{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_37670/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_37670","id":"gutenberg_37670","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/37670","summary":null,"tags":["Bible stories, English -- Juvenile literature","Category: Children & Young Adult Reading","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Christian martyrs -- Juvenile literature","Jesus Christ -- Juvenile literature"],"text":"</pre>\n\n\n\nProduced by Larry B. Harrison, and the Archives and Special\nCollections, University Libraries, Ball State University\nand the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at\nhttps://www.pgdp.net\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration: Book Cover]\n\n  BIBLE\n  STORIES.\n\n  WORCESTER:\n  PUBLISHED BY J. GROUT, JR.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n  BIBLE\n  STORIES.\n\n  WITH FINE ENGRAVINGS.\n\n  [Illustration]\n\n  WORCESTER:\n  PUBLISHED BY J. GROUT, JR.\n\n\n\n\n  A  B  C  D  E  F  G\n\n  H  I  J  K  L  M  N\n\n  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U\n\n  V  W  X  Y  Z  $  L\n\n  a b c d e f g h i j\n\n  k l m n o p q r s\n\n   t u v w x y z\n\n  , ; : . ! ? - ' &\n\n  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0\n\n\n\n\nBIBLE STORIES.\n\n\n\n\nEARLY LIFE OF THE SAVIOR.\n\n\nNearly six thousand years ago the first man and the first woman were\nformed, out of the dust of the ground. Their names were Adam and Eve.\nThey were placed in a very pleasant and beautiful garden, called Eden,\nwhere they had every thing they could wish; and were permitted by God\nto eat of the fruit of all the trees in the garden, except one.\n\n      \"One tree that in the midst was placed,\n        God bade them not to take;\n      But ah! the fruit they dared to taste,\n        And his commandment break.\"\n\nIn an evil hour they listened to the temptations of the serpent--the\ngreat enemy of mankind--and ate of the forbidden fruit. Then God was\nangry with them, and sent his Angel to drive them out of the garden,\nto a place where thorns and thistles covered the ground, and they were\nobliged to work hard for a living. God cursed the ground for their\nsake, but at the same time he promised that \"the seed of the woman\nshould bruise the serpent's head.\"\n\nThis promise was fulfilled by Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came\ninto the world and suffered and died to save men from the consequences\nof the first man's disobedience. I will now tell you something about\nthis wonderful event.\n\nA little more than eighteen hundred years ago, as some shepherds were\ntaking care of their sheep by night on the hills of Palestine, an\nangel of the Lord came to them, and the glory of the Lord shone round\nabout them: and they were very much afraid. But the angel told them\nnot to fear, for he brought them good news: \"For unto you is born this\nday, in the city of David, a Savior which is Christ the Lord.\"\n\nAnd suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly\nhost, praising God, and saying, \"Glory to God in the highest, and on\nearth peace, good will towards men.\"\n\nAs soon as the angels were gone, the shepherds went to Bethlehem, to\nsee the Savior that God had so wonderfully made known to them. They\nfound his reputed father with his mother, Mary, and the babe lying in\na manger: \"because there was no room for him in the inn.\" The\nshepherds then went to their homes praising God, and telling every one\nthey saw of the new-born Savior.\n\nSometime afterwards, a wonderful star was seen by some wise men in the\ncountry east of Judea; and they concluded that it must be a sign that\nthe long expected Messiah was born. They therefore went at once to\nJerusalem, where they inquired for the \"king of the Jews,\" stating\nthat they had seen his star in the east, and were come to worship him.\n\nHerod was the king of Judea at this time: and when he heard of the new\nking, he was very much troubled, and the people were also troubled, not\nknowing what to expect. Herod made particular inquires about the place\nwhere it was expected Christ would be born: and when he found that it\nwas at Bethlehem, he sent the wise men there, telling them to bring him\nword when they had found him, that he might go and worship him too.\n\nSo the wise men went to Bethlehem: and the star which they had seen in\nthe east went before them till it came and stood over the place where\nthe infant Savior was. They were glad when they saw this: and when\nthey came into the house and found Jesus and his mother, they fell\ndown on their faces and worshiped him. Then they made him many\npresents of money, and rich spices which were found in their country.\n\nWhen the wise men were ready to return, the angel of the Lord appeared\nto them, and told them not to go back to Herod, as he had directed. So\nthey went to their home by another way. The angel also appeared in a\ndream to Joseph, and told him to take the child and his mother, and\nflee into Egypt; and Joseph did as the angel had said.\n\nHerod was a cruel, wicked man, and was afraid if Jesus grew up, he\nwould be king of the Jews instead of him; so he intended to kill him\nwhile a little child. But when he found the wise men would not tell\nhim where to find him, he sent his soldiers to Bethlehem, and ordered\nthem to kill all the children under two years old, hoping in this way\nto come at Jesus: but the Lord had before provided for his safety, by\nsending him to Egypt.\n\nWhen Herod was dead, Jesus returned with his parents from Egypt, and\nwent to live in the city of Nazareth. Joseph was a carpenter, and we\nare told that when Jesus was old enough he worked with him at the same\ntrade. The Bible tells us he grew in stature, and in favor both with\nGod and man: and that he lived with his parents, and was subject to\nthem, or did as they wished to have him. Thus he set an example of\nobedience to parents which every child should follow.\n\nWhen he was twelve years old, he went with them to Jerusalem to the\nfeast of the passover; and after the close of the ceremonies, when\nthey were going home, they found Jesus was not with them. So they\nreturned to look for him and found him in the temple sitting in the\nmidst of the learned men, hearing them and asking them questions; so\nthat they were astonished at his knowledge.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nWhen his mother told him they had been looking for him, sorrowing, he\nreplied, \"How is it that ye sought me? Knew ye not that I must be\nabout my Father's business?\"\n\nThere was a law among the Jews that no one should be a public teacher,\nor minister, till he was thirty years old. Jesus wished to show\nrespect to the laws of his country, and therefore we may suppose he\ncontinued to work as a carpenter till he was of that age. He was then\nbaptized in the river Jordan by his forerunner, John the Baptist, and\ncommenced choosing his disciples and preaching the gospel.\n\nThe story of his life after this time,--how he went about teaching the\npeople, though they often abused him; how he gave them food when they\nwere hungry, though he had not where to lay his head, healed the sick,\nand in every way returned good for evil to his ungrateful countrymen,\nfor three years, till they cruelly put him to death,--is told at large\nin the New Testament, where we hope all our young readers will read it\nagain and again, with earnest attention. They will find it a very\ninteresting narrative, and in it instructions capable of making them\nwise unto salvation.\n\n\n\n\nCRUCIFIXION OF OUR SAVIOR.\n\n\nOur blessed Savior, having passed a life of piety and virtue, amply\nillustrated by the doctrines he had taught and practised, and the\nbenefits rendered mankind, was at length betrayed by Judas Iscariot\ninto the hands of the Jewish High Priest and Council, whose hatred and\nmalice against him were without bounds, as the truths he had\nproclaimed were but faithful commentaries on the vice and wickedness\nof their own characters.\n\nHe was tried and condemned--though his judge declared that he found no\nfault in him,--his body mangled with whips, and a wreath of thorns\npressed upon his head as a mock crown. They spit upon him, taunted\nhim, smote him on the crown with staves, that it might wound the more\ndeeply, till his head, face, and body were bathed in blood.\n\nIn this situation, condemned and abandoned by the world he came to\nsave, the heavy cross was laid upon his shoulders, and he was\nconducted in public through the city.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nPassing the gates, he was brought to a place called Golgotha and\nCalvary, the place of execution for the city. His clothes were then\nstripped off, his body stretched out, and his hands and his feet\nnailed to the cross, which was then lifted up. Over his head the\ninscription was placed by Pilate, \"JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE\nJEWS,\" in three different languages, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, in\norder that strangers might know for what he suffered. With this\ninscription the Jews were offended, and wished it altered. But Pilate\nreplied that what he had written should stand good.\n\nWhile our Savior hung thus languishing in torment on the cross, the\nmultitude around strove to add to his misery by reviling speeches and\nhorrid blasphemies. Some nodded their heads and cried, \"If you be the\nSon of God, come down from the cross.\" The priests and rulers scoffed\nin like manner, \"He saved others, but himself he cannot save.\" The\nblessed Savior replied not, but lifted up his eyes and prayed for his\nenemies, \"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.\"\n\nNay, even one of the thieves who were crucified, one on each side of\nhim, derided and urged him to save himself and them, if he was the\nMessiah. But his fellow criminal acknowledging the justice of their\ncondemnation, and the entire innocence of Christ, seriously rebuked\nhim, and looking upon Jesus with humble reliance, cried \"Lord\nremember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.\" The Lord rewarded his\ngreat faith, embraced him with the arms of mercy, and assured him,\nthat \"that very day he should be with him in Paradise.\"\n\nHis mortal agonies became now unutterable. His enemies still mocked\nhim with their bitter taunts and revilings; they gave him vinegar to\nallay his burning thirst. He tasted thereof, and feeling the pangs of\ndeath, he cried, \"all is accomplished.--Father, into thy hands I\ncommend my spirit;\" and meekly bowing his head, he expired.\n\nHis death was accompanied by a terrible earthquake. Rocks were\nshattered, graves were opened, and the veil of the temple torn in two\nparts. In short, the whole face of nature seemed changed. The sun was\nso shadowed that the stars appeared. The eclipse was awful, and the\nmiraculous darkness universal, having been recorded by many even of\nthe Pagan writers. It continued for three hours, during which time all\nthings were full of terror.--Many who saw and heard were converted,\nand cried \"Truly this is the Son of God.\"\n\nThe body of our Savior having been buried, by one of his friends, in a\nnew tomb hewn out of a rock, the Jews and rulers went to Pilate and\ntold him, that this impostor having declared within his life time that\nhe would rise again within three days, they wished the sepulchre kept\nunder a strong guard until the third day, lest his disciples should\ncome by night and steal the body, and then persuade the people that he\nhad risen from the dead. They procured the desired guard, and secured\nthe tomb, setting a seal upon the stone. Vain precaution!--The\nprophecy was fulfilled. The Savior burst from the tomb, and rose\ntriumphant to the bosom of his Father which is in heaven.\n\n\n\n\nTHE GREAT COMMISSION.\n\n\nAfter the resurrection of our Savior, he appeared several times to his\ndisciples. He strengthened them in the walk of faith; enlarged their\npower and commission; declaring to them, that all power was given to him\nin heaven and earth. Therefore he commanded them to go through all the\nworld, and preach the Gospel to every creature, baptizing them in the\nname of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and teaching them\nto observe all things that he had commanded them. Adding further--that\nhe that believed and was baptized should be saved, but he that believed\nnot should be damned. He promised them his continual protection--that he\nwould be ever present with them, even to the end of the world.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nOn his last appearance to the apostles he particularly commanded them,\nthat they should not depart from Jerusalem till they had received the\npromise of God, and were invested with power from above. That after the\ndescent of the Holy Ghost upon them they should have sufficient power\nand knowledge, and have the honor of being his witnesses in Jerusalem,\nin all Judea, in Samaria, and in the farthest parts of the earth.\n\nHe then led them out of the city to that part of Mount Olivet which\nwas near Bethany, where, lifting up his hands which showed the marks\nof his sufferings, he gave them his last benediction.\n\nAnd while they were all in the posture of adoration, he was parted\nfrom them by degrees, taken up in a cloud, and carried triumphantly\ninto the ineffable glories of heaven.\n\n\n\n\nSTEPHEN\n\n\nWas chosen one of the first deacons of the Christian Church at\nJerusalem. He was of high report for wisdom, and the endowments of the\nHoly Spirit. He confuted the most learned Jews in their arguments, and\napplied such wholesome truths to the test of their consciences, that\nbeing sorely galled, and unable to answer, their rage was unbounded.\n\nStephen, however, regarded them not, but fixing his ardent gaze\nupward, was ravished with the vision of glory revealed to him, and\ndeclared that he saw the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing\nat the right hand of God.\n\nThis farther enraged his enemies, who resolved to deal with him as a\nblasphemer; and, therefore they raised a great noise and clamor,\nstopped their ears to hear no cries for mercy, and rushing upon him,\nthey hurried him out of the city in order to stone him, according to\nan ancient law against blasphemers.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThe witnesses, according to custom, stripped themselves, and then began\nthe tragedy, which was soon seconded by the multitude. During all this,\nthe pious martyr was on his knees praying to God, and earnestly\ninterceding for his murderers, \"that he would not charge this guilt upon\nthem\"--till at length he fell asleep in the arms of death, being the\nfirst martyr who suffered in the Christian Church, A. D. 34.\n\n\n\n\nSAUL OF TARSUS, OR PAUL.\n\n\nThis great agent in the first persecution of the Church of God was\nwell educated in the learning of the times, and one of the most strict\nof the sect of the Pharisees. He was born in the Roman city Tarsus,\nand enjoyed the privilege of a free citizen of Rome, which gave him\nhigh influence among the Jews, and increased his power to injure the\nfollowers of Jesus. He pursued the Christians with the fury of a bigot\nand the rage of a madman. He paid no regard to age or sex; tearing the\nhusband from the wife, and the mother from her children, and breathing\nvengeance and blood wherever he came.\n\nBut at last it pleased God, A. D. 35, to put a stop to his violence\nand wickedness. And wonderful was the change of his heart. Having\ndispersed the Christians from Jerusalem, he was on a journey to renew\nhis persecutions in Damascus, when a sudden light from heaven smote\nhim to the ground, and he heard a voice, \"Saul, Saul, why dost thou\npersecute me?\" The haughty Saul trembled, his conscience smote him,\nhis soul was humbled, and his feelings melted for the cause he had\nheretofore hated and persecuted.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nSaul became now, after this miraculous conversion, one of the\nstrongest pillars of the Christian Church. He preached the gospel in\npublic, laboring with pious zeal as if to make up for the guilt and\ncrimes of his former life.\n\nThousands were converted by his preaching, and he endured the\npersecutions of the unbelieving, remembering when he too was a leader\namong them.\n\nHe was stoned at Lystra, A. D. 46, and left for dead,--but suddenly\nrevived as the disciples were attending upon his body. Having thus\nescaped the fate of Stephen, he travelled on from city to city, openly\nproclaiming the Gospel.\n\nAt length after a long life spent in fearless devotion to the cause of\nthe crucified Savior, he was taken up in Rome, thrown into prison, and\nin a few months after, condemned to suffer martyrdom by beheading,\nA. D. 68.\n\n\n\n\nLUKE.\n\n\nThis apostle and Evangelist, was the companion and assistant of Paul,\nwho calls him \"the beloved Physician.\" After the death of Paul, he\npreached the gospel with great success in Egypt and Lybia, and also in\nItaly and Macedonia. As to his death, there are different accounts. Yet\nthe best writers say he suffered martyrdom in Greece. A party of\ninfidels there made head against him, and drew him to execution. For the\nwant of a cross, they hung him upon an olive tree. He was in the\neighty-fourth year of his age at the time of his death, A. D. 74. His\ngospel was written, while he was in company with Paul, A. D. 61--13 years\nbefore his martyrdom, and 28 years after the ascension of our Lord.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n[Illustration: Book Cover (Back)]\n\n\n\n\nTranscriber's Note\n\n\n  * Page 24, \"eightyfourth\" changed to \"eighty-fourth\"\n\n\n\n\n\n<pre id=\"pg-footer\">","title":"Bible Stories","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":2996}