was...in a back seat. Why? Because he was to stand forthto come out. Where was he to stand? In the midst. In the ... middle of the synagogue. Before all the ... people, that is, before all these proud ... Pharisees. And for what purpose? That they might see him better. That they might see what Jesus was...going to do. What was he going to do? To cure the withered hand. Then, this man was asked to...stand forth, or rather commanded...to stand out from...the back seats. And why do you call this man poor? The Bible does not call him poor? The Pharisees always took the best seats. You think, therefore, he was a... poor man, and not ... a Pharisee.* Now, then, children-Does the Bible say there were seats in the synagogue? Look, if you please, at the verse. It simply says "Stand forth," whether he, or any, or ... all, had been sitting, we are not...told, but Jesus bade the man...stand, we shall suppose in the...middle of the synagogue, that he might be...better seen. By whom? By the Pharisees, all around the...church. We are now speaking of a Jewish...synagogue, not a Christian ...church. Then, we shall suppose the man standing in the middle of...the synagogue, with...the Pharisees and other...Jews standing...round him. So that every one could see the miracle that Jesus was about...to do.

Tedious as this process may appear on paper, most certainly in actual practice a larger amount of words would require to be used than are here exhibited, and besides some other imperfect or improper answers by the children, not imagined here, would require to be disposed of on the principle of the system. For the sake, therefore, of economizing our limited space, in what follows of this lesson, we shall simply state the points which may be brought out conjointly with the children, and applied by him to them incidentally, as the trainer proceeds, taking care at the last that the grand lessons of the whole passage be brought out clearly, viz., the compassion, omniscience, and almighty power of Jesus.

Verse Fourth.-Was it right in Jesus to heal on Sabbath

* The trainer must be content with this answer, otherwise "both eyes would be taken off from the road."Yet, in revising the lesson (as usual), a field is opened for an INCIDENTAL LESSON, that a poor man might be a Pharisee in real disposition and character.

days? Were the Pharisees right or wrong in opposing Christ's desire to heal on that day? What was their motive? Why did the Pharisees hold their peace? V. Fifth,-Jesus looked round about him with anger-Was this right? Draw out the Scripture precept, "Be ye angry and sin not." The command "stretch forth"-The consequence of attempting to do so (in faith of Christ's power). How was the man enabled to stretch forth his withered hand? Could not do it by his own strength (of course)-he, however, made the attempt-he believed or had faith in the power of Jesus-in doing so he received the powerhe stretched his hand forth, and it was restored whole as the other.

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N.B.-These several points will all require to be brought, or 'pictured out," slowly and progressively.*

What has been faintly exhibited here would occupy two lessons, and the after conduct of the Pharisees "taking counsel together," would occupy the time for another. The hymn and prayer ought to be in accordance with the lesson.

EXAMPLE III.

STAGE II.

AN EMBLEM-"EVEN AS A HEN," &c.

"Even as

a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings," &c.-Matt. xxiii. 37.

Children, I shall see if you remember the lessons we had formerly from this passage. The Jews had killed many of the

* Were this lesson conducted at the close of Stage II. not more than onehalf of the amount of words would require to be used, from the amount of facts and ideas the trainer would have to build upon, which the children must have acquired.

...

prophets whom God had sent to teach and to...preach to them. Do you remember any of the prophets that they killed? Isaiah, Jeremiah. Any others? Abel. Yes, from righteous Abel, whom Cain, his...brother, slew, down to...Zechariah, the son of Barachias, the Bible says God would require their blood of that ...generation. That is to say, that that generation would be punished for all these...murders, because they had not.....repented of their sins. God had sent his servants the prophets to preach to them. And what did the Jews do? Killed them; many of those whom God had...sent, and now they were about to... What were they about to do? Whose life were they about to take away? Christ's. After they had killed God's servants, the...prophets, they were about to kill his... Son. As the Bible says, His only....Son. Tell me how Jesus felt when he entered the city. He rode upon an ass. True, be rode upon an ass; but what did he say? How did he express or tell how he felt? He wept over it. Yes another part of the Bible says, Jesus, the Son of God...wept. He wept when he beheld the city of... Jerusalem doomed to to be destroyed. Whether do you think he was grieved for what the Jews were about to do to himself, or was it on their own account that he wept? (Silent, being rather too complex.) Did Jesus weep for himself or for them? For the Jews. He wept for them, because they were soon ... to be destroyed by the Romans. He was not sorry for.....himself. He willingly gave himself to...die. For whom? For us,* and for the...Jews. For all mankind that.....believe in Him. Well, then, what did Jesus ride into Jerusalem upon? An ass. And, thinking upon what was to happen to them, he... What did he do? He wept over it. Do you remember any other occasion when Jesus wept? At the grave of Lazarus. Jesus wept with Martha and Mary who had...lost their brother. The Bible says, Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and ... weep with them that weep. Jesus, therefore, wept with those that...wept.

Read verse 37.

...

...

chickens under her wings, and ye would not."

Jesus says he would have gathered them together, "even as a hen." Can you tell me how a hen gathers her chickens together? Have any of you ever seen a hen gathering her brood of chickens together! Yes, Sir, my mother has hens. And have your mother's hens any chickens? Yes, Sir, they have seven chickens. One of your mother's hens, I suppose, has ... a great many chickens. This girl will tell us if she has ever seen the chickens run under the wings of the mother? Yes, Sir, she chucks, and they run under her wings. Chickens are ... young hens. When do they run under the wings of the mother hen? When they are frightened. Fear causes them to run under the hen. Whenever the hen perceives, that is, sees or ... thinks there is any danger to.....the chickens, she spreads her wings out round about her body, and cries ... What does she cry? Chuck, chuck. And what happens? They all run under the wings of their ...mother. If you held your father's hand in the street on a dark...night, you would think you were... quite safe. You would think yourself quite...safe from...danger. Or if this little girl were to be attacked by a dog, and her mother took her in her arms, how would she feel herself? Safe. Quite...safe. Very well, the chickens run under the wings of ... the hen when they are ... afraid of being hurt. And when they are under the wings of the hen, they ... think they are safe. And are they safe, think you? Yes, Sir. Suppose a dog or cat were to run after the little chickens to seize them, where would they run? Under the wings of the hen. And the chickens would feel themselves safe, and a dog or a cat would be afraid to ... come near the hen for fear of... having its eyes picked out.

...

Now, then, children, do you know how many inhabitants there were in Jerusalem at that time, that is, when Jesus was in this world? Fifty thousand—More than half-a-million, Sir.† The last answer was right, children. Jerusalem was an immense

* Action is of great importance at this stage of the exercise. The trainer may spread the fingers of both hands, moving them circularly round his body, and pointing his fingers to the ground in imitation of the pinions of

the hen.

↑ Various answers, of course, are given in the gallery.

...

...

city like... London, and it contained more than fifty thousand inhabitants. It contained, let me tell you, above half-a-million of people-men, women, and... children. It is said by Josephus, a Jew, who lived about that time, and who wrote a book or history of the awful destruction of Jerusalem, that in the city and neighbourhood, of men, women, and children put together, there were destroyed by the Romans twice the number you state. How many would that be? You said above ... halfa-million, or 50,000. I shall tell you of this sad affair, which is told by ... Who wrote the book we are now speaking of? Josephus. The man lived at the time of our Saviour, and he says that there were a great many strangers gathered together at Jerusalem, just before the Roman army came against it, so that although there were not nearly a million of inhabitants in ... Jerusalem, yet one way or another, what with the sword when they were fighting, and by famine and other things, more than one million persons were slain and otherwise destroyed, not merely men and women, but ... little children. Yes, the people not being able to get out of the city, on account of the Roman army that was round... the city, many thousands, wanted food so long that... What happened, think you? They died; but, before they died, they were known to eat almost anything they could get; even rats and other ... animals. What else would you call these? Vermin. What a sad condition they were brought to by the Roman army, and by famine, or want of... food; and what was still worse, children, they fought among themselves. No wonder, then, when Jesus knew all these sad things that were to... happen, that he ... when he looked on the city? Wept over it. at the punishment that was to come upon wickedness. Mention any of those great sins? Killing the prophets, and rejecting ... Christ, and now they were about to...kill him.

...

What did he do

Jesus was sorry them for their

...

But Jesus said he would have taken all these people-all this immense number of ... people, under ... his wings. Look at your books. The Bible says, " How often would I have gathered thy children together." Jesus here says that He would have gathered all the children of Jerusalem, not merely the little... children, but the ... big children, all the people of... Jerusalem,

U