XIX. THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT... XX. THE CENTURION'S SERVANT, AND THE WIDOW'S SON XLII. THE PRODIGAL SON XLIII. THE UNJUST STEWARD: THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS XLV. JESUS BLESSES THE CHILDREN XLVI. THE LABOURERS XLVII. JESUS GOES UP TO JERUSALEM XLVIII. THE VOICE FROM HEAVEN XLIX.--THE BARREN FIG-TREE ... L. THE PARABLE OF THE WEDDING FEAST LI. THE WIDOW'S MITE LII.-DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE, AND END OF THE WORLD LXIII. STEPHEN LXIV.-SIMON THE SORCERER: THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH LXV.-THE CONVERSION OF SAUL LXVI.-DORCAS LXVII. CORNELIUS LXVIII.-PETER IN PRISON... LXIX.-MISSION OF PAUL AND BARNABAS TO THE GENTILES LXX. PAUL AND SILAS GO TO MACEDONIA LXXI-PAUL PREACHES AT THESSALONICA, ATHENS, AND CORINTH. LXXIII. DIANA OF THE EPHESIANS LXXIV.-EUTYCHUS: THE ELDERS OF EPHESUS PAGE 64 66 68 70 71 72 76 78 79 80 83 86 88 90 95 96 100 100 102 104 106 107 109 110 III 114 115 117 119 122 122 124 125 127 130 133 INTRODUCTION. WHILE HILE the HOLY BIBLE is in the largest and truest sense a book for all, there are some parts of it which are as milk for babes, and some as strong meat for We have, therefore, in the CHILD'S BIBLE NARRATIVE endeavoured to put into a consecutive form such portions of Holy Scripture as seem best adapted to the wants and capacities of childhood. The number of Bible Story Books which have from time to time been published shows how many attempts have been made to supply the want which has hitherto been felt of a work containing a carefully collated epitome of the Scripture narrative for the use of children. Such a mode of meeting the requirement is, however, open to two grave objections. It presents to the child merely isolated fragments of history and incident; and it clothes them in language widely differing in style and power from that which the child, when more advanced, will find in the sacred books themselves. The CHILD'S BIBLE NARRATIVE, we trust, will be found free from both those disadvantages. It will present to the young reader in their order all the leading points of the Old and New Testament history; and it will give those records of God's fatherhood and love in the words of our noble Authorised Version. The selections from the Old Testament have been made not only with due regard to historical facts, but to its religious and moral truths, precepts, and motives. In the choice from parallel passages preference has been given, as far as possible, to simplicity of language. Where the sense required it, words and clauses have been inserted in brackets, sometimes as summaries of what has been omitted, and sometimes as connecting links; but these occur very rarely. We have placed the story of Job in the position which it chronologically occupies, according to the best Biblical authorities. In harmonising the Four Gospels in one consecutive history, it has not been found possible to prevent a little repetition, and also a slight departure from a completely chronological arrangement. The latter circumstance is due to the fact that notwithstanding the immense progress which has recently been made in Biblical criticism, there still remains some uncertainty respecting the precise historical position of some of our Saviour's words and works. Bearing in mind the highly figurative character of the Apocalypse, and the great difficulty which it consequently presents to the understanding of the young, it has been. thought best to omit it altogether. We venture, in conclusion, to hope that this volume, containing as it does a large portion of Holy Scripture in Scripture words, will be the means, with God's blessing, of endearing to many young hearts "the sweet story of old," making them to love from childhood that Book which will in after years be a lamp unto their feet, and a light unto their path. THE EDITOR. 3 THE OLD TESTAMENT NARRATIVE. IN I-THE CREATION. N the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.' And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let the the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day. A |