The Peep of Day

THE INFANT JESUS.

The Peep of Day

By the Author of
“Line Upon Line,” “Precept Upon
Precept,” Etc.
PHILADELPHIA
HENRY ALTEMUS COMPANY

CONTENTS.

PREFACE.

This little work aims to be the very least of all;—not in size, but in the humility of its contents. It aims at the superlative degree of littleness; and in this point seeks to resemble the least watch ever made—the least picture ever painted—the tiniest flower that ever grew. It desires to be among books as the humming-bird among birds.

As soon as a child’s mind is capable of receiving systematic instruction, this humble work attempts to convey it.

From a very early period a pious mother will, by casual remarks, endeavor to lead her child to the knowledge of his Creator and Redeemer; and in due time she will impart systematic instruction. It may be at three years of age—it may not be till five—that the child is prepared to listen to these little lessons. But—sooner or later—he will give evidence of his immortality by willingly hearkening to discourse concerning the Invisible—the Eternal—the Infinite.

The simplicity of the language may seem unworthy of the sublimity of the subject treated of in these pages; and some may smile at the contrast;—but the little one will not smile—except with joy to hear of his Heavenly Father, and of his Incarnate Redeemer; for the merry inmates of the nursery are capable of tasting higher pleasures than toys and dainties can afford.

THE PEEP OF DAY.

LESSON I.
OF THE BODY.

Dear Children:—You have seen the sun in the sky. Who put the sun in the sky?—God.

Can you reach up so high?—No.

Who holds up the sun that it does not fall?—It is God. God lives in heaven; heaven is much higher than the sun.

Can you see God?—No. Yet He can see you, for God sees everything.

God made everything at first, and God takes care of everything. God made you, my little child, and God takes care of you always.

You have a little body; from your head down to your feet, I call your body.

Put your hand before your mouth. What do you feel coming out of your mouth? It is your breath. You breathe every moment. When you are asleep, you breathe. You cannot help breathing. But who gives you breath? God does everything. God gave you this little body, and he makes it live, and move, and breathe. There are bones in your body. God has made them strong and hard. There are some bones for your arms, and some bones for your legs. There is a bone for your back, and more bones for you sides.

God has covered your bones with flesh. Your flesh is soft and warm. In your flesh there is blood. God has put skin outside, and it covers your flesh and blood like a coat. Now all these things, the bones, and flesh, and blood, and skin, are called your body. How kind of God it was to give you a body. I hope that your body will not get hurt.

Will your bones break?—Yes, they would, if you were to fall down from a high place, or if a cart were to go over them.

If you were to be very sick, your flesh would waste away, and you would have scarcely anything left but skin and bones.

Did you ever see a child who had been sick a very long while? I have seen a sick baby. It had not round cheeks like yours, and a fat arm like this. The baby’s flesh was almost gone, and its little bones were only covered with skin. God has kept you strong and well.

How easy it would be to hurt your poor little body!

If it were to fall into the fire, it would be burned up. If hot water were thrown upon it, it would be scalded. If it were to fall into deep water, and not be taken out very soon, it would be drowned. If a great knife were run through your body, the blood would come out. If a great box were to fall on your head, your head would be crushed. If you were to fall out of the window, your neck would be broken. If you were not to eat some food for a few days, your little body would be very sick, your breath would stop, and you would grow cold, and you would soon be dead.

You see that you have a very weak little body.

Can you keep your own body from being sick, and from getting hurt?

You should try not to hurt yourself, but God only can keep your body from all harm, from fire and water, from wounds and bruises, and all kinds of sickness. Kneel down and say to God, “Pray keep my poor little body from getting hurt.” God will hear you, and go on taking care of you.

My little body’s made by God

Of soft warm flesh and crimson blood:

The slender bones are placed within,

And over all is laid the skin.

My little body’s very weak;

A fall or blow my bones might break:

The water soon might stop my breath;

The fire might close my eyes in death.

But God can keep me by his care;

To him I’ll say this little pray’r:

“O God! from harm my body keep,

Both when I wake and when I sleep.”

LESSON II.
OF A MOTHER’S CARE.

I have told you about your little body. Was your body always as big as it is now?—No. Once it was very small indeed.

What were you called when your body was very small?—A baby.

Now you can take a little care of yourself, but then you could take no care at all. Can babies walk, or talk, or feed themselves, or dress themselves?—No.

But God sent you a person who took great care of you when you were a baby.

Who was it?—Your dear mother; she took care of you then. She nursed you in her arms, and fed you, and took you out in the air, and washed you, and dressed you. Do you love your mother?—Yes.

I know you do. But who gave you a mother? It was God who sent you to a kind mother.

A little while ago there was no such little creature as you. Then God made your little body, and he sent you to your mother, who loved you as soon as she saw you. It was God who made your mother love you so much, and made her so kind to you.

Your kind mother dressed your poor little body in neat clothes, and laid you in a cradle. When you cried she gave you food, and hushed you to sleep in her arms. She showed you pretty things to make you smile. She held you up, and showed you how to move your feet. She taught you to speak, and she often kissed you, and called you sweet names.

Is your mother kind to you still?—Yes, she is, though she is sometimes angry. But she wishes to make you good: that is why she is sometimes angry.

Your mother has sent you to this nice school, and she gives you supper when you go home. I know she will be kind to you as long as she lives.

But remember who gave you this mother. God sent you to a dear mother, instead of putting you in the fields, where no one would have seen you or taken care of you.

Can your mother keep you alive?—No.

She can feed you, but she cannot make your breath go on.

God thinks of you every moment. If he were to forget you, your breath would stop.

Do you ever thank your mother for her kindness?—Yes. You often say, “Thank you,” and sometimes you put your arms around her neck, and say, “I do love you so much, dear mother!” Will you not thank God who gave you a mother, and who keeps you alive? You should kneel down when you speak to God; then you should say, “O God, how good you have been to me! I thank you, and love you.”

Would God hear your little thanks?—Yes, God would hear and be pleased.

Who fed me from her gentle breast,

And hush’d me in her arms to rest,

And on my cheeks sweet kisses press’d?

My Mother.

When sleep forsook my open eye,

Who was it sang sweet hush-a-by?

And rock’d me that I should not cry?

My Mother.

Who sat and watch’d my infant head,

When sleeping on my cradle bed,

And tears of sweet affection shed?

My Mother.

When pain and sickness made me cry,

Who gazed upon my heavy eye,

And wept for fear that I should die?

My Mother.

Who ran to help me when I fell,

And would some pretty story tell,

Or kiss the place to make it well?

My Mother.

Who taught my infant lips to pray,

And love God’s holy book and day,

And walk in wisdom’s pleasant way?

My Mother.

And can I ever cease to be

Affectionate and kind to thee,

Who wast so very kind to me?

My Mother.

Ah no! the thought I cannot bear,

And if God please my life to spare,

I hope I shall reward thy care,

My Mother.

When thou art feeble, old, and gray,

My healthy arm shall be thy stay,

And I will soothe thy pains away,

My Mother.

And when I see thee hang thy head,

’Twill be my turn to watch thy bed,

And tears of sweet affection shed,

My Mother.

For God, who lives above the skies,

Would look with vengeance in his eyes

If ever I should dare despise

My Mother.

LESSON III.
OF THE SOUL.

Has God been kind to dogs? Has he given them bodies?—Yes.

Have they bones, and flesh, and blood, and skin?—Yes.

The dog has a body as well as you. Is the dog’s body like yours?—No.

How many legs have you?—Two.

How many legs has the dog?—Four.

Have you got arms?—Yes, two.

Has the dog got arms?—No, it has no arms, nor hands. But the dog has legs instead. Your skin is smooth, but the dog is covered with hair.

Is the cat’s body like yours?—No; it is covered with fur.

Is a chicken’s body like yours? How many legs has the chicken?—Two.

And so have you. But are its legs like yours?—No; the chicken has very thin, dark legs, and it has claws instead of feet.

Have you feathers on your skin? Have you wings? Is your mouth like a chicken’s beak? Has the chicken any teeth?—No; the chicken’s body is not at all like yours. Yet the chicken has a body—for it has flesh, and bones, and blood, and skin.

Has a fly got a body?—Yes, it has a black body, and six black legs, and two wings like glass. Its body is not at all like yours.

Who gave bodies to dogs, horses, chickens, and flies? Who keeps them alive?

God thinks of all these creatures every moment.

Can a dog thank God. No; dogs and horses, sheep and cows, cannot thank God.

Why can not they thank God? Is is because they cannot talk?

That is not the reason.

The reason is, they cannot think of God. They never heard of God. They cannot understand about God.

Why not?—Because they have no souls, or spirits, like yours.

Have you got a soul?—Yes, in your body there is a soul which will never die. Your soul can think of God.

When God made your body, he put your soul inside. Are you glad of that? When God made the dogs, he put no soul like yours inside their bodies, and they cannot think of God.

Can I see your soul?—No; I cannot see it. No one can see it but God. He knows what you are thinking of now.

Which is the best, your soul or your body?—Your soul is a great deal the best. Why is your soul the best?—Your body can die, but your soul cannot die.

Shall I tell you what your body is made of?—Of dust. God made the dust into flesh and blood.

What is your soul made of?—Your soul, or spirit, is made of the breath of God.

That little dog will die some day. Its body will be thrown away. The dog will be quite gone when its body is dead. But when your body dies, your soul will be alive, and you will not be quite gone.

Where would you be put if you were dead?—Your body would be put in a hole in the ground, but your soul would not be in the hole. Even a baby has a soul, or spirit.

One day as I was walking in the streets, I saw a man carrying a box. Some people were walking behind, crying. There was a dead baby in the box. Was the soul of the baby in the box?—No; its soul was gone up to God.

Will you not thank God for giving you a spirit? Will you not ask Him to take your spirit to live with him when your body dies?

Say to God, “Pray, take my spirit to live with Thee when my body dies and turns into dust.”

CHILD.

Tell me, mamma, if I must die

One day, as little baby died;

And look so very pale, and lie

Down in the pit-hole by his side?

Shall I leave dear papa and you,

And never see you any more?

Tell me, mamma, if this is true:

I did not know it was before.

MAMMA.

’Tis true, my love, that you must die;

The God who made you says you must;

And every one of us shall lie,

Like the dear baby in the dust.

These hands, and feet, and busy head,

Shall waste and crumble quite away;

But though your body shall be dead,

There is a part which can’t decay.

What is that part which can’t decay? It is your soul.

Your body will decay; it will turn into dust; but your soul will live forever: it will never decay.

LESSON IV.
OF THE GOOD ANGELS.

You know that God lives in heaven. He has no body, for he is a spirit.

Does he live in heaven alone?—No; angels stand all round his throne.

What are angels?

Angels are spirits. They are bright like the sun, but they are not so bright as God, for he is brighter than the sun. The angels are always looking at God, and it is God that makes them shine so bright.

They sing sweet songs about God. They say, “How good God is! how wise! how great!”

There is no night in heaven, for the angels are never tired of singing, and they never wish to sleep. They are never sick, and they will never die.

They never weep; there are no tears upon their cheeks, but sweet smiles, for angels are always happy.

If the angels were naughty, they would be unhappy. Naughtiness always makes people unhappy. The angels are quite good. They love God very much, and mind all he says.

They have wings, and can fly very quickly. God sends them down here to take care of us. As soon as God tells an angel to go, he begins to fly. They are very strong, and can keep us from harm.

Should you like the angels to be near you at night? Do you know this pretty verse or hymn?

I lay my body down to sleep,

Let angels guard my head,

And through the hours of darkness keep

Their watch around my bed.

You must ask God to send the angels, for they never go, except when God sends them.

God is their Father. They have not two fathers, as you have. The angels are the children of God, and live in God’s house in heaven. When you mind what your father tells you, then you are like the angels who mind God.

The angels love us very much. They wish us to grow good, and to come to live with them in heaven. When a child is sorry for its naughtiness, and prays to God to forgive it, the angels are very much pleased.

When a little child who loves God falls sick, and is going to die, God says to the angels, “Go and fetch that little child’s soul up to heaven.” Then the angels fly down, the little darling shuts its eyes, it lays its head on its mothers bosom, its breath stops;—the child is dead. Where is its soul? The angels are carrying it up to heaven.

How happy the child is now! Its pain is over; it is grown quite good; it is bright like an angel. It holds a harp in its hand, and begins to sing a sweet song of praise to God. Its little body is put into a grave, and turns into dust. One day God will make its body alive again.

Dear children, will you pray to God to send his angels to fetch your souls when you die?

Around God’s glorious throne above

The happy angels stand,

And ever praise the God they love,

And fly at his command.

Their faces, like the sun, are bright,

And sweetest smiles they wear;

They never sleep; there is no night,

Nor need of candle there.

But though the angels live so high,

They love us men below,

And hope to see us in the sky

In garments white as snow.

And when a dying infant lies

Upon its mother’s breast,

The angels watch it while it dies,

And take its soul to rest.

LESSON V.
OF THE WICKED ANGELS.

When did God begin to live in heaven? God always lived in heaven.

Once there was no such little child as you, but there always was God.

Once there was no sun, but there always was God.

Once there were no angels, but there always was God.

No one made God; God was the first of all things, and God made everything.

A very long while ago God made the angels. How many angels did he make? No one could tell how many. There were more than could be counted. They were all good and happy.

But some of the angels grew bad. They left off loving God, and grew proud, and disobedient.

Would God let them stay in heaven after they were bad? No; he cast them out, and put them in chains and darkness.

One of these bad angels was called Satan. He is the chief, or prince of the bad angels. He is called the devil.

The devil is very wicked, and hates God. He can never go back to heaven again, but he comes here where we live, and he brings the other devils with him.

We cannot see Satan, because he is a spirit, but he is always walking about, and trying to make people naughty.

Satan loves mischief; he does not wish to be good. It pleases Satan to see people in pain and in tears; but it pleases him best to see them naughty, because then he thinks that they will come and live with him in his dark place. He wishes that there should be a great many people in hell, so he tries to make us do wicked things, and keep us from praying to God.

I cannot tell you how very bad Satan is. He is very cruel, for he likes to give pain. He is a liar and teaches people to tell lies. He is proud, and wishes people to mind him more than God. He is envious, and cannot bear to see people happy.

The devil hopes very much that you will come and live with him when you die. He knows that if you are bad like him, you will live with him. So he tries to make you like himself. When you are in a passion, you are like the devil. When you say, “I don’t care,” you are like the devil. When you think yourself good, you are proud like the devil.

Can God keep you from minding the devil? Yes; he can: for God is a great deal stronger than Satan. Besides this, God is always near you, for God is everywhere. Now Satan cannot be everywhere at the same time. It is true that Satan has a great many angels who go where he tells them; and that Satan and his angels come near you very often. But God is always with you; he is before you and behind you, and on every side of you; he is about your bed when you sleep, and about your path when you walk. Therefore you need not be afraid of Satan; only ask God to help you, and he will do so.

Satan is much stronger than you are; but God is stronger than all. If anybody were to come to hurt you when you were alone, you would be frightened; but if you saw your father coming you would run to him, and you would not be frightened any more. Now God is our father; he can keep Satan from hurting you. Pray to him, and say, “O dear father, keep me from being wicked like the devil, and from going to hell.”

Satan was once an angel bright

And worship’d God on high;

But now he dwells in darkest night

And endless misery.

Daring his God to disobey,

He lost his happy state:

Sinners above could never stay

Around God’s throne to wait.

Thousands of angels with him fell,

Who own him as their king;

Hoping with us to share their hell,

They tempt our souls to sin.

CHILD.

God, unto thee I’ll lift my pray’r,

(He’ll hear an infant cry,)

“Save me, O Lord, lest I should share

In Satan’s misery.”

On the subjects of the preceding Lessons.

God lives on high—beyond the sky,

And angels bright—all clothed in white,

The praises sing—of heaven’s king.

This God can see—both you and me;

Can see at night—as in the light;

And all we do—remembers too.

’Tis he bestows—my food and clothes,

And my soft bed—to rest my head,

And cottage neat and mother sweet.

And should not I—forever try

To do what He—has ordered me,

And dearly love—this Friend above?

I always should—be very good:

At home should mind—my parents kind;

At school obey—what teachers say.

Now if I fight—and scratch, and bite,

In passions fall—and bad names call,

Full well I know—where I shall go.

Satan is glad—when I am bad,

And hopes that I—with him shall lie

In fire and chains—and dreadful pains.

And liars dwell—with him in hell,

And many more—who cursed and swore,

And all who did—what God forbid.

And I have not—done what I ought;

I am not fit—with God to sit.

And angels bright—all clothed in white.

I will confess—my naughtiness,

And will entreat—for mercy sweet

O Lord! forgive—and let me live.

My body must—be turned to dust.

Then let me fly—beyond the sky,

And see thy face—in that sweet place.

LESSON VI.
THE WORLD.—PART I.
Genesis i. 1-10

This large place we live in is called the world. It is very beautiful. If we look up we see the blue sky, if we look down we see the green grass. The sky is like a curtain spread over our heads, the grass like a carpet under our feet, and the bright sun is like a candle to give us light. It was very kind of God to make such a beautiful world, and let us live in it.

God was in heaven, and all his bright angels around him, when he began to make the world. God’s Son was with him—for God always has a Son, just like himself.

His Son’s name is Jesus Christ. He is as good and as great as God his Father. The Father and the Son are God: they always lived together, and they love each other exceedingly. The Father and the Son are one God, and they made the world.

How did God make the world?—By speaking. First of all, God made the light. God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. No one can make things by speaking but God: God made things of nothing. He only spoke, and the light came.

Then God made the air. You cannot see the air, but you can feel it. The air is everywhere. You can sometimes hear the noise it makes, for you hear the wind blow, and the wind is air.

Next God put some water up very high. The clouds are full of water, and sometimes the water comes down, and we call it rain.

God made a large deep place, and filled it with water. God spoke to the water, and it rushed into the deep place. God called this water the sea.

The sea is very large, and it is always moving up and down, and tossing itself; but it cannot get out of the large deep place in which God has put it; for God said, “Stay there.”

When the wind blows hard, the sea makes a loud noise, and roars.

God made some dry land for us to walk upon: we call it ground. We could not walk upon the sea nor build houses on the sea: but the ground is hard, and firm, and dry.

Now I have told you of five things that God made:—

1. The light. 2. The air. 3. The clouds. 4. The sea. 5. The dry land.

Let us praise God for making such a large and beautiful world.