[Illustration: Cover art]

[Frontispiece: Moses and Zipporah at the well]

CHILD'S

Story of the Bible

BY

MARY A. LATHBURY

WITH INTRODUCTION BY

BISHOP JOHN H. VINCENT

ILLUSTRATED

WITH NUMEROUS FULL-PAGE COLORED PLATES, AND PHOTO-ENGRAVINGS

BOSTON

DEWOLFE, & FISKE Co. 

COPYRIGHT, 1898

By DEWOLFE, FISKE & CO. 

PREFACE. 

To Mothers. 

I have been asked to prepare this little aid for your use in theHome--that first and greatest of schools. The school was founded bythe Maker of men, and He called mothers to be its earliest and mostimportant teachers. He prepared a text-book for it which we call HisWord, illustrating it richly and fully from life and Nature, andfilling it with His Spirit. Wherever it is known, as the childrenbecome the members of the Church, the citizens of the State, the peopleof the World, the Book goes with them, forming the Church, the State, the World. It is not only equal to the need, but contains infiniteriches that wait to be unveiled. 

That no busy mother may say, "I cannot take time to gather from theBible the simple lessons that my children need, " this book of littlestories--together making one--has been written. I have tried topreserve the pure outlines of the sacred record from the vividdescription and the suggestive supposition that are sometimesintroduced to add charm to the story, and in all quoted speech I haveused the exact words of the authorized version of the Scriptures, sothat the earliest impression made upon the memory of the child might beone that should remain. 

The stories are not a substitute for the Word--only little approachesto it through which young feet may be guided by her who holds a placenext to the great Teacher in His work with little children. 

M. A. L. 

INTRODUCTION. 

When the children gather at mother's knee, and the tiniest finds aplace in mother's arms, and all clamor for a "story, " "a story, mamma, "how lovely is the picture--the living picture--that circle makes!Love, longing, wisdom, expectancy, faith, shining eyes, lips that moveinvoluntarily, keeping time to the sweet movements of mother's lips!Blessed group! Happy mother!

When the stories mother tells are light and meaningless, full of rhymeand rollick, even their eyes are bright and faces radiant, and her ownsweet face and voice give charm and weight and significance to thedelicious nonsense she rehearses. 

Why not give to this receptive and eager audience stories full ofdeepest meaning, facts, parables, myths charged with truth? Why notpeople little memories with heroes, saints, kings, prophets, apostles?Why not give stories to story-loving youngsters that will turn intoimmortal pictures and be transformed some day into living factors inthe making of character? And why not give them as comparison the babeof Bethlehem, the boy of Nazareth, the lad of twelve years in theschools of the Temple, the man of gentle love, the preacher ofrighteousness, the worker of heavenly wonders, the Son of Man, the Sonof God, the Prince of Peace?

The Book of books is the children's Book. It is a story book. And thestories are "true stories. " And the lessons to be drawn from them arenumberless, and will come up out of the treasure-house of memory whenmother's eyes are closed and her voice silent. 

It is a great thing to put mother and the Book together in Baby'sthought; in the big boy's memory; in the grown-up man's heart and life. 

This book is mother's book; to aid her in doing the best and mostlasting work a mother can do to sow seed and set out vines the branchesof which shall reach into the world of spirits, and from which she andher children may long afterwards pluck fruit together in the eternalkingdom. 

JOHN H. VINCENT. 

CHAUTAUQUA, 1898. 

CONTENTS. 

THE OLD TESTAMENT

CHAPTER. 

 I. The Beginning of Things II. The Great Flood III. Abraham--the Father of the Faithful IV. Isaac, the Shepherd Prince V. Jacob, a Prince of God VI. Joseph, the Castaway VII. Joseph, a Servant, a Prisoner and a Saint VIII. Joseph, the Savior of His People IX. The Cradle that was Rocked by a River X. Moses in Midian XI. The Rod that Troubled Egypt XII. Following the Cloud XIII. In the Borders of Canaan XIV. A Nation that was Born in a Day XV. Samson, the Strong XVI. Ruth XVII. Samuel--the Child of the Temple XVIII. The Making of a King XIX. The Shepherd Boy of Bethlehem XX. The Power of a Pebble XXI. Faithful unto Death XXII. David, the Outcast XXIII. Every Inch a King XXIV. David's Sin XXV. David's Sorrow XXVI. The Building of the Golden House XXVII. Elijah, the Great Heart of Israel XXVIII. The Little Chamber on the Wall XXIX. A Little Maid of Israel XXX. The Two Boy Kings XXXI. The Four Captive Children XXXII. The Master of the Magicians XXXIII. The Story of Jonah XXXIV. Esther, the Queen

THE NEW TESTAMENT. 

CHAPTER. 

 I. The Angels of the Advent II. Following the Star III. The Flight into Egypt IV. The Boy of Nazareth V. The Young Carpenter VI. The Voice in the Wilderness VII. Jesus in the Desert VIII. The First Disciples IX. The First Miracle X. In His Father's House XI. A Talk about the Breath of God XII. A Talk about the Water of Life XIII. Jesus in the Synagogue XIV. Among the Fishermen XV. The Healing Hand of Jesus XVI. Following Jesus XVII. Friends of Jesus XVIII. The Lord of Life XIX. Mary of Magdala XX. Stories Told by the Lake XXI. Stilling the Storm XXII. Called Back XXIII. Two by Two XXIV. Walking the Waves--The Two Kingdoms XXV. A Journey with Jesus XXVI. The Christian Sabbath--Peter's Confession of Faith XXVII. "And We Beheld His Glory"--A Father's Faith XXVIII. The Lord and the Little Ones--Leaving Galilee XXIX. At the House of Martha--The Good Shepherd XXX. The Lesson Stories of Jesus XXXI. The Voice that Waked the Dead--The Children of the Kingdom XXXII. The Young Man that Jesus Loved XXXIII. The Last Journey to Jerusalem XXXIV. The Prince of Peace XXXV. The Children in the Temple XXXVI. The Last Day in the Temple XXXVII. The Last Words in the Temple XXXVIII. An Evening on the Mount of Olives XXXIX. The Holy Supper XL. The Night of the Betrayal XLI. Despised and Rejected of Men XLII. The King of Heaven at the Bar of Pilate XLIII. Love and Death XLIV. Love and Life XLV. The Evening of Easter XLVI. The Lord's Last Days with His Disciples XLVII. "He Ascended into Heaven" XLVIII. The Promise of the Father

AN AFTERWORD

ILLUSTRATIONS

THE OLD TESTAMENT

Moses and Zipporah at the well (color plate) . . . . . . _Frontispiece_

Driven from Eden

The great flood

Dove returns to ark with an olive leaf (color plate)

The three strangers

Hagar in the desert

On Mount Moriah

Isaac blessing Jacob

Meeting of Jacob and Esau

Jacob and Rachael

Jacob sold to the Ishmaelites (color plate)

Joseph makes himself known to his brothers

Pharaoh's daughter finding Moses (color plate)

The rod that troubled Egypt

Destruction of Pharoah's army

Moses descending from the Mount

The return of the spies

Crossing the Jordan

The young Samson

The death of Samson

Ruth and Naomi

Samuel speaking to the Lord (color plate)

The young shepherd boy (color plate)

David cutting off Goliath's head (color plate)

The spear struck the wall (color plate)

The garment of Saul

The death of Absalom

David mourning for Absalom

The Queen of Sheba before Solomon

Ravens bringing food to Elijah (color plate)

Elijah and the Angel

Elijah and the chariot of fire

Elijah raises the widow's son

In the fiery furnace

The handwriting on the wall

Daniel in the den of lions (color plate)

Jonah thrown on the dry land

Haman denounced by the Queen

THE NEW TESTAMENT

The Holy Child in the manger (color plate)

Following the star

The flight into Egypt

The Boy Jesus in the temple (color plate)

John the Baptist at the Jordan

The marriage at Cana

Jesus by the well (color plate)

Jesus in the synagogue

Jesus among the fishermen (color plate)

Jesus healing the sick

Sermon on the Mount

Jesus teaching by the sea

Jesus sleeping during the storm (color plate)

Jesus curing the little maid (color plate)

Feeding the five thousand

Jesus in the wheat fields

The little ones (color plate)

The good Samaritan

Jesus in the house at Bethany

The return of the prodigal

The Pharisee and the publican

Jesus entering Jerusalem (color plate)

Showing the penny

The two mites

The Passover supper (color plate)

Gethsemane

Jesus betrayed by Judas

The sin of Peter

Jesus crowned with thorns

Jesus before Pilate (color plate)

Jesus bearing the cross

The descent from the cross

The angel of the resurrection

The walk to Emmaus

The ascension

CHILD'S STORY OF THE BIBLE

CHAPTER I. 

THE BEGINNING OF THINGS. 

Away back in the beginning of things God made the sky and the earth welive upon. At first it was all dark, and the earth had no form, butGod was building a home for us, and his work went on through six longdays, until it was finished as we see it now. 

On the first day God said, "Let there be light, " and the black nightturned to gray, and light came. God called the light Day, and thedarkness Night, and the evening and the morning made the first day. 

Then God divided the waters, so that there were clouds above and seasbelow, and He called the clouds heaven. It was the second day. 

Then the seas were gathered together by themselves, and the dry landrose above them, and God saw that it was good. Then He called to thegrass, and the plants, and the trees to come out of the ground, andthey came bearing their seeds, and He called the third day good. 

Then God called to the two great lights, the sun and the moon, to shineclear in the sky, which had been first dark, and then gray, and theyrose and set to make day and night, and seasons and years, and thestars came also, and it was the fourth day. 

Then God called for all kinds of fishes that swim in the seas, andrivers, and for all kinds of birds that fly in the air, and they came, and it was the fifth day. 

And then God called for the animals to live on the green earth, and thecattle and the great beasts, and the creeping things came, and Godcalled them all good. 

After this he made the first of the great family of Man. He made themafter His own likeness. He made their bodies from the earth, but theirsouls He breathed into them, so that Man is a spirit, living in anearthly body, and can understand about God and love Him. He blessedthem and told them to become many, and to rule over all the earth, withits beasts and birds, and fishes, and it was the sixth day. 

The Man's name was Adam, and the woman, who was made from a piece ofAdam's body nearest to his heart, was named Eve. 

Then God's world was finished, and on the seventh day there was rest. God was pleased with all that was made, and He made the seventh dayholy, by setting it apart from all the others. We keep the Sabbath, orthe Lord's day still, in which his children may rest and worship. 

Adam and Eve were very happy, for they had never done anything wrong. God gave them a beautiful wide garden, called Eden, full of flowers andall kinds of fruit, and with a river flowing through it, and told Adamto take care of the garden, and He sent all the animals and birds toAdam to be named. God told him also that he might eat the fruit of allthe trees of the garden except one--the tree of knowledge of good andevil--but if he ate of the fruit of that tree he should surely die, andAdam and Eve loved God, and had no wish to disobey Him, for He wastheir Father. 

But there was a creeping serpent in the garden, and the evil spiritthat puts wrong thoughts in our hearts spoke to Eve through the serpent. 

"You shall not die, " he said, "but you shall be wise like God if youwill eat of this fruit, " and Eve ate of the fruit, and gave it to herhusband. Then they knew that they had sinned, and when they heard thevoice of God in the garden calling them, they hid among the trees, forthey were unhappy and afraid. When the Lord had asked Adam if he hadeaten of the fruit that was forbidden, Adam laid the sin upon Eve, whogave it to him, and Eve said that the serpent had tempted her to eat ofthe fruit. God knew that they must suffer for their sin, so He sentthem out of the garden to make a garden for themselves, and to work, and suffer pain, as all who came after them have done to this day; butHe gave them a great promise, that among their children's children Oneshould be born who would be stronger than sin, and a Savior from it. 

After this two little children were sent to comfort Adam and Eve--firstCain, and then Abel. When they grew up Cain was a farmer, but Abel wasa shepherd. 

They had been taught to worship God by bringing the best of all theyhad to Him, and so Cain brought fruit and grain to lay upon his altar, but Abel brought a lamb. 

[Illustration: Driven from Eden]

God looked into their hearts and saw that Abel wished to do right, butCain's heart was full of sin. Cain was angry because the Lord waspleased with the worship of Abel, and while they talked in the fieldCain killed his brother. When the Lord said to Cain, "Where is thybrother?" he answered, "I know not. Am I my brother's keeper?" Andthe Lord sent him away from home, to wander from place to place overthe earth, and find no rest, but He promised that no one should hurtCain, or kill him as he had killed his brother, so he went away intoanother land to live. 

Adam lived many years after this and had other children, but at last hedied, when his children's children were beginning to spread over theland. 

CHAPTER II. 

THE GREAT FLOOD. 

As the people of the earth grew to be many more and spread over theplains and hills, they also grew very wicked. They forgot God, and allthe thoughts of their hearts were evil. Only Noah still worshipped Godand tried to do right. 

The people had destroyed themselves, and so God said to Noah:

"The end of all flesh is come; make thee an ark of gopher wood. "

He told Noah to make it of three stories, with a window in the top, anda door in the side. It was to be a great floating house, more thanfour hundred feet long and full of rooms, and it was to be covered withtar within and without, so that the water should not creep in. 

"I bring a flood of waters upon the earth, " said the Lord, "andeverything that is in the earth shall die. "

This was to be the house of Noah, with his wife, and his three sons andtheir wives, during the great flood. 

Does the house seem large for eight people? God had told Noah to makeroom for a little family of every kind of bird and beast that lived, and to gather food of all kinds for himself and for them. 

[Illustration: The great flood]

So Noah did all that the Lord had told him to do, and seven days beforethe great storm he heard the Lord calling:

"Come thou and all thy house into the ark, " and that very day, Noahwith his wife and his sons, Shem, Ham, and Japtheth, and their wives, went into their great black house, and through the window in the topcame flying the little families of birds and insects, from the tinybees and humming birds, to the great eagles, and through the door onthe side came the families of animals, two by two, from the little miceto the tall giraffes, and the elephants, and when all had come the Lordshut them in. 

It rained forty days and forty nights, and the waters rose higher andhigher, covering the hills, and creeping up the mountains, so thatevery living thing died except Noah, and all that were with him in theark. 

But after ten months the tops of the mountains were seen, and Noah sentout a raven and a dove. The raven flew to and fro, but the dove cameback into the ark, because she found no place to rest her foot. 

After seven days Noah sent her out again, and she returned with anolive leaf in her bill, and then Noah knew that the waters were goingaway. 

[Illustration: Dove returns with an olive leaf. ]

After seven days again he sent out his good little dove, and she didnot come back. So Noah was sure that the earth was getting dry, andthat God would soon tell him to go out of the ark. 

And so he did. Think how glad the sheep and cows were to find freshgrass, and the birds to fly to the green trees. 

What a silent world it must have been, for there were none but Noah andhis family in all the earth. Noah did not forget how God had savedthem, and he made an altar of stone, and offered beasts and birds as asacrifice. When he looked up to the sky there was a beautiful rainbow. It was God's promise that there should be no more floods upon theearth. He still sends the rainbow to show us that He is taking care ofthis world, and will always do so. 

Perhaps the people who lived after this--for Noah's children's childrenincreased very fast--did not believe God's promise, for they began tobuild a great tower, or temple, on the plain of Shinar; or perhaps theyhad grown proud and wicked, and wanted a temple for the worship ofidols; but the Lord changed their speech, so that they could notunderstand each other, and they were scattered over other countries;and so each country began to have a language of its own. 

CHAPTER III. 

ABRAHAM--THE FATHER OF THE FAITHFUL. 

The people who lived four thousand years ago were very much likechildren who easily forget. They told their children about the greatflood, but nearly all forgot to tell them of the good God who is theFather of us all, whom we should always love and obey. Yet there isalways one, if not more, who remembers God, and keeps his name alive inthe world. 

Abram had tried to do right, though there was no Bible in the worldthen, and no one better than himself to help him but God, and one dayHe called Abram, and told him to go away from his father's house intoanother country. 

"A land that I will show thee, " said the Lord, "and I will make of theea great nation. "

He also made Abram a wonderful promise, --

"In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed. "

He meant that sometime the Savior should be born among Abram'schildren's children, and that He should be the Savior of all thenations of the earth. 

Abram did just what God told him to do. He took Sarai, his wife, andLot, his nephew, and some servants, and cows, and sheep, and camels, and asses, and went into the land of Canaan. When they rested at nightAbram and Lot set some sticks in the ground, and covered them withskins for a tent, and near by they made an altar, where Abram offered asacrifice, for that was the only way they could worship God when theearth was young. 

Abram went down into Egypt when there was a lack of food in Canaan, buthe came back to Bethel, where he made the altar before, and worshippedGod there. 

He was very rich, for his cattle and sheep had grown into great herdsand flocks, though he had sold many in Egypt for silver, and gold, andfood. Abram and Lot moved often, for their flocks and herds soon ateup the grass. Then they rolled up the tents, and loaded the camels andasses, and went where the grass was thick and fresh. 

They could easily live in tents, for the country was warm. But Abram'sherdsmen and Lot's herdsmen sometimes quarreled. And so Abram spokekindly to Lot, and told him to take his servants, and flocks, andherds, and go where the pastures were good, and he would go the otherway. So they parted, and Lot went to the low plains of the Jordan, butAbram went to the high plains of Mamre, in Hebron, and there he builtanother altar to the Lord, who had given him all that country--to himand to his children forever. 

There were warlike people in Canaan, and once when they had carried offLot from Sodom, Abram took his servants and herdsmen and went out tofight. He had more than three hundred men, and they took Lot away fromthe enemy, and brought him back to Sodom. It was here that Abram met awonderful man, who was both a king and a priest. His name wasMelchisedek, and he brought Abram bread and wine, and blessed him there. 

After this, God spoke to Abram one evening, and promised that he shouldhave a son, and then while Abram stood outside his tent, with the greatsky thick with stars above him, God promised him that his children'schildren should grow to be as countless as the stars. That was hard tobelieve, but Abram believed God always and everywhere. 

Still no child came to Abram and Sarai, and Abram was almost a hundredyears old, but God spoke to him again, and told him that he should bethe father of many nations. 

He told Abram that a little boy would be born to them, and his namewould be Isaac, and God changed Abram's name to Abraham, which means"Father of many people, " and Sarai's to Sarah, which means "Princess. "

Abraham was sitting in his tent one hot day, when three men stood byhim. They were strangers, and Abraham asked them to rest beneath thetree, and bathe their feet, while he brought them food. So Sarah madecakes, and a tender calf was cooked, and these with butter, and milk, were set before the men. But they were not men of this world; theywere angels, and they had come to tell Abraham and Sarah once more thattheir little child was sure to come. Then the angels went away, butone of them, who must have been the Lord Himself in an angel's form, stopped to tell Abraham that He was going to destroy Sodom andGomorrah, because the people who lived there were so very wicked, andAbraham prayed Him to spare them if even ten good men could be found inthem, for he remembered that Lot lived in Sodom. But the Lord neverforgets. The two angels went to Sodom and stayed with Lot untilmorning, when they took him and all his family outside the city, andthen the Lord said to him, "Escape for thy life--look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain. "

[Illustration: The three strangers]

And the Lord hid them in the little town of Zoar, while a great rain offire fell upon the wicked cities of the plain, until they became a heapof ashes. Only Lot's wife looked back to see the burning cities, andshe became a pillar of salt. 

The next morning when Abraham looked from Hebron down toward the citiesof the plain, a great smoke was rising from them like the smoke of afurnace. 

At last the Lord's promise to Abraham and Sarah came true. A littleson was born to them, and they called him Isaac. They were very happy, for though Abraham was a hundred years old, no child had ever been sentthem. 

When he was about a year old they made a great feast for him, and allbrought gifts and good wishes, yet the little lad Ishmael, the son ofHagar, Sarah's servant, mocked at Isaac. Sarah was angry, and told herhusband that Hagar and her boy must be sent away. So he sent them outwith only a bottle of water and a loaf of bread; for God had toldAbraham to do as Sarah wished him to do, and He would take care oflittle Ishmael, and make him the father of another nation. 

When the water was gone, and the sun grew very hot, poor Hagar laid herchild under a bush to die, for she was very lonely and sorrowful. While she hid her eyes and wept, saying, "Let me not see the death of the child, " she heard a voice out ofheaven telling her not to be afraid. 

[Illustration: Hagar in the desert]

"Arise, lift up the lad, " said the voice, "for I will make him a greatnation. "

And God opened her eyes to see a well of water near. Then she filledthe empty bottle, and gave the boy a drink, and God took good care ofthem ever after, though they lived in a wilderness. 

Ishmael grew up to be an archer, and became the father of the Arabs, who still live in tents as Ishmael did. 

But the Lord let a strange trial come to the little lad Isaac, also. His father loved and obeyed God, but there were heathen people aroundthem, who worshipped idols, and sometimes killed their own children asa sacrifice to these idols. Abraham brought the best of his lambs andcattle to offer to the Lord; but one day the Lord told Abraham to takehis only son Isaac and offer him upon a mountain called Moriah as aburnt sacrifice to God. Abraham had always obeyed God, and believedhis word, and now, though he could not understand, he rose up early inthe morning and took his young son, with two servants, and an assloaded with wood, to the place of which God had told him. 

They were three days on the journey, but at last they came to the highplace, where the city of Jerusalem was afterward built, and to the veryrock upon which the temple was built long afterward, with its greataltar and Holy of Holies. 

[Illustration: On Mount Moriah]

Abraham had left the young men at the foot of the mount, and went withIsaac to the great rock on the top of the mount. 

"My father, " said Isaac, "where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"

"My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering, " saidhis father, still obeying God, and believing His word, that Isaacshould be the father of many nations. 

Abraham made an altar of stones, and bound Isaac and laid him upon it, but when his hand was lifted to offer up the boy, the Lord called tohim from heaven. "Lay not thine hand upon the lad, " said the voice, "for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheldthine only son from me. "

Then Abraham turned and saw a ram with its twisted horns caught in thebushes, and he offered it to the Lord instead of his son. How glad andgrateful Abraham must have been that morning, when he came down themountain, with Isaac walking beside him, to think that he had stillobeyed God when it was hard to do so. 

Abraham was an old man when Sarah died. They had lived together a longlifetime, and he mourned for her many days. He bought a field close bythe oak-shaded plain of Mamre in Hebron, and there in a rocky cave heburied her. He was called a Prince of God by the Canaanites because helived a true, faithful life. 

A few years after he also went to God, and his body was laid besideSarah's in the cave-tomb. Ishmael came up from the south country tomourn with Isaac at the burial of their father, the Friend of God, andFather of the faithful. 

CHAPTER IV. 

ISAAC THE SHEPHERD PRINCE. 

Before Abraham died, he thought much about his dear son Isaac, to whomhe was going to leave all that he had. The young man had no mother, nosister, and soon he would have no father. So the old man called hisold and faithful servant, and told him to go on a journey into the landof his fathers, and bring back with him a wife for his son Isaac. 

The children of Nahor, Abraham's brother, lived there still, andAbraham wished for his son Isaac a wife of his own people, who shouldbe both good and beautiful, and not like the heathen women of Canaan. 

So the old servant listened to Abraham and promised to do all that hecommanded. 

He loaded ten camels with presents for his master's family away inSyria, and Abraham said:

"The Lord shall send His angel before thee, " and from his tent door hesaw the little caravan of camels and servants, as they set out acrossthe plain, toward the land beyond the river Jordan. 

There was a desert to cross and many dangers to meet, but the oldservant believed in the God his master worshipped, and was not afraid. 

When he came to Haran, he stopped outside the town by a well of water. It was early evening, and the women were coming each with a water-jaron her shoulder, to draw water. 

The old man prayed that the Lord would show him which among thesedaughters of the men of the city, was the one who was to be his youngmaster's wife. 

Before his prayer was ended, Rebekah, of the family of Abraham'sbrother Nahor, came bearing her pitcher on her shoulder. She lookedvery kind and beautiful, and when she had filled her pitcher, the oldman asked her for a drink of water. Then she let down the pitcher uponher hand saying:

"Drink, my lord, " and asked if she should also give water to hiscamels. While she was giving him a drink, the man showed her somegolden jewels that he had brought, and when he had asked her name, andknew that God had sent her to him for his young master, he gave them toher, and worshipped the Lord who had led him to the house of hismaster's brother. 

Then Rebekah ran in and told Laban, her brother, and the old servant ofAbraham had a warm welcome at the door of Nahor's house. 

"Come in, thou blessed of the Lord, " they said. 

And after they had cared for the camels and the men, there was ahurrying of servants to prepare a feast, but the old man would nottaste food until he had given the message of his master. Then thefather and brother of Rebekah, saw that the Lord had sent for her, andthey said:

"Let her be thy master's son's wife, as the Lord hath spoken. "

And the old servant bowed his face to the ground worshipping the Lordwho had led him. 

Then there was feasting and giving of costly gifts, and preparing totake a long journey, for the old servant was in haste to get back tohis master, and Rebekah, who was willing to go, took her maid-servantsand rode away into a far country to be the wife of Isaac. 

When Isaac was walking in his field at sunset, thinking and praying toGod, he looked up and saw that the camels were coming, and he hastenedto meet them. When the old servant told Rebekah that it was his youngmaster, she alighted from her camel, and covered herself with a longveil as was the custom of the Syrian women. When the old servant hadtold the story of his journey, he gave Rebekah to Isaac, and he tookher to the tent that had been his mother's, and she became his wife, sothat he was no longer lonely and sad. 

Isaac lived to a very great age, and had two sons, Jacob and Esau. Hewas a gentle, quiet man, fond of his family, his flocks, and herds, andat the place where his father and mother were buried, he lived amongthe fields and oak groves of Hebron until he died. 

CHAPTER V. 

JACOB, A PRINCE OF GOD. 

Jacob and Esau were the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah. 

They did not look alike as twins often do, and they were very unlike inall their ways. As they grew up, Esau loved the forests and wildplaces. He made bows and arrows, and was a hunter, and brought homewild birds and deer, for his father was very fond of such food. Jacobhelped his father with the flocks, and learned how to cook food fromhis mother, who loved him more than she loved Esau. 

One day Esau came home from hunting tired and hungry, and smelled thedelicious soup of red lentils that Jacob was making. He begged Jacobto give him some, and Jacob, who wanted to be eldest, and have theright to the blessing that fathers gave to the first-born in thosedays, said:

"Sell me this day thy birthright, " and Esau gave him all his rights asthe first born, for a little food which he might have had as a freegift. 

Jacob wanted to be counted in the great promise that God had given toAbraham, but Esau despised it. 

Afterward, when Isaac was old and his eyes were dim, he called Esau, and asked him to go out into the fields and shoot a deer, and cook thevenison that he loved, so that he might eat it and bless his first bornbefore he died. 

Rebekah heard it, and told Jacob to bring kids from the flock, whichshe cooked and served as venison. Then she dressed Jacob in theclothes of Esau, and told him to say that it was Esau who had broughtthe venison. Isaac said:

"The voice is the voice of Jacob, " but he put his hands on him, andbelieved it was Esau, and blessed him. 

When Esau came home and brought venison to his father, Isaac said:

"Who art thou?" and when Esau said, "I am thy son, thy first-born, Esau, " the old man trembled, and told Esau the blessing had been givento another. 

Poor Esau cried out with grief, "Hast thou but one blessing?" "Blessme, even me also, O my father. "

And so Isaac blessed him, but he could not call back the blessing ofthe first-born. The Lord knew that Jacob would grow to be a good man, and love the things of God best, and that Esau would always love thethings of this world best, yet it was wrong of Jacob and Rebekah todeceive, for we may not do evil that good may come. 

[Illustration: Isaac blessing Jacob]

After this Esau hated his brother, and said he would kill him. 

So Isaac called Jacob, and, blessing him again, sent him away intoSyria to the house of Laban, where Rebekah had lived, and whereAbraham's servant went to find her for his master's son. 

One night, when he was not far on his way, he lay down to sleep, with astone for his pillow, on a hillside that looked toward his home, and hedreamed a wonderful dream. He saw a ladder reaching from earth toheaven, and a vision of angels who were going up and down upon it. 

Above it stood the Lord, who spoke to Jacob, and gave to him thepromise that He had first given to Abraham, and told him that He wouldgo with him, and bring him again into his own land. 

Jacob was afraid when he woke, for he had seen the heavens opened, andhad heard God's voice. He made an altar of the pillow of stone, andcalled it Bethel--the House of God--and then he vowed that the Lordshould be his God, and he added, --

"Of all that thou shalt give me, I will surely give a tenth unto thee. "

When Jacob came to Haran, he saw the well from which his mother used todraw water. There were three flocks of sheep lying by it, waiting forall the flocks to gather in the cool of the day to be watered. SoonRachel, the daughter of Laban, came leading her father's flocks, andone of the shepherds told Jacob whose daughter she was. 

So Jacob rolled the stone from the well, and watered the flocks ofLaban, his mother's brother. Then he kissed Rachel, and told her thathe was Rebekah's son, and she ran and told her father. 

There was great joy in Laban's house because Jacob had come, and afterhe had stayed a month with them Laban asked him to stay and take careof his flocks, and he would pay him for his work. 

Since the day he had seen Rachel leading her father's flocks he hadchosen her in his heart to be his wife. So he said that he would workfor Laban seven years, if at the end of that time he would give himRachel for his wife. Laban was quite willing to do so, and the sevenyears seemed to Jacob but a few days, for the love he had to Rachel. But, according to the custom of that country, the younger daughtercould not be given in marriage before the elder, and so Laban gave hisdaughter Leah also, and both Leah and Rachel became the wives of Jacob, for Jacob lived in that far away time and country of the early worldwhen men were allowed to take more than one wife, and when each man wasboth king and priest over his family and tribe, and worshipped God byoffering burnt sacrifices upon an altar. 

After twenty years of work with Laban, in which he had earned manyflocks and herds for himself, Jacob took his wives and the little sonsGod had sent him, and his flocks and herds, and started on a journey tohis old home. Isaac was still alive, and Jacob longed to see him. Hehad lived long in Haran for fear of his brother Esau, and now he musttravel through Edom, Esau's country, on his way to his old home. 

As he was on his way some of God's angels met him, and he wasstrengthened. Still he feared Esau, and sent some of his men to tellhis brother that he was coming. 

The men came back, saying that Esau, with four hundred men, was comingto meet them. 

Poor Jacob! He remembered the sin of his youth, when he had stolen theblessing from Esau, and he was afraid, and prayed God to protect him. 

He sent his servants again to meet Esau with great presents of flocks, and herds, and camels, and after placing his wives and little ones inthe safest place, he sent all that he had over the brook Jabbok, and hestayed on the other side to pray. It was as if he wrestled with a manall night, and when the day began to break the man wished to go, butJacob said:

"I will not let thee go except thou bless me. "

So the man blessed him there, and call his name Israel; "for as aprince, " he said, "hast thou power with God and with men, and hastprevailed. "

Then Jacob knew that the Lord Himself, in the form of a man, had beenwith him, and he had seen Him face to face. 

And as the sun rose he passed over the brook. When he looked up he sawEsau and his men coming, and when he had told his family to follow him, he went straight before them, for he was no longer afraid to meet hisbrother. 

Jacob's prayer had been answered, and Esau ran to meet his brother, andthrowing his arms around him, wept on his shoulder. Then they talkedin a loving and brotherly way, and Esau returned to his home with thepresents Jacob had given him, and Jacob went on his way into Canaanfull of joy and thankfulness. He stopped a little while in a pleasantplace to rest his flocks and cattle, but he longed to see the placewhere he first saw the angels of God, and heard the voice of the Lordblessing him, so they journeyed on to Beth-el, and there built an altarand worshipped God. 

[Illustration: Meeting of Jacob and Esau]

Again the Lord spoke to Jacob at Beth-el, and called him Israel, andblessed him. 

After they left Beth-el, they came near to Bethlehem, where manyhundred years afterward the Lord Jesus was born, and there anotherlittle son was born to Rachel, and there too God sent for her, and tookher to Himself, and there her grave was made. 

[Illustration: Jacob and Rachel]

The little boy was named Benjamin, and was the youngest of Jacob'stwelve sons, who became the fathers of the twelve tribes of Israel, andthe princes of a great nation. 

Jacob was almost home. His great family, with all the flocks andherds, had been long on the way, for they often spread their tents bythe brooks in the green valleys, that the cattle might rest and findpasture, but at last the long caravan came slowly over the fields ofMamre to Hebron, and Isaac, whom the Lord had kept alive to see his sononce more, was there in his tent waiting for him. 

But soon after this he died, an hundred and eighty years old, and Esaucame, and the two brothers laid their father in the cave that Abrahambought when Sarah died, and where he had buried Rebekah, and Jacobbecame patriarch in place of his father. 

CHAPTER VI. 

JOSEPH, THE CASTAWAY. 

Of all the sons of Jacob, Joseph and Benjamin were the dearest to him, because they were the sons of his beloved Rachel, who had died on thejourney from Syria into Canaan. They were also the youngest of all thetwelve sons. When Joseph was about seventeen years old, he sometimeswent with his elder brothers to keep his father's flocks in the fields. He wore a long coat striped with bright colors, which his father hadgiven him, because he was a kind and obedient son, and could always betrusted. 

Once he told his father of some wicked thing his brothers had done, andthey hated him for it, and could not speak pleasantly to him. 

Joseph had many strange and beautiful thoughts when he looked acrossthe fields to the hills, and up into the starry sky at night. He alsohad some strange dreams that he told to his brothers. He said that hedreamed that they were binding sheaves in the field, and that his sheafstood up, while the sheaves of his brothers bowed down to it. 

Again he dreamed that the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars boweddown to him. 

His father wondered that he should have such thoughts, and reproachedhim saying, "Shall I and thy brethren indeed come and bow downourselves to thee to the earth?" and his brothers said, "Shalt thou indeed rule over us?" and they hated him. 

When they were many miles from home with the flocks their father sentJoseph to see if all was well with them. It was a long journey, andwhen they saw the boy coming they did not go to meet him, and speakkindly to him, but they said, "Behold this dreamer is cometh. Let us slay him, and cast him intosome pit, and we will say some evil beast hath devoured him, and weshall see what will become of his dreams. "

But Reuben, the eldest, said, "Let us not kill him; but cast him into this pit, " hoping to take himout secretly, and send him to his father. 

So when Joseph came near, they robbed him of his coat of many colors, and cruelly cast him into a pit. After this they sat down to eat theirbread, and looking up they saw a caravan coming. It was a company ofIshmaelites carrying costly spices down into Egypt to sell them. 

Then Judah said, "Why should we kill our brother? Let us sell him to these Ishmaelites. "

Then there passed by some Midianite merchants, and who drew Joseph outof the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver, and he was carried down into Egypt. 

[Illustration: Joseph sold to the Ishmaelites]

Reuben, when his brothers went back to their flocks, went to the pit totry to save Joseph, but he was not there, and Reuben cried out, "The child is not, and I, whither shall I go?"

The brothers who had been so cruel to Joseph brought his coat to theirfather, all stained with blood. They had themselves dipped it in theblood of a kid to deceive him, and he mourned long, and would not becomforted, for the beloved child that he believed had been torn inpieces by evil beasts. 

CHAPTER VII. 

JOSEPH, A SERVANT, A PRISONER, AND A SAINT. 

The king of Egypt, where Joseph was taken by the Ishmaelites, wascalled Pharaoh, and he had a captain of the guard named Potiphar, whobought Joseph for a house servant. Though he was the son of a Hebrewprince, Joseph did his work faithfully and wisely as a servant, and wassoon made steward of the house, and was trusted with all that hismaster had, and the Lord made all that he did to prosper; but the wifeof Potiphar was a wicked woman, who persuaded her husband that Josephwas a bad man, and he was sent to prison. 

Even there Joseph won the hearts of all, until the keeper of the prisonset him over the other prisoners, and trusted him as Potiphar had done. It was the Lord in Joseph who helped him to win the love and trust ofthose around him. 

Pharaoh sent two of his servants to prison because they had displeasedhim. 

One was his chief cook, and one was the chief butler, who always handedthe wine cup to the king, and Joseph had the care of them. 

They each had a dream the same night, and were troubled because theycould not understand them. Joseph asked them to tell him the dreams, for God knew what they meant. 

So the chief butler told Joseph that he saw a vine having threebranches, and the branches budded and blossomed, and the blossomschanged into ripe grapes, and he took the grapes and pressed them intoPharaoh's cup, and handed the cup to the king. 

Then Joseph said: "The three branches are three days. Within threedays the king will take you out of prison, and you shall hand theking's cup to him as you used to do. "

Joseph also asked the butler, to think of him when he was again in theking's palace, and speak to the king to bring him out of prison, because he had been stolen from his own land, and he had done nothingwrong that he should be put in prison. 

Then the chief cook told his dream. He said that he dreamed that hecarried three baskets on his head, one above another. 

In the highest one was all kinds of cooked meats for Pharaoh, and thebirds flew down and ate from the basket. 

"The three baskets are three days, " said Joseph as he said to thebutler, but he told the cook that in three days he would be put todeath, and hanged on a tree, where the birds would eat his flesh. 

All this came true, for Pharaoh's birthday came, and he brought out thechief butler to serve at a birthday feast, but he hanged the chiefcook. Yet the chief butler forgot Joseph, and did not speak to theking about him as he might have done. 

At the end of two long years, Pharaoh dreamed a dream. He thought hestood by the river of Egypt, and saw seven cows looking well kept andfat, came up out of the river. 

Behind them came seven other cows, looking thin and poorly fed, and thethin and poorly fed cows ate up the well-kept and fat ones. 

And Pharoah had a second dream. He thought he saw seven heads of wheatgrowing on one stalk--and they were all full of grain. After them cameseven thin heads of wheat with no grain in them; and the seven badheads of wheat ate up the seven good ones. 

In the morning Pharaoh was troubled about these dreams, and called forhis wise men who worked magic for him, and they could tell him nothing. 

Then the chief butler standing near the king remembered Joseph, andtold Pharaoh of the young Hebrew who had told the meaning of his dream, and that of the chief cook, and they had come to pass as he had said, so Pharaoh sent for Joseph and said to him:

"I have heard that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. "

Joseph answered the king humbly and wisely:

"It is not in me, " he said, "God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. "

When the king had told his dream Joseph said:

"The dream is one, " and then he showed him that the seven fat cows, andthe seven full heads of wheat meant seven good years in the land ofEgypt, when the harvests would be great; and the seven lean cows, andthe seven empty heads of wheat, meant seven years of famine, when theeast winds should spoil the wheat, so there would be nothing to reap intime of harvest and the people would want bread. He told the king thathe had better set a wise man over the land, who would attend to savingthe grain during the seven good years, so that the people would havebread to eat in the seven years of famine. 

The king was greatly pleased with Joseph, and told him that God hadtaught him to interpret dreams, and had showed him things to come, andthere could be no wiser man found to be set over the land. 

So he made Joseph a ruler over the whole land, and next to the king inall things. 

He put his own ring on his hand, and dressed him in the robes of aprince, and gave him an Egyptian name and an Egyptian wife, so thatthere was no one in all the land of Egypt so great as Joseph, exceptthe king. 

He built storehouses in every city, and stored the grain, until it waslike the sand of the sea, and could not be measured. 

In the years of plenty two sons were born to Joseph, Manasseh andEphraim, and then the seven years of dearth began to come. When thepeople began to cry to the king for bread, he always said, --

"Go to Joseph; what he says to you do. "

And Joseph and his helpers began to open the storehouses, and sellwheat to the Egyptians, and to the people of all countries, for thefamine was in all lands. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

JOSEPH--THE SAVIOR OF HIS PEOPLE. 

The famine reached even to the fruitful land of Canaan, and Jacob, though rich in flocks and herds, began to need bread for his greatfamily. So he sent his ten sons down into Egypt to buy wheat, keepingBenjamin, the youngest at home. 

When they came before the governor they bowed down to him with theirfaces to the ground. Joseph knew them, though he acted as if he didnot, and remembered his dream of his brother's sheaves bowing down tohis sheaf. At first, he spoke roughly to them, and called them"spies. " But they said that they were all one man's sons, and had cometo buy food. 

Joseph still spoke roughly to them, not because he was angry, butbecause he did not wish them to know him yet. His heart was full oflove for them, and he was soon going to show them great kindness; butwhen they told him that they had left an old father and a young brotherat home, and one was dead, he still acted as if they did not tell thetruth. 

He said that to prove themselves true men one of them should go homeand bring the youngest brother, and the others should be kept in prisonuntil they returned; and he put them all in prison. 

After three days, he said one might stay while the others took thewheat home to their families, but that they must surely come back andbring the boy with them. 

Then Reuben, who had tried to save Joseph from the pit long before, told his brothers that all this trouble had come upon them for theirwickedness to their brother Joseph, and they said to each other intheir own language:

"We are verily guilty concerning our brother; when he besought us, wewould not hear, therefore is this distress come upon us. "

Joseph understood everything they said though they did not know it, forhe had been talking to them through an interpreter, and they thought hewas an Egyptian. Now his heart was so full that he had to go out ofthe room to weep. But he came back and chose Simeon to stay while theothers went to Canaan to bring back Benjamin. 

They took the wheat that they had bought in bags, and went away; butwhen they stopped at an inn to rest and feed their asses, one of thebrothers opened his bag, and found the money that he had paid for thewheat in the top of his bag. Here was more trouble, and they wereafraid. 

When they came home to their father they told him all that hadhappened, and as they opened the bags, each one found his money. Jacobwas deeply troubled; for Joseph was gone, and Simeon was gone, and nowthey wanted to take Benjamin. 

Reuben who had two sons said: "Slay my two sons if I bring him not tothee. "

But Jacob said Benjamin should not go down to Egypt. But the wheat wasgone in a short time, and they were likely to starve so great was thefamine, and at last Jacob said they must go to Egypt again for food. 

Judah said they would go if Benjamin would go with them, but Jacobwould not listen to this. He asked them why they told the man thatthey had a brother, and they replied, that the Governor had asked themif their father was yet living and if they had another brother. 

"Send the lad with me, " said Judah, "if I bring him not unto thee, letme bear the blame forever. "

Then Jacob told them to take him and go, and also to take presents ofhoney, and spices, and balm, and nuts, and double the money, so as toreturn that which was put in their bags, and he blessed them, and sentthem away. 

They went down into Egypt, and stood before Joseph again. When he sawBenjamin with them he told the steward of his house to make ready afine dinner for them, and bring them to him at noon, and he did so. 

Then the brothers were afraid that they were all to be put in prison, and at the door of Joseph's house began to tell the steward how theyfound the money when they opened their bags, and that they had broughtit back doubled; but the steward spoke kindly to them, and said that hehad placed their money, and that they need not fear, for God had givenit back to them. 

Then he brought Simeon out, and they made ready to dine with theGovernor at noon, and to give him their presents. 

When he came they bowed down to him and presented their gifts, and heasked them if they were well, and if the old man of whom they spoke wasstill alive, and they replied that he was. When he saw Benjamin, andknew that he was truly his own brother, the son of Rachel, he said:

"God be gracious unto thee my son, " and he went quickly to his ownchamber, lest he should weep before them. 

When he came out to them again, and they sat down to dine, he placedthe sons of Jacob by themselves, and the Egyptians of his house bythemselves, and the brothers were placed according to theirages--Reuben at the head and Benjamin last, and they wondered amongthemselves at this. Joseph also sent portions from his own table tohis brothers, but the portion of Benjamin was five times greater thanthat of the others. 

The next morning their wheat was measured to them, and the asses wereloaded with it, and they went on their way, but Joseph had told thesteward to put the money of each man in the top of his bag, and inBenjamin's to put his silver cup. 

When they were a little away from the city, the steward overtook them, and charged them with stealing his lord's silver cup. 

The men were so sure that no one of them had stolen the silver cup, that they said, "Let him die with whom the cup is found, and the rest of us will beyour slaves. "

So everybody's bag was opened from the oldest to the youngest, and thecup was found in Benjamin's bag. Then they rent their clothes forgrief, and loaded the asses and went back to the city, and when theycame to Joseph's house, they fell on their faces before him, Josephtried to speak sternly and said:

"What deed is this you have done?"

Judah said:

"What shall we say unto my lord, or how shall we clear ourselves? Weare my lord's servants. "

Then said Joseph:

"The man in whose hand the cup is found he shall be my servant, and asfor you, get you up in peace unto your father. "

Then Judah came nearer to Joseph, and all his soul came forth into hisvoice as he said:

"O, my lord, let thy servant speak a word in my lord's ears!"

Then he told the story of their coming down into Egypt, and of the oldfather and young brother whom he had asked them about; of the love ofthis father for the little one, for his mother, and his brother nowdead. He reminded Joseph that he had told them to bring the boy tohim, and that they had said, that if the boy should leave his father, his father would die; but the governor had said "Except your youngestbrother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more. "

Then Judah told the story of the father's grief when he found that hemust let Benjamin go down into Egypt, that they might buy a littlefood; how he spoke of his two sons, that were the sons of Rachel--thatone had been torn in pieces, and now if mischief should befall theother, it would bring his gray hairs in sorrow to the grave. He askedJoseph what he should do when he returned to his father without thelad, seeing that his life was bound up in the lad's life, and Judahbegged him, as he had made himself surety for the lad, to take him tobe his slave, but to let Benjamin return to his father with hisbrothers. 

"For how shall I go up to my father, " said Judah, "and the lad be notwith me?"

Then Joseph could bear it no longer. He told all the Egyptians to goout of the room, and then weeping so that the Egyptians and the peoplein the king's house heard, he made himself known to his brothers. 

[Illustration: Joseph makes himself known to his brothers]

"I am Joseph, your brother, " he said, "whom you sold into Egypt, " andhe begged them to come near to him. 

"Be not grieved nor angry with yourselves, " he said, for he saw thatthey were terrified, "for God sent me before you to save your lives bya great deliverance. It was not you that sent me hither, but God, andhe hath made me a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. "

Then he told them to hasten and go to his father and tell him this, andask him to come down at once, with all his flocks and herds, and dwellin Goshen, the best part of Egypt, for years of famine were yet to come. 

Then Joseph took little Benjamin in his arms and wept over him, andkissed him, and kissed all his brothers, and after that his brotherstalked with him. The king heard the story of Joseph's brothers and waspleased. He told Joseph to send wagons for the wives and little onesof his brothers, and to tell them to bring their father, and all theircattle and sheep, and come to live in Goshen where they should have thebest of the land for their flocks and herds. 

Joseph did as the king commanded, and also gave them food for thejourney, and a suit of clothing to each brother, but to little Benjaminhe gave five suits, and three hundred pieces of silver. He also loadedtwenty asses with the good things of Egypt as presents to his father, so he sent them all on their journey saying:

"See that ye fall not out by the way. "

When they came to Jacob in Hebron, they told him the wonderful story ofthe finding of Joseph, and his heart was faint, for he did not believethem; but when he had heard all Joseph's messages, and had seen thegifts, and the wagons, he said:

"It is enough: Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him beforeI die. "

So they began the long journey to Egypt, for it took a long time totravel with a great family, and with thousands of cattle and sheep. AtBeersheba Jacob stopped and worshiped God, where his father had builtan altar years before; and God told him in the night that he need notfear to go down into Egypt, for He would there make him a great nation, and that He would bring him back again to his own land. 

So Jacob with all his children and their little ones, and all hisflocks and herds came into Egypt. There were sixty-seven souls, andwhen they had counted Joseph and his two sons, there were seventy. 

Jacob sent Judah on before to see Joseph and ask the way to Goshen, sothat they might go directly there with the cattle and sheep. And whenJoseph knew that his father was coming, he went to meet him in Goshen, and there he wept on his father's neck a long time, and Jacob said:

"Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yetalive. "

After this Joseph presented five of his brothers to Pharaoh, and theking spoke very kindly to them, and gave them the best of the land fortheir flocks, and hired some of them to oversee his own shepherds. 

Joseph brought his father in also and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 

So the family of Jacob lived in peace, and were cared for by Joseph, just as the Lord had promised Jacob, when in a dream he saw the angelsof God at Bethel, and heard above them the voice of the Lord blessinghim, and saying:

"Thou shalt spread abroad to the West, and to the East, and to theNorth, and to the South, and in thee shall all the families of theearth be blessed. "

Joseph carried all Egypt through the years of famine, and saved seedfor the people to sow their fields in the seventh year so that theysaid:

"Thou hast saved our lives. "

He afterwards visited his father, and Jacob made him promise that hewould bury him when he died in the tomb of Abraham and Isaac, hisfather, in his own land. 

When Jacob was near his end, Joseph brought his two little sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, to his bedside, and the old man gave them hisblessing, laying his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, the youngest, and his left hand on that of Manasseh the first born, even as Isaac hadgiven the birthright blessing to him instead of to Esau, and he said:

"The angel which redeemed me from all evil bless the lads. "

Then he called all his sons together and told them what should befallthem in the last days. To each one he spoke as a prophet speaks whohas a vision of things to come, and he blessed them there. When hespoke to Judah, he told him that kings and lawgivers should arise fromamong his children until the Saviour of the world should come. 

Jacob was an hundred and forty-seven years old when he died, and therewas great mourning for him. 

Joseph had the body of his father embalmed, as the Egyptians had thecustom of doing, and after a long mourning in Egypt, Joseph and hisbrothers and many Egyptians who were Joseph's friends, carried the bodyof Jacob to Canaan, in a great procession, and buried him in the caveof Machpelah, where his fathers were buried. 

After they had returned to Egypt, the brothers of Joseph said:

"Perhaps now he will hate us, and bring upon us all the evil we did tohim. "

So they sent to him to ask his forgiveness for all that was past. ThenJoseph wept, for he had nothing but love in his heart toward hisbrothers, and he wished them to trust him. He comforted them and spokekindly to them, saying:

"Fear not: ye meant evil unto me, but God meant it unto good. I willnourish you and your little ones. "

And so through all Joseph's life, and he lived one hundred and tenyears, he was a tender father to all his family, and a wise ruler ofthe people, and he died after making his family promise to carry hisbody back into Canaan to be buried with his fathers when theythemselves should go. 

"For God will surely visit you, " he said, "and bring you out of thisland into the land which he promised to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. "

CHAPTER IX. 

THE CRADLE THAT WAS ROCKED BY A RIVER. 

After Joseph and all the sons of Jacob had grown old and had passedaway, their children's children grew in numbers until they became agreat multitude. 

The Pharaoh whom Joseph had served also died, and the king who followedhim did not like the Hebrews. He feared them because they had grown tobe strong, so he set overseers to watch them, and make them work likeslaves. 

He treated them cruelly, and made them lift the great stones with whichthey built the tombs of the kings and temples of the gods. He alsotried to kill all the little boys as soon as they were born, but theLord took care of them. Also, the king told his servants, thatwherever they found a baby boy among the Hebrews, to throw him into theriver Nile, but the little girls, they should save alive. 

There was a man named Amrom, who, with his wife Jochebed, had abeautiful little boy whom they tenderly loved. They hid him as long asthey could, and then when he was three months old and she could hidehim no longer, she made up her mind to give him into the care of God. She made a little boat, or ark of stout rushes, that grew by the river. She wove it closer than a basket, and then covered it with pitch thatthe water might not enter, just as Noah covered the great ark beforethe flood. 

Then she wrapped her baby carefully and laid him in the little boat, and set it among the reeds at the edge of the river Nile. God and Hisangels watched the cradle of the child, and the river gently rocked it. Jochebed told the baby's sister to wait near by and see what mighthappen to him, and this is what happened, or rather what God preparedfor the baby in the boat of rushes. 

The king's daughter came down to bathe in the river, and as her maidenswalked up and down by the riverside, she called one of them to bring toher the little ark that she saw rocking on the river among the reeds. When she had opened it she saw a beautiful little child, and when itcried her heart was touched, and she longed to keep it for her own. 

[Illustration: Pharaoh's daughter finding Moses]

"This is one of the Hebrew's children, " she said, and as the baby'ssister came near she asked the princess if she should go and get anurse from among the Hebrew women to bring it up for her, and theprincess said to her, "Go, " and the maid went and called the child'smother. The princess said: "Take this child away and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. "

And the mother took her baby joyfully though she hid her joy in herheart, and carried him home to nurse and bring up for Pharoah'sdaughter. 

And the child grew, and when he was old enough his mother took him tothe king's palace, and he became the son of the princess. She calledhis name Moses, which means "drawn out, " because she drew him out ofthe water. 

CHAPTER X. 

MOSES IN MIDIAN. 

Moses had teachers, and was taught all the learning of the Egyptians, but his heart was with his own people. He was grieved when he sawtheir burdens, and heard their cries when their taskmasters struck them. 

Once, when he was a grown man, he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, andhe struck the Egyptian and killed him, for he thought he ought todefend his people: and when he saw that the man was dead, he buried himin the sand. In a day or two Moses tried to make peace between twoHebrews who were fighting, and they answered him roughly, and one ofthem said:

"Who made thee a ruler over us? wilt thou kill me, as thou didst theEgyptian yesterday?"

Then Moses was afraid, and when the king heard of it, and tried to takehis life, Moses fled away out of Egypt, through a desert into Midian. There he found a well and sat down by it to rest. While he sat therethe seven daughters of the priest of Midian came to draw water fortheir father's flocks, and some rough shepherds came and drove themaway, but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flocks. When their father knew that a noble stranger had been kind to hisdaughters, he asked him to come into his house, and eat bread with him, and stay as long as he would. So Moses stayed and Zipporah, one of theseven sisters, became his wife. 

But Moses did not forget his people. God was preparing him to leadthem out of bondage, and he learned many things, during the years thathe kept the sheep of his father-in-law in the wilderness. 

One day he led his flocks across the desert to Mount Horeb or Sinai. There he saw a bush all bright within as if it burned. He drew nearerto see why the bush was not consumed, and heard the voice of the Lordcalling him. The Lord told him to come no nearer, and to put off hisshoes, for he stood on holy ground. Then the Lord told him that He wasthe God of his fathers, and that He had heard the cry of his oppressedpeople in Egypt. 

"I know their sorrows, " said the voice from the midst of the fire, "AndI am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and tobring them up out of that land into a good land, and a large--unto aland flowing with milk and honey. "

Then the Lord said that Moses must go to the new Pharaoh, for the oldking was dead, and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt. Moseswas a very humble man, and he could not believe that Pharaoh wouldlisten to him or that the Hebrews would follow him, but the Lord said, "Certainly I will be with thee. "

And as a sign that it should be so, He said that after Moses hadbrought his people out of Egypt, they should serve God in this mountain. 

But Moses had many fears. He knew that he had been brought up as anEgyptian, and he feared that his people would not listen to his words. 

Then the Lord showed signs to Moses to help his faith. 

He turned the rod in Moses' hand into a serpent, and then when he wasafraid of it, the Lord told him to take it in his hand and it became arod again. 

He also turned his hand white with leprosy, and then changed it againto natural flesh, and told Moses, that these, and other signs he shouldshow in Egypt--to prove that he was sent of God. 

But Moses felt himself to be so weak and faithless as a leader of hispeople, that he still cried out that he was "slow of speech, and of aslow tongue, " and when the Lord said, "I will teach thee what thoushalt say, " he did not believe, but begged the Lord to send by whom hewould, only not by him. 

Then the Lord said that Aaron, the brother of Moses could speak well, and that he should go with him to Pharoah and to his people, and shouldspeak for him, but that the wisdom and power of God should be withMoses, and that he should do wonders with the rod in his hand. 

CHAPTER XI. 

THE ROD THAT TROUBLED EGYPT. 

So Moses took his wife and his sons and returned to Egypt, and the rodof God was in his hand; and Aaron, sent of God, came to meet him in thewilderness, and there Moses told him all that was in his heart, and allthat God had sent him to do. 

When they came into Egypt they gathered the Israelites together, andAaron spoke to them, and they believed his words, and the signs thatMoses showed them. 

Afterward, they went to Pharoah and gave him the message of the Lord, and Pharoah said:

"I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go. "

And he began to oppress the Israelites more than he had ever donebefore. They made bricks of clay mixed with straw, that hardened inthe sun, and were as lasting as stone, but he forced them to find thestraw wherever they could, and make as many bricks as before. Thisthey did until no more straw could be found, and their Egyptian mastersbeat them cruelly because they failed to make the full number ofbricks. Then they turned upon Moses and Aaron and said, that they hadput a sword in the king's hand to slay them. 

Where could Moses turn except to the Lord who had sent him? The Lordheard him and made to him again the great promise, as he did at theburning bush, and Moses told the people, but they could not believe it, for they were crushed under their cruel burdens. 

And now the Lord sent Moses and Aaron again to Pharoah, to show by signand miracle, that their message was from Him. They took the rod thatMoses brought from Mount Horeb, and Moses told Aaron to cast it downbefore the king, and it became a serpent. Pharoah called his wise menand wizards, and they did the same, only Aaron's rod swallowed up theirrods, and Pharoah would not listen to their words. 

[Illustration: The rod that troubled Egypt]

But in the morning when Pharoah walked by the river the two men stoodby him and said again:

The Lord God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee saying:

"Let my people go that they may serve me in the wilderness, " and thenAaron struck the waters of the river Nile with his rod, and the watersturned to blood. 

In all the land, in every stream and pond there was blood, so that thefishes died and no one could drink the water. 

But because the wizards could turn water to blood also, Pharoah's heartwas hardened toward Moses and Aaron. 

While the people were digging wells for water, Aaron stretched forthhis rod over the river again, and frogs came up from it, and spreadover all the land and filled the houses of the people. This also themagicians did, but so great was the plague that the king said:

"I will let the people go. "

"When shall I entreat for thee and for thy people to destroy the frogsfrom thee and thy houses?" said Moses; and Pharoah told him to do sothe next day. 

So on the next day Moses prayed to the Lord that the frogs might go outof the land, and the Lord answered his prayer; but when Pharoah sawthat the frogs had been destroyed his heart grew hard, and he would notlisten to Moses and Aaron. 

Then another plague was brought upon the Egyptians. The dust of theland was changed to lice that covered man and beast, and this wasfollowed by swarms of flies that settled upon all the land exceptGoshen where the Israelites lived. 

Then Pharoah said:

"Go, sacrifice to your God in this land, " but they would not worship inEgypt, and Pharoah at last told them that they could go into thewilderness, but they must not go very far away. So Moses prayed, andthe swarms of flies were swept out of Egypt, but Pharoah did not keephis word. 

Then a great sickness fell upon the cattle and sheep of the country, though the flocks and herds of the Israelites were free from it; andthis was followed by a breaking out of boils upon men and beastseverywhere, even upon the magicians, but Pharaoh's heart was still toowicked to yield to God. 

Then came a great storm of hail over Egypt, such as had never beenknown in that sunny land. It killed the cattle in the fields, anddestroyed the grain that was grown, and broke the trees and herbs. Thelightnings fell also and ran upon the ground, and when it was over theheart of Pharaoh was still hard against God. 

Then Moses told Pharaoh that the face of the earth would be coveredwith clouds of locusts that would eat every green thing left by thestorm, if he did not let God's people go. This frightened Pharaoh'sservants and they begged him to send them away, and though he would notlet their wives and little ones go, he said:

"Go now, ye that are men, for that ye did desire, " and he drove themout of his presence. 

Then at the Lord's word, Moses arose and stretched forth his rod overEgypt, and the plague of locusts came, driven by the East wind, andcovered the land until there was no green thing left in Egypt. 

Then Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron in great haste, and confessinghis sin, begged to be forgiven and to be saved from, "this death only, "and, at Moses' prayer, a mighty west wind drove the army of locustsinto the Red Sea. 

But again the heart of Pharaoh turned against God, and the Lord broughtthick darkness over the land for three days, only in the homes of theHebrews there was light. Then Pharaoh was willing to let them taketheir wives and their little ones, but not their flocks and herds, andbecause they would not leave them behind, Pharaoh drove Moses and Aaronfrom him in anger, saying:

"See my face no more. "

But the Lord proposed to break the hard heart of Pharaoh. He toldMoses to see that every Israelite should take a lamb from the flock andkeep it four days. Then, at evening, he was to kill it, and dip abranch of hyssop in its blood, and strike it against the sides of hisdoor, also over it, leaving three marks of blood there. Then he was toclose his door and no one was to go out of it until morning. 

They were to roast the lamb and eat of it, and be ready for the journeythey were to make, and it should be to them forever the feast calledthe Passover. They were to eat it with unleavened bread, and the feastshould be kept forever from the first to the seventh day of the month, a holy feast to the Lord. 

And this is why it was called the feast of the Passover. At midnight, after the lamb was killed in each house of the Israelites, and thedoors were shut, the Lord passed through the land, and wherever he sawthe blood on the side posts and the top of the door, he passed overthat house, and it was safe, but in every Egyptian house the first borndied, from the child of Pharaoh who sat on the throne, to the child ofthe captive in the cell, and all the first born of cattle. 

The next morning a great cry went up from the land of Egypt, for therewas not a house where there was not one dead. 

Then Pharaoh was quite ready to let the Israelites go. 

"Take all you have and be gone, " he said. 

They were all ready, and rose up very gladly to join the greatprocession, led by Moses and Aaron, that gathered in Goshen, andstarted on its long journey toward the east. 

They had heard of the land of their fathers, and now they were goinghome to be slaves no more. They were a family of seventy souls whenthey came into Egypt, four hundred and thirty years before, and nowthey went out a great nation, as the Lord had promised when he blessedtheir fathers. 

The feast of the Passover has been the chief one held by theIsraelites, from the time of their coming out of Egypt until now, andsince Jesus held the Passover feast with his disciples on the nightthat he went forth to death, it has become to all Christians theSacrament of the Lord's Supper. 

CHAPTER XII. 

FOLLOWING THE CLOUD. 

"God led the people, " says the Word, as they came up out of Egypt. Hegave them the two leaders by whom He had broken the power of Pharaoh, and set His people free, and He also set a great cloud in the air, justabove and before them, to lead them in the right way. It was to themthe presence of the Lord. By day it rose white and beautiful againstthe blue sky, and moved slowly before them. At night it stood stillwhile they rested, and shed light over all the camp, for there seemedto be a fire within the cloud at night. How safe and happy they musthave felt away from the cruel taskmasters of Egypt, and the Lord'spresence, spreading a wing of cloud over them. They were not led by astraight way to Canaan, for a warlike people lived in the land whichthey must pass through, but they were led at first through a countrywithout cities or armies, where they would not trouble many people orbe troubled by them. They bore with them the embalmed body of Joseph, for they had promised to bury him with his fathers in the cave ofMachpelah; and they also had much wealth in herds, and flocks, andgold, and silver. Pharaoh thought of this after they had gone, and hiswicked heart grew harder than before, so he ordered his chariots andhorsemen to follow them, and they found the Israelites camped by theRed Sea. 

Then there was great fear and mourning in the camp when they saw thearmy of Pharaoh coming, but Moses cried:

"Fear ye not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. The Lordshall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. "

Then the Lord told Moses to speak to the people that they go forward. He also told him to lift up his rod and stretch his hand over the seaand divide it, and the children of Israel should go on dry groundthrough the midst of the sea. Night was falling, and the waters laydark before them, but the angel of God, the pillar of cloud and fire, moved from its place before them and went behind them, while Moses andAaron led them on. Then the presence of the Lord was a cloud anddarkness to the Egyptians, but it gave a light by night to theIsraelites. A strong east wind drove the waters apart all night, sothat there was a way through the sea, and the waters were a wall upontheir right hand and on their left. Pharaoh's army saw the broad paththrough the sea, and followed fast after the Israelites, but as morningdawned the Lord looked from the cloud and troubled the Egyptians. Their chariot wheels came off, and all went wrong with them. 

At last the Lord told Moses to stretch his hand forth over the sea, that the waters might come back upon the Egyptians, and he did so; andas the sun rose, the sea swallowed up the Egyptian host, and theirbodies were cast upon the shore. There on the other side stood thegreat host of Israel, and saw the salvation of God, and they believedin Him, and in Moses His servant. 

[Illustration: Destruction of Pharaoh's army]

Then a great shout went up from the host of Israel. Moses led them ina song of praise, and Miriam, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine, and the women followed her in dances as they answered in a chorus ofpraise:--

"Sing ye to the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously; the horse andthe rider hath he thrown into the sea. "

Soon they took up their journey, the cloudy pillar going before. Therewas but little water by the way, and after three days of thirst, theycame to the waters of Marah, but they were bitter, and the people criedto Moses, "What shall we drink?"

Then the Lord showed him a tree which he cast into the waters, and theywere made pure and sweet. Soon after they came to Elim, where therewere twelve wells of water, and seventy palm trees, and there theyrested. 

Again they took up their journey and passed through a desert land, where they could get no food, and again they complained to Mosesbecause he had brought them into the wilderness to die. They did notyet believe that God could supply all their need. 

"I will rain bread from heaven for you, " said the Lord to Moses. Hewas ready to provide, if they would only believe in Him and obey Him. 

Moses called them to come near before the Lord while Aaron should speakhis word to them. As they came near and looked toward the wildernesswhere the cloud stood, the glory of the Lord shone out of it. The Lordhad heard them speak harshly to Moses for bringing them into a desertto die, but he said, "At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled withbread. "

And his word came true. Great flocks of quails came up and covered thecamp at sunset, so that they caught them for food; and in the morningthe dew lay around them, and when it had risen, there lay on the grounda small, round, white thing, something like frost, or a little seed, and it tasted like wafers made with honey. The Lord told Moses thatthe people must gather just enough to eat through the day, and no more. The morning before the Sabbath they must gather enough for two days, for none would fall on the Sabbath. This was the bread that theheavenly Father provided for his children through all the years oftheir journey from Egypt to Canaan, and they called it "Manna. "

There were hard things to bear in the wilderness. Often when theywanted water for their little ones and their cattle, and could not findit, they were like fretful children when they were tired and thirsty. Once, at Horeb, Moses struck a rock with his wonderful rod, and watersprung out in a stream. 

There were enemies also in the way. The Amelikites came out to fightwith the Israelites. The strong men went to meet the enemy, but Mosesstood on a hill with the rod of God in his hand, and Aaron and Hur werewith him. While Moses held up the rod, Israel prevailed; but when helet down his hand Amalek prevailed. 

But Moses grew tired and they placed a stone for him to sit upon, andAaron and Hur held up his hands on either side until the going down ofthe sun, when Amalek was conquered. Moses built an altar there, andcalled it "The Lord my Banner. "

They were now drawing near the Mount, where Moses saw the burning bush, and heard the Lord calling him to be the leader of his people. 

They were far out of their way to Canaan, but it was in the Lord'spurpose to bring them into obedience and faith before he brought theminto the promised land. They had lived long among the Egyptians, andwere very far from being like Jacob and Joseph, but there were good andtrue men like Aaron, and Joshua, and Hur, who helped Moses. It wasabout three months after the children of Israel left Egypt, that theycame into the wilderness of Sinai. There the "Mount of God" stilllifts its great granite cliffs toward the sky. There are high valleysmidway where it is cooler than below, and there the people encamped andwaited to hear what God would say to them, for God talked with Moses onthe Mount. 

He said He had chosen them, if they would obey his voice, to be a holynation. He told Moses to tell the people to be ready, and on the thirdday He would come down in the sight of all the people on Mount Sinai. 

And so it was, as the people looked there was a thick cloud upon theMount, from which came thunder and lightning, and the sound of a greattrumpet, while the mountain trembled as with an earthquake. Only Mosesand Aaron could approach the holy Mount, and from it God gave to Mosesthe laws that the people were to live by, and Moses wrote them all downthat he might read them to the people. A company of the Elders ofIsrael went up and saw the glory of God afar off, but God called Mosesup into the Mount, and the cloud closed him round, while the Lord gavehim the laws for a great nation, and the pattern of the tabernaclewhich He wished him to make for a church in the wilderness. 

Forty days and forty nights Moses was on the Mount with God, and thenGod gave him the ten great commandments written with his own hands ontablets of stone, that he might give them to the people. They were tobe kept as the rules of life for all people in all times. 

Forty days and nights seemed a long time to the people camped aroundthe Mount. Perhaps they thought Moses would never come back to leadthem, for they began to think of the gods of Egypt, and asked Aaron tomake one for them. So to please them he told them to bring him theirgold ornaments, and he melted them and made a golden calf such as theEgyptians worshiped, and before it they made an altar, and theyworshiped the calf. 

The Lord who sees all things told Moses to go down to the people forthey were worshiping an idol. So Moses went down a little way and metJoshua, and they both went down and saw the people feasting, andsinging, and dancing, and Moses cast the tablets of stone upon theground and they were broken. The heart of Moses, too, was almostbroken, but he destroyed the golden calf, and punished the people fortheir great sin, and then went up to the Mount to plead for the life ofhis people. 

"O this people have sinned a great sin, " he cried, "and have made themgods of gold, yet now if thou wilt forgive their sin, and if not, blotme, I pray thee, out of the book which thou has written, " so great wasthe love of Moses for his people. 

There was a time of repentance among the people after this, and Mosesand his servant Joshua reared a tent outside the camp and called it theTabernacle of the congregation. It was for worship until the trueTabernacle should be built according to the pattern given in the Mount. All who sought the Lord went to worship there, and the pillar of cloudcame and stood at the Tabernacle door while Moses talked with God, andall the people saw it and worshiped. 

Moses prayed again for the people, and the Lord said:

"My presences shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. "

The Lord called Moses again into the mount, and told him to bring withhim two tablets of stone and He would again write the ten commandmentsupon them. 

So Moses hewed them from the rock and took them up into Mount Sinai. Then the Lord came down again in a thick cloud and talked with Moses, and wrote upon the tablets of stone. 

After forty days Moses came down to the people bringing thecommandments with him, but his face shone with a strange light that thepeople never saw before, and they were afraid of him. It was somethingabove the light of the sun, for Moses had seen the Glory of the Lord. 

[Illustration: Moses descending from the Mount]

While they still camped around the mount they began to build theTabernacle. Moses told the people to bring gold, and silver, andbrass, and wood. They also brought precious stones, and oil for thelamp, and fine linen, and they gave so willingly that at last Mosestold them that there was more than enough. 

These were put in the hands of two wise men whom the Lord had chosenand taught to do the work, and they had willing helpers among thepeople, for wise hearted women did spin with their own hands, and bringwhat they had spun, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen tomake the hangings of the Tabernacle. 

If you would know all the beautiful and costly and curious things thatwere made for this church in the wilderness, you will find themdescribed in the last chapters of Exodus. 

The Israelites camped a long time in the high valleys around the Mountof God, and at last set up the Tabernacle. It was so made that itcould be taken down and carried with them when they journeyed, for itwas a beautiful tent. Over it the pillar of cloud stood. Whenever itmoved the people followed, and when it stood still, they rested. Within the Tabernacle they placed a beautiful chest of wood overlaidwith gold, which ever after held their most precious things, thetablets of stone written upon by the Lord himself. 

This "Ark of Testimony, " as it was called, had rings at the sidesthrough which men laid strong rods by which to carry it, and so had thegolden table for bread, and the golden altar of incense. There was abeautiful seven-branched candlestick of pure gold in which olive oilwas burned for a sacred sign, and there was a brazen altar for burntofferings, and a great brazen bowl for washing, and other things to beused in the worship of the Sanctuary. 

There were beautiful garments, also, for the priests, Aaron and hissons, and for Aaron there was a wonderful breast-plate of gold set withtwelve precious stones, bearing the names of the twelve tribes ofIsrael. 

When all was finished, and the Tabernacle was set up, the cloud thatveiled the presence of the Lord came and covered it, and the glory ofthe Lord filled it, so that Moses could not enter; but the Lord spoketo him from the cloud, and told him how the priests should order theworship of the Lord there. 

Afterward, Aaron and his sons offered burnt offerings for their sins, and the sins of the people, in the way the Lord had commanded, and firefrom the Lord came down and consumed the offering. 

When the people saw the answer of the Lord they fell on their facesbefore him. 

In the second month of the second year the cloud rose from over theTabernacle, and then the people knew it was time to go on theirJourney. So they took down the tent of the Tabernacle and put allthings in order for the journey. Each of the twelve tribes descendedfrom the twelve sons of Jacob marched by themselves, carrying banners, and having captains. In the midst of them all marched the Levitescarrying the Ark and the different parts of the Tabernacle, and whenthe cloud stood still, they stopped and set up the Tabernacle, whilethe people formed their camp all around it in the order of their tribes. 

Still the manna fell with the dew at night, and the people gathered itin the morning, and when they tired of it, the Lord sent them quailsagain. 

Over and over the people complained and rebelled, but the Angel of theLord's Presence still hovered over them, and led them toward thepromised land. Forty years they were on the journey that was so easilymade by the sons of Jacob when they went back and forth to buy wheat inthe time of famine; and forty-two times did they encamp on the way, yetthe mercy of the Lord never failed them, and they were brought intotheir own land at last. Then the cloud was no longer needed to gobefore them, but long after, when they built a beautiful temple atJerusalem in which to put the sacred Ark of Testimony, the cloud cameagain and filled the temple with the glory of the Lord. 

CHAPTER XIII. 

IN THE BORDERS OF CANAAN. 

While the host of Israel was in camp at Paran, the Lord told Moses tosend men before them into Canaan to spy out the land. 

So he sent twelve men who walked through the land and saw the people, and the cities and the fields and the fruits. They were forty dayssearching the land and they brought from the brook Eschol a cluster ofgrapes so large that two of them bore it on a staff between them. Theyalso brought some pomegranates and figs. 

[Illustration: The return of the spies]

When they came into the camp they said that the country where they hadbeen was good, and flowing with milk and honey, but the people werestrong, and the cities had very high walls. They said they saw giantsthere. 

Caleb, who was one of the twelve, and a good and true man, said:

"Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcomeit, " but the men who were with him were afraid of the giants, and saidthey felt like grasshoppers before them. Then there was great weepingamong the people all that night, and they said, "Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt. " Moses and Aaronwere greatly troubled, but the two good men, Caleb and Joshua, stood upand encouraged the people, saying that they need not fear, for the Lordhad given them the land, yet they were ready to stone Caleb and Joshua. 

Then the Lord spake to Moses from the Tabernacle, and the people sawhis glory. He said the people were unbelieving and disobedient, andfor this reason they could not enter the promised land. He said, thatall who were twenty years old and upward would die in the wilderness, except Caleb and Joshua, who had followed the Lord wholly. He alsosaid that the people would be forty years in the wilderness, and onlythe youth and the children would live to enter Canaan. 

There was mourning and repentance then because of the word of the Lord, and the people promised again to believe and obey, but over and overthey lost faith and rebelled, and great storms of trouble fell uponthem. 

Once the earth opened and many were swallowed up; a sudden sicknessdestroyed thousands. Near Mount Hor, where Aaron died, fiery serpentsran among the people, and all who were bitten by them died; but therewas full forgiveness and cure for those who turned to the Lord. Whenthe fiery serpents entered the camp Moses lifted a brazen image of aserpent up on a pole so high that it could be seen all over the camp, and whoever looked upon it lived. It was a sign of the coming Saviour. 

Between the marches and the battles with heathen tribes, some of whomwere giants, Moses wrote in a book the laws that God gave him for thegovernment of the people. They were wise laws, the keeping of whichwould bring health, peace and blessedness to the people. He gave thebook to the Levites who carried the Ark, and they were to keep italways beside the Ark, and often read it aloud to the people. 

Moses said many things to the people, and as Jacob blessed his twelvesons, so Moses blessed each of the twelve tribes that descended fromthem, for he was near the end of his long life. The Lord had told himthat He should take him to Himself before the people entered Canaan, and that Joshua must lead the people into the promised land. So whenthey had reached the borders of Canaan, and were encamped near theJordan, the Lord called his tried servant up into Mount Nebo, that hemight see the land beyond the Jordan, where the twelve tribes were tofind their promised home. Then the Lord gave him a view of the land, and there he died, as Aaron died on Mount Hor. 

No one saw Moses die, and no one knows where he was buried, for theLord buried him. He was one hundred and twenty years old, and yet asstrong as a young man. After his death Joshua became the leader ofIsrael. 

CHAPTER XIV. 

A NATION THAT WAS BORN IN A DAY. 

The time had come for the people to cross the river Jordan, and entertheir own land, and the Lord told Joshua to prepare the people fortheir last journey before going over Jordan. Joshua first sent two menover the river to see the land. 

They went to the walled city of Jericho, and to the house of a womannamed Rahab. The king heard that they were there and sent for them, but the woman hid them under the flax that she was drying on the roofof her house. Afterward she let them down by a rope through a window(for her house was built on the town wall), and they escaped. Theypromised Rahab before they went, that if she would hang a long line ofscarlet thread from the window on the wall, that when they came to takethe city she should be saved and all her family because of her kindnessto them. 

After they had returned to the camp they told Joshua that the Lordwould surely give them the land, for the people were afraid of them. Then they rose up and marched to the banks of the Jordan and waited forJoshua to lead them over. Some of them remembered how they had passedthrough the Red Sea, and others had heard it from their parents, andthey now waited to see the salvation of God. Joshua told them tofollow the priests, and the Levites who would bear the Ark of theCovenant, so when Joshua said:

"Behold the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of all the earth passethover before you into Jordan, " the people followed. 

The Jordan lay spread before them like a lake, for it was the time ofyear when it overflowed all its banks, but when the feet of the priestswho bore the Ark were dipped in the edge of the water, the waters fromabove stopped and rose like a wall, while the waters below flowed awayinto the Dead Sea, and left a wide path for the people to walk in, andthe Ark stood still in Jordan until every one had passed over. Thentwelve men, one out of every tribe, took a stone from the bed of theriver and carried it over for a memorial altar, so that when any shouldask in years to come, "What do these stones mean?" someone might tellthem how the Lord led Israel through Jordan into their own land. 

[Illustration: Crossing the Jordan]

After the Ark had come up from the bed of Jordan, and there was not oneof all the thousands of Israel left behind, the waters came down fromthe place where they had stayed, and flowed down into the Dead Sea, andoverflowed the banks of Jordan as before. 

The stones were heaped in Gilgal where they camped, and directly beforethem rose the walls of Jericho, and here they kept the passover. Forforty years they had been fed with manna from heaven as they camped orjourneyed in the wilderness, but now they began to eat the grain andthe fruits of the land, and the manna fell no more. 

Nearly five hundred years before the family of Jacob left this land togo down into Egypt where Joseph was. They grew to be a great people, but they were slaves. Then the Lord sent Moses to make them free, andthey began the long journey, which at last brought them to their ownland. 

Forty years they were on the journey, and all this time they werepilgrims, but on the day that the Jordan ceased to flow, and partedwhile they passed over into the land promised to their fathers, theybecame a nation. 

The land was before them, and they had only to obey the Lord and hisservant Joshua to conquer and possess it. 

As they filled the valley of the Jordan before Jericho, the hearts ofthe heathen fainted for fear, for they knew that only the Lord coulddivide a river to let his people pass. 

Joshua went out of the camp to look at Jericho, the walled city. Itwas shut up for fear of the Israelites, and there was no one to be seen. 

Suddenly Joshua saw a warrior standing with a drawn sword in his hand. 

"Art thou for us, " said Joshua, "or for our adversaries?" and thewarrior angel answered, "Nay! but as Captain of the host of the Lord, am I now come, " andJoshua fell on his face before him. 

He knew then that it was the Lord who would conquer Jericho, and he wastold how the people were to help him. 

So Joshua called the priests, and told them to take up the Ark, and hetold seven priests to go before it bearing trumpets of rams' horns. Then the army of Israel, ready for war, followed, half of them marchingbefore the Ark, and half of them coming after, and as the trumpets gavea great sound, they marched once around the city, and then went tocamp. This they did once every day for seven days, but on the seventhday they marched around the city seven times, and as the priests blewthe trumpets for the last time, Joshua cried with a mighty voice, "Shout! for the Lord hath given you the city. "

Then as a great shout went up from the people, the walls of the cityfell down flat, so that the soldiers of Israel went up, every manstraight before him, and took Jericho. 

And Rahab was not forgotten. The Lord cared for her little house onthe wall, and she, with all her family, were brought into the Camp ofIsrael. 

And so by the conquest of Jericho the new nation of Israel began topossess its land. 

CHAPTER XV. 

SAMSON THE STRONG. 

All the days of Joshua--and he lived to be an hundred and ten yearsold--the Israelites were conquering the people who lived in Canaan, anddividing it among the tribes. Joshua was a father to them, as Moseshad been, and when at last they were at rest, each tribe within its ownborders, and they had begun to build their houses, and plant theirfields, Joshua spoke words of loving counsel to the people, and theyset up a stone under an oak tree, as a sign that they would alwaysserve the Lord and keep the law, and then he went to be with God. After his death Israel was ruled by wise men called judges, who helpedthem to conquer the land little by little. Some of them were good menand brave warriors as Othniel and Gideon and Jephthah and one was aprophetess named Deborah, a noble mother in Israel, and one was amighty man of strength, Samson, the son of Manoah. 

The people of Israel had turned away from the Lord, and could no longerconquer their enemies, but the Philistines had conquered them, and hadbeen their masters for forty years, when the Lord sent Samson todeliver them. He was not a wise man like Moses or Joshua, but he hadgreat strength, and the Lord used him against the Philistines. 

Once a young lion came roaring against him, and he caught it and rentit in two, as if it had been a kid. When he passed the same wayafterward he saw that the bees had built a nest in the body of thelion, and it was full of honey. At his marriage feast--for he marrieda Philistine woman--he made a riddle for the young men to guess:

"Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong, come forthsweetness. "

[Illustration: The young Samson]

They tried for seven days to guess the riddle, but they could not, andthen they told Samson's wife to find it out for them, or they wouldburn her house. She begged him with tears to tell her, and at last hetold her of the honey comb in the body of the lion, and she told theyoung men, so that at the end of the seventh day they said to Samson, "What is sweeter than honey?" and "what is stronger than a lion?"

He saw that he had been betrayed, so he paid his debt, a suit ofclothes to each guest, and went home to his father's house. Afterwardswhen he found that his wife had been given to another he tiedfirebrands to the tails of three hundred foxes, and sent them among thewheat fields of the Philistines so that the fields were set on fire. 

Once the men of Gaza tried to kill him when he was within their city, but he rose at midnight and took the city gates, with its posts andbar, and carried them away on his shoulders to the top of the hill. Again the Philistine lords had promised a great deal of money to awoman, if she would get Samson to tell her what made him so strong, soshe begged him to tell her. Three times she thought she knew thesecret, and told the Philistines, but they could not bind him. At lasthe was tired of her questions, and said to her plainly--that from achild no razor had ever touched his hair. If it should be cut he wouldbe as weak as other men. Then she watched and cut his hair while heslept, and the Philistines bound him and carried him to Gaza, wherethey made him blind, and forced him to grind in the mills of a prisonhouse. The Philistines were glad because Samson was their prisoner atlast, and so they came together in a great feast to sacrifice to theirgod Dagon, for they said, "Our god has delivered Samson into our hands. " While they were merrythey said:

"Let us send for Samson to make sport for us, " and he was brought outof the prison. It was very sad to see the strong judge of Israel, weakand blind, led by a little lad, and making sport for the people infront of their temple. All the lords of the Philistines were there, and upon the broad roof of the temple were about three thousand peoplewatching Samson while he showed his strength, for his hair had grownand his strength was returning. At last as he was standing between twogreat pillars that held up the roof, he prayed, lifting his sightlesseyes to God:

"O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me only thisonce. "

Then he clasped his arms around the pillars on either side of him, andbowing himself with all his might, saying, "Let me die with the Philistines, " he drew the great pillars with him, and the house fell with all that were upon it, on all that were withinit. So died Samson who judged Israel twenty years, yet a woman, Deborah, who was also one of the judges in Israel, was stronger thanhe, for the Lord looketh on the heart. 

[Illustration: The death of Samson]

CHAPTER XVI. 

RUTH. 

In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, there was a famine in theland, and an Israelite, who lived in Bethlehem, took his wife and histwo sons into Moab where there was food. After a while the Israelitedied, and the two sons married women of Moab. 

After two years the sons died also, and their mother, Naomi, longed forher home in Bethlehem, for there was no longer a famine there. So shetook Ruth and Orpah, her sons' wives, and started on the journey intothe land of Israel. 

But before they had gone far Naomi said:

"Go! return each to her mother's house; the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. "

She kissed them, and they wept and would not leave her. 

"Turn again, my daughters, " she said, "why will ye go with me?"

And Orpah kissed Naomi, and went back to her own mothers' house, butRuth, whose heart was with Naomi, would not go back. 

"Entreat me not to leave thee, " she said, "or to return from followingafter thee, for where thou goest I will go; and where thou lodgest Iwill lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God; wherethou diest I will die, and there will I be buried; the Lord do so tome, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me. "

And so they came to Bethlehem, and the old friends of Naomi greeted hertenderly, and welcomed her back. It was about the beginning of thebarley harvest. 

There was a good and great man in Bethlehem named Boaz, and he was ofthe family of Naomi's husband. He had a field of barley where thereapers were at work, and Ruth asked Naomi if she should not go andglean after the reapers, to get grain, for they were poor. 

Naomi said, "Go, my daughter, " and she went. 

When Boaz came out of the town into his field and greeted his reapers, he said to his servant having charge of the reapers, "What maiden is this?" and he told him that she was the Moabitish girlwho had come back with her mother-in-law Naomi. 

Then Boaz spoke very kindly to Ruth, and told her to stay with hismaidens, and freely drink of the water drawn for them, and Ruth bowedbefore him and asked why he should be so kind to a stranger. He toldher that he knew all her kindness to her mother-in-law since the deathof her husband, and how she had left her own family and country to comeamong strangers, and he blessed her, saying, "A full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whosewings thou art come to trust. "

Then he told her to sit down and eat bread with them, and he helped herto the parched corn with his own hands, and when they returned to workhe told his young men to let her glean among the sheaves and reproveher not, and to let some handfuls fall purposely for her to glean. When Ruth went home Naomi said, "Where hast thou gleaned to-day?" and Ruth told her. Then Naomiblessed Boaz, and told Ruth that he was one of their near relatives. 

And so Ruth gleaned in the fields of Boaz through all the barley andthe wheat harvest. When all the reaping was done, the grain wasthreshed on a piece of ground made very smooth and level. The sheaveswere beaten, and then the straw was taken away, and the grain and chaffbelow it was winnowed. By this the chaff was blown away and only thegrain was left. 

When Boaz winnowed his barley Naomi told Ruth to go down to histhreshing floor and see him for he had a feast for his friends. 

So after the feast Ruth came near to him and said, "Thou art our near kinsman, " and Boaz said, "May the Lord bless thee my daughter, " and with many kind words he gaveher six measures of barley to take to Naomi. 

[Illustration: Ruth and Naomi]

Boaz remembered that it was the custom in Israel for the nearestrelative of a man who had died, to take care of the wife who was left, and so he went to the gate of Bethlehem where the rulers met to holdtheir court, and spoke to the elders and chief men about Ruth. He alsowished them to be witnesses that he was going to take Ruth to be hiswife. Then the rulers all said, "We are witnesses, " and they prayed that God would bless Ruth and makeBoaz still richer and greater. 

So Ruth became the honored and beloved wife of Boaz, and they had a sonnamed Obed. 

Obed grew up and had a son named Jesse; and Jesse was the father ofDavid, King of Israel, who was first a shepherd lad of Bethlehem. 

More than a thousand years after Ruth lived there was born inBethlehem, of the family of Boaz and Ruth, a little Child, who came, tobe the Saviour of the world, and the shepherds in the fields, where, perhaps, Ruth gleaned, and David kept his sheep, heard the angels tellthe good news and sing

"Peace on earth, good will to men. "

CHAPTER XVII. 

SAMUEL--THE CHILD OF THE TEMPLE. 

The Tabernacle that was built in the wilderness, and was brought intoCanaan by the priests was set up at Shiloh in the very centre of theland of Canaan, and once every year the tribes came to it to worshipand offer sacrifices. After it had come to Shiloh to stay it wascalled the temple. 

When Eli was high priest a man named Elkanah came up from Ramah toworship, and Hannah his wife went with him. She was a good woman, andvery sorrowful, because she saw other wives with sons and daughtersaround them, and she had none. Her husband was loving and kind andsaid:

"Am I not better to thee than ten sons?" but she prayed to God for ason. While she was at Shiloh she prayed in the temple, and Eli saw herlips move, though he heard no voice. At first he spoke harshly to her, thinking she had been drinking wine, but she told him that she had nottaken wine, but was praying. 

"I am a woman of sorrowful spirit, " she said, "and have poured out mysoul before the Lord. " Then Eli blessed her and said:

"Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant thee the prayer that thouhast asked of him. " Then Hannah was no longer sad. 

Her prayer was answered, and the Lord sent her a little son, and whenhe was old enough, she took him to the temple, for she had promised theLord that the child should be His. So Elkanah came bringingsacrifices, and the young child was with them. Hannah told Eli thatshe was the woman whom he saw praying in the temple. 

[Illustration: Samuel speaking to the Lord]

"For the child I prayed, " she said, "and the Lord has answered myprayer. Therefore I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives heshall be lent to the Lord. " Eli was very glad and gave thanks to theLord, and took the little boy to help him in the service of the temple. Every year his father and mother came to bring offerings to the Lord, and his mother always brought him a little coat which she had made. 

Over it was a linen garment called an ephod, such as the priests wore. Eli was an old man, and his sons, though they were priests, were notgood men, and he believed the Lord had sent him one who would be good, so he loved little Samuel as if he were his own. 

One night when Eli was laid down to sleep, and Samuel also, while thelight was still burning in the golden candlestick before the Ark, Samuel heard a voice calling him, and he answered, "Here am I, " and ranto see what Eli wanted. But Eli said that he had not called, andSamuel lay down again. When the voice called again, Samuel went againto Eli's bed, but Eli told him to lie down again, for he had not calledhim. When the voice called the third time, Samuel said: "Here am I, for thou _didst_ call me. "

Then Eli told the boy to lie down once more, but if he heard the voiceagain to say, "Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth. "

And when the voice called again, "Samuel, Samuel, " the boy answered, "Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth. "

Then the Lord told Samuel that the sons of Eli had become very wicked, and their father had not kept them from the evil, and therefore Hecould not accept their offerings. 

When Eli asked Samuel what the Lord had said to him, the boy told himall and hid nothing from him, and Eli bowed his spirit before the Lord, and said:

"It is the Lord, let Him do what seemeth Him good. "

After this all the people of Israel knew that the Lord had calledSamuel to be a prophet. And as he grew up the Lord was with him, andhe was a judge over his people all his life. 

As for Eli and his sons, the word of the Lord soon came true. When thePhilistines came against the Israelites in battle, the Elders of Israelsaid:

"Let us bring the Ark of the Lord out of Shiloh to us, that it may saveus out of the hand of our enemies. " And so they took it from the holyplace to the camp of Israel. Then the Philistines fell upon the campand scattered the men of Israel. They also took the Ark of God, andthe two sons of Eli were among the thousands slain. 

Eli, who trembled for the Ark of God, sat outside the city gate, by thewayside watching. He was nearly a hundred years old, and his eyes weredim, but when a messenger came with the bad news, he fell backward inhis seat and died. His heart was broken. 

Where was Samuel? Perhaps he was praying in the temple for the returnof the Ark of the Covenant. 

Wherever the Ark went among the Philistines, there went also troubleand death. When they put it in the temple of their fish-god Dagon, thegreat idol fell down before it and was broken. And when it was takento another city, the people were smitten with sickness, until at lastthe Philistines said:

"Send away the Ark of the God of Israel, and let it go to its ownplace. "

After seven months they sent it with gifts of gold to the Israelites. They placed it on a new cart drawn by two cows, and the cows, guided bythe Lord alone, took a straight way into the land of Israel. How gladthe people were when they looked up from their reaping in the fields, and saw the Ark coming safely back to them. The Philistines watched itfrom afar to see if it would be guided of God to its own place or notand then they returned to their city. 

Samuel gathered the people to the Lord after this, and though they hadsinned greatly, and had gone after the gods of the heathen around them, they repented and returned to the faith of their fathers, and werefaithful all the days of Samuel. He went from year to year on ajourney to three cities of Israel, and judged the people in thoseplaces, but his home was in Ramah, the city where he was born, andwhere Hannah had brought him up for the Lord. 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

THE MAKING OF A KING. 

When Samuel was old he made his sons judges in his place, but they werenot holy men like their father. 

They loved money, and would judge unjustly, if money were given to themas a bribe. So the people came to Samuel at Ramah and said, "Give us a king to judge us. "

And Samuel prayed to the Lord, and the Lord told him to do as thepeople had asked him to do, for they had not rejected him as judge, butthe Lord as their King, and now they must learn what kind of a kingwould reign over them. So Samuel told them what they must be ready todo for their King, for a king was often a hard master, and ruled hispeople cruelly, taking the best of their fields, and their harvests, and their flocks for themselves, and the finest of their sons anddaughters to be his servants; but they said, "We will have a king over us, that we may be like other nations, andthat our king may judge us, and go out before us and fight our battles. "

When Samuel told these things to the Lord he said, "Make them a king, "and Samuel sent the people to their own cities. 

Samuel did not choose a king for the people himself, but he waited forthe Lord to send him the man He had chosen, and the Lord said to him ashe went to a city called Zeph, to hold a sacrifice, "To-morrow about this time I will send thee a man from the land ofBenjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my peopleIsrael. "

On the next day as Samuel came out to go up to the hill of sacrifice hemet a tall, noble looking young man, who, with his servant, was lookingfor the lost asses of his father, Kish, the Benjaminite. He had comefar, and had heard that Samuel, the seer was in that place, and hehoped he would tell him where to go for the asses that were lost. 

Samuel knew from the Lord that this was the man God had chosen, so hetold him to go up with him to the sacrifice, and the next day he wouldlet him go. 

He told him that he need not be troubled about the asses, for they werefound, but the desire of Israel was set upon him. Saul, for that washis name, did not understand him until he was invited to feast withthirty of the chief men, and Samuel had talked with him upon thehouse-top. Early the next morning they both rose and went out of thecity, and while Saul sent his servant on before, Samuel anointed Saulwith oil, and kissed him saying, that the Lord had anointed him to beCaptain over his inheritance. 

As a sign that the Lord had done it, he told Saul three things thatwould happen to him on the way home, and charged him to go to Gilgal, where he would meet him and sacrifice to the Lord for seven days. AsSaul turned to leave the prophet, God gave him another heart, and allthe signs came to pass that day. 

At Mizpah Samuel called all the tribes together, that the man who wasto be their king, might be chosen in their sight, and when Saul, theson of Kish, the Benjaminite was chosen he could not be found; he hadhidden from the people; but when they brought him out before them, hewas taller than any of the people from his shoulders up, and looked aking indeed. For the first time in all their history they cried, "God save the King!"

Then Saul went home, and there went with him a body of men whose heartsGod had touched, while Samuel wrote in a book the order of the kingdomand laid it up before the Lord. 

CHAPTER XIX. 

THE SHEPHERD BOY OF BETHLEHEM. 

After Saul had been king of Israel for a few years, Samuel was deeplytroubled about him, for he had hoped that he would be as truly a kingas he looked, but he had a strange and wilful spirit that led him toturn away from the counsel of the Lord and follow his own way. 

Samuel had been grieved again and again by Saul's rashness, until atlast he said to him when he had taken the spoil of the enemy tosacrifice to the Lord, "To obey is better than sacrifice; because thou hast rejected the wordof the Lord, He hath also rejected thee from being king, " and he wentto his house and mourned over Saul, for he had loved him. 

At last the Lord told Samuel to cease from mourning for Saul, for Hehad rejected him, but to fill his horn with oil, and go to Bethlehemwhere Jesse lived, for He had chosen one of the sons of Jesse to beking in place of Saul. 

Samuel went to Bethlehem leading a heifer, as the Lord had told him todo, that he might hold a sacrifice. He told the elders of the city tomake ready for the sacrifice, and when he had found the house of Jesse, he called him and his sons. Jesse was the grandson of Ruth and Boaz, and owned the fields, no doubt, where Ruth gleaned. When Samuel sawEliab, the son of Jesse, he said:

"Surely the Lord's anointed is before Him, " but the Lord said:

"Look not on his countenance or on the height of his stature, because Ihave refused him, for the Lord seeth not as man seeth, for man lookethon the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. "

Then Jesse called Abinidab, but Samuel said:

"The Lord hath not chosen this. " Then he made Shammah to pass beforehim, but Samuel said:

"Neither hath the Lord chosen this. "

Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel, but Samuel said:

"The Lord hath not chosen these. "

"Are here all thy children?" said Samuel. 

"There remaineth yet the youngest, and he keepeth the sheep, " Jessereplied. Then Samuel said:

"Send and fetch him, for we will not sit down till he come hither. "

So Jesse sent out into the sheepfolds on the hillsides outside the cityto bring the lad David in. What did the boy think when he found hisfather and his brothers waiting, with the old prophet in the midst?What did it mean that the eye of the seer was set upon him, as were theeyes of all in the house?

[Illustration: The young shepherd boy]

Samuel saw a noble youth, "ruddy, and of a beautiful countenance, andgoodly to look to. " He had been told that he must not look on theoutward appearance "for the Lord seeth not as man seeth, " and so hewaited a little until the Lord said:

"Arise, anoint him, for this is he. " Then he took the horn of oil, andanointed him in the midst of his brethren, and the spirit of the Lordcame upon David from that day forward, and Samuel went back to hishouse in Ramah. 

It may be that his father and his brothers did not understand that theboy had been called to be king over Israel, but a new spirit of wisdom, and love, and strength came upon David, and though he went back to hisfather's flocks with no thought of being greater than his brothers, hewent with a new song in his heart which he sang to the little harp hehad made while watching the sheep. Long after when he was King ofIsrael, he made in memory of these days the beautiful Psalm to be sungin the temple beginning, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. "

CHAPTER XX. 

THE POWER OF A PEBBLE. 

Saul the sullen was still king over Israel, although he had departedfrom the Lord, and in His sight he was no longer a king. He was verygloomy and dark in his mind, for he had driven the Lord's spirit away, and his light was gone. 

His servants tried to amuse him, and told him of David, the son ofJesse, who was a skillful player on the harp, and a brave and handsomeyouth. So Saul sent for David, and David, bringing presents from hisfather, came to the king's house. 

Saul was greatly pleased with David, and asked Jesse to let his sonstay with him, for when the evil spirit was upon him, if David playedupon his harp the darkness left him. But this did not last, and aftera while David went back to his flocks, and Saul forgot him. 

Then the Philistines rose against Israel again. Their camp was on amountain side, and Saul gathered his warriors on the side of anothermountain and there was a valley between them. 

Out of the Philistine camp a giant came one day, Goliath of Gath. Hetalked loud and often in order to terrify the Israelites, asking themto send out a man to fight with him, but he was not truly brave, for hehad carefully covered his great body with armor of brass, so that nospear or sword could touch him. He defied Israel every morning andevening for forty days, and no one was found who would dare to go outalone to fight him. David's elder brothers were in camp, and Jesse, their father, called David from the flocks to take food to them. Hefound the army of Israel ready to go into battle, but Goliath came outas he had done each day and defied the Israelites, who ran in terror atthe sight of him. The spirit of David was moved at this, and he said:

"Who is this Philistine that he should defy the armies of the livingGod?" "The man who killeth him, " said one, "the King will enrich him, and, will give him his daughter and make his father's house free inIsrael. "

Then Eliab, David's eldest brother, spoke sternly to David asking himwhy he had left his sheep to come down and see the battle, and calledhim naughty and proud, but David still talked with the men, for thespirit of the Lord was strong within him. When Saul heard of him andsent for him, David said:

"Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fightwith the Philistine. "

Saul frowned at David and said:

"Thou art not able to go against this Philistine; thou art but a youth, and he is a man of war. "

Then David told the king how he had killed both a lion and a bear thathad come down upon his father's flocks, and that he could also conquerthe Philistine. 

"The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and the paw ofthe bear, " said David, "He will deliver me out of the hand of thisPhilistine. " And Saul said: "Go! and the Lord be with thee. " ThenSaul armed David with his own armor, but David said:

"I can not go with these, for I have not proved them, " and he put themoff. 

And this was the way David armed himself to meet the giant. 

He took his staff in hand, and chose five smooth stones from the brookand put them in his shepherd's bag, and with his sling in his hand, hedrew near to the giant. Goliath came on also, his armor-bearercarrying the shield before him, but when he saw the youth David, hedespised him, for he was without armor, or sword or spear, only hisstaff. 

"Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with a staff, " said Goliath, andthen he told him that he would soon give his flesh to the birds and thebeasts. 

"Thou comest to me with a sword, and a spear, and a shield, " saidDavid, "but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God ofthe armies of Israel whom thou hast despised. "

Then the Philistine came down upon little David to destroy him, andDavid ran, not away from him, as the men of Israel had done, butstraight toward him, taking a pebble from his shepherd's bag as he ran. Quickly putting it in the sling, he whirled it in the air once, twice, and then it went swift and straight to the mark. It sunk into theforehead of the giant, and he fell dead upon his face. Then David ranand stood upon the dead Philistine and cut off his head with thegiant's great sword, and when the Philistines saw that their championwas really dead, they fled, pursued by the shouting hosts of Israel. 

[Illustration: David cutting off Goliath's head]

Saul had forgotten the youth who played upon the harp before him, forwhen he sent for him after the battle he said, "Whose son art thou, thou young man?" and David answered, "I am the son of thy servant Jesse, the Bethlehemite. "

And Saul took him to live with him from that day. 

CHAPTER XXI. 

FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH. 

Saul had a son named Jonathan, and he loved David as his own soul. Hetook off his princely robes, even to his sword, and his bow, and hisgirdle, and made David wear them; and David acted wisely in all thatthe king gave him to do. There was great joy and much feasting overthe Death of Goliath and the flight of the Philistines, and whereverSaul went, the women came out of the cities to meet him, singing anddancing, and the song with which they answered one another was, "Saul hath slain his thousands, And David his tens of thousands. "

Saul did not like this, and an evil spirit of jealousy came upon him, and he thought, "What can he have more but the kingdom. "

The next day the evil spirit came upon Saul in the house, and Davidplayed on his harp to quiet him, but Saul hurled a spear at David, hoping to fasten him to the wall with it. This he did twice, but theLord guided the spear away from David, just as he guided the pebble toGoliath, and he was unhurt. Saul was afraid of David. He was afraidthat God was preparing him to be king over Israel, so he sent him intobattle, hoping he would be killed, but the life of David was in theLord's hand, and no enemy could destroy it. 

After a great battle, in which David had been victorious, the evilspirit came again upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear inhis hand, while David played on the harp. Again he tried to killDavid, but the spear struck the wall and David slipped away. 

[Illustration: The spear struck the wall]

It was clear that David could not live near the king, and so he talkedwith Jonathan, his friend, who said, "God forbid, thou shalt not die, " but David said, "Truly there is but a step between me and death. "

Then they made a promise to each other before the Lord that should lastwhile they lived. They promised to show "the kindness of the Lord" toeach other while life should last. 

Jonathan told David that he might go away for three days, and they wentout into a field together. They feared the anger of Saul when he foundthat David was absent from the feast of the new moon. So Jonathan toldDavid to return after three days and hide behind a great rock in thefield. Then Jonathan said he would come out and shoot three arrowsfrom his bow, as if he were shooting at a mark, and he would send hisarrow-bearer to pick them up. If he should call to the lad, "Thearrows are on this side of thee, " David would know that Saul was notangry, and would not hurt him, but if he cried, "The arrows are beyondthee, " David would know he was in danger and must go away. 

On the second day of the feast, Saul asked why David was not there, andJonathan told him he had asked permission to go away for three days. Then Saul was very angry. He blamed his son for loving David, for, asSaul's son, Jonathan should be king after his death, but he never wouldbe if David lived, and he commanded Jonathan to bring him that he mightput him to death. When Jonathan asked what evil David had done that heshould be put to death, Saul cast his spear at his own son. ThenJonathan knew there was no hope for David, and left the table in sorrow. 

The next day he went out to the rock in the field with his armor-bearerand sent him on before. When he shot an arrow, he cried:

"The arrow is beyond thee; make haste! stay not!"

And David, in his hiding place heard it, and knew that he must flee forhis life. 

Then Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to the lad to take to the town, and David came out from his hiding place, and they kissed each otherand wept together. But at last Jonathan said:

"Go in peace: as we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord be between me and thee, and between my children andthy children forever. "

And David went away to hide from Saul, and Jonathan went back to theking's house. 

For seven years Saul hunted for David to take his life, and David, often hiding in caves in the wilderness, could not see his friendJonathan, but they were faithful in their friendship, and when at lastSaul was slain in battle, and Jonathan also, David came to mourn overhis friend, saying:

"I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thoubeen unto me; thy love for me was wonderful, passing the love of women. "

CHAPTER XXII. 

DAVID THE OUTCAST. 

For seven years King Saul hunted David from one end of the land ofIsrael to the other. The evil spirit of jealousy and hate had fullpossession of him, and David, with a few faithful men, was driven fromone stronghold to another, until he cried, "They gather themselvestogether; they hide themselves; they mark my steps when they wait formy soul. What time I am afraid I will trust in thee. "

He had escaped again and again from the hand of Saul, and now he wasdown in the desert country by the Dead Sea, hiding among the cliffs andcaves of Engedi. Saul heard of it and took three thousand men to huntfor him among the rocks of the wild goats. He was very tired afterclimbing the rocks, and seeing a cave, he went in to lie down for alittle sleep. He did not know that David and his men were in the cavehiding in the dark sides of it. Then his men whispered to David:

"Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee: 'I will deliver thineenemy into thine hand that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem goodto thee. '" Then David arose and crept near to Saul, and--did he killthe man who had so often tried to kill him?

No, he bent down and cut off a part of Saul's robe. Even this seemedwrong to David. 

[Illustration: The garment of Saul]

"The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, " he said"to stretch forth my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of theLord, " and in this way he kept his servants from harming Saul, andafter Saul awoke he went out of the cave. 

David also went out of the cave and cried, "My Lord the King!"

And when Saul turned David bowed down to him and asked him why helistened to men who said that he wished to harm the king, and then hetold him how the Lord had given him into his hand in the cave, but hewould not touch the Lord's anointed to harm him. 

"See, my father, " he cried "see the skirt of thy robe in my hand. Ihave not sinned against thee, yet thou huntest my soul to take it. "

Much more he said, and asked the Lord to judge between them, and Saul'shard heart was moved so that he wept aloud. 

"Is this thy voice, my son David, " he said, "Thou art more righteousthan I, for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded theeevil, " and he made a covenant with David. For though he made nopromise to spare David's life, he made David promise to spare the lifeof his children when he should be made king. 

But a year was hardly past before the evil spirit was again upon Saul, and he went out with three thousand men to hunt for David. Saul's campwas on a hill, and David saw where it was. At night he took Abishai, one of his warriors, and went down from the cliffs to Saul's camp, where Saul lay sleeping in a trench, and the spear stuck in the groundby his pillow, while all his men lay around him. Abishai wished tostrike him through with the spear, but David said, "Destroy him not, for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord'sanointed and be guiltless? The Lord shall smite him, or his day shallcome to die, or he shall fall in battle and perish; but take thou nowthe spear that is at his pillow, and the cruse of water, and let us go. "

And they took them and went away. A deep sleep had fallen upon thecamp of Saul from the Lord, so that no one saw them. 

Then David went up to his stronghold, and from the top of the cliff hecried to Abner, the captain of Saul's men, and asked why he had notdefended his Master, and where was the king's spear, and his cruse ofwater?

Then Saul cried as before, "Is this thy voice, my son David?"

"It is my voice, my lord, O King, " said David, and again he plead hiscause with his old enemy, but who could trust to the repentance ofSaul? He cried, "I have sinned; return, my son David, for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day. I have played thefool, and erred exceedingly. "

But David trusted him no more, and went and made friends with aPhilistine prince that he might live within their borders. 

Samuel the prophet was dead, and there was no one to give counsel tothe darkened soul of the King when trouble fell upon him. ThePhilistines had come with a great army, but Saul was afraid, for theLord's spirit was not with him. He tried to seek the Lord through thepriests, and through dreams, but the Lord answered him not. Then hewent to a witch by night, and asked her to bring up the spirit ofSamuel. The witch could not bring up Samuel, but the Lord sent him tospeak to Saul, and the woman cried out with terror when she saw theprophet of the Lord, and knew also that it was the King who had calledfor him. 

"I am sore distressed, " said Saul, "and God is departed from me. Whatshall I do?"

Then Samuel told him plainly that the kingdom was taken from him andgiven to David, and that on the next day he and his sons should fall inbattle, and the Israelites into the hands of the Philistines. 

Saul, forsaken and despairing, fell to the earth fainting, but wasrevived by the woman, who gave him food so that he went away throughthe dark to the camp of Israel. 

In the battle of the next day the Philistines conquered. The threesons of Saul were slain, and Saul himself, when chased by thePhilistines, fell upon his own sword and died. 

When a messenger brought news of the battle to David he rent hisclothes for grief, and in the chant of lamentation that he made, hemourned for his faithful friend Jonathan, and had no word of blame forhis enemy Saul, neither did he triumph over him. 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

EVERY INCH A KING. 

After Saul's death David came back to live with his own people, for hewas of the tribe of Judah. He went to Hebron, the old home of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, for the Lord had told him to go there, and the men ofhis tribe came to Hebron and anointed him king. The other tribes didnot come, for Saul's son and the captain of his host, Abner, were stillholding the kingdom. But when both were killed by an enemy, then allthe other tribes came to Hebron and made a league with him, so sevenyears after Saul's death David became king over all Israel. He wasthen thirty years old and his reign lasted forty years. 

Then David began to establish the kingdom. There was a rocky heightnot far from Hebron with a valley all around it that was still held bythe Jebusites, one of the tribes of Canaan that the Lord said must notbe left in the land. The city was Jerusalem, and the stronghold wasZion, and close by Zion was the mount to which Abraham had once gone tooffer up Isaac. David wanted this stronghold for the chief city of thekingdom, and so he took it, and it became the city of David. He builta beautiful house for himself there, and King Hiram of Tyre sentskilled workmen, and cedar trees, and they built a house of cedar forhim. But stronger than the wish to have a house for himself was thelonging to see the Ark of God set within the curtains of the Tabernaclein the city of David. It had been in the house of Abinadab inKirjath-Jearim for seventy years, ever since it was sent home by thePhilistines who captured it. Because the people had grown cold towardGod, they did not wish to hear the reading of the law, or be led by hiscounsel. Now David called together the flower of all Israel, thirtythousand men, and they went to bring the Ark to the city of David. While on the way a man who had laid his hand upon the Ark when it wasunsteady was smitten and died, for no one but the priests and Levitescould touch the Ark of God. David feared to bring it further, and sohe placed it in the house of Obededom which was near by. It was therethree months, and great blessing came to the house because of it. WhenDavid heard this he went joyfully down to bring the Ark to his city, and it was with sacrifices, and shouting, and the sound of trumpet thatit was brought and set in the Tabernacle that had been made ready forit. And so the worship of the Lord was established in Jerusalem, whichwas to be the great altar for the sacrificial worship until thesacrifice should be taken away, and the kingdom of Christ establishedon the earth. 

But David was not satisfied. 

"See, " he said to Nathan the prophet, "I dwell in a house of cedar, butthe Ark of God dwelleth within curtains. "

That night the Lord spoke to Nathan and told him what to say to theking. He promised to establish the royal house of David, and givefinal peace to the people, and also to build a house for the worship ofthe Lord, but he said that David's son, who should be king after him, should build a house to his name, and of him the Lord said, "I will behis Father, and he shall be my son. "

Then King David went in to the Tabernacle and thanked the Lord for Hispromise to him and to his son, and asked His blessing upon them. Though he reigned forty years, he never forgot that his work was not tobuild the temple of the Lord, but to prepare for it. So he subduedenemies, built cities, made leagues with friendly nations, gatheredmuch wealth of wood, and stone, and gold, and silver and preciousstones for the house of the Lord, and trained choirs of singers for theservice. He also kept his heart open toward the Lord, so that he wasable to write some wonderful poems that were set to music and sung bythe temple choirs. We call them the Psalms of David. 

Though David had grown rich and great, he did not forget his promise toJonathan. He called Ziba, who had been Saul's servant and said to him, "Is there not yet any of the house of Saul that I may show the kindnessof God to him?"

Then Ziba told him of a man who was lame in both his feet, who was theson of Jonathan. David sent for him, and gave him all the land ofSaul, and a place was made for him at the king's table among his ownsons, and it was his while he lived. 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

DAVID'S SIN. 

The army of Israel was at war with the Ammonites, and Joab was thechief captain. David did not go out with the army, but stayed in hishouse in Jerusalem. One evening he was walking on the flat roof of hishouse, as the people of that country always do, and he saw a little wayoff a very beautiful woman. He sent a servant to ask who she was, andfound she was the wife of Uriah who was in the army with Joab, fightingthe Ammonites. Then a great temptation was set before David, andinstead of going to the Lord to be saved from it, he sent to Joab, asking him to send him Uriah, the Hittite. So Uriah came, and Davidtalked kindly with him, and found him a good and faithful man. When hewent back to Joab he took a letter from David, who asked that he be setin the front of the battle. So Joab placed him there, and when the twoarmies met Uriah was killed, and Joab sent a messenger to tell David. After her mourning was ended, Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, became thewife of David, but the Lord was displeased with David. He also knewDavid's heart and how to deal with him, so he sent Nathan the prophetto him. 

"There were two men in one city, " said Nathan, "one of them rich andthe other poor. The rich man had many flocks and herds, but the poorman had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought andnourished up; and it grew together with him and with his children: itdid eat of his own meat and drink of his own cup, and lay in his bosomand was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto therich man, and he spared to take of his own flock to dress for thewayfaring man that was come to him, but took the poor man's lamb anddressed it for the man that was come to him. "

David was very angry at the man who could do such a cruel thing, and hesaid to Nathan, "The man that hath done this thing shall surely die; and he shallrestore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because hehad no pity. "

Then Nathan said to David, "Thou art the man, " and he told him howgreatly the Lord had blessed him in making him King over Israel, and indelivering him from the hand of Saul, and how he had slain a faithfulservant and taken his wife for himself; therefore evil would befall him. 

David said, "I have sinned against the Lord, " and the Lord saw that hisrepentance was real, and forgave the sin, but that David might neverforget and sin again, the Lord took the little child that was born tohim and to Bathsheba. While it was sick David fasted and lay all nightupon the earth, and would not rise to taste food. This he did forseven days while the little child was sick, but when they told him thathis child was dead he arose and bathed and dressed himself and went tothe house of the Lord to worship, and returned to take his food. Thenhis servants wondered at it, and replied, "While the child was yet alive I fasted and wept, for I said, who cantell whether God will be gracious unto me that the child may live. Butnow he is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him back again?I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. "

After this another child was born to Bathsheba, and they named himSolomon, which means "Peaceable. "

And David wrote a prayer of repentance for his sin. It is thefifty-first Psalm, and has been the prayer of penitent souls for nearlythree thousand years. 

CHAPTER XXV. 

DAVID'S SORROW. 

David had a very beautiful son named Absalom. From the crown of hishead to the soles of his feet there was no fault to be seen in him. His hair was thick and long, and his beauty was much talked of throughall Israel. But the Lord who looks upon the heart saw that the heartof Absalom was wicked and false. He killed his brother Amnon, and thenfled to another country and stayed three years. When he returned hetried to see his father, but David would not see him for two years. Then Absalom forced Joab to bring him to the king's house by settingJoab's barley field on fire. He was false as well as handsome, and wonhis father's heart by pretending to be humble. 

After this Absalom began to live more like a king than a prince. Hehad fifty men to run before his chariot when he rode, and he stood inthe city gates and talked with the men who came to see the king abouttheir rights. He told them that if he were ruler over the land everyman should have all that he wanted, and deceived many by a false showof friendship. 

Then he asked the king if he could go to Hebron to pay a vow to theLord by offering sacrifice there, and David told him to go in peace, and he went. But he had cruelly deceived his father. He had sentspies through all the land to persuade them to join him at Hebron andmake him king. He also took two hundred men out of Jerusalem to helphim, and one of them was David's counsellor. They had arranged to haveall the people, as soon as they heard anywhere the sound of thetrumpet, to cry, "Absalom is king in Hebron. "

Then it came to the ears of David that his people had been led away bydeceit to follow Absalom, and David, who had been fearless beforeGoliath and before great armies of other nations, was afraid. Hisheart was broken at the treachery of his son, and he said to hisservants, "Arise, and let us flee; make haste and go, for fear Absalom may comeand fight against the city with the sword. "

His servants were ready to fight for him, but he fled in haste over thebrook Kedron and went toward the wilderness, with all of the people ofthe city with him, until there was a great multitude, and in the midstthe priests and the Levites bearing the Ark of God, but when David sawthis he said, "Carry back the Ark of God into the city. If I shall find favor in theeyes of the Lord He will bring me again. Let Him do to me as seemethgood to Him. "

So the priests and the Levites returned to the city with the Ark of God. 

It was a sad procession that went over the Mount of Olives led byDavid, weeping as he went, with his head covered and his feet bare. Some enemies of the house of Saul came out and troubled him by the way, but there was no anger in the heart of David toward any. He believedthe hand of the Lord was upon him, and he said, "It may be the Lord will look on mine affliction. "

Absalom came to Jerusalem, and while he was asking his chief counsellorwhat to do, he was persuaded by a friend of David, who had stayedbehind, to wait until he had gathered a larger army before he followedafter David. This gave him time to send word to David to cross overJordan before Absalom should overtake him. The chief counsellor, whenhe saw that his advice was not followed, went to his own house andhanged himself, for he knew that the Lord was bringing his counsel tonaught. 

After David had passed over into Gilead the people of that land broughtfood, and dishes, and beds to the sorrowful king and his tired people, and they were cared for in the city of Mahanaim. Then Joab, thecaptain, gathered the men together to go and meet Absalom and his army, and as they passed out of the city David stood in the gate and chargedall the captains as they passed, saying

"Deal gently, for my sake, with the young man, even with Absalom. "

So they went out to battle, and it was in a wood. God had givenDavid's army the victory, and twenty thousand men of Absalom's armywere slain. Absalom, who rode on a mule, was caught by his long thickhair in the branches of an oak tree, and the mule went away and lefthim hanging there. 

A man ran and told Joab that he had seen Absalom hanging in an oak. 

"Why didst thou not smite him there?" said Joab. 

The man said he would not have done it for a thousand shekels ofsilver, because David had charged them all not to touch the young manAbsalom. 

But Joab turned away, and when he had found Absalom in the oak, he, with the ten young men who were with him, killed Absalom, and theyburied him in the wood. 

[Illustration: The death of Absalom]

Then Joab sent two messengers to carry news of the victory to the king, who sat between the city gates, while a watchman stood over the gateson the city wall. When the watchmen saw the two men running, one afterthe other, he cried out and told the king. The first man cried as hecame, "All is well, " but when the king said, "Is the young man Absalomsafe?" he could not answer, and when the second messenger cried, "Tidings, my lord, the king, " again David asked, "Is the young man Absalom safe?"

"The enemies of my lord the king and all that rise against thee to dothee hurt be as that young man, " said the messenger. 

Then the king went up to the room over the city gate and wept, and ashe went he cried, "O my son Absalom! my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died forthee, O Absalom, my son, my son!"

[Illustration: David mourning for Absalom]

The people who had come back joyful because the enemy had beenconquered were distressed by the grief of the king, so that Joabpersuaded David to come down to the gate and meet the people. 

After this those who were left of the followers of Absalom begged theking to come back to Jerusalem, and so he came, and thousands came tomeet him. He had only forgiving words for those who had injured him, and for Barzillai and the men of Gilead who had fed them and shown themgreat kindness in the darkest hour of the king's life, and who came alittle way on the journey with them, he had grateful words andblessings. 

And so the king came to his own again. He was now getting to be an oldman, and the love of his people made his last days blessed. 

His warriors said, "Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, thatthou quench not the light of Israel. "

Once he sinned against the Lord by numbering his people. He wanted toknow how many men in his kingdom could bear arms in battle, and heforgot that victory over the enemy was not with the many or the few, but with the Lord, who is the strength of his people. When he saw thathe had done wrong he confessed it and begged for forgiveness, but apestilence spread over all the land, and came near to Jerusalem, andthe angel was stayed by the Lord's hand just over the threshing floorof Araunah. This was the broad flat top of Mount Moriah where longbefore Abraham had built an altar on which to offer Isaac. 

When David saw the angel he said, "I have done wickedly, but these sheep, what have they done? Let Thinehand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house. "

Then the prophet Gad said, "Go up, rear an altar to the Lord in thethreshing-floor of Araunah, " and David went as the Lord commanded. 

When they reached the mount Araunah offered David the piece of groundwith the oxen for a sacrifice, but he would not take them as a gift. 

"But I will surely buy it of thee at a price, " said David, "neitherwill I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God of that which doth costme nothing. "

So he bought the piece of ground and paid for it six hundred shekels ofgold. Twice had the Lord blessed this spot with a miracle ofsalvation, and twice an altar had been built there, and looking uponit, David said, "This is the house of the Lord God, and this is the altar of burntoffering for Israel, " and he prepared to build there the temple ofSolomon, --the altar of the world. 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

THE BUILDING OF THE GOLDEN HOUSE. 

The time was near when David must leave his people and go to his God, and his chief thought was about the house of the Lord that he hadlonged to build, that the Ark of God might be at rest, and that thepeople might have a place of worship for all time to come. He knewthat his son Solomon was to build the temple, but he was still young, and David made ready as far as he could for the building of the house. There were men at work in the quarries, cutting great stones, and therewere men in the forests of Lebanon cutting and hewing cedars, andothers gathering iron and brass, and gold, and silver for the treasuryof David. He also spent much time dividing the sons of Levi intocompanies, so that they could in turn serve with the priests in thetemple, and ordering the times and manner of service, for he believedthat this temple would be a house of prayer for all nations. David hadbeen a man of war, for he had been called to destroy idol worship inthe land of Canaan, and to make it the land of Israel, in which the onetrue God should be worshipped forever, but Solomon's reign was to beone of peace, and the Lord chose a man of peace to build his house. 

David had another son, Adonijah, who tried to make himself king asAbsalom did, but David heard of it, and had Solomon proclaimed kingbefore his own death, lest trouble should arise after. When Adonijahheard the shouts of the people, and the sound of the trumpets he wasafraid, and expected Solomon would kill him, but Solomon said if hewould only show himself a good man no harm should come to him. 

The last things that David did were to call his princes and chief mentogether and tell them that the Lord had promised many years before, that Solomon should build the house of the Lord during his reign; andalso that his children's children should rule over Israel, and hebegged them to keep the Lord's commandments, that they might keep thegood land that had been given them. 

He also charged Solomon before them all to serve God with all hisheart, but if he failed to do so he would be cast off forever. 

David gave Solomon all the plans and patterns for the house of theLord, as the Lord had given them to him; also the gold and silverstored up for time of building. He also told the people, when he hadcalled them together, what he had stored for the work of the temple, and asked them who were willing to give also. Then the people broughtgifts, as they did when the Tabernacle was built, and gave them to theLord. David led them in a great thanksgiving service, and they offeredthree thousand sacrifices. 

Solomon was again anointed king in the presence of all Israel, and tookthe throne of David; and David died, honored and loved by his people, and he was buried in his own city. 

When Solomon went to Gibeon to sacrifice the Lord came to him in adream and said, "Ask what I shall give thee. "

Solomon was wiser than all the sons of David, and yet he did not feelhimself to be so. He said, "I am but a little child; I know not how to go out or come in, and thyservant is in the midst of a great people that cannot be numbered. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad, for who is able to judge thisthy so great a people. "

And the Lord said, "Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyselflong life, neither riches, nor the life of thine enemies, lo, I havegiven thee a wise and understanding heart, and I have also given theethat which thou hast not asked--both riches and honor; and if thou wiltwalk in my ways as thy father David did, then I will lengthen thy days. "

The Lord was true to his word. Solomon had wisdom, beyond all the oldand the learned men of his kingdom, and many came to him for counselwho were not of Israel, for he was famous among the nations. Some ofthese nations wished to be ruled by him, and brought him many preciousthings as gifts; they had been conquered by David, and now they wishedto be ruled by Solomon. He had thousands of servants and he knew howto direct their work. Away up in the mountains of Lebanon they workedwith the servants of Hiram, King of Tyre, getting the cedar timbersready for the temple, while Hiram's artisans in gold, and silver, andbrass, and fine linen came to Jerusalem to work on the temple, andSolomon sent Hiram wheat, and olive oil, and wine. So wise were theworkers in stone and wood that when the temple was built there was nosound of a hammer or any tool heard on Mount Moriah. Each stone wasready to fit into its place, and each piece of wood to fit another. 

The house was not like any that we have ever seen. It was not large, but it was very precious. The cedar boards that lined the walls werecarved in flower patterns, and covered with gold. The floor also wascovered with gold. He divided the temple in two parts, as theTabernacle had been, with a rich curtain of blue and purple andcrimson. The innermost room was called the most holy place, and wasfor the Ark, and its walls were beautiful with cherubim, and palmtrees, and flowers, overlaid with gold, as was the floor also. Withinthis most holy place stood two cherubim fifteen feet high. They wereof olive wood covered with gold, and they stood with wings spread forthso that they touched each other, and also touched the wall on eitherside, and their wings overshadowed the mercy seat where the Ark of theLord was to rest. All the carvings upon wood were covered with gold, and precious stones were set among them for light and beauty. 

Solomon's workmen made two great pillars of brass to stand before thehouse, and a great brass altar for the burnt offerings. They also madeten basins of brass that were set upon wheels, and one very great onecalled the "sea" which stood on twelve brass oxen. 

They also made many things for the use of the temple--candlesticks, andspoons, and censers all of pure gold, and there was also a golden altarand a golden table. 

Solomon was seven years building the house of the Lord, and when it wasfinished, and its outer courts made ready, he called all the elders andchief men of Israel together to carry the Ark of God to its place. Sothe Ark, borne by the priests, and holding the tables of the law, wascarried into the most holy place, and set under the wings of thecherubim. After the priests came out a cloud filled the house of theLord so that the priests could not go in. It was the glory of thepresence of the Lord. 

Then Solomon stood before all the people and gave thanks to God andasked him to take the temple for his own house to dwell in, andkneeling down, he prayed that wherever the children of Israel might be, at home, or captives in a strange land, that the Lord would hear themwhen they prayed toward his house, and that all prayer offered in itmight be heard and answered

Then fire from heaven fell upon the great altar, and the sacrifice wasconsumed, and all over the great pavement of the court the people bowedand worshipped the Lord, saying, "For He is good, and His mercyendureth forever. "

There were offerings and feasting for fourteen days, and then thepeople went to their homes to think of the wonderful things they hadseen. And there were sacrifices offered morning and evening each day, on the Sabbath, and at the three great feasts of the year--the feast ofthe passover, the feast of the harvest, and the feast of tabernacles. 

Solomon also built a wonderful house for himself, and another calledthe "house of the forest of Lebanon, " where he kept his armor. Theroof was upheld by cedars of Lebanon, standing like mighty pillarsbeneath it. So famous did his work and his wisdom become that a queenfrom a distant land called Sheba came to visit him. She came with acaravan of servants and camels bringing costly presents of spices, andgold, and precious stones. She asked him many things that she hadlonged to know, and he answered all her questions, and told her strangeand wonderful things, so that after she had seen all his palace, andhis servants, and the service of his table, and the beautiful ascent bywhich he went up to the temple, she said that the half had never beentold her in her own country. They exchanged costly presents, and shewent back to her own land. 

[Illustration: The Queen of Sheba before Solomon]

Solomon had many ships upon the sea that brought riches from every landHe learned much of the world in this way, and as he grew older and fromhis throne of gold and ivory judged his people, he dropped many wisesayings that were written in a book by the scribes and are now calledthe "Proverbs of Solomon. "

But in Solomon's latter days his wives, who were daughters of heathenkings, turned his heart from the Lord. When his father sinned herepented at once, and his heart never turned to idols, but with all hiswisdom, Solomon was weak of will, and built temples for his wives toworship idols in. 

The Lord had made a promise to David that his sons should inherit thethrone, and He kept the promise, but he allowed the kingdom to bedivided. The two tribes who lived near to Jerusalem--Judah andBenjamin--were left to Solomon's son Rehoboam, but the ten tribes chosea man named Jeroboam to be their king. The men of Rehoboam, led bytheir king, went out to fight with the ten tribes, but the Lord wouldnot let them. He spoke to them through a prophet and they went home. 

So now there were two kings in Israel, and Rehoboam's kingdom wascalled the kingdom of Judah, and that of Jeroboam was called thekingdom of Israel; but after the kingdom was divided no kings everreigned who could be compared with David and Solomon. 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

ELIJAH THE GREAT HEART OF ISRAEL. 

During the reign of Jehoshaphat, fourth king of Judah, and Ahab, sixthking of Israel, after the division of the kingdom, there came out ofGilead Elijah, a prophet of the Lord. Two of the kings of Judah, andall of the kings of Israel had been wicked men, and the Lord sentElijah to Ahab, king of Israel, to tell him that there should be norain for years in the land of Israel, and then only as Elijah shouldask for it. Ahab was more wicked than the kings that reigned beforehim, and had built a temple for the god Baal in Samaria. 

Because he would seek to destroy Elijah, the Lord told His prophet togo to the brook Cherith that ran into the Jordan, and there He wouldtake care of him. "Thou shalt drink of the brook, and I have commandedthe ravens to feed thee there, " said the Lord. 

And so it was. Morning and evening the ravens came bringing bread andmeat, and the brook brought him water out of the rock, but as there wasno rain, the brook at last dried up, and there was a great famine. 

[Illustration: Ravens bringing food to Elijah]

Then Elijah was told to go to Zarephath, for a woman there had beentold to feed him, and he went at once. As he came near the city gatehe saw a woman gathering sticks, and he asked her to bring him a cup ofwater and a little bread. She told him that she had but a handful ofmeal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse, and she was going tobake it for herself and son, that they might eat it and die. 

Then Elijah said, "Fear not; go and do as thou hast said, but make methereof a little cake first, and after that make for thee and thy son, for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, 'The barrel of meal shall notwaste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail until the day that the Lordsendeth rain upon the earth. '"

She believed Elijah, and did as he commanded, and they ate for a wholeyear, and the meal and the oil lasted all that time. 

After this the woman's son grew very sick, so very sick that heappeared to be dead, and the woman cried to the prophet in her distress, "O thou man of God, art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembranceand to slay my son?"

Then he said, "Give me thy son, " and he took him up to his own room andlaid him upon his bed and prayed over him. Then he stretched himselfupon the child three times and cried, "O Lord my God, I pray Thee let this child's soul come unto him again!"

And God heard Elijah, and the soul of the child came to him again, andhe revived. 

Then he gave the boy to his happy and grateful mother, saying, "See, thy son liveth. "

In the third year of the famine the Lord said to Elijah, "Go, show thyself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth. "

As Elijah went he met a good man named Obadiah, who was governor of theking's house. This man worshipped the Lord, and when Ahab's wickedwife, Jezebel, tried to kill all the Lord's prophets he hid a hundredof them in two caves and kept them alive with bread and water. He wasseeking grass and water for the king's horses, and when he saw Elijahhe fell on his face and said, "Art thou my Lord Elijah?"

"I am, " said Elijah, "go, tell thy lord, 'Behold, Elijah is here. '"

Obadiah was in distress at this command, for he knew that the kingwould kill Elijah if he found him, and he could not think that Elijahwould be brave enough to meet the king, or he thought perhaps thespirit of the Lord would carry him away, and he alone would have tomeet the anger of the king. 

"As the Lord of hosts liveth, " said Elijah, "I will surely show myselfunto him to-day. "

So Obadiah told Ahab, and Ahab went to meet Elijah, and said to him, "Art thou he that troubleth Israel?"

"I have not troubled Israel, " he said, "but thou and thy father'shouse, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thouhast followed Baalim. "

Then he told Ahab to call all Israel to Mount Carmel which overlooksthe sea, and to bring there also the four hundred and fifty prophets ofBaal, and the four hundred prophets of the groves. 

So the king called them together, and Elijah cried to the people, "How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, followHim; but if Baal, follow him. "

And the people, afraid of the king and his wicked wife, answered not aword. 

"I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord, " said Elijah, "butBaal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. " And then he told thepeople how it could be proven which was true--the God of Israel, orBaal. 

He told the prophets of Baal to make an altar and place wood and asacrifice upon it, and he also would do the same, and they should callupon Baal, and he would call on the name of the Lord, and "the God thatanswereth by fire, let him be God. "

This the priests of Baal were willing to do, and they cried aroundtheir altar from morning until night, "O Baal, hear us, " but there wasno voice, and no answer by fire. 

Elijah watched and waited, sometimes telling them that perhaps theirgod was asleep, and could be waked; or that he had gone on a journey, or was talking with somebody, and then they became wild and leaped uponthe altar and cut themselves with knives. 

After many hours Elijah called the people to him, and he repaired abroken altar of the Lord that stood there with twelve stones for thetwelve tribes of Israel, and made a trench all around it. Then heplaced wood on the altar and told the people to pour four barrels ofwater over the sacrifice. This they did three times, and the water randown and filled the trench around the altar, and the people saw thatElijah could not by any means make a fire there. 

Then, as it was the hour of the evening sacrifice in the temple, Elijahknelt by his altar with his face toward Jerusalem, and prayed to hisGod that He would hear him, and show the people that they were calledfrom the worship of idols to the service of the living God. 

What a wonderful sight was that, when fire fell from heaven and burntup the sacrifice, and the wood, and the altar, and even the water inthe trench around the altar!

And the people all fell on their faces at the sight, and cried, "The Lord He is the God! The Lord He is the God!" Then Elijah toldthem to take the prophets of Baal and destroy them, and they did so. 

"There is a sound of abundance of rain!" said Elijah to the king, andthen he went to the very top of Carmel, and threw himself upon theearth, hiding his face between his knees, while he sent his servant tolook toward the sea, and watch for the coming of the rain. 

This the servant did seven times, each time coming to his master andsaying, "There is nothing, " but the prophet told him to look seventimes more, and when he came back the seventh time he said, "Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea like a man's hand. "

Then he sent his servant to Ahab, saying, "Prepare thy chariot and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. "

The little cloud grew to be a great one, and filled all the sky untilit was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And asAhab rode in his chariot, Elijah, who was strong with the spirit of theLord and glad for His great victory over sin, ran before the chariot tothe gates of the city. 

Jezebel the queen was furious when she heard that the priests had beendestroyed. She sent word to Elijah that he would be treated the sameway on the morrow, and so Elijah fled for his life, and leaving hisservant in Beer-Sheba on the southern border of Israel, he went a day'sjourney into the wilderness. There he sat down under a juniper tree, and for the first time his heart grew weak within him. 

"It is enough, " he said, "Now, O Lord, take away my life, for am I notbetter than my fathers. "

Perhaps he was discouraged because he was tired and hungry, for he fellasleep, and when he awoke it was because an angel touched him, saying, "Arise and eat, " and he looked, and there was a cake just baked on thehot coals, and a bottle of water close beside him. So he ate anddrank, but he was not yet rested, and he fell asleep again. The angelwaked him the second time telling him to eat and drink, for the journeywas too great for him. Then he ate and drank again, and went on thestrength of that food forty days and forty nights, till he came toHoreb, the mount of God, where the Ten Commandments were given toMoses, and there he lodged in a cave. He was still gloomy anddiscouraged, and when the Lord said, "What doest thou here, Elijah?" hesaid, "I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts, for the childrenof Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, andslain thy prophets with the sword, and I, even I only am left, and theyseek my life to take it. "

[Illustration: Elijah and the angel]

Then the Lord told him to go out and stand on the mount before theLord, and he passed by. There was a great wind that split themountains, and broke the great rocks, but the Lord was not in the wind, and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in theearthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not inthe fire; and after the fire a still, small voice. 

When Elijah heard that, he wrapped his face in his mantle and stood atthe door of the cave, and the Lord asked again, "What doest thou here, Elijah?" and Elijah answered him just as he did before. 

Then the Lord told him to go back and anoint a new king over Syria, also a new king over Israel, and Elisha to be prophet in his place. 

Elijah went, and he found Elisha ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen. He cast his mantle over Elisha, and Elisha followed him and became hisservant. 

When Elijah came back to his own country he found there had been warbetween Israel and Syria, and Ahab had grown hard of heart again. Heand his wicked wife Jezebel had taken the vineyard of Naboth away fromhim because Ahab wanted it for a garden, and they had caused the deathof Naboth, so when Elijah came he found Ahab in the vineyard, and said, "Hast thou killed and also taken possession?" and he told him that heshould die where Naboth died. 

"Hast thou found me, O mine enemy!" cried the king. 

"I have found thee, " answered Elijah, and he spoke to him the word ofthe Lord, that he should be destroyed out of Israel with his wholefamily. 

Then Ahab repented, and the Lord spared his life two years, but laterhis wife Jezebel came to a dreadful end, with the seventy sons of Ahab. 

When the time came for the Lord to take his servant to himself, Elijahwished to be alone, but Elisha his servant would not leave him. Hefollowed his master from one town to another until they came to theriver Jordan. Then Elijah took off his mantle, and folding it, struckthe waters and they were divided, so that they went over on dry ground. Then Elijah said, "Ask what I shall do for thee, " and Elisha prayedthat a double portion of his Master's spirit might rest upon him. 

"If thou see me when I am taken from thee it shall be so unto thee, " hesaid, "but if not, it shall not be so. "

And as they went there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, parting them from each other, and Elijah went up in a whirlwind toheaven. Now Elisha wished his master to know that he saw him, so hecried, "My father, my father! the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof!"and he saw him no more. 

[Illustration: Elijah and the chariot of fire]

Then he took Elijah's mantle that fell from him, and struck the watersof Jordan again, and they parted, and he went over, and he knew thatthe power of the old prophet's spirit had been given to him. 

Fifty young men, sons of the prophets, saw him return, and they said, "The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha, " and they bowed themselvesto the ground before him. 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 

THE LITTLE CHAMBER ON THE WALL. 

Elisha did many wonderful things in the strength of the spirit thatElijah's God gave him. He changed the waters of Jericho, so that theywere no longer poisonous, by casting salt in the spring. 

He brought water for the thirsty armies of three kings who had gatheredto battle, by telling them to dig ditches in a valley of Edom, andwatch for the water to come, without wind or rain. When the morningdawned the valley was full of running water. 

He helped a poor widow to pay a debt and take care of her two sons bytelling her to borrow empty pots and pans of all her neighbors, andpour into them her one little pot of oil. The oil increased until allthe pots and pans were full, and she had plenty to sell. 

He saved the sons of the prophets from death by casting meal into thepot when a poisonous nut had been mingled with the food, and he fed ahundred people with the bread that was brought as a portion for himself. 

But the most beautiful story in the life of Elisha is that of theShun-amite mother and her son. The mother was a noble lady of Shun-em, who believed in God, and in the good man who passed her house so often, and she said to her husband, "Let us make for him a little chamber on the wall. " And so they did, and when Elisha came again he lodged there. He was grateful to thesekind people, and asked the woman what he should do for her--if shewould ask anything of the king, but she only said, "I dwell among mine own people. "

Then the prophet, knowing that she had no child, promised that sheshould have a son, and though it was hard to believe, the little sonwas sent to her, and she was very happy. But one day when he went outin the field where his father and his men were reaping, he cried out, "My head, my head!" and they carried him in to his mother. She heldhim in her arms until noon, and then he died and she laid him in theprophet's chamber. Perhaps the heat of the harvest time had been toogreat for one so young. Did the mother cry out and call her husband?No, she called for a servant and a donkey, and rode as fast as shecould to Mount Carmel where Elisha was. His servant saw her coming, and Elisha sent him to meet her and ask if it was well with her and herhusband and her child, and she said, "It is well, " though her heart was breaking. 

"Did I ask a son of my lord?" she said as she came to Elisha and fellat his feet. Then he knew that the child was ill or dead, and he wouldhave sent his servant to lay his staff on the child, but the mothercried, "As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee, "and he arose and followed her. 

When he came to the Shun-amite's house he went into his little roomwhere the dead child lay upon his bed, and, shutting the door, prayedto the Lord. Then he stretched himself upon the child, and breathedupon him until life began to creep back into the little cold body, andwhen he had done this twice the child opened his eyes Then Elishacalled the mother, and when she had fallen at his feet in grateful joy, she took up her child and went out. 

[Illustration: Elijah raises the widow's son]

CHAPTER XXIX. 

A LITTLE MAID OF ISRAEL. 

There was war almost all the time between Israel and Syria. A band ofSyrians from Damascus would often come into a village of Israel andtake the people away for slaves. One little girl who was carried offby the Syrians became a slave in the house of a Syrian general calledNaaman, and was a maid to Naaman's wife. 

Naaman was a great man, and beloved by all, but he had a disease thatcould never be cured. It was leprosy. He could go about, but he couldnot touch others without giving them the disease which turns the skinwhite and dead, and finally eats the flesh away. 

The little maid said to her mistress one day, "Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for hewould recover him of his leprosy. "

When this was told to Naaman he talked with the king, who sent him tothe king of Israel with a letter, but the king of Israel was angry. 

"Am I God to kill and make alive, that this man doth send unto me torecover a man of his leprosy?" he cried, but when Elisha heard of it hesaid, "Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet inIsrael. "

So Naaman came with his horses and chariot to Elisha's house, but theprophet did not even come to the door, but sent his servant with thismessage, "Go wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. "

But Naaman went away in a rage. He expected Elisha to come out, andthat there would be a fine scene while he called on the name of God, waved his hand over the leprous spots, and made a cure. 

"Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all thewaters of Israel? May I not wash in them and be clean?" he said. 

Then some of his servants came near to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldstthou not have done it? How much rather, then, when he saith to thee, 'Wash and be clean. '"

Then he went down and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, and hisflesh became like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. 

After this he, with all that were with him, went humbly back to Elishaand said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel. " Andhe urged the prophet to take gifts from him, but he would not. 

But Naaman begged of Elisha two mule-loads of earth to take to his owncountry. He wanted to build an altar upon it to worship the God ofIsrael, and he thought it must stand on the soil of Israel. 

Did Naaman ever send the little maid of Israel to her home? We do notknow, but surely he was kind to her in some way. 

CHAPTER XXX. 

THE TWO BOY KINGS. 

There were many kings over Israel from the days of Solomon until thetime when they were carried away captives to Babylon. The kingdom wasdivided soon after Solomon's death, and a king reigned in Jerusalemover the kingdom of Judah, and another in Samaria over the kingdom ofIsrael. There were a few kings who tried to follow that which wasright, but the most of them were men who were given to idolatry, andwho did not help the people to remember the true God. The Lord sentthem prophets to remind them of Him, but they were often driven away orill treated. There were a few good kings of Judah, such as Asa andJehoshaphat, and Hezekiah, and among them were two who became kingswhen they were very young. 

When Ahaziah, King of Judah, was killed, his mother, who was a wickedwoman, killed all his sons, that she herself might be queen. All but ababy boy who was hidden with his nurse in the temple, and tenderlycared for by the good high priest and his wife for six years. Thenwhen he was seven years old the priests and the Levites brought outlittle Joash and anointed him king. They formed a guard all about him, and when the high priest had crowned him there was a great cry aroundthe temple of "God save the King. "

The old queen heard this and came to see what it meant. When she sawthe little Joash standing by a pillar with a crown on his head shecried out that the people were plotting against her. 

The people did by her as she had done by her grandsons--they took herlife. 

Then there was great rejoicing. The house of Baal was torn down, andthe Lord's gold and silver brought back to the temple, and the goodhigh priest began the worship of God in the temple after the manner offormer days. 

When Joash was old enough to understand he longed to make the templebeautiful again, for it was falling into decay, so he called for moneythroughout his kingdom. Everyone was asked to drop a silver piece inthe chest that was set at the temple door, and more than enough wasbrought to re-build the temple, and while the high priest lived theking worshipped there with all the princes of Judah, but as soon as hedied they went back to idol worship, and killed the new high priest inthe court of the temple because he told them that the Lord would bringgreat trouble upon them. And so it came to pass in less than a yearthe Syrians came and killed the princes, and took away the gold andsilver treasures of the temple. Joash himself became very sick, andhis own servants took his life as he lay helpless. 

It was quite different with little Josiah. He was only eight years oldwhen he was crowned King of Judah, and he had no one so good as thehigh priest Jehoida, who was the teacher of Joash, to help him to doright. Even the holy writings that were given to Moses were lost, andthe people did not ask to hear them read. But the Lord had not allowedHis word to be destroyed, and when Josiah was having the templerepaired the high priest found the rolls of parchment on which the lawwas written, and sent it to the king by a servant of the king who was awriter. Josiah was full of interest in the ancient book, and wished toknow what was in it, and his servant read it to him. 

When he found that he and his people were not living as God hadcommanded in the law, he sent to inquire of the Lord what He would havethem to do, and they went to Huldah, the prophetess. She told theking's messengers that a great calamity would fall upon the kingdombecause they had turned away from the true God, but because the king'sheart was tender and full of desire to follow the Lord, it should notcome during his lifetime. 

Then the king called all the chief men of Judah, and the people of thecity, both great and small, with the priests and the Levites, to theLord's house, and there he read in their hearing the word of the Lord. It was like a new book to the most of them, but they were ready tofollow the king in making a solemn promise to the Lord to do Hiscommandments, and bring back the true worship. 

So they had a great feast of the passover, to which all the people camewith offerings, and there was no passover in all the history of thekings of Judah and Israel that was like this one that was held in theeighteenth year of the reign of Josiah. 

After he had prepared the temple for worship, and had destroyed thealtars of the idols, he went out to meet the King of Egypt in battleand was killed, and there was a great mourning for him in all the land, for he had been a good king--kind to his people and faithful to hisGod. Jeremiah the prophet made a great lamentation for him, for heknew that one of Josiah's sons would be the last king of Judah, andthat for their sins the people would be driven out of their own land tobe captives in Babylon for seventy years. 

CHAPTER XXXI. 

THE FOUR CAPTIVE CHILDREN. 

Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, came with his armies and besiegedJerusalem, just as Jeremiah the prophet had foretold. He took the kingand the princes of Judah captive, and carried away their preciousthings from the temple and the palaces into his own land, and put themin the temples of his gods. Before twenty years had passed the wholenation had been driven into captivity, and their holy house had beenburned, and the ark of the covenant lost or destroyed. As the kingdomof Israel had also been scattered, the whole land lay desolate, and thewalls of the cities were broken down. 

When the King of Babylon first besieged Jerusalem he carried away thefinest of the princely families to serve him. They were the flower ofJerusalem--young men of noble face and form; well taught in thelearning of the Jews, and skilfull in the sciences of that time. Theywere also chosen for their natural ability to learn the language andthe wisdom of the Chaldeans. 

Among these were four boys named Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The king gave these boys into the care of his chief officer, who setteachers over them and treated them very kindly, while the king sentthem each day meat and wine from his own table. The Chaldeans offeredthese things to idols, and then ate of them themselves; they also usedsome meats for food that were unclean to an Israelite, so that the fourchildren of Judah determined that they would not touch the king's meatand drink. 

Daniel spoke to the chief officer about it, and though he had learnedto love Daniel very much, he was afraid to have the boys refuse theking's food. 

"I fear my lord the king, " he said, "who hath appointed your meat andyour drink, for why should he see your faces sadder than the childrenwhich are of your sort? Then shall ye make me endanger my head to theking. "

But Daniel turned to Melzar, the steward, and begged him to prove themby giving them only vegetables to eat and water to drink for ten days, and "Then, " said he "let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of theking's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants. " And he provedthem for ten days. 

At the end of that time their faces were fatter and fairer than thefaces of all the others who ate portions from the King's table, andthey were allowed to eat the food they had chosen. 

They also grew in wisdom and judgment. Daniel had the gift ofunderstanding visions and dreams, and the gift came from God, and notfrom the study of magic. Among all the young men these four were mostpleasing to the king, and they were called to the palace to standbefore him. 

Not long after this the king had a dream that seemed very wonderful tohim, but he could not remember it. He called all his magicians, andastrologers, and wise men together, and told them that they must tellhim what his dream was, and the meaning of it, or he would destroythem. There was no man wise enough to tell him, and he ordered thatall the wise men of Babylon should be killed, Daniel and his friendsamong them. 

Daniel asked the captain of the king's guard why the king was so hastywith his decree, and the captain told him. 

Then Daniel went to the king and told him that if he would give him alittle time he would tell him his dream and its meaning, and he went tohis three friends and together they prayed the God of Heaven to showthem the dream and its interpretation. 

That night Daniel saw in a vision from God the same thing that the kinghad seen and had forgotten. It was a great image standing before theking, and shining like the sun. The head was of pure gold, the breastand arms of silver, and the rest of the body of brass; while the legswere of iron, and the feet were part of iron and part of clay. As helooked a great stone cut from a mountain by unseen hands was hurled atthe image, striking its feet and breaking them. Then the image felland broke into pieces so fine that the winds blew them away, but thestone grew to be a great mountain that filled the earth. 

Then Daniel gave thanks to God for showing him the dream, and went tothe king. 

He told the king that the God of Heaven alone had revealed the dream, for no man could know it, and he told him what the dream had been. Healso told him that God had shown him the meaning; that the head of goldwas the king himself, who reigned over the greatest kingdom on earth, but after him new kingdoms would rise, and the silver, the brass, theiron and the clay stood for these; but in the days of the kingdom ofiron and clay the God of heaven would set up a kingdom which shouldnever be destroyed, but it would destroy all the kingdoms that had gonebefore it. This kingdom--the great stone cut without hands from themountain--meant the Kingdom of Christ. 

The king was so astonished at Daniel's wisdom--for it was the dream hehad forgotten brought back and interpreted--that he fell on his facebefore Daniel and reverenced the God of heaven. He made Daniel chiefruler in his realm and gave also great honors to his friends. 

Nebuchadnezzar soon forgot God, for he set up a great golden image onthe plain of Dura, and called a feast of dedication. He had all hisprinces and governors there, and his captains, and judges, and rulers. The musicians were there also, with many kinds of instruments, and aherald was there who cried in a loud voice the command of the king. Itwas a call to worship the golden image. At the first sound of thebands of music all were to fall down before the golden image, orfailing to do so, be thrown into a fiery furnace. 

Among the rulers were the three friends of Daniel, whose names had beenchanged by the king to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They did notfall before the golden image, and some jealous Chaldeans who saw themwent and told the king. Then the king, who had a fiery temper, wasangry, and sent for the three young men. He told them the bands shouldplay again, and if they failed to worship the golden image they shouldbe cast into the furnace, "and who is that God that shall deliver youout of my hands?" he asked. 

"We are not careful to answer thee in this matter, " they said, "If itbe so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burningfiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thy hand, O king. "

Then the king in a great rage called his mighty men to bind the youngmen, and after the furnace was heated seven times hotter than before, they were thrown in. So great was the heat that the men who threw themin were killed by it in the sight of the king. As he watched the greatdoor of the furnace the king rose up and said, "Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?"

"True, O king, " said his lords and captains. 

[Illustration: In the fiery furnace]

Then the king with his eyes fixed upon the glowing door of the furnacesaid, "Lo I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and theyhave no hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. "

Then he went near the door of the furnace and cried, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth and come hither!"

Then they came out before the king and all the people, who saw that thefire had no power over their bodies, for no hair of their head wasburned, and no smell of fire was upon their garments. 

Then the king was very humble, and acknowledged the God of heaven, "because there is no other God" he said "that can deliver after thissort. " And he promoted the young men to still higher places in hiskingdom. 

CHAPTER XXXII. 

THE MASTER OF THE MAGICIANS. 

The Lord saw that the heart of Nebuchadnezzar was lifted up with pridebecause he was king of a great people, and had conquered many weakernations. He was proud of his royal city, Babylon. The walls ofBabylon were sixty miles in length, and in them stood one hundredbrazen gates. There were wonderful palaces, and statues, and bridges, and gardens. The river Euphrates ran through the city, and near theking's palace was a hill covered with trees and flowering plants frommany lands, called the Hanging Gardens. 

Babylon was built on a plain, but the king had these gardens made forhis wife, who had come from a country of hills. 

The king was praised so much by the princes and rulers that he thoughtonly of his own power and riches, and became proud and cruel. So theLord sent him a dream. He saw a tree great and high, standing in themidst of a wide plain. It grew until it reached the heavens, and itsbranches spread to the ends of the earth. It was thick with greenleaves, and heavy with fruit; the birds lived in it, and the beasts layin its shadow, and all things living came to it for food. Then he sawan angel coming down from heaven crying, "Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches; shake off his leaves, andscatter his fruit; let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowlsfrom his branches; nevertheless, leave the stump of his roots in theearth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of thefield; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion bewith the beasts of the grass of the earth; let his heart be changedfrom a man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him, and let seventimes pass over him. "

This dream was given that the king might be taught that the Lord aloneis King. 

Daniel, named by the king Belteshazzar, was called to interpret thedream, and the Lord gave him power to do it. 

"The tree that thou sawest, " said Daniel, "it is thou, O king, that artgrown and become strong; for thy greatness is grown and reacheth untoheaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth. "

Then Daniel told the king that he must be driven from men to dwell withthe beasts of the field; to eat grass with the oxen, and be wet withthe dews of heaven, until he had learned that the Most High rules inthe kingdom of men, and gives to whosoever He will. But as the rootsof the tree were left in the ground, so his kingdom should be preservedfor him until he had learned that the heavens do rule. 

At the end of a year the king's heart had not been made humble, for ashe walked in his palace he said to himself:

"Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of thekingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?"

And while he yet spoke there fell a voice from heaven, saying:

"O, King Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; the kingdom is departedfrom thee. "

And within an hour the word of the Lord came true. For seven years hewas without reason, and was an outcast from his kingdom. But at theend of that time his eyes were lifted to heaven and his reasonreturned, and his kingdom was restored to him, for he had learned thatGod alone is great, and "Those that walk in pride He is able to abase. "

Belshazzar was the next king of Babylon. He made a great feast, and athousand of his lords were bidden to sit around his tables in the greathall of the palace. While he drank the wine he thought of the holyvessels of gold and silver that his father had brought out of theTemple at Jerusalem, and he sent for them, and into these golden bowlsthat had been consecrated to the worship of God he poured wine and gaveit to his princes and to his wives, while they praised the gods ofgold, and silver, and wood, and stone. 

While they were feasting, and laughing, and singing, there came a man'shand and wrote some strange words on the wall of the great hall wherethey sat. The king saw the hand as it wrote, and he was so much afraidthat he trembled and grew very weak. He called for his wise men andthey could not read the writing, but the queen remembered that in thetime of Nebuchadnezzar there was a man whom he made master of themagicians because he had power to interpret dreams and make alldoubtful things clear. 

[Illustration: The handwriting on the wall]

So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king told him that if hewould read the writing on the wall he should be clothed royally and bemade the third ruler in the kingdom. 

"Let thy gifts be to thyself, " said Daniel, "and give thy rewards toanother, yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known tohim the interpretation. "

Then Daniel reminded the king of that which fell upon his fatherNebuchadnezzar, when he had grown proud and hard-hearted toward God andmen, and, though he knew all this, he also had lifted himself upagainst the Lord of heaven, and had defiled the holy vessels of theTemple by drinking from them to gods which could neither see or hear, and because of this the message had been written on the wall. And thiswas the interpretation of the strange words, --

"God hath numbered thy kingdom and finished it. Thou art weighed inthe balances, and art found wanting. Thy kingdom is divided, and givento the Medes and the Persians. "

The king clothed Daniel in scarlet, and gave him a chain of gold, andproclaimed him third ruler in the kingdom, but the same nightBelshazzar was slain, and Darius the Medean took the kingdom. 

The new king set one hundred and twenty princes over the kingdom, andover these he set three presidents, the first of which was Daniel. Theking loved Daniel for the wise and good spirit that was in him, andthis stirred up jealousy in the hearts of the Babylonian princes, andthey watched Daniel to see if they could find something against him totell the king, but they could not, for he was faithful in all his work. 

Then they agreed to plot against him, and they went to the king andpersuaded him to make a decree that whoever should ask any petition ofany god or man for thirty days, except of the king, he should be throwninto the den of lions, and they asked the king to sign the decree, sothat it could not be changed, and he signed it. 

When Daniel heard of the decree, and knew that the king had signed it, he went into his own house, and to his chamber. There the windows werealways open toward Jerusalem, and he kneeled down as he had done everyday since he was taken from his own land, and prayed to God with hisface toward the Temple in Jerusalem. And the men who were plottingagainst him watched him. 

Then they hurried to the king, saying, "That Daniel, which is of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O, King, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petitionthree times a day. "

The king was greatly disturbed at this, and set his heart on thedeliverance of Daniel, and labored till sunset to do it. But hisprinces said it could not be done, because, according to the law of theMedes and the Persians, no decree made by the king could be changed. 

So Daniel was condemned to be cast into the den of lions, but the kingsaid, "Thy God, whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. "

[Illustration: Daniel in the den of lions]

Then a stone was laid over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed itwith his own signet, and with that of his lords, that the purpose mightnot be changed. 

That was a long night for Darius the king. He could neither eat norsleep, and he would hear no music, but very early in the morning hewent to the den of the lions and with a very sorrowful voice cried:

"O Daniel, servant of the living God! is thy God whom thou servestcontinually able to deliver thee from the lions?"

Then up from the pit came a strong, cheery voice saying:

"O king, live forever! My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut thelions' mouths, that they have not hurt me. "

Then there was joy in the king's heart and he had Daniel brought up outof the den, and no hurt was found upon him, because he had believed inGod, but the men who had accused Daniel were cast into the lions' denand destroyed. 

Darius acknowledged the God of Daniel before all his kingdom, andcommanded the people to honor Him, so that Daniel and his peoplesuffered no more from their enemies during the reign of Darius. Afterthe death of Darius, Cyrus was made king of Persia, and he also waskind to Daniel. The Lord gave him a tender heart toward the captivesof Judah who had been in his land for seventy years, so that he sentthem back into their own land and helped them to rebuild their city andtheir Temple. 

CHAPTER XXXIII. 

THE STORY OF JONAH. 

More than eight hundred years before the birth of Christ a prophetnamed Jonah lived in the land of Israel. He had given the Lord'smessages to his own people, and they had listened to them, and a partof their country had been saved by obeying the Word of the Lord as itwas brought to them by Jonah. 

But when the Lord wished to send Jonah to warn a great city in Assyriato repent of their sins, he did not wish to go. Nineveh was a very oldand a very great city. It was built soon after the flood, but wasstill at a high point of glory and wealth in the time of Jonah. 

It was a heathen city, but God is the Father of all who live, and caresfor all His children, though they may not know or care for Him. 

Perhaps Jonah was afraid, for the people were strong and warlike, andthey would not wish to hear about their wickedness. So Jonah ran awayto the sea shore and took a ship from Joppa to go to Tarshish. He hadnot gone far from shore when a storm of wind rose, and the wind tossedthe ship on the great angry waves until it was very nearly wrecked. 

The men were afraid, and each prayed to his God, and threw out thegoods they were carrying in order to make the ship lighter. 

Where was Jonah? He was below the decks asleep. When the captainfound him he cried out, "What meanest thou, O sleeper? Arise, call upon thy God, if so be thatGod will think upon us, that we perish not. "

Then they began to wonder if the storm had not been sent upon them forthe wickedness of some one in the ship, and they cast lots to see whoit could be. The lot fell upon Jonah. Then they asked Jonah his nameand country, and of his journey. He told them all about it. Then themen were more afraid, for they knew that he had tried to run away fromthe Lord, and they said, "What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us?"

"Take me up and cast me forth into the sea, " he said, "so shall the seabe calm unto you, for I know that for my sake this great tempest isupon you. "

It was not easy for the men, who were kind-hearted, to throw into thesea a man so honest and so willing to die, so they rowed very hard, andtried their best to reach the shore, but they could not. So theyprayed to Jonah's God to forgive them, and then threw Jonah into thesea. 

But the Lord meant not only to teach Jonah a lesson, but to teach, through Jonah, a lesson to His children who should live in the ages tocome. He was to make him also a sign of the coming Christ. 

When Jonah believed he was sinking down into the green depths of thesea to die, a great fish, prepared by the Lord, opened his mouth andtook him in. We cannot understand all the ways of God, but we knowthat "nothing is impossible with God, " and that he was able to keep hisservant alive even in such a strange place as this. 

For three days and three nights he was kept in his living prison, andwas able to pray to God, and to know where he was. 

"The waters compassed me about, " he said, "even to the soul; the depthclosed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I wentdown to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was aboutme forever. "

Then he praised and thanked God, for he knew that he meant to save him. And when the Lord spoke to the fish, it threw Jonah out upon the dryland. 

[Illustration: Jonah thrown on the dry land]

The second time Jonah heard the voice of the Lord telling him to go toNineveh and preach the words that should be given him to say, and thistime he obeyed. 

It was a long journey to Nineveh, and when Jonah reached it he foundthat the city was so great that it would take three days to walk aroundthe walls. 

The walls were a hundred feet high. And so broad that three chariotscould be driven on them side by side. The walls had fifteen hundredtowers, each two hundred feet high. Inside the walls lived hundreds ofthousands of people, many of them rich merchants or princes and nobleswho lived in palaces, and thought only of their own pleasure and glory. They had grown very selfish and wicked. 

When Jonah had walked a day's journey into the city, he began to cry inthe streets the message God had given him, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!"

The people began to tremble and be afraid of the strange voice thatwent up and down the long streets crying out these terrible words. They began to believe in Jonah's God, and to repent. 

They repented in the eastern way, by putting on a garment of coarsesack-cloth, and sitting in ashes. All did this, even to the king, whotook off his beautiful robes and sat down in ashes before the Lord. Healso proclaimed a fast to all the people, and urged them to "turn everyone from their evil way. "

When the Lord saw that they turned away from their sins, for He couldlook into their hearts, and read all their thoughts, He was satisfied, and said he would not destroy Nineveh. 

But Jonah, who could not read the hearts of men, was not satisfied. Hewas very angry. He wanted to have the Ninevites see that he was a trueprophet, for if no destruction came upon them he feared that they mightcall him a false prophet. So he complained to God, and said, "Now, O Lord, take, I beseech Thee, my life from me, for it is betterto die than to live!"

The Lord's gentle word to Jonah was, "Doest thou well to be angry?"

Jonah went outside the city walls, and made for himself a little houseof the branches of trees and waited to see if the city would bedestroyed. It was very hot and Jonah was deeply troubled, and theLord, who is full of love and pity for His children, caused a gourdvine with large leaves to spring up and grow over the dried branches ofthe little house that sheltered Jonah, and he was very glad andgrateful. But the Lord, who always looks upon the heart, saw that theheart of Jonah was not yet wholly right, and the next morning heallowed a worm to eat the gourd until it withered. Then the sun beatdown upon Jonah's head until he fainted and wished to die, saying, ashe had said before, "It is better for me to die than live!"

But the Lord was patient with him, and said, "Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd?"

And Jonah replied ungraciously, "I do well to be angry, even unto death. "

Then the Lord in his love and pity answered, "Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not labored, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night and perished in anight; and should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein aremore than six-score thousand persons that cannot discern between theirright hand and then left hand, and also much cattle?"

Jonah did not know all that was in the mind of the Lord, though he wasa prophet. He did not know that he was one of the signs of the Lord'sfirst coming, for Jesus spoke of Jonah as a "sign, " that as he wasthree days and three nights within the great fish "so shall the Son ofman be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. "

CHAPTER XXXIV. 

ESTHER, THE QUEEN. 

About five hundred years before Christ King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) reignedover Persia. In the third year of his reign he gave a royal feast toall the princes and nobles of Persia and Medea, in Shushan, the royalcity. It lasted one hundred and eighty days, and was very costly, forthe king wished to show the great men from all his provinces the richesand glory of his kingdom and of his palace. 

At the end of these days he made another feast to all who were inShushan, a feast of seven days, and which included great and small. The palace garden was hung with awnings of white and green and violet, fastened with cords and silver rings to pillars of marble. 

Wine was given to the guests in golden cups as they sat on couches ofgold and silver, and the pavement of the court was of many coloredmarbles. 

In another part of the palace Vashti, the queen, also made a feast forthe women. 

On the seventh day the king sent his seven chamberlains to bring QueenVashti before him, wearing her royal crown. He wished to show to hispeople and princes the beauty of the queen, for she was very fair tolook upon. 

But the queen refused to obey the king's command, and he was angry. Heasked the seven princes who stood next to him in the kingdom what heshould do, and what the laws of the Medes and Persians (which could notbe broken) would say in such a case. 

The princes did not speak of any law, but one of them told the kingthat the conduct of Vashti would do them great harm through all thekingdom, for women hearing of the act of the queen, would despise anddisobey their husbands. They advised, therefore, that a commandmentshould go forth from the king and be written among the laws of theMedes and Persians, that Vashti should no more come before the king, and that her royal estate should be given to another better than she. 

This pleased the king, and he did as Memucan, the prince, had advised, and he sent letters into all parts of his empire to people of variouslanguages, that every man should rule in his own house. 

Then the king's servants, the nobles, advised the king to send officersto every part of his kingdom to find some one worthy to take the placeof Queen Vashti, and the plan pleased the king, and he did so. 

There was in Shushan a Jew named Mordecai, who had been brought awayfrom Jerusalem with the captives when Nebuchadnezzar conquered thecity. He had an adopted daughter named Hadassah. This was her truename, although the Persians called her Esther. She was the daughter ofMordecai's uncle, and when her father and mother died, Mordecai tookher for his own. She was very beautiful, and as good as she wasbeautiful, for Mordecai had taught her to be faithful to the true God, though living among a strange people. 

When Mordecai heard that the king was seeking for a maiden worthy to bea queen through all his provinces, he brought Esther and placed her incare of Hegai, who had the care of that part of the king's house wherethe women lived. Hegai was very kind to her, and gave her seven maidsto serve her, and the best place in the house for her own. 

Mordecai had told Esther not to speak of her Jewish family, but everyday he walked before the court of the women's house to ask how she didand what had become of her. 

Out of all the maidens brought from the city and the kingdom Esther waschosen by the king to be queen in the place of Vashti, and he placedthe royal crown upon her head, and proclaimed a great feast that hecalled Esther's feast, when he gave gifts and made a holiday for allthe people to rest and be happy in all his provinces. 

Mordecai sat daily at the king's gate, and once while there he heard ofa plot to kill the king by two of his chamberlains, and he sent wordsecretly to Esther, and she told the king in Mordecai's name, so thatthese two men were hanged, and the account of it was written in theking's book of records. 

About this time the king gave great honors to a man named Haman. Heset him above all his princes, and when the king's servants who were athis gate knew it they all bowed down and gave great honor to Haman, whenever he passed, for the king had so commanded them; but Mordecaiwould not bow to Haman. When Haman saw this he was full of angertoward Mordecai the Jew, and he made a wicked plan to destroy not onlyMordecai, but all his people. 

So he came with wily ways and cunning speech to the king, saying, "There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among thepeople in all the provinces of thy kingdom, and their laws are diversefrom all people, neither keep they the king's laws, therefore it is notfor the king's profit to suffer them. If it please the king let it bewritten that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents ofsilver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, tobring it into the king's treasuries. "

Then the king gave his ring to Haman as a sign that he would pledge hisword to do what he asked, and said, "The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as itseemeth good to thee. "

Then Haman had letters written and sealed with the king's seal ring, saying to the rulers of every province in the kingdom that all Jews, both young and old, throughout the kingdom, must be destroyed in oneday, and their goods, and money, and lands be taken for a prey, and thethirteenth day of the twelfth month was set in which to destroy them. 

After the messengers were sent out the king and Haman sat down to drinkwine, but the city was troubled. 

Then Mordecai rent his clothes in sign of mourning, and went out intothe streets of the city clothed in sack-cloth uttering a loud andbitter cry. He cried even before the king's gate. 

All through the kingdom there was great mourning among the Jews, andthey fasted and wept in sack-cloth and ashes. 

When Esther heard that Mordecai was clothed in sack-cloth she wasdeeply grieved, and sent some garments to clothe him, but he would notreceive them. Then she sent for the king's chamberlain Hatach, andgave him a command to Mordecai to tell what caused his grief. 

Hatach found him at the king's gate, and Mordecai told him all that hadhappened to him, and of the great sum of money that Haman had promisedto pay into the king's treasuries for the Jews to destroy them. Healso gave him a copy of the decree to show Esther, and told Hatach tocharge her that she go before the king and make request for her people. 

Hatach took these words to Esther, and Esther sent a reply by Hatach, saying that it was known in all the king's palace that no man or womancould come into the king's presence in the inner court who had not beencalled, and for any who so entered there was but one law, and that wasthat they be put to death, unless the king hold out to them the goldensceptre. She had not been called to see the king, she said, in thirtydays. 

Hatach gave this message to Mordecai, and he again sent word to Estherthat she could not hope to escape the decree, as she too was of theJews. He told her that deliverance must come to the Jews in some otherway, but she and her family would be destroyed, and then he added, "Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time asthis?"

Then Esther made her resolve, and sent word to Mordecai to gather allthe Jews in Shushan together to fast night and day, while she and hermaidens fasted also. 

"And so I will go in unto the king, " she said, "which is not accordingto the law, and if I perish, I perish. "

And Mordecai went his way and did as Esther had commanded. 

It was the third day when Esther arose from her fast before the Lordand put on her beautiful royal robes and stood in the inner court ofthe king's house in sight of the royal throne. 

When the king saw Esther standing in the inner court he was notdispleased, but his heart was turned toward her, and he held out to herthe golden sceptre that was in his hand. 

"What wilt thou, Queen Esther?" he said, "and what is thy request? itshall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom. "

"If it seem good unto the king, " said Esther, "let the king and Hamancome this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him. "

So the king commanded Haman, and they came to the queen's banquet. Theking knew that Esther had a favor to ask of him, so he said again:

"What is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee; and what is thyrequest? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed. "

But Esther was wise. She begged as her petition and request that theking and Haman would come to the banquet she should prepare the nextday also, and she would then do as the king had said. 

Haman went home very happy and proud that he had been so honored by thequeen, and told his wife and his friends of all the glory and honorthat had come to him. 

"Yet all this availeth me nothing, " he said, "so long as I see Mordecaithe Jew sitting at the king's gate. "

Then his wife and his friends urged him to build a high gallows and askthe king on the next day to hang Mordecai upon it. "Then go thoumerrily with the king unto the banquet, " they added. 

This pleased Haman, and he ordered the gallows to be made. 

That night the king was restless, and he could not sleep, and hecommanded that the book of records be brought and read aloud to him. Then he found that it was written that Mordecai had saved the king'slife when it was threatened by his two chamberlains. 

"What honor and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this?" he asked, and his servants replied:

"There is nothing done for him. "

"Who is in the court?" cried the king. Now Haman had come in to speakto the king to have Mordecai hanged. 

"Haman standeth in the court, " said the king's servants, and the kingsaid, "Let him come in. "

As Haman came in the king said, "What shall be done to the man that the king delighteth to honor?"

Haman thought in his heart, "To whom would the king delight to do honormore than to myself, " and then he replied, thinking all the time ofhimself. 

"For the man whom the king delighteth to honor let the royal apparel bebrought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the kingrideth upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head, and letthis apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king'smost noble princes, that they may array the men withal whom the kingdelighteth to honor, and bring him on horseback through the street ofthe city, and proclaim before him, 'Thus shall it be done to the manwhom the king delighteth to honor. '"

Then the king said, "Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse asthou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai, the Jew, that sitteth atthe king's gate; let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken. "

Haman did as he was commanded, for he could do nothing else, and afterit was all over Mordecai took his place again at the king's gate, butHaman hastened home mourning, and with his head covered. 

The next day he came to the queen's banquet with the king, and againthe king said, "What is thy petition, Queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee; andwhat is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of mykingdom. "

Then the queen made her request, saying, "If I have found favor in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request;for we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and toperish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen I had heldmy tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king's damage. "

"Who is he, and where is he, " cried the king, "That durst presume inhis heart to do so?"

Then Esther said, "The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. "

[Illustration: Haman denounced by the queen]

Haman was overcome with fear at this, and the king was so angry that herose up and went out into the palace garden. Haman stood up to make aplea for his life, and when the king came in he found Haman fallen atthe queen's feet. 

One of the king's chamberlains who knew what the king wished told himof the gallows at Haman's house that had been made for Mordecai, andthe king said, "Hang him thereon, " and they did so, and the king'sanger was pacified. 

That day the king gave Haman's house to the queen. Mordecai camebefore the king that day also, for Esther had told him how he wasrelated to her, and the King gave to Mordecai the ring that he had oncegiven to Haman. Esther's petition was not yet finished, so she felldown at the king's feet and asked for the life of her people, and thatthe decree might be changed. 

Then the king held out his golden sceptre to Esther, and she arose. She spoke noble words of petition for her people, and the king toldMordecai to write in the king's name and seal with the king's sealletters that should make the decree void. 

So the scribes were called in and the letters were written and sealedwith the king's ring, and sent out to every province in the kingdom. 

Mordecai went out of the palace that day clothed in royal garments ofviolet and white, fine linen and purple, and a great crown of gold uponhis head, and there was joy in Shushan, and there was joy among theJews all over the land. They hanged the ten sons of Haman, anddestroyed their enemies by the king's permission, so that they had restfrom persecution. They also set apart two days for a feast ofthanksgiving through all time, and the feast of Purim is kept by allJews to this day, as it was first confirmed by the decree of Esther. 

And Mordecai was next to the king and honored by his brethren the Jewsas long as he lived, for he always sought their peace, and was as afather to them. 

CHILD'S STORY OF THE BIBLE. 

THE NEW TESTAMENT. 

CHAPTER I. 

THE ANGELS OF THE ADVENT. 

There was an old priest named Zacharias, who lived in the hill countryof Hebron, where Abraham the father of the Jewish people used to live. He went to Jerusalem when it was his turn to serve in the temple, andonce while he was offering the incense of sweet spices on the goldenaltar, he saw through the rising smoke an angel standing on the rightside of the altar. The good priest was frightened, but the angel said, "Fear not, Zacharias, for thy prayer is heard, " and he promised that tohim and his wife Elizabeth should be born a little son, whose nameshould be John. He was coming to prepare the way for the Messiah, andmust not drink wine or strong drink, for he was to be filled with theHoly Spirit. 

It was too wonderful for Zacharias to believe, and when he went out ofthe temple he was dumb, and all the people who waited for him knew thathe had seen a vision. He did not speak while he stayed to minister inthe temple, and when his time of service was ended he went to his homein Hebron. 

A few months later the angel Gabriel went to the little town ofNazareth, high up among the hills of Galilee, and spoke to a young girlnamed Mary. She had never seen an angel, and she also was afraid whenhe said to her, "Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee; blessed artthou among women. Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God. "And then he told her that she should become the mother of a Holy Child, who should also be the Son of the Highest, and a King whose kingdomshould have no end, and His name should be Jesus. He also told her ofher cousin Elizabeth away in Hebron, to whom a little son was promised. 

Then Mary said these beautiful words to the angel:

"Behold the hand-maid of the Lord; be it unto me according to Thyword, " and the angel went away into heaven. 

Mary was so full of wonder at the angel's words that she set out on ajourney to see Elizabeth. It was eighty miles to Hebron, but it wasearly summer, and as Mary went through the green valleys and fruitfulplains, and along by the flowing Jordan, she thought about the angel'swords, and prayed to God to make her good and wise. She was notafraid, though the journey was four days long, for she knew God waswith her. 

On the fourth day she passed Jerusalem, the Holy City, and went on andup into the Hebron Hills to the house of Elizabeth. When they told toeach other the wonderful words of the angel Gabriel they were full ofjoy, for they knew that the coming of the Christ was near, and that theLord had trusted them with the heavenly secret. They were filled withthe Holy Spirit, and Mary broke out into a beautiful song of praise. 

Mary stayed three months with her cousin Elizabeth, and learned manythings, for the old priest and his wife were wise and good. When shewent back to Nazareth she told no one of her vision, not even hermother or Joseph, the good carpenter, whose promised wife she was. Butthe angel came one night to Joseph and spoke to him through a dream ofthe Holy Child that was to be born. 

Now Joseph and Mary were of the family of King David, and they knewthat the prophets had long ago talked of a King who was to come andrestore the kingdom, and reign on the throne of David. They even toldwhere he was to be born, in Bethlehem, the "City of David. " And thoughthe Jews had become the servants of the Romans, yet it was time, according to the promise, that the new King should come and set themfree, and many were looking for His coming. 

Perhaps Joseph and Mary thought of these things when the time came forthem to go to Bethlehem, for the Emperor of Rome had made a decree thatall Jews should be enrolled, that he might know how many were in hisempire. So all Jews, who had gone to live in other parts, returned totheir own tribe and city to be enrolled among their own people. 

When Joseph and Mary came to Bethlehem they found it full of people whohad also come home to write their names for the Emperor, and there wasno room for them in the inn. It was winter, and while Joseph wonderedwhat he should do the keeper of the inn showed them the stable wherethe gentle oxen and asses were kept, and where it was much quieter thanin the noisy yard and crowded rooms of the inn. 

It was here in a humble stable that the Lord of Heaven was born uponearth, and cradled in a manger. He chose the stable instead of apalace, and a bed of straw instead of a bed of down, for He had come tobe the Brother of the poor and the Saviour of the world. 

Out in the fields near by were some shepherds watching their flocks. It has been said that the flocks kept in the Bethlehem fields were forthe sacrifices in the temple, and were watched night and day the yearlong, while other flocks were kept in their folds in winter. 

While they sat on the rocks, wrapped in their cloaks and sheepskinjackets, with a fire of brushwood to keep the beasts away, perhaps theythought of young David, who once kept his sheep there, and killed alion and a bear to defend his flock; or they watched the stars andwondered at their beauty. 

But suddenly an angel stood by them, and a great light shone roundabout them, and they were terrified. But the angel spoke kindly tothem saying:--

"Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, whichshall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city ofDavid, a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. " And the angel told themhow they would know it to be the Holy Child--because it lay in amanger. Then, in a moment the air was full of angel faces, andheavenly voices sang this song of praise to God and promise to allpeople:--

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towardmen!" And they went away into heaven. 

The shepherds looked at one another and then one said; "Let us go toBethlehem. " And they went in great haste. There they found Mary andJoseph with the Holy Child lying in a manger, just as the angel hadsaid. They told the people of Bethlehem about the angels they had seenand the words they had heard, and they were very much astonished. ButMary was silent, and kept all these things in her heart to think aboutand to pray about. 

[Illustration: The Holy Child in the manger]

As for the shepherds they went back to their flocks praising God. 

When the Holy Child was eight days old his parents called His nameJesus, as the angel had commanded, and they dedicated him to the Lord. Later they took him up to the Temple at Jerusalem to make the offeringthat all Jewish mothers made, some money, if it was the firstboy-child, and a lamb, or a pair of doves. Joseph bought for Mary apair of doves, and they went up the white steps of the beautiful porchof the Temple, and passed the long rows of marble pillars into thecourt of the Gentiles where they could look up and see the Templeitself with its white marble pillars and golden roof shining in the sun. 

Mary gave her doves to the Priest at the gate of the Court of theWomen, and he took them away to be offered on the altar, while Josephtook the Holy Child into the Men's Court for the Priest to bless as hededicated Him to the Lord. When all was done and they were going away, an old man named Simeon saw them, and begged to hold the child. He wasa good man who had longed to see the Christ who was to come, and nowthe Spirit of God told him that this was He. He thanked God, and said:

"Lord, now lettest Thou thy servant depart in peace, according to Thyword, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation. "

He also spoke as a prophet of the days to come, and just then a veryold woman who lived in the Temple, Anna, the prophetess, came and gavethanks to God, and told the people that the Redeemer had come toIsrael. All these things Mary kept in her heart, as she had kept thewords of the angel, and wondered why she had been chosen to be themother of the Holy Child. 

Seven months before this time a little son had been born to Zachariasand Elizabeth. The neighbors wished to name him for his father, butElizabeth said, "Not so; but he shall be called John. " When they askedhis father what it should be, he wrote an answer (for he had been dumbever since he talked with the angel in the Temple) and they read, "Hisname shall be called John. " Then his mouth was opened, and he began tospeak and to praise God, and his friends wondered what the child wouldbe when he grew to manhood. His father became a prophet for a time, and said some strange things about him that were written down. He saidthat John should be called a prophet of the Highest, and go before theLord to prepare His ways. 

John grew, and he also grew strong in spirit, and while he was yetyoung he went to live in the deserts where he was taught of God to be aprophet and a preacher. 

CHAPTER II. 

FOLLOWING THE STAR. 

While Joseph and Mary and the Holy Child were still staying inBethlehem, some Wise Men came from an Eastern country to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His Starin the East, and are come to worship Him. "

No one knows who these men were, but it may be that they were Jews wholived in Persia, as David had done long before, and were learned in allthe wisdom of the Chaldeans, who studied the stars, and believed thatthey had much to do with the lives of people on the earth. These wisemen were called Magi. They had heard that a great One would be bornabout this time, and that He would be the King of the Jews. 

When they saw a strange and beautiful Star near the earth away towardJerusalem they prepared to go and see if it would lead them to theKing. Their servants loaded the camels with food and water and somecostly gifts, for they were rich men, and mounted on beautiful saddlescovered with blue and crimson cloth they rode away toward Jerusalem. They had deserts of yellow sand to cross, and they were tired at theend of the hot day, but at night they saw the beautiful Star shiningbefore them low in the sky, and watched it from their tents on the sandwhere they rested for the night, and rose to follow it before it fadedin the morning. They were glad when they came to the fresh greenmountain country of the Jews, and rode through the flowery valleys tillthey came to the gates of Jerusalem. Perhaps they expected to hear allabout the new King, and to find the people feasting and rejoicing, butthey did not. 

[Illustration: Following the star]

When they asked, "Where is He that is born King of the Jews?" thepeople were surprised, and only wondered who these men were who lookedliked princes from a foreign court, for they had armed servants, andfrom their camels hung tinkling silver bells, and swinging tassels ofsilk and gold. 

They searched Jerusalem for the king, and Herod heard of it and wastroubled. He wished always to be king himself. He set the scribes tosearching for the prophecies of the Messiah's birth. They knew verywell where to find them, and they read to the king these words from theprophet Micah:--

"But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, which art little among the families ofJudah, out of thee shall One come forth unto me that is to be the rulerof Israel; whose goings forth are from of old, from ancient days. "

Then the king sent for the wise men, for he had a secret plan. Theycame in their best robes, hoping perhaps, to find the newly born Kingin the beautiful palace of Herod on Mount Zion, but they found only thegloomy old King Herod waiting for them. He asked them when they firstsaw the Star, and when they had told him, he sent them to Bethlehem andsaid, "Go and search diligently for the young child, and when ye have foundhim, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. "

They were very glad to hear about Bethlehem, and as they came down themarble steps of Herod's palace it was evening, and there, low downbefore them in the sky was the Star! They went out through theBethlehem gate toward the south, and followed the Star again over thehills until the white walls of Bethlehem shown in the moonlight beforethem, and they saw the Star standing still and shining down upon alittle house within the walls. Then they rejoiced with exceeding greatjoy, for they had come to the end of their long journey, and they hadfound the King! When they came to the house where Mary and Joseph werestaying they told their servants to unpack the presents of gold, andfrankincense, and myrrh, and they went in. Then they found the lovelyyoung mother and the Holy Child, and they fell down before Him andoffered their gifts. 

They did not go away at once. They slept in Bethlehem that night, andthe Lord showed them in a dream that they must not go back to tell KingHerod that they had found the Christ. They told Joseph of their dream, and went away by another road that led past Hebron to their own country. 

CHAPTER III. 

THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT. 

It seems very strange that in a few hours after the wise men had goneover the hills to their own country, that Mary and Joseph and the HolyChild should be swiftly following the same road. The night after thewise men had been warned in a dream to go to their own country, Josephwas warned also in a dream to take the young Child and His mother andgo into Egypt. He was told to stay until he had orders to return, forHerod would seek to take the Child's life. Their flight was in thenight, and Mary's heart beat fast as she held her baby close and rodedown the steep path from Bethlehem with Joseph walking beside her. They did not rest until they were far on their way. It was nearly aweek before they reached the river that was the border of Egypt, butwhen they crossed it King Herod's soldiers could not harm them. 

[Illustration: The flight into Egypt]

They had gold that the wise men had given them, and Joseph knew how tomake many things of wood, so they lived quietly in Egypt waiting untilthe Lord should call them back. 

Herod was very angry when he heard that the Magi had gone away withouttelling him anything about the young King; so angry that he ordered hissoldiers to destroy every baby boy in Bethlehem. So all the littleboys of Bethlehem under two years of age were killed by the order ofthis wicked king, and the Holy Child whom Herod believed would bedestroyed with them was safely borne in His mother's arms along theroad to Egypt, while Joseph walked beside them and led the patient ass, and angels went with them unseen to be their guard by night and by day. 

They lived in Egypt about a year, and then the sick and unhappy oldking died, and an angel came to Joseph one night in a dream, and said, "Arise and take the young Child and His mother and go into the land ofIsrael, for they are dead which sought the young Child's life. "

They were glad to know that they could come home again, and they came, perhaps with a company of merchants, into their own land. Joseph wouldhave settled in Judea, the part of the land of Israel in which standsJerusalem, and Bethlehem, the city of his ancestors, but Herod's sonhad been made king over Judea, and Joseph was told in a dream to gointo Galilee. 

In Galilee was Nazareth, where both Joseph and Mary lived when theywere married, and there they went and were at home again, and thereJesus grew to manhood. 

CHAPTER IV. 

THE BOY OF NAZARETH. 

Nazareth was a little town high among the hills of Galilee. It stillstands there, but it is not so large a town as it was when Mary andJoseph and the Child Jesus lived there. Then Galilee was full ofcities and villages, and men and women were busy among its fields, andvineyards, and gardens, and the shores of the beautiful Lake of Galileewere lined with the boats of fishermen. 

Nazareth was more quiet than the crowded cities by the Lake. A greatgreen plain lay below it, and a narrow road winding among the limestonerocks led up to it. Its streets were narrow and steep, and steps ofstone led from house to house. A fountain of pure water breaking outof a rock was the meeting place of the women of Nazareth, who came withtheir tall pitchers for water and bore them away upon their heads. Here Mary often came tenderly leading the Holy Child. Perhaps Hegathered the bright wild flowers that grew thick around the fountainand along the stream flowing from it. When he grew a little older Hecould climb the rocks around His home, or go with His mother and Josephto the top of the hill from which they could see the snowy peak ofHermon, or the long line of shining blue sea beyond the hills on thewest, or they would point out a slowly moving caravan of heavy-ladencamels from Tyre and Sidon by the sea on their way to Damascus. 

Sometimes He would go with Joseph to the woods when a certain piece ofwood was needed, for Joseph was a carpenter, and in a lower room of hishumble house of rough white stone there was a long bench and the toolsof a wood-worker. Here, perhaps, the Holy Child played with the curledshavings that fell from the bench, and watched the making of the plows, the yokes, the doors, and the lattices until He was old enough to helpin the making of them. 

He learned to read and write while a young child at home, as Jewishchildren did, and His reading book was the Old Testament, which was theJews' Bible. Then He went to school at the Synagogue, which was theJews' Church, and there, we may be sure, He was a gentle, obedientpupil, and a loving, unselfish playmate. While he read He may have hadmany strange thoughts about the prophecies in the Book that werepromises of the Messiah, the King that was to reign in righteousness. 

When He was twelve years old His parents took Him with them to theFeast of the Passover at Jerusalem. Great companies of people wentfrom all parts of the Jews' country, and from every country in whichthey had settled, to keep the feast that the Lord had commanded whenthey were led out of Egypt. The very journey to Jerusalem was afestival, for their friends joined the company from almost every housein Nazareth, and on horses, and camels, and asses, the men walkingbeside them, a happy group set forth from home to keep the Passoverweek in the city of the great King. It was the first visit of the boyJesus to Jerusalem, and as He walked strong and beautiful besideJoseph, what tender and holy thoughts, what questions about the futuremust have filled the mind of Mary. He was going to see His Father'sHouse, the beautiful Temple where the thousands of Israel gatheredevery year for worship and of which He had read in the Book of the Law, for He was now old enough to be called a "Son of the Law, " and versesfrom the Bible folded in little boxes, had been tied upon his arm andhis forehead by the village Rabbi, as a sign that He was old enough tothink for Himself and go to the religious Feasts at Jerusalem. 

When they reached the great public roads they found other companies ofpilgrims going up to the Holy City, and by their banners they knew thetribe and city from which they came. There was music, also, of timbreland pipe and drum as the songs of Zion were sung along the way, or atevening when they camped in the fields. 

When they had climbed the steep Jericho road and the Mount of Olives, aglorious sight opened before them. There lay the City of David shiningin the sun, its thick walls set with towers; its marble palaces, andcastles, and gardens, and, most wonderful of all, the Temple with itshundreds of white marble pillars, its beautiful porches and arches, and, rising within its richly-paved courts, the Holy Place with the sunlike fire upon its roof of gold. The people shouted and sang a song ofjoy. Perhaps they sang that song of David beginning:

 "I was glad when they said unto me 'Let us go into the house of the Lord, ' Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem!"

Like thousands of others they pitched their tents outside of the walls, perhaps on the slopes of Olivet, and after eating the Passover suppertogether went daily into the Temple. To the Boy of Nazareth this musthave been the one charmed spot in all Jerusalem. Other boys loved towatch the strange people from far countries, and wander among thebazars, but Jesus stayed in the Temple. He saw the white-robedpriests, the altars, and the sacrifices; He saw the great curtains ofpurple and gold that hid the Holy place, and He heard the Temple choirsanswer each other in song; He also saw the old Rabbis who taught andanswered questions daily in the outer courts, and stood long among thelisteners. 

When the company from Nazareth began the Journey home, and had gone asfar as the plains of Jericho, Mary looked for her boy. She had notbeen troubled about him, for she thought He was walking with the otherchildren, or with relatives, but when Joseph found that he was not withthem they went back over the long, steep road full of fear and anxiety. They searched Jerusalem through, asking everybody they knew if they hadseen the Boy Jesus. 

When they had been searching for three days, and Mary's heart wasalmost broken, they went again to the Temple, and looking through acrowd gathered around the Rabbis, Mary saw her Boy. She pressedthrough to speak to Him, but He was speaking. She listened, and herheart must have stood still to hear His simple, yet wonderful words. Sometimes he asked questions which the old teachers could not answer, and when he replied to the questions of the learned teachers His wisdomastonished all who heard Him, for it was not like the wisdom of theRabbis, who used many words to explain the Word of God. 

[Illustration: The Boy Jesus in the temple]

When Jesus saw His mother and came to her, she said, "Son, why hast Thou so dealt with us? Behold thy father and I havesought Thee sorrowing. "

"How is it that ye sought me?" He said, "wist ye not that I must beabout my Father's business?"

They did not quite understand how He could so easily forget them, andyet Mary, perhaps, remembered that the angel had told her that Heshould "be called the Son of God, " and that He was at home in HisFather's house. 

But He was content to go home and be subject to His parents, so thatthrough all the world children may learn how He lived, and try to livelike Him. 

He found that His Father's house was greater than the Temple, and underits starry roof, and wandering over its wide courts paved with grassand flowers, He learned more than the Rabbis could teach Him. Andevery day He grew in wisdom as He grew in stature, and "in favor withGod and man. "

CHAPTER V. 

THE YOUNG CARPENTER. 

There are many years of the life of Jesus of which the Gospel storytells us nothing. He lived with Mary and Joseph in Nazareth, and waspreparing for the great work for which He came. He learned easily allthat other boys were taught in the synagogue school, and no doubtcaused His teacher to wonder at such wisdom coming from a boy. He wasso humble and teachable that no one could accuse Him of setting Himselfabove His companions, and so winning and unselfish that He was loved byall. The school days ended, perhaps, when He was fourteen, and He wasasked, as every Jewish boy was asked, to choose what trade He wouldlearn, for every boy had to learn a trade. He chose to learn the tradeof His father, and began to work with him making the many things thatwere then used by the people. Few houses, if any, were made of wood, for the white limestone was then, as now, used in making the houses ofNazareth, but they were finished with wood, and wood was used not onlyfor boats, tables, benches, yokes and carts, but also for plows, saddles, and many things we now make of other material. Can you make apicture in your mind of this tall, beautiful youth standing near Hisfather ready to serve in any humble way in the work they were doing?

There was no service so small that He did not willingly do it, and nolabor so rough and common that He did not make it noble and beautifulby the doing. But He was always thinking--thinking. The world aroundHim was full of pictures and stories through which heavenly truthsshone, and they formed themselves in His mind, and when He began toteach He used them to help others with. We call them parables. Wherever He saw the flowers, the grape vines, the olive and the figtrees, the wheat fields, the shepherds and their flocks, the fishermenand their nets, He read high and holy lessons that were much moresimple, and true, and beautiful than those taught by the Rabbis. 

The more He thought about the teaching of the Rabbis, the more He sawhow false and hard it was. The Law given by Moses was full of the goodthoughts of God, but the Jewish teachers had only taught the outwardform, and had not given the people the inward spirit. It was likebringing to the hungry a beautiful dish with no food in it, or to thethirsty a costly cup with no water in it. 

As He grew older He would sit sometimes long into the night on somehillside watching the stars, and with his great heart going out beyondthe hills to the people of the world in longing love and in desire fortheir salvation. He wanted to show them how God loved the world. Hewanted to take the empty forms of the Law and fill them full of theSpirit--the real thought and love of God. He wanted to take away theburdens on the minds of the people, which were heavier than those thatPharoah laid upon their bodies long before, and give them the rest andpeace of God. He wanted to take away their endless rules and give themone rule--to do by others as they would have others do to them. And Hewanted to add a new Commandment to the Law--that they love one another. 

In this way, by living with His mind in heaven and His body on earth Hecame to know that He was the Christ of God, and that He must go outfrom Nazareth to be a Teacher of Truth, and begin to build The Kingdomof Heaven among men. But His friends thought that He was fitted to bea Rabbi and teach in the Temple with the Doctors of the Law. He waitedmany years, caring for His mother and His younger brothers and sistersafter the death of Joseph, and then He left Nazareth. 

CHAPTER VI. 

THE VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS. 

Jesus was thirty years of age when He left Nazareth to begin His workas a Teacher of the Truth. It was the age set by the older teachersfor a young man to begin his work. 

His cousin John, the son of Elizabeth and Zachariah, was six monthsolder than Jesus, and he had begun his ministry on the lower Jordan. While Jesus had been living quietly at Nazareth preparing for his work, John had been away in the wilderness beyond the Dead Sea alone with theSpirit of God. He was a prophet who could be taught by God only. Whenhis time to speak came he came out of the wilderness to a place on thebanks of the Jordan, just above Jericho, called The Fords. Many peoplecrossed at this place, and he stood on a bank above the river crying, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. "

[Illustration: John the Baptist at the Jordan]

Like those who had made a vow to the Lord, John had never cut his hair, he wore a coarse garment woven of camel's hair, and lived on the simplefood of the wilderness--locusts and wild honey. He seemed never tothink of himself, but always of One who was coming. He said that hewas only a "Voice, " preparing the way for the Messiah, as Isaiah hadprophesied centuries before, and the "Messenger" that had been promisedthrough Malachi. 

"Behold I will send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way beforeme. "

He did something which seemed new and strange to the people. He calledthem to a change of mind--a turning away from sin, and, as a sign thatthey had done so, he baptized them in the river Jordan. He was gettingthe people ready for the coming of Christ, who was to begin the Kingdomof Heaven on earth. 

Thousands were flocking down to the river to hear the new prophet. They went from all parts of Palestine, and Jesus, knowing that his hourhad come, went also. He wore a white tunic gathered at the neck andreaching to his feet, and on it the large blue mantle of thick stuffthat was worn in cold weather, for it was in the winter of the year 31. 

We cannot know all about His parting with His mother, and the threedays' journey to the Fords of Jordan, but we know that He came andstood with others on the banks while John preached. 

On this day John's words were different He had said that the Christwas coming, but to-day he said, "There standeth One among you whom ye know not, whose shoe's latchet Iam not worthy to unloose. "

After this Jesus came down to the water's edge to be baptized, andJohn, though he had not seen Jesus since he was a young boy, knew Him. Ready to fall at His feet, John cried, "I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest thou to me?"

Jesus replied in a low voice, "Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill allrighteousness, " and so reverently John baptized his Master. 

As Jesus stepped from the water's edge to the river bank a strange andbeautiful thing happened. Out of the warm, blue sky a white dove camecircling down around the head of Jesus, who stood silent in prayer. With eyes lifted to heaven He saw the dove, which was the form in whichthe Spirit of God descended upon Him, and John saw it also, and bothheard a voice from heaven saying, "_Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. _"

This was the answer to Jesus' prayer. Only Jesus and John understoodthe meaning of these words, for they heard with the spirit. To othersit seemed like thunder out of a clear sky, and they were full of wonderabout the strange young man who had been baptized with such a beautifuland singular sign following. They also remembered what John had said, that the Christ was now standing among them, and perhaps this was he!And they wondered what John meant when he said that though he baptizedwith water, the coming Christ would baptize them with the Holy Spiritand with fire. 

It was of little use to wonder about the Messiah, however, unless theycould remember and do all that John had said to them about being honestand true in their hearts, for that was the only way to prepare for thekingdom that was near at hand. He told the rich to share with thepoor; the people who handled money to be honest, and the soldiers toharm no one with word or hand, and to be contented with their wages. 

When they were willing to give up the sins that John showed them theytook the sign of baptism from John, which meant that they wished to bewashed from their sins, and begin life in a new way. 

CHAPTER VII. 

JESUS IN THE DESERT. 

The people were looking for the promised Messiah, and would havewelcomed John as the Christ if John had not always said "One mightierthan I cometh. " "I am not the Christ. " The sign of the Dove filledthem with new thoughts. 

While they were thinking Jesus went up the river bank alone. The powerof the spirit was upon Him, and His great work before Him, and Hewished to go for a time as far as possible from every human being. Hewent into the wilderness--a wild desert country beyond the DeadSea--not even wishing to talk with John, whose home was in thewilderness. Perhaps John looked after Him and longed to see and talkwith Him, but Jesus had one great desire, to know Himself, and what Hiswork was to be. He felt two natures within Him, the human and thedivine, and before He began to teach He wanted to hear the voice of theDivine within Him as clear and strong as He had heard it that day fromthe skies. 

The desert to which He went was not a waste of flat sand, like theAfrican desert, but masses of rock with sand and dry grasses between, great cliffs of chalk and limestone rise a thousand feet above thegloomy gulfs of rock through which torrents run in the rainy season, but which are dry and oven-like in summer. One great cliff calledQuarantana is now full of caves cut out of the face of the rock by menwho have hoped to win heaven by suffering as Jesus did. 

Jesus was thinking--thinking, His human nature being full of hopes, fears, and prayers; His divine nature being full of strength, promise, comfort. He did not think of food when He came, and there was none tobe found. So resting at night in a cave, and wandering farther amongthe mountains by day, Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness ofJudea. While there He was tried by the spirit of evil in every wayknown to human nature, and when all was over, and He had not yielded tosin, His mind was calm and ready for His work, for He knew He was theSon of God. 

When He was hungry the tempter said, "If thou be the Son of God commandthis stone that it be made bread. "

It would have been easy for Him to try His power, but He knew that Hedid not come into the world to use it for Himself, but for others, andso He answered in the words of the Bible, "Thou shalt not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. "

Then in a vision He seemed to be in the Holy City upon a tower of theTemple that stood over a deep valley, and the tempter speaking withinHim, said, "If Thou be the Son of God cast Thyself down, for it is written, 'Heshall give His angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands theyshall bear thee up, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. '"

But Jesus knew that though the words were the words of God, the voicewas the voice of the tempter, and He answered, "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. "

Then in a vision again He seemed to see, from the top of a very highmountain, all the kingdoms of the world spread out before Him withtheir kings, and armies, and cities; their beautiful homes and lovelywomen, and great men with their gold, and jewels, and precious works ofart, and the tempter said, "All these things will I give Thee if Thou wilt fall down and worshipme. "

Then all the Divine power in Jesus rose up against this evil whisper, and He said, "Get thee hence, Satan; for it is written, 'Thou shalt worship the Lordthy God, and Him only shalt thou serve. '"

We shall never know all that Jesus suffered during this long time whenHe was away from His home in Nazareth, and away from every human being, tempted by evil, surrounded by wild beasts, and faint from hunger, butwe know He won a great victory over evil for us. So he became theElder Brother and Friend of all who are tempted. 

After His long fast and struggle with the powers of evil, angels cameand cared for Him, bringing heavenly strength and comfort, and He rosein that strength and came again into the valley of Jordan, and foundthat spring had come while he had been in the desert, and the willowswere green by the river side. John was still preaching and baptizing, but was a little farther up the river at Bethabara. 

As Jesus came near John pointed to Him and said to the people, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Thisis He. . . . And I knew Him not, but He that sent me to baptize withwater, the same said to me, 'Upon whom thou shalt see the spiritdescending and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizeth withthe Holy Ghost. '"

CHAPTER VIII. 

THE FIRST DISCIPLES. 

The next day while two men named John and Andrew were talking with Johnthe Baptist, Jesus passed by, and again John said, "Behold the Lamb ofGod. " These two men had been priests and disciples of John, but theyturned and followed Jesus, and John was content to have them do so, forhe sought no honor for himself. Jesus when he saw them following said, "What seek ye?"

And they, hardly knowing what to say, and wishing very much to knowHim, said, "Rabbi, where dwellest thou?"

He did not reprove them for giving Him the honored name of Master, butsaid, "Come and see. "

How gladly they went! No one knows where or how He lived, but whetherin a house, or in such a little tent as the people of that region nowcarry with them when they travel, it was a quiet place where these twomen who were looking eagerly for the Kingdom of God could sit at thefeet of Jesus and talk with Him. He was a young man like themselves, but there was a wonderful spirit in Him that made them feel likeworshipping Him. 

The first thing that Andrew did was to go and find his brother, SimonPeter. They were both fishermen from Bethsaida on Lake Galilee, andhad come down to hear the new prophet John. 

"We have found the Messiah!" said Andrew, and they both went back toJesus. 

When the Lord--for this He had been always--saw Simon Peter He saw hisheart, and knew that he would be one of the founders of the kingdomwith Him, and so He, looking straight through him, said, "Thou art Simon, the son of Jona; thou shalt be called Cephas, which isby interpretation Peter. " (A stone. )

So John, the loving; Andrew, the obedient, and Peter, the believingbegan to follow Jesus. And Peter's strong faith was like a foundationof stone in the beginning of the building of the kingdom. 

There was another man from Bethsaida who had come down to hear John. His name was Philip. Jesus found him and said, "Follow Me. " And henot only followed Jesus, but he went joyfully to find his friend, Nathanael, and tell him that they had found the Messiah, Jesus ofNazareth, the son of Joseph. 

Nathanael could not believe that the Messiah would be a man ofNazareth, because the prophets had said that He would come fromBethlehem. 

So he said, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?"

"Come and see, " said Philip, urgently, and he went. 

As he came to Jesus he met the deep, kind look that had searchedPeter's heart and heard Jesus say, "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile!" He sawinnocence in the heart of Nathanael, but Nathanael wondered how Jesuscould know him. 

"Before that Philip called thee when thou wast under the fig-tree, Isaw thee, " said Jesus. 

Then Nathanael's whole heart went over to Jesus, and he cried, "Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel!"

He needed nothing more to prove that Jesus was the Christ, but Jesustold him that he should see greater things, angels out of the openheaven ascending and descending upon Him. 

Nathanael became the fifth disciple. His name was afterward calledBartholomew. 

CHAPTER IX. 

THE FIRST MIRACLE. 

Jesus and the five who had become His constant friends and disciples, turned their faces toward home, for they were all from Galilee. It wasSpring, and the land was beautiful with the fresh green of the treesand the breaking forth of wild flowers among the grass. On the Journeythe disciples scarcely saw the beauty around them, or felt weary fromthe journey, for they were hearing the gracious words of their newFriend concerning the coming in of the kingdom. 

There was to be a marriage feast near Nazareth in the home of a friend. Mary and her family were invited, and also the friends who had comewith Jesus. It was at Cana, a village between Nazareth and the lake, and they walked over the hills early to see the bride, crowned withflowers and a white veil, married to the man to whom she had givenherself. Then followed a feast at the house of the father of thebridegroom. There were joyful greetings, and garlands of flowers, andwine--for Palestine was the land of vineyards, and they knew how toprepare a harmless wine. Before the feast was over they found that thewine had given out, and those who served the feast were distressed. Itwas thought a disgrace to fail in hospitality at a wedding feast, andso Mary came to Jesus for advice, saying, "They have no wine. "

[Illustration: The marriage at Cana]

"Woman, " He said--and among the Jews this was a respectful manner ofspeaking to a woman--"what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is notyet come. "

He meant that He must act from the Divine Nature, and not from thehuman nature that He had received from His mother. 

"Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it, " said Mary to the servants. 

He told them to fill with water the six large water-pots of stone thatstood near, and they filled them to the brim. 

"Draw out now, and bear to the governor of the feast, " He said, and itwas served at the table, and the master of the feast called to thebridegroom, "Thou hast saved the good wine until now. "

This was the beginning of miracles. 

These were happy days for Mary, for she had her Son back again. Fromthe wedding Jesus and His mother, and His brothers, and His discipleswent down to Capernaum by the lake for a few days. 

Here Peter lived by the blue, beautiful lake that is walled by highhills on one side, while on the other lies what once was the "garden ofGennesaret" watered by streams, and rich with fruits, and grains, andflowers. 

CHAPTER X. 

IN HIS FATHER'S HOUSE. 

The feeling that Jesus had when a boy, that He must be about HisFather's business was now satisfied. He had begun the work of Hisministry, though He had been doing all those silent years thetremendous work of overcoming evil for us. He met it in His own humannature, and overcame it step by step without yielding to sin. He wasto do this work until it should be finished upon the cross, but forthree years He was to teach the people the truths of the new kingdom, and show by His life, and at last by the laying down of His life, thatlove had come into the world to fill the old forms of the law full ofthe new Spirit of Life. He was to take away the sins of the world, andin place of them give to the world eternal life. 

It was time for the Passover Feast again, and Jesus with his disciplesjoined the Capernaum company and started on the pleasant journey toJerusalem. They sang the songs of Zion, and rejoiced when the towersof Jerusalem and the Golden Temple came into view, and as they camedown the road over Olivet they probably made their camp there wherethey could look across the valley to the Temple. Everything wasmoving. Flocks of sheep and herds of oxen were being driven toward theTemple, and crowds of people from near and far were filling thestreets, and also moving toward the Holy House. 

When Jesus came into the Temple Court He saw something that stirred hiswhole soul with sorrow and wrath. The sellers of sheep, and oxen, anddoves, and the money-changers had brought their things into the greatcourt inside the marble pillars, and on the pavement of many-coloredmarbles, and were buying and selling noisily, and turning the courts ofthe Lord into a market. The voices of men and animals must havedisturbed those who worshipped in the inner courts. The priestsallowed it, perhaps they were paid for doing so, and Jesus, as a Son inHis Father's house where the servants had been unfaithful, beganclearing the court of all these things, and finding some cord on thepavement He folded it into a short scourge of many strands and used itto drive the cattle and sheep and their keepers out of court. Themoney-changers would not easily yield, but he poured out their moneyand overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, "Take these things hence; make not my Father's house a house ofmerchandise. "

And the people wondered why they should obey this strange young man, but they did. 

It was the Divine light in the face of Jesus, and not the bit of cordthat drove them out. They saw that He had a right to clear the Templecourts. 

Then the Jews wondered who had given Him this right, and they said toHim, "What sign showest Thou unto us, seeing Thou doest these things?"

And this was the sign He gave them: "Destroy this Temple, and in threedays I will raise it up. "

He knew that they would not understand this, but they would remember itafter they had crucified Him and He had risen from the dead, for Hespoke of His body. 

The Jews turned scornfully away. The Temple had been forty-six yearsin building, and they thought His promise an idle boast, but they didnot forget it. Three years after they helped to bring Him to thecross, accusing Him in the High priests palace of saying these things. 

CHAPTER XI. 

A TALK ABOUT THE BREATH OF GOD. 

Jesus was in the Temple most of the time during the Passover Feast. Hetaught the people standing among the marble pillars of the outer court. He also did miracles among them, and many believed on Him because ofthe miracles, but He, knowing their hearts, saw not one among them whomHe would call to be with Him in His work, for He could not wholly trustthem. The Pharisees and Doctors of the Law also stood and listened toHim, and among them was one whose heart turned toward Jesus. He wasone of the highest of the Pharisees, but his heart was not so proud andfull of self-love as the hearts of most of the Pharisees. His name wasNicodemus. He longed to talk with Jesus, but he was afraid of what theother Pharisees would say. 

He found out where the camp of the Galilean company was, and one nightwent out of the city gate, across the Kedron bridge and up the slope ofthe Mount of Olives and found Jesus. There was no place to talkquietly in the crowded tents, so they must have gone out under theshadowy olive trees to talk. 

"Master, " he said--and it was much for the wise Pharisee to speak sohumbly to the young carpenter of Galilee--"Master, we know that Thouart a teacher come from God, for no man can do these miracles that Thoudoest except God be with him. "

Jesus looked through the heart of Nicodemus, though it was night, andsaw what he needed most, and so He made no reply about Himself or Hismiracles, but said, "Verily, I say unto you, except a man be born again he cannot see theKingdom of God. "

Nicodemus could not understand how a man could be born when he is old, so Jesus explained that it was a spiritual birth. "That which is bornof the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. "And as the wind softly stirred the leaves of the olive trees abovetheir heads He said, "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it bloweth. So isevery one that is born of the Spirit. "

Nicodemus had always thought that religion was the keeping of the lawas all Jews were taught by the priests, so he was astonished, and said, "How can these things be?"

"Art thou a master in Israel and knowest not these things?" said Jesus, and then He spoke to the soul of Nicodemus of the things of the Spiritof Heaven--The Heaven in which He already lived, --and of the newkingdom that had begun on earth. 

If you will find what Jesus said to Nicodemus in the third chapter ofJohn's Gospel you will find among other things these beautiful words, --

"For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, thatwhosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlastinglife. "

Nicodemus found out that life was the breath of God in man, and that byit man lives. Perhaps he felt it within him as he went down the valleyunder the trees and heard the wind among the leaves; and as he came upthe steep way and through the city gate in the silence of the night, perhaps he resolved to be a disciple of Jesus. 

CHAPTER XII. 

A TALK ABOUT THE WATER OF LIFE. 

After the Passover there were many who had believed in Jesus who wishedto be baptized, and so they went down to Jordan with Jesus and thedisciples, and then the disciples baptized them. 

John, who was also baptizing at another point by the river, was toldthat Jesus was baptizing and that all men were going to Him. John wasrejoiced at this. 

"This my joy therefore is fulfilled, " he said. "He must increase, butI must decrease. He that cometh from heaven is above all. "

After this Jesus went back to Galilee, and as He and His disciples wentthrough the country of Samaria, which lay between Judea and Galilee, they came at noon near to the little village of Sychar among the hills. It was the most difficult road to Galilee, and most persons followedthe Jordan road when going back and forth, for the Judeans andSamaritans were not friendly, but it is written that Jesus "must needsgo through Samaria. "

While the disciples went up into the village to buy some bread, Jesussat down by a deep well in the valley. It was built round with stone, and covered from the sun, for the people prized the well not only forthe clear, cold water, but because Jacob, the father of all the tribesof Israel dug the well for his family and cattle and flocks hundreds ofyears before. 

While Jesus rested by the well a woman came down the path from the townto draw water. She drew the water with a strong cord that she fastenedaround her earthen water-jar and was going to put it on her shoulderand carry it away when Jesus asked her for a drink of water. She hadnot offered Him any for she thought a Jew would not ask even a drink ofwater from a Samaritan, but Jesus said, "If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee'Give me to drink' thou wouldst have asked of Him and he would havegiven thee living water. "

[Illustration: Jesus by the well]

The woman did not understand His words about water any more thanNicodemus did about the blowing of the wind. Jesus was talking about_life_ always and everywhere, but the people were slow to understandHim. 

The woman wondered where Jesus could get better water than this fromJacob's well. 

"Whosoever shall drink of this water, " He said, "shall thirst again, but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall neverthirst. But the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well ofwater springing up into everlasting life. "

When the woman heard this she asked for it, that she might not bethirsty and come to the well for water, but Jesus, seeing that shecould not understand His words began to speak of her life, and so trulythat she was amazed and said, "Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. " She talked of the mountainnear by which had been the place of worship of the Samaritans, and ofthe Temple at Jerusalem where the Jews worshipped, for she did not wantto talk of her own life, which was not good. 

Jesus then showed her that "God is a Spirit, and they that worship Himmust worship Him in spirit and in truth, " and that the hour had comewhen He wished people to worship him so in every place. 

"I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ, " she said, "I that speak unto thee am He, " He said. Then the woman left herwater-jar and hurried away without a word to tell the people of thetown. 

While she was away His disciples came and begged Jesus to eat, but Hisspirit was filled with the thought of life, and he said, "I have meat to eat that ye know not of. "

And when they did not understand He said, "My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and finish His work, "and when he thought how great the work was that was before Him, it wasas if the harvest-time of gathering the people into the kingdom hadcome. 

As they looked out along the valley men were ploughing the fields tosow wheat. 

"Say ye not there are four months, " He said, "and then cometh harvest?Behold I say unto you, 'Lift up your eyes and look on the fields; forthey are white already to harvest. '"

While He stayed two days in Sychar many believed on him there. 

"Now we believe, " they said to the woman, "not because of thy sayingfor we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed theChrist, the Saviour of the world. "

CHAPTER XIII. 

JESUS IN THE SYNAGOGUE. 

Jesus came back to Galilee through the Valley of Jenin and across theplain of Jezreel to Cana, where His disciple Nathanael lived, and whereHe had wrought His first miracle. While He was in Cana a nobleman wholived at Capernaum came riding into the little town in great haste toasked Jesus to come down and heal his son who was near death. To tryhim, Jesus said, "Except ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe. "

The nobleman would not stop to talk of this, but besought Jesus, saying, "Sir, come down ere my child die. "

Jesus was glad to see his faith, and ready to meet it. 

"Go thy way, " He said, "thy son liveth, " and the man went awaybelieving what Jesus had said. On the way down to Capernaum by theLake, some glad-faced servants came hastening to meet him. 

"Thy son liveth!" They cried--the very words that Jesus had used. Whenhe asked them when the boy had taken a turn for the better they said, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. "

Then the happy father knew that it was at the seventh hour--oneo'clock--that Jesus had said, "Thy son liveth. "

There was joy in the house of the nobleman when the father and motherand all the household gathered around the boy who had been healed, andtalked of the wonderful power of Jesus in speaking the word of healing. 

From Cana Jesus went to Nazareth. John the Baptist had been throwninto a gloomy prison down by the Dead Sea by Herod Antipas because hehad rebuked the wickedness of that king, and Jesus knew that His ownwork was now fully begun, since the prophet, who had come to prepareHis way, was laid aside. 

While Jesus was at home with His mother and brothers and sisters Hewent one Sabbath to the village church or synagogue, as He had alwaysdone through His childhood and youth. Perhaps His brothers and some ofHis disciples were with Him, while His mother and sisters parted fromHim and entered by another door, as was the Jewish custom. There weremany there who hoped that the young carpenter, who had become ateacher, and as many believed, a prophet, would read from the Book ofthe Law. 

After the singing, and the prayers, and the reciting of the creeds, thetime came for the reading and teaching. The first lesson had beenread, and the ruler of the synagogue took from the sacred place whereit was kept another parchment roll, and coming down the steps he handedit to Jesus. It was the roll of Isaiah, and as Jesus went up to thereader's desk He opened and unrolled it until He came to these words, "The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me topreach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sightto the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach theacceptable year of the Lord. "

[Illustration: Jesus in the synagogue]

When he had finished he rolled the book again and handed it to theminister and sat down. It was the custom of those who were teachers ofthe people to sit down to teach, while the people all rose and stooduntil he had finished. 

"This day, " said Jesus "is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. "

The people were looking and listening so earnestly that it was verystill, and as Jesus told them simply that He was the very One whomIsaiah had spoken of seven hundred years before, that He had broughtthe good tidings, and had come to do the work the prophet had spokenof, they looked at each other in amazement. To be sure they had neverheard such words of grace and wisdom, but how could this be true?

"Is not this Joseph's son?" they asked each other. Joseph had beentheir neighbor and Jesus had grown up among them and played with theirchildren. They thought some evil thing had entered into Him disturbingHis mind. But when He began to tell them that no prophet was acceptedin his own country, and that the Lord was obliged to send them tostrangers, as He sent Elijah and Elisha, they were angry with Him. Some of the men wished to teach Him a lesson, and they took Him byforce to the edge of a cliff, for Nazareth was built high up among thehills, and were about to cast Him over among the limestone rocks below, but turning away from them, Jesus walked quietly down the hill to thepath that led into the valley--and no one was able to lay a hand uponHim to harm Him. "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not, "and He went away to preach the good tidings in other towns. The heartof Mary must have been full of sorrow when she saw her Son "despisedand rejected of men" as Isaiah prophesied, but she hid her sorrow, andremembered the words of the Lord brought to her by the angel before herSon was born. 

And so Jesus went down to Capernaum where he had friends and disciples, and afterward His mother and His brothers went to Him there, butNazareth knew him no more. 

It was about this time that it is supposed that Jesus went alone to areligious feast at Jerusalem, and while there cured a poor man whocould not walk. He lay on his mat near a spring called Bethesda. Itwas covered by a roof, and had five porches. Here the sick werebrought by their friends that they might, when they saw the watersbubble up, step in and be cured. They believed then an angel came downand made the moving of the waters, but it was probably one of the kindcalled intermittent springs. There is one at Jerusalem now called the"Fountain of the Virgin" which rises at certain times. 

Jesus saw the poor friendless man who had waited for thirty-eight yearsfor the chance of stepping into the waters when they were moving, andhad been disappointed for others stepped in before him. Looking athim, He said, "Wilt thou be made whole?"

The man explained why he could not be cured, for there was no man tohelp him. Then Jesus said, "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. "

He rose at once, and walked, carrying the mat on which he lay. 

The Jews were angry when they heard of it for the man had been cured onthe Sabbath, but Jesus told them that they were all refusing eternallife because of their unbelief, saying, "Ye will not come unto Me that yet might have life. "

CHAPTER XIV. 

AMONG THE FISHERMEN. 

Capernaum was on the shore of the beautiful lake of Galilee. Therewere villages clustered around the lake then and all Galilee wasswarming with busy life, but now there are few inhabitants, andCapernaum is only a heap of stones. Some of these stones, which maynow be seen, are carved in such a way that we may know that they are apart of an ancient synagogue. This was the synagogue, perhaps, that agood Centurion built whose servant Jesus cured when he was near death, and here in Capernaum lived the nobleman whose son Jesus cured by aword, and here lived His first disciples, Peter and Andrew, and Jamesand John, and here Matthew, who sat in his little office taking thetaxes that the people had to pay, may have seen Jesus pass, and mayhave heard him speak before he became a disciple. 

The beautiful plain of Gennesaret spreads out from one end of the lake, and there is a white beach of shells there, while at other points onthe lake there are hills and great rocks close to the water. 

On this white beach Jesus stood one spring morning teaching the people. As the fisher-folks and others gathered close around to hear Him, Hewas pushed so near the water that He stepped into Peter's boat, whichwas near the shore, and asked him to push it out a little way into thewater, and there in the stern of the boat Jesus sat and taught thepeople who stood thick upon the shore. 

The boat of Zebedee, the father of James and John was near by, for theywere the partners of Peter and Andrew. They had washed their nets andhad given up fishing until night again, for morning was not a good timefor fishing, but Jesus said to Peter and Andrew, --

"Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. "

The disciples were surprised at this, for it was not the hour forfishing, and Peter said, "Master, we have toiled all night and have taken nothing; neverthelessat thy word I will let down the net. "

[Illustration: Jesus among the fishermen]

When they had done this they found that their nets were filled withfishes, so that they called to James and John to come and help them, for their nets were breaking. When they had emptied the nets into thetwo boats they were filled so full that they began to sink. 

Then Peter fell down at Jesus's knees and cried out, --

"Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" so wonderful did themiracle seem to him. 

But to Peter Jesus said, --

"Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. " James and John Healso called, and showed them that the time had now come for them tohelp Him in founding the Kingdom. 

They did not wait to sell the great draught of fishes that they hadbrought to land; and they did not wait to sell their fishing boats andnets, but they forsook all and followed Jesus. They did not know thattheir names would be known forever as the founders of the ChristianChurch with Him who was its divine Head. 

CHAPTER XV. 

THE HEALING HAND OF JESUS. 

The Jewish church, or synagogue at Capernaum was very beautiful. Itwas of white marble, and richly carved, and was the gift of a Romanofficer to the Jews. 

One Sabbath morning Jesus went in and sat among the learned Rabbis, forHe wished to speak to the people as He had near Nazareth. The peopleknew and loved him, and the place was crowded to hear Him speak. Hesat there through the singing, and the prayers, and the reading. 

The parchment rolls of the law and the prophets were in a case behindHim; and there was the curtain, and the branched candlesticks. Then Hewent to the Teacher's seat, and while all the people stood He sat andtaught them. People wondered, as they always did, at his words, forthey were not like the words of the Rabbis, --they were as if GodHimself were speaking through a man. 

In the midst of it there was a loud cry from a man who looked like amaniac. He had followed the people in, and the words of Jesus haddisturbed the evil spirit that was in Him, "Let us alone, " it cried, "what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus ofNazareth. Art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who Thou art, --theHoly One of God. "

"Hold thy peace, and come out of Him, " said Jesus, and the poor manfell headlong on the marble floor, but in a moment he was free, for theevil spirit had obeyed the word of Jesus, and this astonished thepeople so much that they told it through all the town and the countryround about. 

When He went home from the synagogue, for Peter's house was one of Hishomes, He found the mother of Peter's wife very ill of fever, and theybrought Jesus to her bed. He bent over her and said some words to thatwhich had caused the fever, and at once it was gone. 

She seemed to be quite well again, and her first wish was to dosomething for this wonderful man whom Peter had been following, and sherose and helped to prepare food for Him. 

The people did not dare to come to Jesus for healing while it was yetthe Sabbath, for the Rabbis said it was wrong to cure people on theSabbath day, but as soon as the sun had set the Sabbath ended, and thenthe streets were filled with people who came for themselves, orbringing their sick friends to be touched by the hand of Jesus. Allaround the little house of Peter they crowded, while He walked amongthem looking at them with pitying love, and "He laid his hands on everyone of them, and healed them. "

CHAPTER XVI. 

FOLLOWING JESUS. 

The next morning Jesus went out among the hills alone. All day He waspressed upon by the poor, the sick, the blind, and the lame, or thosewho were hungry for the word, and so at night or early morning He wentout to be alone, to think of the great work he had come to do, and topray or talk to the Father, for Jesus and the Father were one. But thepeople followed Him, and begged him not to leave them. 

"I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also, " He said, "fortherefore am I sent. " And He took his disciples and started on ajourney from village to village through Galilee. There were about twohundred of these towns, and they were near together. It was thespringtime, and the fields and hills between the villages werebeautiful with flowers and growing grain. Sometimes He taught in theirchurches, and sometimes under their trees or trellises, and wherever Hewent the common people heard him gladly. 

Once as He drew near a town a leper followed Him. He followed Him intothe town, which was against the law, for the leper was not allowed tolive inside a town, or to come near the people, as the touch of a leperwould give the disease to another. But so earnest was he to see Jesusthat he came through the crowd and fell on his face before Jesus, saying, "Lord if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean. "

Jesus put forth His hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be thouclean. "

Suddenly the leprosy left the man, and his dead and filthy skin becameas healthy as a child's, and Jesus sent him to the priest to offer thatwhich the law commanded for the cleansing of lepers. It was a long, and often costly process that a leper must pass through to be cleansedfrom his disease, but the word of Jesus was with power, and broughtdivine life to take the place of death, for leprosy was a slow death. 

[Illustration: Jesus healing the sick]

When the Lord came back to Capernaum the people thronged Him, and whenHe rested in the shaded court of a friend's house it was soon filledwith the eager people who longed to hear His word, or be healed by Histouch. 

Once it was so crowded in the court that some men, who were bringing afriend to Jesus who was helpless with palsy, took him up by the outsidestairs to the housetop. There, by taking up a few tiles, they made anopening just over the place where Jesus sat, and the people soon sawthe man lying on his mat before Jesus, for they had let it down bycords through the opening. 

Jesus saw the faith of the four men who had let their sick friend downat His feet, and it touched His heart. He also saw the longing in thesoul of the sick man to be good and pure, and He said, "Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee. "

The Scribes, who were always copying the Scriptures--for there was noprinting done in those days--were always watching to hear Jesus saysomething contrary to the Law of Moses, that they might tell it to thepriests, and some who were sitting there looked at each other and saidin their hearts, "Who can forgive sins but God only?"

Jesus heard their thoughts and asked them why they reasoned in this waywith themselves, and which seemed to them the easier, to forgive sinsor to heal the body. 

But that they might know that He had power over the body as well as thesoul He said to the sick man, "Arise; take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. "

The man rose and rolled up his mat and carried it out, the peoplefalling back astonished to let him pass, for his palsy had left him andhe walked out strong and well. 

"We have seen strange things to-day, " the people said among themselvesfor they could not understand how a man could forgive sins or healdisease. 

When Jesus left the house to go down to the sea-shore He passed theCustom-house, where the tax-gatherers, or "publicans, " gathered moneyfrom the Jewish people to pay to their conquerors, the Romans. 

The Romans were very hard in their dealings with the Jews, and madethemselves rich by taking money from the poor of their provinces. 

The people did not like the tax-gatherer, and his was not a pleasantoffice. 

Levi, also called Matthew, was a rich tax-gatherer at Capernaum, and ashe sat in his office looking out upon the market-place he saw Jesuspassing by. Perhaps he had often heard Jesus teach by the shore and inthe market-place, and longed to follow Him. He saw the Teacher stop athis open door, and heard Him say, "Follow Me. "

That was enough; Matthew left all, rose up and followed Jesus. He hada business that made him rich, but he was ready to leave it all to be adisciple of Jesus. 

He wanted all to know that he had chosen a new life, and so he gave agreat dinner to his friends, and invited Jesus and His five disciplesthat he might confess before them all his faith in Jesus. 

The Pharisees looked down upon the publicans and thought them a peopleunfit to associate with, and when they passed by and saw Jesus sittingin Matthew's house at the feast they asked His disciples as they wentin and out why their Master ate with "publicans and sinners, " a thingthey felt themselves too good to do. 

Jesus Himself answered them in words that have helped many sinfulpeople to come to Him since. 

"They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. Icame not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. "

And then He turned to talk with Matthew and his friends, who listenedto every word that fell from His lips, and did not try to find faultwith Him as the Pharisees did. 

Matthew had made a rich feast, and his table was no doubt piled withthe beautiful fruits of the plain of Gennesaret, but the eyes of alland the thoughts of all were fixed upon the wonderful Teacher, andMatthew, the publican, who had become His disciple. 

CHAPTER XVII. 

FRIENDS OF JESUS. 

Jesus had a good and true reason for choosing just twelve men to helpHim to begin to build the first Christian Church, or the Kingdom ofHeaven on the earth. We cannot yet understand the reason foreverything He did, but quite enough to help us to believe in Him, andto give us a place in His kingdom. He had called half that number andsoon He called six more to join them, and named them apostles. 

Before He called them He went up into a mountain to be alone. He leftCapernaum and went up through a rocky vale to a high plain where thegrass lay thick and the wild flowers were coming up among it, for itwas spring-time. Two hills, or peaks rose out of this plain, and therewas a grassy hollow between. They were called the "Horns of Hattin. "From one of these hills Jesus could see the lake with its cities, andthe plain dotted with villages below, and beyond them the great MountHermon crowned with snow. Here Jesus stayed all night, and the nextmorning came down into the grassy dale between the peaks where thepeople were gathering. The disciples went to meet Him, and He toldthem that He had chosen twelve of them to be with Him in His work, andto preach the Good Tidings to the people. 

He called to His side Peter and Andrew, and James and John--the twopairs of brothers who were His first friends; then Philip, ofBethsaida. Bartholomen, from Cana, and Matthew, the tax-gatherer ofCapernaum, who afterward wrote the first gospel. He also chose Thomas, of Galilee; James and Jude, two brothers from Capernaum; Simon, ofGalilee, and Judas Iscariot, who came from the country near Jerusalem. Five of these, it is said, were His cousins. More than half of themwere fisherman, and none of them were learned men, unless Bartholomewmight be called one. How wonderful it must have been to see thesetwelve earnest young men gathered around Jesus, ready to go where Heshould send them, or follow Him to death. No kings or emperors onearth ever had so great honor given them as that which Jesus gave tothese men, for they became the Lord's spiritual brothers, and princesin His spiritual kingdom. 

Then Jesus came down among the people. Some had brought sick friendsup the rocky gorge for Jesus to touch; or they had brought poor soulspossessed by devils for Him to set free, and He healed them all. 

Then He sat down and taught the people. The sayings of that wonderfulday are kept in the gospels, and are called the "Sermon on the Mount. "There was no choir, no organ, no church made with hands, but the wordsare now read in every Christian church in the world. The preacher saton a green hillock, His dark cloak thrown back showing His white tunic, and the spring sunshine lay on His holy, beautiful face and flowinghair. All this the people saw, but they saw much more than this. Theysaw something divine in His face. His form, and the light around Him, and what they heard seemed to them to be the words of a Divine Man. Helooked lovingly on the little group of disciples near Him, and blessedthem in beautiful words that we call the Beatitudes, or the TenBlessings. He said to them and to us that the "blessed" (happy) arethe good, humble, pure souls who have little of this world's wealth andfriendship, but much faith and love. 

[Illustration: Sermon on the Mount]

If you will read the fifth, sixth and seventh chapters of Matthew youwill know much that Jesus taught that heavenly day on Hattin Mount. Hetaught them the law of love and forgiveness; the law of purity andtruth. He taught them to be humble and simple, especially in prayer, and not like the Pharisees. He gave them a wonderful prayer that wecall "the Lord's Prayer, " though it is a prayer to the Lord, for allChristians in all ages to bring to Him. He told them that if they werechildren of God they could not be worldly, loving themselves and theworld best; neither could they serve two masters. Then He taught thema beautiful lesson of trust in the Heavenly Father by pointing to thebirds that flew above them, and reminding them how they were fed andcared for; and also by pointing to the wild field lilies that grew nearby, their scarlet petals shining in the sun. 

"Consider the lilies of the field how they grow, " he said, "they toilnot, neither do they spin, and yet I say unto you that even Solomon inall his glory was not arrayed like one of these, " and then He askedthem if God, who clothed the lilies, would not clothe His own children, and told them to have no fear for the future, but to seek the Kingdomof God first and always, and all needed things would be given to them. 

Then He looked away from the birds and the lilies into the eyes of thepeople and saw their need of love and truth, for he could read theirhearts. He told them that they should not judge each other, or looklong upon each other's faults, but rather upon their own, and showedthem how they might ask God for love and truth, and it would surely begiven them, because the Heavenly Father is more just, and kind, andloving than an earthly father can be. 

And here is the Golden Rule of Christ, which, if we live by it, willbring heaven down to earth. 

"Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them. "

He told them that the way of the world was wide, and many were crowdinginto it, while the heavenly way was narrow in this life, and few werefinding it, though many talked much about it, and seemed to have foundit. He said that it would be shown in the day when we all appearbefore God who has truly followed Him. He said that the true men werelike the wise man who built his house upon a rock, and when the winds, the rain, and the flood came it stood fast, because it was founded onthe rock; and the false were like the foolish man who built his houseupon the sand, and when the winds, and the rain, and the floods came itfell, and great was the fall of it. 

The people went away from this great meeting among the hills to thinkit over. It was so new and so wonderful, not at all like the teachingof the scribes, for the young carpenter of Nazareth spoke like aTeacher of teachers. Ever since that day when the Lord sat and taughtthe truths of the Kingdom of Heaven, and the people stood upon thegrassy plain among the spring flowers and the wild thyme to hear hiswords, the Sermon on the Mount has been known as the greatest sermonthe world has ever known. 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

THE LORD OF LIFE. 

Jesus came down to Capernaum again and found the same crowds of needypeople, who were like sheep having no shepherd. The rich as well asthe poor had their wants and their troubles. 

A good Roman officer, called a Centurion, because he was captain over ahundred men, had a servant who was so faithful to him that he was veryfond of him. The servant was very sick, and when the Centurion heardthat Jesus was again in Capernaum he went to the chief men of the cityand asked them to get Jesus to come and cure his servant. He feared toask the favor himself, for he thought Jesus was a Jew who would notlike to have dealings with the Romans. So the Jews spoke to Jesusabout it saying that the Centurion was the good man who had built abeautiful synagogue for them. Jesus did not need to be urged to bekind to a Roman for He loved all the people of the earth alike. 

While He was on His way some friends of the Centurion came to meet Himwith a message. 

"Lord, trouble not Thyself, " he said, "for I am not worthy that Thoushouldst enter under my roof; Wherefore neither thought I myself worthyto come unto Thee; but say in a word and my servant shall be healed. "

Jesus told the people who followed Him that He had not found such faithas this among their own people. And when the men returned to theCenturion's house they found the servant cured of his sickness. 

But some of the Jews were offended because Jesus had said that a paganRoman could have more faith than a Jew, and that they would enter theKingdom of Heaven while the Jews would be left out. 

The next day Jesus and His disciples went to a little city called Nain, set up among the hills, more than twenty miles away. When they werenear the city gate they met a funeral procession coming out. They weregoing to the burying ground on a hillside not far away. There werehired mourners, as is the custom in that country, who made many dolefulnoises, and behind them came a weeping woman--the mother of the youngman who had died. 

His body was borne by friends and followed by many more, for all feltsorry for the poor woman who had lost her only son. 

As the procession passed Jesus said two little words to thewoman--"Weep not, " and then He put forth His hand and touched the bier. The men who bore it set it down before Jesus who looked down into theface of the dead, saying, "Young man, I say unto thee, arise!"

In a moment the young man opened his eyes, sat up, and began to speak, and Jesus gave him back from the grave to his happy mother. 

While Jesus was near Nain some of the disciples of John the Baptistcame to see Him. John was in prison still, down in the low, hotcountry by the Dead Sea. He had heard strange stories about Jesus fromthe disciples who came to see him, and because they were not settled intheir mind about Him, John sent them to find Him and to say, "Art thou He that should come, or do we look for another?"

Jesus told them to go and tell John what they saw. 

"The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, the lepers arecleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor havethe gospel preached to them, and blessed is he whosoever shall not beoffended in me. "

Then Jesus taught the people who stood by, and the lesson ended withthese words which he speaks to the whole world, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will giveyou rest; take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek andlowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls; for my yoke iseasy and my burden is light. "

This is the loving invitation of Jesus to every one of us to enter theKingdom of Heaven, and it is the King Himself who invites us. 

CHAPTER XIX. 

MARY OF MAGDALA. 

There was a Pharisee named Simon, who was very curious to know whatJesus taught, although he had no wish to be His disciple. He was arich man and lived in a beautiful house with a court. Beyond the courtwas a banqueting room with couches on which guests sat leaning upon thetables in the Eastern fashion. There were other guests invited to hearJesus talk, the friends of Simon, and it is quite probable that whenthey came the servants of Simon met them and took their sandals andwashed their feet and arranged their hair as was the custom, and werealso heartily welcomed by Simon. When Jesus came He had no suchservice or welcome given Him, for Simon did not love Him; he was onlycurious about Him. 

While they were at the tables a beautiful young woman came in throughthe open door and passed swiftly by the couches on which the guestswere reclining until she came to the place where Jesus was. No onespoke to her or about her, for they all knew that she had been a sinfulwoman. But soon they saw that she bent weeping over the feet of Jesuswhere He lay upon the couch, and soon they knew by the odor of costlyperfume that she was anointing His feet. As her tears fell she wipedHis feet with her long hair, and kissed them again and again. 

Simon looked at her severely, but said nothing, though he wondered inhis heart why Jesus did not know that a sinful woman was touching Him. Then said Jesus, "Simon, I have somewhat to say to thee. " And Simon replied, "Master, say on. "

Then Jesus told a little story of a man who had two debtors; one owedhim five hundred pence, and the other fifty; and when they had nothingto pay he frankly forgave them both. Then he asked which of them willlove Him most?

"I suppose that he to whom he forgave most, " said Simon, and Jesus toldhim that he was right. 

Then He turned and pointed to the woman, saying, "See'st thou this woman?" and the eyes of all were fixed on the weepingMary of Magdala. 

When Jesus had told Simon that he had failed to bring water for Hisfeet, though she had washed them with her tears, and wiped them withher hair; that he had given Him no kiss of welcome, and she had notceased to kiss His feet; that he had not anointed His head with oil, but she had anointed His feet with costly ointment, He added, "Her sins which are many are forgiven; for she loved much; but to whomlittle is forgiven the same loveth little. " And turning to the womanHe said, "Thy sins are forgiven; thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. "

As Jesus went through the villages of Galilee He found many friends andmany enemies. The twelve were with Him, learning daily the wonderfullessons He taught, and preparing to be preachers of the glad tidingsalso. 

Not only Mary of Magdala, but Susanna, and Joanna, the wife of KingHerod's steward who had been cured by Him, were His grateful friends. Some priests came down from Jerusalem to watch Him, and to tell thepeople that He was not a true teacher, and this pleased the Pharisees. They saw that He did wonderful things that no man could do, but theysaid that He did it by the power of the spirit of evil, and they askedHim to show them a sign that he was from God. 

The Lord spoke words to the Pharisees that must have burned like coalsof fire, for it showed how false and wicked their hearts were whiletheir outward life seemed to be very religious. 

He told them that no sign should be given them except that of Jonah; ashe was three days and three nights in the great fish, so should the Sonof Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, andthough the men of Nineveh were wicked, yet they repented at thepreaching of Jonah, but the men of Jerusalem did not repent, though agreater than Jonah was among them. 

Mary and her sons had come from Nazareth hoping to take Jesus away fromthe crowds, perhaps, for a rest among the hills, for the summer heatwas great down by the lake and along the Jordan. Some one sent word toJesus, as He sat teaching within the court of a house, that His motherand brothers were outside, and wished to speak with Him. The crowd wastoo great for them to enter. Before Jesus rose to go out to hismother, He paused a moment to teach the great lesson He had come tobring to the world. Looking at His disciples He said, "My mother and my brethren are these which hear the Word of God and doit. "

CHAPTER XX. 

STORIES TOLD BY THE LAKE. 

Jesus was glad to go among the fishermen and teach the people by theLake, for their hearts were like the good ground into which the farmerloves to drop his seed, while the hearts of the rich, proud Phariseeswere like the rock on which seed cannot grow. Perhaps he was thinkingof this as He walked out one morning from Peter's house along thepebbly shore and sat down to talk with the people. The crowd alwaysgrew large around him there, and He had to again enter a fishing boatand sit a little out from the shore that the people might see and hearHim more easily. He taught them as no man had ever done before. Hetold them short stories, often taking the subject from something thepeople could see. Perhaps this morning as He looked over the lovelyplain of Gennesaret, He saw a sower casting seed into a brown andfurrowed field, for it was the time of the year for sowing the winterwheat. This is the story of "The Sower:"

"A sower went out to sow his seed, " said Jesus, "and as he sowed, somefell by the wayside, and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the airdevoured it. 

"And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up it witheredaway, because it lacked moisture. 

"And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it andchoked it. 

"And other fell on good ground, and sprang up and bore fruit an hundredfold. "

And then He said, "He that hath ears to hear let him hear, " for He knewthat some could understand with the heart that He was talking of theWord of God, but there were many who could not. 

[Illustration: Jesus teaching by the sea]

His disciples asked Him to make the story plain to all, and so He said, "The seed is the Word of God. Those by the wayside are they that hear;then cometh the devil and taketh away the Word out of their hearts lestthey should believe and be saved. 

"They on the rock are they which, when they hear, receive the Word withjoy, and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time oftemptation fall away. 

"And that which fell among thorns are they which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of thislife, and bring no fruit to perfection. 

"But that on the good ground are they which in an honest and goodheart, having heard the Word, keep it, and bring forth fruit withpatience. "

He also told them a story called "The Wheat and the Tares, " of a manwho sowed good seed in a field, but when it sprung up and bore grainthere were weeds growing among it called tares, for an enemy had sowedthe seed at night and it had grown up with the wheat. The man'sservants wished to pull out the tares, but the master of the field saidboth should grow together until the harvest, that the wheat might notbe uprooted with the tares. At the end of the harvest the tares wouldbe burned and the wheat gathered into the barn. In this way he taughtthem why good and evil are allowed to grow together in this world. 

He also taught them in the story of "The Mustard Seed, " that the growthof the Lord's Kingdom in the heart is like a mustard seed sowed in afield--which is the least of seeds--but which becomes a great plant, solarge that birds light on its branches. He told them other storiesalso that were to show them that the Kingdom of Heaven was life, andnot a written law, and that it grows in the hearts of people as a seedgrows in a field, one seed bearing many seeds, until the time when theLord's Kingdom shall fill the earth as the ripe wheat fills the fieldin harvest. 

One of the stories told that day was about "The Treasure. " He toldthem of a man who, when digging in a field, found a treasure, a mine ofgold, perhaps, and went and sold all that he had to get money enough tobuy that field. Another one was the story of "The Pearl, " which apearl-hunter found. It was so large and beautiful that he sold all hehad to be able to buy it. Both these stories were to teach that heavenin the heart is worth more to us, when once we find it, than all thetreasures or pleasures of this world. 

He also told a story of a "Fishing Net, " which caught fish of everykind, but when it was drawn to shore the fishermen gathered the goodfish into baskets, but threw the bad away. This story was somethinglike that of the "Wheat and the Tares, " showing how good and evil areat last separated. 

This was a wonderful day by the blue waters of the Lake of Galilee. The people went home thinking much about the new Teacher and Hisstories of the Kingdom of Heaven. 

The great Sower of the Seed had been dropping it into their hearts, andHe alone knew which hearts were "good ground. "

CHAPTER XXI. 

STILLING THE STORMS. 

When Jesus was very tired from teaching the people and healing the sickHe used to cross the lake and go up among the rocks of Gadara, a wildregion where there were few villages. After the last long day ofteaching by the shore Jesus needed rest, but neither at Peter's house, nor any where on that side of the Lake could He get away from thecrowds that followed Him to hear Him, or to be healed by Him. 

In the evening, when the people came back to Him, He took the largefishing-boat with His disciples, and set out for the other side. Several beside His disciples wished to go with Him. A scribe wished tofollow Him, but Jesus told him that He had no home, no place to lay hishead, though the foxes had holes and the birds of the air had nests. Perhaps Jesus saw that the scribe was not ready to leave all and followHim. Another wished to go, but thought he ought first to bury hisfather, but Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead. " This He said of theJews who were spiritually dead. 

After they had gone far out upon the Lake a great wind storm rose. Itcame sweeping down upon them from the hills, rattling the ropes andswelling the sails so that they had to bring them down and fasten them, and then take the oars. Every part of the little ship was covered withspray from the rising waves, and the disciples began to feel afraid. 

[Illustration: Jesus sleeping during the storm]

Where was Jesus? He was asleep. They had brought a cushion for Hishead, and He had fallen asleep in the stern of the ship. As a wavefell upon them and they were in danger of sinking they woke Jesussaying, "Master, Master, we perish!"

Then He rose and spoke to the winds and waters, and the storm ceased, and there was a great calm. 

The fishermen had never seen anything so wonderful as this, and theylooked at each other, almost more afraid of Jesus than they had been ofthe storm. 

"What manner of man is this, " they said, "that even the wind and thesea obey Him!"

Jesus also wondered, and said, "Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?"

As soon as they had landed in Gadara a strange man came out of the rocktombs to meet them. He was naked and wounded, for he was alwayswandering in the mountains and among the tombs, crying and cuttinghimself. Jesus was sorry for him for He knew that it was the evilspirits within him that made him so unhappy. The poor man tried toworship Jesus, and the evil spirits only cried out the more, begging tobe let alone. 

When Jesus asked "What is thy name, " he answered, "My name is Legion, for we are many. "

Jesus made the poor man free by commanding the evil spirits to come outof him. They entered into a herd of swine near by, and the frightenedcreatures ran down a steep place into the lake and were drowned. Themen who kept them were afraid and ran away, telling all whom they metof the thing that had happened. Some people came to see forthemselves, and they found the wild man of the tombs clothed andquietly sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to His word. They wereafraid of Jesus and begged Him to go away. They did not understandthat He wished to bless and not to harm them. 

As He went back to the ship the man who had been cured of his insanitybegged to go with Him, but Jesus told him to go instead to his friendsat home and tell them what the Lord had done for him. 

The next morning the people of Decapolis heard a strange story from thewild man of the tombs, but was now a reasoning man again. 

And so Jesus stilled the storm of wind on the Lake and the storm ofevil in a soul. 

CHAPTER XXII. 

CALLED BACK. 

When Jesus came back to Capernaum He found the crowd of friends at thelittle wharf full of concern about Him, and glad that no harm had cometo Him during the storm. Among them was one who had watched anxiouslyfor the boat, for he had a little daughter at home very ill indeed, soill that she was "at the last breath. " His name was Jairus, and he wasa ruler of the synagogue. He was so troubled that he fell at the feetof Jesus, begging Him to come and lay His hand on his child that shemight live. 

Jesus went with him, a throng of people with them, hoping to see Him doa great work. 

While He was on the way a woman who had been sick twelve years followedclose behind Him, and put forth her hand timidly toward Him. 

"If I may touch but His clothes I shall be whole, " she said to herself, and she touched them with faith in her heart. 

Jesus, who knew all hearts, turned straight around and said:

"Who touched My clothes?"

How the woman shrank back and trembled when she heard that, for she wasafraid she had done wrong. 

The disciples thought it strange that He should ask this, as the peoplethronged so close that they could not help touching Jesus But thewoman knew what He meant and she came and fell down before Him, fearingand trembling, and told Him all the truth. 

Jesus did not look sternly at her as she thought He would do, but Hesaid gently, "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole ofthy plague. "

While the woman was still at His feet full of gratitude and lovebecause she felt herself cured, some friends came from the ruler'shouse to bring sad news. 

"Thy daughter is dead, " they said, "why troublest thou the Master anyfurther?"

Jesus saw the looks of grief on the father's face and said quickly, "Be not afraid, only believe. "

So they went to the ruler's house, and into the inner room where thelittle maid lay. Many wished to press in after them to see what Jesuswould do, but he took only Peter and James and John with the father andmother of the maiden into the quiet, darkened room. As He went in Hesaid to some who were mourning noisily in the outer room, "Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. " Jesus loved to call death a"sleep, " for He knew that we never die. Then He took the little maidby the hand and called her. She had not gone so far into the countrywe cannot see that she could not hear a divine Voice calling to her, "Talitha cumi!" ("Maiden, arise!") At once she rose and walked. Shewas a little girl of twelve, and very dear to her father and mother, and there was no doubt great joy as well as wonder in the house of theruler that bright morning after the storm. In their joy and wonderthere was danger of forgetting to give her the food she was in need of, and so Jesus gently reminded them, commanding that something should begiven her to eat, but he charged them not to talk about the return oftheir little daughter. 

[Illustration: Jesus curing the little maid]

CHAPTER XXIII. 

TWO BY TWO. 

Jesus had a desire to once more speak to the people of His own littletown of Nazareth, and so He came again to His own, but His own receivedHim not. Once more he went into the Nazareth Synagogue where He hadlistened to the reading of the law all through His childhood and toteach as He had done nine or ten months before. They did not rise upand thrust Him out as they did then, but they cast cold looks andscornful words upon Him. They could not understand His great power andwisdom, but they would not believe in Him. 

"Is not this the carpenter, the Son of Mary, " they said, "the brotherof James and Joses, and of Juda and Simon? And are not His sistershere with us?" They were offended with Him. Jesus, knowing theirfaults said, "A prophet is not without honor, but in his own country, and among hisown kin, and in his own house. "

He wondered why they were so unbelieving, when in His great love forthem He was ready to do works of mercy among them, and to tell them theglad tidings of the Kingdom of Heaven, but He laid His hands on a fewsick folk and healed them, and that was all. 

As He went away to come back no more, His heart turned toward the manywho were waiting for the tidings that His old friends had rejected, andHe called the twelve together to send them out, two by two, into theworld around them. He gave them power to cast out evil spirits, and toheal the sick; and He put the preaching power within them so that theycould tell to others the wonderful truths of the Kingdom of Heaven. Hetold them that they must take nothing for their journey, except astaff, with which to walk over the steep mountain paths. He told themalso to bless the house that sheltered them, and to leave the house orthe city that would not receive them. He said that they would havemany trials, and that their lives would be sought by wicked men, butthat they need not fear, for the very hairs of their head werenumbered, and that even a sparrow could not fall to the ground withouttheir Father, and they were of more value than many sparrows. 

He said many other words to them that gave them comfort and strength. They had left all to follow Him, and He showed them how, in losingtheir all in this life they were finding much more than that--eveneternal life. 

So, two by two, they went forth and left Jesus alone. 

That great and good man, John the Baptist, was still in the prison ofKing Herod Antipas, down by the Dead Sea. He had been there more thana year, but no word came from the king saying that he was free. QueenHerodias wanted him to be put to death for he had spoken against hermarriage with King Herod. She was a wicked woman, and the evil hatethe good. Herod believed in his heart that John should go free, butfor the Queen's sake he kept him in prison, but allowed his friends tosee him, and sometimes sent for him secretly to hear him talk of theKingdom of Heaven. 

On the king's birthday he gave a great feast to his lords and captains, and when they had been served with dainty food in dishes of silver andgold, and had tasted the rare fruits and the costly wines, the dancinggirls came in to flit over the polished marble floor, and wave theirairy scarfs to please the king and his guests. 

At last a young girl came in and danced alone. She was dressed like aprincess, and she was a princess. 

Queen Herodias had sent her young daughter, Salome, where an innocentgirl and a queen's daughter should not have gone. 

She pleased the king and his lords greatly, and when she had finished, and had knelt before the king to hear what he had to say to her, hecried, "Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee, " and with anoath he declared that he would certainly do it if she should ask thehalf of his kingdom. 

She did not decide for herself, but ran to her mother, saying, "What shall I ask?" And the cruel mother said, "The head of John the Baptist. "

King Herod did not expect this. He thought she might ask for somejewel of great price, or perhaps a royal palace for her very own, andwhen he heard her request he was very sorry. But an oath made beforehis lords could not be broken. 

He sent men to the prison, and the good prophet, who had never knownfear, went home to God, and they brought his head to the princess whogave it to her mother. The king's feast ended in gloom, and the poorgirl, who only obeyed her wicked mother, had nothing but a dreadfulmemory to keep forever as the king's gift. 

And the king himself--what trouble followed him during the rest of hislife! Riches and honors were all taken from him, and he was sent outof his own country, while John had gone to his Father's house in theHeavenly Country to suffer no more forever. 

John's disciples buried the body of their beloved master, and then wentand told Jesus. Only Jesus can give real comfort in trouble. 

The disciples--now called apostles, or teachers--who had been outteaching among the villages, heard, perhaps, of the death of John theBaptist, and came back to Jesus two by two, as they had gone out. Theyhad been preaching, healing the sick, and casting out evil spirits. They often said "The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, " and the peoplewondered if it would not be best to rise up and make Jesus their king. 

Herod heard of the work of Jesus and the apostles, and was afraid. Hehalf believed that John whom he had killed had risen from the dead. Hetried to see Jesus, but the One who had come to preach the gospel tothe poor had no time to give to Herod. 

As Peter, and John, and Andrew and all the rest came back they werefull of stories of the wonderful things that had been done through thepower that the Lord had given them. Many came with them to find Jesus. He saw that they needed to come away from the crowds that were alwaysaround them so that He could speak to them of their work, and so thatthey could rest, and think, and pray. 

They took a boat and crossed the Lake. The shore was crowded withpeople who wished to be with Jesus, and when they knew that He wasgoing to Bethsaida-Julias at the northern end of the Lake they resolvedto follow Him, for it was only a few miles away. 

At the end of the Lake they entered the Jordan river, and sailing up alittle way to the landing-place they saw the people coming, some inboats, and more in groups along the shore--men, women and children--andJesus, filled with love and pity for them, led them to a green hillsidewhere He sat down to teach them as He had often done before. 

It was spring, and the grass was like a great green carpet sprinkledwith bright wild-flowers, while the river, lined with bushes flowedbelow, and beyond lay the beautiful blue Lake. The disciples stoodaround their Master while He taught the people in simple language thatthey could understand the greatest truths the world has ever heard. All the afternoon He spoke to them, and when the sun was slowly goingdown over the hills of Galilee they still wished to stay. They were assheep having no shepherd. The disciples were troubled about them, forthey were far from the villages where bread could be bought, and theyhad nothing to eat. They begged Jesus to send them away. 

"Give ye them to eat, " said Jesus. Then the disciples were astonished, for there were about five thousand men, beside the women and children. "Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them toeat?" said Philip. Then Jesus, who knew what He would do, said, "Howmany loaves have ye? Go and see. "

They went among the people, and Andrew came back, saying, "There is a lad here which hath five barley loaves, and two smallfishes; but what are they among so many?"

Then Jesus told His disciples to seat all the people in order upon thegreen grass, and soon there were little companies of fifty, and largerones of an hundred sitting all over the hillside with their facesturned toward Jesus, who stood looking out upon them as a father wouldlook upon his children. What were they waiting for? No one knew, butthey saw Him take the little lad's basket of bread and the two littlefishes and look up to heaven, blessing them as He did so. Then Hebegan to break the bread and divide the fishes. As He broke the breadand gave to the disciples they took it away to the people sitting onthe grass, and when they came back to Jesus there was still morewaiting for them. In this way all the people were fed. 

[Illustration: Feeding the five thousand]

When they were satisfied Jesus said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. "

And they filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the barley loavesthat were left. 

What a silent and wonderful supper of bread fresh from the hand of itsCreator!

At last they began saying to each other in a low voice, "This is of a truth that Prophet that should come into the world!" andthey began to ask each other if it would not be best to take Him atonce and make Him king whether he would or would not consent, but whenHe saw what they wished to do, He slipped away and went farther upamong the hills to rest. 

Evening had now come, and the people not finding Jesus, went away totheir homes, and the disciples in their little ship returned toCapernaum. The people could not understand, nor could His disciples, that Jesus did not come to be an earthly king over the little nation ofthe Jews. Not until the Holy Spirit came to make all things clear didthey understand that He was to be the Spiritual King of all the world. 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

WALKING THE WAVES--THE TWO KINGDOMS. 

While Jesus was alone on the mountain side the disciples were trying toreach Capernaum in their fishing boat. It was not a long sail, but acontrary wind had risen and was blowing them out into the Lake awayfrom the landing place. 

They had taken down their sail and were rowing, but by three o'clock inthe morning they were still out upon the Lake. 

Jesus, who knew all things, saw them struggling with the oars, andcoming swiftly down the mountain side He went to them walking upon thewater. 

The disciples saw a form through the darkness drawing near to them, andstrangely enough they did not think of Jesus, but cried out in terror, saying, "It is a spirit. " Then the clear sweet voice of their Master rose overthe sound of the wind and the waves, "Be of good cheer, it is I, be notafraid. " And Peter, full of glad faith, cried out, "Lord, if it beThou, bid me come unto Thee on the water. "

When Jesus said "Come, " Peter climbed over the side of the boat andbegan to walk toward Jesus, but when a strong wind drove the waves uponhim he lost sight of the Lord for a moment, and he was afraid. 

"Lord, save me!" he cried, and began to sink. 

Then Jesus stretched out His hand and caught Peter, saying, "O thou oflittle faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"

When they both entered the ship the wind ceased, and while thedisciples wondered and worshipped, saying, "Of a truth Thou art the Sonof God, " they found themselves at the land not far from Capernaum. 

It was on the white beach of pebbles and shells that bordered the plainof Gennesaret where they moored the boat in the early morning, and assoon as the people saw them they began bringing their sick friends toJesus. Many were too ill to walk, and were brought on little beds ormattresses and laid at Jesus's feet, and there they were healed if theybut touched the hem of His garment. 

Many of those who brought the sick to Jesus had been with Him on themountain side, and had eaten of the wonderful bread of heaven that Hehad broken for them. They believed that He could do anything that Hewould. 

The people whose hearts were set upon making Jesus their king followedHim wherever He went. Some who had been with Him when He made breadfor the great company on the hillside at Bethsaida-Julias found Himteaching in the synagogue at Capernaum. 

"Teacher, when camest thou hither?" they said. Jesus, knowing thatthey cared more for His gifts than for His teaching, said, "Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loavesand were filled, " and told them that they should not labor for the foodthat perishes, but for that which endures forever. 

They still wished Him to do some wonder, or show them how to workwonders, for they asked Him what they should do to work the works ofGod. 

"This is the work of God, " He said, "That ye believe on Him whom Hehath sent. " Still they remembered the miracle of the bread. 

"What sign showest Thou?" they said, "Our fathers did eat manna in thedesert. " Then He spoke plainly to them of Himself. 

"The bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth lifeunto the world. " One more spiritual than the rest said reverently, "Lord, evermore give us this bread. "

Then Jesus spoke those words about Himself that turned many away fromHim. He showed them that He could never be what they expected Him tobe--an earthly king. He had only the things of the Spirit to givethem, and He called them to a kingdom that could be seen only withspiritual sight. 

"I am the bread of life, " He said, "He that cometh to me shall neverhunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. All that theFather giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will inno wise cast out. "

The Jews were offended with Him because He had said, "I came down fromheaven. " "I am the living bread which came down from heaven, " He said. "If any man eat of this bread he shall live forever; and the bread thatI will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world. "

Then the Jews were vexed and turned to talk among themselves. Theycould not understand what He meant, but they saw plainly that He wasnot going to agree with their plan to make Him the King of the Jews, who would lead them out of their bondage to the Romans, and establishthem forever as a nation. 

They did not want to follow Him, but they wanted Him to follow theirplan. And as for His talk about being the "bread of life, "--"This isan hard saying, " they said, "who can hear it?"

While they murmured Jesus said, "Doth this offend you? What and if you shall see the Son of Manascending where He was before?"

"_It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing; thewords that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life. _"

Then they knew that He meant something above what they could see, orwhat they wanted, and many turned away from Him and went to their homesdisappointed. He had said, "there are some of you that believe not, "and it was true. Jesus turned to the twelve who stood in silence nearHim, "Will ye also go away?" He said. 

Loving, impulsive Peter cried out, "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life, andwe believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of theliving God. "

"Did I not choose you twelve, " said Jesus, "and one of you is a devil. "

Already evil spirits had tried to turn Judas away from the Lord bytempting him, and he had let them into his heart. And Jesus, who knewall men, saw them there. 

CHAPTER XXV. 

A JOURNEY WITH JESUS. 

Jesus went away with His disciples into the "borders of Tyre andSidon. " He did not go to the Passover feast, for the anger of the Jewshad been growing more violent toward Him and His disciples, and he tookthe twelve away from the crowded towns around the Lake into the partsthat bordered upon a heathen country. He could do far more for thesimple-hearted heathen than for Jews who believed themselves to be wiseand religious. 

When it was known that the young teacher of Nazareth was among themsome came to Him who were not Jews. One was a Syrian woman whosedaughter was troubled by an evil spirit, and she begged Jesus to havemercy upon her. The disciples were not pleased to have her follow themwith strange cries in another language. They believed that the worksof Jesus were for the Jews only, and so they begged Him to send heraway. Jesus was silent, for He knew all hearts, and saw faith growingin the heart of the poor woman. 

He said, trying her faith, "It is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it to dogs. "

"Truth, Lord, " she said, "yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fallfrom their master's table. "

Then Jesus hid Himself no longer from her faith, but said, "O woman, great is thy faith! be it unto thee even as thou wilt. " Andher daughter was cured that very hour. 

Jesus did not go down by the great sea, though He could see it lyinglike blue and silver across the west whenever He came to a hilltop asthey journeyed, but He went northward to the hills that lie around themountains of Lebanon. Upon these mountains grew the cedars thatSolomon's servants cut down and carried to Jerusalem for the buildingof the Holy House. They stopped in the Lebanon villages, and came atlength to the foot of Mount Hermon, and to the Jordan, crossing overand passing near the place where the great company who followed Jesushad been fed. As they came into Decapolis on the east side of the lakeof Gennesaret the people came to Him in crowds again for healing. There He healed a man who could neither hear nor speak. 

Coming to Gadara He found crowds coming with their sick for healing. Eight months before He had healed a poor man in whom was a legion ofdevils, casting them out into a herd of swine, and they had begged Himto leave their coast for they were afraid of Him, but now they wereglad to come to Him for healing. No doubt the man who had been healedhad told them of the gentleness of Jesus, and of His wonderful words, and had brought many to Him. 

It was in Bethsaida-Julias that Jesus once opened the eyes of a blindman. He did not see clearly at first, but when Jesus laid His hand asecond time upon his eyes he saw quite well, and was so grateful thathe wanted to go and tell all his friends about it, but Jesus told himto go quietly home. 

Two blind men followed Him also, crying, "Thou Son of David, have mercyon us!" They followed Him into a house and there Jesus asked, "Believeye that I am able to do this?" "Yea, Lord, " they said. 

"According to your faith be it unto you, " He said, touching their eyes, and their eyes were opened at once. 

Though Jesus had said, "See that no man know it, " yet they told itthrough all that country. 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

THE CHRISTIAN SABBATH--PETER'S CONFESSION OF FAITH. 

Jesus was walking with His disciples one Sabbath day and talking of theKingdom of Heaven when they came to a field of ripe grain. They hadbeen gathering food for their souls from the teachings of Jesus, andhad forgotten to take food for their bodies until they saw the ripegrain and knew that they were hungry. Some of them began to take theheads of wheat (or barley), to rub them in their hands to separate thegrain from the chaff, and eat the kernels of wheat. 

[Illustration: Jesus in the wheat fields]

Following close after them were some men who had been told to watchJesus and His disciples, and see if anything could be brought againstthem. 

They held very strict views about keeping the Sabbath, as all Phariseesdid, and here they saw something that might be called breaking theSabbath, for were they not really reaping the wheat, and sifting itthrough their hands?

"Behold thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon theSabbath day, " they said. "The Son of Man, " said Jesus, "is Lord evenof the Sabbath day. "

Another Sabbath He entered into a synagogue and taught. Among thepeople stood a man who had a helpless and withered hand. The samePharisees who had followed Jesus as spies when He walked through thegrain-fields were watching Him in the Synagogue to see if He would healon the Sabbath. He knew their thoughts, and called the man, saying, "Rise up and stand forth in the midst. "

The man rose, and while he stood waiting, Jesus turned to the Phariseeswho were eagerly watching to see if Jesus would do something that wasforbidden in their law, and said, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? To savelife or to destroy it?" The Pharisees dared not answer, and Jesus, looking round upon them all, said to the man, "Stretch forth thy hand. "

The man obeyed. Although he had not been able to raise his hand, hestretched it forth, and it became as whole and as strong as the other. 

The Pharisees went away very angry, and tried to make a plan amongthemselves for bringing Jesus into trouble. 

Jesus came to fill the law about the Sabbath full of the spirit ofheaven; to teach love and service to the neighbor, as well as the loveand worship of God, but they could not understand Him. 

Jesus was near the end of His ministry to the people east of the Jordanin the country called Decapolis. They were not like the Galilean Jews, they were half heathen people who lived among the wild, rocky hills ofthat region. They were poor and ignorant, yet they were more ready toaccept the gospel than the wise and wicked Pharisees had been. 

He had been kind to them in their sickness and poverty, and theyfollowed Him with their sick, and lame, and deaf, and blind, leavingthem at His feet until they arose praising God that they had been savedfrom their sufferings. 

Jesus had been teaching in the wild mountain country, and the peoplewould not leave Him to go away to their homes. After three days Jesussaid to His disciples, "I have compassion on the multitude because theycontinue with me now three days and have nothing to eat, and I will notsend them away fasting lest they faint by the way. "

The disciples did not remember the Lord's power to create bread, andwondered where they should find it in the wilderness to feed such agreat multitude. 

But when Jesus knew that they had seven loves of barley bread and a fewlittle fishes He told the people to sit down on the ground, and aftergiving thanks over the loaves and the fishes, He divided them and gaveto His disciples, and the disciples gave to the people. There werefour thousand men beside women and children who took the bread thatcame from the Lord's hands. After all had eaten and were filled theytook up seven baskets of the food that was left. 

Jesus, though He could create food for the people, taught them to useit wisely and waste nothing. 

When the people had been sent to their homes, Jesus, with Hisdisciples, took a fishing boat and crossed the Lake only to find thePharisees there ready to question Him, and to tempt Him to show themsome great sign from heaven. 

He told them that they could read the signs of the coming weather inthe sky, but they could not see the signs of the times. 

Only a wicked people look for a sign, He said, and no sign should begiven except the sign that Jonah gave to the Ninevites--a call torepentance. 

Then He left them, for He saw the hardness of their hearts. 

Again they took their journey in the little ship to the northern end ofthe Lake, and after landing, followed the east side of Jordan untilthey passed near the place where the five thousand had been fed by amiracle as they sat on the green hillside. 

The disciples found that they had forgotten to bring bread with them. They remembered, perhaps, that they had here eaten the bread that theLord had created; but the heart of Jesus was heavy with the thought ofthe unbelief of the people He had come to save, and He said, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. "

The disciples did not understand Him, and wondered if He spoke thusbecause they had not brought bread. 

Then Jesus, seeing that they had but little faith, reminded them of thesupper on the hillside, when more than five thousand were fed, and ofthat later meal among the rocky hills of Decapolis, when four thousandand more were fed, and that they did not need to be concerned aboutfood for the body so much as to beware of the false teaching of thePharisees and of the Sadducees. 

They walked still further north, directly toward that beautifulmountain that lifts its head, white with the glistening snow, highabove the hills that lead up to it, so that it may be seen over thelarger part of Palestine. 

They came to Caesarea Philippi, one of the most beautiful places in theworld. It lay in the green lap of Mount Hermon high above the sea, andshut in by cliffs and forests. The upper springs of the Jordan arehere. They leap out of a great cavern in the side of the mountain--ariver of clear, cold water. 

The old Greeks loved the place, and built there a temple to the god ofnature, but after the Romans came it was named for the Emperor andPhilip the Tetrarch. Here there were more Gentiles than Jews, for itwas a gay town in the summer, and people from other towns came to thiscity of palaces, temples, baths, theatres, and statues. These peopledid not wish to hear the words of Jesus, but the coolness and beauty ofthe country around this birthplace of the Jordan made it a fit place tobring His disciples where they could talk over the things of thekingdom without being disturbed by the Pharisees. Here He was able topray alone, and once, after prayer, He questioned His disciples aboutHimself. 

"Whom say the people that I am?" He asked. They remembered their talkswith the people and said, "John the Baptist, but some say Elias, andothers say that one of the old prophets is risen again. " "But whom sayye that I am?" He asked. Then Peter, the believing disciple, made hisconfession of faith, --

"Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. " Jesus was glad tohear this, for many had come to doubt Him, and many had gone away fromHim since they knew that He would not be an earthly king. 

"Blessed art thou Simon, son of Jonas, " He said, "for flesh and bloodhath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in Heaven. "

He saw that Peter's faith in the truth was like his name, which means"a rock, " and so He said, "Thou art Peter, and on this rock will I build my church, and the gatesof hell shall not prevail against it. "

Peter's faith in the truth was also in the hearts of the otherdisciples for whom He spoke, and Jesus saw that they could now bearwhat he had to say to them without going away. 

He told them that He must soon go to Jerusalem and suffer many thingsfrom the chief priests and the scribes and the elders, and that Heshould be killed by them, and rise again from the dead the third day. 

Even Peter's faith was shaken by this. How could the Son of God bekilled? He could not believe His Master meant it so. 

"Be it far from thee, Lord, " he said, "this shall not be unto thee. "

Jesus saw the spirit of fear and unbelief rising up in Peter, and tothis--not to Peter himself--Jesus said, "Get thee behind me, Satan; thou art an offence unto me; for thousavourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. "

Then He plainly told them what they must be ready to meet if theyfollowed Him. They must not hope for any earthly honors or riches, andthey must put aside their own wishes and obey the Lord alone. 

He told them that whoever wished to live for this world alone wouldlose all, but whoever was willing to lose all for His sake should findeternal life. 

"For what is a man profited, " He said, "if he shall gain the wholeworld and lose his own soul, or what shall a man give in exchange forhis soul?"

CHAPTER XXVII. 

"AND WE BEHELD HIS GLORY"--A FATHER'S FAITH. 

Jesus stayed near Caesarea Philippi with His disciples for a week. Thevillagers were cutting the ripe grain, the vineyards were rich withclusters of the rich grapes that grew on the Lebanon hills, and theolives were ripening for the time when they would be put in the pressesto make the delicious "oil olive. " In that week He must have had manywonderful talks with the villagers. 

One evening, as they had come over the lower hills of Hermon, Jesusleft the disciples to wait for Him below, taking only Peter and thebrothers James and John with Him up the mount. They did not go to thevery top but rested on one of the lower peaks. While Jesus went alittle distance from them to pray, the three disciples, wrapped intheir thick mantles, lay down to wait for Him. In that high clear airthey seemed very near heaven. The stars seemed almost as near as thelights in the villages below. They were tired, and watching theirMaster in prayer, they fell asleep. While they slept they seemed tosee a change in the face of Jesus as He prayed. It grew light with astrange inward glory, and all His garments became white and glisteninglike the snows of Hermon in the sun. They also saw two men with Himwhom they seemed to know were Moses and Elias, who had gone to heavencenturies before. 

They also heard them talking with Jesus, and they spoke of the samething that had troubled Peter when Jesus had spoken of it--that Heshould die at Jerusalem. 

They awoke out of sleep, but the vision did not pass away like a dream, they still saw it all. 

But as it began to melt away, Peter said, hardly knowing what he said, "Master, it is good for us to be here, and let us make threetabernacles, one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. "

Then the glory around Jesus grew until it seemed like a bright cloud atsunset, and it came and wrapt them around in its soft brightness, andthey were afraid. 

In the silence they heard a Divine voice, saying, "This is My beloved Son; hear Him. "

When the voice was passed they looked up and saw Jesus there alone. Hewas bending over them, touching them tenderly, and saying, "Arise, and be not afraid. "

As they came down the mountain He told them to tell no one of thevision until after He had risen from the dead. 

It seemed to the disciples, no doubt, like coming down from heaven toearth when after a long walk and talk with Jesus in the summer morningthey came near the village they had left, and found the people--amongthem some Jewish lawyers--disputing with the group of disciples there. As soon as they saw Jesus they all ran to Him, and greeted Him. 

One of the men explained what they were disputing about. 

"Master, " he said, "I have brought unto thee my son which hath a dumbspirit, " and he described the frightful state into which it had broughthis boy, and added that the disciples could not cast it out. 

"Bring him to me, " said Jesus, and they brought him, the evil spiritwithin him throwing him into convulsions as they laid him at Jesus'feet. 

"How long is it ago since this came to him?" said Jesus. 

"Of a child, " said the father, "and ofttimes it hath cast him into thefire and into the waters to destroy him, but if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us. " Jesus said, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. "

Then the poor father cried out with tears, "Lord, I believe; help thoumine unbelief!"

The Lord did not wait for greater faith than this. He charged the evilspirit to come out of the boy, and after a great struggle it left himas one dead, but Jesus took him by the hand and he arose. 

"Why could not we cast him out?" said the disciples afterward. 

"This kind, " said Jesus, "can come forth by nothing but by prayer andfasting. "

As they turned their steps toward home--the Lake side in Galilee--Jesusagain spoke of the work that lay before Him. The disciples listenedsadly, but could not understand why He should speak of being killed, and of rising again from the dead, and they dared not ask Him questionsabout it. 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 

THE LORD AND THE LITTLE ONES--LEAVING GALILEE. 

As the Lord and His disciples walked over the hills into Galilee someof them fell behind wondering among themselves what He could mean whenHe spoke of being killed and of rising again. Perhaps they thought itonly a sadness that would pass away, and so full of faith in His powerwere they that they could not believe that One who could raise the deadcould Himself die. 

"He will be a King, " they thought, and began to wonder who among themwould be chosen to be greatest in His Kingdom, and even to quarrelabout it. 

After they had reached Capernaum, and were at home again--probably inPeter's house--Jesus said to them, "What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?"

There was no word from any one of them, for they were ashamed. Thenthe Lord sat down, and calling the twelve around Him, said gently, "If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, andservant of all. "

A little child stood near listening, and wishing, perhaps, that hemight be a grown man so that he also could be a disciple. 

Making room for him in the midst of them all, He called the child, Peter's child, perhaps, who came joyfully to Him. Taking Him tenderlyin His arms He said, "Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name receiveth me, and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but Him that sent me. "

And He taught His disciples to be humble as a little child in thesebeautiful words:

"Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall notenter into the Kingdom of Heaven. "

"Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones, for I say untoyou that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Fatherwhich is in heaven. "

[Illustration: The little ones]

He also told them of the love of the Father in seeking His lostchildren. That if a shepherd had but lost one of his hundred sheep, hewould leave all the others to go out into the wild mountains to lookfor the lost sheep. How much more would the Father do for His own, andespecially for His little ones. 

"Even so, " He said, "it is not the will of your Father, which is inheaven, that one of these little ones should perish. "

Before going to the Feast at Jerusalem the Lord Jesus said many thingsto His disciples that would help them to be loving and forgiving towardeach other and all the world, for they were very soon going to meettrouble which would try their love and their faith. He told them todeal gently with those who had done wrong, that they might win themback to the right way. He told them that they should have help fromheaven when they asked for it, even if there should be only two to ask. 

"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, " He said, "there am I in the midst of them. "

"How oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?" askedPeter, "till seven times?"

"Until seventy times seven, " said Jesus, and He did not mean that weshould even count the number of times that we forgive. 

Then He told them a story of a forgiving king and an unforgivingservant that you may read in the eighteenth chapter of Matthew. 

At the time of the Feast of Tabernacles, the people went up toJerusalem to offer gifts in the golden Temple for the harvest that theLord had given them, and to join in a praise service there. 

They brought oil, and wine, and wheat, and barley; dates, pomegranates, and figs--something of all they had gathered, and while they marchedtoward the holy city they sang joyful songs that David had written longbefore. When they reached Jerusalem they built bowers of branches cutfrom the trees and lived in them for a week. 

Even in the city the people came out of their houses and lived inbowers on the streets and public squares, or upon the flat roofs of thehouses, and the hillsides round were covered with the green booths. 

The brothers of Jesus came down to Capernaum on their way to the Feastat Jerusalem, and they asked their elder Brother to go also into Judeaand show Himself to the world, that His miracles might be seen of all, for they did not believe in Him yet. But Jesus said, "My time is not yet come, but your time is always ready. "

So they went on their journey, and Jesus stayed in Galilee. 

After a few days He set His face toward Jerusalem, taking the shortestway through Samaria. The Samaritans were not friendly to the Jews, andthe disciples, who had been sent on before to find lodging for thecompany in a village, were not allowed to bring their Master there. 

The gentle John and his brother James were angry that unkindness wasshown to Jesus, and wished to call down fire from heaven to destroy thevillagers, but Jesus said, "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of, for the Son of Man hasnot come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. "

And they went to another village. On the way they found men who wishedto follow Jesus as the disciples did but while some were ready to leaveall, others wished to first bid their friends farewell, or bury theirdead, but Jesus saw something in their hearts that showed that theywere not fit for the Kingdom of God. 

There were many beside the twelve who fully believed in Jesus, and wereready to tell others of the coming kingdom, so He sent them out to allthe places where he intended to go, until there were seventy of thempreaching the good news. They went, saying, "The Kingdom of God iscome unto you, " and they healed the sick in Jesus' name. When theyreturned they were full of joy, saying, "Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through Thy name. " ButJesus said, "Rejoice not that the spirits are subject unto you, butrather rejoice because your names are written in heaven. "

CHAPTER XXIX. 

AT THE HOUSE OF MARTHA--THE GOOD SHEPHERD. 

While Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem a lawyer came and asked Himquestions. He did not want to be a disciple, yet he asked what heshould do to have eternal life. 

Jesus asked him what the commandments said about it, and the lawyerrepeated the two great commandments concerning love to the Lord and tothe neighbor. 

"Thou hast answered right, " Jesus replied. "This do and thou shaltlive. "

"And who is my neighbor?" said the lawyer. 

Then Jesus told a story of a man who went down to Jericho, and wasnearly killed by thieves. A priest came that way and when he saw a manwho needed help he passed by on the other side of the road. So did aLevite, one of the helpers in the temple worship, but a Samaritan (andthe Samaritans were despised by the Jews) came that way, and he stoppedin pity for the poor man, dressed his wounds, set him upon his ownbeast and brought him to an inn and took care of him. When he left theinn he also left money for his care, with the promise of more if itshould be needed. Then Jesus asked the lawyer which of these three menwas neighbor to him who fell among thieves. 

[Illustration: The good Samaritan]

"He that showed mercy on him, " said the lawyer. Then said Jesus untohim, "Go thou and do likewise. "

As Jesus came near to Jerusalem He passed through Bethany, a littletown at the foot of the Mount of Olives, where perhaps some of Hisdisciples had been preaching the new gospel before Him. There He wasgladly received into the house of Martha, who prepared the table withher own hands to offer the best in her house to her honored Guest. Shehad a brother named Lazarus, who was probably at the feast inJerusalem, and a younger sister named Mary who loved to listen to everyword that Jesus spoke. As every family built a bower of branchesduring this feast to remind them that for forty years they lived insuch houses in the wilderness while coming out of Egypt, there musthave been one in the court of Martha's house, and there, perhaps, Jesusrested while Mary sat at His feet and heard His word. 

[Illustration: Jesus in the house at Bethany]

Martha was very busy serving her honored guest, and thought Mary oughtto help her in the house, but Jesus said, "Martha, Martha, thou artcareful and troubled about many things; but one thing is needful, andMary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her. "

When the Feast of Tabernacles was at its height Jesus came up to theTemple at Jerusalem. The people had been looking for Him, and as soonas the noble, earnest-faced young Teacher was seen walking in themarble court of the Temple they thronged around Him to hear Him teach, or to see if He would do any miracle. 

Some wondered at His wisdom and His doctrine, and asked where it camefrom, "My doctrine is not mine, " He said, "but His that sent me. Ifany man will do His will he shall know of the doctrine. "

He taught them many things that day, and hinted at the same thing thathad troubled His disciples, and these were His words, "Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto Him that sent me. Ye shall seek me and shall not find me, and where I am thither yecannot come. "

The priests, the scribes, and the Pharisees were listening, and He knewthat their hearts were too full of pride and self-love to receive Hisword. They could not go to Him, for they would not let Him come intotheir hearts. 

On the last day, the great day of the Feast, Jesus stood and cried tothe people who were about to go back to their homes. His great heartwas breaking to bring them into the Kingdom of Heaven, and He knew thatthey would be scattered as sheep having no shepherd. 

"If any man thirst, " He cried, "let him come unto me and drink. " AndHe then promised to such as believe the Holy Spirit to dwell in them, and to flow out toward all the world like rivers of living water. 

So wonderfully did He preach that many said, "Of a truth this is aprophet, " and others said, "This is the Christ, " while others werefilled with anger and wished to arrest Him. Indeed, when the priestsand Pharisees urged the officers to take Him, they said, "Never man spake like this man, " and they would not lay hands on Him. 

But Nicodemus, a learned doctor of the law, was a friend of Jesus. Heit was who had a talk with Him one night under the olive trees aboutthe Spirit--the breath of God, and he with wise words turned the hatredof the Jews away from Jesus for the time, and they went to their ownhouses. 

Jesus taught in the Temple again the next day, and all the people cameto listen. 

It was here, perhaps, that the wicked Scribes and Pharisees brought toHim a poor woman who had sinned. They told Him that according to thelaw she ought to be stoned, and asked what He would say about it. Hedid not answer, but seemed to be writing on the ground before Him asthough He did not hear them. At last, because they would have ananswer He looked at them saying, "He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone, " andHe wrote again on the ground. No one answered Jesus, but one by onethey went away too much ashamed to speak. "Hath no man condemnedthee?" asked Jesus of the woman standing sorrowful and alone. 

"No man, Lord, " she said. 

"Neither do I condemn thee, " He said, "go and sin no more. "

Then Jesus sitting in the Treasury of the Temple said, "I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk indarkness but shall have the light of life. "

Many other things He said that His enemies tried to turn against Him, and the healing on the Sabbath day of a man who had been born blindstirred the anger of the Jews against Him, so that they sought by muchquestioning to accuse Jesus of sin, not knowing that they werethemselves spiritually blind. 

But He turned from them to call to the people again as He did on thelast day of the Feast, for in His love and pity He longed to bring thelost children of Israel to Himself that He might bless them, as ashepherd brings back the sheep that stray from the fold. 

"I am the Good Shepherd; and I know my own, and my own know me, " saidJesus, "even as the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father; and I laydown my life for the sheep, and other sheep I have which are not ofthis fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; andthey shall become one flock, one Shepherd. "

Other beautiful and blessed words He said about the Shepherd and Hisflock which are written in the tenth chapter of the Gospel of John, butthe learned Jews would not listen to Him, and thrice tried to kill Himby stoning Him, but they could not harm Him, for His time had not come. 

Then he went away beyond Jordan, where John first baptized, and manybelieved on Him there. 

CHAPTER XXX. 

THE LESSON STORIES OF JESUS. 

When Jesus was at prayer His disciples stood reverently apart from Him, and one day a disciple came near when he had ceased and said, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. "

Then the Lord taught them the beautiful prayer that is now said dailyall around the world, and known to every one of us, beginning, "OurFather which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. "

And He told them how pleased God is to have His children ask Him forwhat they need, or come to Him in trouble. 

"Ask, and it shall be given you, " He said; "seek, and ye shall find;knock and it shall be opened unto you. "

"If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he givehim a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him aserpent?"

"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto yourchildren, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give good gifts tothem that ask Him?"

It was while the Lord was teaching in the country called Peraea, eastof Jordan, that He told many things that His disciples remembered andwrote in a book afterward, when the Holy Spirit had come to "bring allthings to their remembrance, " as He had promised. 

He had been teaching three years, and was thirty-three years of age. 

Some of the people who lived, at Bethabara, by Jordan, were presentwhen He was baptized by John, and they were glad to have him stay amongthem and teach, for they were a kindly people, and though not learnedlike the men who were often to be found in the Temple courts and in theSynagogues, they were the common people who, hearing the word andloving it, were wiser than the Pharisees. 

The Lord told many stories that these people would remember, andafterward understand by the teaching of His Spirit which He said wouldbe given to them. You will read all of them in the Gospels, but herewe cannot tell them all. 

The story of "The Fig-tree in the Vineyard, " "The Great Supper, " and"The Foolish Rich Man" were stories of warning to those who wereturning away from the things of heaven to the things of the world, andthey were meant for all who should read them in the ages of the world. 

So were the three stories--they are called "parables" in theGospels--of the lost things; "The lost sheep, " "The lost piece ofmoney, " and "The lost son. " They were given to us to show the greatlove of the Heavenly Father for His children, and His constant care inseeking for them when they are wandering away from Him. These storiesare the voice of the Father always and everywhere calling His childrenhome, and many a poor soul has turned homeward with tears of repentanceafter reading them. 

One of these stories of lost things will be told here, but it is farmore beautiful in the language of the Scriptures. 

There was once a rich man who had two sons, and the younger one came tohim and said, "Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. "

And so the father divided his property, and gave the younger brotherhis share. In a few days he had gathered it all together and settledhis affairs so that he could go away. He went into a distant country, and there he spent all that he had among bad people who seemed to behis friends, but were really his worst enemies. 

When all that he had was spent there came a time of great trouble. There was very little food in the land, for there was a famine, and hewas obliged to go to work for the little he could get. It was not easyto find work, for the only thing he could do was to hire himself to aman who kept pigs. His work was to stay in the fields and feed themwith husks, the hard pods of the carob tree. Sometimes he was sohungry that he would have been glad to eat even these, but "no man gaveunto him. " Then the young man "came to himself. "

"How many hired servants of my father have bread enough and to spare, "he said, "and I perish with hunger!"

"I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, 'Father, Ihave sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to becalled thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. '"

The father must have been watching for his lost boy, for while he wasyet a great way off he saw him, and ran to meet him. He put his armsaround him and kissed him without once speaking of his sins, and hecalled his servants to bring the best robe and put it on him, and aring for his hand, and shoes for his feet, and then to kill the fattedcalf to make a feast for all, "For, " he said "this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. "

The elder son had been away in the field but when he came home heardmusic and dancing, and called to a servant to ask what these thingsmeant. When he had heard he was very angry, and would not go in. Hisfather came out to beg him to come in and greet his brother, but hesaid, "Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at anytime thy commandment, and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I mightmake merry with my friends. " But the father said, "Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meetthat we should make merry and be glad, for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again, and was lost and is found. "

[Illustration: The return of the prodigal]

There are other stories told by Jesus while in Peraea, which you willfind in the gospel by Luke, the beloved physician. One is about the"Unjust Steward, " and another is the story of the "Unjust Judge. "Still another is called "Dives and Lazarus, " or the "Rich man and theBeggar. "

The parable of "The Pharisee and the Publican, " describes two men whowent up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other apublican. 

[Illustration: The Pharisee and the publican]

The Pharisee prayed with _himself_, thus, "God, I thank thee that I amnot as other men are, or even as this publican. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all I possess. "

And the publican, standing afar off, dared not even lift his eyes toheaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, "God be merciful to me asinner!"

"This man, " said Jesus, "went down to his house justified rather thanthe other; for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased, and hethat humbleth himself shall be exalted. "

CHAPTER XXXI. 

THE VOICE THAT WAKED THE DEAD--THE CHILDREN OF THE KINGDOM. 

While Jesus and His disciples were still east of the Jordan troublefell upon the happy home in Bethany where Jesus had been an honoredguest. A messenger was sent to Jesus in great haste, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. "

It was from Mary and Martha concerning their brother Lazarus. 

Jesus sent the messenger back with this message, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that theSon of God might be glorified thereby, " and He remained two days longerwhere He was. Then He said, "Let us go into Judea again. "

The disciples reminded Him that the Jews there had tried to take Hislife. 

"Our friend Lazarus sleepeth, " said Jesus, "but I go that I may awakenhim out of sleep. "

The disciples thought that if he slept he was doing very well, untilJesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. "

Then Thomas was full of sorrow and said, "Let us also go that we may die with him. "

Bethany was not far from Jerusalem, and when they reached the house ofMartha, Lazarus had been dead four days, and was placed in a rock tomb. Many Jews from Jerusalem had come out to Bethany to comfort Mary andMartha, and to mourn for their friend Lazarus. 

When Martha heard that Jesus was coming she ran to meet Him, but Marysat still in the house. She thought, perhaps, that He had come toolate, and the same thought may have been in Martha's mind when she said, "Lord, if thou hadst been here my brother had not died, but I know thateven now whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. "

"Thy brother shall rise again, " said Jesus. 

"I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day, "she said. 

Then Jesus spoke those heavenly words that have been the comfort of thesorrowful ever since, "I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though hewere dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in meshall never die. Believest thou this?"

"Yea, Lord, " answered Martha, "I believe that thou art the Christ, theSon of God which should come into the world. "

Then she called Mary quietly, so that the people who were noisilywailing should not hear. 

"The Master is come and calleth for thee, " she said. 

Then Mary rose quickly and went to meet Jesus The people who weretrying to comfort her followed her, for they thought she was going tothe tomb to weep there; but they saw her go to meet Jesus and fall atHis feet saying, as Martha did, "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. "

When Jesus saw the tears of Mary and her sister and their friends Hewept also, not for Lazarus, but His heart was moved for them, and Heshared their sorrow. 

They brought Him to the tomb--a cave with a stone lying upon it. WhenHe asked them to take away the stone Martha's faith began to fail; butthe stone was rolled away, and when Jesus had prayed He called with aloud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"

And all who were bending forward toward the low, dark door of the tombsaw a man wrapped in linen come forth from the darkness and try toascend the stone steps. 

"Loose him and let him go, " said Jesus. And then there was a scene sofull of sacred joy that John, the disciple, who tells the story, doesnot show it to us. 

After this many believed in Jesus, but others went and told thePharisees all about it. 

It was spring in Peraea, and the valley of the Jordan was full of thesinging of birds and the color of blooming trees and wild flowers, while in the fields the young wheat was growing. The people throngedto Jesus in crowds, for He taught them in the open air. The discipleswere busy with the people, explaining to the dull, listening to thosewho wished to ask something of the Master, or keeping back the curious. This had to be done in every village through which they passed. Therewere many mothers with their children around them who came out of theirlow white houses to follow Jesus in the way, and to listen when He satdown to teach. 

The mothers loved to have the Rabbi's bless their children, for sincethe days of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the blessing of a good man meansmuch to the Israelite. 

One day some mothers brought their little ones to Jesus, and begged Himto bless them. The disciples told the mothers to stand back, and nottrouble the Master while he was teaching. Jesus knew what they weresaying, and He called them unto Him and said, "Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for ofsuch is the Kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall notreceive the Kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise entertherein. "

In this way he made it clear to His disciples, to the mothers, and toall who have read His word since that day, that every child is acitizen of the Lord's Kingdom, and dear to the heart of the King. 

Perhaps the mothers had heard that the Lord was about to leave thecountry east of Jordan to go up to Jerusalem, and they longed to havetheir little ones share in the blessing they had received while sittingat the feet of the great Teacher and learning of Him, for soon after Hecrossed the Jordan, and, teaching as he went, set His face towardJerusalem. 

CHAPTER XXXII. 

THE YOUNG MAN THAT JESUS LOVED. 

A rich young ruler came running after Jesus one day, saying, "Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

So eager was he to know that he knelt before Jesus by the road side. 

Jesus spoke gently to him telling him that God alone is good, and thathe knew the commandments that God had given. 

"All these have I kept from my youth up, " said the young man. 

As Jesus looked upon him He saw that he was really trying to be good, and hoping that he could do some great and good act that would give hima certain entrance into heaven. He had been taught by the Rabbis thatmen were saved by keeping the law and doing outward works ofrighteousness. He did not know that heaven must begin in his own heart. 

Jesus, reading his heart, loved him, and longed to have him know thetruth. 

"Yet lackest thou one thing, " he said, "sell all that thou hast anddistribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; andcome, follow me. "

When he heard these words the young man turned away and lost the eagerlook with which he had come to the Lord's feet. He was very sorrowful, for he was very rich, and he found that he loved his riches more thanhe loved anything else. 

"How hardly, " said Jesus, "shall they that have riches enter into theKingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle'seye than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. "

"Who then can be saved?" asked one. 

"The things which are impossible with men, are possible with God, " Hesaid. 

"Lo, we have left all, " said Peter, "and followed Thee, " and then theLord gave to His disciples that promise that has been proven true bymillions of His children for ages past, --

"There is no man who hath left house or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children for the Kingdom of God's sake, who shall not receivemanifold more in this present time, and in the world to come lifeeverlasting. "

CHAPTER XXXIII. 

THE LAST JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM. 

When Jesus and His disciples were finally on the way to Jerusalem Jesuswent before them, and the shadow of the great trial He was about tosuffer cast its shadow upon Him. The disciples saw it, and Mark saysthat "they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. " Hetold them all about the trial and the death that lay before Him, but sounwilling were they to believe it, and so sure were they that He wouldbe made king of the Jews, that two of them brought their mother toJesus to ask that her two sons might sit next to Him when He shouldcome to the throne. 

"Ye know not what ye ask, " He said, "can ye drink of the cup that Idrink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"and they said, "We can, " not knowing that He spoke of suffering and death. 

He told them that though they would indeed drink of His cup, He had nohonors to give them. 

Then, when the others were vexed with James and John for their foolishrequest, He talked to them all tenderly about the grace of humility. 

"Whosoever of you who will be chiefest, " He said, "shall be servant ofall. For even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but tominister, and to give His life a ransom for many. "

It was the time of the Passover Feast at Jerusalem, and as they crossedat the Fords of Jordan and went over the Jericho plain they must havejoined some of the groups of joyful people who were going up to theFeast, some on camels and asses, and some walking beside the beastsbearing tents or merchandise. The valley of the Jordan was bright withthe freshness of spring, and as they came near Jericho with itsrose-gardens, and orchards, and feathery palms, it looked like thegardens of Paradise. It was sometimes called Jericho "the perfumed"because of its great gardens of roses, and its balsam plantations fromwhich they made perfumes that were sold in all the East. It was warmeven in winter there, and no frosts destroyed its tropical fruits andflowers. The rich plain was made fertile by two springs that senttheir waters through trenches all through these gardens and orchards. One is called the "Elisha Spring, " because the prophet made itspoisonous waters pure by casting salt into them. 

And so the Passover pilgrims entered Jericho. 

There was in Jericho a man named Zaccheus, who, like Matthew ofCapernaum, was a rich tax-gatherer. He wanted to see Jesus as Hepassed, but the crowd was great, and he was a small man, so he ranbefore the people and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him. 

As Jesus passed the tree He looked up and said, "Zaccheus, make haste and come down, for to-day I must abide at thyhouse. "

Zaccheus came down in great haste, and was full of joy to be able toentertain Jesus, though some complained that a sinner should have thehonor of taking the Master into his house. 

Zaccheus must have heard these cruel remarks, for he said humbly, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I havetaken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore himfourfold. "

Then Jesus said heartily, "This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man is cometo seek and to save that which was lost. "

It was just outside of Jericho that the bands going out towardJerusalem passed a blind beggar who cried, "Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me!"

The Lord heard the cry and called him, and there by the roadside Heopened the eyes of Bartimeus to see the beauty all around him, and thekind face of Jesus looking at him. And he followed Him. 

The pilgrims came up the steep, rocky road from Jericho to Jerusalem, and they were fortunate who could ride, for the heat was great, and theroad hard to climb. Jesus and His friends walked, for they were poormen, as riches are counted in this world. 

It was a six hours' journey, and when they reached the green heights ofthe Mount of Olives they turned aside to the village of Bethany, andthere Jesus rested in the house of Mary and Martha and the brother whomHe had called back from the grave. The disciples were lodged in thetown, no doubt, among their friends, and so grateful and happy werethey of Bethany to have the Lord once more among them that they made asupper to show their joy at His coming. It was at the house of Simon, who had been a leper, and cured, perhaps, by Jesus, and Lazarus sat atthe table with Jesus, and Mary and Martha served. 

It was a holy, happy time, yet shadowed with sadness because of thewords of Jesus concerning His death, which the disciples could notbelieve. 

In the midst of the supper Mary brought an alabaster box of veryprecious and costly perfume, and poured it upon the head of Jesus andalso upon His feet, wiping them with her long hair. Judas, one of thetwelve, frowned upon her, and said it was a waste, for the perfumemight have been sold for money to give to the poor. 

But Jesus knew what Mary did. 

"Let her alone, " He said, "against the day of my burying hath she keptthis; for the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always. "

"She hath done what she could. "

"Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her. "

CHAPTER XXXIV. 

THE PRINCE OF PEACE. 

It was in the lovely spring time of a land that scarcely knows winterthat a strange and beautiful scene made Jerusalem still more beautiful. Over the Mount of Olives, where the olive and the fig-trees were intender leaf, came a procession of people crying, "Hosanna; blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of theLord!"

The road was crowded with people who with lifted faces and songs ofpraise waved branches of palm as they walked before and beside Jesus, who was riding toward Jerusalem, seated upon a young ass, after themanner of the kings and prophets of ancient Israel. 

After Jesus and His friends had left Bethany to go to Jerusalem He hadsent two of His disciples to a village near by to bring to Him an ass, with its colt, that they would find tied there, and they were to say tothe owner of the asses, "The Lord hath need of them, " that the words ofthe prophet might be fulfilled, "Tell ye the daughter of Zion, 'Behold thy king cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt, the foal of an ass. '"

While the Lord and His friends were coming up the Mount of Olives, manypeople from Jerusalem who knew that He was on His way came to meet Him, and when the two disciples brought to Jesus the ass upon which He wasto ride they placed Him upon it, and spreading their garments in theway, and with waving palms and singing they came over the ridge of theMount of Olives from which they could see Mount Zion shining beforethem. The Pharisees had come out to see what it meant and were angry. "See--the world is gone after Him!" they said, but Jesus, when theyasked Him to stop the praises of the people, told them that the verystones would cry out if the people should hold their peace. As theycame to a point in the road where from a smooth rocky height they couldsee the great city with its temple before them, the whole companystopped, and Jesus, beholding it, wept over it saying, "If thou hadst known, even thou, in this thy day, the things whichbelong to thy peace, but now they are hid from thine eyes!"

[Illustration: Jesus entering Jerusalem]

And He spoke of the days when enemies should surround the Holy City, and lay it even with the ground, because they knew not the time oftheir visitation. Fifty years after the Romans took the Holy City andburned the beautiful Temple, and put uncounted people to death. And soJesus went down through the valley of the Kedron and up through thecity gates with the great procession that grew at every step until Hecame to His Father's House--the Temple. Then He looked about and sawthe buyers and sellers again making the Temple a market, but He wentsilently away with His friends to Bethany again. He had entered thecity as the Prince of Peace, not as a Roman Emperor would do, withsound of trumpet and the tread of armed legions, and they knew not thetime of their visitation. 

CHAPTER XXXV. 

THE CHILDREN IN THE TEMPLE. 

The next morning Jesus went early with His disciples to the Temple. Itwas on the way as they went over the Mount of Olives that they passed abarren fig-tree--one that bore nothing but leaves. It was like thePharisees, who outwardly seemed to be religious, but were inwardlyevil, and bore none of the fruits of a religious life. 

"Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward forever, " said Jesus, and itwithered away. When the disciples wondered, Jesus said, "If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which isdone to the fig-tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, 'Bethou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, ' it shall be done. Andall things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shallreceive. " When Jesus came again to the Temple He drove out the buyersand sellers and the money-changers, as He had done before. 

"It is written, " He said, "'My house is the house of prayer, but yehave made it a den of thieves. '"

When they had been driven out, the people who had been waiting forJesus, and the blind and the lame came to Him, and He healed all whocame. The Pharisees looked on with hatred in their hearts, and talkedwith the priests of arresting Him then and there, but a clear, sweetsound of young voices singing came floating through the temple courts, and they saw bands of children who were crying, "Hosanna to the Son ofDavid!" and it rang like heavenly music through all the place. 

"Hearest thou what these say?" cried the angry Pharisees, and Jesusanswered, "Yea; have ye never read, 'Out of the mouths of babes andsucklings thou hast perfected praise?'" Then He left them and wentagain to Bethany to rest in the house of His faithful friends, Martha, and Mary, and Lazarus. 

CHAPTER XXXVI. 

THE LAST DAY IN THE TEMPLE. 

It was on a Tuesday that Jesus came again early to the Temple. It wasthe last day of His teaching there and He filled it with wonderfulsayings that have been taught in thousands of Christian temples fornearly two thousand years. The chief priests and elders, who were fullof anger because He had acted as if He had a right to say who shouldcome into the Temple courts, came to Him as He was teaching and said, "By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee thisauthority?" Jesus answered them by asking a question, "The baptism ofJohn, whence was it? from heaven, or of men?" They could not answer, for they said in their own minds, "If we shall say 'From heaven, ' Hewill say, 'Why did you not then believe him;' but if we shall say 'Ofmen, ' we fear the people, for all men hold John as a prophet. " And sothey said, "We cannot tell. "

And Jesus answered, "Neither tell I you by what authority I do thesethings. " They could not find what they wanted--something to accuse Himof before the Jewish Council and so they tried to lead Him to saysomething that would turn the Romans against Him. They came to Himwith flattering words, saying that they knew that He taught the way ofGod truly, and would He tell them if it was lawful to give tribute toCaesar or not? He saw their deceit and cunning, and said, "Why temptye me? Show me a penny. Whose image and superscription is this?"They told Him it was Caesar's. "Render therefore, " He said, "untoCaesar the things which be Caesar's, and to God the things which beGod's. "

[Illustration: Showing the penny]

They wondered much at the wisdom of His answer, and could find nothingwhereof to accuse Him, but perhaps they never knew what He really meantto say to them--and to us also--that His Kingdom was not of this world. 

CHAPTER XXXVII. 

THE LAST WORDS IN THE TEMPLE. 

On this day also, as Jesus sat near the treasury of the Temple and sawthe rich, and the self-righteous casting their money into the boxesplaced there, He saw a poor widow come with her mourning dress showingthat she was the poorest of the poor--a pauper--and yet she hadsomething to give: she dropped two "mites" into one of the boxes underthe marble colonnade that surrounded the court of the women. Takentogether these two coins were worth much less than a penny, but theywere "all her living" and though the Lord did not speak to her, as faras we know, He saw her faith, and His blessing must have reached her inways that we know nothing about. To those who stood about Him He said, "Of a truth I say unto you that this poor widow hath cast in more thanthey all; for all these have of their abundance cast into the offeringsof God; but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had. "

[Illustration: The two mites]

Jesus, who "spake as never man spake, " preached the new Gospel of theKingdom by means of stories, or parables, and on one long day ofteaching in the Temple He told several stories that the people neverforgot. Two of them were stories of the vineyard. One of them was ofa man who sent his two sons into his vineyard to work. One answered "Iwill not, " but afterward repented and went, while the other, who hadsaid "I go, sir, " went not. Jesus taught in this that real sinners whoat first refuse to enter God's kingdom but afterward repent and enter, are better than the heartless hypocrites who talk much of theirreligion but are inwardly evil. 

The other story was of a certain householder who owned a vineyard andlet it out to some men while he took a journey into a far country. When the time of the fruit drew near he sent his servants to the menwho had rented the vineyard, that they might receive the fruits of it, but the men beat one servant, and stoned another, and killed another. When the owner sent other servants they treated them in the same way. Then he sent his son saying, "They will reverence my son, " but the mendetermined to kill the heir and take the vineyard for themselves, andthey cast out the son of the lord of the vineyard and killed him. Inthis story He spoke of His own death, as well as that of the prophetsand John the Baptist before Him. 

The chief priests and Pharisees, when they heard this parable knew thatthe Lord spoke of them, and they tried again to take Him by force, butfeared the people. 

Another story told in the Temple that day was of the "Marriage of theKing's Son" which you will find in the twenty-second chapter ofMatthew. It shows first how the Jews were asked into the Kingdom ofChrist, but refused to come, and their city was given over to theirenemies to destroy. In the second part of the parable the call of allnations to come into Christ's kingdom is described, and the man who wasfound at the feast without a wedding garment, describes those who comeinto the church without real faith in the Lord Jesus, and are notprepared to enter heaven. "For many are called, " said Jesus, "but feware chosen. "

Knowing the wickedness of the priests and Pharisees, who stood beforethe people as more holy than others, the Lord ended His last day in theTemple with words to them that must have been sharper than a sword, andmore burning than flames of fire. These words are in the twenty-thirdchapter of Matthew, and may no child who reads them ever live todeserve to hear them for himself. To the hypocrite alone the Lord wasstern and severe, but to the sinner who truly repented He was full offorgiving love. After telling them of the sorrows and desolations thatmust fall upon the Holy City because of the sins of those who should betrue and faithful teachers of their holy religion, He sent forth theselast words of love and sorrow through the Temple courts, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonestthem which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thychildren together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under herwings, and ye would not! Behold your house is left unto you desolate, for I say unto you, ye shall not see me henceforth till ye shall say, 'Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord. '" And He went outof the Temple to return no more. 

CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

AN EVENING ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES. 

Jesus and His friends went out from the Temple and Jerusalem to theMount of Olives, and as they looked back upon the beautiful buildingsof marble and gold that made the Temple seem like a great jewel shiningin the sunset, the disciples turned to Jesus and spoke of it, but Hesaid, "There shall not be left here one stone that shall not be thrown down. "

They sat down on the slope of Olivet where the olive and fig-trees wereputting forth their new leaves, and in that quiet time Peter, andJames, and John, and Andrew drew close about their beloved Master, andsaid, "Tell us, when shall these things be, and what shall be the signof thy coming, and the end of the world?" He told them many thingshard to be understood; of the sorrows of Israel when their city shouldbe destroyed, and the people scattered; of the end of the age, whenthey should turn to the Lord they had rejected, and of His coming tothe whole world. 

"Watch, therefore, " He said, "for ye know not what hour your Lord dothcome, " and He told them of the faithful and the unfaithful servants;that the one was found doing his duty when his lord returned, and wasmade ruler over all his goods, but the other, unfaithful in all things, was surprised by his lord's coming and cast out. 

He told them another beautiful "watching" story of the Ten Virgins whowent forth with their little lamps to meet the bridegroom on his way tothe marriage feast. Five of them took oil to fill their lamps, andfive took no oil with them. The bridegroom was long in coming, andthey all fell asleep; but at midnight there was a cry, "Behold thebridegroom cometh! go ye out to meet him!" Then they all arose andtrimmed their lamps, but five of the lamps had gone out, and thefoolish maids who brought no oil to fill them begged it of the others, but they were told that they must go and buy it of those who had it tosell. While they went to buy the bridegroom came, and they that wereready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut. Afterward, when the five thoughtless ones came to the door crying, "Lord, Lord, open to us!" they only heard the answer, "I know you not. "

After this He told them the story of the Talents, which you may read inthe twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew. It is the Lord's teaching to alldisciples about making the most of the life He gives us. 

His last story was a picture of the gathering of the nations, and theseparation of the good and the true from the false and the evil. TheKing's call to the good, "Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit thekingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, " carriedwith it a strange reason. "For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat;I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took mein; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was inprison, and ye came unto me. "

Then the good whom He had called were astonished, and cried, "Lord, when saw we thee an hungered and fed thee? or thirsty, a stranger, sick, or in prison?" and He answered, "Inasmuch as ye have done it untoone of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. " Tothe false and the evil He could not say these things, but quite theopposite; and when they wondered when they had seen the Lord hungry, orthirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and had notministered unto Him, He said, "Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of theleast of these, ye did it not to me. " Those by a life of love andservice had chosen eternal life, but these by a life of selfishness hadchosen death. 

CHAPTER XXXIX. 

THE HOLY SUPPER. 

There were two more days before the Passover Feast when Jesus would eatthe Paschal Supper with His disciples. He spent the time with themtrying to help them to bear the great trial that was before them, andwhich would shake their faith in Him to the utmost. They stillbelieved that some great miracle would break around them like light inthe darkness, and that Jesus would be acknowledged as the Messiah forwhom the whole nation was waiting and yet the shadow grew deeper. Thefaith of one had failed. Judas had secretly hoped that Jesus would bemade king, and that His disciples would be honored with riches andpower, but little by little this hope had been dying, and little bylittle his heart had been turning away from his Master and hisbrethren, until, with the resolve to forsake the Lord, he opened thedoor of his heart to Satan, who began to enter in and possess him. 

The high priest and the elders were plotting against Jesus in theircouncil, and Judas, leaving Bethany and the company of the Lord and Hisdisciples, went over the road he had so often walked with Jesus with athought from Satan burning in his heart. He loved money more thaneverything else, and there was but one thing that would bring it nowsince all hope of Jesus becoming a king was past. 

He went to the Temple and asked to be taken before the rulers, and hesaid to them, "What will ye give me, and I will deliver Him unto you?"There was a bargain made at once, and out of the Temple treasury theyweighed him thirty pieces of silver, and he carried them away with thepromise that he would watch Jesus, and tell them when and where theycould take Him. He did not remember that five hundred years before theprophet Zechariah had written, "So they weighed for my price thirtypieces of silver. "

On Thursday morning, the first day of the Feast, Jesus sent Peter andJohn to prepare a place where He should hold the Paschal Supper withHis disciples in the evening. He told them to go into the city, andthere they would meet a man bearing a pitcher of water, and if theywould follow him he would show them a large upper room furnished. There they were to make ready the Passover. 

[Illustration: The Passover supper]

They found it as He had said, and when the lamb had been slain at theTemple, the feast prepared, and the hour was come, the Lord sat downwith the twelve. It was the last time that He would break the bread ofthe Passover with them before He suffered, and it was to be the firstHoly Supper of the Christian Church. "With desire I have desired toeat this Passover with you before I suffer;" He said, "for I say untoyou that I will not any more eat thereof until it be fulfilled in theKingdom of God. " Before Him were the cakes of unleavened bread, thewine, the water and the herbs, while the Paschal Lamb was on a sidetable. After the blessing and the thanks, the Lord filled a cup withwine and water, and blessing and tasting it passed it to His disciples. It was the custom for the master of the feast to wash his hands at thispoint, and Jesus rose, and laid aside His tunic, and tying a long towelaround His waist, poured water into a large basin and going to Hisdisciples knelt down to wash their feet. They had been contending asto who should sit nearest to the Lord, and so be accounted greatest, and He thus taught them a lesson of humility. He told them that theywere not to be among those who hold authority. "But he that isgreatest among you let him be as the younger, " He said, "and he that ischief as he that doth serve. " The disciples looked on astonished anddistressed, for their Master was doing the work that slaves were in thehabit of doing, and Peter cried, "Lord, dost thou wash my feet?" Jesussaid gently, "What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt knowhereafter. " "Thou shalt never wash my feet;" said the loving, impulsive Peter, and Jesus answered, "If I wash thee not thou hast nopart with me. " "Lord, not my feet only, " the humbled disciple said, "but also my hands and my head!" When He sat down with them again Hetalked tenderly to them of serving each other as He had served them, adding, "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. " With atroubled spirit He said, "Behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me iswith me on the table. " Then the disciples began to inquire sorrowfullyamong themselves who it could be, and to ask the Lord in turn, "Is itI?" Even Judas, close beside Him, asked the same question, but thedisciples did not hear the Lord's reply. Peter, beckoning to John, signed to him to ask the Master, for John sat next the Lord, and leanedupon His breast. When he asked, "Lord, who is it?" Jesus said, perhapsin a whisper to John, "He it is to whom I shall give a sop when I have dipped it, " and Hegave it to Judas Iscariot. Then Satan entered fully into the angry, covetous heart of Judas, and when Jesus said to him in a low voice, "That thou doest do quickly, " he rose and went out into the night. Alone with His faithful friends, the Lord took bread and blessed it andbroke it, and gave to them, saying, "Take, eat, this is my body; thisdo in remembrance of me. " And He took the cup, saying, "Drink ye allof it, for this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed formany for the remission of sins. "

And so the Lord founded the Holy Supper of His Church, the mystery andthe holiness of which you will know more and more as you grow in theheavenly life, and receive through His Spirit the new wine of theKingdom. John, the beloved disciple, kept for us the wonderful andprecious words that the Lord spoke after the Holy Supper. They arefull of a love for His children so deep and wide that we can never hopeto measure it. They are written in the fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth chapters of John's Gospel, and every childshould hide them in his memory and heart before he is grown, and inafter life they will be bread in time of spiritual famine. Lookingaround upon their troubled faces at the table the Lord said to Hisdisciples, "Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believealso in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. I go to prepare aplace for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will comeagain and receive you unto myself, that when I am there ye may bealso. " He answered their questions, and He promised them theComforter--the Holy Spirit of Truth, who would teach them all things, and make all the dark things clear. He also promised certainly to comeback to them and not leave them orphans. 

After they had sung a psalm they arose from the table, but theylingered for the Lord's last words and His prayer. He charged them tobe steadfast and live from Him, as a branch lives from the vine, for Hewas the true spiritual Vine, and without Him they could do nothing. Hetold them of His great love for them, and that they must love oneanother through all the suffering and persecution that was before them, and trust to the Spirit of Truth, who would guide them in all things, and teach them the things He would say to them, but which they were notyet able to bear. And He promised that whatever they should ask theFather in His name should be given them. Then lifting up His eyes toheaven He prayed for His disciples, and for all disciples who shouldbelieve on Him through their word, that they might be one with eachother and with Him as He was one with the Father, and, being made cleanfrom the evil that is in the world that they should be with Him foreverin heaven. After the prayer they went out of the city, and over thebrook Kedron into a garden where Jesus had often sat with His disciples. 

CHAPTER XL. 

THE NIGHT OF THE BETRAYAL. 

As they went out through the darkness down the valley and over theKedron, Jesus still talked with His disciples. To Peter's question, "Lord, where goest thou?" He said, "Whither I go thou canst not followme now, but thou shalt follow me afterwards. " "Lord, why cannot Ifollow thee now?" said Peter. "I will lay down my life for thy sake. "

"Verily, verily I say unto thee, the cock shall not crow till thou hastdenied me thrice, " said Jesus. 

"Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may siftyou as wheat; but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not; andwhen thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. "

"All ye shall be offended because of me this night; for it is written, 'I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall bescattered abroad. '"

[Illustration: Gethsemane]

Jesus and his friends had reached the olive trees of Gethsemane when Heasked them to sit there while He went away a little distance to pray. He took Peter and James and John with Him; and began to be verysorrowful, and He said, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here andwatch with me. " He went a little farther, and fell on His face andprayed, saying, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass fromme: nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt. " He found Hisdisciples sleeping for sorrow, and He said to Peter, "What! could yenot watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, lest ye enter intotemptation. " Again He prayed, "O my Father, if this cup may not passaway from me except I drink it, Thy will be done. " And there appearedan angel unto Him from heaven, strengthening Him. Then there was thesound of the tread of many feet, and the light of torches moving amongthe olive trees, and Judas, leading a band of priests, elders andcaptains of the Temple came toward the little group, and kissed Jesusas a sign that He was the One whom they sought. Jesus turned to himsaying, "Judas, betrayest thou the Son of Man with a kiss?" And to theothers, "Whom seek ye?"

[Illustration: Jesus betrayed by Judas]

"Jesus of Nazareth, " they answered. And when Jesus had said to them, "I am He, " they fell backward at the sight of His face. "When I wasdaily with you in the Temple, " He said, "ye stretched forth no handsagainst me; but this is your hour and the power of darkness. " Peterdrew a sword and struck at the high priest's servant in defence of hisMaster, but Jesus said gently, "Suffer ye thus far, " and touched his ear and healed him. "Put up thysword into the sheath, " He added. "The cup which my Father hath givenme, shall I not drink it?"

Then they took Jesus and bound Him to lead Him away, and the disciplesforsook Him and fled, as had been written in the prophets. But John, the loving and beloved, came back and followed Jesus. So did Peter, remembering his vow, but he followed Him afar off. 

CHAPTER XLI. 

DESPISED AND REJECTED OF MEN. 

Jesus was first taken to Annas, the old High-Priest, who sent Him boundto Caiaphas, who was his son-in-law, and High-Priest that year. 

John went in with Jesus to the palace of the High-Priest, but Peterstood outside the door, shivering with the chill of the night, but morewith fear. 

A servant girl at the door said, when John came out to bring him in, "Art not thou also one of this man's disciples?"

And Peter said, "I am not. "

Restless and unhappy, he walked about, or warmed himself by the fire, until three had accused him of being a follower of Jesus, and threetimes he had denied his Lord. Then there came a sound that struck himthrough--he heard through the open windows the crowing of a cock. Ithad crowed once before, but he did not think then of what the Lord hadsaid, but now his memory and conscience were wide awake, for, as helooked over the heads of the people towards Jesus standing bound andalone before the High-Priest, the Lord turned and looked upon Peter. That look broke Peter's heart, and he rushed out of the place, and weptbitterly. 

[Illustration: The sin of Peter]

There was a mock trial which would pain the heart of a child to dwellupon, and which we will not describe at length. It is enough to knowthat the Lamb of God, who had come to take away the sins of the world, was willingly in the power of His enemies, and going down to death. Awonderful description of the trial and death of the Messiah may befound in the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah, which was fulfilled in thetrial and death of Jesus. The hatred of the priests, the scoffings, the blows, and the cruel words of the people we will not describe. "Hewas oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth. Heis brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before hershearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth. " Finally Caiaphas cried, "I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be theChrist, the Son of God!" Jesus said, "I am; and ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand ofpower, and coming in the clouds of heaven. "

Then the High Priest rent his garments as if shocked at such profanity, and said, "Ye have heard the blasphemy; what think ye?" And they all condemnedHim to be guilty of death. 

There was another gathering of the priests in the morning as the daybegan to dawn. There were more cruel words and blows for the DivineMan who was bearing the sins of the world, and He was taken away toPilate. 

And where was the wretched man who had sold his Master into the handsof His enemies!

He could not have thought that he was bringing death on His Master; butwhen at last he saw the Lord coming, pale, suffering and bound, downthe marble steps, and heard "Death! death!" on every side, he becameterrified. He had no one to turn to, for he had not a friend amongmen. He ran to the Temple and, finding some priests, begged them takeback the money they had given him, saying, "I have sinned, in that Ihave betrayed the innocent blood. "

"What is that to us, " said the heartless priests. "See thou to that. "

Then Judas cast the thirty pieces of silver over the marble floor, andfled from the place. Afterward he was found outside the city, where hehad hanged himself. The priests could not put the price of blood inthe Lord's treasury, and so they bought with it a field in which tobury strangers. 

CHAPTER XLII. 

THE KING OF HEAVEN AT THE BAR OF PILATE. 

Pilate, the Roman Governor, who had come up from Caesarea by the sea tokeep order in Jerusalem during the Passover, was in his fine palacecalled "The Praetorium. " Adjoining was "The Hall of Judgment, " wherecases were brought to the Governor to be judged, and just outside thisHall was a place called "The Pavement. " It was a broad floor ofmany-colored marbles, open toward the city, and having an ivoryjudgment-seat. 

While the morning was lighting the gold of the Temple roof to splendor, there was a deep shadow over the friends of Jesus. Their Lord wasbeing led through the streets of Jerusalem by Roman guards, condemnedto die. His mother and the women who believed in Him were in the cityand saw Him, perhaps, as He was hurried by, pale and weak from thecruelty of wicked men. The priests would not go into the Judgment Hallfor fear of defilement at the time of their Feast, so Pilate came outto "The Pavement" and sat down upon the ivory judgment seat. He was astern, proud man wearing a white toga with a rich purple border--therobe of a Roman ruler. 

"What accusation do you bring against this man, " asked Pilate, lookingat the pure, pallid face of the Divine Man, and turning to the dark andevil faces of His accusers. To their complaining remark, "If he werenot a malefactor we would not have delivered him up unto thee, " Pilatereplied, "Take ye him and judge him according to your law. "

When they replied that (under Roman rule) it was not lawful for them toput any man to death. Pilate did not wish to condemn that just One ofwhom he had known nothing but good, for he had heard of His miracles, and had doubtless heard his wife speak of the young Rabbi. He rose andwent into the Hall, ordering the guards to bring Jesus to him. Then hequestioned Him, "Art thou the King of the Jews?" he asked. 

"My Kingdom is not of this world, " said Jesus. "If my Kingdom was ofthis world, then would my servants fight, that I should not bedelivered to the Jews; but now my Kingdom is not from hence. "

"Art thou a king then?" said Pilate. 

"Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for thiscause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. "

"What is truth?" said Pilate, wondering, perhaps, what kingdom of truththis harmless man was dreaming of, and then he rose and went forth tothe people on "The Pavement" who were saying that this man was stirringup the people from Galilee to Jerusalem. 

Pilate, hearing that Jesus was a Galilean, sent him to the palace ofHerod Antipas, who ruled over that province, and who was now inJerusalem, but He was sent back to Pilate crowned with thorns andwearing a faded purple robe. The Roman soldiers had jested about Hiskingship, and Antipas had cruelly carried it out in returning Him inthis dress to Pilate, through the streets of the city. He had beentried the fourth time and now Pilate made another effort to set Himfree, He questioned Him again and heard the complaints of the Jews, butJesus would not defend Himself. 

[Illustration: Jesus crowned with thorns]

"Hearest thou not how many things, they witness against thee?" saidPilate. "Answerest thou nothing?" If Jesus would only defend Himself!

Then Pilate thought he would scourge Jesus to satisfy His enemies, andlet Him go. 

"Ye have brought this man unto me, " he said to the chief priests, "asone that perverteth the people, and behold, I, having examined himbefore you, have found no fault in this man. No, nor yet Herod. Iwill therefore chastise him and release him. "

[Illustration: Jesus before Pilate]

The cry of "Crucify him! crucify him!" rose again. 

A message was sent to Pilate from his wife, which deepened the shadowon his face. "Have thou nothing to do with that just man, " she said, "for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. "

The people had been persuaded by the priests to ask for Barabbas, andwhen Pilate asked which of the two he should release to them, theycried, "Barabbas!"

"What shall I do with Jesus, which is called Christ?" and all cried, "Let him be crucified!"

"Why, what evil hath he done?" asked Pilate, but the cry was so greathe could bear it no longer, and calling a slave to bring water, hewashed his hands before them as a sign that he took no blame for theact, and said, "I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it, " butthey cried, "His blood be upon us, and upon our children. " And when Pilate hadgiven the order to scourge and crucify Jesus, he went into his palace. 

CHAPTER XLIII. 

LOVE AND DEATH. 

Jesus had been meeting and conquering evil all His life, and in thelast hour of it the last enemy was overcome. There were no children atthe cross when Jesus laid down His life for us all, and we will notlead you there to point out all the means used by evil men to increasethe suffering of our Lord. It was greatest within the great Heart ofLove which broke for the sins of the world, and when you have learnedthe nature of Spirit you will be able to understand that Jesus chose topass through an earthly life of poverty and temptation, and die apainful and shameful death, that He might be the Brother of the poor, the tempted, the suffering and the dying. "He was taken from prisonand from judgment:" "He poured out His soul unto death, and wasnumbered with the transgressors;" "He bore the sins of many, and madeintercession for the transgressors. " So Isaiah wrote of the comingMessiah seven hundred years before. But so blind were the Jews thatthey could not see that the Redeemer had come to Zion, "He came untoHis own and His own received Him not. "

Bearing His cross He went forth meekly to death, and when He fellbeneath the heavy cross, the Roman soldiers forced a passing strangerto carry it. All along the street women wept for pity as He passed, and there was sorrow in many hearts for the Man whom they had believedin as the One who was to deliver their nation. 

[Illustration: Jesus bearing the Cross]

But the eleven disciples--where were they? In deep grief somewhere;but only one--John the Beloved--followed his Master down to death. With the suffering mother of Jesus and the faithful women disciples hekept near his Lord. They saw the rough soldiers as they took theLord's garments and divided them among themselves, and when they putHis body upon the cross they heard Him pray, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!"

Two robbers were crucified with Jesus, upon His right hand and on Hisleft. One begged Him to save him, and reviled Him because He did not;but the other said, "Lord, remember me when Thou comest into ThyKingdom. " And Jesus said, "Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thoube with me in Paradise. "

His dying eyes also beheld His mother standing by the cross with thebeloved John and the faithful women who had been His friends. The hourhad come spoken of by Simeon in the Temple when he said, "Yea a swordshall pierce through thy own soul also. " Jesus, looking at His mothersupported by John said, "Woman, behold thy son!" And to the disciple He said, "Son, behold thymother!" And from that hour John took her to his own home to love andcare for her through the rest of her life. 

We will not look at the darkness that rolled over the sky, shutting outthe light of the sun, or the sights and sounds of that day on Calvary. Jesus, thinking of the redemption He had wrought out for us, bowed Hishead and said, "It is finished! Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit. " Thenthe great veil before the Holy Place in the Temple was torn in two fromthe top to the bottom, as a sign that the Lord Jesus by His death hadopened the way for us into life eternal. 

CHAPTER XLIV. 

LOVE AND LIFE. 

There was a good man of Arimathea named Joseph who was a disciple ofJesus, but not a fearless one. He had not followed Jesus with thetwelve, but he had loved Him, and when he knew that his Master, who hadnot where to lay His head in life, had not a place of burial in death, he lost all fear and went to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus. ThisPilate willingly gave him, and he, bringing helpers, took the body fromthe cross and tenderly brought it to his own garden in which was a newtomb hewn out of the rock. In this peaceful garden-room for the deadthey laid Him, wrapped Him in fine linen and spices, for anotherdisciple who had not dared to follow Jesus openly had come with amixture of myrrh and aloes of a hundred pounds weight to embalm thebody of Jesus. This was Nicodemus who had a talk with Jesus by nightamong the olive trees about the breath of God in man. So these tworich men buried Jesus, and a prophecy was fulfilled. 

[Illustration: The descent from the Cross]

We do not know that any of the eleven disciples helped to bury Jesus, but, while John took the mother of Jesus to a place of rest and safety, his own mother, Salome, and Mary, the mother of James, and MaryMagdalene stood looking on afar off. There were other women also, whohelped to guard the body of the crucified Lord when it seemed to beforsaken of all men. They marked the place where He lay and went away, for the hours of "preparation" and the Sabbath were before them. Onthe eve of Friday they prepared spices and ointments, and rested theSabbath day (seventh day) according to the commandment. But Romansoldiers came and set a seal upon the tomb, and watched it night andday. On the first day of the week (now the Christian Sabbath) veryearly in the morning, while the streets were still, and there lay onlya faint streak of rose in the purple east, Mary Magdalene hastened outof the city to the tomb in the garden, bearing her spices. When shereached the place she saw no guards there, and the heavy stone wasrolled away from the door of the tomb. A great fear fell upon thewoman who "loved much, " and she ran to find Peter and John. "They havetaken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, " she said, "and we know notwhere they have laid Him. "

Then Peter and John ran, and John the loving ran faster than Peter thebelieving, and was the first to reach the tomb. The other women alsohad gone to the tomb early bearing their spices for the embalming, wondering on the way who should roll away for them the great stone thatstood at the door of the tomb. But they found the stone rolled pastthe door, and entering the low vestibule they saw a vision of an angel, in a long white garment, and were afraid. 

[Illustration: The angel of the Resurrection]

"Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth which was crucified, " he said; "He is risen;He is not here: behold the place where they laid Him. But go your way, tell His disciples and Peter that He goeth before you into Galilee;there shall ye see Him, as He said unto you. "

The Lord had left a special message for Peter who had denied Him socruelly and had repented so thoroughly! As they looked to "behold theplace where they laid Him, " they saw another angel shining whitethrough the gloom, "one at the head, and the other at the feet wherethe body of Jesus had lain. " They also ran, glad, yet half afraid, totell the disciples what they had seen and heard. 

Peter and John found the linen that had wrapped the Lord's body laidcarefully aside. They did not yet remember the prophecy concerning Hisresurrection from the dead, but they believed He had risen, and theywent away, hoping perhaps, that He was seeking them. 

Mary Magdalene could not leave the empty tomb until she had learnedsomething more about the Lord. Weeping and desolate she stood at thelow door of the cave-tomb, and stooping to look in again she saw thevision of angels that the other women had seen, "one at the head andthe other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. "

"Why weepest thou?" they asked, and she answered, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they havelaid Him. " As she turned to go out into the garden she saw onestanding there who said, "Woman why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou?"

She thought as she looked through her tears that it must be the man whokept the garden, so she said, "Sir, if thou have borne Him hence tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away. "

"Mary!"

It was the voice of Jesus--the same that once said to her, "Thy sinsare forgiven, " and she spread her arms to clasp His feet, crying. 

"_Rabboni!_--my Master!"

"Touch me not, " He said, "for I am not yet ascended to my Father: butgo to my brethren and say unto them, 'I ascend unto my Father and yourFather: and to my God and your God. '"

It was while Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, were still inthe garden, perhaps, that Jesus met them and said, "All hail!" and they fell at His feet and worshipped Him. 

"Be not afraid, " He said, "go tell my brethren that they go intoGalilee and there shall they see me. "

When the women told all these things to the apostles who had cometogether to mourn for their dead Master, they could not believe. Butthe first Easter had risen upon the world, and though the joy of itfilled all heaven, only a few women knew the blessed secret on earth, and were saying over and over, "The Lord is risen! the Lord is risenindeed!"

CHAPTER XLV. 

THE EVENING OF EASTER. 

It was the afternoon of the same day in which the women had broughtsuch strange stories from the tomb of the buried Christ, that twodisciples went out to their home at Emmaus, a village about eight milesfrom Jerusalem. They had been in the upper room where they oftengathered, and had heard the stories of Mary Magdalene, and of Peter andJohn, and they knew not what to believe. 

As Cleopas and his companion (Luke, perhaps) went westward over thehills they talked of all these strange things with bowed heads and sadhearts, for Jesus, the One whom they had trusted was the Redeemer ofIsrael, was crucified, dead and buried, and as for the words of thesewomen, they seemed like idle tales; but what if they should be true?

Another step seemed to fall beside theirs, and looking up they saw anoble looking young Stranger who was following the same road. Hegreeted them and said, "What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another asye walk, and are sad?"

"Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, " Cleopas said, "and hast notknown the things that are come to pass there in these days?"

"What things?" asked the Stranger, and they said, "Concerning Jesus ofNazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God andall the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Himto be condemned to death, and have crucified Him. But we trusted thatit had been He which should have redeemed Israel: and besides all thisto-day is the third day since these things were done. "

Cleopas also told the story of the women who had come from thesepulchre that morning talking of a vision of angels, with that ofPeter and John, who had gone also, and found it even as the women hadsaid. 

Then the Stranger began to speak to them of many things, and in wordsso full of wisdom and love and faith that their hearts were drawn withHim to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead. He told them thatthey were very foolish and slow of heart to believe all that theprophets had spoken. "Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, "He said, "and to enter into His glory;" and He explained to them allthe Scriptures that foretold the coming, the suffering, and the deathof the Messiah, until the two hours' walk seemed as nothing. 

[Illustration: The walk to Emmaus]

As they came to the village where they lived, and the Stranger waspassing on, they urged Him to come with them into the low white housenear by which was the house of one of them. "Abide with us, " theysaid, "for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. " And Hewent with them, and sat down with them to their evening meal. 

Then another and strange beautiful vision was given at the sunset ofthe first Easter Day, like that which was given to the women at itsdawn. The Stranger took bread and blessed it and broke it, and as Hehanded it to each disciple their eyes were opened, and they knew Him. It was the Lord! But in a moment He had vanished from their sight, andthey could only wonder and believe. They began to recall His words. "Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the Scriptures?"

Perhaps they ate the bread that He had broken as they would take thesacrament, and then rose, though the day was fading over the hills ofEphraim and hurried back to Jerusalem to the friend's house where thedisciples met. There in the upper room, the doors closed and guardedfor fear of the Jews, they told the story of the Stranger to the eagerdisciples, and found that the Lord had also appeared to Peter. 

In the midst of the joy and the wonder there fell a strange hush overthe little company, for suddenly the Lord was seen standing in themidst and they heard the greeting so dear and familiar to them all, "Peace be unto you!" and to them all He spread His hands having theprint of the nails in them, and showed them His side that bore the markof the Roman spear. That they might be still more sure He was the Lordand Master they had loved and followed (for they were afraid), He askedthem to touch him; and as they had been at supper together He asked toshare their meal, and He ate of the broiled fish and of the honey-combbefore them. After this He talked lovingly with them of Himself--ofthe fulfillment of the prophecies concerning Him and of the work of thekingdom that was before them. Again he blessed them, and breathed onthem, saying, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost. " And so ended the day of theLord's resurrection from the dead--the first Easter of the ChristianChurch. 

CHAPTER XLVI. 

THE LORD'S LAST DAYS WITH HIS DISCIPLES. 

On Easter evening, when the Lord's friends were gathered in the upperroom where He appeared to them, one of the eleven was absent. Therewere others beside the apostles--Cleopas and his companion, andprobably the women of Galilee, as well as Mary, and Martha, and Lazarusof Bethany, but Thomas was not there. The others had told him that theLord had shown Himself to them and had broken bread with them, but hecould not believe. He believed, perhaps, in a vision, but not in thereturn of the crucified Jesus. He declared, "Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put myfinger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, Iwill not believe. "

A week passed, and the disciples were again gathered in the upper room, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut and guarded as before, but, as before the Lord suddenly stood in the midst, saying, "Peace be unto you. " Then He turned to Thomas with gentle rebuke, "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thyhand and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless but believing. "Thomas did not wait to touch the Lord, but cried, "My Lord and my God!"

"Thomas, " He said, "because thou hast seen me thou hast believed;blessed are they that have not seen and have believed. "

Soon after this the apostles went away into Galilee, as the Lord hadcommanded them to do. There by the Lake where He had called them fromtheir nets to follow Him they waited for Him. Peter, and James, andJohn were there, with Thomas, and Nathanael, and two others of Hisdisciples. The old love for the Lake came back to Peter, and he said, "I go a fishing, " and the others said, "We also go with thee, " and they went out for a night with the nets onthe Lake, but they caught nothing. In the morning as they drew alittle nearer land they saw a dim figure on the shore and heard a voicesaying to them, "Children, have ye any meat?" They answered "No, " and then the clearvoice came across the water saying, "Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. " Thisthey did, and so heavy did the net become with fishes that they werenot able to draw it. Perhaps John remembered another day on the Lakewhen the nets broke with the weight of the fishes, and looking at thefigure standing on the shore in the sunrise, he said to Peter, "It is the Lord!"

Peter did not wait to reply, but tying his fisher's coat around him hethrew himself into the Lake to swim towards His Master on the shore. The others followed in the ship dragging the net with them, and whenthey had landed they found a fire of coals there, with fish laid uponit and bread, and the Lord Himself standing there as one who served. 

"Bring of the fish ye have now caught, " He said. And Peter, first toobey, drew the net to land full of great fishes--one hundred andfifty-three--and the net was not broken. While they were silent forjoy and wonder, knowing that it was the Lord, and yet not daring toquestion Him, He said, "Come and dine. " And there upon the sands theLord for the third time since He rose from the dead, broke bread withhis disciples. John, the beloved disciple was there, but it is notrecorded that Jesus spoke to him personally. His heart was wholly withhis Lord, and he did not need the loving help that was given todoubting Thomas, and self-confident, wavering Peter. To Simon Peter Hesaid after they had finished their simple meal, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?"

Peter must have remembered that he had vehemently declared, "Althoughall shall be offended, yet will not I. If I should die with Thee yet Iwill not deny Thee in any wise, " and had straightway forsaken anddenied Him. Now he said simply and humbly, "Yea, Lord: Thou knowest that I love Thee. " And the Lord answered, "Feed my lambs. "

Again the Lord asked him the same question, and Peter gave the samereply. And the Lord said, "Feed my sheep. "

When the Lord had asked this question the third time, Peter, full oflove and grief cried, "Lord, Thou knowest all things: Thou knowest that I love thee. " Andthe Lord answered again, "Feed my sheep. "

By this Peter knew that the Lord trusted him to be an apostle, andteach the gospel of the kingdom to all men, but that he must have asteadfast love and faith. The Lord also said, "When thou wast youngthou guidedst thyself, and walkest whither thou wouldest; but when thoushalt be old thou shalt stretch forth thy hands and another shall guidethee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. " Afterward Peter wascrucified as his Lord had been, and then John remembered these words ofthe Lord about him. As the Lord said to Peter, "Follow me, " Peter sawJohn following also, and he said, wondering, perhaps, why the Lord hadno word of counsel, of rebuke, or of prophecy for John, "Lord, and what shall this man do?" And Jesus replied, "If I will thathe tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me. " And theywent away from the Lake, following the Lord, as they had done threeyears before when He called them to be "fishers of men. "

CHAPTER XLVII. 

"HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN. "

Once more the Lord met His little company of followers and gave theapostles authority to found the Kingdom of God among men. "All powerhas been given to me, " He said, "in heaven and on earth. "

And this was the work that He gave them to do: "Go ye therefore andteach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of theSon, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all thingswhatsoever I have commanded you. "

And this was His true word of promise to them: "Lo I am with youalways, even unto the end of the world. And, behold, I send thepromise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalemuntil ye be endued with power from on high. "

It was about six weeks after His death that the disciples were again inJerusalem where the Lord had told them to go and wait for the coming ofHis Spirit. He led them out over the Mount of Olives as far asBethany, where the house of Martha had been a place of rest andrefreshment for the homeless Man of Sorrows while He was founding HisKingdom of Heaven on the earth. 

As they ascended a hill just above Bethany, the Lord could see spreadout before Him the Hebron hills toward Bethlehem where He was born: thegreat city with its golden Temple where He had taught and had beenrejected; Gethsemane, where He had suffered, and had been betrayed; andbeyond the western walls the place where He had been crucified. Notfar from Golgotha was the garden and the tomb in which He had beenburied, and from which He had risen. 

He was about to leave the little group that He had made the founders ofHis Kingdom, and one of them ventured a question, "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the Kingdom to Israel?"And the Lord replied, "It is not for you to know the time and the seasons, which the Fatherhath put in His own power. But ye shall be witnesses unto me both inJerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermostparts of the earth. "

Then He blessed them, and while they were looking at Him He was liftedabove them, and a cloud seemed to come between them and their DivineMaster. 

[Illustration: The Ascension]

While they still gazed toward heaven hoping perhaps to see Him again, two men in white garments stood by them and said, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This sameJesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in likemanner as ye have seen Him go into heaven. "

Then they worshipped their ascended Lord, and returned to Jerusalemfull of joy and praise, to meet the other disciples in the upper room, to tell them of what they had seen, and to wait for the Promise of theFather. 

CHAPTER XLVIII. 

THE PROMISE OF THE FATHER. 

While the disciples of Jesus waited in Jerusalem for the gift of theHoly Spirit--the Comforter--who was to come and teach them all things, and bring all the Lord's words to their remembrance, they were much inprayer, and looked to the Lord for direction about the things of theKingdom. 

Peter did much to help the others, for his faith had grown stronger, and he was no longer afraid. Many who had partly believed in Jesusbefore His crucifixion, and who had come to believe in the risen Lord, joined the little band, until they numbered one hundred and twenty atone of their meetings, and the mother of Jesus was among them. At thismeeting Peter proposed that some disciple who could be a witness withthem to the Lord's resurrection should be appointed to the place thatJudas once held in the circle of the twelve. The ten disciples agreedwith Peter, and two were chosen--Joseph and Matthias. Then they prayedthat the Lord Himself would show them which of these two He wished tobe an Apostle, and when they cast lots the lot fell upon Matthias. 

When the upper room became too small they went to a larger one that wasmore public, and did not try to guard their doors, for the priests hadbecome afraid of the people as well as of the signs at the time of theLord's death, when the sky was darkened, the rocks rent by anearthquake, and the Temple veil by an unseen Hand. 

The Feast of the Weeks came on, and at the end of May--the day ofPentecost (the fiftieth after the second day of the Passover), theLord's little church had gathered in their large public room to prayand wait for the Promise. Suddenly there came a sound from the heavenslike the rushing of a mighty wind, and with it came a flash of firewhich was not lightning, but which divided into many, and sat above thebrow of each like a soft, bright tongue of flame. 

Then the silence was broken, and they all began to praise God in otherlanguages, as the Spirit gave them utterance, for the Promise of theFather had been given, and the Lord Himself had come to dwell in Hispeople--not only in these, but in all who should believe on Him throughtheir word. 

There were some good Jews present who had come from foreign countriesto the Feast, and spoke other languages, and when each heard his ownlanguage spoken by these unlearned men they were astonished. The newsspread and many came to hear. "Are not all these which speakGalileans?" they asked, "and how hear we every man in our own tonguewherein we were born? What meaneth this?" Others made light of itall, and said that they were full of new wine. 

Then Peter, strong in the power of the Holy Spirit, stood up and spoketo the people. You will find Peter's sermon in the second chapter ofActs, and his text was a wonderful saying of the prophet Joel, beginning, as Peter gave it, --

"And it shall come to pass in the last days I will pour out of mySpirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall dream dreams; and on my servants, and on myhandmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shallprophesy. And it shall came to pass that whosoever shall call on thename of the Lord shall be saved. "

Peter did not spare the enemies of our Lord in his sermon, nor did hefear them. He preached to them of Jesus of Nazareth, and whom they hadtaken and by wicked hands had crucified and slain: and whom God hadraised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was notpossible that He should be holden of it. He closed by telling themthat God had made that same Jesus whom they had crucified both Lord andChrist. 

There were many among the people gathered there who were pricked intheir hearts because of Peter's words, which had the power of the HolySpirit in them. They looked at each other and said, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"

Peter encouraged them to repentance and baptism in the name of JesusChrist, telling them that the promise was to them and to theirchildren, and to all that were afar off. 

It was a wonderful day for the Church of Jesus Christ, and for HisKingdom on the earth, for there were about three thousand who that dayreceived baptism, and joined the little despised company of thefollowers of Jesus of Nazareth. And all that believed were drawntogether by the love of the Lord Jesus, and no longer lived forthemselves, but for each other. That there might be no rich and nopoor among them, they sold their possessions and parted them to all, asevery one had need. In the Temple, in each other's houses breakingbread together, wherever they were they were happy and strong in theirnew faith and in favor with all the people. Though great trials andpersecutions came after awhile, they bore them as seeing theirinvisible Lord, and they joyfully met the loss of all things--even thatof life itself with a smile, remembering the Father's House with itsmany mansions, and their spiritual Elder Brother who had gone toprepare a place for them. 

AN AFTERWORD. 

_Dear Child_:--God's Book is a Book of Ages, a Book of Races, and aBook of Nations; but it is far more, it is a Book through which GodHimself speaks to the soul of man. We begin to read it thinking thatHe is speaking to the mind; afterward, when our conscience wakes, webelieve He speaks to the heart, but at last we find that He speaks tothe inmost spirit--the immortal soul. Then all that had seemed to behistory, poetry, biography, philosophy, begins to be to us the voice ofGod in the inmost of the soul, speaking of the life of the spirit. 

We, find at last, too, that One has walked beside us all the way, teaching us by His Spirit as He taught the people on the hill-side, orby the lake-side in Galilee: the One who said, "Before Abraham was, Iam"--the Child of Bethlehem, whose name was called "Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, The Prince ofPeace. " That you, dear child, may find Him walking close beside yourway, be in the habit of walking daily with Him in the paths of HisWord, and He will reveal Himself to you there.