eat it and then we must die. Elijah said to her, fear not, go and do as thou hast said, but first make me a little cake, and bring it, then make for thyself and thy son. For God hath said, the barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that he shall send rain upon the earth. And she went and did as Elijah told her; and she and her family ate many days, and the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, as the Lord had told Elijah. Why did the brook Cherith dry up? · What care did God take for Elijah, when the brook was dried up? What did she tell Elijah, when he first asked her for a morsel of bread? What did he tell her? Was she not afraid to give what little she had to Elijah, when she knew not of anything more than she could obtain for food? How did God provide for her? Is not God as able to provide for us, as he was for her? What would have become of the poor widow and her son, if she had been afraid to give what she had to Elijah, and had disobeyed the command of God? Are there some who will not give what God commands, lest they should want it themselves? There are; but God has not promised to provide for them. FAITH. What is faith? said a father to his little daughter as she sat playing with a string of beads. She could not tell. He then took the beads from her and threw them into the fire. She looked very sad, and was about to cry, but her father told her he would, by and by, fetch her a string of beads much prettier than those. she was pleased, and did not cry. Then Why was this little girl going to cry? Because she had lost her beads. Why was she afterwards pleased? Because she believed her father would do as he promised her he would. What is this believing called? It is called faith. When we believe that God will do as he has promised in his word, what is it? It is faith in God. A little girl, when walking abroad, saw a poor woman sitting on the steps of a door with a child by her side who was crying for bread. When the little girl saw that the poor waman had no bread to give her child, she gave her all the money which she had saved to buy a new doll, and told her to buy bread with it for her hungry child. Who was walking abroad? Whom did she see? What feeling did she have for them? What other duty did this little girl perform? Selfdenial. Of what did she deny herself? A doll. Was it better for her to be without a doll than for the poor child to suffer hunger? It was; for she could live without her toys, but the child could not live without food. What rule did she obey? The golden rule. John Smith was a boy that could work, and obtain money for his work; but he would not deny himself. When he saw anything that was pleasing to his taste he would spend his money to buy it. Sometimes he bought apples and oranges, and sometimes nuts, figs and raisins. When John Smith became an old man, and could not work, he had no money to buy his food and clothes. So now he might be seen clothed in dirty rags, sitting at the door of a poor hovel, gnawing bones which he had begged for his food. What could John Smith do when he was a boy? What could he obtain for his work? How did he spend his money? What would he not do?. What was he obliged to be denied when he became old? He was obliged to be denied everything that was good. What house was he obliged to live in? What was he obliged to wear? What was he obliged to eat? What could he have done, if he had denied himself when he was young? He could have had money to give to the poor, and to buy such things as he needed for his own comfort, in old age. SPRING. Which are the spring months? How sweet the day, how fine and mild. The sweet notes of the little birds. What days do we have in spring? What do the hedges put forth? What are thick on the fruit trees? What look green and gay? What springs up at our feet? What do we hear? SUMMER. What are the summer months? Now the high sun warms the earth. The sheep and cows seek the cool shade. What warms the earth in summer? cool shade? What are red on the trees? What seek the What is in its beauty? What are the meadows thick with? What does the mower whet? What scents all the vale? AUTUMN. Which are the autumnal months? The trees are loaded with ripe fruit. Large barns are filled with grain. How varied are the trees in autumn. They have all the shades of red, green, and yellow, to charm the eye before they fall away. In autumn, what is on the fruit trees? What invites the reaper's hand? What drives from the farm? What are filled with grain? What colors have the trees in antumn? What do these colors do? WINTER. Which are the winter months? The trees are now stripped of their leaves. Winter's cold hand has bound the earth.. The rivers now feel his icy chain. The boys slide upon the ice. The snow and ice glitter in the sun. Now we must have fire to keep us warm. The cows must have hay, for the grass is covered with snow. In winter, what are stripped from the trees? What has made the earth hard? What has covered the rivers? Who slide on the ice? What glitters in the sun? What must we have to keep us warm? Why must the cows have hay?? MORAL LESSONS. God. WHO made you? What is a spirit? That which thinks, knows and loves Have you a spirit? I have; my soul is a spirit and can think when my eyes are shut and when my body is asleep. Though I am young, I have a soul, It will not, cannot die. For it must soar to worlds on high, God is an infinite spirit. He sees everything in this vast universe at once. He knows all things that have been done, and all things that ever will be done, and he knows the thoughts of the hearts of all men. God is omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, eternal, holy, wise, just, good, true, merciful, unchangeable. How is God infinite? He is so great he cannot be known. How is God omnipotent? He is able to do all things. God can make worlds. We How is God omnipresent? He is everywhere. cannot hide from God, for everywhere we go, God is there. How is God omniscient? He knows all things that are done, or ever will be done, and he knows all our thoughts. How is God eternal? He lives forever, he was before all things, and he never will die. How is God holy? He thinks and does all that is right. How is God wise? most good, and does it. He knows the best way to do the How is God just? He gives to every one that which it is right he should have. |