stewardTHE UN-JUST STEW-ARD.
And the lord praised the un-just stew-ard, for he thought he had done a wise thing.
Je-sus said we were to use our wealth so as to make friends who will take us in their homes should we be-come poor.
He that is faith-ful in small things is faith-ful al-so in large ones. And he that is un-just in the least, is un-just in much more.
No man can serve two mas-ters.
As Je-sus drew near to Je-ru-sa-lem those who were with him thought that the king-dom he spoke of was close at hand.
He said to them, A rich man had to go to a far land, so he called his ten ser-vants that he might leave his goods in their charge. To the first one he gave five tal-ents. A tal-ent is a large sum in sil-ver. To the next he gave two tal-ents; and to the third one. And he said to them, Make a good use of these gifts till I come back; and then went on his way.
Then he that had five tal-ents went out and bought and sold and made five tal-ents more. And the one that had two did the same. But he that had one dug a hole in the earth and hid his lord's mon-ey.
When the rich man came back he sent for his ser-vants that they might tell him what they had done while he was gone. So he that had had five tal-ents came and said, Lord, thou didst give me five tal-ents, and see—I have gained five more.
His lord said to him, Well done, good and faith-ful ser-vant, thou hast been faith-ful o-ver a few things, I will make thee ru-ler o-ver ma-ny things; en-ter thou in-to the joy of thy lord.
Then he that had two tal-ents came and said,Lord, thou didst give me two tal-ents and I have gained two more.
talentsTHE TAL-ENTS.
His lord said to him, Well done, good and faith-ful ser-vant, thou hast been faith-ful o-ver a few things, I will make thee ru-ler o-ver ma-ny things; en-ter thou in-to the joy of thy lord.
Then he who had but the one tal-ent came and said, Lord, I knew that thou wert a hard man, and didst reap where thou hast not sown, and gleaned where thou hast not strewn; and, for fear I should lose it, I hid thy tal-ent in the earth, and here it is.
His lord said, Thou wick-ed and la-zy ser-vant, if thou didst know me to be such a harsh man thou shouldst have lent my mo-ney to those who would pay for its use, so that when I came back I should have my own and more with it. Take there-fore the one tal-ent from him and give it to him that hath ten tal-ents. For to him that hath much shall more be giv-en; but from him that hath not, shall be ta-ken a-way all that he hath. And cast ye the use-less ser-vant in-to out-er dark-ness, where shall be weep-ing and gnash-ing of teeth.
Christ meant to teach by this that we were to make use of the gifts or tal-ents that God gave us, and add to them as much as we could. Then when we die God will say to us, Well done, and bid us share in the joy that our lord has in store for us.
If we have but one gift we must use that and serve God with it, or at the last day he will take that from us, and we shall have no part in the joy of our lord.
Je-sus said, The good news is like a king who made a wed-ding feast for his son. And he sent his ser-vants to call in those who were bid to the feast. But they would not come. Then he sent out more ser-vants to urge them to come to the wed-ding. But they made light of it, and went their ways, totheir farms or shops; and some fell on the king's ser-vants and slew them.
wedding clothesWED-DING GAR-MENT.
When the king heard of this he was wroth, and he said to his ser-vants, Go ye out to the high-ways and bring in to the wed-ding those ye find there.
And the ser-vants did so, and brought in both bad and good, so there was no lack of guests at the wed-ding.
When the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who had not on a wed-ding gar-ment. And he said to him, Friend, why art thou here with-out a wed-ding gar-ment. And the man spoke not.
LEAV-EN.
Then said the king to the ser-vants, Bind him hand and foot and take him off, and cast him in-to out-er dark-ness. For ma-ny are called but few are cho-sen.
God is the king who made the feast for Je-sus Christ, his son, to which all are bid. The wed-ding gar-ment we need is a true heart, full of love to Je-sus. The good news is for all, yet those who think more of this world than they do of heav-en, Christ does not choose for his own, and they are lost.
Je-sus said the good news is like un-to leav-en or yeast, which a wo-man took and hid in some meal till the whole of it was light.
THE LORD'S SUPPER.—JESUS IN GETHSEMANE.—THE JUDAS KISS.—PETER DENIES JESUS.
Nowthe day was come when the Jews were to keep the feast of the pass-o-ver. To do this each man took a lamb to the church, and killed it on the al-tar. The priest would burn the fat, but the rest of the lamb the man took home, and it was cooked, and he and his folks ate of it in the night.
The twelve came to Je-sus to ask him at what place they should set out their feast. For they had no house or home of their own.
Je-sus sent forth two of them and said, Go ye to Je-ru-sa-lem, and there shall meet you a man with a jug of wa-ter. Go to the house where he goes, and say to the man who lives there, The mas-ter bids thee show us the room where he shall come to eat the feast with his friends.
And he will show you a large room, up-stairs; there spread the feast.
The men did as Je-sus told them, and the man showed them the room, and there they spread the feast.
And at night Je-sus came with his twelvefriends. And as they did eat, Je-sus said, There is one here who will give me up to the Jews.
These words made them all feel sad.
Now there was one of the twelve of whom Je-sus was most fond. His name was John. And as he lay with his head on Je-sus' breast he said to him, Lord, who is it?
Je-sus said, It is he to whom I shall give the piece of bread I dip in the dish.
And when he had dipped the bread he gave it to Ju-das. And he said to him, What is in thy heart to do, do at once.
Now none of the rest knew why Je-sus spoke thus. But as Ju-das had charge of the bag in which the mon-ey was kept, some of them thought that he bade him buy things they were in need of, or give some-thing to the poor. Then Ju-das went out of the house where Je-sus and his friends were; and it was night.
And when he had gone, Je-sus said to them, I shall be with you but a short time. But ere I go a new law I give to you—the law of love. As I have loved you so shall ye love each oth-er. By this shall all men know that ye love me.
Pe-ter said, Lord, where dost thou go?
Je-sus said, Where I go thou canst not come now, but thou shalt be with me by-and-by.
Pe-ter said, Lord, why can-not I go with thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake!
GethsamanePRAY-ING IN THE GAR-DEN.
Je-sus said, I tell thee, Pe-ter, the cock shall not crow thrice till thou hast sworn thrice that thou dost not know me.
And as they did eat Je-sus took the bread and gave thanks and broke it, and gave to them, and said, Take and eat.
Then he took some wine in a cup, and when he had thanked God, he gave it to them and they all drank of it.
And he told them that when he was dead theymust meet from time to time, and eat the bread and drink the wine in the same way that he had shown them; and as of-ten as they did it they were to think of him, and the death that he died to save men from their sins.
Je-sus spoke with them for some time. Then a hymn was sung and they all went from the house, and came to the Mount of Ol-ives. And they went to a gar-den there, known as Geth-sem-a-ne. And Je-sus took with him Pe-ter, James, and John, and said to them, Sit ye here and watch with me while I go and pray. And he went from them a short way, and knelt down and prayed. And when he thought how soon he was to be put to death for our sins, he was in such grief and pain that the sweat seemed like great drops of blood as it fell to the ground. And God sent an an-gel to calm him and give him strength.
And when he rose from his knees and went back to where his friends were, he found that they slept. And he said to Pe-ter, What, couldst thou not watch with me one hour?
And he went off to pray once more. And when he came back his friends still slept! And he left them and came back a third time. Then he said, Rise up and let us go, for the worst of my foes is close at hand.
betrayalJU-DAS BE-TRAY-ING CHRIST.
Now Ju-das had been on the watch, and knew when Je-sus went to the gar-den. And as it was dark he thought it would be the best time to give him up to the Jews. So he went to the chief priests and told them, and they sent a band of men out with him to take Je-sus.
Je-sus, who knew all things, knew that Ju-das was near, yet he did not flee.
Ju-das had told the band that he would give them a sign by which they might know which was Je-sus. He said, The one I shall kiss, is he; take him, and hold him fast. Then he came to Je-sus and gave him a kiss.
And the men laid their hands on Je-sus and took him. His friends who were near him said to him, Lord, shall we fight them with the sword?
Pe-ter who had a sword struck one of the band and cut off his ear.
Je-sus said to him, Put thy sword back in its sheath. Could I not pray to God to send me a host of an-gels to fight for me and save me from death? But how then could the words of wise men come true? Then Je-sus touched the man's ear and made it well. And he said to those who took him, Have ye come out with swords and staves as if I were a thief, to take me? I sat from day to day and taught you in the church, and you did not harm me.
Then Pe-ter, James and John, and the rest, were in great fear, and fled from him.
The men that took Je-sus led him off to the house of the high priest, where the scribes and those who had charge of the church had all met.
Pe-ter kept up with the crowd and went in a side door of the house to sit by the fire. And one of the maids of the high priest came to him, and said, Thou wast with Je-sus. But he said, I know not what you mean.
Then he went out on the porch and the cock crew. While there a maid said to those who stood near, This one was with Je-sus.
And Pe-ter said once more that he did not know him. And the cock crew once more.
Now it chanced that one of the high priest's men was a kins-man of the one whose ear Pe-ter had cut off. And he said to him, Did I not see thee in the gar-den with him?
Pe-ter swore that he was not there, and did not know the man. And Je-sus gave him a look as he went by, that was like a stab in Pe-ter's heart. For then the cock crew for the third time, and it came to Pe-ter's mind what Je-sus had said,—Ere the cock crow thrice, thou shalt de-ny me thrice. And he went out and wept as if his heart would break, so great was his grief and shame.
CHRIST BEFORE PILATE.—ON THE CROSS.
Thechief court of the Jews met in a room near the church, and was made up of three-score and ten men. The high priest and chief priests were there, and the scribes, and head men of the church, and it was for them to say what should be done to those who broke the laws of Mo-ses; some of whom had to pay fines, or to be shut up in jail. But if a man was to be put to death they had to ask the chief whom the Ce-sar of Rome had set to rule in that part of the land if he would let the deed be done.
It was night when the Jews took Je-sus, and as soon as it was day they brought him in-to court to have him tried. The high priest said to him, Art thou the Christ? tell us.
Je-sus said, If I tell you, ye will not think I speak the truth.
Then they all said, Art thou the son of God?
And he said, I am.
Then the high priest rent his clothes, and said, By his own words we can judge him. What do you say shall be done to him? And they all cried out, Let him be put to death!
Then they spit in his face, and struck Je-sus with the palms of their hands. And they bound him and led him blind-fold to Pi-late's house, and told Pi-late some of the things he had said and done.
Pi-late said to Je-sus, Art thou a king? Je-sus said, I am. But my realm is not of this world, else would my men have fought to set me free.
trial"BE-HOLD THE MAN."
Pi-late said, I find no fault with this man. And the Jews were more fierce, and cried that his words had made a great stir in all the land from Gal-i-leeto that place. Pi-late said, if he came from Gal-i-lee they must take him to He-rod, who ruled that part of the land. And He-rod was in Je-ru-sa-lem at that time.
When He-rod saw Je-sus he was glad, for he had heard much of him, and was in hopes to see some great things done by him. But when He-rod spoke to Je-sus, Je-sus said not one word. And the chief priests and scribes stood by, and cried out that he claimed to be king of the Jews, and the son of God, and had taught men that they need not keep the laws of Mo-ses or of Rome. These were crimes for which he ought to be put to death.
So He-rod and his men of war made sport of Je-sus, and put on him a robe such as kings wear; for he had said he was a king. And then He-rod sent him back to Pi-late.
Pi-late said, I find no fault in this man; nor does He-rod, for I sent you to him; he had done naught for which he should be put to death.
Now it was the rule when this great feast was held, that one of those who were shut up in jail should be set free. And at this time there was a Jew there, whose name was Ba-rab-bas; and he had killed some one.
Pi-late said, Which one shall I set free—Ba-rab-bas, or Je-sus, who is called Christ?
Pilate washingPI-LATE WASH-ING HIS HANDS.
While Pi-late spoke, his wife sent word to him to do no harm to that just man, for she had had a strange dream a-bout him. But the chief priests urged the mob to ask that Ba-rab-bas be set free.
Pi-late said, What then shall I do with Je-sus, who is called Christ?
They cried out, Hang him! Hang him!
When Pi-late saw that he could not get them to ask for Je-sus, he took some wa-ter and washed his hands in full view of the mob, and said, I am not to blame for the death of this just man; see ye to it.
Then the Jews said, Let his blood be on us and on our chil-dren.
But Pi-late was to blame for Je-sus' death; for he gave him up to the Jews that he might please them, and keep the place that he had.
Now it was the law of the land that a man should be scourged ere he was hung. So Je-sus was stripped to the waist, and his hands were bound to a low post in front of him so as to make him stoop, and while he stood in this way he was struck with rods, or a whip of cords, till the blood burst through the skin.
crown of thornsBE-HOLD THE MAN.
Then Pi-late's men of war led him to a room, and took off his own robe, and put on him one of a red and blue tint. Then they made a crown of thorns and put it on his head; and they put a reed in hisright hand. Then they bowed down to him, as if he were a king, and mocked at him and said, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head, and smote him with their hands.
When Ju-das saw that Je-sus was to be put to death, he was in great grief to think he had brought such a fate on one who had done no wrong. And he took back to the chief prieststhe sum they had paid him, and he said to them, I have done a great sin to give up to you one who had done no wrong. They said to him, What is that to us? See thou to that. Then Ju-das threw down the sil-ver, and went out and hung him-self.
Then the men of war took off the gay robe from Je-sus, and put his own clothes on him and led him out to put him to death.
They met a man named Si-mon, and made him bear the cross. And a great crowd of men and wo-men went with them who wept and mourned for Je-sus. Je-sus told them not to weep for him, but for them-selves and their chil-dren, be-cause of the woes that were to come on the Jews.
They brought him to a place called Cal-va-ry, not far from the gates of Je-ru-sa-lem. And they nailed his feet and hands to the cross, which was then set up in the ground. And all the while Je-sus prayed, Fa-ther for-give them, for they know not what they do. He meant that they did not know how great was their sin; nor that they had in truth put to death the son of God. With him they hung two thieves, one on his right hand, and one on his left.
carrying the crossCHRIST CAR-RY-ING HIS CROSS.CHRIST CAR-RY-ING HIS CROSS.
Then they sat down to watch Je-sus, who hung for hours on the cross in great pain, ere his death came to him. And they took his robes and gave each one a share; but for his coat they cast lots. Andat the top of the cross Pi-late had put up these words:
Je-sus of Naz-a-reth, King of the Jews.
And the Jews as they went by shook their heads at him, and said, If thou be the son of God come down from the cross, and the chief priests and the scribes mocked him and said, His trust was in God; let God save him now if he will have him.
CalvaryCHRIST ON CAL-VA-RY.
One of the thieves spoke to Je-sus and said, If thou art the Christ save thy-self and us.
But the oth-er said, Dost thou not fear God when thou art so soon to die? It is right that we should die for our sins, but this man has done no wrong. And he said to Je-sus, Think of me when thou art on thy throne. Je-sus said to him, This day shalt thou be with me where God is.
on the crossTHE CRU-CI-FIX-ION.
Now there stood near the cross of Je-sus his mo-ther, and John—the one of the twelve most dear to him. And he bade John take care of his mo-ther, and told her to look on John as her son. And John took her to his own home to take care of her and give her all that she had need of.
From the sixth to the ninth hour—that is, from twelve to three o'clock—the sky was dark in all the land. And Je-sus thought that God had turned his face from him. And he cried out with a loud voice O God! O God! why hast thou left me?
One of the men near thought he was in pain, and he took a sponge and dipped it in the gall, and put it up on a reed to his mouth, so that Je-sus might drink. Je-sus wet his lips with the drink that was to ease his pain, then spoke once more, bowed his head and died.
Then the veil which hung in the church, in front of the ark, was torn in two; the earth shook; the rocks were split; the graves gave up their dead, and those who, while they lived, had served the Lord, rose and came out of their graves and went in-to Je-ru-sa-lem and were seen there.
When those who had kept watch of Je-sus as he hung on the cross, saw these things that were done, they were in great fear, and said, There is no doubt that this man was the son of God.
taking Him downLAY-ING IN THE TOMB.
As night came on the Jews went to Pi-late and begged him to kill Je-sus and the two thieves so that they could be put in their graves. For it would not do for them to hang on the cross on the day of rest. The men on guard broke the legs of the thieves to kill them, and thrust a spear in-to Je-sus' side to make sure that he was dead.
Now there was near Cal-va-ry a gar-den, in which was a tomb in which no one had been laid. It was cut in a rock, and was owned by a rich man—Jo-seph of Ar-i-ma-the-a. He came to Pi-late and begged that he might lay Je-sus in this grave, and Pi-late told him to do so. And Jo-seph tookJe-sus down from the cross, and wrapped him in the fine lin-en he had brought, and laid him in the tomb, and put a great stone at the door, and left him there.
Sapphira diesDEATH OF SAP-PHI-RA.
The chief priests went to Pi-late and said, It has come to our minds that Je-sus said that he would rise on the third day, so we pray thee to have men watch the tomb lest some of his friends come and steal him, and then go and say that he rose from the dead.
Pi-late said, Ye have your own watch-men. Go and make it as sure as you can.
So they went and put a seal of wax on the great tomb, and set men to watch by the tomb.
But that night God sent down an an-gel, and he came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His face shone like fire, and his robes were white as snow. And the watch-men shook for fear of him, and had no more strength than dead men.
JESUS LEAVES THE GRAVE.—APPEARS TO MARY.—STEPHEN STONED.—PAUL'S LIFE, AND DEATH.
Onthe first day of the week, as soon as it was light, three wo-men, friends of Je-sus, came to the tomb with the gums and spice they used to lay out their dead.
And they said as they went, Who shall roll the stone a-way from the door of the tomb?
And lo, when they came near they found that the great stone had been rolled a-way. And when they went in the tomb, they saw an an-gel clothed in a long white robe, and they shook with fear.
He said to them, Have no fear. Ye seek Je-sus, who was put to death on the cross. He is not here, though this is the place where they laid him. Go tell his friends that he has ris-en from the dead, and bid them go to Gal-i-lee where they shall see him.
Two of the wo-men from the tomb, with fear and yet with joy, ran to tell the good news.
But Ma-ry Mag-da-le-ne stood out-side the tomb and wept. And as she stooped down and looked in the tomb, she saw two an-gels in white, the one at the head, the oth-er at the foot of the place where Je-sus had lain.
And they said to her, Why dost thou weep? She said, Be-cause they have ta-ken my Lord a-way, and I know not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she drew back and saw that Je-sus stood near, yet knew not that it was he.
Je-sus said to her, Ma-ry! She turned and said to him, Mas-ter!
Je-sus said, Touch me not, for I have not yet gone up to my Fa-ther; but go tell the breth-ren what thou hast seen and heard.
And Ma-ry told them that she had seen the Lord, and all that he had said to her.
And Je-sus was seen two or three times on the earth af-ter his death, and he came and spoke to those who were to teach and preach as he had taught them. But Thom-as was not with the rest when the Lord came. And when they told him that they had seen the Lord, he said, I doubt it. But if I shall see in his hands the marks of the nails, and thrust my hand in the wound the spear made in his side, then shall I know that it is he.
RisenHE IS RIS-EN.
In eight days these friends met in a room to talk and pray. Thom-as was with them and the door was shut. Then came Je-sus and stood in theirmidst and said, Peace be un-to you. Then said he to Thom-as, Reach here and touch my hands, and put thy hand in my side, and doubt no more that I have ris-en from the dead.
When Thom-as heard his voice and knew that it was Je-sus, he said, My Lord and my God. Je-sus said to him, Thom-as, be-cause thou hast seen me, thou hast faith in me; blest are they that have not seen me, and yet put their trust in me.
At the end of five weeks he met with these friends at Je-ru-sa-lem. And when he had had a talk with them he led them out as far as Beth-a-ny. And he raised his hands and blest them, and as he stood thus he went up in a cloud out of their sight.
When the day of Pen-te-cost, or har-vest feast, had come, Pe-ter, and the rest of those whom Je-sus had taught, were all in one place.
And all at once there came the great rush of a strong wind that filled the room where they were. And tongues of fire came down on each one of them, and their hearts were filled with a strange pow-er, and they spoke all known tongues.
And there were men there from all parts of the East, and when they heard these men of Gal-i-lee speak in their own tongues of the works of God, they were in a maze. And some said, These men are full of new wine.
Mary seesCHRIST AP-PEAR-ING TO MA-RY.
But Pe-ter stood up and said the men were not drunk, but that this strange gift of speech was one of the signs that God had told the Jews that he would send on the earth. And Pe-ter preached so well to the crowd that not a few left the ranks of sin and gave their hearts to Christ, and to good works.
From that time those who had been in the school in which Je-sus taught while on earth went out to teach and preach the good news. They gave alms to the poor, healed the sick, and did all the good that they could.
One of them, named Ste-phen, stood up to preach and to tell the Jews what God had done for them, and to try to make them give up their sins. He spoke in plain words, and said, The Jews of old put to death those who were sent to tell them that Je-sus was to come; and now you have slain the Just One him-self.
When the Jews heard this they were full of rage, and gnashed their teeth at him like wild beasts. But he raised his eyes to the sky, and saw a great light there. And he said, I see Je-sus on the right hand of God.
Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear his words; and they brought him out of the town, and stoned him.
AscensionTHE AS-CEN-SION TO HEAV-EN.
And Ste-phen knelt down, and asked God to for-give them for this sin. And then he died.
The men who threw the stones at Ste-phen took off their cloaks, that they might have the free use of their arms, and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.
DamascusHOU-SES ON THE WALLS OF DA-MAS-CUS.
Now Saul had done much harm to the good cause, and was in a great rage with those who were friends of Je-sus and taught his truths. So he went to the high priest at Je-ru-sa-lem and asked to be sent to Da-mas-cus, that if he found friends of Je-sus there he might bind them with cords and bring them backto Je-ru-sa-lem. And the high priest gave him notes to those who had charge of the church-es in Da-mas-cus, and he set out for that place. But when he came near the town there shone round him a great light, and he was in such fear that he fell to the ground. And a voice said to him, Saul, Saul, why dost thou hate me and hunt me down?
Holy SpiritTHE COM-ING OF THE HO-LY GHOST.
Saul said, Who art thou, Lord? The voice said, I am Je-sus, whom thou dost use so ill.
Then Saul shook with fear and said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? The Lord said, Rise, and go in-to the town, and it shall be shown thee what thou must do. And the men who were with him stood dazed and dumb, for they heard the voice, but could see no man.
When Saul rose from the earth he could not see, for the light had made him blind; and those who were with him led him by the hand in-to Da-mas-cus. And for three days he had no sight; and he could not eat nor drink.
But God sent An-a-ni-as, a good man, to touch his eyes, and his sight and his strength came back. And his heart was changed, and there was no man who could preach as Paul did, by which name he was now known.
For a while he went with Bar-na-bas. Then he took Si-las with him, and they made both friends andfoes. The Jews at Phil-ip-pi found fault with them, beat them and put them in jail, and bade the jail-er keep them safe. So he made their feet fast in the stocks—which were great blocks of wood with holes in them.
At mid-night Paul and Si-las prayed, and those in the jail heard them. Then all at once there came a great earth-quake which shook the jail, and the doors flew o-pen, and the chains fell from those who were bound. The jail-er woke from his sleep, and when he saw that not a door was shut, he feared he would be put to death if those in the jail had fled. So he drew his sword to kill him-self. But Paul cried to him with a loud voice, Do thy-self no harm, for we are all here.
SaulTHE CON-VER-SION OF ST. PAUL.
Then the jail-er brought a light, and came to the cell where Paul and Si-las were, and he knelt there,and cried out, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Have faith in the Lord Je-sus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.
That same hour of the night the jail-er took Paul and Si-las and washed their wounds, and brought them food, and his heart was full of joy, for he and all in his house were made Chris-tians, and God would for-give their past sins.
The next morn the chief men at Phil-ip-pi sent word to the jail-er to let those men go, for the Jews found they had no right to beat Paul. And they feared the law, and begged him to leave the town.
Paul went to A-thens, the chief town of Greece, which was full of false gods, to whom al-tars had been built. But there was one al-tar on which were the words,To the Un-known God.
Those who built it felt that there was one God of whom they had not been taught, and this al-tar was for him.
Paul taught in A-thens, both in-doors and out-doors. And when the wise men heard that he told of Je-sus, and that we were all to rise from the dead, they brought him to Mars' Hill, where the chief court was held. And they said to him, Tell us now what the good news is. For thou dost speak strange words, and we would like to know what they mean.
leaving tyreST. PAUL LEAV-ING TYRE.
Paul told them there was but one true God, andthey must serve him and give up their sins, and put their trust in Je-sus, and they would all be saved at the last day.
Then Paul went to Co-rinth, where he spent some time. At the end of some years he came back to Je-ru-sa-lem. And the Lord's friends met him, and were glad to see his face once more. And he told them where he had been, and how God had helped him.
And Paul went up to the church. And while he was there some Jews from A-si-a saw him and took hold of him, and cried out, Men of Is-ra-el, help us. This is the man who has taught that we werenot to do as Mo-ses told us, nor to come here to pay our vows. And he has brought with him Gen-tiles whom it is a crime to let come in-to our church.
Soon all the town was in an up-roar, and Paul was brought in-to the church, and the gates that led to the courts were all shut. As they were a-bout to kill him, some one went and told the chief who had charge of a band of Ro-man troops, and dwelt near the great church to guard it. And he and some of his men ran down in the midst of the crowd, who, as soon as they saw them, ceased to beat Paul.
The chief took Paul from them, and had him bound with chains, and asked who he was and what he had done. Some cried this, and some that, and no one could tell just what they said.
And the chief led him off to his own house, to save Paul's life, and the mob brought up the rear, and cried out, A-way with him! Kill him! The next day the chief let Paul go, and sent him to Fe-lix, who ruled in Ju-de-a. And here he was shut up in jail, and was there for two years or more. He told them who he was, and why he had gone to Je-ru-sa-lem, and said he had done no wrong that he knew of; though some might say it was wrong for him to preach that the dead should rise from their graves at the last day.
at AthensST. PAUL PREACH-ING AT A-THENS.
Fe-lix sent the Jews off, and bade the jail-er let Paul walk in and out as he chose, and see all the friends who might call. He was there for two years, and at the end of that time Fes-tus took Fe-lix's place.
At last he was sent to Rome to be tried be-fore the Ce-sar. While on the sea a fierce wind sprang up, and beat the ship so that the men could not steer. And they were in great fear lest they should drown. But Paul told them not to fear, for though the ship might be a wreck there would be no loss of life. At the end of two weeks the ship struck the isle of Mal-ta, and the men swam to the shore on bits of boards.
shipwreckST. PAUL'S SHIP-WRECK.
in AthensMEET-ING PLACE IN A-THENS.
Paul staid here for three months, and then went to Rome, where he dwelt for two years or more, and taught men to trust in the Lord and to do right.
We are not told when or how he died.
WHAT JOHN SAW WHILE ON THE ISLE OF PATMOS.—THE GREAT WHITE THRONE.—THE LAND OF LIGHT.
Johnwrote the last book in the New Tes-ta-ment. It is called Rev-e-la-tion; and that means that it tells what no one else but John knew.
John was sent to the lone isle of Pat-mos by one of the bad Em-pe-rors of Rome, who would not let him preach or teach the truths that Christ taught.
While he was at Pat-mos Je-sus came to him in a dream, and showed him all the things that he wrote of in this book.
John says: I heard a great voice like a trum-pet, and as I turned to see who it was that spoke to me, I saw Je-sus clothed in a robe that fell to his feet, and was held at the waist by a belt of gold. And when I saw him I fell at his feet like one dead. And he laid his right hand on me, and said, Fear not; Iam he who died on the cross, but who now lives to die no more.
PatmosPAT-MOS.
Je-sus told John to write down all that he saw, and to send it to the church-es for which it was meant.
Then John saw a door o-pen in the sky, and a voice said to him, Come up here, and I will show thee what will take place in the time to come. And he heard the an-gels sing songs of praise to Je-sus, whom they called the Lamb that was slain. And John was shown strange things that were to teach him what the friends of Christ would have to put up with till the end of the world. And he was shown, too, how the Lord would save them from their foes, so that at last no one could hurt or harm them.
Then John saw a great white throne in heav-en, and Je-sus sat on it. And the dead rose from their graves, and came and stood near the throne to be judged. All the things that they had done while on the earth were put down in the books out of which they were judged. And if their names were not in the Book of Life they were cast in-to the lake of fire.
When this great day was past, John saw new skies and a new earth, for the old earth and skies had been burnt up, And he saw the New Je-ru-sa-lem come down from the skies, and heard a voice say that God would come and live with men.
Round the New Je-ru-sa-lem, which was built of gold, was a high wall with twelve gates, three on each side. At each gate was an an-gel to guard it. In the walls were all kinds of rich and rare gems, and its twelve gates were made of pearls.
There was no need of the sun or the moon, for God was there and Je-sus, and they made it light. And those whom Je-sus had saved—Jews and Gen-tiles, rich and poor—were to come and live in it. And the gates should not be shut, for there will be no night there. And none but those whose names are in the Book of Life shall go in-to it.