CONTENTS.

SELECTION.

HEBREW SCRIPTURES.-PENTATEUCH.

I. A theory of creation, probably suggested to Moses by the teachings of the learned

Egyptians among whom he was educated, and by him transcribed into the lan-

guage and imagery of the ancient Hebrews.

II. Showing the piety and uprightness of Abraham, the ancient ancestor of the race of

the Israelites

Abraham's intercession for Sodom

¶ Abraham's unquestioning obedience, even to what afterward proved to be a mis-

taken sense of duty

III. Jacob's dream, and holy resolution.

His night of prayer

IV. Joseph's early anticipations of future greatness. The envy and treachery of his

brethren

THis resistance of temptation

His loyalty and love to his father and brethren after many years of separation.

V. Moses' vision of the burning bush

The commandments given by Moses

VI. Relapse of the Israelites into idolatry.

VII. Additional commandments

VIII. Remembrance of mercies

IX. Blessings upon righteousness

Cursings upon wickedness

X. The

song of Moses

Tradition of Moses' death

HEBREW SCRIPTURES.-SAMUEL.

I. Hannah's song of thanksgiving for the birth of Samuel

Samuel's vision and early piety

II. David's loyalty to Saul; and rendering good for evil

His song of lamentation over the death of Saul and Jonathan

III. The boldness of Nathan in reproving the sin of David

David's hope and consolation in the death of his child

HEBREW SCRIPTURES.-KINGS.

His prayer at the dedication of the temple

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2

I. Solomon's choice.

II. Legend of Elijah, fed by the ravens and by the unfailing meal and oil of the poor

widow

III. Visions of Elijah, in which his cowardice and faithlessness are reproved

Legend of Elijah's death

HEBREW SCRIPTURES.-NEHEMIAH.

I The patriotism and piety of the Jews in rebuilding Jerusalem, under the leadership

of Nehemiah

HEBREW SCRIPTURES.-JOB.

SELECTION.

I. Showing how we ought to trust in the wisdom and goodness of God, whatever may

PAGE.

II.

III.

Providential sorrows to be received and borne as the chastisements of love

Man's Helplessness contrasted with God's power

VI. Sincere questionings and doubt terminate in permanent faith and hope

VII. Retribution is certain, in the next life if not in this

VIII. A good conscience is content in appealing to God for justice and judgment

IX. Consider God's goodness and greatness

X. Job is brought to see and acknowledge the wisdom and righteousness of God

¶ Conclusion

I. Happiness to be found only in the pursuit of wisdom and in the practice of virtue

II. There is a time for every thing

PAGE.

HEBREW SCRIPTURES.-ISAIAH.

I. Formality is hateful to God, and righteousness alone doth he approve

Anticipations of the ultimate purity, prosperity, and peace of mankind upon earth

II. Wickedness shall be put down and righteousness finally triumph in the earth

III. A prophecy of the future glory and perfection of mankind

IV. The sorrow, sympathy, and self-sacrifice of the true philanthropist

V. Righteousness is the only acceptable offering to God

I. True philanthrophy grieves for wrong-doers, while it hates and condemns their

wrongs

II. The unfaithful, the unjust, and the impure rebuked

III. The ingratitude of those who forget the mercies of God, and violate his will

IV. No one should refuse the divine commission to rebuke wrong and advocate right-

eousness

V. Through rebuke and chastisement will God in the end establish mankind in right-

eousness and joy

HEBREW SCRIPTURES.-LAMENTATIONS OF JEREMIAH.

I. The alternating experience of sorrow and joy, fear and hope, despondency and trust,

in every truly religious life.

HEBREW SCRIPTURES.-EZEKIEL.

I. Every man to be judged by his own conscience, and punished for his own sins

II. Every man is responsible for those sins and sufferings of his fellow-men which it is

within his power by timely warning or sympathy to prevent

III. By the spirit of the Lord even the spiritually dead may live, the weak be made strong,

and the hopeless achieve victory

SELECTION.

HEBREW SCRIPTURES.-DANIEL.

I. Showing the grandeur of being loyal to conscience, come what may

HEBREW SCRIPTURES.-JONAH.

I. Showing that mercy is better than vengeance

HEBREW SCRIPTURES.-MALACHI.

I. Showing the judgments of God upon the wicked, and his favor to the righteous

CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES.-GOSPELS.

I. Traditions of the birth and childhood of Jesus

II. The appearance, preaching, and death of John the Baptist

III. Jesus, deeply moved by the preaching of John, retires into the wilderness for prayer

and meditation .

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97

98

Convinced of his divine mission as a religious teacher and reformer, he begins to

preach

IV. Driven from the synagogues, Jesus begins to preach in the open air
(This and the following six Selections are collections of what appear to be fragments
of different out-of-door sermons preached at various places and times.)

V. Continuation of the teachings of Jesus

VI. Continuation of the teachings of Jesus

VII. Continuation of the teachings of Jesus

VIII. Continuation of the teachings of Jesus

IX. Continuation of the teachings of Jesus

X. Continuation of the teachings of Jesus

XI. Jesus shows that his mission is to transgressors, and not to the righteous

XII. Jesus shows that the New Dispensation or Kingdom of God is to be one of gladness

and hope, not of despondency, retirement, and gloom.

XIII. Jesus shows that righteousness consists not in external pretensions, but in internal

purity and obedience to God

XIV. Jesus disregards the traditional observance of the Sabbath, and shows that it is de-

signed simply as a day of restfulness and comfort to man

XV. Jesus organizes his followers, and sends them out as missionaries

Through confidence in the skill and healing power of Jesus, many sick people are

Jesus recognizes the intimate connection between moral and physical infirmities.

Jesus rebukes the custom of immediate burial among the Jews, by resuscitating

persons supposed to be dead

XVII. An example of the cowardice and shame of suppressing opinions through fear of

popular disfavor

XVIII. The kingdom of God is a kingdom of love and peace, and includes the good and

true of all nations and ages

XIX. Those of imperfect or impure character, however great their pretensions of faith and

piety, cannot be admitted into the kingdom of God

XX. Jesus shows that it belongs to God to reward every man according to his works 119

XXI. Jesus shows that God will seek for his lost and prodigal children until every one of

them is found

XXII. Jesus supposed by his friends to be insane, and by his enemies to be possessed of

XXIII. Jesus shows that whosoever will enter into the kingdom of God must be born again

of the spirit of boldness, of self-denial, and of willingness to suffer oppositions

and persecutions for truth's sake

XXIV. Jesus shows that sooner or later God will recompense those who live selfish, un-

profitable, and unjust lives

SELECTION.

PAGE.

XXV. Jesus teaches forgiveness, and shows that every man must be his own judge, and

every man's conscience his only judgment-bar

XXVI. Jesus teaches humility, disinterestedness, vigilance, improvement of opportuni-

ties, and wise forethought

XXVII. Jesus teaches the simplicity of prayer; prays with his disciples on the moun-

tain; and receives and blesses little children

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128

130

132

133

135

XXVIII. The sum and substance of the commandments, and what it is to keep them

XXIX. Jesus teaches that we should always recognize divine authority and at the same

time submit to lawful human authority

XXX. Jesus shows that reason and the instincts of nature are the revelations and

teachings of God

XXXI. Jesus proclaims God as an infinite Spirit of holiness and love

XXXII. Jesus shows that his teachings concerning God are the living water and bread

which are able to communicate sustenance and life to the souls of men

XXXIII. Jesus shows that he is one with the Father in spirit and in purpose; but denies

the charge of putting himself on an equality with God

XXXIV. Jesus shows that the true shepherd of men is he who loves them unselfishly and

is willing, if need be, to give his life for them

XXXV. The common people love and honor Jesus, but he perceives that his enemies

will soon put him to death

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137

139

XXXVI. Jesus weeps over Jerusalem, and foretells its destruction and the calamities of

the Jewish nation

XXXVII. Jesus' last evening with his disciples; he explains the necessity of his death, as

a testimony and seal to the truth he had taught; assures his disciples that

the Father is revealed through him, and tells them that the spirit of Truth

will be their Helper and Guide

XXXVIII. Jesus shows that love among his disciples for one another, and for him, will

cause them to be like branches abiding in their vine, and bringing forth

much fruit.

XXXIX. By bread and wine Jesus symbolizes his approaching death; and by washing

his disciples' feet he teaches humility and mutual service

XL. With prayer and singing Jesus closes his interview with his disciples, and de-

parts with them into an adjoining garden

XLI. Jesus spends the night in prayer and sorrow; is apprehended by his enemies,

and led away to the Assembly of the Jews.

XLII. The trial and condemnation of Jesus

XLIII. Peter denies Jesus and repents; Judas repents and hangs himself; Jesus is

scourged, crucified, and temporarily placed in a sepulchre close at hand. 153

XLIV. The reappearance of Jesus after his death; by various manifestations he

reveals himself to many of his followers, and encourages them to spread

abroad his teachings

XLV. Some beautiful accounts of the reappearance of Jesus not historically verified ;

—that is, given by one biographer, but not confirmed or in any way refer-

red to by the others.

CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES.-THE ACTS.

I. The enthusiam with which the disciples of Jesus enter upon the work of pro-

claiming the teaching of their Master

II. The boldness of the first followers of Jesus, and their loyalty to his teaching in

the face of oppositions and persecutions

III. The early followers of Jesus organize themselves into a community, and the

first church is administered according to communistic principles

IV. The martyrdom of Stephen, and the beginning of persecutions by the Jews
V. Saul becomes a disciple of Jesus and begins to preach the gospel

SELECTION.

VI. The disciples of Jesus break down the walls of sectarianism by beginning to preach

the gospel to the Gentiles

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165

VII. Philip teaches the gospel of Jesus to the Samaritans and to the Ethiopian ambas-

sador

VIII. Among the Grecian converts, Jesus begins to be called "Christ," and the disciples

begin to be known as "Christians." The sympathy and benevolence of the

Christians for each other. Saul begins to be known among the Grecians as

Paul, and being chosen by them as preacher enters upon his ministry

IX. Opposition and persecution begin to be awakened against Paul

X. The strife about conformity to ordinances, and how it was settled

XI. Paul and Silas continuing their missionary journey are imprisoned, but by their

midnight songs of praise and subsequent teachings convert their jailer and his

household

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169

170

172

XII. Driven from place to place Paul and Silas at length come to Athens, where Paul

makes his famous discourse

XIII. Paul is persecuted in Corinth, and going on to Ephesus, arouses great enthusiasm

among a few disciples of John the Baptist whom he happens to find there

XIV. The riot in Ephesus stirred up against Paul by the workmen who made shrines for

Diana

XV. An exhibition of Paul's love for those who followed his ministry, and of his heroic

consecration to his work

XVI. Paul again visits Jerusalem; to pacify the Jewish Christians he conforms to the ordi-

nance of purification; but this does not preserve him from their persecutions

XVII. Paul rehearses the incidents of his conversion, and enrages the Jews by proclaim-

ing himself divinely appointed to preach the gospel to the Gentiles.

XVIII. The priests and elders conspire to assassinate Paul, but the chief officer hearing of

it sends him by night to Cæsarea.

XIX. Paul's accusation and defence before Felix, Festus, and Agrippa

XX. A glimpse of Paul at Rome.

I. God has revealed himself in nature as well as in written records and in the charac-

ters and teachings of holy men

II. God is a just and impartial judge, and judgment belongs to him alone

III. All men, without exception, are born into a condition of moral imperfection in

this life, and also are more or less guilty of wilfully violating the laws of virtue

and duty.

IV. In the consecrated life and death of Christ Jesus we have a representation of the

love of God for mankind; by this also we are brought into unity with God,

and are inspired to renounce iniquity and seek for holiness

V. The reign of law and the reign of love contrasted. Law only reveals the baseness

of iniquity, love inspires men to hate and forsake it. Carnal-mindedness tends

to spiritual corruption and decay; but spiritual-mindedness is life and peace 196

VI. God's true children are those who are spiritually minded; for them there are peace

and hope; and, moreover, whatever their afflictions, all things will result in

their good

VII. All righteous persons among the Gentiles as well as among the Jews are the spirit-

ual offspring of Abraham, and the accepted children of God

VIII. Jews and Gentiles alike live in God, and none but the disobedient and unholy does

he reject.

IX. Entire self-consecration, humility, and unfeigned love enjoined