Fortieth Sunday.

THE COMING OF THE LORD.

FIRST READING.

"The fulness of the time was come."—Gal. 4:14.

SHEPHERD

THERE was a long time after the Jews came home during which we do not know much about them. Only they had quite left off worshipping idols, and stood out bravely when a bad king wanted to make them do so.

But they were not good in other ways. They quarrelled among themselves a great deal. One set, who were called Pharisees, were very proud and hard-hearted; and another set, who were called the Sadducees, would not believe or obey any of the Bible that was written after the time of Moses—none of the Prophets nor of the Psalms.

These two sets quarrelled so much that they allowed a fierce strange nation to come in and make themselves their masters. These were the Romans, whose city was Rome, in Italy. They were fierce soldiers, and wanted to make the world all their own.

THE ANGEL APPEARS UNTO ZACHARIAS.—Luke 1:12, 13.

THE ANGEL APPEARS UNTO MARY.—Luke 1:35.

One of their generals, whose name was Pompey, was sodaring that he forced his way into the Holy of Holies, where no one was allowed to go but the High Priest once a-year. He was disappointed to find nothing there, only an empty chamber, without any image or likeness; and the Jews were much grieved and distressed. It was always said that nothing ever went well with Pompey afterwards.

THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM

THE PROPHECY OF ELIZABETH AND OF MARY.—Luke 1:39-45.

QUESTIONS.

1. What sin had the Jews left off? 2. But were they grown good? 2. Who were the two parties? 4. What was amiss with the Pharisees? 5. What would not the Sadducees believe? 6. What came of their quarrels? 7. What sort of people were the Romans? 8. Where was their home? 9. What did they want to conquer? 10. Where did their general make his way? 11. What was the Holy of Holies? 12 What did he find there? 13. Why was there no image there? 14. What commandment forbids the worshipping any image? 15. Who alone was allowed to go into the holy place? 16. How often? 17. What was said of Pompey after he broke in?

SECOND READING.

"He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest.—Luke 1:32.

THE Romans set up a strange king over the Jews. His name was Herod, and he was an Edomite—that is, a descendant of Jacob's brother Esau. He believed in the true God, and began to make the Temple much more beautiful than it had been since it had been built up after the Jews came back from Babylon. But he was a very wicked and cruel man, who killed his own wife, and made everybody afraid of him; and the Jews were very unhappy under him.

THE BIRTH OF JOHN.—Luke 1:62-64.

They had one hope, and that was, that it was just about the time when God had promised to send a Holy One into the world to save them and set them free; and they thought He would be a great, mighty king, like David, who would conquer Herod, and drive away the Romans, and have a crown and throne brighter than Solomon's.

And just then an angel was sent from God to the little town of Nazareth, where there lived a young maiden, quite a poor woman, but most good and holy, a descendant of the great King David. The angel told her that she was highly favored, for she was to be the mother of the Son of the Highest, for the Holy One who was to be born of her should be the Son of God; and when He was born, she was to call His nameJesus, which means the Lord our Saviour, because He should save His people from their sins; and Mary said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word."

THE ANGEL ANNOUNCING THE BIRTH OF JESUS.—Luke 2:10, 11.

QUESTIONS.

1. Whom did the Romans make king of the Jews? 2. What nation did Herod belong to? 3. Who was the forefather of the Edomites? 4. Whose son was Esau? 5. What sort of man was Herod? 6. What did he do to please the Jews? 7. But how did he treat them? 8. Whom did he put to death? 9. What were the Jews hoping for? 10. Who had promised that Holy One? 11. What did the Jews think He would be? 12. Who came to say He was comingat last? 13. To whom was the angel sent? 14. What was her name? 15. Where did he live? 16. What did the angel tell her? 17. Who would be born of her? 18. Whose Son would He be? 19. What was she to call Him? 20. What does Jesus mean? 21. What did she answer?

THE BIRTH OF JESUS.—Luke 2:10, 12.

THIRD READING.

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."Luke 2:14.

THE blessed Virgin Mary lived at Nazareth; but it was God's will that the holy Son of God should be born at Bethlehem, the little town where David used to live and keep his sheep. The Romans sent out orders that everyone should go to their proper home to have their names set down, and pay a piece of money.

So the Virgin Mary had to go, with a good man named Joseph, a carpenter, who was to be her husband. Such a number of people had come there that there was no room for them in theinn, and they had to go to a stable—a cavern underground—where the oxen and asses were.

And it was there that the Holy Child of Mary, the Son of God, was born, in the stable where the cattle were. The blessed mother wrapped Him in baby-clothes, and laid Him in the manger, among the hay and straw.

THE BIRTH OF JESUS PROCLAIMED BY THE SHEPHERDS.—Luke 2:17.

None of the people in the inn knew or cared; but there were shepherds on the hill, keeping watch over their flocks by night. The angels came down to them, and told them that to them was born that day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ theLord, and that He was a Babe lying in a manger.

As soon as the angel had said that, many other angels, who were very glad that poor men below should be saved, all began to sing, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will toward men."

So the angels and the shepherds kept the Saviour's birthday, and we keep it upon Christmas-day.

PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE.—Luke 2:27, 28.

QUESTIONS.

1. What was David's town? 2. But where did the blessed Virgin Mary live? 3. How came she to go to Bethlehem? 4. Where had she to rest? 5. Why could she not go to the inn? 6. Who was born in the stable? 7. Where was He laid? 8. Who were told of it? 9. Who told the shepherds? 10. What did the angels sing? 11. Why were they glad? 12. Why are we glad? 13. What is the birthday of our Lord?

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