{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_17163/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_17163","id":"gutenberg_17163","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/17163","summary":null,"tags":["Bible stories, English","Bible. New Testament -- Juvenile literature","Category: Children & Young Adult Reading","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Children's Picture Books","Children's Religion"],"text":"Produced by Juliet Sutherland, David Garcia, Jeannie Howse\nand the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at\nhttps://www.pgdp.net\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration: Front Cover]\n\n[Illustration: LITTLE ONES SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO HIM.]\n\n\n\n\nMOTHER\n\nSTORIES\n\nFROM THE NEW TESTAMENT\n\n\nA Book of the Best Stories from the\nNew Testament That Mothers\nCan Tell Their Children\n\n\nWith Forty-five Illustrations\n\nPHILADELPHIA\nHENRY ALTEMUS COMPANY\n\n\n\n\n\nALTEMUS' MOTHER STORIES SERIES\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nMOTHER STORIES\nA Book of the Best Stories that Mothers can tell their Children\n\nMOTHER NURSERY RHYMES AND TALES\nA Book of the Best Nursery Rhymes and Tales that Mothers can tell\ntheir Children\n\nMOTHER FAIRY TALES\nA Book of the Best Fairy Tales that Mothers can tell their Children\n\nMOTHER NATURE STORIES\nA Book of the Best Nature Stories that Mothers can tell their Children\n\nMOTHER STORIES FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT\nA Book of the Best Old Testament Stories that Mothers can tell their\nChildren\n\nMOTHER STORIES FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT\nA Book of the Best New Testament Stories that Mothers can tell their\nChildren\n\nMOTHER BEDTIME STORIES\nA Book of the Best Bedtime Stories that Mothers can tell their\nChildren\n\nMOTHER ANIMAL STORIES\nA Book of the Best Animal Stories that Mothers can tell their Children\n\nMOTHER BIRD STORIES\nA Book of the Best Bird Stories that Mothers can tell their Children\n\nMOTHER SANTA CLAUS STORIES\nA Book of the Best Santa Claus Stories that Mothers can tell their\nChildren\n\nProfusely illustrated and handsomely bound in cloth, with\nornamentation in colors\n\n$1.00 PER VOLUME\n\n  COPYRIGHT 1906 BY HOWARD E. ALTEMUS\n  PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA\n\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS.\n\n\n                                                        PAGE\nTHE WISE MEN'S VISIT                                       7\n\nTHE ANGEL'S TIDINGS                                       10\n\nJESUS IN THE TEMPLE                                       12\n\nTHE WONDERFUL DRAUGHT OF FISHES                           14\n\nTHE HOUSE BUILT UPON THE SAND                             16\n\nHEALING THE CENTURION'S SERVANT                           18\n\nANOINTING THE FEET OF JESUS                               20\n\nTHE RICH FOOL                                             22\n\nTHE UNFRUITFUL TREE                                       24\n\nSOWING THE SEED                                           26\n\nTHE ENEMY SOWING TARES                                    28\n\nTHE PARABLE OF THE LEAVEN                                 30\n\nSEEKING FOR HIDDEN TREASURE                               32\n\nTHE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE                                  34\n\nTHE PARABLE OF THE NET                                    36\n\nTHE MAN POSSESSED BY DEVILS                               38\n\nCURING THE INCURABLE                                      40\n\nJAIRUS' DAUGHTER                                          42\n\nTHE TWO BLIND MEN                                         44\n\nFEEDING FIVE THOUSAND                                     46\n\nCHRIST WALKING ON THE SEA                                 48\n\nTHE WOMAN OF CANAAN                                       50\n\nPETER AND THE TRIBUTE MONEY                               52\n\nTHE GOOD SAMARITAN                                        54\n\nIMPORTUNITY REWARDED                                      56\n\nTHE UNMERCIFUL SERVANT                                    58\n\nTHE GOOD SHEPHERD                                         60\n\nTHE LOST PIECE OF MONEY                                   62\n\nTHE PRODIGAL SON                                          64\n\nPETER'S WIFE'S MOTHER CURED                               66\n\nTHE UNJUST STEWARD                                        68\n\nTHE RICH MAN AND THE BEGGAR                               70\n\n\"AVENGE ME OF MY ADVERSARY\"                               72\n\nTHE PHARISEE AND THE TAX-GATHERER                         74\n\nTHE LABORERS IN THE VINEYARD                              76\n\nTHE BARREN FIG TREE                                       78\n\nTHE WICKED HUSBANDMAN                                     80\n\nWITHOUT THE WEDDING GARMENT                               82\n\nTHE FOOLISH VIRGINS                                       84\n\nTHE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS                                86\n\nMAN WITH THE WITHERED HAND                                88\n\nJESUS ASCENDS TO HEAVEN                                   90\n\nTHE PHILIPPIAN JAILER                                     92\n\nTIMOTHY AND HIS MOTHER EUNICE                             94\n\nCHRIST BLESSING THE CHILDREN                              96\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nNEW TESTAMENT STORIES\n\nTHE WISE MEN'S VISIT.\n\n\nThe birth of Jesus Christ was announced by two remarkable events: the\ncoming of wise men from the East, and the appearance of angels to some\nshepherds at Bethlehem.\n\nThe wise men were probably astronomers; and in watching the stars they\nhad seen one that had led them to leave their own country, and take a\nlong journey to Jerusalem. Most likely they rode on camels, and their\njourney was a tedious one. But at last they reached Jerusalem, where\nthey inquired saying, \"Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for\nwe have seen His star in the East and are come to worship Him.\"\nTidings of these inquiries were brought to King Herod, and when he\nheard them he was much troubled. He was a wicked king; and feared that\nif another king had been born, he would grow up and take the crown\naway. Herod was also cruel and treacherous, and while pretending to\nact rightly, often did many evil things. And now he intended to\ndestroy the infant King, who might one day take his sceptre away.\n\nSo he first sent for the learned men of the Jews, the chief priests\nand scribes, and demanded of them where Christ should be born; and\nwhen they had replied that it was to be in Bethlehem, he secretly\ncalled the wise men before him, and inquired of them what time the\nstar appeared. After getting the information he needed, he dismissed\nthe wise men, bidding them to go to Bethlehem \"and search diligently\nfor the young child; and when ye have found Him,\" said Herod, \"bring\nme word again, that I may come and worship Him also.\"\n\nSo the wise men left King Herod and Jerusalem, and journeyed onward\ntowards Bethlehem; and the star which they had seen in the East went\nbefore them, till it came and stood over where the young child lay.\nAnd when they saw the star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy, for\nthey knew they had found Him whom they had come so far to seek.\n\nBut the wise men did not bring Herod word where Jesus was; and he was\nso angry that shortly afterwards he sent his soldiers, and slew all\nthe children under two years of age that were in Bethlehem and its\nneighbourhood. He thought by so doing to kill Jesus among them, but\nGod prevented him from doing so.\n\n[Illustration: THE WISE MEN BEFORE THE KING.]\n\n\n\n\nTHE ANGEL'S TIDINGS.\n\n\nIt was night. In the fields near Bethlehem a company of shepherds kept\nwatch over their flocks. Probably they were holy men, and often\nthought of God in the stillness of the early morn. And now they may\nhave been thinking of the coming of the promised Messiah.\n\nWhile watching their flocks, the angel of the Lord came to these\nshepherds, and a dazzling light shone round about them. They were much\nafraid; but the angel said, \"Fear not; for behold I bring you good\ntidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is\nborn this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the\nLord.\" And suddenly there was with the angel a great multitude of the\nheavenly host praising God and saying, \"Glory to God in the highest,\nand on earth peace, good will toward men.\"\n\nWhen the angels had departed, the shepherds returned to Bethlehem; and\nthere, in a stable, they found the infant Jesus, lying in a manger,\nwatched over and cared for by His mother Mary and Joseph. And so great\nwas the surprise and joy of the shepherds that they went out and told\nall they met of the wondrous things which they had seen.\n\nShortly after the visit of the shepherds, the wise men from the East\nreached Bethlehem, and in a house they found Joseph, and Mary, and\nJesus. Then they fell down and worshipped Jesus, opening the treasures\nthey had brought, and offering Him precious gifts, gold and\nfrankincense and myrrh. But God warned them not to go back to Herod,\nto tell him where the new-born King of the Jews was, and they returned\nto their own country another way.\n\n[Illustration: THE SHEPHERDS WORSHIPPING THE INFANT JESUS.]\n\n\n\n\nJESUS IN THE TEMPLE.\n\n\nWhen Jesus was twelve years of age, His parents took Him with them to\nJerusalem to the feast of the Passover. Great numbers journeyed from\ndifferent parts to keep this feast; and travelled in companies or\ncaravans, the women and old men riding on asses or mules, and the rest\ngoing on foot. Thus Joseph and Mary, with Jesus, left Nazareth, and\nwith many others journeyed to Jerusalem, where they kept the Passover.\n\nWhen the feast was ended, as they returned homewards, Joseph and Mary\ndiscovered that Jesus was missing; but supposing Him to have been\nsomewhere among the company, they continued their first day's short\njourney. When, however, evening came, and the caravan halted, and\nJesus was nowhere to be found, His parents sorrowfully returned to\nJerusalem seeking Him. At last, on the third day, they went to the\nTemple, and found Jesus sitting in the midst of the aged and learned\nJewish doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions. \"And all\nthat heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.\"\n\nHis parents were amazed when they saw Jesus in such company. But Mary,\nwhile she rejoiced at finding Him, gently said, \"Son, why hast Thou\nthus dealt with us? Behold Thy father and I have sought Thee\nsorrowing.\" Jesus replied, \"How is it that ye sought Me? Wist ye not\nthat I must be about My Father's business?\"\n\nJesus was the Son of God, and doing God's work was being about His\nFather's business. Years afterwards He said, \"I came not to do Mine\nown will, but the will of Him that sent Me.\"\n\n[Illustration: \"SON, WHY HAST THOU THUS DEALT WITH US?\"]\n\n\n\n\nTHE WONDERFUL DRAUGHT OF FISHES\n\n\nOne day, as the crowds pressed round Him to hear the Word of God,\nJesus came to the Lake of Gennesaret and saw two boats drawn up on the\nshore. Now one of these belonged to a man named Simon Peter, who was\nat the water's edge washing his nets. Jesus entered into this boat and\nasked Simon to push it off from the land a little. Then He sat down\nand taught the people from the boat. And when He had done speaking to\nthem He said to Simon, \"Launch out into the deep, and let down your\nnets for a draught of fishes.\" Simon, answering Him, said, \"Master, we\nhave toiled all through the night and have taken nothing, but as you\nwish it I will let down the net again.\" And they let down the net into\nthe sea, but it enclosed so great a multitude of fishes that they\ncould not draw them up; and the net brake. Then Simon beckoned to his\npartners, James and John, who were in the other boat, that they should\ncome and help them. And they came and filled both boats with the\nfishes, so that they began to sink.\n\nWhen Simon Peter saw it he fell down before Jesus, saying, \"Depart\nfrom me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.\" For he and all that were with\nhim were astonished at the marvellous draught of fishes which they had\ntaken. And Jesus said unto Simon, \"Fear not, Simon Peter; from\nhenceforth thou shalt be a fisher of men.\" Meaning that he was to go\nabout winning souls for God, instead of being a fisherman.\n\nAnd when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all they\nhad and followed Christ.\n\n[Illustration: THE WONDERFUL DRAUGHT OF FISHES.]\n\n\n\n\nTHE HOUSE BUILT UPON THE SAND.\n\n\nWhat a foolish man the builder of the house shown in our picture must\nhave been! Of course, when the wind blew and the waves dashed against\nhis house, it would fall. Look how the sea has washed the foundation\naway, and how the roof is falling in! And the people; see how they are\nfleeing to save their lives! And all this calamity because he built\nhis house upon the sand. But the other house, shown in the distance:\nhow firmly that stands! What a bold front it offers to the waves, and\nhow safely it resists the fury of the storm. Its foundations are sure,\nbecause they rest upon the solid rock.\n\nJesus had been teaching the people. He had taught them many wonderful\ntruths, which you will find written in the fifth, sixth, and seventh\nchapters of Matthew; and in closing He said, \"Whosoever heareth these\nsayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man who\nbuilt his house upon a rock. And the rain descended, and the floods\ncame, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not,\nfor it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these\nsayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish\nman which built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and\nthe floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it\nfell, and great was the fall of it.\" The lesson Jesus sought to\nimpress upon the people by this parable was, that it is not enough\nsimply to hear what He says. Many will do that; but it is only those\nwho remember Christ's commandments and keep them, whose work will\nstand when the time of trial comes.\n\n[Illustration: THE HOUSE BUILT UPON THE SAND.]\n\n\n\n\nHEALING THE CENTURION'S SERVANT.\n\n\nJesus entered into Capernaum, a city by the Sea of Galilee, and while\nHe was there a certain Centurion, or captain in the Roman army, had a\nfavourite servant who was sick of the palsy and in great pain. When\nthis Roman heard of Jesus, he sought the Jewish elders and implored\nthem to go to Christ and beseech Him to cure the sick servant. And the\nelders came to Jesus and besought Him urgently to do this miracle,\nsaying, \"He is a worthy man, this Roman captain, for he loveth the\nJews and hath built us a synagogue.\"\n\nSo Jesus went with them, and when He had come near the house, the\nCenturion himself came to meet Him, saying, \"Lord, trouble not\nThyself, for I am not worthy that Thou shouldest enter my house. Speak\nthe word only, and this sickness shall depart and my servant be made\nwhole. For I am a man under authority of the Emperor, having many\nsoldiers under me, and I say unto this man, 'Go,' and he goeth; to\nanother, 'Come,' and he cometh, and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he\ndoeth it. Wherefore, if I can so readily command my servants to do my\nbidding, I know that if Thou biddest this sickness to go out from my\nservant it will surely go.\"\n\nJesus marvelled at the man's words, and said to His followers,\n\"Verily, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in\nall Israel.\" And to the Centurion He said, \"Go thy way; and as thou\nhast believed, so be it done unto thee.\" And his servant was healed in\nthe selfsame hour, and when those that had been sent returned to the\nhouse, they found the servant whole that had been sick.\n\n[Illustration: CHRIST AND THE CENTURION.]\n\n\n\n\nANOINTING THE FEET OF JESUS.\n\n\nOn one occasion, a proud Pharisee, whose name was Simon, invited Jesus\nto eat with him. But the invitation was a cold one. There was no kiss\nof welcome, no water to bathe His hot and dusty feet, no perfumed\nointment for His head: nothing but a bare admission to a vacant place\nat the table was granted to Jesus. But there He reclined, His left\nelbow resting on a cushion, and His feet projecting beyond the edge of\nthe couch.\n\nNow it happened that a poor, sinful woman was passing, who,\ndiscovering that Jesus was in the house, timidly entered, and stood\nbehind Him. She had an alabaster box of ointment, and, as she looked\non Jesus, she wept. Her tears fell upon His feet; so, stooping down,\nshe tenderly wiped them away with her long hair; then she kissed the\nSaviour's feet, and anointed them with the fragrant ointment. This was\ndone as a token of respect and love.\n\nBut an evil eye had noted the kindly act; and the proud Pharisee\nthought within himself, if Jesus were the prophet He professes to be,\nHe would certainly have known that the woman was a great sinner, and\nwould not have allowed her to touch Him. But Jesus came to save\nsinners. He loves them, though He hates their sins. He rebuked the\nhaughty Simon; and showed him how he had neglected the commonest rites\nof hospitality towards his guest, while this poor woman had treated\nJesus with the greatest reverence. Then Jesus said, \"Her sins which\nare many are forgiven, for she loved much\"; and He bade her go in\npeace.\n\n[Illustration: ANOINTING THE FEET OF JESUS.]\n\n\n\n\nTHE RICH FOOL.\n\n\nThere was a certain rich man who owned much land. And his fields and\nvineyards were so productive that when the time of harvest came, he\nhad not room enough to store his corn and fruits. So after much\nthought he said, \"This will I do. I will pull down my barns and build\ngreater ones, and there will I store all my fruits and my goods. Then\nI can say to myself, 'I have great store of goods laid up, enough for\nmany years; now I can take mine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.'\"\n\nBut God said unto him, \"Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be\nrequired of thee; then whose shall those things be which thou hast\nhoarded?\"\n\nJesus says it shall be so with all those who set their minds upon\nstoring up riches in this world, rather than laying up treasures in\nheaven by pleasing God and working in His service. Death will come\nwhen they least expect it, and they will have to leave all their\nearthly riches, and go where no treasure has been laid up for them.\n\nAnd He said unto His disciples, \"Take no thought for your life, what\nye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on; for the life\nis more than meat, and the body more than raiment. For all these\nthings do the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knoweth\nthat ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of\nGod; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, for it is\nthe Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell what ye have\nand give alms; provide yourselves a treasure in the heavens that\nfaileth not, where no thief approacheth, or moth corrupteth.\"\n\n[Illustration: THE RICH FOOL.]\n\n\n\n\nTHE UNFRUITFUL TREE.\n\n\nA certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard, and he came and\nsought fruit thereon, but found none. Then he called to the gardener\nwho attended to his vineyard, and said to him, \"Behold these three\nyears I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none. Cut it\ndown. Why does it encumber the ground?\"\n\nThe gardener answered him and said, \"Lord, let it alone this year\nalso, till I shall dig about it and manure it. And if it bear fruit\nthen, it is well; but if not, then, after that, thou shalt cut it\ndown.\"\n\nIn this parable the vineyard means the world, and the fig-tree ungodly\npeople whose lives do not produce good works--do not produce fruit in\nthe service of God. The Lord of the vineyard, that is, God, would\ndestroy such people, but Christ intercedes in their behalf, that time\nfor repentance may be given. \"He is not willing that any should\nperish, but that all should come to repentance.\" Christ came and\nsought to change men's hearts, and make their lives fruitful for God.\nThe warning has been given, and when the Lord of the vineyard comes\nagain to seek good fruit the unfruitful trees shall be destroyed.\n\n    Am I a barren tree, dear Lord?\n    A cumberer of the ground.\n    Oh! give me grace to fruitful be,\n    And in Thy work abound.\n\n[Illustration: THE UNFRUITFUL TREE.]\n\n\n\n\nSOWING THE SEED.\n\n\nA sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed some fell by the\nwayside and was trodden down, and birds came and devoured it. And some\nfell upon a rocky place, where there was not much soil, and as soon as\nit sprang up it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some\nfell among thorns and weeds, and they sprang up with it and choked it.\nBut other fell on good ground, and sprang up bearing ears, some with\nthirty, some sixty, some a hundred seeds.\n\nWhen Jesus had told this parable, His disciples asked Him to explain\nit to them. He said that the seed is the Word of God. The wayside\nsignifies the people who hear the Word but do not understand it, and\nSatan comes and takes all thought of it out of their hearts as quickly\nas the birds devour the seeds. The rocky places without much earth\ndenote those who, when they hear the Word, receive it with great joy\nand profession of faith; but it never takes deep root in their hearts,\nand when they are tempted they fall away and the good seed in their\nhearts is withered up. The thorns and weeds are the pleasures and\nriches of this life, which root so deeply and strongly in men's hearts\nthat the good seed has no chance, and is soon killed off.\n\nBut the good ground is the hearts of good people, who remember God's\nWord and try, every day of their lives, to do as He wishes us to do,\nand to live holy and useful lives. The seed falling upon their hearts\nbecomes strongly rooted and grows up vigorously, bearing good fruit.\n\nWhat shall be said of _your_ heart, my young friend? Is it like the\nwayside? the rocky place? the thorny ground? or like a good field that\nhas been well prepared for the seed?\n\n[Illustration: SOWING THE SEED.]\n\n\n\n\nTHE ENEMY SOWING TARES.\n\n\nA certain man sowed good seed in his field, but in the night, whilst\nmen slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went\nhis way. When the wheat-blade had sprung up and showed the ear, then\nappeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came to\nhim and said, \"Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? Whence\nthen come these tares?\"\n\nHe said unto them, \"An enemy hath done this.\" Then the servants asked,\n\"Shall we go, then, and gather them up?\" But he said, \"Nay, lest\nwhilst you gather up the tares, you root up the wheat with them. Let\nboth grow together until the harvest, and in that time I will say to\nthe reapers, 'Gather ye together first the tares and bind them into\nbundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.'\"\n\nJesus' disciples asked Him to explain this parable to them, and He\nsaid: \"The field represents the world, and He that sowed the good seed\nis Christ Himself. The good seed is the Word He preached; the wheat\nplants are the good people who believe in Christ and do as He teaches.\nThe enemy who sows the bad seed is Satan, and the tares that spring\nfrom them are wicked people who follow the promptings of the evil one\nin their hearts. The harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers\nare the angels of God. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned\nin the fire, so shall it be in the end of this world with wicked\npeople. Christ shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out\nof His Kingdom all things that offend and them that do evil, and shall\ncast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing\nof teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the\nkingdom of their Father.\"\n\n    \"For the Lord our God shall come,\n    And shall take His harvest home;\n    From His field shall in that day\n    All offences purge away;\n\n    \"Give His angels charge at last\n    In the fire the tares to cast,\n    But the fruitful grain to store\n    In His garner evermore.\"\n\n[Illustration: THE ENEMY SOWING TARES.]\n\n\n\n\nTHE PARABLE OF THE LEAVEN.\n\n\nChrist said that the kingdom of heaven could be likened unto leaven\n(or yeast), which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour,\ntill the whole was leavened.\n\nNow, this leaven, or yeast, is composed of tiny little plants, each\none so small that it cannot possibly be seen by the sharpest eye\nexcept through a very powerful microscope. So small are they that it\nwould require three thousand of them, placed close together, side by\nside, to make up the length of one inch. Like all other plants they\nrequire food, and they find this in the dough they are placed in. You\nknow that all things are made up of atoms of chemical substances so\nwonderfully blended together that only the chemist can separate them,\nand when he has separated them they appear very different. Well, in\nflour there are certain things so blended, and the yeast-plant takes\none kind of substance as food, and in doing so sets free another\nsubstance called carbonic acid gas. This gas bubbles up and makes the\nheavy dough spongy and light. If it were not for these tiny bubbles of\ngas your bread would be as heavy and close as suet pudding. This is\nthe reason why yeast is put into dough for making bread or cake. One\nof the most remarkable things about this yeast is, that when it gets\ninto any substance that contains its food, it at once begins to give\noff buds, which, in a few moments, become full-sized and break away.\nSo rapid is this increase, that if a single yeast-plant were to be put\ninto a great mass of dough it would very quickly leaven the whole\nmass.\n\nAnd so it is with the love of God. When once it gets into our hearts\nit will keep on growing until all our life is filled with it, and we\ntry in all things to please Him.\n\n[Illustration: THE PARABLE OF THE LEAVEN.]\n\n\n\n\nSEEKING FOR HIDDEN TREASURE.\n\n\nThe people of Canaan, both in ancient and modern days, have made a\npractice of hiding their treasures. This they have done to secure them\nin times of danger. When invaders flocked into the land, the people\nburied their gold and jewels, and fled. And often they died, or were\novertaken by their enemies and killed, so that they were unable to\nreturn and regain their buried riches. Earthquakes also have taken\nplace, destroying towns and villages, and burying all the riches in\nthem beneath their ruins. Thus there is much hidden treasure in\nCanaan, and numbers of the inhabitants spend their time seeking\ndiligently and anxiously for it.\n\nOur artist shows us a man who is thus seeking. He has heard that in\nold times a great treasure was hidden in a particular field. So he\ndigs away patiently in various places until, at last, he finds out\nthat what he heard is quite true. He is sure the treasure is _there_;\nand his desire is to become possessed of the field, so that he may\nobtain the buried riches. He is willing to sell all that he has if by\nso doing he may buy that field. So he hastens home, and gathers\ntogether the whole of his property and sells it. Then he takes his\nmoney to the man who has the land for sale, and buys the field of him.\nThus he becomes possessed of the treasure he has sought after. Jesus\nsays that the Kingdom of Heaven is like that treasure. It is so\nprecious, that when a man finds out its value, and knows how it can be\nobtained, he will be willing to give up everything he has for it--all\nhis companions, pleasures, sins, riches--indeed everything he\npossesses, in order to gain this great treasure.\n\n[Illustration: THE TREASURE HID IN A FIELD.]\n\n\n\n\nTHE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE.\n\n\nVery similar to the parable of the Hidden Treasure is this one of the\nmerchant seeking goodly pearls.\n\n\"The kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchantman seeking goodly\npearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold\nall that he had, and bought it.\"\n\nIn the picture we see the merchant on the sea-shore, where he has\nwaited for the landing of these sailors from another country. He asks\nthem if they have any goodly pearls for sale, and one man opens his\nbox and takes out this \"pearl of great price.\" It is just the kind of\npearl the merchant had been seeking, so he quickly produces his two\nbags of gold and offers them to the man for his pearl. But the man\nsmiles. \"What! part with so large and so beautiful a pearl for two\nbags of gold?\" He could not think of it. The pearl is again placed in\nits box, and the merchant has to go away disappointed. But the longing\nto have that pearl is too great. A thought occurs to him. He will go\nhome and sell all that is his, and the money he shall thus obtain,\nadded to his two bags of gold, will surely buy the precious jewel.\n\nAnd so it is with men when they seek that pearl of pearls, the\nforgiveness of God. They will give up a great deal in order to obtain\nit, but they find that God requires them to give up everything that is\nsinful or worldly. And if their hearts are really set upon obtaining\nit, they will do as this merchant did, and part with everything that\nwould hinder them from coming to God, or walking in the way that leads\nto heaven.\n\n[Illustration: THE MERCHANT SEEKING GOODLY PEARLS.]\n\n\n\n\nTHE PARABLE OF THE NET.\n\n\nThese fishermen have just returned to shore with their net full of\nfish. Now this is not a casting-net, which is thrown out from the boat\nand drawn in again, but a drag-net which is of great length, and which\nis drawn constantly through the water until it is well filled with\nfish. It is then hauled up to the shore, and the fishermen sit around\nit, and take out the fish. Many of these, of course, are unfit for\nfood, or not liked. They cast those into the sea again, but the good\nfish which they can sell for food are carefully placed in vessels\nbrought for the purpose.\n\nChrist said, \"The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast\ninto the sea, and gathered every kind (of fish): which, when it was\nfull, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into\nvessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the\nworld: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among\nthe just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There shall be\nwailing and gnashing of teeth.\"\n\nAt another time Jesus taught His disciples the same truth; when He\nspake of His coming and of the gathering of all nations before Him,\nthe good entering into eternal life, but the wicked being cast away.\n\"When the Son of Man shall come in His glory,\" said Jesus, \"and all\nthe holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His\nglory. And before Him shall be gathered all nations; and He shall\nseparate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from\nthe goats. And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats\non the left.\"\n\n[Illustration: THE PARABLE OF THE NET.]\n\n\n\n\nTHE MAN POSSESSED BY DEVILS.\n\n\nOne day Jesus came with His disciples in a boat to the country of the\nGadarenes, near Galilee. They landed near the tombs, that is, caverns\ncut into the rock, where the dead were buried. And there met them a\nman, who, for a long time, had been possessed by many unclean spirits.\nHe lived in the tombs and wore no clothes. He had been so fierce and\nwild that his friends had been obliged to chain him up, but he had\nburst his fetters, and the devils had driven him out to the tombs.\n\nJesus bade the unclean spirits to come out of the man. And when the\nman caught sight of Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before Him,\nsaying, \"What have I to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of God most\nhigh? I beseech Thee to torment me not.\"\n\nAnd Jesus asked him his name. And he said, \"Legion,\" because many\ndevils were in him. They besought Jesus that He would not make them go\ninto the sea, but would let them enter into a herd of swine that were\nfeeding on the cliffs close by. He suffered them to do so, and the\ndevils went out of the man and entered into the pigs, and the whole\nherd ran violently over the cliff into the water and were drowned. And\nwhen the herdsmen saw what was done, they fled into the city and told\nall the people. Then the people came out to Jesus, and they saw the\nman that had been possessed, clothed and in his right mind, sitting at\nthe feet of Jesus. And they that had seen it told them by what means\nthe man had been healed, and they were afraid. The man out of whom the\ndevils had departed, besought Him that he might stay with Jesus, but\nHe sent him away, saying, \"Return to thy house, and show what great\nthings God hath done unto thee.\" And he went his way and published\nthroughout the city what great things Jesus had done unto him.\n\n[Illustration: THE MAN POSSESSED BY DEVILS.]\n\n\n\n\nCURING THE INCURABLE.\n\n\nJesus went into Capernaum, followed by a great crowd of people, and\namong them was a woman who for twelve years had suffered from a\ndisease which no doctor could cure, though she had consulted many, and\nspent all her wealth upon them. She had said within herself, \"If I\ncould but touch His garment I should be made well.\" So she pressed\nthrough the crowd, and put out her arm and touched the hem of His\ngarment, and immediately she was made well.\n\nThen Jesus, turning round to His disciples, said, \"Who touched Me?\"\nBut they all denied that they had done so, and Peter and they that\nwere with him said, \"Master, the multitude throng Thee and press Thee,\nand yet Thou sayest, Who touched Me!\" They were surprised that Jesus\nshould make such an enquiry, seeing that so many were crowding round\nHim, and pressing against Him. But Jesus said, \"Somebody hath touched\nMe, for I perceive that healing virtue hath gone out of Me.\"\n\nWhen the woman saw that Jesus knew what she had done, and that she\ncould not be hidden in the crowd, she came trembling, and, falling\ndown before Him, she declared unto Him before all the people why she\nhad touched Him, and how she had been healed at once. And He said unto\nher, \"Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. Go\nin peace, and be healed of thy illness.\"\n\nJesus wishes us to trust in Him. We suffer from a terrible\ndisease--the disease of sin, which no doctor can cure; but Jesus will\nheal us and take away our sin if we trust in Him.\n\n[Illustration: CURED BY TOUCHING HIS GARMENT.]\n\n\n\n\nJAIRUS' DAUGHTER.\n\n\nJairus was one of the rulers of the Jewish church, or synagogue, and\nhe had a daughter who had been very ill and was now at the point of\ndeath. She was an only daughter, and was twelve years of age. So\nhearing that Jesus was near, he came to Him, and, falling down before\nHim, implored Jesus to come and see her.\n\nAnd Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did His disciples. Soon\nthere came running to them a messenger from the ruler's house, who\nsaid to Jairus, \"Thy daughter is already dead; do not trouble the\nmaster.\" But when Jesus heard it He turned to Jairus and said, \"Fear\nnot. Only believe, and she shall be restored to life.\"\n\nWhen they came to the ruler's house they saw the minstrels and many\npeople who were making much noise and lamentation for the dead girl,\nas was the custom. Jesus said unto them, \"Make way; weep not, for the\nmaiden is not dead, but sleepeth;\" but they laughed Him to scorn,\nknowing that she was dead. And He put them all out of the room, all\nbut Peter and James and John, and the mother and father of the maiden.\nThen He took her by the hand, and called to her, saying, \"Maid, arise.\"\nAnd her spirit came again, and she arose straightway; and He commanded\nher parents to give her food.\n\nHer parents were astonished when they saw their daughter raised to\nlife and able to eat, but Jesus charged them that they should tell no\nman what He had done. But the fame of the miracle He had wrought went\nabroad unto all that land.\n\n[Illustration: JAIRUS' DAUGHTER.]\n\n\n\n\nTHE TWO BLIND MEN.\n\n\nWhen Jesus had left the house of the ruler Jairus, there followed Him\ntwo blind men. They called out to Him, \"Thou Son of David, have mercy\nupon us.\"\n\nThen Jesus looked at them, and asked if they really believed that He\nhad power to cure them and give them back their sight. And they said\nunto Him, \"Yea, Lord.\" Then He touched their eyes, and said unto them,\n\"According to your faith, so be it unto you.\" And immediately they\nopened their eyes and were able to see. Jesus charged them to let no\nman know what He had done. But when they were departed they spread His\nfame abroad over all that country.\n\nAnother time Christ and His disciples were coming away from Jericho,\nfollowed by a large crowd of people. And there was sitting by the\nwayside a blind beggar, Bartimeus by name; and when he heard the noise\nof the multitude, he asked what it meant. They answered him, \"Jesus of\nNazareth passeth by.\" Then he cried out in a loud voice, saying,\n\"Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.\" The people tried to keep\nhim from calling out, but he would not be quiet. He was determined\nthat Christ should see him. And Jesus stood still, and commanded them\nto call him. So he arose and cast away his outer garment and came to\nJesus. When Jesus asked what he would have done to him, he answered,\n\"Lord, that I might receive my sight.\" And Jesus said unto him, \"Go\nthy way; thy faith hath made thee whole.\" And he received his sight at\nonce, and followed Jesus, praising Him.\n\n[Illustration: THE TWO BLIND MEN.]\n\n\n\n\nFEEDING FIVE THOUSAND.\n\n\nOne day Jesus went on board a ship and sailed to another part of the\ncoast, where He and His disciples might have rest. For the people in\nthe cities crowded them so closely that they did not even have time to\neat. They landed, and went into a desert place; but the people had\nseen them depart, and marked which way the ship sailed. Then they all\nflocked out of the cities and came on foot to the place where Jesus\nwas. When Jesus saw what a great number of people had come, He had\ncompassion on them, and spoke to them, and healed their sick. But in\nthe evening the disciples came to Jesus and said, \"This is a desert\nplace, and the day has gone; send the people away, that they may go\ninto the villages and buy food.\"\n\nJesus was too kind to send them away hungry like that. He said, \"They\nneed not depart; give ye them food to eat.\" But they said to Him, \"We\nhave here but five loaves and two fishes, which we have just purchased\nof a lad.\" He said, \"Bring them to Me.\" Then He told the people to sit\ndown on the grass; and He took the five loaves and the two fishes,\nand, looking up to heaven, blessed them and broke them into pieces.\nThe disciples carried the bread and fish to the people and they all\nate and had plenty, although there were about five thousand men,\nbesides women and children. And yet, when the disciples took up the\nfragments that were left, these fragments filled twelve baskets. How\nkind was Jesus! He not only taught the people and healed their sick,\nbut He fed them when out in the desert place and hungry.\n\n[Illustration: FEEDING FIVE THOUSAND.]\n\n\n\n\nCHRIST WALKING ON THE SEA.\n\n\nWhen the people had seen the miracle that Christ did in feeding so\nmany with so few loaves, they felt sure that He was one of the old\nprophets that had come again, and they would have taken Him by force\nto make Him king. So He sent His disciples by boat towards Capernaum,\nand He went, alone, up into a mountain to pray.\n\nWhen it was dark, the disciples found themselves alone upon the sea,\nopposed to strong winds, which tossed the boat upon high waves. Then\nJesus went out to them, walking upon the waves; but when the disciples\nsaw Him they thought it was a spirit, and cried out with fear. But\nJesus said, \"Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.\" Peter answered\nHim, saying, \"Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the\nwater.\" And He said, \"Come,\" and Peter stepped over the boat's side\nand walked on the water towards Christ. But when he saw the angry\nwaves around him and heard the roaring of the winds, Peter was afraid\nand began to sink. He cried out, \"Lord, save me.\" And Jesus,\nstretching out His hand, caught him, and said, \"O thou of little\nfaith, why didst thou fear?\"\n\nWhen Jesus and Peter had got into the boat, the wind dropped, the sea\nbecame calm and the waves still, and immediately they were at the\nplace where they wanted to land. Then they worshipped him, saying,\n\"Truly Thou art the Son of God.\" And they came into the land of\nGennesaret, where the people knew Him and brought to Him all that were\nsick, or blind, or lame, that they might touch His garment and be made\nwell.\n\n[Illustration: CHRIST WALKING ON THE SEA.]\n\n\n\n\nTHE WOMAN OF CANAAN.\n\n\nJesus came unto the borders of Tyre and Sidon, where the people were\nnot Jews, but Gentiles. And there came to Him a woman of Canaan, who\ncried out to Him, saying, \"Have mercy on me, O Lord, Thou son of\nDavid; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.\" She besought Him\nto cast out this evil spirit from her daughter. But He answered not a\nword, and His disciples counselled Him to send her away. Then He told\nher He was not sent unto the Gentiles, but unto the lost sheep of\nIsrael; meaning the Jews. This was said to try her faith. Then she\ncame and worshipped Him, saying, \"Lord, help me.\" But He said, \"It is\nnot meet to take the children's food and to cast it to dogs;\" meaning\nthat His help was due rather to the Jews than to the Gentiles. And she\nsaid, \"Truth, Lord, yet the dogs sometimes eat of the crumbs which\nfall from their masters' table;\" meaning that, though she was a\nGentile, she believed in Him as the Son of God.\n\nThen Jesus answered, and said unto her, \"O woman, great is thy faith;\nbe it unto thee even as thou desirest. Go thy way; the devil has gone\nout of thy daughter.\" And when she was come to her house she found her\ndaughter made whole and laid upon the bed.\n\nJesus, with His knowledge of our hearts, knew the faith this poor\nwoman had, and tried it so that it might shine the brighter. Then He\ngranted her the blessing she had asked Him for; and how she must have\nrejoiced when she reached home and found her daughter quite well and\nrestored to her right mind.\n\n[Illustration: THE WOMAN OF CANAAN.]\n\n\n\n\nPETER AND THE TRIBUTE-MONEY.\n\n\nIt was a part of the Jewish law that all strangers passing among the\nJews should pay to the priests of the Temple an offering to the Lord,\nor tribute-money as it was called.\n\nSoon after our Lord's Transfiguration He came to Capernaum, together\nwith His disciples. When they had entered the city, there came to them\nthe priests who usually collected this tribute-money, and they said\nunto Peter, \"Doth not thy Master pay tribute?\" And he answered, \"Yes.\"\nBut when they had come to the house, Jesus said to Peter, \"What\nthinkest thou, Simon? Of whom do they take tribute; of their own\npeople or of strangers?\" And Peter answered Him, \"Of strangers.\"\n\nJesus saith unto him, \"Then their own people are free; but lest we\nshould offend them by not paying, go thou down to the sea, and cast in\nthy hook and line, and take up the first fish that taketh the hook\ninto his mouth. And when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a\npiece of money there. Take it and give it unto the priests as tribute\nfor Me and for thee.\" And Peter went down to the sea and cast in his\nline, and took a big fish. And when he had opened its mouth he found\nthe piece of silver, and took it to the men in payment of the tribute.\n\nThis tribute was collected to pay the expenses of the Temple worship.\nJesus sought to show that, as He himself was the Son of God, the King\nfor whose service the tribute was paid, He might justly be exempted\nfrom paying it; yet to save giving offence He miraculously provided\nthe piece of money to pay tribute for Himself and Peter.\n\n[Illustration: PETER AND THE TRIBUTE-MONEY.]\n\n\n\n\nTHE GOOD SAMARITAN.\n\n\nAs Jesus was talking to His disciples, a certain lawyer stood up and\nasked, \"Who is my neighbour?\" And Jesus answered by telling them this\nstory:--\n\nA certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among\nthieves, who robbed him, stripped him of his clothes, and, wounding\nhim, left him on the road half dead. By chance there came a priest\nthat way, and, as a teacher of religion to men, he should have stopped\nto help the poor man. Instead of this, he pretended not to see, and\npassed by on the other side of the road. Then there came by a Levite,\nwho also, as an official of the church, should have given help. But he\nmerely came and looked on the injured man, and passed on the other\nside as the priest had done.\n\nAfterwards there came by a Samaritan, and, when he caught sight of the\nwounded Jew, he went over to him and was very sorry for him. Now the\nJews hated the Samaritans, and were their enemies, so that it would\nnot have been surprising if he, also, had done as the priest and the\nLevite did. But, no! Though it was his enemy, he could not pass him by\nand leave him on the road, perhaps to die. He examined his wounds and\nbound them up; doing all that he could to soothe them. Then he lifted\nhim carefully on his own beast, and brought him to the nearest inn,\nand took care of him through the night. The next day, when the\nSamaritan departed, he paid the man who kept the inn, and said to him,\n\"Take care of this poor man until he is well, and whatever it may cost\nfor his lodging and food, that I will pay thee when I come again.\"\n\n\"Which of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell\namong thieves?\" The lawyer answered, \"He that showed mercy unto him.\"\nThen said Jesus, \"Go, and do thou likewise.\"\n\n[Illustration: THE GOOD SAMARITAN.]\n\n\n\n\nIMPORTUNITY REWARDED.\n\n\nOne day Jesus was asked by His disciples to teach them to pray. So\nJesus taught them the prayer we all know so well, beginning with \"Our\nFather, which art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name.\" But Jesus told\nthem it was not enough to pray: they must not get tired of praying,\neven if they failed to receive quickly the things they asked for. They\nmust keep on asking, until God in His own time and manner should grant\nthem what He saw to be good. This great lesson Jesus taught them by\nthe following parable:--\n\n\"Which of you shall have a friend,\" said Jesus, \"and shall go unto him\nat midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves, for a\nfriend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set\nbefore him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not,\nthe door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot\nrise and give thee. I say unto you,\" said Jesus, \"though he will not\nrise and give him because he is his friend, yet because of his\nimportunity (continued asking) he will rise and give him as many as he\nneedeth.\"\n\nThen Jesus told His disciples, and He tells us too, \"Ask, and it shall\nbe given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened\nunto you.\" For, said He, \"every one that asketh receiveth; and he that\nseeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.\" If we\nask for those things that God sees to be good for us, we may certainly\nexpect to receive them. Let us ask God to keep us every day; and to\ngive us such things as He knows will be for our good.\n\n[Illustration: IMPORTUNITY REWARDED.]\n\n\n\n\nTHE UNMERCIFUL SERVANT.\n\n\nA certain King took account of his servants and began to reckon what\nthey owed him. And there was brought to him one that owed him nearly\n_ten million dollars_. But as he had not the money to pay, the King\ncommanded that he should be sold, together with his wife and children\nand everything that he had, that payment might be made. Then the\nservant fell down before the King and worshipped him, saying, \"Lord,\nhave patience with me, and I will pay thee all.\" Then the King had\ncompassion on his servant, and loosed him, and forgave him his debt.\n\nBut when that servant had gone out from the presence of the King, he\nfound a fellow-servant who owed him a little over _fifteen dollars_,\nand he laid hands on him and seized him by the throat, saying, \"Pay me\nthat which thou owest.\" And his fellow-servant fell down at his feet\nand implored him, saying, \"Have patience with me, and I will pay thee\nall.\" And he would not have patience, but cast his fellow-servant into\nprison till he should pay the debt.\n\nWhen his other fellow-servants saw what had been done they were very\nsorry, and came to their King to tell him all about it. Then the King\ncalled the unmerciful servant to him, and said, \"O thou wicked\nservant; I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me.\nShouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant,\neven as I had pity on thee?\"\n\nAnd the King was wroth, and delivered him up to the tormentors, till\nhe should pay all that was due unto him.\n\nSo likewise, says Christ, shall our Heavenly Father do also unto us if\nfrom our hearts we forgive not every one that trespasses against us.\n\n  \"Forgive us our trespasses, _as we forgive them that trespass\n  against us_.\"\n\n[Illustration: THE UNMERCIFUL SERVANT.]\n\n\n\n\nTHE GOOD SHEPHERD.\n\n\nIn one of His beautiful parables, Jesus compares Himself to a\nshepherd. \"I am the good shepherd,\" says He, \"the good shepherd giveth\nhis life for the sheep.\" And Jesus tells how the hired servant who\ncares for nothing but his wages, runs away when the wolf comes; but\nhow the faithful shepherd, when robbers threaten his flock, or wild\nbeasts attack them, defends his sheep bravely, often laying down his\nlife for their sake. Jesus also speaks of how the shepherd knows his\nsheep by name; and how, when he goes before them, they will follow\nhim, because they know his voice, but that they will not follow\nstrangers. And the Bible, speaking of Jesus Himself, says, \"He shall\ncarry the lambs in His bosom,\" or His arms, like the kind shepherd is\ndoing in our picture.\n\nNow, why does Jesus call Himself the \"good shepherd,\" and the Bible\nspeak of Him as carrying the little lambs? Is it not because He loves\nus; because He knows each one of us; because He gave His life for us\nwhen He died on the cross, and has gone to heaven showing us the way\nthither; because He calls us to follow Him; and because He is so\nwilling to lead even the tiny ones, and shield them from harm, just\nlike the good shepherd carries the poor wee lamb? But Jesus asks one\nthing of us in return for all His kindness and care, and that one\nthing is our love. Are we giving Him our love now? Are we asking Him\nto lead us, and keep us safe from harm? May we seek to follow Him and\nto know His voice.\n\n[Illustration: THE SHEPHERD AND THE LAMBS.]\n\n\n\n\nTHE LOST PIECE OF MONEY.\n\n\nJesus had been preaching to a crowd of publicans and sinners. The\npublicans of those days were the collectors of taxes for the Romans,\nand it was a constant complaint against them that they exacted more\nfrom the people than they had any right to do. So they were looked\nupon as wicked men, although they were not all bad. Now the Scribes\nand Pharisees, who made a great show of religion, so far as outward\nforms went, were greatly shocked at seeing Christ sitting with\npublicans, and said, \"This man receiveth sinners and eateth with\nthem.\"\n\nThen Jesus asked them, \"What man of you, if he has a hundred sheep,\nand loses one of them, does not leave the ninety and nine in the\nwilderness, and go after the lost one, until he has found it? And when\nhe has found it, he lays it upon his shoulders and takes it home,\nrejoicing; and calls together his friends and neighbours, saying unto\nthem, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.'\n\n\"I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner\nthat repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons which need\nno repentance.\n\n\"Again, what woman if she has ten pieces of money, and loses one, does\nnot light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently until she\nfinds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends\nand neighbours, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece\nof money which I had lost.'\n\n\"Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of God's\nangels over one sinner that repenteth.\"\n\n[Illustration: THE LOST PIECE OF MONEY.]\n\n\n\n\nTHE PRODIGAL SON.\n\n\nA certain man had two sons, and the younger of them said to his\nfather, \"Father, give me the portion of thy wealth that would fall to\nme at thy death.\" He did so, and a few days after the younger son\ngathered all his wealth together and journeyed into a far country.\nThere he met with evil companions, and wasted his money in riotous\nliving. When he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that\nland, and he began to be in want of bread to eat. So he went and hired\nhimself to a man of that country, who sent him into the fields to feed\nhis pigs. And he was so hungry that he would have been glad to have\neaten the coarse food such as the swine eat; but no one gave it to\nhim.\n\nHis sufferings brought him to his senses, and he thought how foolish\nhe had been, for he remembered that his father's servants had food\nenough and to spare, whilst his father's son was perishing with\nhunger. He said, \"I will leave this land and go to my father and tell\nhim how I have sinned against heaven and him. I will tell him I am no\nlonger worthy to be called his son, and will implore him to make me\none of his hired servants.\" And he arose and went towards his father's\nhouse, but when he was still a great way off, his father saw him, and\nwas sorry for him, and ran and embraced him. Then he told his father\nhow he had sinned and had lost his title to be called the old man's\nson, but the father was so glad to have his son come back repentant,\nthat he told his servants to bring the best clothing and a ring to put\non his son. And he made a great feast, and they were merry, for he\nsaid, \"This is my son that was as one dead to me and is now alive\nagain; he was lost and is found.\"\n\n[Illustration: THE RETURN OF THE PRODIGAL.]\n\nBut the elder son was very angry, and would not go in to the feast,\nbut said to his father, \"Lo, these many years have I served thee, and\nnever offended or disobeyed thee, and thou hast never made a feast for\nme and my friends; but now this thy other son has come back, that has\nwasted thy wealth in riotous living, thou hast made a great feast for\nhim.\" And his father said, \"Son, thou art ever with me, and all I have\nis thine. It is right that we should make merry and be glad, for this\nthy brother was as one dead to us and is alive again; he was lost and\nis found.\"\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n\n\n\nPETER'S WIFE'S MOTHER CURED.\n\n\nAfter Jesus had left the Centurion He went to the house of his\ndisciple Peter, and there He saw Peter's wife's mother, laid on a bed,\nsick with fever. And He took her by the hand and lifted her up. The\nfever left her and she was cured. She rose up from her bed and\nattended upon them.\n\nThat evening, when the sun was setting, they brought to Jesus all\nthose that were ill, and many that were possessed with devils. And He\ncast out the devils by His word, and healed all those that were sick.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n    \"At even, ere the sun had set,\n    The sick, O Lord, around Thee lay;\n    Oh, in what divers pains they met,\n    Oh, with what joy they went away!\"\n\n[Illustration: PETER'S WIFE'S MOTHER.]\n\n\n\n\nTHE UNJUST STEWARD.\n\n\n    See where the steward, worldly wise,\n    With wicked cunning in his eyes,\n    Shows his lord's debtors how to cheat\n    His master of his oil and wheat.\n\n    \"A hundred measures dost thou owe\n    Of oil? My friend, 'tis scarcely so:\n    Here, take thy bill and quick indite\n    Fifty: that puts the matter right.\"\n\n    \"A hundred measures is _thy_ debt\n    Of corn? My friend, thou dost forget:\n    Here, take thy bill, and write fourscore;\n    Surely thou owest nothing more.\"\n\n    Thus wickedly he would provide\n    Houses in which he might abide,\n    When for his former acts unjust\n    He from his stewardship was thrust.\n\n    And when his master heard, he smiled,\n    Though of his goods he was beguiled:\n    Nor did he e'en forbear to praise\n    The crafty foresight of his ways.\n\n    The children of this world, alas!\n    The children of the light surpass,\n    In planning methods to provide\n    For ills from which they cannot hide.\n\n    And so our Master bids us take\n    The money which He gives, and make\n    Friends with our riches for the day\n    When earthly treasures flee away.\n\n    That when we leave our house below,\n    And into unknown regions go,\n    Through Jesus, we may find above\n    An everlasting home of love.\n\n    Do I my little store expend\n    For such a wise and prudent end;\n    Or only think of my own gain,\n    And not of others' want and pain?\n\n    Lord, by Thy Spirit, make me wise\n    Above my selfishness to rise,\n    And something daily give away\n    To find again in Thy great day!\n\n        RICHARD WILTON, M.A.\n\n[Illustration: THE UNJUST STEWARD.]\n\n\n\n\nTHE RICH MAN AND THE BEGGAR.\n\n\nThere was a certain rich man who was clothed in rich silks and fine\nlinen, and feasted on costly food each day. There was also a poor\nbeggar, who was ragged and hungry, and covered with sores. His name\nwas Lazarus, and they laid him at the rich man's gate, for he desired\nto be fed with the crumbs which fell from the well-supplied table. And\neven the dogs had pity on him, for they came and licked his sores.\n\nAnd it came to pass that the beggar died, and the angels carried him\naway to heaven, where he was no longer clothed in rags, but in\nglorious array. Neither was he hungry, for he sat with Abraham and\nleaned upon his bosom.\n\nThe rich man also died, and was buried. He was not carried to heaven,\nbut went to a place of torment, where he lifted up his eyes, and in\nthe distance saw Abraham with Lazarus on his bosom. And he cried and\nsaid, \"Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may\ndip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am\ntormented in these flames.\" But Abraham said, \"Son, remember that thou\nin thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, whilst Lazarus had only\nevil things; and now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. Beside\nall this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed.\"\n\nThen said the rich man, \"I pray thee therefore, father, that thou\nwouldest send him to my father's house; for I have five brethren. Let\nhim go to them and testify unto them, that they may repent, lest they\nalso come into this place of torment.\" Abraham said unto him, \"They\nhave Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.\" And he said, \"Nay,\nfather Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will\nrepent.\" But Abraham said, \"If they hear not Moses and the prophets,\nneither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.\"\n\n[Illustration: THE RICH MAN AND THE BEGGAR.]\n\n\n\n\n\"AVENGE ME OF MY ADVERSARY.\"\n\n\nIn a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared\nfor man. And in the same city there was a widow that had an enemy, and\nhe had done her an injury. And she came to the judge and implored him,\nsaying, \"Give me justice; avenge me of my adversary.\" But he would\nnot. Then the widow came to him every day and cried, \"Give me\njustice;\" but still he would not for a long while. At last he became\nwearied of her constant cry, and he said within himself, \"Though I\nfear not God nor care for man, yet, because this widow troubleth me\nwith her complaint, I will avenge her; lest by her continual coming\nshe weary me.\"\n\nAnd Jesus said, \"Hear what the unjust judge saith. And if he, who was\nan unjust judge and a wicked man, would grant the widow's petition,\nbecause she asked so often, will not God, who is good and just, give\nHis children what is good and right for them? Shall not God avenge His\nown elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with\nthem?\"\n\nIn this parable Jesus impressed upon his disciples the truth that,\nalthough great trials might come upon them, and their lives be in\nperil, yet they were not to lose faith in God, or be disappointed\nbecause their prayers were not answered at once. They were to keep on\npraying; asking God for such things as were right, and trusting that\nHe would preserve them amidst all their enemies; and in His own way\nmake them to triumph over their foes. Whatever is best for His people,\nGod will give them. He cares for the sparrows, and, even more, for\nthose who love Him.\n\n[Illustration: THE UNJUST JUDGE.]\n\n\n\n\nTHE PHARISEE AND THE TAX-GATHERER.\n\n\nThe tax-gatherers in those days were called Publicans. They were\nreputed to be very unjust, exacting from people more than the law\nrequired them to pay, and other wickedness was charged against them.\nOf course, there were good men among them; St. Matthew was a\ntax-gatherer before Jesus called him to follow Him. The Pharisees\nstudied the Scriptures and explained them to the people, but they did\nnot follow the teachings of Scripture. They were proud, and pretended\nthey were more religious than other men, but it was _only_ pretense.\nJesus compared them to whited sepulchres, and said they were\nhypocrites, who led the people astray.\n\nA Pharisee and a Publican went up into the Temple to pray. The\nPharisee stood in a part of the Temple where all could see him, and\nprayed thus: \"O God, I thank Thee that I am not like other men, who\nare unjust, and who take more than belongs to them. I thank Thee that\nI am not like this Publican. I fast twice a week; I give to the\npriests and Levites a tenth part of all I possess.\" But the Publican,\nwho knew that he was wicked, and felt sorry for it, stood afar off in\na quiet part of the Temple where none would see him. He bowed his head\nand beat upon his breast, saying, \"God be merciful to me a sinner.\"\n\nJesus said that this Publican went to his home more forgiven than the\nPharisee, for every one that is proud and thinks much of himself shall\nbe put down, and he that humbleth himself and is sorry for his sins,\nshall be exalted. \"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the\nearth,\" says Jesus.\n\n[Illustration: THE PHARISEE AND THE TAX-GATHERER.]\n\n\n\n\nTHE LABOURERS IN THE VINEYARD.\n\n\n    \"Go, work within my vineyard's bound,\n    At eve your 'penny'[1] shall be found:\"\n    So spake the vineyard's lord, and they\n    Began to toil at break of day.\n\n    For hours the sun had shown his face,\n    When idlers in the market-place\n    Once and again were sent within\n    The vineyard's wall their wage to win.\n\n    Nay, when but one short hour remains\n    Before the sun its goal attains,\n    More loiterers hear the Lord's command\n    And set to work with willing hand.\n\n    The steward came at close of day\n    Their wage to reckon and to pay;\n    And they whose toil could scarcely tire,\n    Received a penny for their hire.\n\n    But they who the day's burden bore\n    And noonday heat, expected more:\n    And murmur'd that the generous lord\n    To all one penny should accord.\n\n    But he replied, \"I wrong not you;\n    I give you the full wages due;\n    And why should you my bounty blame,\n    In paying these beyond their claim?\"\n\n    Lord, to Thy vineyard Thou dost call\n    The least, the youngest of us all:\n    To each Thou dost assign a task,\n    From each some service Thou dost ask.\n\n    How kind such feeble hands to use;\n    Such pleasant work I needs must choose:\n    I ask no wages, Lord, from thee,\n    For Thou hast given Thyself for me.\n\n    When I remember all Thy grace,\n    I cannot loiter in my place:\n    And when I think of all my sin,\n    What wages can I hope to win?\n\n    Thanks, Lord, if yet my years are few,\n    And I retain the early dew:\n    Oh, keep me through the noonday heat,\n    And cheer me with Thy presence sweet.\n\n    For if I have Thy presence, Lord,\n    'Tis an exceeding great reward;\n    And if at last I see Thy face,\n    'Tis not of merit, but of grace.\n\n    And, oh, what will that \"penny\" be\n    Which Thou wilt then bestow on me?\n    A glorious image it will bear,\n    Thy own dear Self, Lord, will be there!\n\n        RICHARD WILTON, M.A.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nFOOTNOTES:\n\n[1] The penny, or _denarius_, was a silver coin, stamped with\nthe image of the Roman Emperor, and worth about 16 cents of our money.\nIt was a full ordinary day's wage at that time.\n\n[Illustration: THE LABOURERS IN THE VINEYARD.]\n\n\n\n\nTHE BARREN FIG-TREE.\n\n\nIn the morning, when Jesus had left Bethany and was coming towards\nJerusalem, He was hungry. Seeing a fig-tree afar off, covered with\nleaves, He came to it, hoping to find some fruit on it. But the tree\nwas a young one, and had not yet commenced to bear fruit. And He found\nthereon nothing but leaves. Then He said unto it, \"Let no fruit grow\non thee henceforward for ever.\" And the fig-tree withered away and was\ndead from the roots. When the disciples saw it, they marvelled,\nsaying, \"How soon the fig-tree is withered away!\"\n\nJesus answered, and said unto them, \"Verily I say unto you, if ye have\nfaith and doubt not, ye shall not only do as I have done to this\nfig-tree, but, also, if ye shall say unto this mountain, 'Be thou\nremoved and be cast into the sea,' it shall be done. And all things,\nwhatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believe that ye will receive them,\nand ye shall have them. And when ye are praying, forgive any that have\ninjured you, that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you\nyour trespasses against Him. But if ye do not forgive, neither will\nyour Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.\"\n\nHow strange it seems that Jesus, who was gentle and kind, should\npronounce a curse on this fig-tree, and cause it to wither away. Why\ndid He do so? Because He wished to impress upon His disciples the\nterrible danger of unfruitfulness. If we are the disciples of Jesus,\nwe must bear good fruit; we must be loving, kind, and gentle, and try,\nlike Him, to be always doing good.\n\n[Illustration: THE BARREN FIG-TREE.]\n\n\n\n\nTHE WICKED HUSBANDMEN.\n\n\nOne day when the priests and elders of the Temple were asking\nquestions of Jesus, He told them this parable.\n\nThere was a certain man who had a vineyard which was hedged or walled\nround, and had a tower. But he was going away into a country far off,\nso he let the vineyard to a number of husbandmen, or labourers, who\nwere to give him part of the fruit of the vines. When the time had\ncome that the fruit was ripe, he sent his servants to the husbandmen\nthat he might receive his share. But the wicked husbandmen took his\nservants, and slew one, and beat another, and stoned the third. Then\nhe sent other servants, more than before, but the husbandmen served\nthem as they had done the others. Last of all he sent his own son,\nsaying, \"They will reverence my son.\" But when those wicked men saw\nhim coming, they said among themselves, \"This is the heir to all the\nvineyard; come, let us kill him and seize on his inheritance.\" So they\ncaught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.\n\nThen Jesus said to the priests and elders, \"When the Lord of the\nvineyard cometh, what will he do unto these husbandmen?\" And they\nanswered, \"He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let\nout his vineyard to others, who shall render him the fruits in their\nseason.\"\n\nIn this parable the owner of the vineyard means God; the vineyard\nCanaan, and the husbandmen are the Jews, who had promised to obey Him,\nbut had not done so. He had sent His prophets among them, to warn\nthem, but these had been killed. At last He sent His only Son, but\nthey would not own Him as such, and soon they would kill Him. When the\npriests heard this they knew it referred to them, and they were very\nangry and would have taken Him and killed Him, but they were afraid of\nthe people, who took Jesus to be a prophet.\n\n[Illustration: THE WICKED HUSBANDMEN.]\n\n\n\n\nTHE WEDDING GARMENT.\n\n\nThere was a certain King who gave a great feast upon the occasion of\nhis son's wedding. And he sent out his servants to bring in those that\nhad been invited, but they would not come. Then he sent forth other\nservants, saying, \"Tell them which were bidden, 'Behold, I have\nprepared my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things\nare ready. Come unto the feast.'\" But they made light of the message\nand went their ways, one to his farm, another to his warehouse; others\ntook the servants and slew them.\n\nWhen the King heard what had been done, he was very angry, and sent\nout his army to destroy the murderers, and burn up their city. Then\nsaid he to the servants, \"The wedding is ready, but they which were\nbidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and all ye\nshall find, bid them come to the marriage.\" So they gathered together\nas many as they could find. And upon each one, as he entered the\nhouse, was put a beautiful marriage garment, which the King had\nprepared. But when the people were all seated, and the King had\nentered the house, he saw there a man that had not on a wedding\ngarment, and he said unto him, \"Friend, how camest thou in hither\nwithout a wedding garment?\" And the man was speechless, for the\ngarment had been offered to him at first, but he had refused it. Then\nsaid the King to the servants, \"Bind him hand and foot, and take him\naway and cast him into outer darkness.\"\n\nIn this parable, the King means God, who gave the feast for His Son,\nJesus Christ. Those who were first asked were the Jews, who refused to\nbelieve in Christ. Those who were afterwards brought in, signify the\npeople who have since listened to His Word, and believed in Him. The\none without the wedding garment is any one that pretends to accept the\ninvitation to be one of God's people, but in his heart does not\nbelieve in Christ.\n\n[Illustration: WITHOUT THE WEDDING GARMENT.]\n\n\n\n\nTHE FOOLISH VIRGINS.\n\n\nIn certain parts of the East it is the custom for a man when he is\nmarried to bring home his bride at night, and for his relatives and\nfriends to go out with lamps and torches and music to meet him.\n\nTen young women had been invited to meet the bridegroom with their\nlamps burning and to sit down with him at the wedding-feast. Five of\nthem were wise and five were foolish. The wise ones took a supply of\noil in case their lamps should burn out before the bridegroom arrived;\nthe foolish five took no oil but what was in their lamps. But before\nthe bridegroom came they all fell asleep.\n\nAt midnight there was a cry, \"Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out\nto meet him.\" But five lamps had almost burnt out, and the foolish\nvirgins said unto the wise, \"Give us of your oil, for our lamps are\ngone out.\" But the wise ones answered, \"Not so; lest there be not\nenough for us and for you. Go ye, rather, to them that sell, and buy\nfor yourselves.\" And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and\nthey that were ready went in with him to the marriage-feast, and the\ndoor was shut.\n\nAfterwards, came also the other virgins, saying, \"Lord, Lord, open the\ndoor to us.\" But he answered and said, \"Verily I say unto you, I know\nyou not,\" and would not open the door to them.\n\nIn this parable the bridegroom means Jesus returning to earth, on the\nDay of Judgment. The ten virgins are the people of this world, some of\nwhom have their hearts full of the love of God and keep their lamps\nburning with a steady and bright light; that is, they fulfil God's\ncommandments and obey the teachings of Christ. The others have not\nthis love in their hearts, and are not prepared for Christ's coming.\nTheir lamps give out a feeble light and soon will go out.\n\n[Illustration: THE FOOLISH VIRGINS.]\n\n\n\n\nTHE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS\n\n\nOne day Jesus told His disciples this parable or story.\n\nA certain nobleman was called away to a far country to be appointed\nking of it, and to return after a time. And he called his servants\nunto him, and charged them with the care of his goods and treasure,\ngiving to each man according to his ability to use the same. To one\nservant he gave five talents, to another two, and to another only one.\nAnd straightway he left them, and departed upon his journey. Then the\nman that had five talents went and traded with them, and did so well\nthat in time the profits amounted to five talents more, making ten\naltogether. And he that had received two talents, also traded with\nhis, and added two other talents to them by way of profit. But he that\nhad had but one talent went away and covered it up in a cloth and hid\nit away.\n\nAfter a long time the nobleman came back and called his servants to\nhim, and asked them for the treasure he had entrusted to their\nkeeping. And he that had received five talents, brought ten, and said,\n\"Lord, behold, I have gained five other talents beside them.\" And his\nlord said, \"Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been\nfaithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things.\nEnter thou into the joy of thy lord.\" And to him that had two talents,\nand brought back four, the lord said the same words. Then came he that\nhad received but one talent and had hid it; and he said, \"Lord, I knew\nthee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and I\nwas afraid, and went and hid thy talent, and lo, here thou hast that\nwhich is thine.\" His lord said unto him, \"Thou wicked and slothful\nservant. Thou knewest that I reaped where I had not sown; thou\noughtest therefore to have put my money in the bank, that I might have\nreceived mine own with interest for its use. Take therefore the\ntalent from him, and give it unto him that hath ten; and take the\nunprofitable servant and cast him into the outer darkness.\"\n\nNow the talent here mentioned was an eastern sum of money (nearly one\nthousand dollars), but it really means the powers and opportunities\nfor doing good that God has given to all of us. One day we shall all\nbe called upon to give an account of the talents entrusted to our\nkeeping, and woe be to those who have abused their stewardship by\nhiding their talent away. But those who have done good, according to\nthe power and opportunity given to them, shall be received into\neverlasting joy by Christ the Lord.\n\n[Illustration: THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS.]\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n\n\n\nMAN WITH THE WITHERED HAND.\n\n\nOne Sabbath-day Jesus went into the synagogue, and there He saw a man\nthat had a withered hand. By some means the muscles had lost their\npower, and he could neither use his hand nor stretch it out. And the\nPharisees watched Jesus, to see if He would heal this man on the\nSabbath, that they might bring a charge against Him of breaking the\nlaw. They asked Him, \"Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath-day?\" and He\nreplied by asking who among them, if he had a sheep which had fallen\ninto a pit on the Sabbath-day, would not lay hold on it, and lift it\nout. \"How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is\nlawful to do good on the Sabbath-day.\"\n\nThen said He to the man, \"Stretch forth thine hand.\" And he stretched\nit forth, and it was made whole and healthy like the other.\n\nThen the Pharisees went out and held a council against Him, to\nconsider how they might destroy Him; but when Jesus knew it, He\nwithdrew Himself from that part, and great multitudes followed Him,\nand He healed them all.\n\n[Illustration: THE WITHERED HAND.]\n\n\n\n\nJESUS ASCENDS TO HEAVEN.\n\n\nJesus had been cruelly put to death. His hands, which had been placed\non the heads of little children when He blessed them, had been nailed\nto a cross of wood; and cruel nails had been driven through his feet.\nAnd hanging on the cross, Jesus had died. But on the third day He had\nrisen from the tomb, and for forty days He had remained upon the\nearth, meeting frequently with His disciples. At the end of that time\nJesus led the eleven apostles from Jerusalem towards Bethany; and when\nnear that village, and away from the multitude, He spoke to them,\npromising that they should be made bold by the Holy Spirit, and\nreceive power to witness for Him both to the Jews and Gentiles. Then,\nthe Bible tells us, \"He lifted up His hands and blessed them. And it\ncame to pass, while He blessed them, He was parted from them, and\ncarried up into heaven.\" And as He went up, a cloud received Him out\nof their sight.\n\nThe apostles fell down and worshipped Jesus, looking steadfastly after\nHim as He went up; and as they did so, two angels in white garments\nstood by them, and said, \"Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up\ninto heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven,\nshall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.\" Then\nthe apostles returned to Jerusalem.\n\nYes, Jesus has ascended to heaven, and now He sits at the right hand\nof God; but He tells us that He will come again, and take those that\nlove Him to dwell with Him in His glorious home for ever and ever. \"I\ngo to prepare a place for you,\" Jesus says.\n\n[Illustration: JESUS ASCENDING TO HEAVEN.]\n\n\n\n\nTHE PHILIPPIAN JAILER.\n\n\nPaul and Silas were in prison. They had done no wrong, but wicked men\nhad taken them before the magistrates; and the magistrates had caused\nthem to be severely beaten, and afterwards had sent them to prison,\nwhere they were securely fastened in an inner dungeon, and their feet\nmade fast in the stocks. This was a most painful position for Paul and\nSilas. But they were not unhappy. They prayed to God, and sang praises\nto Him; and they sang so heartily that the other prisoners heard them.\nIt was midnight, and all was dark in the prison. But suddenly there\nwas an earthquake; so that the foundations of the prison were shaken,\nall the doors were opened, and every one's bonds were loosed. All the\nprisoners might have run away had they been minded to do so.\n\nThe keeper of the prison had been sleeping, but the earthquake awoke\nhim. When he saw the doors open, he supposed that all the prisoners\nhad fled; and knowing how severely he would be punished on that\naccount, he drew his sword to kill himself. Paul knew this, and called\nout loudly, \"Do thyself no harm, for we are all here.\" Then the\nkeeper, who but a little while before had cruelly treated Paul and\nSilas, came trembling, and fell down before them, and said, \"Sirs,\nwhat must I do to be saved?\" He was afraid because of his sins; and\nwanted to know how he might be saved from the fearful consequences of\nsin. Paul's answer was, \"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou\nshalt be saved.\" Then Paul and Silas spoke to him about Jesus. He\nbelieved, and was baptized; and the next morning the two disciples\nwere set at liberty.\n\n[Illustration: THE PHILIPPIAN JAILOR BEFORE PAUL AND SILAS.]\n\n\n\n\nTIMOTHY AND HIS MOTHER EUNICE.\n\n\nTimothy was a youthful and earnest disciple of Jesus Christ, whom Paul\nloved dearly. Paul had found him during one of his missionary\njourneys, and, discovering how highly he was esteemed as a Christian,\nhad selected him as his assistant. Afterward Timothy became Paul's\ncompanion in travel, and the first bishop of Ephesus. While Timothy\nwas at Ephesus, Paul wrote two letters to him. They are contained in\nthe Bible, and are called the Epistles to Timothy. In them Paul says\nmany kind and wise things, giving Timothy directions how to act in his\nhigh Christian office. But Paul also speaks of Timothy's early days,\nand of his mother and grandmother. These were both good women, who\nloved God, and diligently studied the Holy Scriptures. The mother's\nname was Eunice. She was a Jewess. The grandmother's name was Lois.\nBoth loved the little boy Timothy, or Timotheus as he was called, and\nthey sought to instil into his young mind and heart the love of God\nand the knowledge of His holy Word. In our picture we see Eunice\nteaching her son. She has not a bound Bible, but a manuscript, wound\nround small rollers. From this she reads to Timothy; while Lois, the\naged grandmother, sits by.\n\nPaul warned Timothy not to forget the teaching of his good mother and\ngrandmother; and especially to value his knowledge of the Scriptures.\nBecause, said Paul, \"they are able to make thee wise unto salvation.\"\nMany young folks have good mothers and grandmothers, who love to teach\nthem about Jesus. Are they receiving this teaching as Timothy did, and\nbeing made wise unto salvation?\n\n[Illustration: LOIS, EUNICE AND TIMOTHY.]\n\n\n\n\nCHRIST BLESSING THE CHILDREN.\n\n(_See_ Frontispiece).\n\n\nJesus had left Galilee, and was journeying toward Jerusalem, where He\nwas to be put to death. He was in the country beyond Jordan, called\nPeraea, and had been speaking some very wise words to the Pharisees,\nand also to His disciples, when some women came to Him, bringing\ninfants and young children that He might put His hands upon them and\npray for them. The disciples thinking probably that Jesus, who had so\nmany important things to attend to, would not wish to be troubled by\nwomen bringing their children, rebuked them for so doing. But Jesus\nloved children. So, when He saw the disciples about to send them away,\nHe was displeased; and, calling the disciples to Him, He said, \"Suffer\nlittle children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is\nthe kingdom of God.\" Then, we are told, Jesus \"took them up in His\narms, put His hands upon them, and blessed them.\" How kind was Jesus!\nand how willing that the little ones should be brought to Him! And He\nis the same now. May all our young readers learn to love Him, and find\nfor themselves how willing He is to love and bless them.\n\n\n       *       *       *       *       *","title":"Mother Stories from the New Testament: A Book of the Best Stories from the New Testament that Mothers can tell their Children","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":14537}