[Illustration: THE INFANT JESUS.]
The Peep of Day
By the Author of
“Line Upon Line,” “Precept Upon
Precept,” Etc.
PHILADELPHIA
HENRY ALTEMUS COMPANY
CONTENTS.
LESSON. PAGE.
1. Of the body 7
2. Of a mother’s care 10
3. Of the soul 14
4. Of the good angels 17
5. Of the wicked angels 20
6. The world, Part I 25
7. The world, Part II 28
8. The world, Part III 30
9. Adam and Eve 35
10. The first sin 37
11. The Son of God 40
12. The Virgin Mary 43
13. The birth of Jesus 46
14. The shepherds 47
15. The wise men 49
16. King Herod 50
17. The temptation 52
18. The twelve disciples 56
19. The first miracle 59
20. Several miracles 61
21. The sinner and Simon 63
22. The storm at sea 65
23. Jairus’ daughter 67
24. The loaves and fishes 69
25. The kindness of Jesus 73
26. The Lord’s Prayer 75
27. Jesus foretells his death 77
28. Lazarus 79
29. Jesus enters Jerusalem 83
30. The Temple 85
31. Judas 87
32. The Last Supper, Part I 89
33. The Last Supper, Part II 92
34. The Last Supper, Part III 94
35. The garden 97
36. Peter’s denial 100
37. Pontius Pilate 103
38. Death of Judas 107
39. The Cross, Part I 108
40. The Cross, Part II 111
41. The Cross, Part III 113
42. The soldiers 115
43. The grave 116
44. The resurrection 119
45. Mary Magdalene 121
46. The two friends 123
47. Thomas 128
48. The dinner 130
49. The ascension 134
50. Peter in Prison 136
51. John 142
52. The Judgment Day 146
PREFACE.
THIS little work aims to be the very least of all;—not in _size_, but
in the humility of its contents. It aims at the superlative degree of
littleness; and in this point seeks to resemble the least watch ever
made—the least picture ever painted—the tiniest flower that ever grew.
It desires to be among books as the humming-bird among birds.
As soon as a child’s mind is _capable_ of receiving _systematic_
instruction, this humble work attempts to convey it.
From a very early period a pious mother will, by _casual_ remarks,
endeavor to lead her child to the knowledge of his Creator and
Redeemer; and in due time she will impart _systematic_ instruction. It
may be at _three_ years of age—it may _not_ be till _five_—that the
child is prepared to listen to these little lessons. But—sooner or
later—he will give evidence of his immortality by willingly hearkening
to discourse concerning the INVISIBLE—the ETERNAL—the INFINITE.
The simplicity of the language may seem unworthy of the sublimity
of the subject treated of in these pages; and some may smile at the
contrast;—but the little one will not smile—except with joy to hear
of his Heavenly Father, and of his Incarnate Redeemer; for the merry
inmates of the nursery are capable of tasting higher pleasures than
toys and dainties can afford.
THE PEEP OF DAY.
LESSON I.
OF THE BODY.
DEAR CHILDREN:—You have seen the sun in the sky. Who put the sun in the
sky?—God.
Can you reach up so high?—No.
Who holds up the sun that it does not fall?—It is God. God lives in
heaven; heaven is much higher than the sun.
Can you see God?—No. Yet He can see you, for God sees everything.
God made everything at first, and God takes care of everything. God
made you, my little child, and God takes care of you always.
You have a little body; from your head down to your feet, I call your
body.
Put your hand before your mouth. What do you feel coming out of your
mouth? It is your breath. You breathe every moment. When you are
asleep, you breathe. You cannot help breathing. But who gives you
breath? God does everything. God gave you this little body, and he
makes it live, and move, and breathe. There are bones in your body. God
has made them strong and hard. There are some bones for your arms, and
some bones for your legs. There is a bone for your back, and more bones
for you sides.
God has covered your bones with flesh. Your flesh is soft and warm.
In your flesh there is blood. God has put skin outside, and it covers
your flesh and blood like a coat. Now all these things, the bones, and
flesh, and blood, and skin, are called your body. How kind of God it
was to give you a body. I hope that your body will not get hurt.
Will your bones break?—Yes, they would, if you were to fall down from a
high place, or if a cart were to go over them.
If you were to be very sick, your flesh would waste away, and you would
have scarcely anything left but skin and bones.
Did you ever see a child who had been sick a very long while? I have
seen a sick baby. It had not round cheeks like yours, and a fat arm
like this. The baby’s flesh was almost gone, and its little bones were
only covered with skin. God has kept you strong and well.
How easy it would be to hurt your poor little body!
If it were to fall into the fire, it would be burned up. If hot water
were thrown upon it, it would be scalded. If it were to fall into deep
water, and not be taken out very soon, it would be drowned. If a great
knife were run through your body, the blood would come out. If a great
box were to fall on your head, your head would be crushed. If you were
to fall out of the window, your neck would be broken. If you were not
to eat some food for a few days, your little body would be very sick,
your breath would stop, and you would grow cold, and you would soon be
dead.
You see that you have a very weak little body.
Can you keep your own body from being sick, and from getting hurt?
You should try not to hurt yourself, but God only can keep your body
from all harm, from fire and water, from wounds and bruises, and all
kinds of sickness. Kneel down and say to God, “Pray keep my poor little
body from getting hurt.” God will hear you, and go on taking care of
you.
My little body’s made by God
Of soft warm flesh and crimson blood:
The slender bones are placed within,
And over all is laid the skin.
My little body’s very weak;
A fall or blow my bones might break:
The water soon might stop my breath;
The fire might close my eyes in death.
But God can keep me by his care;
To him I’ll say this little pray’r:
“O God! from harm my body keep,
Both when I wake and when I sleep.”
LESSON II.
OF A MOTHER’S CARE.
I HAVE told you about your little body. Was your body always as big as
it is now?—No. Once it was very small indeed.
What were you called when your body was very small?—A baby.
Now you can take a little care of yourself, but then you could take no
care at all. Can babies walk, or talk, or feed themselves, or dress
themselves?—No.
But God sent you a person who took great care of you when you were a
baby.
Who was it?—Your dear mother; she took care of you then. She nursed you
in her arms, and fed you, and took you out in the air, and washed you,
and dressed you. Do you love your mother?—Yes.
I know you do. But who gave you a mother? It was God who sent you to a
kind mother.
A little while ago there was no such little creature as you. Then God
made your little body, and he sent you to your mother, who loved you as
soon as she saw you. It was God who made your mother love you so much,
and made her so kind to you.
Your kind mother dressed your poor little body in neat clothes, and
laid you in a cradle. When you cried she gave you food, and hushed you
to sleep in her arms. She showed you pretty things to make you smile.
She held you up, and showed you how to move your feet. She taught you
to speak, and she often kissed you, and called you sweet names.
Is your mother kind to you still?—Yes, she is, though she is sometimes
angry. But she wishes to make you good: that is why she is sometimes
angry.
Your mother has sent you to this nice school, and she gives you supper
when you go home. I know she will be kind to you as long as she lives.
But remember who gave you this mother. God sent you to a dear mother,
instead of putting you in the fields, where no one would have seen you
or taken care of you.
Can your mother keep you alive?—No.
She can feed you, but she cannot make your breath go on.
God thinks of you every moment. If he were to forget you, your breath
would stop.
Do you ever thank your mother for her kindness?—Yes. You often say,
“Thank you,” and sometimes you put your arms around her neck, and say,
“I do love you so much, dear mother!” Will you not thank God who gave
you a mother, and who keeps you alive? You should kneel down when you
speak to God; then you should say, “O God, how good you have been to
me! I thank you, and love you.”
Would God hear your little thanks?—Yes, God would hear and be pleased.
Who fed me from her gentle breast,
And hush’d me in her arms to rest,
And on my cheeks sweet kisses press’d?
My Mother.
When sleep forsook my open eye,
Who was it sang sweet hush-a-by?
And rock’d me that I should not cry?
My Mother.
Who sat and watch’d my infant head,
When sleeping on my cradle bed,
And tears of sweet affection shed?
My Mother.
When pain and sickness made me cry,
Who gazed upon my heavy eye,
And wept for fear that I should die?
My Mother.
Who ran to help me when I fell,
And would some pretty story tell,
Or kiss the place to make it well?
My Mother.
Who taught my infant lips to pray,
And love God’s holy book and day,
And walk in wisdom’s pleasant way?
My Mother.
And can I ever cease to be
Affectionate and kind to thee,
Who wast so very kind to me?
My Mother.
Ah no! the thought I cannot bear,
And if God please my life to spare,
I hope I shall reward thy care,
My Mother.
When thou art feeble, old, and gray,
My healthy arm shall be thy stay,
And I will soothe thy pains away,
My Mother.
And when I see thee hang thy head,
’Twill be my turn to watch thy bed,
And tears of sweet affection shed,
My Mother.
For God, who lives above the skies,
Would look with vengeance in his eyes
If ever I should dare despise
My Mother.
LESSON III.
OF THE SOUL.
HAS God been kind to dogs? Has he given them bodies?—Yes.
Have they bones, and flesh, and blood, and skin?—Yes.
The dog has a body as well as you. Is the dog’s body like yours?—No.
How many legs have you?—Two.
How many legs has the dog?—Four.
Have you got arms?—Yes, two.
Has the dog got arms?—No, it has no arms, nor hands. But the dog has
legs instead. Your skin is smooth, but the dog is covered with hair.
Is the cat’s body like yours?—No; it is covered with fur.
Is a chicken’s body like yours? How many legs has the chicken?—Two.
And so have you. But are its legs like yours?—No; the chicken has very
thin, dark legs, and it has claws instead of feet.
Have you feathers on your skin? Have you wings? Is your mouth like a
chicken’s beak? Has the chicken any teeth?—No; the chicken’s body is
not at all like yours. Yet the chicken has a body—for it has flesh, and
bones, and blood, and skin.
Has a fly got a body?—Yes, it has a black body, and six black legs, and
two wings like glass. Its body is not at all like yours.
Who gave bodies to dogs, horses, chickens, and flies? Who keeps them
alive?
God thinks of all these creatures every moment.
Can a dog thank God. No; dogs and horses, sheep and cows, cannot thank
God.
Why can not they thank God? Is is because they cannot talk?
That is not the reason.
The reason is, they cannot think of God. They never heard of God. They
cannot understand about God.
Why not?—Because they have no _souls_, or spirits, like yours.
Have you got a soul?—Yes, in your body there is a soul which will never
die. Your soul can think of God.
When God made your body, he put your soul inside. Are you glad of that?
When God made the dogs, he put no soul like yours inside their bodies,
and they cannot think of God.
Can I see your soul?—No; I cannot see it. No one can see it but God. He
knows what you are thinking of now.
Which is the best, your soul or your body?—Your soul is a great deal
the best. Why is your soul the best?—Your body can die, but your soul
cannot die.
Shall I tell you what your body is made of?—Of dust. God made the dust
into flesh and blood.
What is your soul made of?—Your soul, or spirit, is made of the breath
of God.
That little dog will die some day. Its body will be thrown away. The
dog will be quite gone when its body is dead. But when your body dies,
your soul will be alive, and you will not be quite gone.
Where would you be put if you were dead?—Your body would be put in a
hole in the ground, but your soul would not be in the hole. Even a baby
has a soul, or spirit.
One day as I was walking in the streets, I saw a man carrying a box.
Some people were walking behind, crying. There was a dead baby in the
box. Was the soul of the baby in the box?—No; its soul was gone up to
God.
Will you not thank God for giving you a spirit? Will you not ask Him to
take your spirit to live with him when your body dies?
Say to God, “Pray, take my spirit to live with Thee when my body dies
and turns into dust.”
CHILD.
Tell me, mamma, if I must die
One day, as little baby died;
And look so very pale, and lie
Down in the pit-hole by his side?
Shall I leave dear papa and you,
And never see you any more?
Tell me, mamma, if this is true:
I did not know it was before.
MAMMA.
’Tis true, my love, that you must die;
The God who made you says you must;
And every one of us shall lie,
Like the dear baby in the dust.
These hands, and feet, and busy head,
Shall waste and crumble quite away;
But though your body shall be dead,
There is a part which can’t decay.
What is that part which can’t decay? It is your soul.
Your body will decay; it will turn into dust; but your soul will live
forever: it will never decay.
LESSON IV.
OF THE GOOD ANGELS.
YOU know that God lives in heaven. He has no body, for he is a spirit.
Does he live in heaven alone?—No; angels stand all round his throne.
What are angels?
Angels are spirits. They are bright like the sun, but they are not so
bright as God, for he is brighter than the sun. The angels are always
looking at God, and it is God that makes them shine so bright.
They sing sweet songs about God. They say, “How good God is! how wise!
how great!”
There is no night in heaven, for the angels are never tired of singing,
and they never wish to sleep. They are never sick, and they will never
die.
They never weep; there are no tears upon their cheeks, but sweet
smiles, for angels are always happy.
If the angels were naughty, they would be unhappy. Naughtiness always
makes people unhappy. The angels are quite good. They love God very
much, and mind all he says.
They have wings, and can fly very quickly. God sends them down here to
take care of us. As soon as God tells an angel to go, he begins to fly.
They are very strong, and can keep us from harm.
Should you like the angels to be near you at night? Do you know this
pretty verse or hymn?
I lay my body down to sleep,
Let angels guard my head,
And through the hours of darkness keep
Their watch around my bed.
You must ask God to send the angels, for they never go, except when God
sends them.
God is their Father. They have not two fathers, as you have. The angels
are the children of God, and live in God’s house in heaven. When you
mind what your father tells you, then you are like the angels who mind
God.
The angels love us very much. They wish us to grow good, and to come to
live with them in heaven. When a child is sorry for its naughtiness,
and prays to God to forgive it, the angels are very much pleased.
When a little child who loves God falls sick, and is going to die,
God says to the angels, “Go and fetch that little child’s soul up to
heaven.” Then the angels fly down, the little darling shuts its eyes,
it lays its head on its mothers bosom, its breath stops;—the child is
dead. Where is its soul? The angels are carrying it up to heaven.
How happy the child is now! Its pain is over; it is grown quite good;
it is bright like an angel. It holds a harp in its hand, and begins
to sing a sweet song of praise to God. Its little body is put into a
grave, and turns into dust. One day God will make its body alive again.
Dear children, will you pray to God to send his angels to fetch your
souls when you die?
Around God’s glorious throne above
The happy angels stand,
And ever praise the God they love,
And fly at his command.
Their faces, like the sun, are bright,
And sweetest smiles they wear;
They never sleep; there is no night,
Nor need of candle there.
But though the angels live so high,
They love us men below,
And hope to see us in the sky
In garments white as snow.
And when a dying infant lies
Upon its mother’s breast,
The angels watch it while it dies,
And take its soul to rest.
LESSON V.
OF THE WICKED ANGELS.
WHEN did God begin to live in heaven? God always lived in heaven.
Once there was no such little child as you, but there always was God.
Once there was no sun, but there always was God.
Once there were no angels, but there always was God.
No one made God; God was the first of all things, and God made
everything.
A very long while ago God made the angels. How many angels did he make?
No one could tell how many. There were more than could be counted. They
were all good and happy.
But some of the angels grew bad. They left off loving God, and grew
proud, and disobedient.
Would God let them stay in heaven after they were bad? No; he cast them
out, and put them in chains and darkness.
One of these bad angels was called Satan. He is the chief, or prince of
the bad angels. He is called the devil.
The devil is very wicked, and hates God. He can never go back to heaven
again, but he comes here where we live, and he brings the other devils
with him.
We cannot see Satan, because he is a spirit, but he is always walking
about, and trying to make people naughty.
Satan loves mischief; he does not wish to be good. It pleases Satan to
see people in pain and in tears; but it pleases him best to see them
naughty, because then he thinks that they will come and live with him
in his dark place. He wishes that there should be a great many people
in hell, so he tries to make us do wicked things, and keep us from
praying to God.
I cannot tell you how very bad Satan is. He is very cruel, for he likes
to give pain. He is a liar and teaches people to tell lies. He is
proud, and wishes people to mind him more than God. He is envious, and
cannot bear to see people happy.
The devil hopes very much that you will come and live with him when you
die. He knows that if you are bad like him, you will live with him. So
he tries to make you like himself. When you are in a passion, you are
like the devil. When you say, “I don’t care,” you are like the devil.
When you think yourself good, you are proud like the devil.
Can God keep you from minding the devil? Yes; he can: for God is a
great deal stronger than Satan. Besides this, God is always near you,
for God is everywhere. Now Satan cannot be everywhere at the same time.
It is true that Satan has a great many angels who go where he tells
them; and that Satan and his angels come near you very often. But God
is always with you; he is before you and behind you, and on every side
of you; he is about your bed when you sleep, and about your path when
you walk. Therefore you need not be afraid of Satan; only ask God to
help you, and he will do so.
Satan is much stronger than you are; but God is stronger than all. If
anybody were to come to hurt you when you were alone, you would be
frightened; but if you saw your father coming you would run to him, and
you would not be frightened any more. Now God is our father; he can
keep Satan from hurting you. Pray to him, and say, “O dear father, keep
me from being wicked like the devil, and from going to hell.”
Satan was once an angel bright
And worship’d God on high;
But now he dwells in darkest night
And endless misery.
Daring his God to disobey,
He lost his happy state:
Sinners above could never stay
Around God’s throne to wait.
Thousands of angels with him fell,
Who own him as their king;
Hoping with us to share their hell,
They tempt our souls to sin.
CHILD.
God, unto thee I’ll lift my pray’r,
(He’ll hear an infant cry,)
“Save me, O Lord, lest I should share
In Satan’s misery.”
_On the subjects of the preceding Lessons._
God lives on high—beyond the sky,
And angels bright—all clothed in white,
The praises sing—of heaven’s king.
This God can see—both you and me;
Can see at night—as in the light;
And all we do—remembers too.
’Tis he bestows—my food and clothes,
And my soft bed—to rest my head,
And cottage neat and mother sweet.
And should not I—forever try
To do what He—has ordered me,
And dearly love—this Friend above?
I always should—be very good:
At home should mind—my parents kind;
At school obey—what teachers say.
Now if I fight—and scratch, and bite,
In passions fall—and bad names call,
Full well I know—where I shall go.
Satan is glad—when I am bad,
And hopes that I—with him shall lie
In fire and chains—and dreadful pains.
And liars dwell—with him in hell,
And many more—who cursed and swore,
And all who did—what God forbid.
And I have not—done what I ought;
I am not fit—with God to sit.
And angels bright—all clothed in white.
I will confess—my naughtiness,
And will entreat—for mercy sweet
O Lord! forgive—and let me live.
My body must—be turned to dust.
Then let me fly—beyond the sky,
And see thy face—in that sweet place.
LESSON VI.
THE WORLD.—PART I.
GENESIS i. 1-10
THIS large place we live in is called the world. It is very beautiful.
If we look up we see the blue sky, if we look down we see the green
grass. The sky is like a curtain spread over our heads, the grass like
a carpet under our feet, and the bright sun is like a candle to give us
light. It was very kind of God to make such a beautiful world, and let
us live in it.
God was in heaven, and all his bright angels around him, when he began
to make the world. God’s Son was with him—for God always has a Son,
just like himself.
His Son’s name is Jesus Christ. He is as good and as great as God his
Father. The Father and the Son are God: they always lived together,
and they love each other exceedingly. The Father and the Son are one
God, and they made the world.
How did God make the world?—By speaking. First of all, God made the
light. God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. No one can
make things by speaking but God: God made things of nothing. He only
spoke, and the light came.
Then God made the air. You cannot see the air, but you can feel it. The
air is everywhere. You can sometimes hear the noise it makes, for you
hear the wind blow, and the wind is air.
Next God put some water up very high. The clouds are full of water, and
sometimes the water comes down, and we call it rain.
God made a large deep place, and filled it with water. God spoke to the
water, and it rushed into the deep place. God called this water the sea.
The sea is very large, and it is always moving up and down, and tossing
itself; but it cannot get out of the large deep place in which God has
put it; for God said, “Stay there.”
When the wind blows hard, the sea makes a loud noise, and roars.
God made some dry land for us to walk upon: we call it ground. We could
not walk upon the sea nor build houses on the sea: but the ground is
hard, and firm, and dry.
Now I have told you of five things that God made:—
1. The light. 2. The air. 3. The clouds. 4. The sea. 5. The dry land.
Let us praise God for making such a large and beautiful world.
’Twas God who made this world so fair,
The shining sun, the sky, the air;
’Twas God who made the sea, the ground,
And all the things I see around.
When he began the world to make,
These were the mighty words he spake;
“Let there be light;” his voice was heard,
And the obedient light appeared.
The angels saw the light arise,
And with their praises filled the skies.
“How great our God! How wise! How strong!”
Such is their never-ending song.
LESSON VII.
THE WORLD.—PART II.
GENESIS i. 11-19.
WHEN God made the dry land, there was nothing on it: it was bare. So
God spake, and things grew out of the ground.
Trees came out of it; they were covered with green leaves of different
shapes. Some were called oak trees, and some were called elm trees, and
some beech trees. And some bore nice fruit, such as plum trees, apple
trees, orange trees and fig trees.
Vegetables grew out of the earth; potatoes and beans, cabbages and
lettuces: they are called vegetables.
Corn came out of it. Some corn is called wheat, and some corn is called
barley, and some is called oats. The ears of corn bend down when they
are ripe, and look yellow like gold.
God made the soft green grass to spring up, and flowers to grow among
the grass: flowers of all colors, and of the sweetest smell. The yellow
buttercup, the white lily, the blue violet, and the rose, the most
beautiful of all flowers.
I have told you of five sorts of things that grow out of the earth:
1. Trees. 2. Vegetables. 3. Corn. 4. Grass. 5. Flowers.
The world looked very beautiful when it was covered with grass and
trees. But only God and the angels saw its beauty.
Afterward God placed the sun in the sky, and bade it shine all day, and
go from one end of the world to the other. God made the moon to shine
at night, and he covered the sky with stars.
You never saw anything so bright as the sun. It is very large indeed,
only it looks small, because it is a great way off. It cannot fall, for
God holds it up. God makes it move across the sky. Did you ever hear
this pretty verse about the sun?—
My God, who makes the sun to know
His proper hour to rise,
And to give light to all below,
Doth send him round the skies.
The moon does not shine as brightly as the sun, for God lets it be dark
at night, that we may rest and sleep soundly.
Who could count the stars?—No one but God. He knows their names and
their number too. When we look at the moon and stars, let us think,
How great God is! Yet he cares for the little birds, and loves little
children.
CHILD.
I saw the glorious sun arise
From yonder mountain gray;
And as he travel’d through the skies,
The darkness went away;
And all around me was so bright,
I wish’d it would be always light.
But when his shining course was done
The gentle moon drew nigh,
And stars came twinkling, one by one,
Upon the shady sky.
Who made the sun to shine so far,
The moon and every twinkling star?
MAMMA.
’Twas God, my child, who made them all
By his almighty skill;
He keeps them, that they do not fall,
And guides them as he will:
That glorious God who lives afar,
In heaven, beyond the highest star.
LESSON VIII.
THE WORLD.—PART III.
GENESIS i. 20-25.
GOD had made a great many things, but none of these things were alive.
At last he made some living things. He spoke, and the water was filled
with fishes, more than could be counted.
Some were very small, and some were very large. Have you heard of the
great whale? It is a fish as long as a church. Fishes are cold, and
they have no feet, and they cannot sing, nor speak.
God made some creatures, more beautiful than fish, to fly about in
the air. The birds:—they perched upon the trees, and sang among the
branches.
Birds have wings, and are covered with feathers of all colors. The
robin has a red breast; the goldfinch has some yellow feathers; and the
jay some blue ones: but the peacock is the most beautiful of birds. It
has a little tuft upon its head, and a long train that sweeps behind;
sometimes it spreads out its feathers, and they look like a large fan.
The thrush, the blackbird and the linnet can sing sweetly: but there
is one bird that can sing more sweetly still—it is the nightingale. At
night, when all the other birds have left off singing, the nightingale
may be heard in the woods.
Some birds swim upon the water; such as geese, and ducks, and the
beautiful swan, with its long neck and its feathers like the snow.
Some birds are very tall. The ostrich is as tall as a man. It cannot
fly like other birds, but it can run very fast indeed.
The eagle builds its nest in a very high place. Its wings are very
strong, and it can fly as high as the clouds.
The gentlest of the birds is the dove. It cannot sing, but it sits
alone and moans softly, as if it were sad.
I cannot tell you the names of all the birds, but you can think of the
names of some other kinds.
There is another sort of living creatures, called insects. God made
them come out of the earth, and not out of the water, like fishes.
Insects are small, and creep upon the earth; such as ants. Some insects
can fly also; such as bees and butterflies. The bee sucks the juice
of flowers, and makes wax and honey. How gay are the wings of the
butterfly! they are covered with little feathers, too small to be seen.
All the insects were good and pretty when God made them.
[Illustration: CHRIST RAISING TO LIFE THE LITTLE MAID.]
At last God made the beasts. They came out of the earth when God spoke.
Beasts walk upon the earth; the most of them have four legs. You know
the names of a great many sorts of beasts. Sheep and cows, dogs and
cats, are beasts. But there are many other sorts besides: the squirrel
that jumps from bough to bough, the rabbit that lives in a hole
underground, and the goat that climbs the high hills; the stag with his
beautiful horns, the lion with his yellow hair, the tiger, whose skin
is marked with stripes. The elephant is the largest of beasts, the lion
is the strongest, the dog is the most sensible, the stag is the most
beautiful, but the lamb is the gentlest. The dove is the gentlest of
the birds, and the lamb is the gentlest of the beasts.
Now God had filled the world with living creatures, and they were all
good; even lions and tigers were good and harmless. I have told you of
four sorts of living creatures:
1. Fishes. 2. Birds. 3. Insects. 4. Beasts.
All these creatures have bodies, but they have not souls like you. They
can move and breathe. God feeds them every day, and keeps them alive.
The Lord is good to them all.
When God first clothed the earth with green
And sprinkled it with flow’rs,
There was no living creature seen
Within its pleasant bow’rs.
Soon by his word God fill’d the earth,
And waters underneath,
With things above the plants in worth,
That feel and move and breathe.
The fishes, cover’d o’er with scales
In ocean swiftly glide;
With their vast tails the wondrous whales
Scatter the waters wide,
The birds among the branches sing,
And chief the nightingale:
The peacock shines with painted wing,
The dove does softly wail.
Insects with humming fill the air,
And sparkle in the sun:
The butterfly by colors fair
Surpasses every one.
The beasts tread firmly on the ground;
The goat has nimble feet,
The stag’s with branching antlers crown’d;
The lamb’s most soft and sweet.
Pleasure the whole creation fills;
They leap, they swim, they fly;
They skim the plains, they climb the hills,
Or in the valleys lie.
With herb for meat the Lord provides
His numerous family;
The lion with the lamb abides,
The dove and hawk agree.
In all the woods and no sound of strife,
Or piteous moans arise;
None takes away his fellow’s life,
And none expiring lies.
Those happy days, alas! are past,
And death has entered here;
Why did they not forever last,
And when did death appear?
LESSON IX.
ADAM AND EVE.
GENESIS i., 26, to the end of Chap. ii.
NOW I shall tell you of the last thing God made.
God took some of the dust of the ground, and made the body of a man;
then he breathed on it, and gave it a soul; so the man could understand
about God. Adam was quite good like God. Adam loved God very much.
God put him in a very pretty garden, full of trees covered with fruit.
This garden was called the garden of Eden. God showed Adam all the
beasts and birds, and let Adam give them what names he pleased. He said
to Adam, I give you all the fishes, and insects, and birds, and beasts;
you are their master. So Adam was king over all things on the earth.
God said to Adam, You may eat of the fruit that grows on the trees in
the garden. Still God did not let him be idle, but told him to take
care of the garden. You see how very kind God was to Adam.
But Adam had no friend to be with him; for the beasts and birds could
not talk to Adam. Then God said he would make a woman, to be a friend
to Adam. So God made Adam fall fast asleep. God took a piece of bone
and flesh out of his side, and made it into a woman. When Adam woke, he
saw her. He knew that she was made of his flesh and bone, and he loved
her very much. Her name was “woman,” and afterwards her name was Eve.
You have heard of all the things God made. They were all beautiful:
and all the living things were quite happy; there was no pain, and no
sighing, and no sin in all the world.
God had been six days in making the world. And when he had finished it,
he rested on the seventh day, and made no more things.
The angels saw the world that God had made: they were pleased, and sang
a sweet song of praise to God. Jesus Christ the Son of God was pleased,
for he loved Adam and Eve.
How did I know about the world being made? It is written in the Bible,
which is God’s own book.
Let us count over all the things that God made:
1. Light. 2. Air. 3. Clouds. 4. Sea. 5. Dry land. 6. Things that grow
out of the earth. 7. Sun, moon, and stars. 8. Living creatures.
LESSON X.
THE FIRST SIN.
GENESIS iii.
ADAM and Eve were very happy in the garden of Eden. They talked to each
other, and walked together, and they never quarreled, and they praised
God for all his kindness to them.
God used to talk with them sometimes. They were pleased to hear his
voice, for they were not afraid of him.
There was one thing that God had told them not to do. There was a tree
in the middle of the garden. Some beautiful fruit grew upon it; but God
said to Adam and Eve, You must not eat of the fruit of that tree; for
if you eat of it, you shall die. Adam and Eve liked to obey God, and
they did not wish to eat of this fruit.
You know that the wicked angel, Satan, hates God, and he hated Adam and
Eve. He wished to make them naughty, that they might go to hell and
be burned in his fire. So he thought he would ask them to eat of that
fruit. He went into the garden, and looked like a serpent. He saw Eve
alone near the tree. He said to her, Why do you not eat of this fruit?
Eve answered, No, I will not; we must not eat of that fruit. If we do,
God has said we shall die. Then the serpent said, You shall not die;
the fruit will make you wise.
Eve looked at the fruit, and thought it seemed nice and pretty, and she
picked some and ate it; and she gave some to Adam, and he ate it.
It was very wicked of them to eat this fruit. Now they were grown
naughty, and did not love God.
Soon they heard God speaking in the garden; then they were frightened,
and they went and hid themselves among the trees. But God saw them; for
he can see everywhere.
So God said, Adam, where art thou? Then Adam and Eve came from under
the trees.
God said to Adam, Have you eaten of the fruit that I told you not eat?
And Adam said, It was this woman who asked me to eat some.
And God said to Eve, What is this that thou hast done? And Eve said,
The serpent asked me to eat.
God was very angry with the serpent, and said he should be punished
forever and ever.
God said to Adam and Eve, You shall die. I made your bodies of dust,
and they will turn to dust again.
God would not let them stay in the sweet garden. He made them go out.
He would not let them come back. He told one of his bright angels to
stand before the gate with a sword of fire and to keep Adam and Eve out
of the garden.
Near Eden’s land in days gone by,
A lovely garden stood:
The trees were pleasant to the eye;
The fruit was good for food.
Two holy creatures spent their days
Within that garden fair:
In love they dwelt; they sang God’s praise,
And humbly knelt in prayer.
In that sweet land one tree was placed,
Their faithful love to try
“That fruit,” said God, “you shall not taste:
Who eats shall surely die.”
O why did Eve to Satan’s lies
So readily attend?
Upon the fruit why fix her eyes,
Then pluck it with her hand?
No more shall Eve or Adam stay
Within that garden fair
An angel stands to guard the way,
That none may enter there.
LESSON XI.
THE SON OF GOD.
GENESIS iii. 14-15.
ARE you not very sorry to hear that Adam and Eve were turned out of the
garden?
It was not so pleasant outside of the garden. A great many weeds and
thistles grew outside; but in the garden there were only pretty flowers
and sweet fruits.
Adam was forced to dig the ground till he was hot and tired, for he
could not always find fruit upon the trees.
Now Adam felt pain in his body sometimes; and his hair became gray, and
at last he was quite old.
Eve was very often sick and weak, and tears ran down her cheeks. Poor
Adam and Eve! if you had obeyed God you would have been happy forever.
Adam and Eve knew that they must die at last. God gave them some little
children; and Adam and Eve knew that their children must die too. God
had told them that their bodies were made of dust, and that they must
turn to dust again.
But there was something more sad still. They were grown wicked. They
did not love praising God, as they once had done, but they liked doing
many naughty things. They were grown like Satan; so Satan hoped that
when their bodies were put into the ground, their spirits would be with
him; for Satan knew that the wicked could not live with God in heaven.
And they would have gone to hell, and all their children too, had not
God taken pity upon them. God, who is very kind, had found out a way to
save them.
To his Son, a long, long while before, God had said, Adam and Eve and
all their children must go to hell for their wickedness, unless you
die instead of them. My beloved Son, I will send you; you shall have a
body; you shall go and live in the world, and you shall obey me, and
you shall die for Adam and his children.
The Son said to his Father, I will come: I will do all that you desire
me to do. It is my delight to obey you.
So the Son promised that he would die for Adam and Eve, and for their
children.
How kind it was of the Father to spare his dear Son, whom he loved so
very much! How kind it was of the Son to leave his throne of light, his
bright angels, and his dear Father, and to take a body and to die!
You know that we are some of Adam’s children’s children. It was for us
that Jesus came to die. We are wicked, and we should go to hell, if
Jesus had not promised to die for us. We ought to love the Father and
the Son, because they had pity on us.
Let us praise God with the angels, and say,—
“We thank thee, O Father, for thy tender love, in giving up thine only
Son.
“We thank thee, O Son, for thy tender love, in coming down to bleed and
die.”
The Father waited a long while before he sent his Son down to be a man.
All the time the Son waited in heaven he thought of what he promised to
do; but he would not go and be a man till his Father pleased to send
him.
Adam has sinn’d: and on the ground
Shall thorns and thistles grow;
His body lies in dust; his soul—
Ah! whither shall it go?
Shall one who dared to disobey,
With God forever dwell?
When angels sinn’d God did not spare,
But cast them down to hell.
Yet long before the world was made
Our God contrived a plan,
By which his sinful soul to save,
And pardon guilty man.
The Father said his Son should die,
The Son replied, “I will:
A feeble body I will take;
This body men shall kill.”
Father, how great thy love to man,
To send thy Son from high!
How great thy love, O glorious Son,
To come, and bleed, and die!
LESSON XII.
THE VIRGIN MARY.
LUKE, i. 26-55.
GOD told Adam and Eve that he would send his Son down some day to die
for them. But Adam and Eve did not love God; for they were grown wicked.
Could God make them good?
Yes; he could: for there is the Holy Spirit in heaven, and the Holy
Spirit could come into them and make them good.
You know, my little children, we are wicked, and God can make us good
with his Holy Spirit. If God puts his Holy Spirit in us, we shall not
go to hell, and live with Satan.
I hope you will ask God to give you his Holy Spirit. Say to God, O
give me thy Holy Spirit, to make me good!
Adam had a great many children and grandchildren, and they had more
children; at last the world was full of people—more people than you
could count.
After Adam and Eve had been dead a long while, and when the world was
full of people, God said to his Son, Now, my beloved Son, go down into
the world.
But God chose that his Son should be a little baby at first—because
everybody is a little baby at first.
God sent his Son to be the baby of a poor woman. This woman’s name was
Mary. Mary had no little children. She was a good woman and loved God.
God’s Holy Spirit was in her, and made her meek and gentle.
One day an angel came to her. When Mary saw the bright angel, she was
frightened: but the angel said, “Fear not, Mary; God loves you. He will
send you a baby, that shall be the Son of God. You shall call his name
Jesus. He will come to save people from Satan.”
Mary was much surprised at what the angel said. She thought she was not
good enough to have such a baby as the Lord Jesus.
When the angel was gone back to heaven, Mary sang a sweet song of
praise to God for his goodness.
Mary said, My soul praises God, and my spirit is glad because of my
Saviour.
Mary called her baby her Saviour, for she knew that he would save her
from hell.
I wonder not that Mary fear’d
When Gabriel to her appear’d:
How could she know he came to bring
So sweet a message from his King?
Full long the Son in heaven had stay’d
Since first the promise had been made
To shed his blood for Adam’s sin,
And happiness for man to win.
But yet the Son had ne’er forgot,
And what he said he changed not;
The time was come he should be born,
And in this world should live forlorn.
Mary shall be the mother dear,
Who in her arms the child shall bear;
The angel came this news to bring,
And Mary listen’d wondering.
And did the Lord a poor maid choose—
And all the great and rich refuse?
High honors God delights to place
On those who humbly seek his face.
LESSON XIII.
THE BIRTH OF JESUS.
LUKE, ii. 1-7.
MARY had a husband called Joseph. He was a good man, and very kind to
Mary.
Now before Mary’s baby was born, a great king said that everybody must
have their names written down. So Mary and Joseph left their house, and
went a great way off. At last they came to a town called Bethlehem.
It was night. Where could they sleep? They went to an inn, and said, Do
let us in. We have come from a great way off.
But the master of the inn said, I have no room in my inn for you.
What could poor Mary do? Must she sleep in the street? Mary said she
would sleep in the stable, if the master would let her.
So Mary and Joseph went into the stable. There were cows and asses in
the stable.
While Mary was in the stable, God sent her the little baby he had
promised her. She knew he was the Son of God, though he looked like
other little babies.
She wrapped him in some long clothes, called swaddling clothes; but
she had no cradle for him to sleep in, and she could not lay him on the
ground, lest the beasts should tread upon him; so she put him in the
manger, and she sat by him to take care of him.
How dearly Mary loved this sweet babe!
This baby had not a naughty heart, as other babies have. Jesus had no
sin, but was quite meek and lowly. Yet other babies have cradles and
soft pillows, while Jesus lay in a manger.
I will tell you a verse to say to your little baby brother when you
rock his cradle:
Soft and easy is thy cradle;—
Coarse and hard thy Saviour lay
When his birthplace was a stable,
And his softest bed was hay.
LESSON XIV.
THE SHEPHERDS.
LUKE, ii. 8-20.
THERE were some fields near Bethlehem. On the night when Jesus was
born, some shepherds were sitting by their sheep in those fields. Why
did they sit up at night? To keep their sheep from the wolves and
lions which walk about at night. There are no lions where we live, but
near Bethlehem there were some.
These shepherds saw a great light. A beautiful angel came from heaven.
The poor shepherds were afraid; but the angel said, Fear not, I have
sweet news to tell you. God has sent his own Son from heaven to save
you from hell. He is a baby now, lying in a manger. Go to Bethlehem,
and you will find him.
When the angel had done speaking, hundreds and hundreds of bright
angels filled the sky, and began singing and praising God for having
sent his Son to save men.
At last the angels went back to heaven, and the shepherds were left
alone.
Did they stay with their sheep? No; they said, Let us go and see the
Son of God.
They ran to Bethlehem, and went to the stable of the inn. There was
a babe in the manger; Mary and Joseph were sitting by. The shepherds
said, This is the Son of God. Angels have spoken to us to-night, and
told us where to find him.
All the people in Bethlehem were much surprised when the shepherds told
them about the angels and the Son of God.
Blessed Babe! what glorious features!
Spotless, fair, divinely bright:
Must he dwell with brutal creatures?
How could angels bear the sight?
Was there nothing but a manger
Wretched sinners could afford,
To receive the heavenly stranger?
Did they thus affront the Lord?
See the kinder shepherds round him
Telling wonders from the sky;
Where they sought him, there they found him.
With his virgin mother by.
See the lovely babe a-dressing,
Lovely infant, how he smiled!
When he wept, the mother’s blessing
Sooth’d and hush’d the holy child.
LESSON XV.
THE WISE MEN.
MATTHEW ii.
THERE were some wise and rich men. They lived a great way from
Bethlehem. They knew that God had sent his Son to be a babe but they
did not know where to find him; so God put a beautiful star in the sky,
and God made it move toward the place where Jesus was. So the wise men
left their houses, and set out on a long journey; but first they said,
Let us bring some presents for the Son of God: for he is a king. They
took some gold, and some sweet-smelling stuff to burn. They looked at
the star as they went. At last it stopped over a house in Bethlehem.
The wise men were very glad indeed. They longed to see the Son of God.
They went in, and there they saw Mary and her child Jesus: they fell
down, and began to praise him, and to call him the Son of God, and the
King.
They took out their presents, and gave them to him. Mary was poor; but
now she had some money to buy things for her little baby.
LESSON XVI.
KING HEROD.
MATTHEW, ii. LUKE, ii. 51, 52.
THERE was a very wicked king called Herod. He lived a little way from
Bethlehem. He heard that a babe was born in Bethlehem, and that some
people said that the babe was a king.
Now Herod did not like that there should be any other king besides
himself. Herod did not like that even the Son of God should be king.
So Herod said, I will kill this babe that is called a king.
Herod knew that this babe was in Bethlehem; but there were many babes
in Bethlehem, and Herod did not know which was the babe that was called
a king.
Some people knew which it was; but they loved Jesus, and they would not
tell Herod. A very wicked thought came into Herod’s mind. He thought, I
will kill all the babes in Bethlehem. Do you think God would let Herod
kill his Son? No. God knew what Herod meant to do. God sent one of his
bright angels to speak to Joseph when he was asleep.
The angel said, A wicked king wants to kill the baby. Get up, Joseph;
take Mary and the baby a great way off. So Joseph got up quickly; he
took his ass, he put Mary on it, and she held the baby. It was dark
when they set off. Nobody saw them go.
The next morning some men came with swords. Herod had sent them. They
were come to kill all the babies. They opened every door, and said,
Is there a baby here? Then they snatched it from its mother, and
killed it, and the poor mother cried bitterly. Had you walked down the
streets, you would have heard nothing but women weeping and crying
out, My pretty babe is dead; I shall never see it more!
Was Jesus killed?
No: he was gone far away. His Father, God, had sent him away. Herod
could not kill him, for God would not let him die so soon.
At last King Herod died. Then God sent an angel to speak to Joseph when
he was asleep. The angel said, Joseph, go back to your own country;
Herod is dead. So Joseph took the ass, and Mary, and the sweet child,
Jesus, and they all came back to their own country.
Joseph was a carpenter. Jesus lived with Joseph and Mary, and minded
all they said. He was a wise child, and loved to think of God. God his
Father loved him, and everybody loved him, because he was so meek and
kind. The older he grew the more they loved him.
LESSON XVII.
THE TEMPTATION.
MATTHEW iv. 1-11.
AT last Jesus grew to be a man. He knew that he must go from place to
place, and teach people about God.
But first he went into a place by himself—called a wilderness. He had
no house to sleep in there, no friend to speak to, no food to eat. In
the night it was cold, in the day very hot.
There were no men, but there were lions, wolves and bears. At night
they roared and howled; but Jesus trusted in his Father.
He ate nothing for forty days and forty nights, God kept him alive.
When Jesus was alone, then he spoke in his heart to his dear Father.
At last someone came and spoke to him.
Who was it?
Not a man, not a bright angel, not God; it was Satan. I do not know how
he looked. He was come to tempt Jesus to do wickedly, and not to mind
God his Father. Satan knew that Jesus was hungry. He said to him, Turn
these stones into bread! but Jesus would not, for God had promised to
feed him himself.
After that, Satan took Jesus to the top of a great building, that was
much higher than a church. It is dreadful to be on the top of a very
high place; it makes one tremble to look down from the top.
Satan said to Jesus, Throw yourself down from this place; your Father
will send his angels to keep you from being hurt, for you know that he
has promised to take care of you.
Would Jesus have done right had he thrown himself down? No: Jesus knew
that his Father would be displeased if he threw himself down; and Jesus
always did the things that pleased his Father.