The Biblical treasury
ILLUSTRATIVE GLEANINGS.
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY.
JOHN V. 25..-"The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear skall live."
The Polynesian's Reply.-Some Polynesian Christians were once asked if they believed in the resurrection. They replied, "Yes, most certainly." "In what body shall we rise ?" was then inquired. They answered, "In a chapter in the Corinthians it is said, 'It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.'" The questioner would not be satisfied; he required to know the identical nature of the body which shall be raised. The natives hesitated some time, and at last one said, "I have it! we shall see Him as He is, and be like Him." The speaker said again, "I want to know the precise body with which we shall be raised." This occasioned a considerable consultation among them; at length one said, "It cannot be like the body of Christ, when it hung on the cross; it will be like His glorious body, when He was transfigured on the mount."
PSALM XVII. 15.-" I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness."
A Negro Boy's Belief..-While a naval officer was inspecting one of the schools in the island of Barbadoes, containing 200 boys and girls, a sign was made by one of the children, by holding up his hand, intimating that he wished to speak to the master. going up to the child, who was somewhat more than eight years of age, the master inquired what was the matter. Massa," he replied, with a look of horror and indignation which the officer said he should never forget, and pointing to a little boy of the same age who sat beside him, "Massa, this boy says he does not believe in the resurrection." "That is very bad," said the master; "but do you, my little fellow," addressing the young informer, "believe in the resurrection yourself? " "Yes, Massa, I do." "But can you prove it from the Bible ? "" Yes, Massa; Jesus says, 'I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live;' and in another place, 'Because I live ye shall live also.' The master added, "Can you prove it from the Old Testament also?" "Yes; for Job says, 'I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.' And David says in one of his psalms, 'I shall be satisfied when I awake in thy likeness.' "But are you sure these passages are in the Bible? Here is a Bible, point them out to us." The little boy instantly found all the passages and read them aloud.
THE LORD OF NATURE.
PSALM Ixii. 11.-" Power belongeth unto God."
An Eastern Fable.-There is an Eastern fable of a boy having challenged his teacher to prove to him the existence of a God by working a miracle. The teacher, who was a priest, procured a large vessel filled with earth, in which he deposited a kernel in the boy's presence, and bade him pay attention. In the place where the kernel was put a green shoot soon appeared, the shoot became a stem, the stem put forth leaves and branches which soon spread over the whole apartment. It then budded with blossoms, which dropping off, left golden fruit in their place, and in a short space of an hour there appeared a noble tree in the place of the little seed. The youth, overcome with amazement, exclaimed, "Now I know there is a God, for I have seen his power!" The priest smiled at him, and said, "Simple child, do you only now believe? Does not what you have just seen take place in innumerable instances, year after year, only by a slower process? But is it the less marvellous on that account?"
THE COMPASSION OF GOD.
PSALM lxxxvi. 15.—" Thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion and gracious."
The Broken Link.-Mr. Leuport, of India, preaching to the people, pictured a boat whirled along by a furious river torrent. "Those on the shore looked anxiously around, and discover a chain near them. A man instantly fastens a stone to a rope, binds the other to the chain, and flings the stone into the boat. The rope is caught. The people eagerly lay hold of the chain, while those on shore begin to draw them, amid the raging elements, towards the creek. They already rejoice at the prospect of deliverance; but when they are within a few yards of the land, one link of the chain breaks. I do not say ten links, but one link in the middle of the chain. What shall these distressed people do now? No, no!' says one of my hearers, 'overboard with the chain, or it will sink them sooner.' 'What then shall they do?' 'Cast themselves upon the mercy of God,' exclaimed another. True, I replied; if one commandment be broken, it is as though all of them were broken. We cannot be saved by them; we must trust in the mercy of God, and lay hold on the mighty hand of Christ, which is stretched out to save us."
CHRIST STILLING THE TEMPEST.
SAFETY IN PERIL.
PSALM XXXVII. 23.-" The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord."
MR. THOROUGHGOOD, a minister of the seventeenth century, was a bold reprover of sin. He had once preached so pointedly against swearing, that one of his hearers, who was addicted to this vice, thought it particularly aimed at him, and was so exasperated that he determined to kill the minister. He accordingly hid himself behind a hedge in the way which Mr. Thoroughgood usually took in going to preach his weekly lecture. When he came up to the place, the man who intended to shoot him levelled his gun and attempted to fire, but it only flashed in the pan. The next week he went to the same place to renew his attempt, but the same event again happened. The man's conscience immediately smote him; he went after Mr. Thoroughgood, fell upon his knees, and, with tears in his eyes, related his design to him and asked his forgiveness. This event was the means of the man's conversion.
LORD, Thou didst arise and say
To the troubled waters, "Peace!"
And the tempest died away,
Down they sank, the foaming seas;
And a calm and heaving sleep
Spread o'er all the glassy deep;
All the azure lake serene
Like another heaven was seen.
Lord, Thy gracious word repeat
To the billows of the proud!
Quell the tyrants' martial heat,
Quell the fierce and changing crowd!
Then the earth shall find repose
From its restless strife and woes;
And an imaged heaven appear
On our world of darkness here.
MILMAN.
Superintendents of our Poorer Schools will do well to obtain a copy of THE CHILDREN'S PENNY HYMNAL,
WHICH IS A COLLECTION OF
ONE HUNDRED CHILDREN'S HYMNS, NEW AND OLD,
ADAPTED FOR
HOME AND SCHOOL USE.
The Hymnal is Published in Cloth at 2d. An Edition of the Work is also Published
WITH TUNES,
And is Sold at 2d. paper covers; 3d. cloth.
This cheap Hymn Book will be a great boon to schools with limited means.
SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION, 56, Old Bailey, E.C.
New Work for Sunday School Teachers.
Just published, fcap. 8vo., cloth boards, 3s. 6d.,
THE INTRODUCTORY CLASS TEXT-BOOK:
A COURSE OF STUDY FOR INTENDING SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS. By B. P. PASK.
Mr. SPURGEON writes-"Teachers who will study Mr. Pask's book are likely to be efficient; but the majority of those who need it will never condescend to look at it, much less to study it. He has made a laudable attempt with considerable success, and we trust he will see great good of it."-Sword and Trowel.
LONDON: SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION, 56, OLD BAILEY, E.C.
KAYE'S WORSDELL'S PILLS.
Impure blood, no matter how caused, is the foundation of all disease; hence the value of KAYE'S WORSDELL'S PILL'S, which effectually cleanse the vital fluid from all impurities. They strengthen all the organs and restore impaired health when all other remedies have failed.
Sold by all Chemists at 1s. 1d., 2s. 9d., and 4s. 6d.
per box.