet and easy, but it seems she was weak and tired, and wanted rest. Could the mother ever forget what Jesus had said, " O woman, great is thy faith ?'* Jesus had praised her. Why was he so much pleased with her? Because she believed that he was kind and merciful. Jesus likes to have us believe that he is kind. Whatever happens, we ought always to think " Jesus is kind." Did he not die for us on the cross ? Does he wish to hurt us ? Are you in great pain ? Still think " Jesus is kind." Then go and pray to him. Is your father ill, and not able to work ? Is your little baby brother, whom you dote on, lying in his coffin ? Are your clothes ragged? Is there nothing for dinner but a cold potatoe or a dry crust ? Still, remember "Jesus is kind; he will hear you, if you prav to him." 13 146 THE PRAYING MOTHER. You may read the history of the praying mother in Matthew 15: 21-28.; Mark 7: 24-30. Who are they whose little feet, Pacing life's dark journey through. Now have reach'd that heavenly seat They have ever kept in view ? M I from Greenland's frozen land," " I from India's sultry plain," M I from Afric's barren sand," " I from islands of the main j" " All our earthly journey past," u Every tear and pain gone by," * Here together met at last," " At the portal of the sky." Each the welcome " Come" awaits Conquerors over death and sin : Lift your heads, ye golden gates, Let the little travellers in. CHRIST SHINING ON THE MOUN- TAIN Did you ever try to think how the Lord Jesus looked when he was walking about this world ? There is no picture of him to be seen, but we find in the Bible that he appeared like other men. He was not bright as angels are, neither did he wear fine clothes, as princes do. If you had seen him, you would have taken him for a poor man ; you could not have told by his looks that he was the Son of God, that he was the King of kings, the Creator of the world, and of the sun, and of the moon, and of all the stars. We are quite sure that there was a meek, kind, gentle look in his face, because his heart was full of love. We know, also, that he was sorrowful, and that he often shed tears, and groaned, and prayed. There must have been a look of sorrow in his face. But one day he let his friends see a wonder- ful change in him. He took three of his dis- ciples to the top of a mountain ; their names were Peter, James, and John. I am not sure what was the name of the mountain, but I believe it was called Tabor. When Jesus wished to be in a quiet place, he often went 148 CIIRTST SHJNING ON to a mountain, because it is not easy to climb up high places, so that it is very seldom that people come there. Why did Jesus wish to find a quiet place? Because he was going to pray to his Father in heaven. While he was praying, the disciples saw a great change in him. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as snow, and as bright as the light. There were never any clothes seen on earth so white and shining. Two men were with Jesus. Where had they come from ? From heaven. They were two men w T ho had lived upon the earth a long while ago, and who had been taken to heaven ; and now they were come down to talk with the Lord Jesus. One of these men was named Moses ; he had once died, and God had buried him. The other man was Elijah; he had never died, but had gone to heaven in a chariot of fire ; he had been carried by bright angels into heaven. And what were these men talking about ? They were speaking about a very sad and sorrowful thing that would soon happen — about Jesus being nailed to the cross for our sins. How sweet it must be to listen to heavenly men, and to hear them talk with the Son of God ! I do not wonder that the disciples were pleased. At last it seemed as if these men, all bright and glorious, were going back to heaven. Then Peter said, * Lord it-is good f )r us to be here : let us THE MOUNTAIN. 149 make three tents ; one for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." Peter wanted to have these heavenly men always with him, but they could not stay down here. Peter did not know what he said, for he was very much afraid. While he was speaking, a bright cloud came over them. What could this cloud be ? The disciples were frightened when they saw it round them. Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, " This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased ; hear ye him." Whose voice was that? It was the voice of God the Father The disciples were afraid when they heard it, and they fell upon their faces. They could not look at the brightness of that cloud, for God was there ; but the great God did not hurt them. He did not punish them for their sins, nor say he would send them to hell. No : he only commanded them to hear his beloved Son. He sent his Son into the world to save us, and if we believe in Jesus we shall be saved. I do not know how long the disciples re- mained with their faces on the ground, but they did not dare to look up, till they felt some one touch them, and heard a gentle voice, "Arise, and be not afraid." Whose touch was that ? Whose gentle voice ? When the disciples looked up, they saw Jesus ; the bright cloud shone there no longer. The disciples looked roufld about, 13* 150 CHRIST SHINING ON but they could not see the two heavenly men , there was no one but Jesus. They were not afraid to be alone with him, for they knew him well, and loved him too. They walked down the mountain with him. Could they ever forget the glorious sight they had seen at the top ? They could not, but Jesus said to them as they walked, " Tell no man what you have seen, till the Son of man be risen again from the dead." Jesus called himself the Son of man. The disciples did not know he would soon be buried in a grave, and that he would rise again in three days. • But they minded what Jesus said, and told no one about the brightness on the mountain, till after Jesus had been crucified and had come to life again. Then they told people all that you have now heard. Is it not a very wonderful history ? Jesus is now shining as bright in heaven, as he shone on that mountain. When you see him coming in the clouds, he will look very glorious. Good men who lived a long while ago will come with him. Abel, who was killed by his wicked brother ; Noah, who was saved when the world was drowned ; Moses, who was hidden in a basket when he was a babe ; David, who sang sweet psalms and played upon his harp ; Elijah, who was fed by ravens; Daniel, who was not eaten by the lions in the den — all of them will be there ; and if you love Jesus, you shall stay with him THE MOUNTAIN. 151 for ever, and you shall be with those holy men, and with the holy angels. Oh. how happy you will be ! But those who do not love the Lord, will be shut up with the devil in a dark place for ever and ever. You may read the history of Christ on the mountain in Matt. 17: 1-9; Mark 9 : 2-10; Luke 9 : 28-38. Lo, he comes, with clouds descending, Once for favor'd sinners slain ; Thousand thousand saints attending, Swell the triumphs of his train ; Hallelujah ! God appears on earth to reign. Now redemption, long expected, See in solemn pomp appear ! All his saints by man rejected, Now shall meet him in the air : Hallelujah ! See the day of *od appear ! THE MISERABLE BOY There is a wicked creature called Satan, or the devil ; he is not a man, neither is he a beast ; he is a spirit ; he has not a body, as you have, but he can think — he thinks of doing wickedness ; he hates God, and he hates everybody ; he hates you, my little boy, and my little girl — he would like to make you un- happy ; he is very unhappy himself, and he tries to make us unhappy, too. One day God will shut him up in a dark prison, but now he lets him walk about this world ; yet hell is the devil's home. There are a great many devils, and they help one another to do harm. Satan is the prince of the devils, and tells the rest what to do. I am now going to tell you of a poor little boy who was made very wretched by one ot the devils. It seemed as if this boy was mad. A wicked spirit was in him, and tormented him. This spirit was deaf and dumb. Some- times it would tear the boy, and make him cry out with pain, and foam at the mouth, and gnash his teeth, and fall on the ground. Some- times this poor child would rush into the water to drown himself, and sometimes into the fire THE MISERABLE BOY. 153 to burn himself. His father loved him, and could not bear to see him in this dreadful state. But his father could not cure him, nor could any doctor. At last this poor man heard that there was a man who had cured a great many people as wretched as his son. This man was called Jesus Christ. He was the Son of God, and had come down from heaven to save us from Satan and all the devils. The father of the boy thought, " I will take my dear son to Jesus, and ask him to cure him." The Lord Jesus had some friends who walked about with him, and these men were called his disciples. The poor father saw them first. Jesus was not with them ; he was gone away for a little while to pray to God his Father in heaven, upon the top of a hill. What could the poor man do now ? Could the disciples help his boy ? He begged them to try. Jesus had once told them that they should be able to cast out devils; so they tried to cast the devil out of this boy, but they could not. A great crowd of people gathered round the boy and the disciples', and some wise men were there, called scribes ; those scribes did not love Jesus, and they were always glad when the disciples could not do wonderful things. No one knew when Jesus would come back. At last the people saw him coming, and they ran to meet him. How glad the poor father must have been to see Jesus ! He fell on hi? 154 THE MISERABLE BOY. knees, and said, "Lord, I beseech thee look upon my son, for he is my only child." And then he told him all about the boy. Jesus said, •" Bring thy son hither." But as the boy was coming, the devil threw him on the ground, and there the poor creature lay foam- ing at the mouth. Ah, that devil knew who Jesus was — all the devils know the Son of God, and are afraid of him. The poor man was very unhappy to see his son lying in such pain upon the ground, and he said to Jesus, " If thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us." If the father had known Jesus better, he would not have said, "If thou canst;" he would have felt quite sure that Jesus could cure him. Then Jesus asked the man whether he believed. What could the poor father say ? He did be- lieve a little, but he did not believe as much as he ought. Immediately the man cried out, " Lord, I believe ; help thou mine unbelief." As he said this, the tears came into his eyes. Poor man ! I am sure you would have pitied him, if you had seen him. It was a good prayer he made when he said to Jesus, " Help thou mine unbelief." It showed that he be- lieved that Jesus w T as God ; for who but God can make people believe ? While the Lord was talking with the father more people came running to the place — soon there would have been too great a crowd. Then Jesus said to the devil, " Thou dumb and THE MISERABLE BOY. 155 deaf spirit, I charge thee come out of him, and enter no more into him." This deaf spirit heard the words of Jesus : this dumb spirit was able to cry out ; it tore the boy, and came out of him. The people looked at the boy, and said, " He is dead." There he was, lying on the ground, and looking just like a dead person. Jesus went to him, took his hand, and lifted him up. # The child was alive, and quite well. Jesus gave him to his father. How happy that father must have been ! Did he now believe in Jesus ? He knew now that Jesus could cure his child. Afterwards the disciples went into a house with their dear Master, and they said, " Why could not we cast out the devil ?" Jesus said, "Because of your unbelief." The disciples had not prayed as they ought, and so they did not believe as they ought. Jesus had given them the power to do wonders, but they could not do them except when they believed in the Son of God. Jesus can still do everything. He has died upon the cross, and he has been put into a grave ; but he was alive again in three days, and went up to his Father in heaven, and there he sits at his right hand, and he hears the prayers of men in this world. Do you ever pray to him ? I hope you do — in all your troubles go to him. If you do not believe that he can help you, say, " Lord, help mine unbelief." He 's very kind, and pities people 156 THE MISERABLE BOY. in distress ; he is very strong, and able to help them out of all their troubles. You may read this history in Matthew 17 : 14-21 ; Mark 9 : 14-29 ; Luke 9 : 37-42. " Lo ! Satan trembles when he sees The weakest saint upon his knees. T THE TWO SISTERS. A long while ago there lived two women named Martha and Mary. They were sisters, and they lived in a house in a pretty village. It was two miles from a great city called Je- rusalem. It was on the side of a green hill, and it was planted with beautiful trees. Its name was Bethany. I cannot tell what kind of a house Martha and Mary lived in — whether it was a large house, or only a cottage. One day a visitor came to their house: it was such a visitor as never came to your father's house. Perhaps a rich gentleman came one day to see your father and mother. Can you remember how your parents behaved to him ? Did they not behave with great respect ? Did they not ask him to sit down, and did they not stand up and listen when he spoke ? But it was not a rich gentleman who came to see Martha and Mary ; it was a poor man, yet no rich gentle- man is so great as that poor man was. How can that be? Perhaps you know that the poor man was the Son of God. He had come down from heaven to live a little while in this world ; he died at last for our sins ; he is in heaven now with God his Father ; his name is H 158 THE TWO SISTERS. Jesus Christ. When he was in this world he was quite poor ; he had no carriage to ride in, he had no horse, not even an ass ; he had no servants, and no house of his own. He might have been rich, but he chose to be poor; he walked about and talked to the people that he saw in the road, and told them about God his Father in heaven. Sometimes he came into people's houses and rested himself. Kind people gave him food to eat. Should you have liked to see Jesus come into your house ? He could not bear wickedness. If you had said a wicked word, he would have been dis- pleased ; if you had been rude or disobedient, he would have been grieved with you. Martha and Mary were glad to see him come into their house, for they loved him very much. When Jesus was come in, he began to speak about God his Father, and about heaven. Should you like to have heard what he said ? Mary did ; she sat down at his feet, and listened to every word. People in that country often sat upon the floor, or on a low stool. Mary liked to sit near Jesus, where she could hear him. But where was Martha ? She was gone to get ready the dinner. She wished to make a very fine dinner for the Lord Jesus. But did Jesus care about eating nice things ? Oh, no ; he wanted very little. Mar- tha coulu easily have brought him a piece oi bread and .^eat. or bread and honey, and then she might have sat down with Mary, and lis- THE TWO S.STERS. 159 tened to the Lord. But instead of doing this she was displeased because Mary did not help her to get ready the dinner ; and she came into the room where Mary was sitting so happy, and she said to the Lord, " Dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me." .What rude behavior this was ! Mary did not answer, but Jesus did : " Mar- tha, Martha, thou art careful, and troubled about many things : but one thing is need- ful, and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." What was the good thing Mary had chosen ? Was it not to hear about God and heaven ? It is better to know about God than to have all the things in the world. If you had a fine house fit for a king, and a hundred servants to wait upon you, and a carriage with six horses to draw it, yet some day you must leave them all, for some day you must die. But if you know about God, and if he has forgiven you all your sins, then when you die you will be as happy as the angels, and sing sweet hymns to a golden harp. I wonder what Martha did after Jesus had spoken to her; I hope she sat down to listen. She was a good woman and loved Jesus, and I know she is with him in heaven now. Do you like to hear the words of Jesus? You can read them in the New Testament ; they are written down there, and they are sweet iGO THE TWO SISTERS. words. What a sweet verse is this : " Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God." And is not this a sweet verse ? " Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." And is not this sweet ? " Him that cometh unto me, I will in nowise cast out." All these are the wwds of Jesus, and they are written down in the Testament, that you may read them. There is no harm in liking to play, for you are a child; but if you love Jesus, you will like to think of his w r ords as soon as you wake in the morning, and when you are going to sleep at night, and often in the day you will think of them, and sometimes you will pray to him, and say, "Forgive my sins, blessed Jesus. Make me good ; give me thy Holy Spirit ; take me to heaven when I die." You may read the history of Martha and Mary in Luke 10 : 38, to end. Suffer me to come to Jesus, Mother dear forbid me not ; By his blood from hell he frees us, Makes us fair without a spot Suffer me, my earthly father, At his pierced feet to fall : Why forbid me ? help n.e, rather; Jesus is my all in all. THE TWO SISTERS. 161 Suffer me to run unto him, Gentle sisters, come with me ; Oh, that all I love hut knew him, Then my home a heaven would be. Loving playmates, gay and smiling, Bid me not forsake the cross ; Hard to bear is your reviling, Yet for Jesus all is dross. Yes, though all the world have chid me, Father mother, sister, friend, Jesus never will forbid me ! Jesus loves me to the end ' Gentle Shepherd, on thy shoulder Carry me, a sinful lamb ; Give me faith, and make me boldefj Till with thee in heaven I ana. IV THE CRIPPLE. Some boys laugh at poor cripples when they see them in the streets. This is very wicked. Sometimes when walking, w r e meet a man with only one eye, one arm, or one leg, or who has a hamp-back. How ought we to feel when we see them? We ought to pity them ; we ought to think to ourselves, " Plow painful it must be to limp along, instead of walking easily ! How unpleasant it must be to have only one hand to work with, or to dress ourselves with!'"' Then we ought to thank God for his kindness in giving us so many limbs, and keeping us from being hurt. If our mothers had dropped us out of their arms when we were babies, our backs might have been broken. If a playfellow had put a stick into one of our eyes, we might have lost our precious sight. When Jesus, the Son of God, lived in this world, he took great notice of poor cripples. Once when he was in a place like a church, called a synagogue, he saw a woman who was bent double. She could not lift herself up to look at him, but he saw her. 1 wonder how she got to the synagogue. Perhaps she lived THE CRIPPLE. 163 very near or perhaps her friends helped her to come, or perhaps she crept along by her- self. I have known a poor creature who was bent almost double, when she wished to go to worship God in his house, she set out early in the morning ; she had only half a mile to go, yet she was two hours getting along, for almost every step she sat down to rest, now upon the grass and now upon a bank, or she leaned against a gate. I wonder how this poor woman whom Jesus saw got to the synagogue. How glad she must have been that she had come there when she heard Jesus teaching! There never was such a teacher as he was. He spoke so gently and so sweetly that poor people liked to listen to him, and to hear him say, '*' Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Jesus, saw the poor cripple, and he called her to him. The people who stood round heard him call, and they watched to see what he did. First Jesus said to her, "Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity." Then he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight. What a sight it was to see that woman lift herself up, and all at once become as straight as other women. What did she do when she was made straight ? She began to praise God. This woman loved God. It was the devil who had bent her back double. God sometimes allows the devil to IC4 THE CRIPPLE. hurt the bodies of good people, but he does not let the devil have their souls. This poor woman had been bent double eighteen years, yet she had gone on loving God, and now at last she was saved out of her trouble. Do you think that everybody was glad to see her made straight ? Oh, no ; there were some wicked people there, who hated Jesus, and they could not bear to see him do wonders, because they were afraid more people would believe that he was the Son of God. The chief man in the synagogue was wicked; it was he who used to offer up the prayers to God, yet his heart was full of malice and envy. After he had seen Jesus make the woman straight, he was very angry, and he told the people not to come on the Sabbath- day to be made well, but on one of the six week-days. But the people had not come to the syna- gogue only to be made well, they had come to be taught. Jesus himself answered the wicked man; he called him by a dreadful name — - '• Hypocrite." He can see into the heart, and he knows who pretend to be good when they are really wicked ; those people are hypocrites. What did Jesus say to this hypocrite ? He said, " Does not each one of you, on the Sab- bath-day, loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to the watering? And ought not this woman, whom Satan hath bound, lo ; these eighteen years, to be loosed THE CRIPPLE. 105 from ihis bond on the Sabbath-day ?" What could the hypocrite answer to this question ? No one couM answer it. It was plain, that if an ass ought to be kindly treated on the Sab- bath, a poor woman who trusted in God ought to be made happy on the Sabbath. This woman did trust in God, and Jesus called her a daughter of Abraham. Abraham trusted in God, and she was like him. Perhaps some poor cripple will read this story. Be comforted, God cares for you. He could make you straight and strong. He has some wise reason for letting you be crooked. He gave his only Son to die for your sins upon the crossj he knows whether you love him. At the last day, all the people who have been buried will rise out of their graves with new bodies. Cripples who have loved God will then be bright and beautiful like the Son of God. Children, who are tall and straight, and strong, if you are wicked, and die in your sins, you will be eaten by worms for ever and ever, and burned in a fire that will never be put out ; for God has said, " The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." Psa. 9 : 17. You will find the history of this poor woman in Luke 13: 10-17. 1GG THE CRIPPLE. My little body's made by God, Of soft warm flesh and crimson blood , The slender bones are placed within, And over all is laid the skin. My little body's very weak; A fall or blow my bones might break, The water soon might stop my breath, The fire might close my eyes in death. But God can keep me hy his care ; To him I'll say this little prayer ; " 0, God ! from harm my body keep, Both when I wake, and when I sleep." While some poor wretches scarce can tell Where they may lay their head, I have a home wherein to dwell, And rest upon my bed. While others early learn to swear, And curse, and lie, and steal ; Lord, I am taught thy name to fear, And do thy holy will. Are these thy favors, day by day, To me above the rest ? Then let me love thee more than they, And try to serve thee best. THE BLIND BEGGAR OF JERUSALEM. There are a great many blind persons in London. I have heard that there are two thousand blind people in that great city. Many of them are old people, who once could see as well as you can ; some are young, and have been made blind by the small pox, or a fever, or an accident; and some were blind when they were born. There is a city a long way off, called Jeru- salem, and there are blind people in that city. A long while ago there was a blind beggar in Jerusalem. He was a young man, but he could not work because of his blindness, so he begged. One day some men passed by ; one of these men was the Son of God. He was come down from heaven to live in this world for a little while. Why did he come down ? It was to save us sinners from going to hell. At last he was nailed upon a cross of wood, and died. But before he died he used to walk about with his twelve friends and cure poor people who were blind or sick. He saw this blind beggar, and he told his friends that he would cure him. You will be surprised to 168 THE BLIND BEGGAR hear the strange manner in which he cured him. He made a plaster of the dust of the ground by wetting it with his spittle, and then he put it on the blind man's eyes. You would have thought, that by this way his eyes could not be made well. Then Jesus told the beggar to go and wash in a pool or pond a little way off. The beggar went and washed, for he could find his way about Jerusalem, as he had lived there a long while. When he had wash- ed, he found he could see. Everybody was very much surprised to see him walking about the streets with his eyes open. JV^ny people wondered whether it was the same man who once sat and begged. Some people were sure it was the same man, and other people thought it could not be the same, but only a man very much like the blind beggar. But when he heard what people said, he answered them, "I am he." Then the people said, " How were thine eyes opened ?" Then he told them that a man named Jesus had cured him. He did not know who Jesus was, and he had never seen him, but he knew that he had been very kind to him, and had done a great wonder in giving him sight. You will be surprised to hear that the people in Jerusalem did not love Jesus. They hated him, because he told them of their sins; so they were very angry with the blind man for saying that Jesus had cured him. They told him, it was not Jesus Wiio made him see, it OF JERUSALEM. 169 was God, and he must praise him ; fur Jesus was a wicked man. The blind man did not know that Jesus was God as well as man, but he was sure that he was good, and he said so. This made the wicked men more angry than before, and at last they said they would have no more to do with him, and that they would not speak to him or take any notice of him. Was not this very cruel?' Jesus knew that the poor blind beggar was ill-treated, and he went to him. Jesus could easily find him, for he is God, and sees every- body, by day and by night. I do not know- where the poor man w r as when Jesus found him — whether he was in the house, or in the street. When the man saw Jesus, he did not know who he was, for he had never seen him before. But he had heard his voice, and per- haps he knew that voice again. Jesus said to him, "Dost thou believe on the Son of God?" The man answered, "Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him ?" Then Jesus said, " Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee." Then the man said, " Lord, I believe," and he worshipped him. I do not know what happened afterwards to that blind man, but I am sure he is happy now in heaven, for he believed in Jesus, the Son of God. Everybody will be happy who believes in Jesus, as this blind man did. If Jesus were to say to you, " Do you believe on the Son of God ?" could you say, " Lord, I believe ?" It 15 170 THE BLIND BEGGAR you believe in Jesus, then you love him, and you will try to please him. You will not say bad words, nor tell lies, nor steal, nor fight. Wicked people abused the blind man, because he said that Jesus was good ; but Jesus him- self came to comfort him. If wicked boys and girls laugh at you, because you wish to please God, do not mind what they say. Jesus hears them when they laugh at you, and he will make you happy. You may read this history in the ninth chap- ter of the Gospel according to St. John. Jesus, who lives above the sky, Came down to be a man and die ; And in the Bible we may see How very good he used to be. He went about, he was so kind, To cure poor people who were blind : And many who were sick and lame, He pitied them and did the same. And more than that, he told them, too, The things which God would have them do ; And was so gentle and so mild, He woul^ have listen'd to a child . OF JERUSALEM. 171 But such a cruel death he died— He was hung up, and crucified ! And those kind hands th'at did such good, They nail'd them to a cross of wood. And so he died ! And this is why He came to be a man and die. The Bible says he came from heaven, That we might have our sins forgiven. He knew how wicked men had been, And knew that God must punish sin j So, out of pity, Jesus said He'd bear the punishment instead. LITTLE CHILDREN. Some people are very fond of children. Other people think them troublesome, take no notice of them, or speak roughly to them. When Jesus, the Son of God, was in this world, he was very kind to children, and now he lives in heaven he loves them still. Once, when he was in a house, he called a little child, and took him in his arms. And why did he do so ? There were some men in the house who had been disputing together. What had they been disputing about ? Who should be the greatest. It is proud to wish tc be great. A little child does not wish to be great; it likes better to be with its own mother than to ride in a carriage with a fine lady, Jesus showed this little child to the men who wished to be great. He set him in the midst of them, and said, "Except ye become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever, therefore, shall hum ble himself as this little child, the same is great- est in the kingdom of heaven." You see that Jesus loves humble, meek, gen- tle people, who are like lambs and doves ; but children, as they grow bigger, often grew LITTLE CHILDREN. 173 worse, till they are like lions, bears, and tigers. Here is a prayer for a little child : " Gentle Jesus, meek and mild, Look upon a little child ; Pity my simplicity, Suffer me to come to thee." There were some other little children whom Jesus took in his arms ; their mothers brought them to the Lord. Should you like to have seen those mothers, with their little darlings in their arms, coming to Jesus ? But when they came, those men were there who once disput- ed who should be the greatest. Those men were called "disciples ;" they were good men, but not as good as J esus was. They did not like to see the mothers bringing little children in their arms ; they thought the children would be trou- blesome, and they told the mothers to take them away. How sorry those poor women would have been to take their little ones back again, for they wanted Jesus to touch them, to pray for them, and to bless them. But Jesus heard the disciples speak unkindly to the women, and he was much displeased with them, and he said to them, " Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not ; for of such is the kingdom of heaven." Then he took the dear little creatures in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them. There is a very pretty hymn about Jesus 15* 74 LITTLE CHILDREN. blessing the little children. I am sure you will like it. " T think when I read that sweet story of old, When Jesus was here among men, How he called little children, as lambs, to his fold, I should like to have been with them then. I wish that his hands had been placed on my head, That his arms had been thrown around me, And that I might have seen his kind look when he said, ' Let the little ones come unto me.' " Yet still to his footstool in prayer I may go, And ask for a share in his love, And if I thus earnestly seek him below, I shall see him and hear him above — In that beautiful plaee he is gone to prepare For all who are wash'd and forgiven ; And many dear children are gathering there, ' For of such is the kingdom of heaven.' " But thousands and thousands, who wander and fall, Never heard of that heavenly home — I should like them to know there is room for them all And that Jesus has bid them to come. I long for the joy of that glorious time, The sweetest, and brightest, and best, When the dear little children of every clime Shall crowd to his arms, and be blessed. 1 ' Mrs. Lu&ic. LITTLE CHILDREN. 175 May the children who read this book often think of the sweet words, "Suffer little chil- dren, and forbid them not, to come unto me ; for of such is the kingdom of heaven." I do not know whether the little- children whom Jesus blessed could speak. I do not even know whether they could walk ; but there were some children who could speak who loved the Lord. I think they loved him, because they praised him. Once, when he was in a beautiful house called the Temple, these children were there too. They saw the won- derful things that he did ; they saw him make blind- people see, and lame people walk, and they cried out, " Hosanna to the Son of David." This was a prayer. The word " Hosanna" means, " Save, Lord, we beseech thee." The children called Jesus the son of David. David was a great king, and Jesus belonged to his family. But he was the son of a greater king than David — he was the Son of God. Did he like to hear the children praising him ? Yes, he did ; but there were some wicked men there, who did not like to hear them. They said to him, " Do you hear what these children say ?" And Jesus said, " Yes. Have you never read, ' Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings, thou hast perfected praise ?' " It is God who teaches children to praise him. It is a dreadful thing to hear a child use wicked words, but it is very sweet to hear him praise 176 LITTLE CHILDREN. God— it makes one think of the angels in hea- ven. You may read about Christ and the children in the New Testament, or the Bible, in Mat- thew 19 : 13-15; 21 : 15, 16 ; Mark 9: 33-37 ; 10: 13-16; Luke 18: 15-17. Children of Jerusalem Sang the praise of Jesus' name ; Children, too, of later days, Join to sing the Saviour's praise. Hark ! while infant voices sing Loud hosannas to our King. Christ approved their song, and said, " Have you not then ever read, God accepts the simple praise That these babes and sucklings raise •■ Hark ! their infant voices sing Loud hosannas to their King. Come, let all our infant train Swell the humble, grateful strain ; Hallelujah let us sing, Loud hosannas to our King. Hark ! while infant voices sing Loud hosannas to our King. Parents, teachers, old and young, All unite to swell the song ; Higher and yet higher rise, Till hosannas reach the skies. Hark ! we all unite to sing Loud hosannas to our Kins. THE TEN SICK MEN. It is very common to meet sick people in the streets, but did you ever see ten sick peo- ple all standing together ? I think not. Yet once ten very sick people were seen together. They were called lepers. What is a leper ? It is a man whose skin is covered with a white breaking- out, arid whose flesh is begin- ning to crumble away. Sometimes the ends of his fingers drop off, and then his hands or his feet, till only the stumps are left. It would make you sad to see one of these poor lepers. But, oh, how very sad it must have been to see ten lepers standing together. 1 will tell you why they all kept together. It was because they were not allowed to be with people who were well — not even to touch them ; so what could the poor creatures do ? They did not like always to be alone, and they were glad to keep company with each other. They were not allowed to walk in the streets of a town, lest they should touch the people who were passing by; they were obliged to be in the country, amongst the trees and the fields. It is pleasant to be in the country — yes, very pleasant for people who are well, but it was 178 THE TEN SICK MEN. not pleasant for the poor lepers ; no place was pleasant for them. One day, as the ten lepers were all together, they saw a man coming along the way, and going towards a village. They knew who this man was; they must have seen him before. But do you know who that man was ? He was the greatest man who ever lived in this world. Was he a king ? He was greater than all the kings — he was the King of kings, and yet he w T as a poor man. How could this be ? I will tell you how it was. The Son of God had come down to be a man, and to live in this world. God, his Father, had sent him down here that he might die upon the cross for our sins. We are. sinners, and the Son of God died that our sins might be for- given. The Son of God was called Jesus. Oh, he was so kind and good, but he chose to be very poor. He could do wonderful things ; and make sick people well only by speaking a word. The ten lepers had heard of this, and when they saw Jesus passing by, they called out very loud, " Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." They did not dare to come near Jesus, but they hoped he would hear their voices. And he did hear them, and said, " Go, show yourselves to the priests." Now, the priests were ministers. God had said, that when lepers were made well they should go first to the priests, to be looked at by them before they walked again about the streets. So THE TEN SICK MEN. 179 when these lepers heard Jesus tell them to go to the priests, they knew that they should soon be quite well. As they were walking along towards the place where the priests lived, they grew well. Those hands that were covered with white sores, w r ere now the same brown color they had been before. If the lepers looked at each other, they saw faces that were of a sickly white become rosy and healthy. And when the lepers saw this, did they go on or did they turn back ? One of them turned back, and only one ; all the rest made haste to go to the priests. Why did that one turn back ? It was that he might go to Jesus and thank him. As he went along, he praised God for his goodness with a loud voice. When he was sick, he had asked to be cured with a loud voice ; and now he was well, he thanked God with a loud voice. This was right. When he came to Jesus, he fell down at his feet with his face to the ground and thanked him. Then Jesus said, " Were there not ten cleansed ? but where are the nine ? There are not found that returned to give glory God, save this stranger." Now Jesus knew that this man who had come back was not of his own country. He was a stranger, or a for- eigner, and he came from a land where the people knew very little about God, yet he loved God better than the other lepers did. There are many people who pray to God 180 THE TEN SICK MEN. when they are unhappy, and who forget to thank him when they are happy again. Is there a boy reading this book who was once in great distress ? Had you once no food in the house ? Did you pray to God for food ? Did you get food ? Did you thank God for it ? Whenever God has given you anything, or made you well, or got you out of trouble, he expects you to thank him. He knows how many men and women and children he has helped. Perhaps there were one hundred people very ill last night, and God has made them all better this mornng, and perhaps only one thanks him. Then God says, " Where are the ninety and nine ?" God knows your name. If you do not thank him, he says, "Where is that little boy, or that little girl ? Why does not he come and thank me ? I have been very kind to him." Do you know the greatest kindness God has ever shown you ? He has given his Son to die for your sins. Did you ever once thank God for sending Jesus Christ to die upon the cross that you might not go to hell ? If you have never thanked him yet, begin this day, and say, "0 Father, I thank thee for sending the Lord Jesus Christ to die upon the cross to save sinners." You may read this history in Luke 17 11-19. THE TEN SICK MEN. 181 THE SAVIOUR'S LOVE. How great is the love Which Jesus hath shown ! He came from above, From heaven's bright throne, That he might deliver His children from hell, And take them for ever In glory to dwell. He died on the cross, And pour'd out his blood, To bear their dread curse, And fit them for God. For love so amazing-, His name we adore, And would him be praising With saints evermore. 16 THE BLIND BEGGAR OF JERICHO. It is very common to see blind men begging in the streets. Do not you pity the blind ? How sad it must be never to see the light of the sun, nor the green leaves in spring, nor the faces of our dearest friends ! A long while ago a blind man sat begging by the side of the road. As he sat, he heard the noise of a great crowd walking along. He did not know why there was such a crowd, so he asked the people passing by why so many had come together. They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing that way. The blind man had heard before of Jesus. He had heard that he could do great wonders, and he felt THE BLIND BEGGAR. 1S3 sure in his heart that Jesus could make him see. But the blind man could not go to him — how could he dare to stir in such a crowd ? he might have been pushed down and trodden upon and crushed to death. But he could speak. He cried out very loud, " Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me." He did not cry out barely once or twice, he kept on crying out, hoping that Jesus would hear him. But the Lord took no notice of him, and a great many people came up to him and told him not to make such a noise. Yet the poor man would not be quiet ; he knew that the Lord was passing by, and that he might soon be gone, and that he might never pass that way again, so he cried out more than ever, "Have mercy on me !" And did the Lord take notice of him at last ? Yes, he did ; he stood still, and told the people to bring that blind man to him. How kind it was in Jesus to care for the blind beggar! Jesus is very kind, and cares for every poor creature in the world. At last the blind man heard some one speak kindly to him, and say, "Be of good comfort, rise, he calleth thee/' How glad he was to hear that Jesus had sent for him ! He got up very quickly and went to Jesus, for now the people made room for him. No one now was rude to the poor beggar, for Jesus had called for him. And what did Jesus say to him ? He asked him what he wished him to do for him. The 184 THE BLIND BEGGAR man replied, "Lord, that I may receive my sight." Jesus pitied him very much, and he touched his eyes, and said, " Receive thy sight." That moment he was able to see How glad he now was that he had cried out, " Lord have mercy on me," and that he had not left off when the people told him not to make a noise ! He would not leave Jesus now he had found him, but went after him on the road, praising him, and thanking God for his goodness. If all people would pray as this blind man did, Jesus would hear them all. The child who reads this book is not blind. If you were blind, how could you read to father or to mother? But there is something which Jesus could do for you, that would make' you happy forever. What is it ? Do you know ? If he were to say, " What do you wish me to do for you ? What would you answer ? I should like you to say, " Forgive me my sins, and give me thy Hoiy Spirit." My dear child, do make this little prayer every day. Jesus would hear you. Perhaps you live in a- very poor place. Perhaps you live in a little room in town, up some dark and narrow stairs ; perhaps there is very little furniture in it, and very little food in the cupboard ; but Jesus knows where you live, and he knows your name, and your father's name, and your mother's name, and he hears all you say. He would be much pleased to hear you praying to him, because he loves OF JERICHO. 185 you, and he once died upon the cross that } t ou might not go to hell. If you go to heaven, you will see the blind beggar there — I mean the beggar who once was blind. Then you will sing with him about the love of Jesus in saving your souls. If you wish to read a full account of this blind man, you will find it in Mark 10 : 46, to end : and also in Luke 18 : 35, to end. When Jesus Christ was here below, And spread his works of love abroad, If I had lived so long ago, I think I should have loved the Lord. Jesus, who was so very kind, Who came to pardon sinful men, Who heal'd the sick, and cur'd the blind : Oh, must not I have loved him then % But where is Jesus 1 Is he dead % Oh, no ; he lives in heaven above : " And blest are they," the Saviour said, " Who, though they have not seen me, love." He sees us from his throne on high, As well as when on earth he dwelt ; And when to him poor children cry, He feels such love as then he felt. 16^ 186 THE BLIXD BEGGAR. Aif.d if the Lord will grant me grace, Much I will love him and adore ; But when in heaven I see his face, 'Twill be my joy to love him more. " Mercy, thou Son of David !" Thus blind Bartimeus pray'd ; " Others by thy word are saved, Now to me afford thine aid." Many for his crying chid him, But he called the louder still ; Till the gracious Saviour bid him, " Come, and ask me what you will.* 3 Money was not what he wanted, Though by begging used to live ; But he ask'd, and Jesus granted, Alms which none but he could give. "Lord, remove this grievous blindness, Let my eyes behold the day;" •Straight he saw, and, won by kindness, Follow'd Jesus in the way. Oh, methinks I hear him praising, Publishing to all around, u Friends, is not my case amazing . What a Saviour I have found !" THE MAN IN THE TREE. Sometimes the queen passes through the city of London in her grand carriage of state. Then all the windows in the streets, from the shop to the garret, are full of faces looking out and longing to have a peep at her Majesty the queen. Sometimes the queen travels in the country, and then all the lanes are filled with people : where generally sheep are feeding, there chil- dren may be seen in large flocks ; and where the birds often sit and sing, there boys and even men have climbed up, that they may get a good sight of their sovereign. More than eighteen hundred years ago, the King of kings was walking about this world. 188 THE MAN IN THE TREE. It is true, he did not wear rich and splendid clothes, nor did he ride in a grand carriage drawn by fine horses — no, he was dressed like a poor man, and he walked about from place to place ; but then he spoke such sweet words that people came from far to hear him; and besides this, he did such wonders — making the blind to see, and the lame to walk — that every one wished to look at him. There was a man who longed and tried to see this great King, but he could not, because there was a crowd all round, and he was a short man and he could not look over the heads of the people. So he ran on a little way, and then he climbed up in a tree called a sycamore- tree, which is a high tree with thick, strong branches. There he waited till the King pass- ed by. He thought he should see him well from this high place, but he did not know that any one would see him, or take notice of him. How much surprised he was when Jesus came to the place ! (for this King was the Lord Jesus.) The Lord looked up towards the tree. Now, the man could see him well — not only the hair upon his head, but his eyes, and his whole face. Jesus not only looked, but stopped and spoke. He said, " Zaccheus, make haste, and come down ; for to-day I must abide at thy house." Jesus knew the man's name ; he knew why he had gone up into the tree, and he knew that he had a house in the next town. Zaccheus did not stop any longer in the THE MAN IX THE TREE. 189 tree ; he got down very fast, went back to his house, and was ready to receive the Lord into it. He thought it a great honor to receive such a visitor beneath his roof, and indeed it was the greatest honor he could have ; even an angel would think it a great honor to have a visit from the Son of God. Zaccheus was a rich man, so I suppose he had a large, and perhaps a fine house. But Jesus does not care whether a house is large or small, he looks into the hearts of the people who live in it. Why did he choose to come to the house of Zaccheus ? Be- cause he had determined to make Zaccheus happy forever. Once Zaccheus had been a wicked man ; he had cheated many people. It was his business to collect the public taxes, and for this reason he was called a publican; but he had not been honest ; he had charged more than he ought, and he had grown rich by his dishonesty. His cheating ways had been found out, and now he had a bad character ; so when people saw Jesus go into his house, many said, " Why does he go into the house of a wicked person ?" But the people who said that, did not know that Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Zaccheus was now very sorry for his past wickedness, and while Jesus was in his house, he stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor ;" and he promised to give oack to those people from whom he had taken 190 THE MAN IN THE TREE. too much, four times what he had taken. Was not this right in Zaccheus ? Everybody whom he had cheated might come to him and say, " You took from me one penny, or two pence, more than you ought; will you give me back four times as much?" If the people said true, then Zaccheus would give them back the money. Jesus was much pleased to hear Zaccheus speak as he did. He praised him, and said he was a son of Abraham. Abraham was a man who believed in God, and Jesus saw that Zaccheus did so also, for he could see into his heart. These were the words that Jesus spoke to Zaccheus : " This day is salva- tion come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham." I do not know whether Zaccheus had any little children, but if he had, how glad they must have been to hear Jesus say salvation w r as come to the house or the family. How happy are the children of a man who believes in Jesus ! A good father prays for his children, teaches them, takes them to the house of God, and begs them to be good, and to love Christ. Zaccheus never could forget the visit that Jesus had made to his family. How often he would talk of it, and call to mind all that Jesus had done and said. How often he must have re- peated this sweet sentence : " The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Jesus is not now walking about the world. THE MAN IN THE TREE. 191 but many of his servants are, and they go like him to seek the lost. They go to the houses of sinners ; they go to the rooms of sinners ; they stand by the dying beds of sinners, and tell them of the Saviour. Has a good man ever visited your father's house ? It might be a minister, or it might be a good man who was not a minister. Did he come and talk to you of Jesus ? Perhaps he often comes and reads the Bible, and kneels down, and prays with you and your father and mother. Are you not glad to see him ? Do you not say sometimes to your mother, " I think I hear his steps upon the stairs ?" Do you run and open the door, and beg him to come in and sit down ? Do you keep quite still while he is reading and praying? Perhaps he sometimes speaks to you, and tells you that Jesus loves little children. You may find the history of Zaccheus in Luke 19: 1-10. Christ is merciful and mild; He was once a little child : He whom heavenly hosts adore, Lived on earth among the poor. Then he laid his glory by, When for us he came to die; How I wonder when I see His unbounded love for me. Children in his arms he pressed, Kindly took them to his breast; They, said he, shall share my bliss, Fur of such my kingdom is. CHRIST m THE GARDEN. When the Lord Jesus lived in this world, he used often to go into a garden. A garden is a sweet place. There are different kinds of gardens ; some are very small, and have little walks in them, and a few flower-beds with a grass border. You will often see such a gar- den spread out before the door of a neat cot- tage, and it is very pleasant to look at the gay tulips and the lovely lilies, and to smell the sweet wall-flowers, and hyacinths, and roses. But there are some gardens which have large trees in them, and shady walks. It was to such a garden that Jesus used to go. He had twelve friends who went with him from place to place, and when he sat in the garden they would sit with him and listen to his sweet words about his Father in heaven. I will now tell you about the last time that the Lord Jesus went to the garden before he died. It was in the evening, when it was dark. All his disciples were with him except one, and that one was called Judas ; he was very wicked, and he was gone away from Jesus. But there were eleven men still with their Lord, and they loved him very much. CHRIST IN THE GARDEN. 193 They knew that he was very unhappy that evening, and they were unhappy too. What made Jesus sad ? It was this ; men had sinned, and done very wickedly, and they deserved to go to hell, to be tormented for ever ; but Jesus had come into the world to die for their sins. Oh, was not this kind in Jesus Christ to die for sinners such as you and I ? And was it not kind in God his Father to give up his only Son to suffer pain and grief, that we might not suffer pain and grief for ever and ever ? Now you see why Jesus was sad. He was going to die for our sins ; the time was almost come : this was his last evening. He had come into the garden to pray to his Father. It is a great comfort in trouble to pray to God. When the Lord was at the garden-gate, he said to his friends, " Sit ye here, while 1 go and pray yonder." He took three of his friends with him, and eight were left near the garden-gate. Should you like to know the names of the three who went with Jesus ? They were Peter, and James, and John. They often were with Jesus when no one else was there besides. When the Lord had gone some way, he said to Peter, James, and John, " My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me." Then he went a very little way off, and lay with his face on the ground, and began to pray to his Father, and these were the words he said : " O, my 17 194 CHRIST. IN THE GARDEN. Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me." What did he mean by this cup ? He did not mean a real cup. He was going to be tormented by the wicked devil, and to be nailed upon a cross of wood till he died. It was not a cup of bitter medicine he was going to drink, but a cup of pain and grief, and he asked his Father not to let him drink it. But then he knew that his Father loved us sinners, and wished to save us, so Jesus finished his prayer with these words, " Not as I will, but as thou wilt." What a sweet prayer this was ! Jesus did not wish to do his own will, but his Father's will. When we pray to God in our troubles, let us say the same, " Not as I will, but as thou wilt." After Jesus had prayed, he went to his three friends, but he found them sleeping, for they were very tired, and very unhappy. He was not angry, but he said to them gently, " Could ye not watch with me one hour ?" Then he went back again to pray, and he said the same words he had said before. After he had prayed he returned to his friends, but he found them asleep, and when he spoke to them they did not know what to answer him. They knew they ought to have be"en praying and watching with their Lord. Jesus went back again to pray the third time. His Father heard his prayers, and he sent an angel from heaven to comfort him. How glad that angel must have been to go CHRIST IN THE GARDEN. ]95 to his Lord ! for Jesus is the Son of God, and is greater than all the angels. • Before he came into this world to be a man, he was with his Father in heaven, and he made everything, and he made the angels. But what a sad sight the angel saw when he came down and found Jesus in the garden ! The Son of God was in such great sorrow and trouble, that the blood came through his skin while he prayed, and it fell on the ground in great drops. Oh, what pain the blessed Saviour must have felt ! It was for us, and not for the angel, he was suffering all this pain. That angel had never sinned, but we have sinned, every day and every hour. After Jesus had prayed very earnestly, he came back the third time to his friends. Were they sleeping still ? Yes they were ; they had not seen the bright angel talking to their Lord. This time Jesus said to his three friends, " Rise up, let us go." He told them that the people who hated him were coming, and so they were. While Jesus was yet speaking, a number of men came near, with lamps in their hands and great sticks and swords. And who was showing them the way ? It was the wicked Judas. He had often been in the garden w 7 ith his Master, and he knew where to find him. The Lord did not go away, but let the wicked people take hold of him. Oh, what a loving Saviour Jesus was ! ]96 CHRIST IN THE GARDEN. Now he is alive again, and is ready to hear our prayers, and to pardon our sins, and to give us new hearts, and to take us to heaven. This history may be found in Matthew 26 : 36-47 ; Mark 14 : 32-43 ; Luke 22 : 39-47 ; John 18: 1-4. He, who was a King above, Left his kingdom for a grave, Out of pity and of love, That the guilty he might save : Down to this sad world he flew For such little ones as you. Stretch'd upon the cross, behold, How his tender limbs are torn ! For a royal crown of gold, They have made him one of thorn ! Cruel hands, that dare to bind Thorns upon a brow so kind. Come then, children, come and see! Lift your little hands to pray j '< Blessed Jesus, pardon me, Help a guilty infant," say ; " Since it was for such as 1 Thou didst condescend to die.'* THE MAN WHO SAT BY THE FIRE IN THE HALL. Once the Son of God lived in this world- Is not that wonderful ? He became a man, and he had a body and a soul just as you have. Would you have liked to have seen him ? I •think you would. There were twelve men who walked about with him from place to place. They were called his disciples. One of them was named Simon Peter. He loved Jesus, the Son of God. Sometimes Jesus used to say to his twelve disciples, "I shall soon die; wicked men will kill me ; they will nail me on a cross, but I shall rise again out of my grave." The disciples were very sorry to hear their Master talk in this way ; they could not bear to think that he should die. Once Peter said, " Lord, I am ready to go with thee both into prison, and to death." Then Jesus said to Peter, " This night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me." Jesus was God, and he knew all that was going to happen. Peter could not believe that he would ever say he did not know his dear Master, but Peter did 17* 198 THE MAN WHO SAT not know how much naughtiness there was in his heart. That very night some wicked men came into a garden where Jesus was, and bound him with ropes, and took him to a great house. The judges were seated on high seats in that great house or hall. Peter was very sorry to see his Master taken away, and he went after him. He did not go with him, but he followed him some way off. There was a woman at the door, and she let him go in ; then Peter sat by a fire, and warmed himself. Soon the woman who had let Peter in, looked at him, and said, '" Thou also art one of his disciples." Then Peter was afraid lest the wicked people should use him ill, as they did his Master, and he said to the woman, "Woman, I know him not." That was a lie — a dreadful lie. Presently after- wards Peter left the hall, and went out into the porch. Then the cock crew. Did Peter re- member what Jesus had said? No, he did not ; he took no notice of the crowing of the cock. While he was in the porch, a man said to him, " Thou art also of them." Peter an- swered, " Man, I am not ;" and not content with telling this lie, he soon began to swear he did not know the Lord. He returned into the great house. There his Master was. The wicked people were round him, laughing at him, beating him, and even spitting at him. Several persons came up to Peter, and said, " Surely thou art one of BY THE FIRE. 199 them." Then he began to curse and to swear, and to say, " I do not know the man." While he was speaking in this wicked manner, the cock crew again, and Jesus himself turned to- wards Peter, and looked at him. Now Peter remembered what Jesus had said to him ; now he felt very sorry indeed for his wickedness. He left the hall, and began to weep very bitter- ly. He thought over all that had happened — how kind his Master had been to him, and how ungratefully he had behaved. Could he ever forget that look which Jesus had cast upon him? What sort of a look do you think it was — an angry look or a sorrowful look? I think there was more sorrow than anger in it. Did the Lord Jesus forgive Peter his great sin ? Yes, he did. The next day Jesus was crucified, and was buried. But he only lay three days in his grave. On the morning of the first day of the week, very early he rose again. How glad Peter was to see him again! Jesus did not say to Peter, " I cannot love you any more, because you behaved so ill that night.''" No; Jesus said to him, " Lovest thou me?" And Peter said, "Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee." Jesus asked him three times over if he loved him, and Peter said three times over that he did love him. Jesus is now in heaven with God his Father, and Peter is there too. Jesus wants you to love him. He has been very kind to you ; he made your body, for he is God. He died on the 200 THE MAN WHO SAT cross to save you from going to hell. Do you love him ? How wicked it would be not to love him! It is very wicked not love your father or your mother, but it is more wicked still not to love Jesus. When you do wrong Jesus sees you, and if you are sorry for your sin, and cry about it, Jesus sees your tears. Children who really love Jesus are very sorry when they have done wrong; but other children say, " I don't care." I am afraid lest they should go to hell. Did you ever cry because you had displeased God ? You have often cried — what has it been about ? Was it because you were cold and hungry ? Was it because you had a pain in your head ? Was it because a boy had taken away your things, or because he had struck you a blow? Was it because your father was angry with you, and was going to punish you ? I dare say you have cried for all these rea- sons. Have you ever cried about your sins ? It is a good day when a boy or a girl sits in some corner, and thinks over sins that are past, and feels sorry, and prays to God, and says, " O God forgive me, for the sake of Jesus who died upon the cross, and give me thy Holy Spirit to make me good." You may read the history of Peter's sin in Matt. 26: 69, to end ; Mark 14 : 66, to end' Luke 22: 54-62; John 18 : 15-27. BY THE FIRE. 201 Ashamed of Jesus ! that dear triend, On whom my hopes of heaven depend ! No ; when I blush, be this my shame, That I no more revere his name. Ashamed of Jesus ! yes, I may When I've no guilt to wash away, No tears to wipe, no good to crave, No fears to quell, no soul to save. Till then — nor is my boasting vain— Till then I boast a Saviour slain ! And oh, may this my glory be, That Christ is not asham'd of me. THE MAN WHO HANGED HIMSELF. These are a great many wicked people in the world. No one but God knows who is the most wicked, for he sees into the heart. I am going to tell 3^ou the history of a very wicked man. He was a liar, a thief, and a murderer ; and worse than all, he was a hypocrite, that is, he was a man who pretended to be good. What was his name ? Judas. Where did he live? In a country a great way off, called Canaan. It was the land of the Jews. When did he live? More than eighteen hundred years ago. He has been dead a long while, but his history is written in the Bible. When Judas was alive, the Son of God was living in this world for a little while. Did Jesus the Son of God ever speak to Judas ? Yes, he did, and he chose him to be one of the twelve men who were always with him. Are you not surprised to hear this ? Jesus knew that Judas was wicked, yet he let him come after him. Jesus often talked to him, and told him about his Father in heaven. Jesus was very kind to him, yet Judas did not love Jesus. The men who were with Jesus were called his dis- THE MAN WHO HANGED HIMSELF. 203 ciples. The other disciples thought that Judas was good : they all put their money into one bag, and they let Judas take care of that bag ; they did not know that he often took the money out of it, and kept it himself. Judas was a thief, but he was not found out for a long time. Jesus knew that he was a thief, because he knows all things. Once a good woman named Mary poured some very sweet stuff upon the head of Jesus, and upon his feet. This ointment was in a beautiful white box, but Mary broke the box to pour it out upon Jesus. When Judas saw what she had done, he said it was a great pity she had wasted the ointment upon Jesus, and that it would have been better to have sold it and given the money to the poor. But had Mary wasted the ointment? Oh, no; it was not too good to be given to the Son of God ; nothing could be too good for him who is all goodness. But why did Judas wish the oint- ment had been sold ? His reason was, that he thought the money would have been put into the bag for him to give to the poor, and then he could have stolen some of it. He pretended to care for the poor, for he was very sly. Jesus knew all that Judas was thinking about, and he said that Mary had done right in pouring the ointment upon his head. Then Judas was very angry, because Jesus had taken Mary's part, and he went out of the room. And where did he °o ? To some 204 THE MAN WHO wicked men who wanted to kill Jesus. It was night, and these wicked men were saying to each other, " How shall we get hold of Jesus, that we may have him killed ? In the day we are afraid of taking him, because the people like him very much, and we do not know where he goes at night." Judas came in and said to the wicked men, "I will show you where Jesus goes at night." Then the wicked men were pleased, and promised to give Judas thirty pieces of silver. Two days afterwards Jesus took his last sup- per with his twelve disciples. Judas was there. Jesus told his disciples that he should soon die. All the disciples, except Judas, were very sorry to hear him say this. Then Jesus said, "One of you will betray me." What did he mean ? He meant that one of his dis- ciples would show the wicked people where he went at night. Then each of the disciples said, "Lord, is it I?" And at last Judas said. " Is it I ?" Then Jesus said that it was. Soon afterwards, Jesus told Judas to do quickly what he was going to do. Then Judas got up, and went out of the room. The other disciples thought he was gone to buy something at the shop, or to give something to the poor, but he was gone to the wicked peo- ple. He knew where Jesus was going that night, and he meant to bring the wicked people there. After Judas was gone, Jesus left the room HANGED HIMSELF. 205 and went down stairs, and walked along the streets. His disciples went with him. They came at last to a garden full of high trees. There they used often to go with Jesus. This night Jesus went alone to one part of the gar- den, and prayed to his Father. He was very sad. At last he came back to his disciples. Just at that moment