"One G.o.d and Father of all."--_Ephesians 4:6_.
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WHAT JESUS SAID ABOUT BIRDS AND FLOWERS
"Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and your heavenly Father feedeth them.
Are not ye of much more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit unto his stature? And why are ye anxious concerning raiment?
"Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore if G.o.d so clothe the gra.s.s of the field, . . . shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?"--_Matt. 6:26-30_.
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THE LAKE OF GALILEE
Another picture of the beautiful lake on which Jesus so often sailed with his disciples. The lake abounded in fish, and there was a great fleet of fishing boats which sailed about the lake and brought the fish to the many towns and cities on its sh.o.r.es. Some of Jesus"
disciples were fishermen.
"And walking by the lake of Galilee, he saw two brethren, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake; for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you fishers of men.
"And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.
"And going on from thence he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they straightway left the boat and their father, and followed him."--_Matt. 4:18-22_ [End ill.u.s.tration]
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WHAT JESUS SAID ABOUT TREES
"Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so, every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits ye shall know them."--_Matt. 7:16-20_.
"And he spake to them a parable: Behold the fig tree and all the trees; when they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that the summer is now nigh at hand."--_Luke 21:29-30_.
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JESUS AND THE LITTLE GIRL
Beseech Beg.
Suffered Allowed.
Many weeping and wailing In the Bible times, when a person died, women were hired to weep and wail. This was supposed to honor the dead.
Once upon a time, there was a man named Jairus. He was a very important man among the Jews. He was one of the rulers of the synagogue; that means that he was one of those who had charge of the worship in the synagogue or church of the town. This man had a dear little daughter.
This little girl was twelve years old, and her father and her mother loved her very much. One day she was taken sick. Her parents were very anxious about her, for each day she seemed to be growing worse. Then her father remembered that Jesus could cure people who were sick. So he went to find Jesus, and ask him if he would come and make his little girl well. Jesus was very busy when Jairus found him. He was talking to a great mult.i.tude of people. Jairus pushed through the crowd, and fell down at Jesus" feet, and begged him to come and make his little girl well. Jesus was very glad to come, but there were so many people about him that he had to walk very slowly. He stopped to heal a poor sick woman on the way. At last he drew near Jairus" house, but people came out of the house and said it was too late, for the little girl was dead.
How badly the poor father felt then! But Jesus told him not to be afraid, just to have faith in him. Here is the whole story, as it is told in the Bible:--
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JESUS AND THE LITTLE GIRL By Gustav Richter (1823-1884)
"The healing of His seamless dress Is by our beds of pain; We touch Him in life"s throng and press, And we are whole again.
"Through Him the first fond prayers are said Our lips of childhood frame, The last low whispers of our dead Are burdened with His name."
--_John Greenleaf Whittier_ [End ill.u.s.tration]
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One day a great mult.i.tude was gathered about Jesus as he taught by the sea. And there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and seeing him, he falleth at his feet, and beseecheth him much, saying:--
"My little daughter is at the point of death: I pray thee, that thou come and lay hands on her, that she may be made whole, and live."
And he went with him; and a great mult.i.tude followed him.
As he approached the house, people came out, who said to Jairus:--
"Thy daughter is dead; why troublest thou the Master any further?"
But Jesus, not heeding the word spoken, saith unto the ruler of the synagogue:--
"Fear not, only believe."
And they come to the house of the ruler of the synagogue; and he beholdeth a tumult, and many weeping and wailing greatly. And when he had entered in, he saith unto them:-- {114}
"Why make ye a tumult, and weep? The child is not dead but sleepeth."
And they laughed him to scorn. But he, having put them all forth, taketh the father of the child and her mother and them that were with him, and goeth in where the child was. And taking the child by the hand, he saith unto her:--
"Talitha c.u.mi," which means in the language of the country, "Little girl, I say unto thee, Arise."
And straightway the little girl rose up, and walked.
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EGYPTIAN TEMPLE ON THE ISLAND OF PHILAE
From an old photograph in the possession of the Springfield Public Library, and used by kind permission.
This is one of the beautiful temples of Egypt on an island in the river Nile. This island has lately been covered by the waters of the great artificial lake formed by the dam built by the English government across the Nile to control the flow of the river. In the foreground is seen a "dahabiyeh," one of the peculiar boats for sailing upon the Nile.
[End ill.u.s.tration]
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THE BABY HID IN A BASKET
Flags Plants which grow in the water at the edges of ponds and rivers.