Part 2
His Son’s name is Jesus Christ. He is as good and as great as God his Father. The Father and the Son are God: they always lived together, and they love each other exceedingly. The Father and the Son are one God, and they made the world.
How did God make the world?—By speaking. First of all, God made the light. God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. No one can make things by speaking but God: God made things of nothing. He only spoke, and the light came.
Then God made the air. You cannot see the air, but you can feel it. The air is everywhere. You can sometimes hear the noise it makes, for you hear the wind blow, and the wind is air.
Next God put some water up very high. The clouds are full of water, and sometimes the water comes down, and we call it rain.
God made a large deep place, and filled it with water. God spoke to the water, and it rushed into the deep place. God called this water the sea.
The sea is very large, and it is always moving up and down, and tossing itself; but it cannot get out of the large deep place in which God has put it; for God said, “Stay there.”
When the wind blows hard, the sea makes a loud noise, and roars.
God made some dry land for us to walk upon: we call it ground. We could not walk upon the sea nor build houses on the sea: but the ground is hard, and firm, and dry.
Now I have told you of five things that God made:—
1. The light. 2. The air. 3. The clouds. 4. The sea. 5. The dry land.
Let us praise God for making such a large and beautiful world.
’Twas God who made this world so fair, The shining sun, the sky, the air; ’Twas God who made the sea, the ground, And all the things I see around.
When he began the world to make, These were the mighty words he spake; “Let there be light;” his voice was heard, And the obedient light appeared.
The angels saw the light arise, And with their praises filled the skies. “How great our God! How wise! How strong!” Such is their never-ending song.
LESSON VII.
THE WORLD.—PART II.
GENESIS i. 11-19.
WHEN God made the dry land, there was nothing on it: it was bare. So God spake, and things grew out of the ground.
Trees came out of it; they were covered with green leaves of different shapes. Some were called oak trees, and some were called elm trees, and some beech trees. And some bore nice fruit, such as plum trees, apple trees, orange trees and fig trees.
Vegetables grew out of the earth; potatoes and beans, cabbages and lettuces: they are called vegetables.
Corn came out of it. Some corn is called wheat, and some corn is called barley, and some is called oats. The ears of corn bend down when they are ripe, and look yellow like gold.
God made the soft green grass to spring up, and flowers to grow among the grass: flowers of all colors, and of the sweetest smell. The yellow buttercup, the white lily, the blue violet, and the rose, the most beautiful of all flowers.
I have told you of five sorts of things that grow out of the earth:
1. Trees. 2. Vegetables. 3. Corn. 4. Grass. 5. Flowers.
The world looked very beautiful when it was covered with grass and trees. But only God and the angels saw its beauty.
Afterward God placed the sun in the sky, and bade it shine all day, and go from one end of the world to the other. God made the moon to shine at night, and he covered the sky with stars.
You never saw anything so bright as the sun. It is very large indeed, only it looks small, because it is a great way off. It cannot fall, for God holds it up. God makes it move across the sky. Did you ever hear this pretty verse about the sun?—
My God, who makes the sun to know His proper hour to rise, And to give light to all below, Doth send him round the skies.
The moon does not shine as brightly as the sun, for God lets it be dark at night, that we may rest and sleep soundly.
Who could count the stars?—No one but God. He knows their names and their number too. When we look at the moon and stars, let us think, How great God is! Yet he cares for the little birds, and loves little children.
CHILD.
I saw the glorious sun arise From yonder mountain gray; And as he travel’d through the skies, The darkness went away; And all around me was so bright, I wish’d it would be always light.
But when his shining course was done The gentle moon drew nigh, And stars came twinkling, one by one, Upon the shady sky. Who made the sun to shine so far, The moon and every twinkling star?
MAMMA.
’Twas God, my child, who made them all By his almighty skill; He keeps them, that they do not fall, And guides them as he will: That glorious God who lives afar, In heaven, beyond the highest star.
LESSON VIII.
THE WORLD.—PART III.
GENESIS i. 20-25.
GOD had made a great many things, but none of these things were alive. At last he made some living things. He spoke, and the water was filled with fishes, more than could be counted.
Some were very small, and some were very large. Have you heard of the great whale? It is a fish as long as a church. Fishes are cold, and they have no feet, and they cannot sing, nor speak.
God made some creatures, more beautiful than fish, to fly about in the air. The birds:—they perched upon the trees, and sang among the branches.
Birds have wings, and are covered with feathers of all colors. The robin has a red breast; the goldfinch has some yellow feathers; and the jay some blue ones: but the peacock is the most beautiful of birds. It has a little tuft upon its head, and a long train that sweeps behind; sometimes it spreads out its feathers, and they look like a large fan. The thrush, the blackbird and the linnet can sing sweetly: but there is one bird that can sing more sweetly still—it is the nightingale. At night, when all the other birds have left off singing, the nightingale may be heard in the woods.
Some birds swim upon the water; such as geese, and ducks, and the beautiful swan, with its long neck and its feathers like the snow.
Some birds are very tall. The ostrich is as tall as a man. It cannot fly like other birds, but it can run very fast indeed.
The eagle builds its nest in a very high place. Its wings are very strong, and it can fly as high as the clouds.
The gentlest of the birds is the dove. It cannot sing, but it sits alone and moans softly, as if it were sad.
I cannot tell you the names of all the birds, but you can think of the names of some other kinds.
There is another sort of living creatures, called insects. God made them come out of the earth, and not out of the water, like fishes. Insects are small, and creep upon the earth; such as ants. Some insects can fly also; such as bees and butterflies. The bee sucks the juice of flowers, and makes wax and honey. How gay are the wings of the butterfly! they are covered with little feathers, too small to be seen.
All the insects were good and pretty when God made them.
At last God made the beasts. They came out of the earth when God spoke. Beasts walk upon the earth; the most of them have four legs. You know the names of a great many sorts of beasts. Sheep and cows, dogs and cats, are beasts. But there are many other sorts besides: the squirrel that jumps from bough to bough, the rabbit that lives in a hole underground, and the goat that climbs the high hills; the stag with his beautiful horns, the lion with his yellow hair, the tiger, whose skin is marked with stripes. The elephant is the largest of beasts, the lion is the strongest, the dog is the most sensible, the stag is the most beautiful, but the lamb is the gentlest. The dove is the gentlest of the birds, and the lamb is the gentlest of the beasts.
Now God had filled the world with living creatures, and they were all good; even lions and tigers were good and harmless. I have told you of four sorts of living creatures:
1. Fishes. 2. Birds. 3. Insects. 4. Beasts.
All these creatures have bodies, but they have not souls like you. They can move and breathe. God feeds them every day, and keeps them alive. The Lord is good to them all.
When God first clothed the earth with green And sprinkled it with flow’rs, There was no living creature seen Within its pleasant bow’rs.
Soon by his word God fill’d the earth, And waters underneath, With things above the plants in worth, That feel and move and breathe.
The fishes, cover’d o’er with scales In ocean swiftly glide; With their vast tails the wondrous whales Scatter the waters wide,
The birds among the branches sing, And chief the nightingale: The peacock shines with painted wing, The dove does softly wail.
Insects with humming fill the air, And sparkle in the sun: The butterfly by colors fair Surpasses every one.
The beasts tread firmly on the ground; The goat has nimble feet, The stag’s with branching antlers crown’d; The lamb’s most soft and sweet.
Pleasure the whole creation fills; They leap, they swim, they fly; They skim the plains, they climb the hills, Or in the valleys lie.
With herb for meat the Lord provides His numerous family; The lion with the lamb abides, The dove and hawk agree.
In all the woods and no sound of strife, Or piteous moans arise; None takes away his fellow’s life, And none expiring lies.
Those happy days, alas! are past, And death has entered here; Why did they not forever last, And when did death appear?
LESSON IX.
ADAM AND EVE.
GENESIS i., 26, to the end of Chap. ii.
NOW I shall tell you of the last thing God made.
God took some of the dust of the ground, and made the body of a man; then he breathed on it, and gave it a soul; so the man could understand about God. Adam was quite good like God. Adam loved God very much.
God put him in a very pretty garden, full of trees covered with fruit. This garden was called the garden of Eden. God showed Adam all the beasts and birds, and let Adam give them what names he pleased. He said to Adam, I give you all the fishes, and insects, and birds, and beasts; you are their master. So Adam was king over all things on the earth.
God said to Adam, You may eat of the fruit that grows on the trees in the garden. Still God did not let him be idle, but told him to take care of the garden. You see how very kind God was to Adam.
But Adam had no friend to be with him; for the beasts and birds could not talk to Adam. Then God said he would make a woman, to be a friend to Adam. So God made Adam fall fast asleep. God took a piece of bone and flesh out of his side, and made it into a woman. When Adam woke, he saw her. He knew that she was made of his flesh and bone, and he loved her very much. Her name was “woman,” and afterwards her name was Eve.
You have heard of all the things God made. They were all beautiful: and all the living things were quite happy; there was no pain, and no sighing, and no sin in all the world.
God had been six days in making the world. And when he had finished it, he rested on the seventh day, and made no more things.
The angels saw the world that God had made: they were pleased, and sang a sweet song of praise to God. Jesus Christ the Son of God was pleased, for he loved Adam and Eve.
How did I know about the world being made? It is written in the Bible, which is God’s own book.
Let us count over all the things that God made:
1. Light. 2. Air. 3. Clouds. 4. Sea. 5. Dry land. 6. Things that grow out of the earth. 7. Sun, moon, and stars. 8. Living creatures.
LESSON X.
THE FIRST SIN.
GENESIS iii.
ADAM and Eve were very happy in the garden of Eden. They talked to each other, and walked together, and they never quarreled, and they praised God for all his kindness to them.
God used to talk with them sometimes. They were pleased to hear his voice, for they were not afraid of him.
There was one thing that God had told them not to do. There was a tree in the middle of the garden. Some beautiful fruit grew upon it; but God said to Adam and Eve, You must not eat of the fruit of that tree; for if you eat of it, you shall die. Adam and Eve liked to obey God, and they did not wish to eat of this fruit.
You know that the wicked angel, Satan, hates God, and he hated Adam and Eve. He wished to make them naughty, that they might go to hell and be burned in his fire. So he thought he would ask them to eat of that fruit. He went into the garden, and looked like a serpent. He saw Eve alone near the tree. He said to her, Why do you not eat of this fruit?
Eve answered, No, I will not; we must not eat of that fruit. If we do, God has said we shall die. Then the serpent said, You shall not die; the fruit will make you wise.
Eve looked at the fruit, and thought it seemed nice and pretty, and she picked some and ate it; and she gave some to Adam, and he ate it.
It was very wicked of them to eat this fruit. Now they were grown naughty, and did not love God.
Soon they heard God speaking in the garden; then they were frightened, and they went and hid themselves among the trees. But God saw them; for he can see everywhere.
So God said, Adam, where art thou? Then Adam and Eve came from under the trees.
God said to Adam, Have you eaten of the fruit that I told you not eat? And Adam said, It was this woman who asked me to eat some.
And God said to Eve, What is this that thou hast done? And Eve said, The serpent asked me to eat.
God was very angry with the serpent, and said he should be punished forever and ever.
God said to Adam and Eve, You shall die. I made your bodies of dust, and they will turn to dust again.
God would not let them stay in the sweet garden. He made them go out. He would not let them come back. He told one of his bright angels to stand before the gate with a sword of fire and to keep Adam and Eve out of the garden.
Near Eden’s land in days gone by, A lovely garden stood: The trees were pleasant to the eye; The fruit was good for food.
Two holy creatures spent their days Within that garden fair: In love they dwelt; they sang God’s praise, And humbly knelt in prayer.
In that sweet land one tree was placed, Their faithful love to try “That fruit,” said God, “you shall not taste: Who eats shall surely die.”
O why did Eve to Satan’s lies So readily attend? Upon the fruit why fix her eyes, Then pluck it with her hand?
No more shall Eve or Adam stay Within that garden fair An angel stands to guard the way, That none may enter there.
LESSON XI.
THE SON OF GOD.
GENESIS iii. 14-15.
ARE you not very sorry to hear that Adam and Eve were turned out of the garden?
It was not so pleasant outside of the garden. A great many weeds and thistles grew outside; but in the garden there were only pretty flowers and sweet fruits.
Adam was forced to dig the ground till he was hot and tired, for he could not always find fruit upon the trees.
Now Adam felt pain in his body sometimes; and his hair became gray, and at last he was quite old.
Eve was very often sick and weak, and tears ran down her cheeks. Poor Adam and Eve! if you had obeyed God you would have been happy forever.
Adam and Eve knew that they must die at last. God gave them some little children; and Adam and Eve knew that their children must die too. God had told them that their bodies were made of dust, and that they must turn to dust again.
But there was something more sad still. They were grown wicked. They did not love praising God, as they once had done, but they liked doing many naughty things. They were grown like Satan; so Satan hoped that when their bodies were put into the ground, their spirits would be with him; for Satan knew that the wicked could not live with God in heaven.
And they would have gone to hell, and all their children too, had not God taken pity upon them. God, who is very kind, had found out a way to save them.
To his Son, a long, long while before, God had said, Adam and Eve and all their children must go to hell for their wickedness, unless you die instead of them. My beloved Son, I will send you; you shall have a body; you shall go and live in the world, and you shall obey me, and you shall die for Adam and his children.
The Son said to his Father, I will come: I will do all that you desire me to do. It is my delight to obey you.
So the Son promised that he would die for Adam and Eve, and for their children.
How kind it was of the Father to spare his dear Son, whom he loved so very much! How kind it was of the Son to leave his throne of light, his bright angels, and his dear Father, and to take a body and to die!
You know that we are some of Adam’s children’s children. It was for us that Jesus came to die. We are wicked, and we should go to hell, if Jesus had not promised to die for us. We ought to love the Father and the Son, because they had pity on us.
Let us praise God with the angels, and say,—
“We thank thee, O Father, for thy tender love, in giving up thine only Son.
“We thank thee, O Son, for thy tender love, in coming down to bleed and die.”
The Father waited a long while before he sent his Son down to be a man.
All the time the Son waited in heaven he thought of what he promised to do; but he would not go and be a man till his Father pleased to send him.
Adam has sinn’d: and on the ground Shall thorns and thistles grow; His body lies in dust; his soul— Ah! whither shall it go?
Shall one who dared to disobey, With God forever dwell? When angels sinn’d God did not spare, But cast them down to hell.
Yet long before the world was made Our God contrived a plan, By which his sinful soul to save, And pardon guilty man.
The Father said his Son should die, The Son replied, “I will: A feeble body I will take; This body men shall kill.”
Father, how great thy love to man, To send thy Son from high! How great thy love, O glorious Son, To come, and bleed, and die!
LESSON XII.
THE VIRGIN MARY.
LUKE, i. 26-55.
GOD told Adam and Eve that he would send his Son down some day to die for them. But Adam and Eve did not love God; for they were grown wicked.
Could God make them good?
Yes; he could: for there is the Holy Spirit in heaven, and the Holy Spirit could come into them and make them good.
You know, my little children, we are wicked, and God can make us good with his Holy Spirit. If God puts his Holy Spirit in us, we shall not go to hell, and live with Satan.
I hope you will ask God to give you his Holy Spirit. Say to God, O give me thy Holy Spirit, to make me good!
Adam had a great many children and grandchildren, and they had more children; at last the world was full of people—more people than you could count.
After Adam and Eve had been dead a long while, and when the world was full of people, God said to his Son, Now, my beloved Son, go down into the world.
But God chose that his Son should be a little baby at first—because everybody is a little baby at first.
God sent his Son to be the baby of a poor woman. This woman’s name was Mary. Mary had no little children. She was a good woman and loved God. God’s Holy Spirit was in her, and made her meek and gentle.
One day an angel came to her. When Mary saw the bright angel, she was frightened: but the angel said, “Fear not, Mary; God loves you. He will send you a baby, that shall be the Son of God. You shall call his name Jesus. He will come to save people from Satan.”
Mary was much surprised at what the angel said. She thought she was not good enough to have such a baby as the Lord Jesus.
When the angel was gone back to heaven, Mary sang a sweet song of praise to God for his goodness.
Mary said, My soul praises God, and my spirit is glad because of my Saviour.
Mary called her baby her Saviour, for she knew that he would save her from hell.
I wonder not that Mary fear’d When Gabriel to her appear’d: How could she know he came to bring So sweet a message from his King?
Full long the Son in heaven had stay’d Since first the promise had been made To shed his blood for Adam’s sin, And happiness for man to win.
But yet the Son had ne’er forgot, And what he said he changed not; The time was come he should be born, And in this world should live forlorn.
Mary shall be the mother dear, Who in her arms the child shall bear; The angel came this news to bring, And Mary listen’d wondering.
And did the Lord a poor maid choose— And all the great and rich refuse? High honors God delights to place On those who humbly seek his face.
LESSON XIII.
THE BIRTH OF JESUS.
LUKE, ii. 1-7.
MARY had a husband called Joseph. He was a good man, and very kind to Mary.
Now before Mary’s baby was born, a great king said that everybody must have their names written down. So Mary and Joseph left their house, and went a great way off. At last they came to a town called Bethlehem.
It was night. Where could they sleep? They went to an inn, and said, Do let us in. We have come from a great way off.
But the master of the inn said, I have no room in my inn for you.
What could poor Mary do? Must she sleep in the street? Mary said she would sleep in the stable, if the master would let her.
So Mary and Joseph went into the stable. There were cows and asses in the stable.
While Mary was in the stable, God sent her the little baby he had promised her. She knew he was the Son of God, though he looked like other little babies.
She wrapped him in some long clothes, called swaddling clothes; but she had no cradle for him to sleep in, and she could not lay him on the ground, lest the beasts should tread upon him; so she put him in the manger, and she sat by him to take care of him.
How dearly Mary loved this sweet babe!
This baby had not a naughty heart, as other babies have. Jesus had no sin, but was quite meek and lowly. Yet other babies have cradles and soft pillows, while Jesus lay in a manger.
I will tell you a verse to say to your little baby brother when you rock his cradle:
Soft and easy is thy cradle;— Coarse and hard thy Saviour lay When his birthplace was a stable, And his softest bed was hay.
LESSON XIV.
THE SHEPHERDS.
LUKE, ii. 8-20.
THERE were some fields near Bethlehem. On the night when Jesus was born, some shepherds were sitting by their sheep in those fields. Why did they sit up at night? To keep their sheep from the wolves and lions which walk about at night. There are no lions where we live, but near Bethlehem there were some.
These shepherds saw a great light. A beautiful angel came from heaven. The poor shepherds were afraid; but the angel said, Fear not, I have sweet news to tell you. God has sent his own Son from heaven to save you from hell. He is a baby now, lying in a manger. Go to Bethlehem, and you will find him.
When the angel had done speaking, hundreds and hundreds of bright angels filled the sky, and began singing and praising God for having sent his Son to save men.
At last the angels went back to heaven, and the shepherds were left alone.
Did they stay with their sheep? No; they said, Let us go and see the Son of God.
They ran to Bethlehem, and went to the stable of the inn. There was a babe in the manger; Mary and Joseph were sitting by. The shepherds said, This is the Son of God. Angels have spoken to us to-night, and told us where to find him.
All the people in Bethlehem were much surprised when the shepherds told them about the angels and the Son of God.
Blessed Babe! what glorious features! Spotless, fair, divinely bright: Must he dwell with brutal creatures? How could angels bear the sight?