Chapter I: HAVE told you of two Marys; Mary the mother of Jesus, and another

Mary, the sister of Lazarus. But there was another still, called Mary Magdalene. She came very early to the grave, before the other women came. She looked into the grave, but saw no angels; so she came running back, and told Peter and John that Jesus was not in his grave. I am afraid, said Mary Magdalene, that some wicked people have taken him away, and that we shall not be able to find him.

So Peter and John began to run as fast as they could, but John ran the fastest, and he came first to the grave. He stooped down and peeped in, and he saw the clothes lying in the grave.

Soon after Peter came, and he went down into the grave, and he saw the clothes neatly folded, and the cloth that was round Jesus’ head lying in a place by itself. Then John went in, too; and John thought of what Jesus had said about being alive again.

It is all true, thought John; he is alive, and has left his grave.

Then Peter and John came out of the grave, and went to their own house; but they saw no angels, nor did they see Jesus.

Where was Mary Magdalene all this time?

She was standing crying outside the grave: she was quite alone; for Peter and John were gone home.

At last she stooped down and looked into the grave, and she saw a beautiful sight—two angels, one sitting where Jesus’ head had been, and one where his feet had been!

The angels said to Mary, Why do you cry? but still she went on crying, and said, Some people have taken away the Lord Jesus, and I cannot find him!

When she had said this, she heard a man behind her saying, Why do you cry?

She did not know who it was that spoke; she thought perhaps it was the gardener. If you have taken him, said she, tell me where you have put him, and I will take him away.

The man said, Mary! She knew that voice, and turning round she looked, and saw that it was Jesus. How glad she was to see her Lord and Master, whom she loved! But Jesus could not stay with her. He told her to go and tell his dear disciples that he was alive. I am soon going up to my Father in heaven; but I shall see my disciples first.

Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples. They were all crying, but they would not believe what Mary said.

Mary was glad that she had gone to look for Jesus. She was the first of all the people who saw Jesus after he was alive again.

LESSON XLVI.

THE TWO FRIENDS.

LUKE, xxiv. 13-48.

IT was early in the morning that the women went to look for Jesus. In the evening two good men were taking a walk together in the country. As they walked they talked about Jesus. They had not seen him since he was alive again: they did not know he was alive. They talked about his dying on the cross. It made them very sad to speak about it. At last a man came and spoke to them; they thought he was a stranger, yet he seemed to be a kind man.

He said, Why do you cry? I see you are talking of something very sad.

Yes, said these good men, we are talking of something sad. Did you never hear of Jesus? What wonderful things he did, how he cured the blind, and dumb, and sick; and how he taught people about God? And all the people loved him; but at last he was crucified. We thought he had been the Son of God: but now we are afraid he was not, for he is dead, and we are afraid that we shall never see him again.

The kind stranger was sorry to see these good men cry. He began to talk to them, and to tell them that Jesus was the Son of God, and that he had been crucified to save men, and that he would rise again, and go back to his Father.

This kind stranger said a great deal more. He knew all the verses in the Bible, and told these men a great many things they did not know. They liked to listen to the stranger, they did not feel so sad while he was talking.

At last these men came to their own house: it was in the country. The stranger seemed as if he was going on: but the good men said to him, Pray stay at our house; it is getting dark. Come and sup with us, and sleep here: pray, pray come in.

Then the stranger said he would come in.

The men went into a room where there was a supper. They all three sat down together around the table. The stranger took some bread and broke it, and began to pray to God; and then the two men found out who the stranger was.

It is the Lord! they cried; and so it was. They looked towards him, but they could see him no more. He opened not the door, but yet he was gone.

Then the men thought of all that Jesus had said. How sweetly he talked to us! they said; did we not feel our hearts quite warm, while he talked to us? they said; did we not feel our hearts quite warm, while he was speaking about the Bible, and telling us the meaning?

Do you think these men went to bed that night? O no! they could not sleep. Let us go, said they, and tell the disciples about our seeing Jesus. So they left the supper, and set out in the night. They walked quickly, and soon came to Jerusalem.

The disciples were all shut up in a room together. They had locked the doors to prevent the wicked people getting in: but they let these good men come in. The disciples were at supper.

We have seen Jesus! said these good men. He has walked with us, and talked with us; but we did not know him till he sat down with us at supper, and broke some bread, and gave thanks to his Father. The disciples said, Some women have seen him, and Peter has seen him.

But while they were eating supper and talking about Jesus, they looked and saw Jesus standing in the middle of the room. Though the door was locked, yet he had come in.

How do you think the disciples felt? They were frightened: they could not believe that it was indeed Jesus himself.

Jesus spoke kindly to them. Why are you afraid? he said. Look at my hands and feet. It is I myself. Then Jesus showed his disciples the marks that the nails had made in his hands and feet, and the hole that the spear had made in his side.

Then the disciples saw that it was their own dear Master. They were glad, very glad, to see him: they had been crying ever since they had lost him. They saw that he had forgiven them for having run away. He said nothing to them about it: he had even forgiven Peter. He knew that Peter loved him, and that he was very sorry.

The disciples were so much surprised to see Jesus, that they could hardly believe that he was alive. Jesus knew that they did not quite believe; so he said, Have you anything to eat? Then the disciples gave him a piece of fish and some honey from their supper; and Jesus took them and began to eat, that the disciples might see that he was really alive.

Then afterward he talked to them, and told them why he had died, and that he was going back to his Father to pray for them.

That was a pleasant night for the poor disciples. It was not like that sad night when Jesus was so sorrowful in the garden. His sorrows were over, and he never would feel pain any more.

There are but three around that table met:
’Tis their last meal, for now the sun has set,
One breaks the bread. I know that lovely face,
That voice—but lo! he’s vanished from the place.

“Was it an angel? No, it was the Lord.
He lives again—he is to us restor’d.”
What joy now fills these hearts that late were fill’d
With fears! Ah, now forever—ever still’d!

“Well might our hearts burn in us by the way
While Jesus spake,” the fond disciples say;
“How sweet was his discourse! we little thought
That it was he. How strange we knew him not!

“But stranger far that we did not believe
That he would rise again! Could _he_ deceive?
O no, he is the faithful and the true,
And what he says he evermore will do.”

Were these their thoughts? And such too will be mine.
When I in glory see my Saviour shine.
For though I know he ever lives to save,
I sometimes doubt his word, and fear the grave.

LESSON XLVII.

THOMAS.

JOHN, xx. 24 to end.

YOU have heard how the disciples saw Jesus in the evening. One of the disciples was not there when Jesus came. His name was Thomas. I do not know why he was not there.

When the disciples saw Thomas next, they said to him, We have seen Jesus. On Sunday night we saw him. He came into the room as we were sitting together, and he spoke to us. We are sure it was Jesus himself, because he showed us the marks of the nails in his hands and feet, and the hole in his side where the spear went in.

But Thomas would not believe the disciples. He said, I do not think you saw Jesus himself. He died upon the cross. I never will believe, except I put my fingers into the marks of the nails, and put my hand into the hole in his side.

It was very wrong of Thomas to speak in this way. He should have remembered that Jesus had promised to be alive again.

Jesus heard Thomas speak, though Thomas could not see him. But Jesus was always with the disciples and heard all they said, because he is God.

Next Sunday evening the disciples were in a room together. Thomas was there too. The doors were locked to keep the wicked people out; but the disciples knew that Jesus could come in. And he did come. They saw him standing in the middle of the room. He spoke kindly to them, and said, Peace be unto you!

Then he spoke to Thomas. Come, said he to Thomas, here are my hands; put your finger in the marks: and here is the hole in my side; put your hand in it.

Now Thomas knew that Jesus had heard him speak so naughtily, and he felt ashamed and sorry. He saw it was Jesus himself, and he cried out, My Lord and my God!

Then Jesus said to Thomas, Now you have seen, you believe. Blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed.

Jesus quite forgave Thomas for what he had said, because Thomas really loved Jesus.

And can the Lord be risen?
The doubting Thomas said;
And has he broke the prison
Where lately he was laid?
Unless I feel, unless I see,
I never can believe ’tis he.

Come, feel these wounded places,
To Thomas Jesus said;
Come see the certain traces
Of blood that I have shed.
Behold, I stand before your eye,
Oh! do you now believe ’tis I?

My Lord, thou art living,
And cloth’d in white array,
The Holy Spirit giving
To all who humbly pray:
And though I neither feel nor see,
I still believe that thou art he.

LESSON XLVIII.

THE DINNER.

JOHN, xxi. 1-19.

JESUS told his disciples to go a great way into the country, and he said, I will come and see you again. So the disciples went away from Jerusalem, and they went into the country. They came to the place where they had once lived, by the water side. They had some ships on the water, and they used to catch fish when they were in the ships.

One night Peter said to the disciples, I shall go and fish; and the disciples said, We will go with you. So they got into a ship, and all night long they tried to catch fish, but they could not catch any.

In the morning they were tired and hungry. They looked up, and saw a man standing near the water side. They did not know who the man was.

The man called out to them and said, Children, have you anything to eat?

The poor disciples said, No; for they had caught no fish all night.

The man said, Let down your net on the right side of the ship, and you shall find some fish.

They did as the man told them, and they caught such a number of fishes in the net, that they could hardly lift it out of the water.

Now John found out who the man was: he said to Peter, It is the Lord.

Peter was very glad, and he jumped into the water, and swam first to Jesus. The other disciples came soon after in their little ship, with their nets and their fishes. Jesus knew that they were tired and hungry. By the water side there was a fire, and some fish on the fire, and some bread. How kind it was of Jesus to give some food to his poor hungry disciples!

Jesus said to them, Bring some of the fishes that you have caught. So Peter went and took up the net and found it full of great fishes: one hundred and fifty-three.

This was a great miracle that Jesus had done. Then said Jesus to the disciples, Come and dine. So they all sat down to dine together. Then Jesus took the bread, and gave some to each; and he took the fish, and gave some of it to each.

Now the disciples were quite sure that it was Jesus who was feeding them. This was the way they used to dine together before Jesus had died. Now he was alive, they dined together again: but they knew he was not going to stay long with them.

When they had all finished eating, Jesus said to Peter, Do you love me?

Peter said, Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.

Then Jesus said, Feed my lambs, (that is, Teach other people to love me. Go and tell people about my dying for them).

You, my little children, are Christ’s lambs, and I feed you when I talk to you about Christ. I feed your souls, and the food is the love of Jesus.

Peter did love Jesus, and Jesus knew he did. Yet Jesus said again, Do you love me? Peter said again, Lord, you know I love you. Then Jesus said, Feed my sheep.

Jesus asked Peter once more the same thing, Do you love me?

Peter was afraid Jesus did not believe him, and this made him sorry. He said, Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.

Jesus said again, Feed my sheep.

If Peter loved Jesus he would do what Jesus bade him, and go and teach people.

Do you love Jesus, my little children? What would you answer if Jesus said to you, Do you love me? Could you say to Jesus, Look into my heart, and you will see that I love you? If you do really love him, you will hate lies and passions, and you will try to be kind and gentle, and to please Jesus all the day.

Why did Jesus ask Peter so often whether he loved him? Why did he ask him three times over?

Peter had said he did not know Jesus three times over. So Jesus wanted to hear him say he loved him three times over.

Then Jesus told Peter what would happen to him when he was old. Jesus said to Peter, When you were young, you walked about where you liked; but when you are old some men will take you, and stretch out your hands, and carry you where you do not like to go.

Jesus meant that Peter would be crucified; men would stretch out his hands on a cross, and nail him as they had done Jesus. Wicked people would crucify Peter because he loved Jesus; but Peter would never say again that he did not know Jesus.

Peter was not proud now as he used to be. And Peter would pray to God to keep him from sin.

LESSON XLIX.

THE ASCENSION.

MATTHEW, xxviii. 16 to end. LUKE, xxiv. 46 to end. ACTS, i. 4-14.

JESUS used to come and see his disciples after he was made alive again; but he did not live always with them, as he once had done.

He told them he was soon going up to his Father. When I am gone, you must tell people about me. You must tell the people who crucified me, that I will forgive them if they are sorry. The Holy Spirit will come down from heaven, for my Father has promised to send him down soon: Wait at Jerusalem till he come. I will always be with you, though you do not see me. Some day I shall come back again.

The disciples asked Jesus when he would come back; but Jesus would not tell them when.

One day Jesus and his disciples walked together to the top of a hill. Jesus began to pray with his disciples, and he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was doing this he was taken up to heaven, and a cloud hid him at last from the eyes of his disciples. They still looked up, and saw the cloud go higher and higher till they could see it no more. But still they went on looking. Then they heard some persons speaking to them; they looked to see who it was, and they saw two angels standing by them. The angels were dressed in white shining clothes. They said, Why do you look so long at the sky? Jesus will come some day again. So the disciples went back to Jerusalem, to wait for the Holy Spirit.

Perhaps you think they were very unhappy, now Jesus was gone? No, they were not. They knew he was gone to get a place in heaven ready for them, and that they should live with him forever; and this made them glad.

Blessed Lord, I see thee praying,
While thy friends around thee stand,
Clouds I see thy form conveying
To thy Fathers own right hand.
Angels now thy friends are cheering
With bright hopes of thy return:
Looking for thy sweet appearing,
Why should they thine absence mourn?

CHILD.

Art thou, Lord, for me preparing
In thy Fathers house a place?
Thy sweet prayers I would be sharing,
Lest I should forsake thy ways.
Saviour dear, I long to see thee
On the clouds in glory ride,
From all sorrow come to free me,
And to place me by thy side.

LESSON L.

PETER IN PRISON.

ACTS, ii. xii. 1-23.

WHAT had Jesus promised to send when he was gone back to his Father?

The Holy Spirit.

And he did send the Holy Spirit, as he had promised. Then the disciples began to speak of Jesus to all the wicked people.

They said to them, You have crucified the Son of God. He is alive, and is gone up to sit on his Fathers throne; but he will forgive you, and give you the Holy Spirit.

Some of the wicked people were sorry for what they had done to Jesus, and begged God to forgive them; and some of the wicked people were not sorry, but tried to kill the disciples.

A wicked king cut off the head of James with a sword, and then shut up Peter in prison, meaning to kill him soon.

Did you ever see a prison?

It is a dark place with great doors, and bars, and walls all round.

Some soldiers took Peter, and put chains on his hands, and chains on his feet, and they locked the door of the prison. Men sat at the door, that no one might get in.

Peters friends were very unhappy because he was in prison; but they could not take him out. Yet there was one thing they could do; they could pray to God to save Peter, and so they did. Peter’s friends sat up at night and prayed to God.

The wicked king said, To-morrow I shall have Peter killed. But God would not let Peter be killed. So God told one of his beautiful angels to go and let Peter out of the prison. The angel could go into the prison without opening the doors.

It was night when the angel came. Peter was asleep. On each side of him there was a soldier, and Peter was chained to them both. You would not like to sleep in a prison with soldiers near you, and chains on your hands; but Peter knew that God loved him, and that he was safe.

So the angel came. It was dark in the prison.

Could Peter see the angel?

Yes; for the angel was bright like the sun, and made the prison light.

The angel touched Peter on the side, and lifted him up, and the chains fell off Peter’s hands.

He told Peter to put on his clothes; and Peter did so. Then the angel said, Follow me. So the angel walked first, and Peter followed him. They went through the prison; but the men at the doors did not see Peter go out, for God made them sleep. Peter was quite surprised; he thought he was dreaming, and that he did not see a real angel.

At last Peter came to a great iron gate. It was fast locked; but the angel took no key to open it. It opened of itself, and let Peter and the angel go through.

Now they were in the street. Still the angel went on, and Peter came after him; but they did not speak a word.

All the people were asleep, and did not know that a bright angel was walking in the street. The angel only walked down one street, and then he went back to heaven, and left Peter standing alone in the street, in the dark.

Peter stood some time thinking to himself, What a wonderful thing has happened! I was shut up in prison; but God has sent his angel to let me out. The king meant to kill me to-morrow, but now I shall not be killed.

I know that Peter thanked God for his kindness. Peter did not stay all night in the street. He went to the house of a good woman whom he knew, and he knocked at the door.

Were the people in the house asleep?

No, they were all awake, though it was night.

Why were they not in bed?

This good woman had heard how the king would kill Peter to-morrow; so she and her friends were praying for Peter, and while they were praying they heard a knock: it was a strange thing to hear a knock in the night; but they never guessed who it was.

A maid named Rhoda went to the door, but she was afraid to open it, lest it should be some of the wicked people come to kill the poor woman and her friends; so she stopped at the door without opening it, to hear who it was: but when she heard Peter speak, how much pleased she was! she knew his voice. She did not say, Are you Peter? She was sure it was Peter. She was so much surprised that she forgot to open the door; but ran back to her mistress and the rest of the disciples, and said, Peter is standing before the gate; but they said, No, it cannot be Peter; he is shut up in prison.

The maid said, It is Peter; I am sure it is. While they were talking, Peter was standing outside, and he went on knocking, because nobody opened the door. Soon his friends ran and opened the door, and when they saw Peter they were quite surprised.

How did you get out of prison? they said.

Then Peter made a sign with his hand to make them all quiet, that he might tell them how he got out of prison.

God sent an angel, said Peter, who brought me out of the prison. Go and tell all my friends what has happened, for I must go away. So Peter went and hid himself in a place where the wicked king could not find him.

What do you think the soldiers said when they could not find Peter in the morning?

They were much frightened: they saw his chains, but not Peter. They found the gates locked; they could not think how Peter got out of prison.

So the king sent for Peter. This was the day when Peter was to be killed. All the wicked people in Jerusalem were expecting to see him. The king’s servants said, Where is Peter? Bring him out.

The soldiers answered, We cannot tell where Peter is: he is gone.

The servants went and told the king that Peter was not in prison. The king was very angry; he said, Bring the soldiers to me. They must have fallen asleep.

When the soldiers came, they could not tell the king how Peter had got away. For God had made them sleep when the angel fetched Peter. The king was in a great rage, and said, The soldiers must be killed.

What a wicked king this was! He loved to do wickedness. He was very proud, and hated God and God’s people. He fell into passions, and only cared to please himself. At last God sent an angel to kill him, and worms ate up his flesh until he died.

God sends angels to punish the wicked, and to help people who love him as Peter did.

“Awake,” the angel cries; and from the hands
Of wondering Peter fall the iron bands;
The gates fly open of their own accord,
And Peter is to liberty restor’d.

His guide he follows through the gloom of night
(Where angels are there needs no other light);
The angel’s gone, and Peter, left alone,
Sees and admires the love his God has shown.

At yonder gate he knocks; thence prayer ascends,
On this sad night, from Peter’s sorrowing friends:
With glad surprise the maiden hears his voice;
All round him flock and with one heart rejoice.

CHILD.

So, when my body dies, shall angels guide
My happy soul to my dear Father’s side:
To meet me at the gate shall angels throng,
With joy shall tune their harps and raise their song.

LESSON LI.

JOHN.

REV. i. 9-19; iv. 1-5; xxii.

ALMOST all the twelve disciples were killed by wicked men at last. When Peter was old, some wicked men crucified him, because he loved Jesus. Now he is in heaven with Jesus, clothed in a white robe, and all his tears wiped away. His dear Lord Jesus is always near him, and this makes him happy.

John lived till he was very, very old, indeed. A wicked king caught him, and put him into a country far away from his friends: there was water all round, so that he could not get away.

Was John unhappy there?

No; God was with him, and John loved to think of the Father, and of his Son Jesus.

It was Sunday, and John was thinking of God, when he heard a voice behind him, like the noise of a trumpet, very loud indeed. He turned round to see who it was; and whom do you think he saw?

The Lord Jesus come down from heaven, all glorious and shining! When John saw him, he could not speak or stand; he was afraid, and he fell down on the ground, as if he were dead. But Jesus touched him with his hand and said, Fear not; I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore. Then Jesus took John up into heaven, and an angel showed him most beautiful things.

John saw a throne on which God sat. There was a rainbow round the throne. There were a great many seats, and men sitting on them, clothed in white, with crowns of gold on their heads. The men took off their crowns, and threw them down before the throne and praised Jesus, the Lamb of God.

John saw a great many angels, more than he could count, standing round the throne, singing praises to the Lamb.

But of all the things John saw in heaven, there was nothing so glorious as God himself.

In heaven there is no sun, nor moon, nor candle, nor lamp. Yet it is always light, because God shines more brightly than the sun. The music of harps and sweet singing are always to be heard; for all the angels can sing the praises of God.

John wondered at the things he saw and heard; and he fell down at the feet of the angel who had shown them to him.

But the angel said, You must not worship me; I am only a servant of God: you must worship God.

Then the angel went on speaking and said, Jesus will soon come down from heaven to judge the world. He will open the gates of heaven to let those people in who mind God’s word; but those who tell lies, and do wicked things, shall be shut out.

All people who love Jesus wish him to come again in the clouds.

Do you wish to see Jesus, my little children?

Then you may answer, Even so; come, Lord Jesus.

I hope that when you die your spirit will go to Jesus, and that when Jesus comes again, he will bring you with him.

John wrote down in a book the things he had seen in heaven. All that John wrote is in the Bible. At last John died, and his soul went to God. He is with Jesus now in heaven. He is now playing on a golden harp, and singing with the angels. But when Jesus comes again in the clouds, John will come with him.

When John was by the angel led
To the bright world on high,
He saw what joys await the dead
When up to heaven they fly.

He saw them round the Father’s throne,
Gazing upon his face,
Singing to harps of sweetest tone
The praises of his grace.

He saw them clothed in robes of white,
Such as the angels wear,
Shining like stars of morning bright,
And like the angels fair.

He saw the city where they dwelt;
(Whose praises can’t be told);
The walls of precious stones were built,
The streets were purest gold.

He saw the Lamb whose blood was spill’d,
To give his people rest:
With his bright beams the place was filled,
And every heart was blest.

Charm’d with the sight, John bent his knee
Before that angel fair,
Who said, “Thou must not worship me;
To God address thy prayer.”

LESSON LII.

THE JUDGMENT DAY.