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diff --git a/44531-0.txt b/44531-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6189a40 --- /dev/null +++ b/44531-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,668 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44531 *** + + THE BOYHOOD OF + JESUS + + [Illustration] + + PUBLISHED BY + DAVID C. COOK PUBLISHING COMPANY + + Factory and Shipping Rooms, Elgin, Illinois + + + + +Try to be like Jesus. + + + The Bible tells of Jesus, + So gentle and so meek; + I'll try to be like Jesus + In ev'ry word I speak. + + For Jesus, too, was loving, + His words were always kind; + I'll try to be like Jesus + In thought and word and mind. + + I long to be like Jesus, + Who said "I am the Truth;" + Then I will give my heart to him, + Now, in my early youth. + --_Lillian Payson._ + +[Illustration: THE BABY JESUS.] + + + + + COPYRIGHT, 1905, + BY DAVID C. COOK PUBLISHING COMPANY. + + + + +The Little Lord Jesus. + + + Away in a manger, + No crib for a bed, + The little Lord Jesus + Laid down his sweet head. + The stars in the sky + Looked down where he lay-- + The little Lord Jesus + Asleep on the hay. + The cattle are lowing, + The poor baby wakes, + But little Lord Jesus + No crying he makes. + I love thee, Lord Jesus; + Look down from the sky, + And stay by my cradle + To watch Lullaby. + --_Luther's Cradle Hymn_ + + + + +The Child Promised. + + +[Illustration] + +THERE was once a time when there was no Christmas at all. There were +no beautiful Christmas trees and happy songs and stockings filled with +presents. No one shouted "Merry Christmas!" or "Christmas Gift!" No +one told the sweet story of Jesus, because Jesus had not come into +the world and so there was no Christmas. You see Christmas is Jesus' +birthday, and before he came, of course people could not keep his +birthday. You have heard of how wicked and unhappy the people were long +ago. Although God loved them and tried to make them do right, they +forgot about him and did so many naughty, disobedient things that they +were very miserable. Then God sent a wonderful message to them. He told +them that some day he would send them his own Son, who should be their +King and teach them how to do right. He said that his Son would come as +a little child to grow up among them to love and help them. God even +told them what they should call this baby who was to be their King. God +said that Christ would be like a beautiful light showing them where to +go. It would be as though some people stumbling sorrowfully along a +dark street should suddenly see a bright light shining ahead of them, +making everything cheerful and pleasant. They would be joyful like +people who gather in the harvest. Jesus makes his children happy, and +he wants them to shine out and make others happy. These people who were +so unhappy before Jesus came, were very glad to know that some day he +would come. They talked about him and waited a long, long time before +he came and brought Christmas light into the world. + +[Illustration] + +[Illustration: THE BABE IN BETHLEHEM.] + + + + +The Coming of Jesus. + + +LONG ago there lived a good man named Joseph, a carpenter of Nazareth, +who built houses and made many useful things for people. He also loved +to read God's Gift Book, and tried to obey its rules. One day the king +of the land where Joseph lived ordered everyone to write his name in a +book, and pay a tax, in his own city. So Joseph and Mary his wife got +ready to take a long journey to their old home, Bethlehem. There were +no cars for them to ride in, so they must either walk or ride a donkey. +As the fashion was there, Mary wore a long, white veil which covered +her beautiful face. + +The streets were full of people, walking, or traveling on mules, +donkeys, or camels--all going to be taxed. It was winter, but in a +warm country, and they went through valleys of figs, olives, dates, +oranges and other good things. + +[Illustration] + +They must have been very tired when they reached Bethlehem's gates, +for they had come a long distance, and the dust of the road, the +bustle of traveling, and the strangeness of it all, seemed to add +to their trials. The people of Bethlehem had opened their homes and +welcomed the strangers, until every house was full, and still the +people kept coming. They could scarcely go up the steep hill, they were +so weary, and Joseph tried to get a place to rest, but there was no +kind invitation, no welcome in any house for them, and the inns were +crowded. The inns were not like our hotels for travelers; they were +flat-roofed stone buildings, without windows. There were no warm rooms +with carpets, and soft beds for tired travelers to lie on. There were +only bare floors, and everyone had to bring his own bed and food. The +courtyard was full of animals--donkeys, mules, camels, sheep and cows. + +After Joseph had tried and failed to get a resting place, as there +was no room anywhere, some kind friend told him of a cave on the +hillside which was used as a stable, and to this they gladly went. +Sweet-smelling hay was all around, and the floor was covered with +straw; possibly mild-eyed cows and gentle sheep were sleeping in their +stalls. Along the walls were mangers, or boxes to hold the grain and +hay when the animals were fed. Here Mary and Joseph found a shelter +and a sleeping place; indeed, they were thankful to be led there to +rest upon the hay. In the night a wonderful thing took place: God sent +the baby Gift Child into the world. This gift had been promised long +before to Adam and Eve, and now it had come--the most beautiful and +dearest Baby ever held in a mother's arms. The night grew dark, the +house-lights went out one by one, and the people in Bethlehem slept. + +[Illustration] + +[Illustration: THE ANGELS' SONG.] + + + + +The Angels' Joy. + + +THE happiest song that was ever sung was sung on the first and best +Christmas of all. There was a time when there was no Christmas. Can you +think how glad you would be if you had no Christmas, and then one day +all at once you had the first and best one of all? + +This song was sung and the first Christmas came one night long years +ago, far over the sea, near a little town called Bethlehem. It did not +come first to kings and great people, but to some shepherds who were +sitting up all night watching their sheep. + +Outside of the city were beautiful sloping green fields where the +shepherds let their sheep run about and eat the grass. The weather +there is very pleasant at Christmas time; not at all like our weather. +The shepherds can sit out on the grass all night, watching their sheep. + +Did you ever see a sheep or a lamb? Do you know that your mittens and +jackets and nice warm dresses are made of the wool which the sheep have +to spare for us? The shepherds have to stay out with the sheep all +night because they are very gentle and timid animals. They cannot fight +for themselves, and if they were left alone the wolves would catch them. + +[Illustration] + +One night about 1900 years ago some shepherds were watching their sheep +in those fields. Very likely the shepherds were some of the people who +were hoping that Jesus would soon come; perhaps they were talking about +him, and wondering how they would know if he did come. + +All at once a bright light shone about them, and they saw an angel and +heard him speak to them. Very kind and beautiful the angel looked, but +the shepherds were frightened. + +The angel said to them, "Fear not; for behold, I bring you good tidings +of great joy, which shall be to all people; for unto you is born this +day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this +shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe, wrapped in swaddling +clothes, lying in a manger." + +[Illustration] + +As the angel was speaking, the shepherds saw with him a great number of +beautiful, shining angels. Then was sung for the first time this grand +song, for Christmas had come. I do not know the tune, but the very +words are in the Bible: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth +peace, good-will toward men." Glory to God, for the greatest gift that +ever came; peace on earth, for all who love this Savior. + +As soon as the angels finished the song they went back to heaven, and +left the shepherds alone. + +[Illustration] + +[Illustration: THE SHEPHERDS VISIT JESUS.] + + + + +The Shepherds Visit Jesus. + + +WHAT would you do if you had been one of those shepherds to whom the +angels brought the good news of Jesus' birth? I will tell you what they +did. They left their sheep to take care of themselves, and hurried off +to Bethlehem, for that was the city the angels meant. + +[Illustration] + +They went in the gate and at last found the right place. It was called +a stable. + +They soon found the dear little baby Jesus, just as the angels had +said, lying in a manger, and Mary his mother and Joseph taking care of +him. + +The little manger was in the stable, and there the shepherds stood +beside it and looked into the face of the babe. + +Do you think the dear little baby had a nice bed to lie in? It looked +like a block hollowed out. It was the box out of which the cows ate. + +It was warm and soft, because his mother had put nice soft hay in it, +and wrapped him all up with a long strip of cloth. They were in a +stable because so many people were in the city that there was not a bit +of room left. I think it must have been a clean place, with lots of +nice, sweet new hay. + +When the shepherds saw the baby they knew that he was really Jesus +their Savior. They knelt at his feet and worshiped him. They were so +happy that they could hardly say what they felt. They soon went away +and told the good news to every one they met. They were very glad +because Jesus had come. He came as a little baby so he would know +how to love and help all other babies and little children, and be an +example for them to follow as they grew older. + +We are glad Jesus came, and we love to keep his birthday, because he +gives us joy and peace, fills our hearts with love, and helps us to be +good and happy here and to get ready to be happy in heaven. + +God, our Father in heaven, sent to us this wonderful Christmas Gift. +Think of the great love he must have for us, to give us his Son. Think +of the great love Jesus had for us, that he could leave his beautiful +home in heaven to come and help us and show us how to live. Let us +thank him every day for his great love. "For God so loved the world, +that he gave his only begotten Son" to be our Savior. + +[Illustration: THE BABY JESUS IN THE TEMPLE.] + + + + +The Child in the Temple. + + +JOSEPH, and Mary the mother of Jesus, stayed in Bethlehem for a while. +When Jesus was only eight days old he received his name; he was called +"Jesus," as the angel had told Mary. It was the custom of the Jews to +take their first son to the temple and present him to God, so Joseph +and Mary went to Jerusalem to present Jesus to God in the temple. + +[Illustration] + +At the time when Jesus was born, there was an old man, named Simeon, +living in Jerusalem. He was a good man and was looking and wishing for +Jesus, the promised Messiah, to come. God's Holy Spirit had told him +that he should not die until he had seen Jesus. Simeon went up to the +temple to worship God every day. One day while he was in the temple +Mary and Joseph brought the child to present him to God. When Simeon +saw them he knew that the infant in Mary's arms was his Savior. He at +once took Jesus in his arms, and with a heart full of joy he blessed +God and said, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace." He +had seen the Savior for whom he looked, and had nothing more to wish; +he was perfectly satisfied to die, now that he had seen Jesus, the +Savior of the world. When Jesus comes into our hearts we are satisfied, +and not only ready to die, but we are ready to live and do with glad +hearts all that God wishes us to do. The best way to praise God for +his wonderful gift is to _live for him_ and lead others to praise him. + +[Illustration] + +God's Spirit was upon Simeon, and he rejoiced to see Jesus his Savior, +whom God had sent to his people. Do you wonder that Simeon's heart was +full of joy at seeing God's greatest gift to man? Should not we praise +him for it? + +At the time of Jesus' birth, the world was very dark and sinful. People +did not know much about God or what he wanted them to do. In Jesus, +Simeon saw a great Light which would lighten the world. + +Did you ever try to walk in a dark night where there were no lights to +shine on the pathway? If so, you were sure to go the wrong road, or to +stumble and fall. While you were walking in the darkness, did a great +electric light suddenly shine out, making all light about you? So into +the dark lives of the people Jesus came to be a Light. We are sure that +Jesus is a Light to us and to all the world. He lived a holy life, so +he made a right path for us to follow. He showed us how to live and how +to die, so that we may live forever in heaven. If we take his love into +our hearts and do as he tells us, we shall walk in the light. Just as a +railway locomotive runs in the great light from the lamp that sends its +bright rays along the track, so Jesus dwelling in our hearts shines his +light just where we are to travel--that is, he tells us by his Spirit +and by his Word how we are to act and what we are to do. + +[Illustration] + +While Mary and Joseph and Jesus were yet in the temple, Anna, a +prophetess, came in and saw Jesus. Then she, too, praised the Lord +because Jesus had come to be a Light to the world. She told the people +that Jesus was the Son of God who had come into this world to live in +our hearts and be our Light. Jesus in our hearts is like a torchlight +which we carry with us always, and which never goes out, but gives us +light wherever we go. We follow this light when we do the things that +Jesus taught us to do, and when we follow the example that he left us. + +[Illustration] + +[Illustration: THE WISE MEN VISIT JESUS.] + + + + +The Journey of the Wise Men. + + +THERE were some very rich, wise men living away off in another country. +God wanted them to know about his Son. He did not send angels to tell +them; he took another way. He put a strange new star in the sky. These +wise men spent a great deal of time studying about stars, so when they +saw this they were very much interested in it. When they saw strange +stars they thought strange things would happen. They had heard that the +Jews were looking for Jesus to come and be their king, so they thought +this star must mean that he had come. They thought very likely that he +had come to Jerusalem, for that was the great city of the Jews. So +they started on their long journey. + +[Illustration] + +They traveled on until they reached Jerusalem. Then they went at once +to Herod the king and asked him where Jesus was who was born King of +the Jews. Herod had not heard that Jesus was born, and when he heard +this question he was troubled, for he was not born king--he had been +made king. So he was very much afraid that Jesus, who was born King, +would take his place. + +He called in the Jews, who he thought ought to know, and asked them to +find out where Jesus was to be born. They looked in the Bible and found +that he was to be born in Bethlehem. + +When Herod heard this he told the wise men to go to Bethlehem and look +for Jesus, and when they found him to bring him word so that he might +go and worship him. He wanted to kill Jesus, but he did not tell the +wise men so. They again started out, and they were very much pleased to +see the same star still shining in the sky. + +[Illustration] + +This star went before them to guide them to Bethlehem. They believed +the star would guide them right, so they followed it until it stood +over a house in the city. + +[Illustration] + +[Illustration: THE WISE MEN'S GIFTS.] + + + + +The Wise Men's Gifts to Jesus. + + +WHEN the wise men went into the house they found Jesus there with Mary, +his mother, and Joseph, her husband. + +[Illustration] + +As soon as they saw him they knew it was Jesus, whom they had come so +far to see. They fell down before him and worshiped him. They brought +him rich gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. These gifts of gold, +frankincense and myrrh were costly and useful; they must have been of +great help to Mary and Joseph, who were very poor. These gifts from +the wise men to Jesus showed their love for him. Those who truly love +Jesus now will be glad to give of their money to help the poor and +needy, and to teach those who do not know about him; and what we do for +his sake he counts as done for him. But the greatest gift that we can +give Jesus is the gift of our hearts. + +While they were there worshiping Jesus, God was looking into the heart +of Herod, reading his wicked thoughts. He knew that if the wise men +went back and told Herod where Jesus was, he would come and kill him. +So when the wise men were ready to go away, God warned them in a dream +to go back another way and not to go near Jerusalem, where they would +meet Herod. They believed God in this too, and did as he told them to. + +[Illustration: ON THE WAY TO EGYPT.] + + + + +The Flight into Egypt. + + +[Illustration] + +WHEN the wise men were gone, God sent an angel to warn Joseph to take +Jesus and Mary, his mother, and leave Bethlehem. He told him to take +them to Egypt and stay there until he told them they might return. Why +do you suppose God told Joseph to leave their home? He knew that Herod +wanted to kill Jesus, and that it would be dangerous to stay there. +If they went to Egypt they would be safe, for Herod had no power over +Egypt. They would find friends there too, for a great many Jews were +living in Egypt then. + +Joseph loved God and believed him, so he proved that he loved and +believed him by obeying at once. He did not wait until morning, but at +once arose, got ready, and took Mary and Jesus and they started in the +night for Egypt. They did not go to some other place instead. They went +just when God told them to go, and went just where he told them to; and +they were safe while they followed God's directions. + +Jesus was soon safe in Egypt. Herod did not know this, and was still +making his plans to kill him. He was a very wicked, cruel man. He was +wicked enough to kill two of his own sons, so you see he did not care +much about killing a baby. + +He did not know just how old Jesus was, but thought he could not be +over two years old. He did not know where he lived, for the wise men +did not go back to tell him. But he was bound to kill Jesus, so he +told his cruel soldiers to go into every house in Bethlehem, even into +the houses near Bethlehem, and kill every boy baby they could find two +years old or less. + +[Illustration] + +So they went around killing all the baby boys. They would go into a +house, snatch the baby out of its crib, or out of its mother's arms, +and kill it right before her eyes. That was a sad time in Bethlehem; +for many poor mothers were weeping for their children. It was very sad +for the mothers, but the little boys were safe in heaven with God. + +God was still watching over and taking care of his Son; so when at last +Herod was dead, God again sent an angel to Joseph, telling him to take +Jesus and Mary and go back to the land of Israel, or the land of the +Jews. So Joseph again set out on a journey. But he heard that Herod's +son was king, and he was afraid to go back to Bethlehem, so he went to +Nazareth. + +[Illustration] + +[Illustration: THE BOY JESUS IN THE TEMPLE.] + + + + +Jesus in the Temple. + + +WHEN Jesus was a very little baby, his mother took him to the temple, +their church, and gave him to the Lord. I suppose they wrote down his +name, as we do our Cradle Roll babies. If they did, I think we may call +Jesus a Cradle Roll baby. I am sure that Mary and Joseph did all they +could to help the baby to grow up a good, wise, loving boy. The dear +little babies do not stay babies long; then their toys go and they want +books, for they must learn a great deal before they are grown-up men +and women. So Jesus' toys were soon put away, and he began to study +just as you do. He grew bigger and stronger every day. At last he was +as big as you; then bigger, until he was as big as your brother or +sister. + +[Illustration] + +Do you know someone who is twelve years old? At last Jesus got to be +so old. At that age a boy was no longer a Cradle Roll baby, nor even +a child. Jesus' mother said that now he could go with her and Joseph +and their friends when they went up to Jerusalem to church. Did you +ever go on a journey? How did you go? On the cars. Were you glad to +go? You got tired, I know. A picture of Joseph and Mary and Jesus on +their way to Jerusalem would show you that they all walked. It was a +long, hard journey, for they not only had to walk all the way, but +they had to carry all their bundles. They went in a company, so they +had a nice time talking with their friends as they walked. Then when +tired or hungry, they would stop by the way in the shade of some great +rocks--for in that land rocks are found oftener than shade trees. + +You can make a picture of this journey in your mind. Think of the wall +of the city of Jerusalem and the open gate; inside the wall is the +church, or temple; there is a road of sand, and on both sides of the +road are a few trees and a good many rocks. + +At last they all reached the city, and slept and rested and ate their +food, then bathed and dressed in their best clothes, and went to the +temple to worship God and hear about his law out of the Bible. + +All this was very wonderful and beautiful to Jesus. He began to +understand that God was his Father, and that he had some very great +work to do in the world. He was so interested that when it was time to +start for home he stayed after all the rest left, and went back to the +temple. Perhaps he had been allowed to go by himself and did not know +they had started home. + +Mary did not miss Jesus for some time. She thought he was with his +young friends having a good time. At last she became frightened, for +she found that he was not with any of these friends. Oh, how frightened +she was! Her beautiful boy that she loved more than her own life, was +lost! I once knew of a very lovely boy who was lost all night. How his +mother cried, and how we looked for him all night! In the morning his +mother was the one to find him, then her sorrow was changed to joy. + +[Illustration] + +Mary and Joseph left their friends and went back to the city. In her +heart Jesus' mother knew where to look for him. Can you think where he +was? They found him in the temple talking with the teachers. They were +talking about God's law. They had their books, reading and studying +together. These books were made of strips of parchment or paper +fastened at both ends to round sticks and rolled up. + +[Illustration] + +When Jesus saw his mother and knew how she had grieved about him, he +left the teachers at once and went back home with her and Joseph. He +told them that he knew God was his Father, and that he must be about +his work. But quickly and lovingly he obeyed his mother and went with +her, even though he longed to stay. + +Do you think Jesus was about his heavenly Father's business when he +obeyed Mary and Joseph and went home so lovingly with them? He surely +was, for some of his work that he came to earth to do was to show +children how to treat their parents. One of the great laws of God is, +"Children, obey your parents." + +Jesus loved to be in the temple, but he quickly and cheerfully went +home with his mother and Joseph. I think that as he and his parents +were with many of their dear friends, he was allowed to go around among +them and with them when they went to the temple, so when his parents +left he perhaps did not really know when his mother started. Do you +think she was careless to go off and leave him? No, I am sure she was +not; she no doubt thought he was coming along with his aunts or cousins +or his little friends in the company. + +[Illustration: THE BOY JESUS IN HIS HOME.] + + + + +Jesus in His Home. + + +DO you like cold, dark, stormy days? How do you feel when you get +up and find the sun shining in your window? You cannot help feeling +good--some of it gets into your heart and makes you feel happy. You +make us think of sunny days. Sometimes children are cross, and they +make us think of stormy days. The gloomy, naughty, selfish child makes +everything in the house seem sad. But how about the bright, happy, +laughing, helpful child? When he comes into the room, it seems as if he +brought some sunshine in. He is a sunshiny boy. + +Do you know I am thinking of a boy who I believe was the sunshiniest +one among all the sunshiny children in the world. Who was he? He was +Jesus, the dear boy who was so ready to obey his parents. He started +home with Mary and Joseph, perhaps telling Joseph all about how it +happened that he was left behind them. + +[Illustration] + +After their long, hard journey, how glad they were to get home! I am +sure Jesus did all he could to get everything ready. First he helped +Joseph bring in all the things they had with them, and Mary stood, at +the door of the little house, looking at the boy she loved so much, and +feeling so glad and thankful that he had not really been lost. + +[Illustration] + +Then when they were all settled and rested and Joseph had to go to his +carpenter work, Jesus would do such little things as he could to help +him, while Mary was doing her work. Joseph was a carpenter. What do +you think he made? What tools did he use? Then I think Jesus must have +learned to use them, too. Perhaps sometimes Mary was sick, and then I +am sure he did all he could to help and comfort her and make her forget +her pain. He would bring the jar of fresh water, bathe her head and +give her a cool drink. If your mamma was sick, what could you do to be +a blessing to her? I knew a little boy who was a real sunshine boy. +When mamma was sick he would set the table for papa, and hand mamma a +cup of tea, and give her a smile and a loving kiss. We can all do so +much, and many other things. Think of some of them. You can pick up +your toys and books and keep them tidy, without waiting for mamma to +talk about it; you can always run to her with a loving kiss when you +wake up and when you go to bed; you can be very gentle and kind to your +little brothers and sisters; you can try every day in every way to +make sunshine in your home--to make your home the most beautiful place +in the world. Boys and girls who do that can make their homes next to +heaven. + +[Illustration] + +Jesus did that even when he was very small. As he grew older he grew +wiser and better. He helped Joseph more and more in his shop, and what +he did not know, Joseph taught him. + +He did not spend all his time in the shop, He perhaps went to school, +for he loved to study. I think Mary loved to teach a boy who was so +ready to learn. He would stand beside her while she read to him. + +[Illustration] + +He liked to play like other boys, but he always did the things that +other children should do, so they would know just what was right. That +is why I tell you so much about him. Perhaps children would not know +just the right way, if Jesus had not been a boy and lived with his +mother and loved and obeyed and helped her. + + + + +Around the Throne. + + + Around the throne of God in heaven, + Thousands of children stand, + Children whose sins are all forgiven, + A holy, happy band. + + What brought them to that world above, + That heaven so bright and fair, + Where all is peace and joy and love? + How came those children there? + + On earth they sought the Savior's grace, + On earth they loved his name; + So now they see his blessed face, + And stand before the Lamb. + --_Annie H. Shepherd._ + + * * * * * + +Transcriber's Notes: + +Page 27, repeated word "him" removed from text. Original read: (praise +him him for it) + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Boyhood of Jesus, by Anonymous + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44531 *** |