Page images
PDF
EPUB

How do those nations live who have no bible? In ignorance and wickedness. They are cruel, they quarrel, and kill each other, and kill their children, and burn themselves to death. They are very unhappy.

HYMN.

Holy bible, book divine,

Precious treasure, thou art mine;
Mine, to tell me whence I came,
Mine, to teach me what I am.

Mine, to chide me when I rove,
Mine, to show a Saviour's love.
Mine art thou, to guide my youth,
In the paths of love and truth.
Mine, to comfort in distress,
If the Holy Spirit bless.

Mine, to show when Jesus saves,
Man can triumph o'er the grave.

Mine to tell of joys to come,
And the sinner's dreadful doom.
Othon precious book divine!
Precious treasure, thou art mine.

ANOTHER.

This is a precious book indeed,
Happy the child at loves to read,
'Tis God's own word which he has given,
To show our souls the way to heaven.

It tells us how the world was made,
And how good men the Lord obey'd;
Here his commands are written too,
To teach us what we ought to do.

It bids us from all sin to fly,
Because it leads to misery,

i

It tells of heaven, where angels dwell,

And warns us to escape from hell.

But what still more our hearts should move,

The bible tells of Jesus' love;

This is its best, its pleasing theme,

Let us rejoice in Jesus' name.

SCRIPTURE HISTORY.

THIS subject, with the help of pictures, forms a most pleasing and important branch of infant school instruc

tion.

The possession of the word of God, lays a strong obligation upon us to communicate its sacred truths to children. The history which God has given us of his creating the world, of his making man upon the earth, and of the wonders he has wrought from time to time, tending to develope his holy character, and most reasonable requisitions, is of such vast concern to us, that it is presumptuous to neglect it.

In this system we adopt the language of the inspired psalmist, and say, We will not hide them from our children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. That the generation to come may know them, even the children which shall be born, who shall arise and declare them to their children, that they may set their hope in God; and not forget the works of God; but keep his commandments.

Some parents are quite delighted when their children can read a chapter in the bible, without any concern whether they understand a single sentence they read. True it is an attainment to be able to read; but unless some groundwork is laid to help them to understand what they read, the exercise of reading is of little use, and will soon become an unpleasant task.

Relate a bible story to a child, then let him read the same in the bible, and he will be delighted with the employment, and form a high estimation of that blessed book.

Thus a knowledge of many of the interesting facts contained in the bible, which are communicated by the help of colored pictures, with their explanations, will lead children not only to contemplate the wonderful works of God, but serve to lay a solid foundation for gaining an extensive knowledge of the scriptures.

THE CREATION.

WHO made the world? things that are therein.

God made the world and all

What things are there which God has made in this world? Water and land, rocks, mountains, hills and valleys, plants, flowers, trees and fruit, animals and men. How many people did God make on the earth at first? One man and one woman.

[blocks in formation]

Where did God place them? In a beautiful garden

called Eden.

In what part of the world was the garden of Eden? In Asia, near the river Euphrates.

What was in this beautiful garden? All kinds of pleasant fruit, and flowers, and trees, and rivers of water.

Were there not pretty animals and birds there also? All kinds of animals and birds that God made, came to Adam, and he gave them names.

Did God come into the garden and talk with those he had made? He did; he loved them because they were holy, and they loved God.

How long were they so happy in this garden? As long as they loved and obeyed God.

What did God command them? The Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayst freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day thou eatest of it thou shalt surely die.

And did they dare to eat the fruit of that tree? The serpent* tempted the woman, and she ate of it, and gave it to Adam, and he ate of it.

What was that act? Disobedience to God.

What ought they to have done, when the serpent told them, that to eat of that fruit would make them wise, and that they should not die as God had said? They should have resisted him because he contradicted the God of truth; he was a liar from the beginning.

*See Rev. 12: 9. and 20: 2.

What became of them then? God was displeased with them, and sent and drove them out of that pleasant garden, and they were ashamed and sorry.

Did God tell them what trouble would come upon them for their disobedience? He did; he said that they must now have pain and sickness, and that the ground should be cursed, and bring forth thorns and thistles, and that man must now work hard to get his bread, and eat it in sorrow while life should last.

What did God tell him should become of him then? He told him he should return unto the ground out of which he was taken; and said to him, for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

[ocr errors]

Did God speak kindly to them after they disobeyed him? He did; and made clothes for them, and told them of the blessed Saviour, who should be born of a woman, and die for sinners, that they might be forgiven. How long did Adam live? Nine hundred and thirty years.

Was that long enough for him to see the earth filled with people? It was.

What did Adam say his wife's name should be? Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

Which of Adam's children does the bible tell us of? Cain, Abel, Seth and Enos.

Adam and Eve in Eden lived,

A garden sweet and fair;

Their maker's presence they enjoyed,

And every good was there.

One tree that in the garden stood,
God bade them not to take;
But oh! to eat the fruit they dared,
And his commandment break.

Then did the Lord his angel send,
And drove them from the place;
Then sinful man in grief did spend,
All his remaining days.

O let me never, never dare,

To disobey the Lord,

And even now my heart prepare,
To learn his holy word.

CAIN AND ABEL.'

WHO were Cain and Abel? dren who were born in this and Eve.

They were the first chilworld, the sons of Adam

What work were they employed in? Cain was a tiller of the ground, but Abel was a keeper of the sheep.

Did their parents teach them to worship God? They did; and Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground; and Abel also brought an offering of the firstlings of his flock.

Did God accept their worship? God was well pleased with Abel's offering, because he had love to God in his heart; but God was not pleased with Cain, because his heart was full of bad passions.

What bad passions did he show? Pride, and envy, and anger.

What did Cain do, when God did not accept his offering? He was angry, and looked very sad and unhappy.

What did God say to him? Why are you angry, and so sad and unhappy? If you do well, you know you will be accepted; but if you do evil, you must be miserable. Abel will not hurt you; he is your younger brother, and will do as you wish him to do.

Did Cain obey God, and try to do well? He did not, but talked angrily to his brother.

What did Cain do afterwards, when they were in the field together? He rose up against Abel and killed him.

What did God say to Cain? He said, where is thy brother Abel? and Cain said, I know not; am I my brother's keeper?

What did God say when Cain told him such a lie? He said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.

What more did he say to him? Now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be on the earth.

« PreviousContinue »