From Eden to Calvary

Captivating
Bible Stories

FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

WRITTEN IN SIMPLE LANGUAGE

BEGINNING AT THE CREATION OF THE WORLD IT TAKES THE
READER THROUGH THE BIBLE IN FIFTY-TWO LESSONS,
EACH LESSON COMPRISING THREE READINGS FOR
EACH SABBATH OF THE YEAR, WHILE A SERIES
OF QUESTIONS WITH EACH READING HELP
TO IMPRESS UPON THE YOUNG MIND
THE TRUTHS OF THE HOLY BIBLE.

DESIGNED TO

PROMOTE GREATER INTEREST IN THE SACRED SCRIPTURES

AND A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR TEACHINGS

INCLUDING

ALL THE IMPORTANT HISTORICAL EVENTS DESCRIBED
IN THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS

By CHARLOTTE M. YONGE

The Noted Author and Missionaries' Friend

EMBELLISHED WITH MORE THAN 200 SUPERB ENGRAVINGS
BY JULIUS SCHNORR VON KAROLSFELD OF SCENES
DESCRIBED IN THE BIBLE

ENTERED ACCORDING TO ACT OF CONGRESS IN THE YEAR 1913, BY

GEO. W. BERTRON

THE OFFICE OF THE LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS, AT WASHINGTON, D. C., U. S. A.

The Illustrations in this work being from original drawings and protected by copyright, their reproduction in any form is unlawful, and notice is hereby given that persons guilty of infringing the copyright thereof will be prosecuted.

PREFACE.

THE great number of Bible story books that have been published show how many attempts have been made to supply the want which has long been felt of a work containing a carefully written story of the Scripture narrative for young people.

In this great work which is written in simple language, the captivating story of the Bible is told in a style that will cause it to be read over and over again, and the thrilling truths and beautiful lessons it contains will never be forgotten.

It takes the reader through the Bible in fifty-two lessons, each lesson comprising three readings for each Sabbath of the year, while a series of questions following each reading, help to impress upon the young mind the truths of the Holy Scripture.

The work begins with the marvellous Story of the Creation, describing the beauties of the Garden of Eden, and the awful disaster of the flood; it relates the thrilling scenes in the life of Abraham and the other Patriarchs, and furnishes a great panorama of the wonderful events in the dawn of history.

AS MOSES
LIFTED UP
THE SERPENT
IN THE
WILDERNESS

This is followed by the delightful story of Joseph, who was sold by his envious brethren and hurried away to Egypt, where he was adopted into the king's family, and finally made ruler over that country. The lessons of his life should be read by every boy and girl in the land. He was one of the noblest characters spoken of in the Bible.

Next, we have a glimpse of Moses in his little life-boat, found and cared for by a Royal Princess. We see him growing to the fullness of manhood, becoming leader of his people, and finally breaking their chains and bringing them out of captivity. He stands at the burning bush; he opens a fountain in a rock; he goes up among the clouds of Sinai and receives the tables of the law. This part of the Bible story is full of instruction.

Then grand old Joshua comes forth upon the scene, and the reader follows him through his stormy conflicts and brilliant triumphs. Here, too, is a graphic description of the magnificent achievements of Gideon, telling what wonders he wrought and what valor he displayed. Who has not been fascinated by the delightful story of Ruth? This humble but charming woman was an ancestor of our Lord Jesus and all are interested in the story of her life.

EVEN SO
MUST THE
SON OF MAN BE
LIFTED UP

Every young person follows eagerly the thrilling account of King Saul and King David. We see the strong, misguided yet mighty Saul, and also the ruddy shepherd boy whose swift sling slew a giant. Then comes Solomon in all his glory, and along in this part of the Old Testament Story we see that grand man of the desert, Elijah, and follow him through his startling experiences until, in a chariot of fire, he is borne away through the clouds to heaven. We also read of that young patriot Nehemiah, who left the splendors of a palace to rebuild the shattered walls of Jerusalem. He accomplished wonders, teaching the great lessons of devotion and energy.

The Bible is a rich store-house of instruction and entertainment. How captivating is the story of Queen Esther. She presents a striking example of those great crises in which the scale has been turned by the power and influence of woman. Other narratives come in thick succession. The young are always interested in the story of Daniel. Why should they not be? His strong and beautiful character has a peculiar charm, and there are few names in history that shine so resplendently. Let his brilliant record be studied by all, whether old or young.

How eagerly young people read the charming story of Bethlehem—the story of the angelic choir; of the wondering shepherds who heard the heavenly anthem of Peace and Good-Will; of the Holy Child laid in the humble manger; of the burning star that lighted the wise men of the East to the feet of the infant Prophet, Priest and King; and the thrilling incidents connected with His life. It would not be possible for human pen to depict more vividly those majestic events, at once awful and fascinating, which form the closing chapter of our Lord's life upon earth.

We venture, in conclusion, to hope this volume will be the means, with God's blessing, of endearing to many young hearts "the sweet story of old," making them to love from childhood that book which in after years will truly be a lamp unto their feet and a light unto their path.

ILLUSTRATIONS

CONTENTS.

First Sunday.

CREATION OF THE WORLD.

FIRST READING.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."—Gen. 1:1.

IN the Bible we are told God made the earth we live on. Sunday is the earth's birthday, for on the first day of the week the Creation began.

The world was one mass—dark, empty, and shapeless—till God made the light by His Word, and saw the light was good. Without light we could not live: even the very trees and flowers would die. When we have been in the dark how glad we are to see light come back, even if it be only one grey line beginning in the sky! This shows how blessed is this gift. It was good, too, that we should have quiet dark night for rest and stillness.

The second great change enclosed the earth in an outer ball of air, which we call the sky or firmament. That is the deep blue into which we look up and up. The mist and fog rise up from the earth and make the clouds that take strange shapes, sometimes dark and full of rain to water the earth, sometimes shining white, or pink and golden with morning or evening light.

The third great change was, that water filled the deep hollows of the earth, while the hills rose up dry above them, with rivers and streams running down their slopes into the deep seas below. God did not leave the land bare and stony: He clothed it with green fresh plants and herbs, with leaves and flowers, and trees to give us their fruit and wood, and filled even the sea with plants that can live under water.

THE EARTH GLADDENED BY THE SUN.

Next, God caused the rays of the sun to gladden the earth, and let it see the moon lighted up by the sun, as well as the stars far beyond our firmament. We count the months by the changes in the moon; and our earth's journey around the sun marks our years and seasons. We all rejoice in a bright sunny day, though the sun is too bright and glorious for us to bear to gaze at him; and how lovely the moon looks, either as a young crescent, or a beautiful full moon!

The waters began to be full of live things, that swam, or crept, or flew: fishes, and birds, and insects. By that time this world was nearly as we see it, and a beautiful home for us to live in. Then God made the four-footed beasts—sheep and cows, horses, dogs, cats, elephants, lions—all that we use or admire; and, last of all, when He had made this earth a happy, healthy place, He planted the Garden of Eden, and put in it the first man and woman, the best of all that He had made; for though their bodies were of dust, like those of the beasts, yet their souls came from the Breath of God. They could think, speak, pray, and heed what is unseen as well as what is seen.

There are many many lessons to be learnt from this wonderful story. Let us try to take home one of them. Let us ask our Father that the ground below, the light above, the sky and sea, the sun and moon, the trees and flowers, the birds and beasts, and His holy day of rest, may remind us that they came from Him, and that we may be very thankful to Him for having given us such good things.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who made the world? 2. Which Commandment tells you about God's making the world? 3. What is there in the sky that God made? 4. What is there on the earth? 5. What do you see around you that He made? 6. Can we make birds, or beasts, or flowers? 7. Or could we make them live? 8. Who makes them and us live? 9. Where does all our food come from? 10. Who gave us corn? 11. What must we ask God to do for us? 12. What must we thank Him for? 13. Do not you think it would be pleasant to whisper to yourself, when you see a pretty flower, or a beautiful sky, or when the sun shines bright and warm, "Thank God for being so good to me"?

SECOND READING.

"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."—Genesis 2:7.

IN the Bible God tells us that He made the world, and everything in it: land and water, and grass, flowers and trees, insects, birds and beasts, and last of all He made the first man and woman. The man was made by God out of the dust of the ground, and then God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and gave him a living soul. And the woman was made by God out of the man's side. They were called Adam and Eve, and they were to be the first father and mother of everyone who was to be born into the world.

The good God gave them a beautiful home. It was a garden, with a clear river of water flowing through it, and all kinds of delicious fruit-trees and beautiful flowers growing in it. Nothing could hurt or vex them there. They did not know what pain was, they were never tired, and all they had to do was to dress the garden and to keep it. They had no faults, and never did wrong; and God Himself came near to talk with them.

That was the way they lived, always good and always happy, whilst they obeyed what God had told them. In the midst of the garden grew two trees: one was the Tree of Life, and the other was the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil. God told them that if they ate the fruit of this Tree of Knowledge they would die. We do not know what those trees were like, but sometime or other I hope we shall see the Tree of Life, for it is growing in heaven, close by the river that flows by the Throne of God; and when we see it, and taste of its fruit, we shall live for ever, and be happier than Adam and Eve were. We shall never be as happy as they were while we are living in this world; but if we will try to obey God, and live holy lives, He will take us to heaven, and that will be still better than the Garden of Eden.

QUESTIONS.

1. What did God make? 2. Whom did he make? 3. What was the man made of? 4. What was the woman made of? 5. What did God breathe into them? 6. What did He give them? 7. Why were they better than the beasts? 8. What was the man's name? 9. What was the woman's name? 10. Of whom were they the father and mother? 11. Where did they live? 12. What had they to do there? 13. What grew there? 14. What were the two chief trees that grew there? 15. Which were they not to touch? 16. Where is the Tree of Life now? 17. When do we hope to see it? 18. What is a still happier place than the Garden of Eden?

THIRD READING.

"Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further; and here shall thy proud waves be stayed."—Job 38:11.

WHAT glorious and wonderful things God has made! Did you ever see the sea? There it is—a great vast space, all water, looking green near us, but blue further off—always heaving up and down. The waves rise, and then ripple along, and burst with a white edge of bubbles of foam.

A great space that had been left dry gets covered up with water again, and where you were walking just now is quite deep water. What is this called? The tide. Well, what will the tide do in proper time? Will it come rolling in over the beach, and cover up the land? No; presently each will turn. Each wave will be a little less high than the last, till it will have gone back again and left the beach uncovered as before. Why does the tide do this? It is because God so wonderfully contrived this earth and sea, that the waters should rise and go back. He made the sand the bound of the sea, and said, "Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed." So, you know, we sing in the Psalm every Sunday—

"The sea is His, and He made it:

His hands prepared the dry land."

QUESTIONS.

1. What curious thing does the sea do every day? 2. What do you call the coming in and going back of the sea? 3. Why does the tide always stop in its proper place? 4. What did God make the bound of the sea? 5. What did he say to it? 6. What verse praises God for making the sea?

Second Sunday.

HOW SIN BEGAN AND THE FLOOD CAME.

FIRST READING.

"The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat."—Gen. 3:13.

LAST Sunday you heard how God made the world, and put a man and woman to live in it. The man was named Adam; the woman was named Eve. God gave them a beautiful garden to live in, full of trees and flowers; and they had no pain, no trouble, nothing to vex them. Only one thing God told them: there was one tree whose fruit they must not eat. They might eat the fruit of all the other trees, but not of that one. As long as they obeyed, all was well and happy with them; but if they ate it they would die. But a bad spirit came and took the shape of the serpent, and talked to Eve. He told her a wicked lie—he told her that to eat the fruit would make her wise, and would not make her die. And Eve listened, and did eat. And she gave Adam, and he also ate; and so they took the bad spirit for their master instead of the good God. Then God was angry with them, and put them out of the garden, and let them be weak and sickly, and die at last.

It was a sad thing for us. For if they had been good and obeyed God, and not the bad spirit, it would have been easy for us to be good, and we would not have the devil tempting us to do wrong: we would never have known pain or sorrow. But God pitied Adam and Eve; and he promised them that the Seed—that is, the Son—of the woman should bruise the serpent's head, and set them and their children free.

ADAM AND EVE DRIVEN OUT OF THE GARDEN OF EDEN.—Gen. 3:23, 24.

Our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, set us free when He died on the cross and rose again; and now we belong to Him, and not to the bad spirit. Only we must try and ask Him to help us not to do what is wrong, as Eve did, or we shall not keep free from the power of the enemy.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who was the first man? 2. Who was the first woman? 3. Where did God put them? 4. What was the one thing they might not do? 5. What was to happen if they ate of that fruit? 6. Who came and spoke to Eve? 7. What shape did the bad spirit take? 8. What did he tell Eve? 9. What did she do? 10. Whom did she make her master? 11. What was done to punish her? 12. What sad things did the bad spirit bring on her? 13. Who came to set us free from the bad spirit?

SECOND READING.

"And behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth."—Gen. 6:17.

THE Lesson this morning told the sad history of how Adam and Eve did the very thing that God forbade; so that He drove them out of the Garden of Eden, and sin and death came into the world.

After that they had children. Some were good, but not so good as Adam and Eve had been at first; and some were bad. And as time went on the bad ones grew worse, and the good ones were tempted, and many of them grew wicked too. And so all the world was getting wicked, and God saw nothing but evil when He looked down on it. And He said that He would destroy these wicked people, and wash away the evil from the earth by a great flood. But there was one good man, whose name was Noah; and God said He would save him.

AFTER THE BANISHMENT FROM EDEN.—Gen. 3:19.

He bade Noah build an Ark. It was to be a great ship, all made of wood, and it took a great many years to build; and all that time people laughed at Noah, for they would not believe that anything was going to happen. Noah made the Ark, and stored it with food. And God sent him a pair of all sorts of animals that were in the world, and he put them into pens in the Ark. Then Noah and his wife, and his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japhet, and their wives, went into the Ark, and God shut them in.

SACRIFICE OF CAIN AND ABEL.—Gen. 4;4, 5.

Then it began to rain. It rained for forty days and forty nights without stopping, and the rivers came out of their banks, and the sea came upon the land, and the ground was covered up. Even the tops of the highest hills were hidden, and everybody and every creature was drowned—all but Noah and those that were with him. There was the Ark all the time floating quite safe on the water. The storm could not upset it nor the sea get into it, for God took care of it and all that was in it.

The reason Noah was saved was because, first, he tried to be good, and not do like the bad people round him; and next, because he believed what God said to him, and went on making the Ark, even when he saw no danger. If we wish God to save us, then we must take care that we do just what we are told—not what seems pleasant now, but what is really right.

QUESTIONS.

1. Do you know why Adam and Eve were driven out of the happy garden? 2. How did people go on after that? 3. How had sin come into the world? 4. What did God say He must do to the world? 5. Why? 6. Who was to be saved? 7. What was Noah to make? 8. What was the Ark like? 9. What were put in it? 10. Why were two of all creatures put into the Ark? 11. What men and women were in it? 12. What were the names of Noah's sons? 13. What happened when Noah was in the Ark? 14. How long did it rain? 15. What was covered up? 16. What became of all the people? 17. Who were safe? 18. Where was the Ark? 19. Who took care of the Ark? 20. Why was Noah saved?

THIRD READING.

"So Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth."—Genesis 7:2.

IT must have been a sad sight for Noah and his wife and their sons, as the rain went on and on, and the water grew deeper and deeper, and everybody and everything was drowned. Then came a time when nothing was to be seen but water. Wherever they looked all was sky and water; but it had done raining, the sky was blue again, the sun shone by day, the stars by night, and they must have been very glad.

And still the water got lower, till the Ark did not float about, but stopped, resting on a peak of a mountain, a very high mountain, and a few bare tops of other hills began to peep out. By-and-by, Noah opened the window of the Ark and let out a raven. He never saw the raven again, for a raven eats dead things, and there were so many dead bodies floating about that it got plenty of food, and never came back to the Ark that had saved it.

RETURN OF THE DOVE WITH THE OLIVE BRANCH.—Gen. 8:11.

He waited a week, and then he let out a dove. Now doves like trees to sit and nestle in, and they eat grains and seeds; so the poor dove found no place to rest in, and flew back to the Ark; and Noah took her back, and kept her a week, then let her fly again. She flew away but still she came back to the Ark, and this time she brought in her beak a sprig of olive branch.

It was the first green thing that Noah had seen for a year! Noah's children have loved the olive leaf everywhere, and called it the sign of peace and good news ever since.

For now Noah knew that the waters had gone down, and that trees must be able to put forth leaves again. Once more, after another week, he let out the dove, and she did not come back, for she had found a tree where she could make her home, and seeds to eat; and then Noah knew the sad time of the flood—a whole year—was over, and the earth had been washed from all her stains.

QUESTIONS.

1. What was the Flood? 2. What was the Ark? 3. Who was in it? 4. What had Noah with him in the Ark? 5. What became of everyone else? 6. Why? 7. Why was Noah saved? 8. How long did the Flood last? 9. What birds did Noah send out of the Ark? 10. Which came back? 11. Why did not the raven come back? 12. What did the dove bring? 13. What was Noah sure of then? 14. What had the earth been washed from?

Third Sunday.

THE RAINBOW.

FIRST READING.

"I do set my Bow in the Cloud."—Genesis 9:13.

THE sin that came into the world when Eve listened to the tempter had grown as men multiplied and made each other worse. The wicked people had been drowned in the Flood, and Noah, his sons and their wives, had alone been saved in the Ark. After a whole year of being shut up there, watching the earth, first drowned and then coming out of the water, they had just come out on the fresh green earth, with all the animals saved with them, when God spoke to them.

Then God made a promise to Noah. It was that no flood of water shall ever drown all the world again, but spring, summer, autumn, and winter, day and night, will go on to the end of the world, when it shall be burnt up by fire, not drowned by water.

That Noah, and all of his after him, might feel sure that God in His mercy will go on preserving us, and giving us days and nights, seed-time and harvest, He gave us something to look at as a sign of His promise. He so ordered the rays of light, that when they shine upon drops of water in the air they cause beautiful colors, making part of a circle, so as to form a bow. So when the sun shines on a cloud, as it rains, the fair bright rainbow is seen, as a pledge to us of God's merciful care and love to us.

NOAH AND HIS FAMILY LEAVING THE ARK.—Gen. 8:18, 19.

NOAH'S SACRIFICE AFTER THE FLOOD.—Gen. 8:20.

There is a rainbow round about the Throne of God in Heaven; and the lovely rainbows that we see when the sun shines out, and the showers drift away, are to put us in mind that we are safe under His care, in right of His promise to Noah and his three sons, of whom the whole earth was peopled. We are the children of his son Japhet, and all that was then said to him belongs to us also. We should recollect it, and put our trust in Him, and be thankful when we see the beautiful soft arch that the Hands of the Almighty have bended, looking out of the midst of the dark watery clouds.

QUESTIONS.

1. What beautiful sight do we sometimes see after a shower? 2. What is a rainbow like? 3. Who put the rainbow in the cloud? 4. Who was the man to whom God showed the rainbow? 5. What promise did God make Noah? 6. What had God just done to the wicked people? 7. Whom had he saved? 8. What did he say should always go on? 9. What did God put in the sky to show that he will not send another Flood? 10. What are we to think of when we see a rainbow? 11. Who takes care of us? 12. Where is there a rainbow in Heaven above?

SECOND READING.

"In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."—Genesis 12:3.

WHEN Noah's grandchildren and great-grandchildren came to be more and more, and the world was being filled with people again, they still were not all good, and the longer time went on the worse they grew.

At last God called to a very good man, whose name was Abram, and told him that if he would come away from his home to a land God would show him, then God would bless him and lead him, and by-and-by give the land to his children, and that their children after them should be more in number than the grains of sand on the sea-shore, or than the stars in the sky: and that in his seed—that was, in a Son of his—all the nations of the earth should be blessed.

It was strange to hear all this about Abram's children, for he was growing old, and he and his wife Sarai had no children at all. But he believed in God. He knew that God is Almighty, and can do whatever He will; so he only did just as God told him, and went away from his home, where God told him. He was obliged to take all his cattle with him—quantities of cows, and goats, and sheep, and camels; and he had many servants to drive them.

ABRAM SEES THE PROMISED LAND.—Gen. 12:3-7.

When they came to a piece of grass and a fresh spring of water, there they would stop. They had no houses—only tents, which were great curtains woven of goat's hair and fastened up with poles, so that they could be set up or taken down, and carried about. All his life Abram lived in a tent, instead of staying at home in a city, and being at his ease.

By-and-by he came to a beautiful country. There were high hills rising up, and green valleys between, full of grass for the sheep and cattle; and the wide sea spread out far away towards the sunset, all blue and glorious. God told him to look at the land, for that was the place which his children should have for their own; but in the meantime Abram had not one bit of it, and was a stranger there; and he had no child either.

MELCHIZEDEK BLESSING ABRAM.—Gen. 14:18, 19, 20.

But still he was quite sure that God spoke truth; and that somehow, though he did not know how, it would come about that his children should have the land, and that in One all the nations of the earth should be blessed. That was faith.

QUESTIONS.

1. What good man do you hear of to-day? 2. What did God tell Abram to do? 3. What did God promise? 4. Who were to have the land? 5. Why was it strange to hear of his children? 6. But did he believe it would come true? 7. Why did he believe it? 8. How did he show that he believed? 9. Where did he go? 10. What had he with him? 11. What did he live in? 12. What is a tent like? 13. What sort of place did he come to?

THIRD READING.

"Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between thee and me."—Gen. 13:8.

TWO men were travelling together. They were an uncle and nephew. The uncle's name was Abram, the nephew's was Lot. They had come from home, because God had told Abram to come away from his own home to the land that God would give his children. Abram believed, and did as God bade him; and Lot, the son of his dead brother, went with him. They did not go alone. Each of them had great flocks of cows, and sheep, and camels, and goats, and numbers of servants to take care of them. They would fix their tents, made of camels' hair, in any place where they saw a spring of water and good green grass for their cattle; and there they would stay till all the grass was eaten up, and then take up their tents and move to another place.

PARTING OF ABRAM AND LOT.

Just now they had got to a bare stony place, where the sun shone hotly, and there was not much green; but Abram had built up an altar with the great stones, and prayed there. Abram and Lot loved one another, and were at peace; but when their servants drove out their flocks to get food and water there were apt to be quarrels. If Abram's men found a green grassy valley, they would not let Lot's cattle into it; and if Lot's came to a well, they would not let Abram's flocks drink; and so on. They were always quarrelling and making complaints to their masters.

At last Abram saw that they would make Lot quarrel with him. So he said it would be wiser to part; Lot should go one way and he another—any way there should be no strife. And he even told Lot to choose which way he would go. So Lot looked, and saw to the East a pleasant green valley, with fields of corn and meadows, and a fine river running into a clear lake, and five fine towns on the bank. He liked it better than the bare stony hills where Abram was; and he never thought whether the people were good or not, but he took the first choice, and went to live there. So Abram gave up. He had the right to choose first, but he would not use it. He let his nephew choose. For he hated quarrels, and knew they were wicked; and he knew how to stop them, because he would yield up the best. That is the way to make peace and please God.

ABRAHAM ENTERTAINS THREE ANGELS.—Gen. 18:10.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who had called Abram? 2. Who went with him? 3. What was Lot to Abram? 4. Why did he go? 5. What had God promised? 6. What had they with them? 7. Who quarrelled? 8. About what did the servants quarrel? 9. Did Abram and Lot quarrel? 10. How did Abram prevent a quarrel? 11. Who was to choose first? 12. Who might have chosen first? 13. Why did not Abram choose first? 14. Ought you to be in haste to take the first choice? 15. What should you try to hinder? 16. And if you keep yourself back, and don't say "It's mine," and "I must," shall you not be likely to keep from quarrels?

Fourth Sunday.

ABRAHAM AND LOT.

FIRST READING.

"Escape for thy life; look not behind thee."—Genesis 19:17.

THERE was a beautiful valley, with steep hills shutting it in on all sides, and a clear swift river running through the midst and spreading into a lake. There were fine fields and rich grass, where sheep, cows, and goats could feed, and the shepherds shelter themselves under the palm trees; and on the bank of the river were five cities, with strong walls round them, and full of rich people, who bought and sold and made merry with the good things they possessed. There was one man living among them who was good, and was grieved by the wicked ways of the men round him, who only laughed at him if he tried to tell them of better things. One evening two strangers came into the city where he lived, and he was the only person who would take them in, and shelter them from the wicked people in the street.

Those strangers told him the place was to be destroyed, with all that were in it, because it was so wicked! Though the fields looked so quiet, the walls so strong, and the sun had gone down as usual, all would be ruined in a few hours' time! Then the strangers took hold of him, and his wife and daughters, and led them almost by force away from their home in the dawn of morning, bidding them escape for their lives to the mountain, and not look back. They were frightened, and begged not to have to go so far as the wild mountain. Might they not go to the little city near at hand? And their wish was granted.

LOT AND HIS FAMILY FLEEING FROM SODOM—Gen. 19:24-26.

Just as the sun had risen they entered the little city for which they had begged; and as soon as they were safe the four towns, that had seemed so strong and firm, were all burning with fire and brimstone; and all the sinners who had mocked at warning were soon lying dead under God's awful anger! Four alone had been led out of the city by the strangers, but even of these only three came into the city of refuge. The wife did not heed the warning not to linger nor look back, the deadly storm overtook her, and she remained rooted to the spot—a pillar of salt!

The names of those cities were Sodom and Gomorrah, and the one good man who was saved by the mercy of God was named Lot. And now a strange gloomy lake called the Dead Sea covers that valley with its heavy waters, and the bare rocky hills, crusted with salt, show that the curse of God is on the place.

Let us try to carry home one thought from this terrible history. This world will one day be burnt up like those cities, and its looking safe and prosperous now does not make it safe. But God sends messengers to lead us out of it. If we attend to them, and follow their advice, we shall through all our lives be getting out of danger, and going on to a safe home in heaven; but if we care only for pleasant things here, it is like looking back, and our souls will perish with what they love. That is why our Saviour bade us "Remember Lot's wife." We should remember her when we are tempted to think it hard to give up anything pleasant, because we are told that it is wrong, and may put us in danger of God's anger.

QUESTIONS.

1. What was the name of the place I told you of to-day? 2. What was the name of the man? 3. What kind of place was Sodom? 4. Who was the only good man there? 5. Who came to Lot? 6. What did he do for the strangers? 7. What did the strangers tell Lot? 8. Why was Lot to come out of Sodom? 9. Why was Sodom to be destroyed? 10. Where did Lot go? 11. Who looked back? 12. What became of her? 13. What did God do to Sodom? 14. What sort of a place is it now? 15. What will be burnt up some day? 16. If we are not good, what will become of us? 17. But what have we to teach us to be good? 18. And how must we try to come out, like Lot?

SECOND READING.

"Now I know that thou fearest God, seeing that thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from Me."—Genesis 22:12.

BY-AND-BY Abraham had a son—one only son, whose name was Isaac. All the promises God had made were to be for Isaac's children after him: and Abraham loved God, and hoped all the more.

But then God called Abraham to do a strange and terrible thing. He was to go and take his dear son Isaac to the top of a hill, and there to offer him up to God as if he had been a calf or a lamb. Of course, in general, to do such a thing would be shockingly wicked; but Abraham knew that when God commanded a thing, it must be right to do as he was bidden, however dreadful it was to him.

So they set out together. Abraham took the knife, and a vessel with fire in it and Isaac carried the wood with which the sacrifice was to be burnt. On the way Isaac said, "My father, behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" And Abraham answered, "My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering."

ABRAHAM OFFERING ISAAC AS A SACRIFICE.—Gen. 22:11, 12.

Isaac soon knew he was to be the lamb, for his father put the wood in order, and bound his limbs, and took the knife. And Isaac did not complain or struggle. He was ready, like his father, to do the will of God. But just as Abraham had the knife ready to slay his son, an angel called to him out of Heaven: "Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from Me."

ABRAHAM'S SERVANT MEETING REBEKAH AT THE WELL.—Gen. 24:17.

REBEKAH SEES ISAAC COMING TO MEET HER.—Gen. 24:64, 65.

Then Abraham unbound his son, and was glad as if Isaac had really risen from the dead. And he saw a ram caught in the thicket by its horns; so he took that, and offered it up instead of Isaac. Thus God really provided a lamb for a burnt offering.

And He blessed Abraham more and more, and promised again that his children should have the land, and that in his Seed should all the nations of the earth be blessed. That Seed was our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, who, you know, was really given by His Heavenly Father to die, and then came back from the dead, that all people might be saved by Him.

QUESTIONS.

1. What was the name of Abraham's son? 2. What had God promised Abraham? 3. What had Abraham done at God's command? 4. What was he now to do? 5. Whom did he obey? 6. Where was he to go? 7. Who went with him? 8. What did Isaac ask? 9. What did Abraham answer? 10. Who seemed likely to be the Lamb? 11. What was Abraham just going to do? 12. Who called him? 13. What did the angel tell him? 14. Why was God pleased with him? 15. What blessing did God give him? 16. Who was to be saved?

THIRD READING.

"I am a stranger and a sojourner with you."—Genesis 23:4.

ABRAHAM and his wife Sarah had lived together many years; but at last Sarah died, and Abraham wanted to bury her. You know in all the country he had not one morsel of ground of his own; he was a stranger there, but he knew it would all belong to his children by-and-by. But he wanted to make sure of the one bit where his wife should lie. So he went to the prince to whom Hebron belonged, and begged to buy a field with trees in it, and a rock where there was a deep cave that was called Machpelah.

The prince said he would give it; but Abraham could not feel sure that it would be always safe till he had bought it. So he weighed out the price. It was not in little bits of money like ours, but lumps of silver all the same weight, and each with a mark stamped on it—four hundred of them. Then the cave was given to Abraham, and he had his good true wife Sarah buried there, rolled in linen with spices. He was buried there afterwards himself, and so was his son Isaac, and Isaac's son after him, in the cave of Machpelah.

That cave has been kept sacred ever since. There is a building over it now, and no stranger is allowed to go into it; but deep down there is a golden grating, and far within lie these holy men and women of old. Their bodies are waiting to rise again at the Last Day, and then I hope we shall see them and know them.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who was Abraham's wife? 2. Where did Sarah die? 3. What did Abraham want to do? 4. Had he any ground? 5. So what was he obliged to do? 6. Of whom did he buy the place? 7. What was it called? 8. What is a cave? 9. What did he pay? 10. What was Abraham's money? 11. Who were buried there afterwards? 12. How is the place marked now? 13. When will Sarah's body leave the grave in the cave of Machpelah? 14. What do you say you believe in? (In the eleventh Article of the Creed.) 15. What is Resurrection?

Fifth Sunday.

JACOB'S JOURNEY AND DREAM.

FIRST READING.

"Bless me, even me also, O my father."—Genesis 27:34.

GOD had called Abraham from his home, and promised to give his children the land of Canaan, and that in his Seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed. This was renewing to Abraham the great promise of the Seed of the woman that had been made to Eve; and Abraham believed, and was glad. But though his children were to have the land, none of it was his; and he went up and down in it a stranger, living in his tent, without house or home, only trusting in faith to God's promise to his children. His son Isaac lived like him, with no home, but looking on in faith to what God promised.

Isaac had two sons; and as Esau was the eldest, he had the first right to these promises. But Esau did not care enough about them; he did not seem to get anything by them, and he liked what he could get at once better than what was a long way off. He had no faith.

One day he came home half dead with hunger, and saw his brother Jacob making soup over the fire. He said he would give all these rights for a meal of the soup; for if he died of hunger, what good would his birth-right do him? So for a mess of pottage he sold his right to the land of Canaan, and to be the forefather of our Saviour.

A time was to come when he would be sorry for what he had done. His father was old and blind, and thought he was going to die; so he bade Esau, whom he loved the best, bring home some meat and make a solemn feast—which was the way then of giving a blessing. Esau went, and in time brought home the meat to his father; but when he came in, Isaac cried out, and trembled! His brother Jacob had come in his stead, and Isaac had taken him for Esau, and given to him the blessing that gave the right to the promised land, and to all God's promises!

ISAAC BLESSING JACOB.—Gen. 27:28, 29.

Then Esau cried out with an exceeding bitter cry, and asked if his father had but one blessing! Isaac was grieved for him, and blest him with all his heart; but there was no changing back, no taking away what Jacob had won and Esau had lost.

Esau did not know what he was doing when he took the pottage at once, rather than wait patiently for the glorious inheritance that was to come. This was the reason that he was allowed to be so cruelly disappointed. This is a warning to us. We have the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven promised to us; but we are tempted not to care about it when we want something here in this world, whether play, or dress, or anything that seems a great deal to us now.

But if we trifle away our right to these great promises that God made us at our baptism, there will come a time of bitter grief, when it is too late. And when we are dead, it will be too late to change! Therefore, now while we are alive, we must have faith, and show it by taking care that the things we like here on earth do not make us lose the better things in heaven.

QUESTIONS.

1. What were the names of Isaac's two sons? 2. What had God promised Isaac? 3. Which son had the first right to the promise? 4. But which cared about it most? 5. What did Esau want? 6. So what did he give up for the sake of the soup? 7. Could he get it back again? 8. What are you an heir of? 9. How could we lose the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven? 10. Shall we be able to change after we are dead? 11. Then what must we care about most? 12. Why could not Esau get his father's blessing? 13. What did he like better than waiting for what he could not see? 14. Can we see heaven? 15. But when we get there, will it not be better than anything we can see here?

SECOND READING.

"This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."—Genesis 28:17.

YOU know that Isaac, Abraham's son, had two sons, whose names were Esau and Jacob. Now Jacob had grieved Esau by gaining God's great promise, for which Esau was so angry with him, that he had to go out away from his father's home, all alone. But Jacob knew he was not alone, for God was with him. He went on till night came. Then he was in a dismal stony place, with no house or shelter near—only big stones, and here and there a thistle.

He said his prayers, and then he lay down, with a stone for his pillow and the sky over him. But in the night he saw a wonder. There was a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, and God's angels were going up and down, and the Lord Himself stood at the top of the ladder. And He told Jacob that He was going to give his children all the land he saw—North, South, East, and West; and that He would take care of him, and be with him wherever he went, and in time bring him safe home.

JACOB'S VISION OF ANGELS.—Gen. 28:12, 13.

Jacob woke, and found it was a dream, but he knew it was true, and that God had really spoken to him; and though he was glad he was afraid, and he said, "How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." And that he might always know the place, he put one of the great stones upright, and he took some of the sweet olive oil he had brought to eat on his journey, and poured it on the stone, as the only thing he could do to show honor to God.

Then he made a solemn holy vow, that if God would take care of him on his way, and give him food to eat and clothes to wear, he would make a gift to God all his life of the tenth part of all he had. Good people like to do like Jacob, and give God their tenth. And if we only had our eyes opened to see, like his, we should see God's angels coming up and down with blessings for us, for we go to the house of God and gate of heaven whenever we go to church. Let us recollect how awful Jacob felt it to be so near to God.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who was Jacob? 2. Who was Isaac? 3. Who was Esau? 4. Why was Jacob obliged to go away? 5. What was the promise? 6. What kind of place had he to sleep in? 7. What was his pillow? 8. But what did he see? 9. Who went up and down? 10. Who stood at the top? 11. What did God promise him? 12. What did Jacob say of the place? 13. How did he mark it? 14. What did he pour on the stone? 15. What vow did he make? 16. What are the houses of God? 17. Who comes up and down to us? 18. What do the angels bring us? 19. How much did Jacob promise to give God? 20. What does God do for us?

THIRD READING.

"As a prince hast thou prevailed."—Genesis 32:28.

IT was a long journey that Jacob had had to take, but God took care of him, and brought him safe to the home where his mother had come from. He lived there, and took care of his uncle's sheep and cattle, till he had earned a great many for his own; and he had married there, and had a great many sons. But after a time God commanded him to go home to the land of Canaan. He was afraid, because he thought his brother Esau might still be angry with him; but, in spite of his fear, he did as God bade him.

JACOB MEETING RACHEL.—Gen. 29:10-12.

LABAN HIRING JACOB.—Gen. 29:18, 19.

When he came near the river Jordan, which flows on the East side of the land of Canaan, he prayed to God to guard him, and once more God let him see the angels who were going with him to protect him. He was glad, but he was still very careful. He chose out a present of cows, and goats, and camels, and sheep, for Esau, and sent it on to meet him; and then he sent on the other cattle he wanted to keep for himself; then his children; and last of all, in the safest place, his dear young son Joseph.

JACOB'S DEPARTURE FOR CANAAN.—Gen. 31:17, 18.

Esau came to meet him, but not in anger. The two brothers met, and fell on one another's neck and kissed one another, and were friends. So God had kept His promise to take care of Jacob; and Jacob kept his promise, for he set up an altar at Bethel, where he had seen the angels before, and praised and blessed God.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who was Jacob? 2. Why had he left home? 3. With whom did he go to live? 4. What did he earn there? 5. Why did he go back? 6. Why was he afraid? 7. What comforted him? 8. Of whom do God's angels take care? 9. What did he give Esau? 10. How did he put his family in order? 11. Who went last? 12. How did Esau meet him? 13. What was the quarrel between them? 14. But was Esau angry? 15. How did Jacob show he was thankful?

JACOB AND THE ANGEL.—Genesis 32:24.

THE MEETING OF JACOB AND ESAU.—Gen. 33:3, 4.

Sixth Sunday.

JOSEPH IN EGYPT.

FIRST READING.

"His brethren envied him."—Genesis 37:11.

I TOLD you how Jacob went away from home, and how God promised to take care of him. He did take care of him: He led him to his uncle, and with him Jacob lived many years, and then came back with flocks of sheep and goats, camels and cows. And he had twelve sons. The best one of them was named Joseph. Jacob loved him very much, and gave him a striped dress of many colors, such as the son who is to be the heir wears in those countries. But his brothers hated and envied him, and were all the time finding fault with him.

One day, when Joseph was seventeen years old, ten of the brothers were out with their sheep, and Jacob desired Joseph to go and see what they were about. He would not tell his father how unkind they were to him, but he went; and as they saw him coming some of them were so wicked as to say that they would kill him, and never let him go home. Reuben, who was the eldest brother, tried to hinder them; but when he saw he could not stop them, he said the best way would be, not to kill him, but to let him down into a dry well just by.

There they meant to let him starve to death; and they let him down without any pity for him. Reuben meant to come by-and-by and take Joseph out of the pit and save him; but there was another brother, named Judah, who did not want to have him killed, and who saw a great party of men, with camels and asses laden with goods, going on a journey. He knew they were merchants, going to sell and buy in Egypt, and he advised the other brothers to persuade them to buy Joseph; for in those days men and women used to be bought and sold, and were called slaves.

JOSEPH SOLD BY HIS BRETHREN.—Gen. 37:28.

So Joseph was drawn up out of the pit; and when the merchants saw what a fine young man he was, they paid the price for him and carried him off, away from his father and all he had ever known or cared for before. The cruel brothers kept his colored dress; and they killed a kid and stained it in the blood, and then carried it to their father, telling him they had found it. Jacob thought some wild beast had met Joseph and killed and eaten him, and he mourned and wept. His sons pretended to comfort him; but not one of them would tell him that Joseph was not dead.

QUESTIONS.