songs. And we should "rejoice" when we look at the beautiful bright sun and the fresh green grass. And when anything happens to make you sad and sorry, remember that God loves you, and is still taking care of you; and that should make

you still "rejoice." Where will there be no more sorrow or tears, but only joy? A. In Heaven. 6. "God will wipe away tears from off all faces," and then all the happy people in Heaven will "rejoice in the Lord alway." E. M.

PART IX.

THE LORD'S PRAYER.

SECTION IV.-PRAYER.

(Continued)

A.

61. What is the fittest posture for prayer? A. Kneeling. 62. Why should we kneel? A. Because it is the humblest posture. 63. How did our Lord Himself pray? Kneeling. 64. What does God call His House? A. A House of Prayer. 65. Of what House was that spoken? A. The Temple. 66. What was Solomon's prayer with regard to that House? 1 Kings, viii. 29. 67. How many houses of prayer were there then? A. Only one. 68. What are our houses of prayer now?

A. Our

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churches. 69. Where does our Lord promise to be? A. Wherever two or three are gathered together in His Name. Where else should we pray, besides in church? A. In our own room. 71. Where does our Lord tell us to pray? St. Matt. vi. 6. 72. You are told to seek for grace by diligent prayer;--what does diligent mean? A. Constant and earnest. 73. How does St. Paul teach this? Romans, xii. 12. 74. Why must we be constant in prayer? 4. Because our souls cannot live without it. 75. Which is the great day for prayer? A. Sunday. 76. What does St. Paul tell us about going to church? Heb. x. 25. 77. What are prayers at church called? A. Common prayers. 78. Why are they called common prayers? A. Because we all join in them together.

I.-Prayer.

IL-The Lord's Prayer.

III.-The First Petition.

IV. The Second Petition. V.-The Third Petition. VL-The Fourth Petition.

79.

When are the morning and evening services to be used? A. Daily throughout the year. 80. When ought we to attend upon it? A. Whenever we can; but more especially on Sundays. 81. What are the chief times for prayer at home? A. When we rise, and when we go to bed. 82. What should we pray for in the morning? A. For help and guidance through the day. 83. What should we pray for at night? A. That our sins of the past day may be forgiven, and that we may be protected through the night. 84. Need we all use the same form at home as we do at church? No: except the Lord's Prayer. 85. Why not? A. The public prayers are made to suit the whole congregation: at home, we have to pray for our own peculiar needs. 86. What may we ask for in our prayers? A. All that we wish for. 87. How often did David pray? A. At evening, and at morning, and at noon-day. 88. How often did Daniel pray? A. He kneeled on his knees three times a day. 89. At what time would it be well to accustom ourselves to pray? A. At noon-day. 90. What should we then remember? A. The hour at which our Lord hung on the Cross. 91. What should we pray for then? A. That God would be with us through the business of the day. 92. May we pray at other than these fixed times? A. We may always pray. 93. What may we do if we are frightened? A. Pray to God to take care of us. 94. What may we do if we are in trouble? A. Pray that He will deliver us, or help us to bear it. 95. What may we do if we are in temptation? A. Pray to Him for strength to resist it. 96. If we want to do anything well, what may we do? A. Pray Him to prosper our handywork. 97. If we have done wrong, what may we do? A. Call on Him for forgiveness. 98. If we are with other people, and cannot kneel down or pray aloud, what can we still do? 4. We can speak to him in our hearts. 99. Why are we sure that He will hear us? A. Because He knows every thought of our hearts. 100. Where do we find short prayers? A. In the Psalms. 101. What is the pattern of all prayers? A. The Lord's Prayer.

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and His Kingdom of Glory. 8. Where did our Lord say His Kingdom is? A. "The Kingdom of God is within you." 9. How can we set Him up for a King within our hearts ? A. By His governing all our thoughts, wishes, and aflections. 10. What does a king do to his people? A. He commands them. 11. What must we therefore do? A. We must be obedient. 12. Whom does a king drive out? 13. What enemies of our King come into our hearts? A. Evil thoughts and wishes. 14. What must we therefore do? A. Fight under Him against them. 15. Then when we say "Thy Kingdom come," what do we pray for ourselves? A. That our hearts may be under God's government. 16. How is this expressed in the Collect for the Fourth Sunday after Trinity? 17. What is His Kingdom upon Earth? 4. The Holy Catholic Church. 18. What does our Lord often call the Church in His Parables? 1. The Kingdom of Heaven. 19. Where do we wish the Church to spread? 20. Is there any promise that the Church shall do this? Hub.ii. 14. 21. What did our Lord compare the growth of the Church to? St. Mark, iv. 31, 32. 22. When are persons added to that Kingdom? 4. When they are baptized. 23. Why should we wish more to be added to that Kingdom? A. For the glory of God, and their salvation. What must we do besides praying that they may be added? A. We must try to give what help we can towards bringing them. [25. Does everyone in the visible Church take Christ for their King? A. No; many disobey Him.] 26. What do we ask for others in this petition? A. That God will bring all people to know Him and to serve Him as their King. 27. What is the explanation of this petition? A. To give Thy grace unto me and to all people, that we may serve Him as we ought to do. 28. What further Kingdom do we look for? A. His Kingdom of Glory in Heaven. 29. When will that Kingdom come? 4. When He shall have put all enemies under His feet. 30. What are we told of the glory of that Kingdom? Rev. xxii. 3-5. 31. Who will rejoice to see that Kingdom come? 32. How must we live so as to use this prayer aright? A. In watching and holiness. 33. What Kingdom should be in our hearts already? A. His Kingdom of grace. 34. What is the last prayer in the Bible? Rev. xxii. 20. 35. What is the prayer about the future Kingdom in the Burial Service? 36. What will be at an end when that Kingdom shall come? 37. What concern have we in that Kingdom? A. That we are inheritors of it. 38. What will make us look hopefully to its coming? A. If we are faithful soldiers and servants, we shall rejoice in the glory of our King.

SECTION VI.-THIRD PETITION.

1. What is the Third Petition? 2. What do we pray about God's will? 3. What is His will? 4. Who are those that do His will in Heaven? 5. How do they do His will? A. Perfectly and willingly. 6. How does the 103rd Psalm speak of the Angels? Psalm ciii. 20. 7. What did the Angel tell St. John? Rev. xxii. 9. 8. What ought we to do like the Angels? 9. What promise have you made to do it? 10. Whom should we try to resemble in doing His will? 11. What hinders us from doing His will rightly? A. Our own wills. 12. What are our own wills? A. Our own spirits of wishing and choosing. 13. Have the Angels wills of their own? A. Their will is the same as God's will. 14. What are we called on to do with our own wills? A. To give them up. 15. How do we pray in the Collect for the Fourth Sunday after Easter that we may do so? 16. How in the Confession do we say that we have gone after our own wills instead of His? 17. When are you doing His will? A. When I am trying to do right. 18. When are you doing your own? A. When I am trying to please myself. 19. What should

we learn to make alike? A. My will with His will. 20. What did our Lord say He came to do? St. John, vi. 38. 21. How do the Angels do service in Heaven? A. Heartily and gladly. 22. How should we do it on earth? A. Heartily and gladly. 23. Do they ever murmur? 24. Should we ever murmur? 25. Have we ever to bear God's will as well as to do it? A. Yes. 26. What do you mean by bearing His will? A. Bearing whatever it may be His will to send upon us. 27. How should we bear His will? A. Patiently. 28. What may we always be sure of? A. That whatever He sends is best for us. 29. How are we to be sure of this? A. By faith. 30. Who does St. James say are happy? James, v. 11. 31. What word means doing His will? Α. Obedience. 32. What word means bearing His will? A. Resignation. 33. When have we to bear it? 4. When He sends

afflictions upon us. 34. What kind of afflictions may come upon us? A. Illness, or poverty, or the loss of friends. 35. Why are such things sent? A. To do us good. 36. How docs St. Paul encourage us? Heb. xii. 11. 37. Who does our Lord say are blessed? 38. How can this blessing be thrown away? A. If we are impatient, and if we murmur. 39. What great example have we of bearing God's will? 40. What did our Lord pray in His Agony? 41. What should we try to pray when we are in distress? 4. "Thy will be done." 42. How did Eli resign himself to God's will? 1 Sam. iii. 18. 43. How did Heze

kiah resign himself? 2 Kings, xx. 19. 44. What are the two virtues we ask for ourselves in this petition? A. Obedience and resignation. 45. For whom do we ask them besides ourselves? 46. For Whose Glory do we ask them? 47. How is this petition explained? A. "That He will send His Grace unto me and unto all people, that we may worship Him, serve Him, and obey Him as we ought to do." 48. To whom do these three first petitions relate?

us.

SECTION VII.—FOURTH PETITION.

1. WHAT is the Fourth Petition? 2. What do we ask for in it? 3. What is included in this prayer for bread? A. All that is needed to support life. 4. Besides the food itself, what is needed to enable us to eat? A. Health. 5. How much food do we ask for? 6. How often are we to ask for it? 7. Why are we to ask for it every day? A. To keep in mind that God gives it to 8. How were the Israelites taught to depend on God from day to day? 9. What does our Lord bid us not take thought for? St. Matt. vi. 25. 10. Do we know that we shall need food to-morrow? 11. What example was set by the widow of Zarephath, of taking no thought for the morrow? 12. What was her reward? 13. What promise have we of God's providing for us? St. Matt. vi. 33. 14. For what does God provide food? A. For every creature that He has made. 15. What does our Lord say about the birds? St. Matt. vi. 26. 16. Does taking no thought for the morrow mean that we are to be careless? A. No; but that we are not to be anxious. 17. How did our Lord teach us that nothing should be wasted? 18. What must we do before and after every meal? A. We should acknowledge that it is given us by God. 19. What do we call this? A. Saying Grace. 20. Why must we pray Him to bless our food? A. That it may do us good, and strengthen us to serve Him. 21. Why must we thank Him for it? A. Because it is very merciful in Him to feed us. 22. Who set us the example of giving thanks? 23. How does St. Paul tell us we may glorify Him? 1 Cor. x. 31. 24. We ask for daily bread: is this asking for dainties? 25. What are we to learn by this? A. To be content with such things as we have. 26. Who do we ask should be fed? 27. If we pray this in earnest, what shall we do when we see another person hungry? 28. What is the blessing promised to those who give what they can, however small the gift is? St. Mark, ix. 41. 29. What does St. John say of want of pity for our brethren? 1 John, iii. 17. 30. What will be the condemnation of those who have not helped their brethren? St. Matt, xxv. 41, 42.

OF SUNDAY

No. 26.]

[Price 1d.

LEVITICUS.

EXODUS, or the Book of Going out, was partly history, partly law. The next Book of Moses is almost entirely law. It is called Leviticus, because it first concerned the priests, who were of the tribe of Levi; and it contains the account of the consecration of Aaron and his sons to the priesthood; also it tells of the fearful death of two of those sons, who presumed to disobey the command of God respecting the manner of worshipping Him.

The chief part of the book is taken up in regulating the worship of the Israelites, and in putting forth the laws that were to keep them separate from all the other nations on earth.

The three sorts of sacrifice are appointed-the sin-offering, the trespass-offering, the peace-offering. The sin-offering was the presenting an animal to die in stonement for a fault done in ignorance: the trespass-offering was to make up for a transgression of one of the lesser rules; the peace-offering was a gift to God in token of thanksgiving.

But always to obtain pardon, blood must be shed to satisfy justice; and for breaches of the Commandments there was no sacrifice, for nothing that man could offer was worthy to atone for his sin.

Nor were mankind in general worthy to make offerings for themselves. One tribe out of the whole twelve was set apart; one family out of that tribe alone was permitted actually to offer sacrifice: and only the head of that family was admitted to exercise all the rites of his religion, and stand between God and the people, somewhat as Moses had done.

Moreover, it was not enough to be born of the right family to be a priest. No bodily defect could be allowed in one who was to minister before the Lord; and the touch of anything that bore the taint and corruption of the effects of sin, set him aside for the time from his office. Frail and sinful as the priests could not help being inwardly, every outward sign about them was instituted so as to show that they were patterns of a perfect, pure, undying Priest, who should offer a sacrifice that would

make up for all that these other sacrifices could not do.

In their measure too, all God's people were to be set apart, and kept from uncleanness. They were forbidden to mingle with other nations, and to live upon certain animals. Indeed, even before the Flood, the gentle creatures that part the hoof and chew the cud, had been esteemed pure and clean, in preference to animals who fed more grossly; and the Law now distinctly marked which were to be eaten, and which abstained from, so as to keep in the minds of the Israelites a continual sense that there was a line drawn between themselves and the people around them; and that just as only the pure and clean animals could be used for sacrifice or food, so only the cleansed could come near to God.

Moreover, the touch of a dead corpse, and most of the bodily infirmities that the sin of Adam left us, made the body unclean; and the rules follow for the sacrifice, and touches with blood and water, needful before the sufferer might again come near to God in His sanctuary. The mother after the birth of her child, and the leper who had recovered from his deadly disease, are specially mentioned; and it should be observed, that only through the death of something innocent could they come near to Holy One.

The greatest and most terrible sins of impurity and idolatry, especially those to which the nations round were addicted, were then denounced, and punishments decreed for the persons who should perpetrate them, with threatenings against the nation, that it should be cast off by God if such things were permitted to go unpunished.

In the covenant sworn to at Mount Sinai, God had said that three times a year feasts should be kept at the place which He should choose. The order of these feasts is here given: namely, the Feasts of the Passover, of Weeks, and of Tabernacles, and therewith rules for the Sabbath Day, the Sabbath week, month, year, and for the Jubilee, or Year of Release; all marking that there should be rest and deliverance.

The one fast of the Israelites, the Day of Atonement, is likewise here ordained;

and the rules given for the ceremonies by which the High Priest was to lay the sins of the people in a figure upon the scapegoat, which was to bear them away into the wilderness, while the High Priest bore the blood of the sacrifice into the Holy Place, and made intercession for the sins of the people.

So the spirit of the book is to give rules by which the nation, and above all the priests, might be kept untainted and pure; or if uncleanness befell them, might purify themselves by blood; and then to tell them how they might come near to God, and offer worship such as to prepare their minds for better things to come.

We ourselves have a book of canons of the Church-rules, that is, for the clergy; and we have rubrics in our Prayer Books. Leviticus is the Israelite book of canons and of rubrics, explaining in detail the laws of worship given before in Exodus. It seems to be a collection of the laws given to Moses, while the people still remained about Mount Sinai, and thus to have been written during the first year of the wandering.

It ends with a prophecy of what would befall the Israelites, if they did not keep these commands, but fell into the sins there denounced; how they should lose the favour of God, which made their land delightful; how they should no longer be guarded from their enemies, but should suffer from the most terrible oppressions of their foes, should undergo a dreadful siege, and be finally cast out of their good land, and become wanderers on the face of the earth.

NUMBERS.

Y.

THE Book of Numbers, the fourth Book of Moses, takes its name from the account it gives of the numbering of the people.

It begins, like Leviticus, at the foot of Mount Sinai, in the year 1491, the first year of the wanderings; but it reaches on to 1451, the very last year; and like Exodus, it is partly law and partly history, sadder history than that in Exodus, for in the first we heard of deliverance, in the last of failure; one is like youth, the other like old age.

The book begins with the numbering of all the sons of Levi, who had already been consecrated to the service of the Lord in the Tabernacle. These were to be taken as the Lord's portion instead of the firstborn among all the other tribes, who had been redeemed after the Passover, when they were spared and the first-born of Egypt smitten. The offices of each family of these Levites was then fixed, all serving around the sanctuary, and bearing portions of the Tabernacle in the journeyings, but

only the priests, the sons of Aaron, sacrificing or burning incense.

Then comes the account of the offerings made by all the heads of the tribes of Israel, when the Tabernacle was finished and set up; and it is to be noted that the first of all these was the prince of the tribe of Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab, whom you will find in the first chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel as an ancestor of our Lord, so that already His line were Princes of Judah.

After the Tabernacle had been thus finished, and its services instituted, the journeyings of Israel began again, and we are told how they were ordered, by the pillar of cloud rising from over the Holy of Holies as a sign for their onward march, and resting when they were to halt; also the order in which each tribe moved, not mingled together, but in its place, and encamping in regular order, so that none might fail to know his place.

The lifting up of the cloud, the sound of the trumpet, and the words, "Rise up, O Lord, and let Thine enemies be scattered," was the signal for the march of the armies of Israel, all one though many, going on conquering and to conquer in the strength of Him Who led them!

But with the year that they spent round Mount Sinai, ends the record of their better days. Soon the hardships of the march brought faithless murmurs, punished by the burning at Taberah; and again came the outcry for meat, which was answered by the flight of quails, of which they ate till their excess brought its own punish

ment.

Then followed, at the very entrance of the Land of Promise, the journey of the twelve spies, their faithless report, the faint-hearted despair of the multitude, and the sentence that forty years should be spent in the wilderness; during which all the elder generation, who had brought away the corruptions of Egypt, should die off, and only the younger ones, bred up under Moses, should live to enter the land, under the two faithful spies, the representatives of Judah and Ephraim.

Here

Back they turned, unable to win the land, because the help was withdrawn that would have made it easy; and again they led the life of wanderers, dwelling in tents, in the northern part of the peninsula of the wandering, the desert of Paran. befell the murmurs of Dathan and Abiram, because the elder tribe, that of Reuben, had not the pre-eminence; and the rebellion of Korah, the Levite, because only the sons of Aaron had the priesthood. God answered their rebellious murmurs, by causing the earth to open and devour the seditious sons of Reuben, with their families, and the holy flame of His Sanc