The Names and Order of the Books of the Bible. THE NEW DEAN OF WESTMINSTER. THE successor of the late Dean Stanley at Westminster is one of the three personal friends, the others being Professor Jowett, Master of Balliol, and Dr. C. J. Vaughan, Dean of Llandaff and Master of the Temple, who are nominated in Dean Stanley's will to act as consulting referees with regard to the publication of his literary remains and correspondence. The Rev. George Granville Bradley, Master of University College, Oxford, and Canon of Worcester, who has been appointed to the Deanery of Westminster by the Queen, is a son of the late Rev. Charles Bradley, Vicar of Glasbury, Brecknockshire, and Incumbent of St. James's, Clapham. He was born in 1822, and was educated at Rugby, under Dr. Arnold. He afterward entered University College, Oxford, where he took his Bachelor's degree as a first-class in Literis Humanioribus; he took his M. A. degree in due course, and was for some time a Fellow of his College. He had conferred upon him the degree of LL.D. of the University of St. Andrew's in 1873. He was ordained deacon in 1858 by Dr. Tait, Bishop of London, and priest in the same year by Dr. Hamilton, Bishop of Salisbury. Previous to his ordination he had held for about twelve years an assistant mastership in Rugby School. Mr. Bradley was head master of Marlborough College from 1858 down to 1870, when he was appointed Master of University College, Oxford. He was appointed Examining Chaplain to the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1874, was Select Preacher at Oxford University in 1874-5, and Honorary Chaplain to the Queen from 1874 to 1876, when he was appointed Chaplain in Ordinary to her Majesty. About six months ago he was made a Canon of Worcester Cathedral. "No," was the reply. 673 "Then," said the deacon, "I'll learn you," and he commenced to repeat the Lord's prayer. But just as he uttered the first words, "Our Father," the beggar interrupted him with the question: "What, is He your father and mine, too ?" "Yes," the deacon replied. "Why," exclaimed the beggar, "we are brothers, then, ain't we? Can't you cut that slice a little thicker ?" A Plan to Remember the Names and Order of the Books of the Bible. THERE are sixty-six books in the Bible, and we should be able to find them at a moment's notice. There are not many who can do this. Children may be often seen looking into the Old Testament for a book, when they ought to be looking into the New. They seem all confusion; because they do not know the order of the books as they follow. Perhaps they have never learnt them. Others may have, but when put into practice their memory fails them. THE VERY REV. G. G. BRADLEY, NEW DEAN OF WESTMINSTER. Here is shown an easy way to overcome this difficulty. It will require the assistance of the eye and the hand; on the hand we shall map out all the books of the Bible, using the back of the hand for the Old Testament, and the palm of the hand for the New. We shall further be helped by abbreviating the words-that is, using only the first syllable: for example, we must say "Pen." for Pentateuch, "Gen." for Genesis, and so on. The Old Testament is divided into five parts, called the Pentateuch, the Historical, the Poetical, the major Prophets and the minor Pro Mr. Bradley married, in 1849, Marian Jane, fifth daughter | phets. These divisions are placed on the finger-nails, and of the Rev. Benjamin Philpot, formerly Rector of Great Cressingham, Norfolk, by whom he has a family. Ar a meeting of the Woburn Conference, Farmer Allen, of Wakefield, related the following anecdote: On Sunday morning, while a certain deacon was preparing for church, a wandering wayfarer, or, in modern parlance, a tramp, appeared at his door, pleaded his hunger, and begged for something to eat. The deacon looked solemn and frowningly, but reluctantly got a loaf of bread and began to cut it; but while doing so took occasion to admonish the beggar concerning the error of his ways. After reminding him that it was the holy Sabbath which he was desecrating, he asked him if he knew how to pray. VOL. X. No. 6.-43. the books belonging to each division written underneath on the finger. This being done, the next thing will be to commit them to memory, which will not take very long; and after a little practice you will be able to say them very quickly; the eye will show you the position of the books upon the fingers. For example, when a book is given out for you to find-say Numbers-it belongs to the Pentateuch. The eye will catch at once the position on the little finger; you say over in your mind the books on that finger, namely, Gen.-Ex.-Lev.-Num. -Deu.; and you have got it in a moment. The New Testament is treated in the same way. It is divided into three parts, called the Evangelists, the Acts, and the Epistles. The Evangelists and the Acts are placed on the tops of the fingers, and the Epistles on the fingers. GENEROSITY is the accompaniment of high birth; pity and gratitude are its attendants. INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY-SCHOOL LESSONS. BALAAM. LESSON FOR SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4TH, 1881. (Numbers xxiv. 10-19.) 10. AND Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together: and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times. 11. Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honor; but, lo, the Lord hath kept thee back from honor. 12. And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying, 13. If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the Lord saith, that will I speak? 14. And now, behold, I go unto my people; come therefore, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days. 15. And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said: 16. He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open: 17. I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not nigh; there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and de-❘ stroy all the children of Sheth. 18. And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly. 19. Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city. the golden opportunity he long had coveted, and though. he was forbidden by the Lord to accede to Balak's wishes, he yet stifled the conviction of conscience and started out on his mission, riding on an ass. But God sent an angel to bar the way. In chapter xxii. 22-34 we are told how the angel stopped Balaam and instructed him what to say to Balak. Balaam did not dare to disobey this angelic mandate, and though he built altars, and sacrificed oxen and sheep, ascended high places, professedly put himself in communication with heaven, and did everything he could to awe the superstitious Moabites and further the ends of the crafty King, he was not permitted to utter the desired curse. The over-mastering influence of God's spirit came upon him, and his prophecy became a blessing instead of a curse. Balak was angry, but Balaam soothed him with specious promises. Again and again he prophesied, but each time more and more in favor of Israel, summing up at last in the magnificent prediction rendered in verses 17, 18 and 19 of to-day's lesson, and continuing with the verses to the end of the chapter. But now Balaam, desiring the gold and gifts of Balak, conceived a more effectual stratagem. Foiled in cursing Israel himself, he designed that they themselves should be their own curse. At Balaam's suggestion Balak threw into the way of the Israelites the most alluring temptations to idolatry and wickedness. Israel was ensnared, and began to worship the gods of Moab. This worship was of the most impure character, and God's anger was so aroused that he sent a GOLDEN TEXT.-A double-minded man is unstable in all plague to smite the offenders, and twenty-four thousand his ways. James i. 8. Balaam is a Hebrew word, meaning devourer. This prophet was the son of Beor or Bosor (II. Peter ii. 15), and a resident at Pethor, a city of Mesopotamia (Num. xxii. 5; Deut. xxiii. 4). He was an eminent soothsayer (Josh. xiii. 22) and a man of genius and rare poetic power (Num. xxiii. 18-24). Notwithstanding this, Balaam was a double-minded and sordid man. While acquainted with the history and religion of the Israelites, and professing to worship Jehovah, he still carried on his heathen occupation as a professional soothsayer for money. This desire on his part of making merchandise of the great gifts he had received from God was the cause of his fall. A glance at the history of the preceding events will make Balaam's sin more clear. Israel had been successful in defeating in rapid succession two mighty kings of the Amorites. This filled Balak, the King of Moab, with alarm, and he sought to bring the magic powers supposed to be possessed by Balaam, to aid in the destruction of the Israelites. Balak had entered into an alliance with five kings of the Midianites. They decided to induce Balaam to prophesy against Israel, and offered him rich rewards for so doing. Balaam accepted the commission. He saw of the people died. Balaam had set a train of events in motion which finally encompassed his own destruction. God commanded the Israelites to do battle with and slay the Midianites. Balaam was a soldier as well as a prophet, and accompanying the armies of Midian to the field, he, with the five Midianite kings, was slain (Num. xxxi. 8). The teachings of this lesson are fourfold: 1. The love of money is ruinous to body and soul. 2. Trying to serve God and the world we are rejected by both. Israel: 46. And he said unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law. 47. For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life: and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land, whither ye go over Jordan to possess it. 48. And the Lord spake unto Moses that selfsame day, saying, 49. Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession: 50. And die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people; as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people: From the summit of Mount Pisgah a full view of the Promised Land is presented to him. He sees it but cannot Israel at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; heavenly country to which he is going is far lovelier than enter it, and yet God gives him compensation, for the 51. Because ye trespassed against me among the children of because ye sanctified me not in the midst of Israel. 52. Yet thou shalt see the land before thee; but thou shalt not go thither unto the land which I give the children of Israel. GOLDEN TEXT.-So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our heart unto wisdom.- Psa. xc. 12. the earthly Canaan destined for his people. Moses is gone—he is dead, and no man knoweth of his sepulchre to this day; but no one is indispensable to God's cause; a leader is found in Joshua, the son of Nun, and again the command to the children of Israel comes to CENTRAL TRUTH.-The duty and reward of God's people. go forward. And here we leave them. 1. Exod. xxxv. 25-35. 2. Exod. xl. 1-16. 8. Lev. xxv. 8-17. 10. Numb. xxiv. 10-19. Title. Free Giving. The Year of Jubilee. Balaam. Last Days of Moses. We have gone over the history of the Israelites from the hour they fled from the pursuing chariots of Pharaoh, till now we come to them as they stand on the borders of the Promised Land. For forty years have they wandered through the wilderness, and in that time they had grown from a handful of terrified fugitives to a strong, compact and well-disciplined nation of 601,730 souls. All this time has Moses been their leader, but now his time has come to die. He can lead his people no longer. He was to behold, but not to enter, the Promised Land. Once, at Kadesh, he had sinned from want of confidence in the Divine assistance. He had lost his self-control, and become bitter and angry toward the people. When they had rebelled when there was no water, Moses in his rebuke, said, "Hear now, ye rebels, must we fetch you water out of the rock ?" (Num. xx. 10). Moses forgot for a moment that it was God, and not himself, who would make the rock flow with wator. The punishment was at once pronounced: "Because ye believed me not to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them" (Num. FRIDAY... Serpent in Wilderness xx. 12). As the end of the great law-giver approached, he summoned the assembly of all Israel to receive his final instructions. His last thoughts were of the welfare of the commonwealth and the permanence of the constitution. He recounted their entire history, their deliverance, their toils, their dangers, their triumphs; he recapitulated and consolidated in one brief code the Book of Deuteronomy, the whole law, in some degree modified and adapted to the future circumstances of the nation. The life of Moses naturally divides itself into three periods: forty years of royal surroundings in Egypt; forty years of seclusion and communion with God in Midian; and forty years of leadership of Israel. Now he is to die, and his character stands out in glorious light. The man of God praises God as his life closes. The grand, rugged nature of the leader is fully revealed, and still how tender he is! His advice to the people is advice which all should follow: "Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you." The hour of parting comes; Moses ascends the mountain; they with whom he had so long associated and toiled, see their leader as he goes from them. Heroic, beloved, glorious, venerable, he moves onward to die alone in the mountain. No fear distressed his soul, no sigh is breathed, no reluctance is shown by his grand spirit. He goes to be with that God for ever whom he has for more than a century served, and with whom he has so often met and communed as friend communes with friend. Golden Text. II. Cor. ix. 7. GOLDEN TEXT.-Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: we have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens.-Heb. viii. I. CENTRAL TRUTH.-Christ ever liveth as our prophet, priest and king. MONDAY HOME READINGS. SATURDAY Balaam... ... INTRODUCTORY. QUESTIONS ON THE BOOKS WE STUDIED.-What books compose the Pentateuch? By whom were they written ? Of what does Genesis mainly treat? Out of which were this Quarter's lessons taken? How many lessons out of each? What is the meaning of "Exodus"? Of what does it mainly treat? Why was the third book called "Leviticus"? What is the general difference between its contents and those of Deuteronomy? From what did "Numbers" receive its name? What are its main contents? What does "Deuteronomy" mean? When was it written? About how many years do this Quarter's lesson's cover? How long was Israel in Sinai ? REVIEW QUESTIONS. I. ON THE SACRED SERVICE, LESSONS I. TO V.-In what kind of building did Israel worship? Who had planned the Tabernacle? Where had Moses received the directions? Who was Moses? Who was to be High Priest? Who the other priests? Whence were the means derived for building the Tabernacle? Who contributed, and how? What does this teach us? Who were the two chief architects? What was each one's special work? What was the Court of the Tabernacle? How was it formed? What was the "Tent of meeting"? Why so called? Its dimensions? What was the Tabernacle proper? Of what were its sides? Its roof? What was the Most Holy Place? Its dimen-ditions? Of what was this the type? From what must we sions? What was kept in it? On what day only was it be cured? How? What was Israel's route from Mount entered? By whom only? What was the ark? Its di- Hor to Moab? Why was Balaam sent for? By whom? mensions? What was the Mercy Seat? What three What was Balaam? From where? What was his character? articles of furniture were kept in the Holy Place? De- What may we learn from it and his history? What did scribe each. What was the Brazen Altar? Its size? Its he foretell about Moab? About Israel? In whom was his location? Its use? What was the Laver? Its use? prophecy fulfilled? Where had Aaron died? What was Describe the usual dress of the priests? Of the High Moses's last command? Where was Israel at the time? Priest? What two kinds of offerings were ordained in Where did Moses die? What pleasure was denied him? the Tabernacle service? What three classes of animal | Why? What blessing and honor were granted him? offerings were there? What animals only could be used? Give a sketch of his life? Who succeeded him? What About which offerings did two of our lessons specially do we learn from Moses's life? From his last command ? treat? What was the difference between the two? Of From his death? What was Joshua's character ? what were these offerings the type? What offering is still required of us? Name Aaron's sons. What sin did two of them commit? On what occasion? How were they punished? What may we learn from this? II. ON THE HOLY SEASONS, LESSONS 6 TO 8.-What were the three "Great Festivals " of Israel? Of which of them ON THE GOLDEN TEXTS.-What duty do we learn from the Golden Text of Lesson I? What is the Golden Text taken from the lesson to which it belongs? The one that explains Balaam's character? The one that tells in whom the typical sacrifices of the Old Testament are fulfilled? Name the texts which enforce the duty of calling A PLAN TO REMEMBER THE NAMES AND ORDER OF THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE.-SEE PAGE 673. did we study this Quarter? What solemn day came five days before it? In what month? What was its general character? Its purpose? What ceremony was performed in the Most Holy Place? What was the meaning of the scapegoat? What was the symbolical significance of the whole day and its services? Are you cleansed? How? How long did the Feast of Tabernacles last? What was its character and purpose? From what did it derive its name? What kind of offerings were made? What was the purpose of the booths? Of what does it teach us the duty? What was a "sabbatic year"? What was celebrated at the end of every seventh sabbatic year? What was done then? How was justice maintained in purchases, etc.? Of what was it a type? What is the condition upon which its fulfillment depends? III. ON THE LAST YEAR IN THE WILDERNESS, LESSONS 9 TO 11.-Describe Israel's route from Mount Sinai to Mount Hor. Where was the desert of Sin? Why did they have to pass through the desert? About what did they murmur? How were they punished? How cured? On what con to mind God's blessings, and of giving Him thanks therefor? Who wrote the one that tells us in whom our atonement is fulfilled? What is the one that gives the command which Aaron's two sons disobeyed? Which one did Christ speak? Which one refers to the year of Jubilee? What is the one that sums up the teachings of Moses's life? From what eight books are the Golden Texts of the Quarter taken ? No PERSON ever got stung by hornets who kept away from where they were. It is so with bad habits. A SISTER of the King of Sweden is a missionar in Lapland, and has sold her jewels to provide funds for her work. GOETHE's words to Eckerman will bear repeating in many circles in these days: "If you have any faith, give me a share in it; if you have only doubts, keep them to yourself. I have enough of my own." |