Chapter I: TOLD you that some people used to ask Jesus to come into their

houses. I shall now tell you of a man who did ask Jesus. This man gave a feast, and Jesus came to the feast. Mary, the mother of Jesus, came; and the disciples came. There were a great many more people besides at the feast.

There was some wine for the people to drink: but there was so little, that very soon it was all gone.

Jesus knew that the wine was gone. Could not Jesus give the people more wine?—Yes; for he made the world and all things in it.

There were some large stone jars in the room. Jesus said to the servants, Fill the jars with water, and they filled them quite full.

Then Jesus said, Take some, and give it to the master to drink. The servants did so; but Jesus had turned the water into wine.

When the master had tasted it, he said, What nice wine this is! Where did it come from?

The servants told him how Jesus had told them to fill the jars with water. Then all the people at the feast knew that Jesus had turned the water into wine.

This was the first wonder that Jesus did; it was called a miracle.

Why did Jesus do miracles? To show people that he was the Son of God.

The disciples now felt quite sure that Jesus was the Son of God.

Once Jesus to a marriage went;
The numerous guests surround the board,
When lo! they find the wine is spent;—
This—Mary hears, and tells the Lord.

Before the guests’ astonished eyes
Christ makes his heavenly glory shine;
The thing desired he soon supplies.
And changes water into wine.

How ready does our Lord appear
Our fond desires to satisfy!
And all that we can wish for here
He is well able to supply.

LESSON XX.

SEVERAL MIRACLES.

LUKE, vi. 11-16.

AFTER Jesus had turned the water into wine, he did a great many wonders. He made blind people see, and deaf people hear, and dumb people speak, and lame people walk.

When Jesus came to a place, all the sick people crowded round him.

Jesus did not send them away because they disturbed him, but he cured them all—yes—every one.

This was the way in which he cured one blind man. He said, See! and the man could see that moment.

This was the way in which he cured a man who was deaf and dumb. Jesus put his fingers into his ears, and touched his tongue, and looked up to his Father in heaven, and said, Be opened! and immediately the string of his tongue was loosed, and he could speak plainly.

Once Jesus saw a poor sick man lying on a bed, and Jesus said to him, Should you like to be made well? The poor man said he wished very much to be made well. Then Jesus said, Get up, carry your bed, and walk. The man tried to get up, and he found that he could; for Jesus gave him strength.

One day Jesus was in a place like a church; he was preaching; when he saw a poor woman whose back was bent, so that she could not lift up her head. Jesus said, Woman, I have made you well; and then Jesus touched her with his hands, and her back grew straight, and she began to praise God.

Sometimes Jesus made dead people alive again. That was more wonderful than making sick people well.

Once Jesus was walking on the road. A great many people were walking after him, for people liked to see him do wonders, and to hear him talk. They met some men carrying a dead man to put him in the ground.

A poor old woman came after, crying very much. She was the mother of the dead man. He was her only son. Jesus was very sorry to see her cry. He came up to her and said, Do not cry, and then he touched the coffin. There was no top to it; the dead man was lying in it.

Jesus said, Get up, young man. He sat up and began to speak. Then Jesus said to his mother, Here is your son.

All the people were surprised, and said, This must be the Son of God. He can make dead people live again.

LESSON XXI.

THE SINNER AND SIMON.

LUKE, vii. 36 to end.

WHY did Jesus come into the world?—To save us from hell.

But why did God say that people must go to hell?—Because everybody was naughty.

Jesus can forgive people their naughtiness, and make them good. But Jesus will not forgive people who are not sorry. I will tell you of a proud man who was not sorry, and of a poor woman who was sorry.

A rich proud man asked Jesus to come and dine with him. Why did he ask Jesus? he did not love him;—he only asked him, that he might hear him talk: but Jesus said he would come.

The proud man treated Jesus very unkindly. He gave him no water to wash his feet, put no sweet ointment upon them, gave him no kiss.

A poor woman, who had been very naughty, saw Jesus go into the rich man’s house. She came up behind Jesus, and began to cry for all her naughtiness. She knew Jesus could forgive her, and she loved Jesus.

She had brought a box of ointment with her: she stooped down, and her tears fell upon Jesus’ feet, and with her tears she washed them: she wiped them with her long hair, and then poured the sweet ointment upon them, and kissed them.

The rich man looked at the woman very angrily; he knew she had been very naughty, and he was angry at seeing Jesus so kind to her.

But Jesus said to the proud man, This woman has been very naughty: but I have forgiven her, and she loves me very much. She loves me a great deal more than you do. You gave me no water for my feet; but she has washed my feet with her tears. You gave me no kiss; but she has kissed my feet ever since I came in. You gave me no ointment; but she has poured very sweet ointment upon my feet.

Then Jesus spoke kindly to the woman, and said to her, Your sins are forgiven.

So Jesus comforted this poor woman, but the proud man and his friends grew still more angry.

Jesus will forgive your sins if you are sorry, and if you ask him; but if you think yourself good, he will not forgive you; for Jesus cannot bear proud people. Though you are but a little child, you have done a great many wrong things; and you do not deserve to go to heaven. Oh, I hope Jesus will forgive you! I hope the Holy Spirit will come into your heart, and make you feel very sorry for your sins. Then Jesus will forgive you, and you will love him, as this poor woman did.

LESSON XXII.

THE STORM AT SEA.

LUKE, viii. 22-25.

JESUS often went into a ship with his disciples. Peter had a ship of his own, and John had another ship, and they liked to lend their ships to Jesus.

Once they were all in a ship when the wind blew very hard and the water moved up and down, and came over the ship. The disciples were afraid that they should be drowned.

Jesus had fallen asleep, and was lying on a pillow. The noise of the wind and of the water had not awakened him.

His disciples ran to him and cried, O Master! do you not care for us? will you let us die?

Then Jesus got up and said to the wind, Wind be still! and he said to the water, Be still! The wind left off blowing, and the water was smooth and quiet.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, Why are you afraid? Why did you not believe that I would take care of you?

Jesus knew that they were tossed about, and he would have kept them safe, though he was asleep.

The disciples said to one another, Jesus is the Son of God; even the wind and the water obey him.

The disciples, with Jesus their Lord,
At sea in a vessel were toss’d;
The winds loudly blew, the waves roar’d;
They fear’d that they all should be lost.

The waters rush’d into the ship:
For Jesus all eagerly look:
He lies on a pillow asleep—
Had he his disciples forsook?

Not so; while he slept he still thought
Of them, and their bitter distress:
His merciful eye slumbers not,
But watches his children to bless.

He rises his work to perform:
The wind and the waters obey:
Soon hush’d is the terrible storm,
The hurricane passes away.

How ready is Jesus to save!
How strong is his arm to protect!
His mercy we ever will crave;
And deliv’rance will ever expect.

LESSON XXIII.

JAIRUS’ DAUGHTER.

LUKE, viii. 41 to end.

A RICH man came to Jesus and fell down at his feet and said, I have one little girl, and she is very sick; pray come and make her well. Jesus went with the rich man.

When they were near the house, some servants came out and said, The little girl is just dead; no one can make her well now.

But Jesus said, Do not be afraid; I can make her well.

Jesus said to the father and mother of the little girl, Come with me into the house. Peter, James, and John, you may come in, but no one else.

So they went up into the room where the little girl was lying in bed. A great many people were in the room, playing sad music, and singing sad songs, and crying, because the child was dead. But Jesus said, Leave off crying. The girl is only sleeping: she is not dead. Jesus said she was asleep, because he meant to make her alive so soon again. But the people laughed at Jesus, and said, She is dead, and they would not believe that he could make her alive again.

Jesus said, These people must be put out of the room. So he sent them out, and shut the door; but he let the father and mother, and Peter, and James, and John, stay in the room. He took the little girl’s hand, and said, Arise! At first she sat up, and then she rose up out of bed, and walked about the room. She was twelve years old. Jesus then said, Bring her something to eat.

The father and mother were much surprised at what had happened.

Hark! ’tis a father crying,
And this is what he saith:
“My little daughter’s lying
Just at the point of death.”

The Saviour soon consented
To come and heal the maid;
Nor was he e’en prevented
By hearing she was dead.

He found the people weeping
Because her breath was gone;
And when he said, “She’s sleeping,”
They laughed him to scorn.

The Lord no sinful mocker
Would suffer to remain;
Then by the hand he took her,
And bade her rise again.

Ah! see the maid arising
According to his word;
Does not the deed surprising
Show Jesus to be Lord?

See in their fond embraces
The parents clasp the maid;
Ashamed are now the faces
That mocked at what he said.

LESSON XXIV.

THE LOAVES AND FISHES.

MATTHEW, xiv. 13-22.

ONCE Jesus went into the wilderness with his disciples, and a great many people came after him; then Jesus preached to the people, and told them about his Father, and how he himself had come down from heaven to save them from Satan. They listened to him from morning till night.

When it was getting dark, the disciples came to Jesus and said, Will you not send the people home, for it is late?

But Jesus knew that the people had had nothing to eat all day, and he did not like to send them home tired and hungry. So he said to his disciples, Cannot you feed them?

No, said they; we have only five loaves and two small fishes, and see how many people there are!

But Jesus said, Make them sit down on the grass, and bring the loaves and fishes to me. So the disciples made them all sit down.

There were a great many people, as many as would fill ten churches—five thousand men, besides women and little children. How tired the little children must have been! it was time for them to have their supper and go to bed. We shall hear how Jesus fed all these people.

They sat down on the green grass. Jesus took the loaves and fishes; first he lifted up his eyes to his Father, and thanked him for the food, and then he took a piece of bread and gave it to Peter, and said, Feed all those people sitting there; and he gave another piece to John, and said, Feed those people; and he gave a piece of bread and fish to each of the disciples, and told each to feed some people.

One little piece of bread would not be enough for all the children in this room; but Jesus made the bread enough for all the people. Everyone had enough, and they threw upon the grass a great many little pieces. But Jesus said to his disciples, Take some baskets, and pick up the crumbs; and they filled twelve baskets full of little bits of bread. Then Jesus told the people to go home.

What a wonder Jesus had done! Yet you know that he feeds you, my little children, and all the people in the world.

How does he feed you?—He gives you bread.

Of what is bread made?—Of flour.

Of what is flour made?—Of corn.

Who makes corn?—God makes the corn.

Of what does he make it?—Of nothing. God makes things of nothing. Jesus is God, and makes the corn grow; so you see that Jesus feeds you. If he did not make corn grow in the fields we should die. But he will not forget us. He even remembers the little birds. They are too silly to plow, or to sow corn, or to reap or to put corn into barns, yet God does not let them starve. The birds cry to God, and he hears them, and lets them find food. Now God loves us much better than he loves the little birds, because we have souls; so he will certainly hear us when we pray to him.

If your mother had no bread in her cottage, and if she could get no money to buy some, yet God would hear her, if she loved him. He would not let her starve. Will you not ask God for bread every day, and say, Give me this day my daily bread?

We ought to thank God for the food we eat: before we eat breakfast, or dinner, or supper, we should say, I thank thee, O Lord, for this nice food.

Behold where on the green hill spread,
Close by the water-side,
The hungry multitudes are fed,
At peaceful eventide.

Upon the grass they sit at ease,
In rows of ten times ten,
Women with children on their knees,
Besides five thousand men.

In list’ning they had spent the day;
Their homes far distant lie:
They would have fainted by the way
Without this kind supply.

The Lord, whose words they came to hear
Has pity on their need,
He loves the weary heart to cheer,
The hungry poor to feed.

He gives them of his little store
By his disciples’ hands:
Though little, he can make it more,
For all things he commands.

’Tis he provides the beasts with food,
To him the ravens cry:
He watches over us for good,
And does our need supply.

He once himself did hunger bear,
For forty days alone:
And still the hungry are his care;
He hears them when they groan.

LESSON XXV.

THE KINDNESS OF JESUS.

MATTHEW, xv. 21-28. MARK, x. 13-16.