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JOSEPH SOLD TO THE MERCHANTS.
SCRIPTURE HISTORIES
LITTLE CHILDKEN.
BY THE AUTHOR OV
"MAMMA'S BIBLE STORIES."
SIXTEEN ILLUSTRATIONS BY JOHN GILBERT.
NEW-TOEK : EVANS AND DIOKERSON,
697 BROADWAY. 1854.
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PRINTER AND STEREOTYPES,
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CHAPTER I.
Joseph in his Coat of Many Coloues — Wanders in Search of his Brothers — They put him into the Pit — Sell him to some Merchantmen.
HERE are many beautiful stories in the Bible. One of the most beauti- ful of them is the story of Joseph. Joseph's father's name was Jacob. Jacob had twelve sons; and Joseph was the youngest but one. He was a good and dutiful boy, and his father loved him very much. He gave him a coat of many colours to wear ; and this made his brothers jealous. They thought their father loved Joseph more
2 THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH.
than he loved them; and this made them feel angry and unkind. One day the ten brothers were among the mountains, some way from home, taking care of their father's flocks, for they were shepherds. Joseph, and his little brother Benjamin, the youngest of the twelve sons, were left at home. Jacob told Joseph he wished he would go and see after his brothers, and bring him word where they were, and how they were going on. Like a good and obedient son, he set off directly, wearing his coat of many colours. After he had wandered about in the fields for some time, he met a man, and the man asked him whom he was looking for ; and Joseph said he was looking for his brothers. Then the man told him which way they were gone ; and Joseph went in search of them, as his father had bid him. When Joseph's brothers saw him at a dis-
JOSEPH IS PUT INTO THE PIT. 6
tance coming towards them, they were vexed and angry. Perhaps they thought he was only coming to see what they were about, and that he would go back and tell their father some tales about them. If they had been kind brothers, they would have been glad to see Joseph, as he had come more than fifty miles, and had taken so much trouble to find them. But instead of being kind, they began to say to each other, " What shall we do with him? Let us kill him, and then tell our father that a wild beast has torn him to pieces ; and as 'he is so far off, he will never know." But Eeuben, the eldest of the brothers, said, " No. Do not let us kill him with our own hands, but let us put him into this pit." For there was a deep pit in the middle of the wide common. But there was no water in the pit. Reuben was not quite so cruel as the others, and he, perhaps, meant to take Joseph out
4: THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH.
of the pit and send him back to his father again, when his brothers were gone away. So, as soon as Joseph reached the place where they were, they caught hold of him . roughly, pulled off the coat of many colours, which his father had given him, and without minding his cries and tears, bound cords round his hands and feet, and threw him down into the dark dismal pit. Poor Joseph ! how it must have grieved him to think he should never see his dear father again ! and how cold and hungry he must have felt ! Brothers and sisters ought to love each other, and to try to make each other happy, instead of being cruel and unkind, like Joseph's naughty brothers.
Soon after the brothers had done this cruel thing to poor Joseph, Reuben went away, and the rest sat down on the grass a little way off to eat their dinner, How sad it was that
JOSEPH SOLD TO THE MERCHANTS. O
they could eat and drink and be happy, when they knew their poor brother was left to starve in the pit ! Whilst they were eating their dinner, they saw a great many people coming along the road. These people were called merchants. They were riding upon camels, and were going down into Egypt. Some of the camels were laden with spices, and balm, and myrrh, which the merchants were going to sell.
As soon as Joseph's brothers saw the camels and merchants coming in sight, one of them, named Judah, said to the others, "How much better it would be to take Joseph out of the pit, and to let these men give us some money for him, and then take him away with them!" The other brothers said, "Yes; it would be a very good plan to sell Joseph." So they called to the men, and asked them if they would buy a young lad. The men said,
6 THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH.
"Yes." Then the cruel brothers went and drew Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to the merchants for twenty pieces of silver, and the merchants put Joseph on one of the camels, and took him away with them to be their slave or servant. Poor fellow ! how sorrowful he must have felt to be sent so far away from his own happy home, where he used to live when he was a little boy ; and from his father and his dear brother Ben- jamin ! After the camels were gone, Reuben, the eldest brother, came back to the pit, meaning most likely to help Joseph out ; but what was his surprise and alarm when he found the pit empty. He said, " Oh ! what shall I do ? The child is not ; and I, whither shall I go ?" Then he began to cry, and was afraid of going home, because he could not bear to see his poor father. The other brothers, in the mean time, had thought of a
GRIEF OF JOSEPH S FATHER. i
plan to deceive good old Jacob. They went and killed a kid, and dipped poor Joseph's pretty coat in its blood, and then carried it home to their father. Thus they were not- only cruel but deceitful. They pretended that some wild beast had killed their brother Joseph ; and when their father Jacob saw the coat, his heart was almost broken with grief. He cried very much, just as your papa and mamma would have cried if they had lost one of their dear children ; but the naughty, cruel, unkind brothers did not tell him what had become of Joseph.
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CHAPTER II.
Joseph is taken to Egypt — Sold to a Rich Man — He is put in Prison — He Explains the King's Dream — The King makes Joseph a Ruler over the Land.
00R Joseph ! where is he now ? He is far away from his dear Father. The merchantmen are taking him down to Egypt, to sell him as a slave. He is very sorrowful and un- happy. He had a long way to go on the camels ; and it was many, many days before the merchants got down to Egypt; but when they did get there, they sold Joseph to a rich man who lived in that coun- try to be his servant. This rich man was a kind man, and a kind master to Joseph. He did not send him to work in the fields, as he did many of his poor slaves, but he made him
JOSEPH IS PUT INTO PRISON. 9
a servant in the house, and told him to take care of the house and gardens and every thing- else. Joseph took great pains to please his master, and for some time all went on well, though he must often have wept, when he thought of his dear aged father, and of his cruel brothers. At last, however, without any good reason, Joseph's master became angry with him, very angry indeed, and he bound him in chains and put him into prison. A prison is a dark gloomy place with very small windows, and bars of iron before the windows, and iron gates and bolts. The man who kept the keys of the prison was called the keeper. God put it into this keeper's heart to be kind to Joseph, and Joseph behaved so well that the keeper soon took off his chains, and allowed him to walk about where he liked, and to take care of the other prisoners.
10 THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH.
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After poor Joseph had been for some years in prison, the king of the country had a wonderful dream, and he tried to find some one who could tell him what it meant. God was pleased at that time sometimes to make his will known by means of dreams. Some one told the king that there was a young man in the prison who could explain dreams ; and the king said, " Let him be sent for." So the servants came to the prison, and said to the keeper, " We are come to fetch the young man Joseph. The king desires to speak to him." Joseph must have been glad when he heard this. He was dressed in poor shabby clothes not fit for a king to see, but the servants gave him some neat clothes to put on before they brought him to the king. When he came into the king's house, the king said, " I hear that you can tell the meaning of dreams." Then he told Joseph his two
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JOSEPH IS MADE RULER. 11
dreams, and God helped Joseph to explain them to him. Joseph told the king that there would soon be a great famine in the land — that there would be no corn to make bread of, — and that the people would become hungry, very hungry indeed, because they would have nothing to eat. Joseph then told the king that he had better look out for a very wise man who would save up the corn and put it into large barns, so as to have a store of food for the people against the time of famine came. And the king was so much pleased with what Joseph said, and thought him so wise and clever, that he said to his servants, " Where can I find a man who will do so well as Joseph ? Joseph shall be ruler over the land, and shall be the greatest man in the country, except myself." Then the king took a ring off his own finger and put it upon Joseph's finger; and he gave him beautiful
12 THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH.
clothes to wear, and put a gold chain about his neck. He also gave him a fine chariot to ride in, and desired the people to bow down when they saw Joseph's chariot coming. Thus he was made a great lord, and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Through all his trou- bles God took care of him, for he loved, feared, and obeyed his heavenly Father.
CHAPTER III.
Joseph's Brothers come into Egypt to buy Corn — They do not know Joseph — Joseph tells them to bring Benjamin — Joseph's Cup is Found in Benjamin's Sack — Joseph tells his Brothers who he is.
v 0"W glad Joseph must have felt to be taken out of that dark, dismal prison! The first thing he did, when he was made ruler of the land, was to order large barns to be built, and large stores of corn to be laid by, that when the hour of famine came, people might have some- thing to eat. For seven years the corn went on growing, but after that time scarcely any corn grew. It was soon known that the ruler of the land of Egypt had plenty
14 THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH.
of corn in his barns, and great numbers of people came to him to buy food for themselves and families. Among the rest came ten men riding upon asses. Each of them had an ass, and on the ass an empty sack, and in their hands they brought money. Who could these ten men be ? They were Joseph's brothers — those very brothers who had sold him to the merchants so many years ago for twenty pieces of silver. When Joseph saw them, he knew them directly, but they did not know him, for he did not look as he used to do. He was older, and he was dressed in grand clothes, very unlike those he used to wear when he was a shepherd-boy, or even the coat of many colours. He was not unkind to his brothers, as he might have been. JSTo ; he liked better to return good for evil. You know that Jesus has told us to love our enemies, to do good to them that hate us, and
JOSEPH SENDS FOR BENJAMIN. 15
to pray for those who treat us unkindly. Joseph felt ready and willing to forgive his brothers for all their unkindness ; but he wished to see whether they were sorry for what they had done, and whether they loved their father and their younger brother Benja- min. So he spoke roughly to them, and said, " Where do you come from T Then they told him they were ten poor brothers come down from the land of Canaan to buy food. They told him also that their father was an old man, and that they had one little brother left at home. Joseph, in order to try what they would do, told them to go back and fetch this little brother ; for they should not have any more corn, he said, unless they brought Ben- jamin with them. The brothers were very much grieved when they heard what the ruler of the land said, for they knew their father would not like to spare his dear child, and
16 THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH.
they knew also that they must all be starved when the corn was gone, if they could not get any more. With sorrowful hearts they set off on their journey home ; for Joseph would not allow Simeon to return with them. He kept him back, to see how the brothers would behave.
When the brothers arrived at home and opened their sacks, they were much surprised to find the money, which they had taken with them to pay for the corn, put into each of their sacks; and Jacob, their father, was greatly grieved to find that Simeon was left behind. All these things puzzled them much. At last, however, the corn they had brought back from Egypt was eaten, and they were so badly off for food that they did not know what to do. Jacob wished his sons to go down into Egypt again without taking their youngest brother with them ; but
JOSEPH S JOY ON SEEING BENJAMIN. 17
they said they were quite sure it would be of no use, as the ruler of the country had told them they should have no more corn unless they brought Benjamin with them. Their father gave his consent at last, though he was greatly grieved to do so, and very sorry to part with his dear boy ; but he knew they would all be starved if they could procure no more corn. When Joseph saw his bro- thers coming back again, bringing little Benjamin with them, he was so glad to see him once more, that he could hardly help crying for joy. Then he asked them if their father were alive and well. They said, "Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive:" and they gave him the pre- sent of nuts and almonds, which they had picked from the trees in Canaan, and honey that the bees had made, and some sweet smelling balm and myrrh, and some spices
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18 THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH.
which they had brought with them. They gave him back also the money which they thought had been put by mistake into their sacks when they went home before. Joseph told his servants to put some dinner ready for the men ; and the servants told them that the dinner would be ready at twelve o'clock. While they were waiting, the servants brought them water to wash their feet, and gave them some food for their poor tired asses. Twelve o'clock came. The men sat down to their dinner. There were three tables in the room. Joseph sat at one table. The eleven brothers sat at another, and Joseph's servants at the third. The brothers were very much surprised when they found they were seated according to their age, and they wondered how Joseph could know which was the eldest and which was the youngest, as they had not told him.
THE CUP FOUND IN BENJAMIN'S SACK. 19
Five times more dinner was sent to Benjamin than to the other brothers. All this seemed very curious ; still the brothers did not find out who Joseph was.
The next morning, as soon as it was light, they set off on their way home. Their asses were laden with sacks full of corn. Simeon and Benjamin were with them, and they felt quite pleased and happy. But, alas! their joy did not last long. Soon they heard some one running behind them. They looked back and saw that it was one of Joseph's servants. "Stop, stop," said he, "why have you be- haved so badly to my master ? Why have you taken away the silver cup?" The men were quite surprised, and could not think what the servant meant, "I must look into your sacks," said he, " and I must keep as a slave the man in whose sack the silver cup shall be found." So they took all their sacks
20 THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH.
off their donkeys and opened every one of them in turn. Keuben, the eldest, opened his first, but no cup was to be found. Then the second opened his sack, but there was no cup hid among the corn. Then the third opened his, and so on each brother in his turn. At last they came to Benjamin's sack. How great must have been their surprise and dismay when they spied the silver cup ! The servant said, "You must come to my lord. You must be a slave. You must not go back to your father's house."
Joseph had done this to try what the brothers would do. He wished to see whether they were grown kinder in their feelings towards their aged father and their little brother than they used to be. They said directly that if Benjamin were to go back, they would go back with him. They would not return home without him, for it
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THE CUP FOUND IN HENJAMIN'S SACK
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JOSEPH PROVES HIS BRETHREN. 21
would break their father's heart to lose his clear Benjamin. So Joseph's servants let them go back to Egypt.
Joseph was in the house waiting for them. He was very glad to see them all come back with Benjamin, and to find they were all crying lest poor Benjamin should be kept for a slave, as it shewed that they were become much kinder than they were when they sold him to the merchants some years before. When the men saw Joseph they bowed down their faces to the ground. Joseph spoke to them as though he was angry, and asked them why they had stolen his silver cup ? and he said he must keep Benjamin for a slave, because the cup was found in his sack. Judah knew it would be of no use to say that Benjamin had not stolen the cup, but he began to beg Joseph not to keep his little brother for a slave. He said he would rather
22 THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH.
be kept for a slave himself than that Benja- min should be kept, because it would be, he said, such a grief to his father to lose his favourite boy. When Joseph heard Judah speak thus, he felt ready to burst into tears, and could no longer conceal his feelings. He therefore told all the servants to go out of the room, that he might be left alone with his brothers. His heart was quite full, and he could not help crying aloud, while he said to them, "I am Joseph. Is my father yet alive ?" Were the brothers full of joy when they heard this ? No : they were frightened. They could not speak a word. They dared not come near him. Joseph did not wish to alarm them. He longed to put his arms round their necks and kiss them. So he called them to him one after the other, be- ginning with Benjamin, and kissed them and spoke very kindly to them. Then the
RECONCILIATION. 23
brothers did not feel afraid any longer, but began to talk to him. What a happy sight it must have been! How happy Joseph must have felt to see that his brothers were sorry for their past sins, and to think he should perhaps see his dear aged father again !
CHAPTER IV.
Joseph's Father comes down to Egtpt to see him — Joseph
GOES OUT IN HIS CHARIOT TO MEET HIS FATHER He PRESENTS
him to the King.
JSTD did Joseph really ever see his dear father again? You shall hear. When he sent his servants out of the room, while he made himself known to his brothers, he cried so loud that the servants, who were standing outside the door, heard him, and soon they knew that he had found his brothers. Then there was a great deal of talk about it, and before long it came to the ears of the king, and the king was glad, for he was fond of Joseph; and he called Joseph, and said to him, "Your brothers must come and live near you, and their wives and their little
JOSEPH SENDS FOR HIS FATHER. 25
children must come, and your father must come, and they shall have the best food in all the land to eat, and every thing they want to make them happy. Send wagons to fetch them. Give them food to eat on the journey, and let them come down to Egypt." Then Joseph ordered the wagons to be got ready, as the king had said, and he gave them handsome presents to take with them. He gave them each two suits of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave five suits, besides three hundred pieces of silver. He also sent a present to his father, — ten donkeys carrying all kinds of nice things, and ten asses more laden with corn, and bread and meat, for his father to eat on the journey. When all the things were ready, Joseph took leave of his brothers, telling them to come back as soon as they could. He told them also not to quarrel by the way. It would
26 THE HISTORY OP JOSEPH.
have been very sad and very ungrateful if they had done so, after all God's goodness to them.
How surprised good old Jacob must have been when he saw his sons coming back with the wagons and the asses! Yes; he had been watching for them ; and when he saw that they were all safe, and that Benja- min was really with them, he felt very glad. Soon they told him the joyful news, that Joseph, his dear Joseph, his long-lost son, was yet alive, and that he was the great lord who sold corn in the land of Egypt. But Jacob could not believe it. It was more than twenty years since his dear boy had been lost; and he thought what his sons said could not be true. Then they told him of all that had happened to them, and shewed him the asses laden with presents, and the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him
JOSEPH MEETING HIS FATHER.
JOSEPH GOES OUT IN UTS CHARIOT. 27
and his children and grandchildren. When good old Jacob saw the wagons, he did be- lieve, and he said, "It is enough. Joseph my son is yet alive. I will go and see him before I die." How Ml of grateful joy the heart of this good old man must have been, when they set out on their long journey ! He rode in one wagon, and some of the little children and their mothers rode in another, and some in another, and so on. All the wagons were filled. How delighted the little children must have been when they set off on their journey to see their grandfather !
At last they reached tfye land of Egypt, Long before they got to Joseph's house they saw a fine chariot coming towards them, Who was in it? It was Joseph, — Joseph coming to meet his father. Then the wagon that good old Jacob was in stood still. Jacob's hair had become grey, and he was
28 THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH.
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old and feeble ; but Joseph, liis beloved and long-lost son, knew him again. He threw his arms round his neck, and wept for a long time. Oh, what a happy meeting it must have been ! Jacob was glad, so glad that he said he was now ready to die, since he had seen his own dear son once more.
Almost the first thing that Joseph did after he had seen his father, was to go to the king, and to tell him that he was come. He took five of his brothers with him. When the king saw them, he asked them what their employment was, and they told him they were shepherds, but that there was no grass in their country for the cattle, for the famine was sore in the land. The king very kindly said he would give them a great many fields in the land of Goshen, where the pastures were finest, and that they should dwell there
JACOB BLESSES THE KING. 29
with their flocks, and their wives, and their children. Then Joseph went and fetched his aged father, and brought him also to the king; and when good old Jacob saw the king of Egypt, he put his hands on his head and blessed him, because he had been so kind to his dear son Joseph. And the king said, "How old are you?" And Jacob told the king that he was one hundred and thirty years old, and that he had had many troubles to pass through; but that God had been very good to him, and had blessed him, and kept him during his long life. Then the king told Joseph to let his aged father live in the land of Goshen, with all his children and grandchildren round him. And thus they lived very happily together till good old Jacob died. And now both Jacob and Joseph are, no doubt, praising God together
30 THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH.
in heaven, and thanking him for the good- ness and mercy which followed them all the days of their life whilst on earth.
t\i Jtarg of IJJflses.
CHAPTER I.
Moses is put into a Little Ark of Bulrushes — The King's Daughter finds him — Moses leaves Pharaoh's Court — He becomes a Shepherd.
OU have heard the history of Joseph : — of his being sold by his cruel brothers, and sent away on the camels, and carried down into Egypt. Yes. You have heard of his being put into prison there, and then of his being brought before the king, and of the king's kindness to him, when he put a ring on his finger and a gold chain round his neck, and made him ruler over the land of
32 THE HISTORY OF MOSES.
Egypt. Yes. You have heard that there was a great famine in Canaan, the land where Joseph lived when he was a boy, as Avell as in Egypt ; but that God foretold him that this famine was coming, and that he built barns and storehouses, and laid up a great deal of corn against the time when the famine came. Yes. You have heard that among the people who came down into Egypt to buy corn, Joseph's brothers came — those very brothers who had, many years before, so cruelly sold him. Yes. You have heard too that Joseph sent them back to fetch their aged father, Jacob, that he might live with them in Egypt ; and that good old Jacob came, and that they lived all happily together during the rest of their lives. Yes : we have heard all this ; but we should like to know what became of Joseph's children after Joseph, was dead. Was the king who
THE ARK OF BULRUSHES. 33
was so kind to him, kind to his children also?
The king who had been so kind to Joseph died, and then another king came in his place; but he was very unkind to the Israelites, and he said that all their little boys should be drowned in the river Mle. The Mle is a large wide river, which flows through the land of Egypt. What sorrow and trouble the poor people must have been in, when they heard of the king's cruel order ! There was one poor woman who had a dear little baby whom she hid for about three months. When this poor woman found she could no longer hide her baby, she made a little cradle or ark of bulrushes, and put him in it, and placed it by the river-side, among the tall long flag-leaves that grew there. She believed that God would take care of her darling babe, and so He did. This is
34: THE HISTORY OF MOSES,
the picture of liim in his little ark. The water could not get in, for it was covered with slime and pitch to keep it out.
When the poor woman I was telling you about had put her dear little baby in the ark, and hid it among the tall leaves by the river side, she went away. As she dared not stay herself, however, she told her little girl, Miriam, to stand a little way off and watch what became of the baby. This little girl was about ten years old. No doubt she dearly loved her baby-brother, and perhaps she prayed to God that he would take care of him. Brothers and sisters ought always to pray for each other.
King Pharaoh's daughter often came down to the river side to wash herself in the river. This lady was called a princess, because she was the king's daughter. Very soon after little Miriam had been placed to watch, the
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princess came down to the river side. She walked along the banks of the river, and her maids walked with her. Presently she spied something among the flag-leaves. It looked like a small cradle with a covering upon it. The princess stood still, and desired one of her maids to fetch it. They took off the covering, and there they saw the sweet babe — it held out its little hands and cried — perhaps it was cold — perhaps it was hungry — it wanted its own mamma, though it could not speak to say so. When the princess heard it cry, she was sorry for it, and said, " It must be one of the Israelites' children." The little girl Miriam now ran up to the princess and said, "Shall I go and call a nurse, that she may come and nurse the child for you?" And the princess said she might. To whom did the little girl go, do you think ? To his own mamma. Oh, yes : and
36 THE HISTORY OF MOSES.
how pleased she must have been to run and call her mother to come and nurse her own dear baby ! How thankful the poor mother must have felt too, that her dear little one was safe — that it was not carried away by the waters of the Nile, or eaten by the croco- diles that bask upon its shores.
Did the princess know that little Miriam fetched the baby's own mother? I think not ; for she told her to take the child and nurse it for her, and said she would pay her for doing so. She meant, as soon as he was old enough, to bring him up at the palace, and adopt him as her own son.
So Jochebed, for that was the woman's name, took the dear little baby in her arms, and carried him home ; and often no doubt, as she hushed him to sleep, or watched his playful smiles, she thanked the great God for his goodness in preserving her dear
MOSES IS TAKEN TO THE PALACE. 37
child ; — perhaps too she prayed that God would make him his own child for ever. Pious parents pray for their children. There is nothing that they long for half so much as for their children to love God, and to be brought up in his holy ways.
When the little boy was three or four years old, his mother took him to the king's palace for the princess to see him ; and the princess liked him very much, and she called his name Moses, because she drew him out of the water. The word Moses means drawn out
Did little Moses live at the king's palace ? Yes ; he lived there until he became a young man, and he did not then forget his heavenly Father, who had watched over and guarded him from danger in his little cradle. Al- though the princess herself was very kind to Moses, it made him sad to see how cruelly
38 THE HISTORY OF MOSES.
his brethren, the poor Israelites, were treated, and how hard they were made to work ; and he often wished they could go back to Ca- naan, their own happy country. The people of Egypt knew nothing of the true God, but worshipped idols that could do them no good. The people of Canaan were followers of the true God.
Now, one day as Moses went out to see his brethren at their hard work, he saw an Egyptian smiting one of his brethren. This made Moses very angry ; so he looked to see if any one else was near, and not seeing any body, he slew the Egyptian, and hid the body in the sand. The next day, whilst Moses was out, he saw two of his brethren quarrelling. This made him very sorry, and he spoke to the one that was in the wrong. This man did not like Moses to correct him, and he asked him who made him a ruler
MOSES FLEES FROM THE COURT. 39
over them, and if he wanted to kill him as he did the Egyptian ? Moses did not think that any one knew about this, so it made him afraid, for he knew that when the wicked king heard of it that he would slay him ; so he resolved to go away and leave all the grandeur and riches of the king's court. One day, soon after Moses had left king Pharaoh's palace, he sat down by the side of a well ; and while he was sitting there, seven young girls came down to the well to draw water to water their father's flocks ; for in that country it was a common practice for women to do such things. Stone troughs were placed round the well for the cattle to drink out of. Just as the girls had filled the troughs with water, some rude shepherds came down and drove them away. I sup- pose they wished their own sheep to drink the water, for in that hot and sandy country
40 THE HISTORY OF MOSES.
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water is scarce. When Moses saw the shep- herds so unkind to the young girls, he got up and drew some more water for their flocks. They were very thankful to him for his kind- ness ; and when they returned to their father, he asked them how it was they were come home so soon. Then the girls said that a man, whom they found sitting by the side of the well, had sent the rude shepherds away, and had drawn water and watered their sheep for them. When their father heard this he was pleased, and said, " Where is the man ? Why have you left him ? Go and find him, and ask him to come to my house, and dine with me to-day." Then the girls went back and found Moses, and he came home and lived many years with their father; and at last Zipporah, one of the seven girls, became his wife.
CHAPTER II.
Moses sent to tell the King to let the Israelites go — King Pharaoh is drowned in the Eed Sea.
T must have been a great change for Moses, after he had lived so many years at the king's palace, to wander as a shepherd among the mountains taking care of sheep ; but he was very happy in this employ, and year after year passed away. At last the king of Egypt died, but another king, quite as wicked, rose in his place, and the poor Israelites were treated as cruelly as ever. Some among them prayed to God that he would let them go back to their own country, and not let the cruel king treat them so unkindly any longer. God al- ways hears the prayers of his people, and he heard the prayers of these poor Israelites,
42 THE HISTORY OF MOSES,
and answered them in a very wonderful manner. I will tell you how it was.
One day as Moses, now an aged shepherd, was taking care of his flock in the lonely valleys of Horeb, he saw a bush on fire, but the blaze did not pass away, and the bush was not burnt. This surprised him. He went towards it, and soon he heard a voice speaking to him from the midst of the bush. It was the voice of God. God told him that he must go to king Pharaoh and ask him to let the people of Israel go back to their own country, and that he must be their guide or leader, and go before them, and shew them the road to take, for there was a very large wilderness or desert to be passed through. But how did Moses know the way? God said that he would direct him and shew him the way. Moses felt very much afraid of speaking to the king, for the Israelites were
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MOSES IN THE PRESENCE OF PHARAOH.
GOD PUNISHES THE EGYPTIANS. 4:3
his slaves, and worked very hard for him, and most likely he would not choose to part with them.
At length, however, Moses took courage and went up to king Pharaoh, and told him what God had said. The wicked king did not care for the great and good God; nor would he listen to the words of Moses. He only answered in a very rude manner that he did not care for what Moses said, and that the Israelites should not go — indeed, he was so angry about it, that he ordered the task- masters to make them work harder than ever.
Many, many times did Moses go up to king Pharaoh, as God desired him, to beg him to let the Israelites go back to their own coun- try. But no ! He always declared they should not go. God therefore sent many judgments, or plagues; to punish him for his
44 THE HISTORY OF MOSES.
wickedness. But his heart was very hard, and it seemed as though nothing would move him. At length, God sent a plague greater than all the rest. One night the eldest child of every family throughout the land of Egypt suddenly died. The king was frightened now, and he got up in a great hurry and called for Moses, and told him the people might go, and go directly. This was a sad night for the people of Egypt, but a joyful one for the Israelites. They collected to- gether as fast as they could, and set off, even before the morning sun shone on them. What an immense multitude! Thousands and thousands of people, men, women, and children — more people than you have ever seen together in your life. They did not even stop to make bread for the next day, but tied up the dough before it was baked, and carried it on their shoulders, as well as
PASSAGE OF THE RED SEA. 45
whatever else they could collect. How did Moses find the way ? God made a pillar of a cloud go before them by day7 and a pillar of fire by night. When the pillar moved on, the people moved on ; and when the pillar stood still, the people rested.
Thus they proceeded for several days. At length they came to the sea-shore ; and then to their great terror they found that king Pharaoh and his soldiers were in full march after them. What could the poor Israelites do ? There were mountains on this side and mountains on that side. They dared not turn back again, and they had neither boats nor ships to carry them across. Now, dear children, only think of the wonderful good- ness of God ! He made a dry path for his people across the great sea. At his word the waters divided, and formed, as it were, a high wall on each side, so that the Israel-
4G THE HISTORY OF MOSES.
ites walked through the sea just as though they had been walking on dry ground. How happy they must have felt when they got to the other side ! There they were safe for ever, out of the reach of the wicked king.
But what became of King Pharaoh ? You shall hear. No sooner did he see what God had done for the Israelites, than he thought that he and his soldiers might also cross the Red Sea. They began to do so — horses and horsemen — chariots and people, with King Pharaoh at their head. And what happen- ed? God spoke the word, and at his com- mand the mighty waters rushed down upon them, just as they had reached the middle of the sea, and thus that cruel king and all his host were overthrown and drowned, and punished for their wickedness.
How glad the people of Israel must have been when they got to the other side of the
MIRIAM S SONG OF PRATSE.
47
sea, quite out of King Pharaoh's reach! Yes : they were indeed glad. Miriam, the sister of Moses, took a musical instrument, called a timbrel, in her hand, and sang praises to God for his goodness ; and a great many people joined her in singing this song of praise.
CHAPTER III.
The Israelites travel in the Wilderness — They are fed by God with Manna — God gives them Water from a Dry Rock.
FTER they had crossed the Red Sea ^in the wonderful manner of which I have just told you, the Israelites wandered for a long time through the wilderness. A wilderness is like a very large, wild-looking plain, where there are neither trees nor houses. At length all the food they had brought with them from Egypt was gone, and they began to get very hun- gry. What could they do ? There were no barns full of corn in the desert; no shops where they could buy bread. They began to be impatient, and to find fault with Moses ; and they even went so far as to tell him that they wished he had left them in Egypt, in-
GOD PROVIDES FOOD. 49
stead of bringing them up into the wilder- ness to die of hunger. This was very un- grateful of the people after all the kindness they had received from him. But God was so good to them in the midst of their dis- tress, that he told Moses he would rain bread from heaven for them to eat, and give them quails for food.
There were, as I said, no houses or inns in the wilderness; but when the people had gone as far as they could for the day, they put up tents to sleep and rest in at night. The tents were made of poles, with curtains thrown over them, and a number of these tents together were called a camp. When evening came, and while the Israelites were resting in their camp, great numbers of small brown birds called quails flew round about the camp so as quite to cover it, and so tame as to be easily caught ; and in the
50 THE HISTORY OP HOSES.
morning the Israelites found the ground over- laid with manna. This manna looked like hoar frost which you see upon the ground on a winter morning. The Israelites were quite puzzled to think what it could be, for it tasted sweet like flour and honey. Then Moses said, " This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat:" and he bid them gather it up and take it to their tents, for God had sent it for their food. How glad they must have been to hear this! Men, women, and children went out directly, and began to collect it. Moses told them not to lay any by ; for God would send more as soon as it was needed. Six days they were to gather it ; and then, when Saturday came, they were to pick up enough to last over Sunday, because Sunday is God's day, and we must not then do any work that we can help. God always sent a double supply of manna on the
THE ISRAELITES MURMUR AT MOSES. 51
sixth day, that the people might rest on the seventh, and keep that day holy to the Lord.
When God sent the quails and the manna, the people of Israel had plenty of food to eat: not for a day, or a week, or a month only, but during the whole time of their jour- ney through the wilderness ; for there was; as I told you, a fresh supply of manna ready for them every morning.
They had manna to eat ; but had they any thing to drink ? "Were there any springs of sweet fresh water in the desert ? No : there were very few springs there ; and again they murmured at Moses, and were almost ready to stone him for having brought them up out of Egypt. Moses again prayed to God, and God heard his prayer. He told him to go to a hilly part of the country, called Horeb, and to strike a rock there, for, when he did so, water would flow out.
52 THE HISTORY OF MOSES.
Did Moses mind what God said to him ? Yes : he went forward before the people, and struck the rock with a rod or stick which he held in his hand. In a moment a stream of water gushed from the hard rock — nice, cool water. Oh, what a joy to the poor thirsty Israelites ! How ought they to have praised God for so great a blessing ! When you have been running and playing, and are tired and thirsty, how glad you are of a draught of fresh water ! What, then, must it have been to these poor people after their long wander- ings in the dry, sandy desert !
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CHAPTER IV.
God gives Moses the Commandments — He goes up to Mount Sinai — He makes a Tabernacle to worship God in — The Israelites set up a Golden Calf.
HEN the Israelites had wandered about for some months, they came to a part of the wilderness where there were a great many moun- tains. Some of these mountains were very high, so high that their tops seemed to touch the sky and were almost lost in the clouds. One of them was higher than all the rest. It was called Mount Sinai. A very wonderful event came to pass on Mount Sinai, which I will tell you about. When the Israelites had set up their tents and formed their camp at the foot of this mountain, God called Moses, and told him to
54: THE HISTORY OF MOSES,
come up to the top of the mountain, that he might speak with him. What a great honour put upon Moses ; thus to be called up the mountain for God to speak to him as a friend speaks to a friend !
None of the people went up with him. They stopped at the bottom. They were told not even to touch the mountain, but to listen to all the words that God should speak, for on the third day God would speak so loud that all the people might hear.
What a solemn time it must have been! When the third day came, there were thun- ders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mountain, and the voice of a trumpet so loud that all the people in the camp trem- bled when they heard its sound. Six hun- dred thousand people were standing round about the mountain at the time these events took place, and though there was so great a
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. 55
multitude, they all heard every word that was spoken when the trumpet sounded. These words were the Ten Commandments. Those Commandments that we hear read in church every Sunday morning, and which are meant for us as much as they were for the Israelites.
After the Ten Commandments had been read to the people from Mount Sinai, God gave them to Moses written on tables of stone.
One of the Ten Commandments is, "Re- member the Sabbath day to keep it holy ;" but there were no churches in the wilderness where the people could worship God when Sunday came. God therefore told Moses he wished him to make a large tent or taberna- cle, which could be moved from place to place, and where the people might meet to pray to Him, and to sing praises to his holy
56 THE HISTORY OF MOSES.
name. The two stones or tables on which the commandments were written were also to be kept in this tabernacle.
The tabernacle was quite different from any thing the Israelites had ever seen before. It did not look like a common tent. It was covered over with planks and curtains. The inner curtains were made of fine linen of beautiful colours, purple, blue, and scarlet; then curtains of goats' hair, and, lastly, sheep-skins dyed red and blue. Each side of the tabernacle was formed of upright boards covered with gold, and the boards had golden rods passed along them to fasten them together. There were eight pillars at one end, and beautiful crimson curtains were thrown over them. The inside was di- vided into two rooms. The inner room was called the holy of holies, and the outer room was called the holy place. The tables of
THE ISRAELITES MAKE FALSE GODS. 57
stone, on which God had written the ten commandments with his own ringer, were placed in a chest or box, covered with gold, and called the ark. The ark was kept in the little room called the holy of holies. The tabernacle was a beautiful and glorious place, and there Moses and the children of Israel used to worship God.
Did all the Israelites keep the command- ments which God gave them on Mount Sinai ?
I am sorry to say they did not. Even be- fore Moses came down from the mountain they broke one of them. The people had become so tired of waiting for him, and thought him gone so long, that they begged Aaron, his brother, to make some gods to go before them and lead them to the beautiful land whither Moses had promised to take them. Would Aaron do such a wicked thing ? I am sorry to say he did. He told the
58 THE HISTORY OF MOSES.
people to bring all their gold ear-rings to him, the ear-rings which the women of Egypt had given them before they set out on their journey. Then he melted all the ear-rings in the fire; and, when the gold was soft, Aaron made it up into the shape of a calf, and told the people of Israel they might pray to this golden calf.
How great was the grief of Moses when he came down from the mount and heard music and singing, and found that all the people were making a great feast, and wor- shipping a golden calf ! He had in his hands the two tables of stone upon which the ten commandments were written ; but so great was his sorrow and distress to see what the people were doing, that he threw the stones down upon the ground and broke them to pieces. Then he took the golden calf which Aaron had made, and threw it into the fire.
MOSES BREAKS THE GOLDEN CALF. 59
When it was soft, he ground it to powder and strewed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink this bitter water. Then Moses prayed to God that he would forgive them their great wickedness in hav- ing made to themselves gods of gold which could do them no good.
Do little children ever break God's com- mandments, do you think? Yes: I fear they do. They may not make to themselves golden calves as the Israelites did, but when they go to God's house of prayer, if they are thinking of their dolls, and their playthings, and their amusements, instead of trying to love him, and to pray to him, is it not break- ing the commandment which says, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me ?"
If little children pay no attention to what their papa and mamma say to them, or do those things which they have told them not
60 THE HISTORY OF MOSES.
to do, is it not breaking the commandment which says, "Honour thy father and thy mother ?"
If little children play on Sunday as they do on other days, and forget that it is God's holy day, is it not breaking the command- ment which tells us to " remember to keep holy the Sabbath day ?"
If little children tell tales of their brothers and sisters, particularly if they tell any that are not altogether and perfectly true, is it not breaking the commandment which tells us "not to bear false witness against our neighbour ?"
If little children long to have things which their playfellows possess, and to keep them for their own, is it not breaking the com- mandment which says, "Thou shalt not covet?"
Now if we think over these things, dear
THE COMMANDMENTS ARE FOR ALL. 61
children, we shall see that we often break the spirit of God's commands, as much as the Israelites did when they worshipped their golden calf. The ten commandments are intended for us, equally with them. When we pray, therefore, let us say, " Make me to go in the path of thy commandments: for therein do I delight."
CHAPTER Y.
The Spies bring Grapes from Canaan — God sends Fiery Serpents to punish the Children of Israel.
OOK at these two men carrying a large bunch of grapes between >thern. Yines could not grow in the wilderness. Where can the two men have been to find them ? It is quite true that the Israelites found no vines in the wilderness, but after wander- ing about for many years they arrived just on the outskirts of the promised land. Moses then sent twelve men to look at the country, and to bring word to the rest what they found there. They had been told that Ca- naan was a good land — a land flowing with milk and honey — and this was quite true; for when the twelve men, oiw spies as they
THE SPIES RETURN WITH FRUIT. 63
were called, entered it, they found it full of trees bearing the finest fruit, corn-fields full of corn, and meadows of green grass and beautiful flowers. They thought the best way of proving to the Israelites, whom they had left in the wilderness, what a beauti- ful land it was, would be to carry back some of the fruit with them. They found one bunch of grapes so large, so very large, that one man could not carry it by himself, so they took a strong stick and fastened the bunch of grapes to it, and one man held one end of the stick across his shoulder, and the other man held the other end, and then they carried it back with them, as well as a great many figs and other fruits, to the tents of the Israelites. "Were not the Israelites very glad to see the grapes and the fruit, as they had had only quails and manna for so many years ? I am sorry to say they were ungrate-
64 THE HISTORY OF MOSES.
M people, and instead of being pleased, they behaved so badly that at last God told them that their children should go into the beautiful land of Canaan, but that instead of going into it themselves, they should stay and die in the wilderness.
Did the Israelites behave any better when they found God was so much displeased with them ? I am sorry to say they did not. They still murmured and complained, and were ungrateful to Moses, and, what was worse still, to the great and good God who had done so much for them.
At last God sent a more dreadful punish- ment upon the people than he had ever sent before. He sent fiery serpents among them. These serpents came into their tents and twined round their arms and legs, and bit them, so that many of them died. The people now felt that fliey had sinned ; and
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THE BRAZEN SERPENT SET UP. 65
again they came to Moses and begged him to pray for them. He did so. Did God hear his prayer ? Yes : God always hears the prayers of his servants. He desired Moses to make a large serpent of brass, and to put it upon a high pole in a wide open part of the wilderness, where all the people could see it, and to tell the Israelites that all who looked at this serpent of brass should be made well. Did Moses do this ? Yes. He loved God, and he always did directly what God told him to do. As soon as he had made the serpent of brass, he placed it upon a high pole, where every one could see it ; and then he called to the sick people, and told them to look at it and be made well. How wonderful ! They had only to lift up their eyes towards the brazen serpent, and directly they looked their pains went away ; they felt strong and well again, and able to thank and
5
66 THE HISTORY OF MOSES.
praise God for his mercy. "Well, dear children, so it is with us. We have all sinned. Satan, who is sometimes called the " old serpent," has got into our hearts and made us sin. No child has ever lived but has sinned. But as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so Jesus Christ has been lifted up upon the cross, that those who look to him may not perish, but have eternal life. Let us, dear children, look to Jesus. Let us thank God that He has given his only Son to die upon the cross for our sins. We have a better country before us than the Israelites had. They were going towards an earthly Canaan, a beautiful land, it is true ; but we are going to the heavenly Canaan, a country far more beautiful ; for there, " angels with their golden harps sing praises to God ;" there, holy people go when they die ; there Jesus, our •Hear kind Saviour
THE JOYS OF HEAVEN.
67
lives ; and there we shall be clothed with white robes, and have palms in our hands, and crowns of glory on our heads, and see Jesus face to face, and dwell with him for ever, if we truly love and serve him while here on earth.
C|f Jistorj) of (finr Jlalrarar.
CHAPTER I.
Jesus in the Manger — The Shepherds Visit Jesus — The Wise Men Visit Him — Jesus is taken down into Egypt.
ESFS CHKIST, our blessed Saviour, was born at a little village called Bethlehem. His mother's name was Mary. When Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph, her husband, were taking a long journey : they were going from their own house to the little village of Bethlehem, to pay money to the king. This was called going to pay tax-money. Money paid to the king or queen is called tax-money. Bethle- hem was a great way from* their own home,
THE BIRTH OF JESUS. 69
and it took them many days to get there. At last, however, they reached the place. Mght was coming on, so they went to the inn, and asked the people to let them have a room to sleep in, for they were tired with their long journey, and wanted to rest them- selves. But the master of the inn said that his house was quite full, and that there was no room for them. What could poor Mary do ? Did she sleep out of doors ? ISTo : she said she would sleep in the stable if the master would let her. The master said she might if she pleased. So Mary went down to the stable to rest herself among the cows and asses; and while she was there, Jesus Christ was born. God had sent an angel some time before, to tell Mary that she should have a son, and that he should be called Jesus, for he should save people from their sins. Now Mary knew this was the
70 THE HISTORY OF OUR SAVIOUR.
baby God had promised. How happy she felt when she saw him smile !
There was no soft cradle for him to sleep in, so she wrapped him in clothes called swaddling-clothes, and hushed him to sleep, and laid him amongst the hay which was put for the cows and asses in a manger in the stable. Then she sat down by the side of the manger to take care of her dear baby, and she thought how good and kind God had been in sending her so sweet a gift.
Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, was a little village. There were green fields all round it, and mountains upon which large flocks of sheep used to feed. There were many shepherds taking care of the flocks of sheep near Bethlehem. Men who take care of sheep are called shepherds. These shep- herds used to sit up at night to watch their sheep ; for in that country there were wolves
JESUS IN THE MANGER. 71
and hyenas, and perhaps these wolves and hyenas and other wild beasts might have come in the night to kill the sheep if the shepherds had not kept guard. There are no fierce wolves or hyenas in the country where we live.
As the shepherds were watching their flocks one night, they saw a bright light in the sky, and soon a beautiful angel came from heaven. At first the shepherds were afraid ; but the angel told them not to fear, for he had good news to tell them, — news that would fill their hearts with joy and glad- ness. What news do you think the angel brought ? He told the shepherds that Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, was born in the little village of Bethlehem, and that if they went to the inn they would find the babe wrapped in swaddling-clothes and lying in a manger. While the angel was speaking
72 THE HISTORY OF OUR SAVIOUR.
to the shepherds, hundreds and hundreds of bright angels filled the sky, and began sing- ing songs of praise to God. These are the words they sang : " Glory to God in the high- est, and on earth peace, good-will toward men."
As soon as the angels had sung this song of joy they went back to heaven, and the shepherds were left alone in the fields. Then they said to each other, " Let us go to Beth- lehem, and see the little baby of whom the angels have told us." So they got up at once and left their flocks, and went as fast as they could to the inn at Bethlehem. There they found Jesus lying in the manger among the hay. When the shepherds saw the sweet infant, they told Mary and Joseph, who were sitting by him, what the angels had said to them ; and then they went back to their flocks, singing and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen.
*«*u»i§
JESUS IX THE MANGER.
THE WISE MEN OF THE EAST. 73
At the time that Jesus Christ was born, some wise men, who lived in a country a long way off, saw a very bright star shining up in the sky, and they knew by this star that Jesus Christ was born. They wished very much to go and see the dear babe ; but, as they did not know where to look for him, they went to the great city in which the king of the country lived, to inquire whether Jesus was there, and to ask the people where they might find him. As they went along, they said, " Where is he that is born king of the Jews ? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him." But neither the king nor the people could tell, so the wise men went away again. As they went along, they looked up and saw the beautiful star which they had seen in the east moving before them in the sky. How glad they must have felt to behold this wonderful sight !
74 THE HISTORY OP OUR SAVIOUR.
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for they knew that God had put the star there, on purpose to shew them the road to the place where Jesus and his mother were. So they watched and watched it, as it moved before them, till it stood still over the very stable in which the infant Jesus lay ; and when they went into the stable, and saw him on his mother's lap, they fell down and wor- shipped him. Then they opened the trea- sures they had brought, and gave him a great many presents, gold, and sweet-smell- ing spice, and myrrh. Though he was now a little baby in his mother's arms, the wise men knew that he was the Son of God, the Saviour of the world, and therefore they rejoiced to see him, and to shew their joy in every way they possibly could.
There was a very wicked king living in the great city near Bethlehem. His name was Herod. He was a naughty, cruel man ; and
THE WICKED KING. 75
when he heard that Jesus Christ was born,
he was vexed and angry, for he thought that if Jesus lived to become a man, perhaps he might be king in his place. He told the wise men, as they passed through the city, to come back and tell him when they had found Jesus, that he might go and worship him also. But Herod did not really mean to do so. No ; he only wanted to kill him. The wise men did not go back to tell the king, but went away again to their own country. Then the wicked king was so angry at not being able to find Jesus, that what do you think he did ? He gave orders to have all the little children in Bethlehem killed who were not more than two years old, hop- ing to kill Jesus. How very sad this was ! Men were going about with swords in their hands, peeping into every house and asking for the children ; and the poor mothers were
76 THE HISTORY OF OUR SAVIOUR.
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crying so bitterly; and the little darlings were holding out their little arms to go to their own mammas, and the cruel men were snatching them away ; and all was one sad scene of sorrow and distress. But was Jesus killed ? Oh, no. God took care of him. Yery soon after the wise men were gone back, God sent an angel to Joseph in a dream; and the angel told Joseph to get up, and take the young child and his mother, and go down into Egypt, and stay there a long time, to be out of wicked King Herod's way. Joseph did at once what the angel bid him. He got up and saddled his ass, and set off in the night with Jesus and Mary his mother, and went down into Egypt. It was a long journey over mountains and along sandy roads. But Joseph did not mind. Indeed he was very glad that he had done directly what the angel told him, when he heard that
JESUS RETURNS HOME. 77
the naughty cruel king had killed all the dear little children at Bethlehem.
At last King Herod died. Then God again sent an angel to speak to Joseph while he was asleep ; and the angel told him to take the infant Jesus and his mother, and go back to his own country. So they all went back together, thanking God for the kind care he had taken of them. It is God who watches over us by night and by day, and who is always doing us good.
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CHAPTER II.
Jesus in the Temple — Jesus Blessing Little Children — Jesus Riding on a Colt.
AR-Y and Joseph came back from Egypt, and lived at a place some way from the village where Jesus was born ; for, although the cruel King Herod was dead, they still felt afraid lest another cruel king should be living there.
There was a great feast held every year at the city of Jerusalem. Numbers of people used to go to this feast. Mary and Joseph used to go. "When Jesus Christ was twelve years old they took him with them. They had a long, long journey to take, and it took them many days to get there. People in that country used to ride upon camels and asses, and the roads were not so good as
JESUS IN THE TEMPLE. 71)
our roads, so that they did not get on very fast ; they had to wind round among tlie mountains, and up and down very steep hills ; and there were no inns at which they could rest.
At last the feast was over, and Mary and Joseph set off on their way home. There was a very large company of people, and they thought that Jesus was among them ; but when they had gone a whole day's jour- ney, and were about to stop and rest for the night, he was nowhere to be found. How frightened poor Mary must have been, to miss her dear child ! "What did Joseph and Mary do ? Instead of stopping to rest themselves, they turned back directly to Jerusalem to look for him, travelling up and down hill and across the sandy plains, till they came to the great city. And did they find Jesus there ? Yes : after three days they found
80 THE HISTORY OP OUR SAVIOUR.
him — where do you think ? in the temple, or church, sitting among the doctors and learn- ed men, both hearing them and asking them questions. Though he was so young, yet the questions he asked and the answers he gave were so wise and proper, that every one was quite surprised to hear him. Even Joseph and Mary were filled with wonder and astonishment. At last Mary, his mother, told him how sorry they were to have lost him, and asked how it was that he had stayed behind and alarmed them so much, instead of going with them when they set off towards home. Jesus said to her, "How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business ?" Mary hardly knew at first what Jesus meant by this an- swer ; but he meant that he must be employ- ed at those places and about those things which belong to God. He liked to talk of
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JESUS IN THE TEMPLE.
JESUS HEALS THE AFFLICTED. 81
God, and of heaven, and of holy things, even while he was so young ; and he was so good, so meek, so wise, so lovely, that every one might have known him to be God's own child. "When he heard, however, that Mary and Joseph wished him to go back with them to their own home, he went directly. He knew that children should obey their parents, and it was his delight to please them and make them happy. Dear little children, learn to be good and obedient like Jesus Christ, and then you also will make your dear papa and mamma happy.
When Jesus Christ grew up to be a man, he did a great many wonderful things. He cured poor people who were ill, and made them well again. He touched the eyes of poor blind people, and made them see as well as ever. "He caused lame people to walk and deaf people to hear, and even
82 THE HISTORY OF OUR SAVIOUR.
t
raised to life again those who had been dead. The wonders that Jesus did were called miracles.
Jesus had twelve friends whom he called his disciples. One of them was named Peter, and another Andrew, and another John, and another James ; but perhaps you would for- get if you were to hear all the names at once. Peter and Andrew were fishermen : they had a little ship of their own, and they used to go out in the night as well as in the day to catch fish. One day, as Jesus was walking along the beach, he saw them casting their net into the sea, and he called to them and told them to leave their net and follow him. And Peter and Andrew directly put down their net, and left their little ship, and went with Jesus. Then Jesus went a little farther, and saw James and John, his brother, sitting in their ship with their father, mending the
JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES. 83
boles in their nets, for they also were fisher- men. And he called them, and they left their father and their nets in the ship, and went with Jesus. Jesus called what people he pleased to come with him. His twelve disciples used to go about with him wherever he went, and he used to talk so kindly to them, and tell them about God and about heaven, and teach them many things, that they might teach others. They loved Jesus Christ, and they used to like to listen to the words that he spoke.
Jesus was always kind and good, and full" of gentleness and love. Sometimes he used to preach to people in the temple, or church ; and as there were not many churches in that country, sometimes he preached in the fields. Sometimes he sat in a ship, and the people stood so near the edge of the water as to hear the words he said. One of Jesus
84 THE HISTORY OF OUR SAVIOUR.
Christ's sermons is called the sermon on the mount, because he preached it on the top of a mountain. The sermon on the mount is a very beautiful sermon, and you shall read it in the Bible itself when you grow older.
Jesus loved to think of his father in heaven whilst he was here on earth. He liked to speak of his glory, and to teach peo- ple to love Him. He liked to be often alone, that he might pray to God. He used to get up early in the morning, that he might have time to pray, and sometimes he spent the whole night in prayer.
Prayer is asking God, our heavenly Father, to give us what we need. Once, when Jesus had been praying with his disciples, they said to him, " Lord, teach us to pray." Then Jesus taught them a little prayer. It was this : —
" Our Father, which art in heaven, hallow-
the lord's prayer. 85
ed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And for- give us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil : for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen."
This prayer is called the Lord's Prayer, because our Lord Jesus Christ first taught it to his disciples. It is a very beautiful prayer, and one which most little children learn to say. Jesus Christ loves little child- ren. He hears them, whether they pray in their own words, or say the Lord's Prayer. When he was down on earth, some women one day brought young children to him, that he might bless them. His disciples thought it troublesome, and were going to send them away again ; but Jesus was so very kind
86 THE HISTORY OF OUR SAVIOUR.
and good that he did not like to have them sent away. He held out his arms to the dear little children, and put his hands upon their heads and blessed them, and said, " Suffer the little children to come unto me, and for- bid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven." How kind it was of Jesus to love little children! He loves them still, though he is now on his throne of glory in heaven. He calls them his little lambs ; and if they love Jesus while here on earth, he wTill take them to heaven when they die, to live with him, and with God, and with the holy angels for ever!
As Jesus was once taking a long journey, he stopped to rest himself near a little village. Then he told two of his disciples to go a little farther to a place where two roads met, where they would find an ass with a colt standing by its side. He said they were
JESUS BLESSING LITTLE CHILDREN.
JESUS RIDES INTO JERUSALEM. 87
to untie the colt, and bring it for him to ride upon. A colt, you know, is a young ass. The men did as Jesus told them. They very soon found the young ass, and began to untie the string which held it. Then the man to whom the colt belonged came and asked them what they were going to do. The disciples said they were going to take it for Jesus to ride upon. When the man heard this, he was quite willing to let it go. So the disciples brought it to Jesus, and put some of their own clothes across it instead of a saddle, and sat Jesus upon it. As Jesus rode along, numbers of people — men, women, and little children — came to see him pass. They knew that he was the same Jesus who had made so many sick people well, and who had done so many wonderful things, and they were glad to see him. Some of the people took off their coats and laid them
88 THE HISTORY OF OUR SAVIOUR.
down in the road for the ass to tread upon, and others gathered large branches from the trees and strewed them on the path, while little children ran along by the side of the road carrying green boughs in their hands and singing songs of joy ; and in this manner Jesus entered into Jerusalem. How happy these little children must have been ! They knew that Jesus was their Lord and Saviour. They knew that Jesus loved them, and they also loved Jesus. We cannot see our Saviour now, for he is gone back to heaven ; but we can sing his praises here on earth, and we hope when we die to go to heaven, to wear crowns of glory, and to live with him for ever.
There we shall better praises bring,
And raise our voices higher ; Angels will teach us how to sing,
And we shall never tire.
CHAPTER III.
Jesus in the Garden — Judas Betrays Him — Jesus taken
BEFORE THE JUDGE He IS NAILED TO THE CROSS — JeSUS
put in a Tomb — Ascends into Heaven.
OOJST after Jesus had entered Jeru- salem riding upon the colt, a num- ber of wicked people, who did not like him because he was so good and holy, met together and said they would try to kill him. How sad this was, and how sad it is to think that one of these very men was his own disciple Judas ! Satan had come into Judas' s heart and made him so wicked. When naughty thoughts come into our hearts, it is Satan who puts them there. The men did not know where to find Jesus, but Judas was so often with him that he knew quite well, and he said that if they
90 THE HISTORY OF OUR SAVIOUR.
would give him some money lie would soon tell them. Then the wicked people said they would give him thirty pieces of silver. Judas pretended to love Jesus, but he did not really do so, or he could never have acted so unkindly towards him.
When the evening came on and they had sung a hymn together, Jesus and some of his disciples went out into a garden. It was a shady and a pleasant garden. Jesus told Peter and James and John to stay where they were, while he went a little farther on by himself, that he might pray to God. Jesus loved to pray to his Father in heaven, and he- often went alone to this garden. Sometimes his disciples went with him, so that Judas knew the place. When Jesus had done praying, he came back to his dis- ciples, and told them it was now time to go home, for the sun had set a long time, and
JUDAS BETRAYS JESUS. 91
it was almost dark. Just at this moment a great crowd of men and soldiers, armed with swords and sticks, and carrying lanterns and lighted torches in their hands, rushed from behind the trees. They were looking for Jesus. Judas had watched Jesus go over the little brook into the garden that night, and had called the band of men and officers together on purpose that they might follow and take him. Then naughty wicked Judas went up to Jesus and kissed him. He did not kiss him because he loved him, but only that the soldiers might know whom to seize upon. Jesus did not run away. He only asked the men whom they were looking for. When the men said they were looking for Jesus, he said " I am he." Then they bound his hands with cords and led him away, laughing at him as they went along, and treating him in the most cruel and unkind
92 THE HISTORY OF OUR SAVIOUR.
manner they possibly could ; but Jesus was so meek and gentle, that he hardly spoke a word.
Then the soldiers took Jesus to a grand house in Jerusalem, where a number of the proud wicked men who wanted to have him killed were sitting up together. They had sent the soldiers to fetch him. When the proud men saw Jesus they were glad. They kept him there all night, meaning in the morning to take him before the judge, and to ask the judge what they should do with him.
As soon as it was morning the wicked people said to each other, " Now let us take Jesus to the judge." Then they left the line house where they had been sitting up all night, and went away to the judge. The judge was sitting upon a high seat in the judgment-hall. His name was Pilate. He
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he
ta new tnifn
JESUS BROUGHT BEFORE PILATE.
HE IS BEATEN BY THE SOLDTERS. 93
had never seen Jesus before, and lie did not like at first to have him punished, for he could not find that he had done any thing wrong. The wicked men, however, who had brought him to Pilate, made such a noise, and talked and begged so much, that at last the cruel judge gave orders for Jesus to have nails run through his hands and feet, and that he should be fastened up upon a wooden cross. When the soldiers heard Pilate give this order, they were so glad that they shout- ed for joy ; and they led Jesus down stairs into the common hall, where they beat him with hard ropes full of knots till the blood ran down his back. Then they took off his own clothes and dressed him in a purple robe, such as kings wear, and plaited a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and put a reed in his right hand, and knelt down before him, laughing at him, and saying all
94 THE HISTORY OF OUR SAVIOUR.
the unkind things they could think of. Oh ! what cruel wicked people they were, thus to treat the kind and gentle Saviour !
After this they took off the purple robe and put on his own clothes again, and led hirn away to crucify hiin. The place where Jesus Christ was crucified was called Mount Calvary.
Were all the people glad to have Jesus treated in this dreadful manner ? JSTo ; there were a few people who were sorry, very sor- ry, to see him so cruelly used. His own mo- ther, Mary, and a few other women, came crying after him as the cruel soldiers led him along to the hill where they meant to crucify him. As they were going there, they met a man named Simon, and they made him come and carry the cross upon which they were about to nail Jesus. When they reached the top of Mount Calvary they laid Jesus
HE IS CRUCIFIED. 95
upon the cross, stretching out his arms on each side, and running sharp nails through his hands and his feet. Then they dug a hole in the ground, and made the cross stand upright in the hole, with Jesus nailed upon it. The crown of thorns was still around his head, and large drops of blood trickled down his face.
Nailed 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 !
How great his pain and sufferings must have been! and yet amidst them all, though our blessed Lord could not put his hands together in prayer,- he still prayed to God to forgive the wicked people who were treating him so cruelly. These were the words Jesus said : " Father, forgive them ; for they know
96 THE HISTORY OF OUR SAVIOUR.
not what they do." There was a cross on each side of Jesus, and a thief was nailed on each cross at the same time. One of these thieves prayed to Jesus to remember him when he got to heaven, and Jesus promised that he should go to heaven with him that very day.
When Jesus was crucified, Pilate, the judge, wrote these words and put them on the top of the cross : " This is Jesus the King of the Jews." The people who lived in Je- rusalem and that part of the country were called Jews. When they saw these words, they shouted and said, " If you are a king, come down from the cross." Then they walked backwards and forwards nodding their heads at Jesus, and laughing at his sufferings. And when he asked for some- thing to drink, one of the cruel soldiers ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar, and put
"it is finished." 97
it on a reed, and held it up to his mouth. When Jesus had tasted the vinegar, he cried, " It is finished !" By this he meant that his sufferings were over. He was going to die — going to heaven — going to be with God and with the holy angels. This was at three o'clock in the afternoon of the day that we call Good Friday. Though it was day-time when Jesus died, yet God made it dark, quite dark ; and there was a great earthquake, and the people were very much frightened. But it was too late to undo what they had done. They had crucified Jesus, and his sufferings were over for ever.
Many people were very sorry when they saw Jesus Christ nailed upon the cross. Mary, his mother, was very sorry ; her heart was almost broken with grief. All the dis- ciples, except the naughty wicked Judas, were sorry, and there was one good man
98 THE HISTORY OF OUR SAVIOUR.
t
named Joseph, who was very sorry. He was a rich man, and had a large garden. There was a tomb in his garden cut out in the side of a rock. A tomb means a place to bury people in. When Joseph found that Jesus was really dead, he went to the judge and asked leave to take his body down from the cross, and to bury it in his own new tomb. The judge said he might if he liked. So Joseph took it down and wrapped it in linen, and carried it to his own garden, and laid it in his own new tomb. Then he rolled a large stone to the door of the tomb, that no one might open it. This was on the Friday evening. Early on the Sunday morning after, just as it was getting light, two women who had loved Jesus very much, and who had watched Joseph take him down from the cross, came into the garden and went to the tomb, hoping they might find
i
THE EMPTY SEPULCHRE. 99
some one who would roll away the stone. But to their great surprise it was rolled away already. Then they looked into the tomb ; but Jesus was not there. Two beautiful angels, dressed in white, were sitting in the place where the body of Jesus had lain, and they spoke sweetly and kindly to the women, and told them that Jesus was come to life again, and that they should soon see him. How very full of surprise and joy the women must have been, when they heard the angels' words ! They hardly knew what to do, they were so glad. At last they thought they would run back and tell the disciples the wonderful news. But just as they were going, Jesus met. them, and called them by their names, and spoke to them in his own kind voice. Then they knew that what the angels had said was true, and that their own dear Lord and Master was indeed come to
100 THE HISTORY OP OUR SAVIOUR.
life again. How wonderful! It was Jesus their Saviour, the very same Jesus who, only two days before, had been nailed upon the cross on Mount Calvary.
The women soon went and told the disci- ples what had happened ; that they had seen Jesus, and that he had been talking with them. Then the disciples were very glad also, so glad that they could think of nothing else. Jesus told them that he should not die any more, but that he should soon go to heaven, and that when he was in heaven he would send down his Holy Spirit into their hearts to comfort them. He told them also that they should soon meet him again in heaven, and that they must go about teach- ing people to love and serve God, and obey his commands.
A few weeks after this time, as Jesus was one day walking with his disciples near a
CHRIST ASCENDS TO HEAVEN. 101
little village called Bethany, they went to- gether to the top of a hill. Then Jesus began to pray and to lift up his hands and to bless his disciples, and while he blessed them he was parted from them and taken up into heaven. They watched him as he rose higher and higher, till a cloud received him out of their sight. He was gone far, far beyond the blue sky. Then they could see him no longer ; but they knew that he was gone back to God, his heavenly Father, there to sit upon a throne of glory at his right hand, and to prepare a place for all who love him.
And now, dear little children, we have traced the history of Jesus Christ, our bless- ed Saviour, from the time that he was lying as a little baby in the manger at Bethlehem, until he ascended up to heaven from the hill at Bethany. How kind, how gentle, and
102 THE HISTORY OF OUR SAVIOUR.
how full of love Jesus was ! How much he suffered when the cruel people nailed him on the cross ! Why did he go through all those dreadful pains ? Why did he leave his throne of glory in heaven, and come clown into the world, and live so many years here on earth, and then allow those wicked people to crucify him ? Dear little children, it was to save us from our sins. We should all have gone to hell, if Jesus had not died upon the cross. But Jesus knew that if he died upon the cross, every one who loved him would go to heaven when they die. There- fore let us all love Jesus, our dear, kind Saviour. Let us pray to him more, and love him more, and try more and more to please' him. Let us ask him to send his Holy Spirit into our hearts to help us to do so ; and then we know that when we die,
HOLY ANGELS. 103
he will take us up to heaven ; there to wear crowns of glory, and to join the holy angels in singing songs of praise to God and to the Lamb for ever.
~^p8^
C|e fjjirades d (Sur ^atarar.
CHAPTER I.
Jesus turns Water into Wine — Cures the Nobleman's little Boy — He raises a little Girl from the Dead.
UR blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ lived when he was on earth, in a country called the Holy Land. It is a long way, a very long way, from the country in which we live. It would take us many days to get there, and we could not get to the Holy Land without going in a ship or steam-boat across the sea. There are many mountains in the Holy Land, high mountains, the tops of which seem almost to touch the clouds ;
THE HOLY LAND. 105
and there are great deserts where you may travel for many miles across the sand with- out seeing a shrub or a tree. Sometimes people come to a little spring of water when they are crossing the deserts, and then they are glad ; for the country is warm, and they are pleased to find water to drink. Some- times people come to a clump of high trees, called palm-trees, and then they are glad; for it is very pleasant to rest under the shade of the palm-trees. The chief city or large town in England, is called London. The chief city or town in the Holy Land is called Jerusalem. In the northern part of the Holy Land there was a little town called Cana. It was at this place that Jesus worked his first miracle. By a miracle is meant something very wonderful. Some- thing that only God, or Jesus Christ, the Son of God, could do. I will tell you what
106 THE MIRACLES OF OUR SAVIOUR.
the first miracle was. Jesus was always kind, and he used often to go to the houses of the people who loved him. There was a man living at Cana who loved Jesus, and who asked him to go to his house. This man gave a grand dinner or feast to his friends, and it was called a wedding-feast. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was there, and some of his disciples were there also. By his disciples, I mean his friends, Peter, and Andrew, and Philip, and James, and John. The people had wine to drink at the feast. The wine was made of grapes that grew on vines in the Holy Land. But there was not wine enough for so many people, and before the feast was over, they had drunk it all. Jesus' mother told him that the wine was gone. She knew that Jesus could do all things, and perhaps she thought that he would make more wine. Did Jesus do so ?
JESUS TURNS WATER INTO WINE. 107
Yes, he did ; but lie made the new wine without having grapes to make it of. He only told the servants who were standing by to fill, some water-pots with water. These water-pots were very large, and were made of stone. As soon as they were full, Jesus said, " Draw out now, and carry some to the master of the feast." Then the servants did as Jesus bid them ; and when the master of the feast had tasted the water, he found that it was turned into nice sweet wine! How wonderful this must have seemed to him, and to all the wedding guests who had come to Oana that day ! They felt sure now that Jesus was the Son of God; for no one could have done such a wonderful miracle as this, or turned water into wine, except Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came down from heaven, and who, during the whole time he was upon earth, went about doing good.
108 THE MIRACLES OF OUR SAVIOUR.
Sometimes, dear little children, you are ill, and then how anxious your dear papa and mamma are about you! Your mamma nurses you. You lean your head upon her bosom, and she does all she can to soothe your pain, and to hush you gently to sleep. And while she does this, she thinks of Jesus and of all his tender care and love to little children ; and often she kneels down by your bedside, and prays to him to make you well again. True, he is not now here upon earth; but still he hears our prayers, and can answer them just as he used to do when he lived in the Holy Land, and when the people used to bring their poor sick friends to him and beg him to cure them. You will like to hear, I think, about the nobleman's son, whom Jesus cured by only speaking a word, without giving him medicine, or even seeing him. Jesus had been to Jerusalem,
HE CURES THE RICH MAN'S SON. 109
and was just returned, after a long journey, to Cana, that little town I told you of in the last story, where the marriage-feast took place, and where he turned the water into wine. While Jesus was stopping at Cana, a rich gentleman, who lived at the town of Capernaum, a place about fifteen miles off, came to see Jesus, and to beg him to go down and heal his son ; for he was so very ill that no one thought he could live. " Sir, come down," he said, " ere my child die." He was in great grief, and could hardly speak for weeping, just as your own papa and mamma would have cried if either of their dear children had been so ill. Did Jesus go down ? JSTo ; I will tell you what he did, which seems even more wonderful. He spoke in a kind tender voice to the nobleman, and said, " Go thy way, thy son liveth." The nobleman believed what Jesus
110 THE MIRACLES OF OUR SAVIOUR.
said. He knew that whatever Jesus said must be true. He did not ask him again to come down. He did not ask him again whether his little boy would get well, but he set out with joy on his journey home, feeling sure that his child would not die. This was Faith. Faith is believing — feeling quite sure that whatever God says is true. Faith is pleasing to God. He likes us to believe what he says ; and he gives us his Holy Bible to tell us what to believe, and his Holy Spirit to help us to believe.
The nobleman had a long way to go back, across sandy plains, and winding along the steep mountain side ; and it was not till the next day that he had nearly reached his home. As he drew near to the little town where his house was, he met some of his servants. What could they be coming for ? Was it to tell him that his child was dead ?
THE CHILD RECOVERS. Ill
Oh, no ; it was to tell him the joyful news that his little boy was alive and getting well again. How happy the poor father felt when he heard this ! JSTow his tears were all wiped away, and his face looked Ml of joy and gladness. "When did he begin to get better ?" he asked. " How long is it since ?" "Yesterday," said the servants, "at seven o'clock the fever left him." How wonderful ! for that was the very hour when Jesus was speaking to the nobleman — just the very time when he was saying to the father, "Thy son liveth." Just then the child began to get well, and the fever left him. This was the second miracle that Jesus did, and num- bers of people came to him, and believed in him, and loved him, when they saw it. But though Jesus is gone back to heaven, and we, cannot come to him as the nobleman did when our friends are ill ; yet, as the little hymn says,
112 THE MIRACLES OF OUR SAVIOUR.
" Still to his footstool in prayer we may go, And ask for a share in his love ; And if we thus earnestly seek him below, We shall see him and hear him above."
I told you of a little boy whom Jesus cured. Now I will tell you of a little girl. I do not know her name ; but her father's name was Jairus. He was a good man, and one who loved God, and he believed that Jesus Christ could make his little girl well again when she was ill ; and even more than this, could make her come to life again when she was dead. The little girl was about twelve years old. She had no brothers or sisters, and her papa and mamma loved her dearly. At length she became ill. A little child may be gay and rosy, running about the house in health and spirits one day, and the next day this same little child .may be lying on its bed weak and in pain. So it
JAIRUS'S DAUGHTER. 113
was with this little girl, Jairus's daughter. She became very ill, and she grew weaker and weaker every day, and at last she was dying. Then her father, who had often heard of the wonderful miracles that Jesus did, and how he could cure poor sick people, set off to go to Jesus. When he came to him he fell down at his feet in great grief, and said, " My daughter is even now dead ; but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live." Jesus was always full of kindness and of love, and he directly set off to Jairus's house to see the little child. As they were going along the road they met a servant, who came to Jairus and said it was of no use to trouble Jesus, for the little girl was dead. When Jesus heard what the ser- vant said, instead of turning back, he only said to her father, "Fear not; believe only, and she shall be made whole." It was the
8
114: THE MIRACLES OF OUR SAVIOUR.
custom in that country, when any one died, for people to call minstrels to come with their drums and fifes, and to make mournful music ; and when Jesus and Jairus got near the house, they heard these minstrels with their music weeping and wailing. Jesus told them to stop ; saying, in his own kind voice, "Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth." They laughed when they heard this, for they did not know how to believe it. Jesus then sent all the people out ex- cept Peter and James and John, and the little girl's father and mother, and went into the room and took hold of the little girl's hand and called her, saying, " Maid, arise ;" and her spirit came again, and she got up directly as Jesus bid her, to the great delight of her dear father and mother. How happy they must have felt when they saw her open her eyes and smile upon them again ! How
M ! ni
JAIRUS' DAUGHTER RAISED TO L1EE.
• jV
LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST. 115
they must have loved Jesus Christ for his great kindness !
" I think when I read that sweet story of old, When Jesus was here among men ; How he called little children like lambs to his fold — I should like to have been with him then.
I wish that his hand had been placed on my head, That his arm had been thrown around me,
And that I might have seen his kind look when he said, 1 Let the little ones come unto me.' "
CHAPTER II.
The Loaves and Fishes — Jesus walks on the Sea — The Fish with Money in its Mouth.
ARGE crowds of people used to follow Jesus, because they liked to e^hear him talk to theni, and to see the miracles that he did. Many people, too, liked to bring their sick friends to Jesus, that he might make them well. There are in the Holy Land large deserts or tracts of country, without a single house or tree, and one day an immense number of people, more than five thousand, came after Jesus into one of these deserts. I do not think you ever saw so large a crowd of people. There were men, women and children. The sun had set, and it was getting dark, when the disciples came and asked Jesus whether it
FIVE LOAVES AND TWO FISHES. 117
would not be better to send the people away, that they might go into the villages and buy themselves something for their supper ; for they had been a long time with- out food, and must be hungry. Jesus said, "No: do not send them away; give them something to eat." " There is a lad here," said Andrew, "who has five barley loaves and two small fishes ; but what are they among so many ?" Jesus, however, said, "Make the men sit down." So they sat down in rows upon the soft, green grass, fifty in one row and fifty in another. There were more people than you see together at church on Sunday morning. As soon as they were all seated on the grass, Jesus took the five loaves and the two fishes, and look- ing up to heaven, he prayed to God to bless the food they were about to eat. You see, dear children, Jesus would not eat without
118 THE MIRACLES OP OUR SAVIOUR.
asking God for his blessing ; and we should always do the same when we sit down to our daily meals, for it is our heavenly Father who causes the corn to grow, and who pro- vides for all our wants. As soon as Jesus had prayed for a blessing, he gave the loaves and fishes to the disciples, and told them to go round and give the people some for their supper. Although there were so many people, yet there was enough for them all. The loaves of bread that they used to eat in the Holy Land were thin and brittle, like biscuits, and were therefore broken and not cut ; but how wonderful it is that as fast as. they were broked and given to the people still they did not come to an end ! The food lasted so long that there was more and more, and more and more. Every one had a good supper. When all had done, Jesus told his disciples to gather up the
WE MUST NOT WASTE. 119
bits that were left, that there might be no waste, and they filled twelve baskets full. This shews us that we ought not to waste any thing. When little children are leaving bits of bread and crust after their meals, they should remember that Jesus told his disciples not to waste any thing. The crumbs that children leave on the table after their breakfast or dinner would often make a meal for a little bird ; and the bits of bread that are left would often make a poor hungry boy's eyes sparkle with joy. When we pray every morning, " Give us this day our daily bread," let us remember it is the great and good God who gives us every thing we have, and who sent his only Son into the world, to go about doing good, and to feed the poor hungry people in the desert. After Jesus had fed that great multitude of people with the loaves and the fishes, he
120 THE MIRACLES OF OUR SAVIOUR.
went up into a mountain to pray, and told his disciples to get into a little ship and cross over to the other side of the sea. They loved Jesus, and they liked to do what he told them to do ; and soon they set sail in their little ship. But the evening came on ; the wind began to blow, and it blew louder and louder, until the little ship that the disciples were in was dashed about among the waves. They were all alone. Do you think they were frightened ? We need never be frightened if we place our trust in God, who alone can take care of us in the dark night as well as in the day-time. Jesus was on the mountain praying; but when the storm arose he went down from the moun- tain that he might go and comfort his disci- ples. Did he take a little boat to go across the rough waves? No: Jesus can do every thing. He could walk upon the water just
.1ESUS WALKING OiN THE WATKK
JESUS WALKS UPON THE WATER. 121
as well as upon dry land ; and he went towards his disciples, walking upon the sea. This was so wonderful, that even the disci- ples themselves were almost frightened, and could hardly believe it was Jesus. Soon, however, he came quite near and spoke to them in his own kind voice, and said, " It is I: be not afraid." Oh! how glad they must have been to hear that gentle voice, and to find that their Saviour was indeed near them ! Peter was one of the disciples in the little ship, and he asked Jesus to let him come to him upon the water. Jesus said, " Come." Then Peter stepped over the side of the ves- sel and began to walk on the water. But when he heard the loud wind blow, and saw the great waves, he was frightened, and began to sink, and cried out, "Lord, save me!" Jesus was so kind that he put out his hand to help Peter, and told him not to
122 THE MIRACLES OF OUR SAVIOUR.
fear. Peter need not have been afraid. He ought to have remembered that Jesus would take care of him. Jesus took Peter safely to the ship, and then directly all was calm. The wind left off blowing, and the great waves became still as a lake. Just before, the little ship was so dashed about that there was danger of its being broken in pieces ; but now it glided smoothly and gen- tly in the midst of the sea, until it brought the disciples safely to the place on the other side, where they were going.
Dear little children, you see how wonder- ful as well as how kind Jesus Christ is! He could take care of his disciples in that rough sea, and he will take care of every lit- tle child who tries to love and please him.
People who go about collecting money to pay to the king or queen, are called tax- gatherers. There were tax-gatherers in the
THE TAX-GATHERERS. 123
Holy Land, who used to go about collecting money. The people once came to Jesus and asked him to pay some tax-money. Jesus had no money to give them ; for though he was the Lord of all, he was poor, and had no house of his own, nor any place where he might lay his blessed head. There is a text in the Bible which says, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head;" and you have learned the little hymn which says,
" Soft and easy is thy cradle ;
Coarse and hard thy Saviour lay, When his birth-place was a stable, And his softest bed was hay."
Jesus, therefore, said to Peter, who was standing by, "Go to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the first fish that cometh
CHAPTER III.
The poor lame Man cured — Lazarus raised to Life — The bund Men cured.
OW I will tell you about a poor lame man whom Jesus cured. This poor man lived at Jerusalem. When he was a little boy he could not run about and play in the garden and in the nice green fields as you do, for he was lame and unable to walk. Poor man ! how sorry we should have been for him if we had seen him. It is sad to see poor lame people when they are not able to move, or to use their limbs. Now look at the picture, and I will tell you all about it. You see there is a pool, with steps down into the water, and several people seem to be. bath- ing there, while the poor lame man, with his
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THE LAME MAN C¥RED
THE LAME MAN CURED. 127
crutches, seems to be lying down by the side of the pool, and great numbers of other poor sick people are standing near him. What are' they waiting for ? You shall hear. An angel from heaven sometimes went down into the pool and troubled the water ; and then whoever stepped in first after the angel had been, was made well of whatever com- plaint he had. Now the poor lame man wanted very much to get into the pool and to be made well, but not being able to move by himself, some one always got down before him. When Jesus passed by one day, and saw this poor lame man lying there, he was sorry for him, and asked him whether he should like to be made well. The poor lame man said he should like it very much, but he had no friend to put him into the pool. Then Jesus said, " Rise, take up thy bed and walk." Now the bed that the poor
128 THE MIRACLES OF OUR SAVIOUR.
man was lying upon was not like the nice soft beds that little children in England sleep upon : no ; it was only a large mat made of grass, and could be easily rolled up and unrolled. Poor people in eastern countries still sleep upon mats that they can roll up and carry from place to place under their arms. Directly Jesus told the poor man to take up his bed and walk, he had only to get up and to roll up his mat and put it under his arm. How surprised and how pleased he must have been when he heard the kind words that Jesus spoke ! He had no medicine to take to make him well. He need not ask any one to put him into the pool, nor need he wait till some one came by to take hold of his hand and help him. No ; he had only to do as Jesus bid him, — • to get up, and roll his little bed up under his arm, and walk away with it. Was the
MARY AND MARTHA. 129
poor lame man grateful to Jesus for being so kind to .him ? I hope he was ; for a short time afterwards Jesus found him in the temple or church. Perhaps he had gone there to thank God for having sent his Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to cure poor lame people, as well as to " seek and to save that which was lost."
Dear little children, I think you have heard of the poor woman named Mary, who loved Jesus very much, and who poured sweet ointment on his head, and wiped his feet with her hair. Well, Mary had a sister named Martha, and they both dearly loved their brother Lazarus. They all three lived together in the same house, at a little village called Bethany. But the dearest brothers and sisters are sometimes parted from each other by sickness and death, and so it was now. Lazarus fell ill,
9
130 THE MIRACLES OF OUR SAVIOUR.
very ill, and poor Mary and Martha were sadly grieved. The first thing they did was to send for Jesus. They knew that he could cure their brother. But Jesus was a long way off; and before he got to Bethany, Lazarus was dead, and had been laid four days in the grave. The graves in that country are not like the graves in our churchyards here ; they are hewn or cut out of the rock, and look like large caves ; and then a stone is put to the opening, or door of the cave, and often the cave is in a garden, among the trees and shrubs. Our blessed Saviour himself was buried in a cave in Joseph's garden.
When Jesus got near to Bethany, Martha came to meet him ; and when she saw him, she said, " Lord, if thou hadst been here my brother had not died." Jesus told her that her brother should rise again. Then Martha
LAZARUS RAISED FROM THE DEAD. 131
went back home, and called her sister Mary, and when Mary came, she also said to Jesus, " Lord, if thou hadst been here my brother had not died." Poor Mary! the tears ran down her cheeks while she spoke, for Laz- arus had been a kind dear brother to his sisters, and now that he was dead and buried, they thought they should see him no more, Jesus loved both these sisters, and he was grieved to see them in such sorrow. He even wept himself when he saw them so unhappy. And what do you think he did ? He now performed one of those wonderful miracles which shewed that he was indeed the Son of God, for no one else could have performed it. He came to the grave of Lazarus, and told the people who were standing there, to take away the stone which, as I said before, was laid at the door of it. As soon as the stone was rolled away,
132 THE MIRACLES OF OUR SAVIOUR.
Jesus lifted up his eyes and prayed to God. Often, very often, did he pray to his heavenly Father when he was here on earth ; and so, dear children, ought we to do. If we are in trouble, God will hear us. If there is any thing we want, God will give it to us in answer to prayer, if He knows that it is really good for us to have it. When Jesus had prayed, he cried, with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" and in a moment the poor dead man, who had been buried four days in the grave, came to life again. How surprised the people who were stand- ing by must have been when they saw him ! and Martha and Mary, how full of joy they must have felt when they heard their dear brother Lazarus speak to them again in his own kind voice, and saw him smile upon them as he used to do ! Do you not think that they were indeed glad, and that they
THE GOODNESS OF GOD. 133
loved, more than ever they had done before, their blessed Saviour who had performed this wonderful miracle, and brought their dear brother Lazarus back to life ?
How thankful we should be for the light of the sun ! Every morning when the sun shines, every thing looks beautiful. The sky is so blue, and the grass is so green, and the flowers are so bright and gay, and little children like to run in the fields and pick the wild roses, or the daisies that are grow- ing there. It is God, the great and good God who makes them all, and who gives us our sight to enjoy them. If we were blind, as some poor people are, we could not see the pretty flowers, or watch the light clouds as they pass along the sky, or see the little lambs as they frisk about in the meadows. It is a sad thing to be blind. We ought to be sorry for poor blind people, and to do all
134: THE MIRACLES OF OUR SAVIOUR.
we can to help them. Jesus sometimes cured poor blind people and made them see again. He had only to touch their eyes, and their sight came directly. There were some poor men living in the Holy Land, who had been blind for many years, whom Jesus cured. One of them had not been able to see since he was born, yet Jesus gave him sight. I will tell you about it. This miracle took place near a town of the Holy Land, called Jericho. It was a large town, and many palm-trees grew around it. Jesus was going to Jerusalem, and the road he took passed through Jericho. As he drew near to the town, a sight caught his eye and called forth his pity. He saw two blind men sitting by the way-side. One of these blind men was named Bartimeus. I cannot tell you the name of the other. There were great crowds of people going along the
BLIND BARTIMEUS. 135
road at the same time, and the poor blind men asked what all the noise and bustle was about. When they were told that Jesus was passing by, one of them cried out in a loud voice, saying, "Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me !" The people begged him not to cry out so loud ; but instead of being quiet, they both began to cry out still louder, saying, "Have mercy upon us, 0 Lord, thou Son of David 1" This was a little prayer. It was as much as to say, "0 Lord, thou canst do every thing: give us our sight." Jesus stood still, and desired some of the people to bring the blind men to him. Bartimeus was so glad when he heard this, that he threw away his garment and came to Jesus. In that hot country people used to wear loose flowing garments, which could be easily taken on and off, and the poor blind man could run faster without it. I do
136 THE MIRACLES OF OUR SAVIOUR.
not know whether the other poor man threw off his garment. However, they both came and stood before Jesus. Then Jesus spoke to them and said, " What will ye that I shall do unto ye?" They said, "Lord that our eyes may be opened." They longed to see the trees, and the fields, and the flowers, and their friends around them, and perhaps, above all, they longed to see their blessed Saviour, of whom they had heard so much, and who was now about to perform this wonderful miracle upon them. They had not long to wait. Jesus felt pity for them. He touched their eyes, just touched them with his finger, saying, " Receive your sight ; your faith hath saved you." No sooner were the words spoken, than their eyes were opened. The sight came into them. How happy they must have felt ! How delighted they must have been to see all that was
THE BLIND MEN PKAISE GOD. 137
going on ! Before, all had been darkness and gloom. Now all was brightness and joy. They began directly to praise God ; and all the people also, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
CHAPTER IY.
The Draught of Fishes — The Sick of the Palsy Cured — Jesus Bids the Storm to Cease.
HE twelve men who mostly went about with Jesus when he was here on earth, were called his twelve disciples. Sometimes Jesus called them his friends. What a happy thing to be the friends of Jesus ! It is worth more than all the world besides. One of the disciples, as you know, was named Peter, another was named Andrew, and another was named John. When Jesus first called Peter and Andrew to come and follow him, they were casting their nets into the sea to catch fishes, for they were fishermen ; but no sooner did they hear Jesus' voice, than they left their nets and followed him. James and
THE FISHERMEN. 1?9
John were also fishermen. Now I will tell you of another miracle that Jesus did. You have heard how he turned the water into wine ; how he fed a great many people with a few loaves and fishes ; how he raised dead people to life again ; and now you. shall hear how he helped the poor fishermen when they were in trouble because they could not catch any fish. One day when Jesus was walking on the sea-shore, so many people came round him to be taught, and to hear what he was saying, that there was hardly room for them all, and his voice could scarcely be heard in the crowd. He therefore got into a little fishing boat that was drawn up on the beach, and which belonged to Peter, and asked him to push it out a little way from the land. The boat was empty ; for the fishermen had gone away to wash their nets. Peter directly did as the Lord told him ;
MO THE MIRACLES OF OUR SAVIOUR.
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and as Jesus then sat alone in the boat he talked to the people, who stood round him a little way off on the shore. What did he say to them ? No doubt he told them that they must love God with their whole hearts, and try to please and serve him, and to do his holy will in all things. He told them, too, that he was come into the world to seek and to save lost sinners, and that all who be- lieved in him, and loved him, should have their sins forgiven, and go to heaven when they died. As soon as Jesus had done talk- ing to the people that morning, he told Peter to go out to sea in his boat and let down the net, and catch some fish. Now Peter and the other fishermen had been out in their boats all the night long, for in the dark night the fish come into the nets better than in the day-time ; but they had caught nothing. Though they had been hard at
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THE DRAUGHT OF FISHES
THE DRAUGHT OF FISHES. 141
work all night, not a single fish had come into their nets. Do you think Peter was surprised when Jesus told him to go and fish again ? Perhaps he was ; but still he did what Jesus told him. He only said, "Master, we have toiled all the night and have taken nothing ; nevertheless, at thy command, I will let down the net." This shewed his faith. By faith I mean, believing that whatever Jesus says must be true. No doubt Peter was very glad that he had obeyed Christ's command ; for as soon as the net was let down into the water, so many fishes came into it that it began to break ; and they caught more than enough to fill Peter's boat. So many, indeed, that they had to beckon to the people who were in the other boats to come and help them. And when they came, they too filled their boats quite full of fish. Was not this very
1,42 THE MIRACLES OF OUR SAVIOUR.
wonderful ? Jesus could do every thing. He could make the fishes in the sea come into the nets when he pleased, just as easily as he could give sight to a blind man, or raise a dead man to life. James and John and Peter were very much surprised ; they were almost frightened when they saw how wonderful and how powerful Jesus was. But Jesus said to them kindly, "Fear not, from henceforth you shall catch men." By this he meant, that they should teach and preach to the people, and shew them the way to love and serve God, and that the people would listen to them and come to them to be taught, just as the fishes came into the net.
After Jesus had performed this miracle, Peter and the other fishermen left their boats and their nets, and followed Jesus. They loved him so much that they were
JESUS STOPS AT CAPERNAUM. 143
ready to give up every tiling to become his disciples. We should he ready to do the same. Children should be ready to give up their own little pleasures whenever it is thought right they should do so.
When Jesus Christ was here on earth, he was, as I have often told you, always going about doing good. He cured so many sick people, that wherever he went, other sick people were brought to him in hopes that he would cure them also. He was once stopping at a place called Capernaum ; and when it was known that he was there, such great numbers of people came around him that very soon the house was quite full. Now there was a poor man who was sick of the palsy. He had been ill a very long time, and he could not walk about as you can, or do any thing for himself. He had, however, some kind friends, who carried
144 THE MIRACLES OF OUR SAVIOUR.
him on his little bed, and brought him to the house where Jesus was staying ; but when they got there, there was such a crowd around the door that they could not get in. What do you think they did ? Did they put the poor man in through the window, or did they carry him back again ? No ; I will tell you how they managed. The houses in the Holy Land are not made with sloping. roofs, like the houses in this country ; they are flat at the top, so that people can walk on them, and there are stairs outside the house which lead up to the roof, so that people can go up outside without going in-doors. Well, this is what the poor men did. They carried the poor man sick of the palsy in his little bed up to the top of the house, and then made a hole in the roof, and tied four cords to the sick man's bed, and let him down into the middle of the room where Jesus was. Do
THE SICK OF THE PALSY CURED. 145
you think Jesus made the poor man well? Yes ; he spoke kindly to him, and told him to take up his bed and walk. How thank- ful he must have been to find he was able to do so ! The people who brought the poor man to Jesus had no need to carry him back again, for now he could use his limbs and walk as well as they could. The moment that Jesus spoke to him he got up, placed his little bed under his arm, for, as I have told you before, the beds in that country can be rolled up like mats, and went back to his own home, praising and blessing Jesus Christ.
Sometimes we go to the sea-side in the summer, when all is calm and bright. Little children often like to sit down and play on the wide smooth sands, and pick up pretty shells and sea-weed. Sometimes
they look at the little boats as they glide
10
146 THE MIRACLES OF OUR SAVIOUR.
along on the water, or watch the waves as they gently roll on the beach. All this is very pleasant, and whilst we enjoy it we should think of the great and good God who made the great sea, and who said to it, "Hitherto shalt thou come and no farther, and here shall thy proud waves be stayed." Sometimes, however, a storm arises; and then, instead of being so calm and beautiful, the sea dashes up on the beach, and the great roaring waves beat over each other in the most frightful manner — the wind blows ; the tempest rages — and ships and boats are in the greatest danger. When Jesus was here on earth he was once sailing, with his disciples, in one of their little ships, when a violent storm came on. The wind blew so much that the ship was covered with the waves. Jesus had been talking and preach- ing to the people during the day, and he was
JESUS CALMS THE STORM. 147
so tired that he went to sleep on a pillow, in the hinder part of the ship. Soon the waves dashed so high as to cover the boat, and it began to fill with water. The dis- ciples were quite frightened, for they thought it would soon sink in the sea, and that they should all be drowned. So they went to Jesus and awoke him, crying, "Lord, save us, we perish." This shewed their faith. I mean, it shewed that they believed Jesus could save them ; and so he did. For he got up directly his disciples called to him, and stopped the wind, and the raging of the water, so that there was a great calm. How did he stop them? Only by speak- ing a word ; he said, " Peace, be still ;" and all was hushed directly. The wind left off blowing ; the waves dashed no longer ; the little ship again glided gently and smoothly along, until they reached the
148 THE MIRACLES OF OUR SAVIOUR.
shore. The disciples, although they had seen so many wonderful miracles done by Jesus, could not help being surprised, and they said to each other, "What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?" Yes, dear little children, Jesus can do every thing ; he can still the roaring of the sea ; he can protect us when we are in danger; he can keep us safe when we are on a journey; he can make us well when we are ill ; he can comfort us when we are in trouble; he can wash away our sins in his own precious blood ; he can take us to heaven when we die ; he can make us happy for ever and ever.
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