Part 17

Then the stranger began to show them, as they had never seen before, that all the Old Testament meant that when the Christ came, the Seed of the woman, He was to suffer, and save the world before His kingdom and glory could begin; and their minds understood, for they were opened to see and know the Scripture, so that they were sure that Jesus was the Christ.

So they came to Emmaus, and went into a house; and the stranger made as if He would have gone farther, but they pressed Him to come in.

He sat down with them, and took bread and blessed and broke it; and then their eyes were opened, and they knew it was JESUS Himself! And as they knew Him, He vanished out of their sight. And they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way?"

QUESTIONS.

1. What day did our Lord rise? 2. What is it called? 3. Which day do we keep holy? 4. Who could not believe yet? 5. Where were two disciples going? 6. Who came and walked with them? 7. Who was it really? 8. Did they know Him?

THIRD READING.

"Peace be unto you."--_Luke 24:36._

In the evening, the ten apostles were all together in the upper room, with the doors close shut, for fear of the Jews. There were only ten, for Thomas was not there; the wretched Judas had hung himself in his grief and despair.

The two disciples came back from Emmaus, and told how they had seen JESUS; and while they were telling about it, though the door was not opened, they found JESUS Himself standing in the midst, and they heard His voice say, "Peace be unto you."

They were afraid at first; but again He said, "Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself: handle Me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have." Then He showed them that there were the marks of the nails in His hands and feet, and the spear-wound in His side; so that it was His own real body that had come again from the dead.

And while they could not believe for joy, and wondered, He said, "Have ye here any meat?" And they gave Him a piece of broiled fish and a honeycomb; and He ate with them, to make them quite sure it was Himself.

QUESTIONS.

1. Where were the ten met? 2. Why were there only ten? 3. Who were away? 4. What had become of Judas? 5. Who had come home? 6. Who stood in the midst? 7. What did He say? 8. What did He show? 9. What did He eat before them?

Fifty-first Sunday.

_THE ASCENSION._

FIRST READING.

"Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."--_John 20:29._

OUR blessed Lord Jesus did not stay with His apostles as He did before His death and rising. They did not see Him after that first day for a whole week; and they could not make Thomas, who had not been there when He came, believe that it was true that any man could come again from the grave.

He said He should never believe that it was the Lord Himself, unless he could put his fingers into the prints of the nails, and his hand into the wound in the side.

The next Sunday evening, Thomas and the other ten were all in the upper room together, when Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to Thomas, "Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing."

Then Thomas knew Him indeed, and could only say, "My Lord and my God."

And the Lord answered, "Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." And that is the blessing for all of us, who have not lived when our blessed Lord was on earth. We have not seen Him, but we must believe in Him; and that faith is the beginning of all goodness.

QUESTIONS.

1. What had happened on Easter-day? 2. Who saw our Lord then? 3. Who had not seen Him? 4. What could not Thomas believe? 5. What did He say? 6. What prints did he mean? 7. When did our Lord come again? 8. Where were the apostles? 9. Who was there this time? 10. What did our Lord say to him? 11. What did Thomas answer? 12. What did our Lord then say? 13. Why had Thomas believed? 14. But who are blessed? 15. Have we seen our Lord? 16. But what must we do? 17. What is believing called? 18. What begins with faith?

SECOND READING.

"Feed my lambs."--_John 2:15._

OUR Lord told His apostles to go into Galilee; and there some of them went out fishing on the lake, as they used to do; but they fished all night, and caught nothing. In the dawn of morning, they saw One standing on the bank, and He said, "Children, have ye any meat?" They said, "No." Then He said, "Cast the net on the right side of the ship." And directly the net was full of a hundred and fifty-three fishes, all large and good, and it did not break!

Then John knew who it was, and said to Peter, "It is the Lord." And Peter was so glad, that he sprang out of the boat, and came hurrying through the water to His Master's feet.

And JESUS said, "Come and dine;" and the disciples found a fire ready lighted on the bank, with the broiled fish and bread; and they ate with Him again, and felt His care after their long, weary, hungry night.

When they had eaten, the Lord said, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?"

"Yea, Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee," Peter answered.

"Feed my sheep," our Lord said. Then again He asked, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?" "Yea, Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee," said Peter. "Feed my lambs," He said; and again He asked, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?" Then Peter was grieved, and said, "Lord, Thou knowest all things; Thou knowest that I love Thee."

And again Jesus said, "Feed my sheep." Peter knew that our Lord is the Good Shepherd, and that His sheep and lambs are the people and the children of His flock, the Church; and that he was to show his love for His Master by taking care of them.

QUESTIONS.

1. Where did our Lord come to His disciples again? 2. What were they doing? 3. What time did He come? 4. How did they know Him? 5. Had He ever done anything like this before? 6. Who knew Him first? 7. Who sprang to Him first? 8. What did He give them to eat? 9. What question did He ask Peter three times? 10. What had Peter once done three times? 11. What did Peter answer now? 12. What did our Lord three times bid him do? 13. Who is the good Shepherd? 14. Who are His sheep? 15. Who are His lambs?

THIRD READING.

"This same JESUS, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven."--_Acts 1:11._

FOR forty days our Lord came in ways like what I have told you to see and teach His disciples. Once, five hundred of them saw Him together; but He never came to the wicked unbelieving Jews again.

But when the feast of weeks was near, the disciples went back to keep it at Jerusalem. There our Lord came to them again, and He led the eleven apostles out with Him to the Mount of Olives. He taught them, and charged them much; and He gave them a great command, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."

And then He bade them stay at Jerusalem until they should be endued with power from on high. And while He talked with them, He was parted from them, and went rising up into heaven, going higher and higher, till a cloud received Him out of their sight.

While they still looked up after Him, two angels stood by them, and said, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same JESUS, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven."

And so it was that our blessed Lord Jesus ascended up to His throne in heaven again, after He had been born, and lived, and died to save us. And there He is in heaven, now watching over us, and laying all our prayers before His Father in heaven, and getting ready our home there for each of us.

QUESTIONS.

1. How long did our Lord stay below? 2. Where did the disciples go? 3. Where did He take them with Him? 4. What was the great charge He gave them? 5. Whom were they to teach? 6. What were they to do to those whom they taught? 7. In whose name were they to baptize them? 8. What were they to teach them? 9. Who would always be with them? 10. What happened while He was speaking? 11. Where did He rise? 12. Who came to tell them where He was gone? 13. What do we call the day? 14. When will He come again?

Fifty-second Sunday.

_THE WAITING-TIME._

FIRST READING.

"I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever."--_John 14:16._

OUR Lord had told the apostles that though He was going to heaven, He would send them another Comforter, who would be with them for ever, and in whom He Himself should be present with them--even God the Holy Ghost, who is One with God the Father and God the Son.

Ten days after He had ascended up to heaven, on the great day of the feast of weeks (or, as we call it, Whitsunday), as the disciples were together in one place at Jerusalem, they heard a sound like the noise of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house; and there came flames like tongues divided in the midst, and sat on the head of each disciple--not burning, but shining.

And wonderful knowledge came to all of them--they understood all they could not understand before; and they could speak all sorts of different languages, without ever having learnt them. These wonders were to show them that God the Holy Ghost had come down from heaven to be with them, and to dwell in them, and help them, and make them strong for ever and ever.

QUESTIONS.

1. Whom had our Lord promised to send His disciples? 2. Who is that Comforter? 3. Who is with us when God the Holy Ghost is with us? 4. How long after our Lord's Ascension did He come? 5. What feast was it? 6. What do we call the day? 7. Where were the disciples? 8. How did they know when God the Holy Ghost came down? 9. What did they hear?

SECOND READING.

"Abide in me."--_John 15:4._

THE Lord God the Holy Ghost goes on coming and being with us still. He does not show us when He comes now, because it is more blessed to believe than to see; but we know He does come to each of us when we are baptised, to help us and make us good.

The reason He made the apostles able to speak all those languages, was that they were to go and teach all the nations round the Gospel--that is to say, the good news that Christ was come, and had died for the sins of everyone, and risen again. They did go and teach; and all who chose to believe and belong to Christ's kingdom were baptised.

Then each of us receives the Presence of the Holy Ghost, to help us to be good, and to keep God's holy law, the Ten Commandments, that He gave on Mount Sinai.

More and more of that good help of the Holy Spirit is given to everyone who comes, as our Lord bade, to take and eat and drink of the bread and wine, by which we partake of the Body and Blood of Christ; and He gives all that we ask to us if we pray to Him. For we belong to those nations that the apostles were commanded to teach and baptise, and bring into the fold; and we belong to Jesus Christ just as much as His own first disciples did.

We are called Christians, after His name; and all the time we live here, He takes care of us; and if we serve Him, He takes our souls to be with Him in Paradise, when death parts them from our bodies.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who stays with us still? 2. When does He come to us? 3. What does He come to us for? 4. Why did He teach the apostles to speak languages? 5. Where were they to teach the nations? 6. What does Gospel mean? 7. What is the good news? 8. Who belong to His kingdom? 9. What have we to do? 10. What are His laws? 11. Who will help us to keep them?

THIRD READING.

"We, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth."--_2 Pet. 3:13._

THE Lord Jesus Christ is coming again. We do not know when it will be; but, sometime or other, He will send His angel to blow a trumpet; and all that are in their graves shall hear His voice, and their souls will come back to their bodies; and we shall all be alive again; and if we have been good and holy, we shall be caught up to meet the Lord Jesus in the air.

For then He will come, with all His holy angels, and will sit on a great white throne; and all that have ever lived will be called before Him, and judged for all the things they have done, and the words they have said.

And then those that have gone on doing wrong, and never being sorry, and never caring for the Lord Jesus, but have made Satan their master, will be given to Satan, to be in misery in hell-fire for ever.

But those who have tried to do their best, and held fast to our Lord Jesus, and prayed Him to wash them clean in His blood, will be taken home for His sake. And they will have the happiest and most blessed home that ever can be in heaven. There will be all brightness, and no more pain, nor grief, nor sorrow; and the Lord shall wipe off all tears from all eyes; and there shall be gladness and joy for ever and ever.

The old earth will be burnt up; but there will be new heavens, and a new earth, all beautiful, with nothing that will hurt or spoil or fade, but all lovely and peaceful.

And then there will be the great joy of singing the praise of God, who made us, and saved us, and helps us to be good, for ever and ever.

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come! Alleluia!

QUESTIONS.

1. When will our Lord come again? 2. What will He come for? 3. How will the dead be waked? 4. Who will be caught up to meet Him? 5. What will He sit on? 6. Who will come before Him? 7. What will everybody be tried for? 8. Who will be punished? 9. Who will be saved? 10. What will become of the old world? 11. What will the new home be? 12. What sort of place will it be? 13. Why will it be so happy?

New Testament Story in Verse

BY ANNE FLETCHER.

The Archangel's First Visit.

TWAS in the days of Herod-- First king of that proud name-- Who reigned over Judea, The land of Scripture fame.

A certain Zacharias, Of the large, priestly force, The temple of Jerusalem Was serving in his course.

His wife, Elizabeth, belonged To Aaron's favored line; And they were righteous before God, And kept the law Divine.

But this couple had no children, And they were very old; And lived alone, nor ever hoped A son they should behold.

And it came to pass one morning-- As Scripture doth record-- That Zacharias burned incense On the altar of the Lord;

And outside the people waited, And stood in silent prayer;-- For in this way they worshiped In that holy temple fair.

And, in that solemn season To Zacharias' sight-- Standing beside the altar-- Appeared an angel bright.

And the good priest was troubled, When he saw the spirit form, And fear fell on him, and he shook Like willow in a storm.

But the angel said to him: "Fear not, Thy prayer is heard in heaven, And to thy wife, Elizabeth, A son shall now be given.

"And thou shalt call the baby John, And thou shalt have great joy; And many shall rejoice with thee Over this precious boy.

"And he shall, in the holy sight Of God, be great and high; And wine, or ardent spirit, His lips shall ne'er come nigh.

"The Holy Ghost shall early Spread through his heart abroad, And many of your ancient race Shall he turn to their God.

"And in the power and spirit Of Elias, he shall go Before Him who is coming To save the world from woe."

Then Zacharias, in surprise And overwhelming bliss, Demanded of the angel: "Whereby shall I know this?"

And the angel, answering, said: "I am that Gabriel, Who stand in God's high presence, And am sent glad news to tell.

"And, now, because thou doubtest, Behold thou shalt be dumb, And shalt not speak, until the child I have foretold has come."

Meanwhile the people waited till The priest should come outside, And marvelled at his long delay-- What could to him betide?

And, when to them he did appear, And could not speak a word, They knew that he had seen, within, A vision from the Lord.

And so he served the temple Until the day had come When, his ministration over, He departed to his home.

The Archangel's Second Visit.

SIX months, and, sent again from God, The angel Gabriel came To a city of fair Galilee, And Nazareth by name,

To a virgin, spouse to Joseph Of David's royal race; And the virgin's name was Mary, Whose life was truth and grace.

The angel entered softly, Where Mary sat alone, Saying: "Hail! the Lord is with thee, Thou highly favored one."

But, when she saw the stranger, Mary was troubled sore; For such a salutation She ne'er had heard before..

But: "Fear not," said the angel, "For, Mary, thou hast found Favor with God, whose goodness And mercy doth abound.

"And thou art greatly honored, For God hath chosen thee To nurse the high, anointed One Whose name shall Jesus be.

"He shall be great, and shall be called The high Jehovah's Son And the Lord God shall give to Him His father David's throne.

"And he shall reign o'er Jacob's house For ever, evermore; His Kingdom still shall flourish When earthly reigns are o'er.

"Behold," he said, "Elizabeth, Thy cousin, good and kind, I've also promised her a son, And the promise true she'll find.

"For God is the omnipotent, All power is in His hand, And nothing is impossible To His Divine command."

Then Mary meekly said: "Behold The handmaid of the Lord; And let the honor be to me According to thy word."

The angel then departed-- Ascending up above-- And left the gentle virgin bowed In humble trust and love.

Mary's Visit to Elizabeth.

NOW Mary felt a longing To see her cousin dear, And with Elizabeth to spend A season of good cheer.

And so in haste, and early, She started forth one day, And journeyed to a city In Judea's hills away.

For there dwelt Zacharias, And Elizabeth so pure, And, entering in, the virgin found A welcome, warm and sure.

For the Holy Ghost gave token To Elizabeth's glad heart, That her visitor, in God's wise plan, Should have a happy part.

Then out she spake, exultant, "O, why to me accord The honor of a visit From the mother of my Lord?

"And blessed is she for evermore, Who humbly hath believed, For every word shall come to pass Which she from God received."

And Mary said: "O, how my soul Jehovah magnifies! And how my spirit joys in God, My Saviour, 'bove the skies!

"For He hath had regard unto His handmaid's low estate, And henceforth all shall call me blest-- The humble and the great.

"For He, the high and mighty One Hath done to me great things, And holy is His honored name; His praise my spirit sings.

"His mercy they that fear His name Enjoy from day to day; From age to age it is the same, And shall be so alway.

"And He hath shown abroad the strength Of His almighty arm; For He hath chased the proud, who sought To do the humble harm.

"He hath put down the mighty From their haughty seats on high; And lifted up the lowly to The region of the sky.

"His hand hath filled the hungry poor With daintiest of food, And the rich he hath sent empty Away from hope of good.

"He hath come to the assistance Of His servant Israel's race; In remembrance of His mercy, His promise and His grace,

"As He spake, in the beginning, To Abraham, our head, And to Jewish tribes for ever-- Naught hath failed of all He said."

After this the virgin Mary With Elizabeth, so true, Made a pleasant three months' visit, Then to her home withdrew.

Now that great thing did come to pass, Which Gabriel had foretold, In the sacred temple service, To Zacharias old.

And soon Elizabeth received The promised baby boy; And gazing on the heavenly gift, Her heart was filled with joy.

And all her friends and cousins, To whom the tidings went, Came with their gratulations, Upon the glad event.

Then on the day of naming, The parents both agreed That John the infant should be called, As Gabriel had decreed.

And the speech of Zacharias Immediately returned; He praised and glorified the Lord, His heart with fervor burned.

And fear came on the neighbors all, As these things were noised abroad; And they said: "What kind of child is this Who comes, foretold of God?

But the hand of God rich blessings On the babe, each day, bestowed; And the heart of Zacharias With the Holy Ghost o'erflowed.

And he burst forth in thankfulness, And praised, and prophesied Of all the wondrous goodness That should to men betide.

For the light of inspiration Had shown to him, indeed, That his son was the Elias, Who should the Lord precede.

The Holy Child.

ROME was the world's proud mistress, And would tax her subjects all: Thus every man, to his own town, Received Imperial call.

And Joseph, wed to Mary, Must go to Judah's land, And, with the sons of David, Must take his lineal stand.

Then, from Nazareth, he journeyed, With his fair and gentle spouse To Bethlehem of Judea, The place of David's house.

But when--their journey ended-- They sought repose to win, Their lodging was a stable, So crowded was the inn.

And to that stable, lowly, In humble, human guise, There came a babe most holy, Descended from the skies.

'Tis written that the angel Had to the virgin come, And told her that this Holy Child With her should make his home.

And now a rosy light from heaven On Bethlehem's city shone; And this was the first Christmas The world had ever known.

For Jesus was the promised Christ, So long ago foretold-- The King that all the Jewish race Were longing to behold.

The Shepherds.

THE men, who watched the sheep that night, Were seated on the ground, When a glorious light from heaven Shone brightly all around.

And, lo! an angel of the Lord Appeared before their eyes, And they were filled with sore affright, With wonder and surprise.

The angel said to them: "Fear not, For I have come to tell News of the joyfullest event The world has e'er befell.

"For, this day, unto you is born, In David's' city fair, A Saviour, who is Christ, the Lord, And David's lineal heir.

"And this shall be a sign to you That true is what I've said: You'll find the babe in swaddling clothes, And in a manger laid."

Then suddenly a crowd appeared Of spirits, bright and fair, And their glad voices, praising God, Resounded through the air.

"Glory to God," they sweetly chant, Who reigns in highest heaven, And peace on earth for evermore, And love to men be given.

Thus singing, shining, up they went Away to heaven again; And night and silence were restored To ancient Bethlehem's plain.